Unnatural Companions

March 1, 2020
Domesticated animals now outnumber those in the wild. Coincidence? Not at all. Award-winning science journalist Christie posits that there is a direct correlation between humanity's love for pets and the decline, to the point of extinction, of species in the wild. Forage fish that are critical to oceanic food chains are being harvested for pet food, while rain forests are being ransacked for ever more exotic songbirds to satisfy greedy collectors. Feral cats, too, are decimating songbird populations and domestic dogs are transmitting deadly diseases to their wild counterparts. From pythons to parrots, animals are being taken out of their natural habitat to serve as status pets. Sadly, when the allure wears off, many of these creatures are released into an environment where they dangerously disrupt the existing ecological order. Pet owners may be unaware of the ancillary consequences of keeping a companion animal, and while Christie paints a sobering portrait of the current state of the pet industry, he also highlights important practices animal lovers can follow to bring about positive changes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)