Walrus - Reaktion Books - Animal Author:John Miller, Louise Miller From Lewis Carroll?s poem “The Walrus and the Carpenter? to the Beatles?s “I am the Walrus,? walruses have played an enigmatic role in popular culture. With their prominent tusks and distinctive whiskers, these odd-looking but charismatic animals hold a crucial place in the lives and folklore of Arctic indigenous communities, where every part of... more » the animal is used or consumed. But the burgeoning trade of walrus ivory in the nineteenth century caused the creatures to be hunted to the brink of extinction, causing disastrous effects on human populations in the Arctic.
Combining natural, cultural, and environmental history, Walrus explores the intriguing story of an animal that today is on the front lines of conservation debates. John Miller and Louise Miller describe the problems facing walruses even after the ban of commercial walrus hunting in 1930—shrinking pack-ice caused by global warming and the exploitation of Arctic oil and gas resources are destroying the animal?s habitat. Wonderfully illustrated with images of walruses in the wild and from art and popular culture, Walrus offers a refreshing account of these large-flippered mammals while also illustrating the ethical dilemmas they embody, from the intensifying conflict between the developed world and indigenous interests to the impact of global warming on arctic animals.« less