Review
"Splendid... Deeply stirring and elegiac." - The Prairies Book Review
Wood combines stunningly shot photographs with his own odyssey of traveling around the globe to tell the story of world's decimation of wildlife in this beautiful and devastating yet hopeful account. Wood began his journey to research wildlife trafficking and poaching after Cecil, a well-studied lion in Hwange National Park in Matabelel and North, Zimbabwe, died in a guided hunt in 2015 after an American dentist reportedly paid $50,000 to hunt Cecil as a trophy. Beginning his journey from Tanzania and conversing with the local poachers and the ancient Maasai there, Wood visited and worked in a panda sanctuary in Chengdu and traversed the narrow alleyways of Hutongs in Beijing in China, took a cross-country trip to Yellowstone National Park in America and traveled to the tropical rainforests of Costa Rica. He asserts that poachers are regular people with hopes and dreams, struggles and sorrows, and it is poverty that forces them to participate in the unlawful act of wildlife trafficking. He argues that they exist because there is a demand of poached goods in affluent countries across the globe, and nations like Africa, China etc. are merely there to process that demand. Wood's stunning black and white photographs capture the surreal magic of vast and varied landscapes in their full glory. The future of vulnerable species such as African elephants, giraffe, giant panda among others remain uncertain, but Wood excellently conveys the importance of preserving wildlife and delivers a moving and powerful photojournalistic account of the unscrupulous wildlife trafficking and poaching.
"This is a powerful and enthralling work."- BookView ReviewThe wildlife photographer Wood delivers a sensitive, hard-hitting portrait of wildlife destruction through trafficking and poaching in his remarkable latest. Trying to search for answers to his burning questions about wildlife trafficking and poaching, Wood decides to travel around the globe. He begins his journey from the unforgiving terrains of Tanzanian Savanna and travels to the misty hills of Sichuan Province in China, the vast wilderness of Yellowstone National park in USA, and further to the remote tropical rainforests of Costa Rica, but realizes that he already knows the answers; we, as humans must restore balance by consciously making choices that change the economics of supply and demand for poached goods. Wood's stunning black and white photographs feel intimate and compliment his subdued but passionate narrative voice. Using language that is deceptively simple, wood paints a heart-rending portrait of a world where poachers are just ordinary, poverty-stricken people trying to stay alive. Wood blames the economics and demand for poached goods in affluent nations behind the illogical decimation of wildlife. Recognizing that the situation is grave and some species have already been driven to extinction in recent years, Wood stresses the need for serious human intervention.
Reviewed By Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
The Human Snare is a non-fiction wildlife conservation book written and with art by Rick Wood. Wood is a wildlife photographer and journalist. He's also filmed documentaries in his efforts to bring the plight of marine mammals and turtles to the public's attention. When Cecil the lion was slaughtered in 2015, there was an international outcry. Cecil had been safely ensconced in the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe for 13 years until an American dentist paid $50,000 for a guided hunt which led to Cecil being shot, beheaded, and skinned. Wood wanted to understand how we got to this point, how poaching was leading to the deaths of not only Cecil but a significant portion of the more than 20,000 elephants who die annually. The first stop on his four-year effort to get to the bottom of this issue was Tanzania, where poachers and conservationists are at loggerheads, and the elephants are caught in the crossfire. He soon discovered there were no easy answers. Poverty is widespread in the country, leading some to poach to feed their families and simply survive.
Rick Wood's The Human Snare kept me engaged and involved as I read his story and studied the accompanying illustrations. The plights of the animals Wood researched also affect me deeply, and I remember my outrage after hearing about Cecil's slaughter. Wood offers some hard truths as he explores the cultures he visits, and the plight of Tanzanians, who've been decimated by HIV/AIDS as well as experiencing widespread poverty,does give one pause to consider what options the inhabitants have and what conservationists can do to offer alternatives to the wholesale destruction of species. Wood's images are detailed and unforgettable,and his story makes clear the urgent need for more action to ensure the survival of endangered species. The Human Snare is most highly recommended.
About the Author
Rick Wood is an award-winning former journalist and wildlife photographer from Washington State. His debut novel, "Nature Aware (Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, 2012),"reached the Amazon Kindle Best Seller list in Conservation and Ecology numerous times. In "Rough Cut: Lessons from Endangered Species (Homeostasis Press, 2017)," Wood showcased efforts to save marine mammals and sea turtles, and his experiences from filming nature documentaries.
Wood volunteers his time working with students worldwide, and he is also a marine mammal rescue responder.
Meniere's Disease caused profound hearing impairment since 2004, and Wood is functionally deaf today. Additionally, he wrestles with combat-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder effects due to his time in combat.
Still, Wood credits his challenges for inspiring him to live life to the fullest.
