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{{Infobox Scientist
[[Image:George Schaller.jpg|thumb|260px|right|Dr. George Schaller at a lecture in Beijing Zoo on Aug. 10th, 2005. In his hand is a wireless device used on the neck of a chiru (Tibetan antelope).]]
|name = George Beals Schaller
'''George Beals Schaller''' (born 1933 [[Berlin]], [[Germany]]) is a [[mammalogist]], [[natural history|naturalist]], [[conservationist]] and [[author]], and is recognized by many as the world's preeminent [[field biologist]], studying [[wildlife]] throughout [[Africa]], [[Asia]] and [[South America]]. Growing up in Germany, Schaller moved to [[Missouri]] as a teen. He is now the director for science for the [[Bronx Zoo]]-based [[Wildlife Conservation Society]].
|box_width =250px
|image = George Schaller.jpg
|image_width =
|caption = Dr. George Schaller at a lecture in Beijing Zoo on Aug. 10th, 2005.
|birth_date = [[1933]]<ref name="msu">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/information/biography/pqrst/schaller_george.html|title=George Schaller|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=October 5|publisher=Minnesota State University, Mankato|author=Minnesota State University|language=English}}</ref>
|birth_place = [[Berlin]], [[Germany]]<ref name="biog">{{Cite web|url=http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9473538|title=George B(eals) Schaller Biography (1933– )|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=October 5|publisher=Biography.com, A&E Television Networks.|year=2007|author=Biography.com|language=English}}</ref>
|death_date =
|death_place =
|residence = [[Connecticut]]<ref name="natgeo2">{{Cite web|url=http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0610/voices.html?fs=www3.nationalgeographic.com&fs=plasma.nationalgeographic.com|title=Voices: George Schaller|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=October 5|publisher=National Geographic|year=2006|author=National Geographic|language=English}}</ref>
|citizenship =
|nationality =
|ethnicity =
|field = [[Biologist]], <br>[[conservationist]]
|work_institutions = [[Wildlife Conservation Society]]
|alma_mater = [[University of Wisconsin]]
|doctoral_advisor =
|doctoral_students =
|known_for = [[gorilla|Mountain gorilla]] conservation
|author_abbrev_bot =
|author_abbrev_zoo =
|influences =
|influenced = [[Dian Fossey]]
|prizes = [[National Geographic]] Lifetime Achievement Award<ref name="lang" /><br>[[Guggenheim Fellowship]] <br>[[World Wildlife Fund]] Gold Medal<br>[[International Cosmos Prize]]<br>[[Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement]]<br>[[National Book Award]]
|religion =
|footnotes =
}}


'''Dr. George Beals Schaller''' (born [[1933]]) is a [[mammalogist]], [[natural history|naturalist]], [[conservationist]] and [[author]], and is recognized by many as the world's preeminent field biologist, studying [[wildlife]] throughout [[Africa]], [[Asia]] and [[South America]].<ref name="msu" /><ref name="man">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/mag/2006/10/01/stories/2006100100120500.htm|title= Man of Nature: A freewheeling chat with environmentalist George Schaller.|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=October 5|publisher=The Hindu|year=2006|author=K. Pradeep|language=English}}</ref> Born in [[Berlin]], [[Germany]], Schaller grew up in Germany, and moved to [[Missouri]] as a teen. He is the Vice-President of the Science and Exploration Program at the [[Bronx Zoo]]-based [[Wildlife Conservation Society]].<ref name="lang">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/best-of-adventure-2007/wildlife/george-schaller.html|title=Lifetime Achievement: Biologist George Schaller|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=October 5|publisher=National Geographic|year=2007|author=National Geographic|language=English}}</ref>
==1959: "Year of the Gorilla"==


==Early life==
⚫
Schaller is perhaps best known for his landmark field research, begun in [[1959]], on the [[gorilla|mountain gorilla]]s (''Gorilla beringei beringei'') of the [[Virunga Volcanoes]] in [[Central Africa]]. Little was known about the life of gorillas in the wild until the publication of ''The Mountain Gorilla: Ecology and Behavior'' in [[1963]] that first revealed to the general public just how profoundly intelligent and gentle gorillas really are, contrary to then-common beliefs. Schaller has more recently recounted his epic two year study in ''The Year of the Gorilla'', which also provides a broader historical perspective on the efforts to save one of humankind's nearest relatives from the brink of extinction.


Schaller received his [[Bachelor of Science]] degree from the [[University of Alaska]] in [[1955]], and went on to the [[University of Wisconsin]] to obtain his [[Ph.D.]] in [[1962]].<ref name="cas" /> From 1962 to [[1963]], he was a fellow at the Behavioral Sciences department of [[Stanford University]]. From 1963 to [[1966]], Schaller served as research associate for the [[Johns Hopkins University]] [[Pathology|Pathobiology]] department, and from 1966 to [[1972]], served as the [[Rockefeller University]]'s and [[New York Zoological Society]]'s research associate in research and animal behavior.<ref name="icp">{{Cite web|url=http://www.expo-cosmos.or.jp/jusyou/1996_e.html|title=The Prizewinner, 1996: George Beals Schaller|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=October 5|publisher=International Cosmos Prize|year=1996|author=International Cosmos Prize|language=English}}</ref> He later served as Director of the New York Zoological Society's International Conservation Program from [[1979]] to [[1988]].<ref name="natgeo2" />
⚫
The famed American zoologist, [[Dian Fossey]], with assistance from the [[National Geographic]] and [[Louis Leakey]], followed Schaller's groundbreaking field research on mountain gorillas in the Virungas. Schaller and Fossey were instrumental in dispelling the public perception of gorillas as brutes, by demonstrably establishing the deep compassion and social intelligence evident among gorillas, and how very closely their behavior parallels that of humans.


==Mountain gorilla research==
⚫
"No one who looks into a gorilla's eyes - intelligent, gentle, vulnerable - can remain unchanged, for the gap between ape and human vanishes; we know that the gorilla still lives within us. Do gorillas also recognize this ancient connection?" Schaller later mused, when interviewed by ''National Geographic''.


⚫
In [[1959]], at the age of 26, Schaller traveled to Central [[Africa]] to study and live with the [[gorilla|mountain gorilla]]s (''Gorilla beringei beringei'') of the [[Virunga Volcanoes]].<ref name="Natgeo">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/best-of-adventure-2007/wildlife/george-schaller-leopards-lions-pandas.html|title=Biologist George Schaller's 50-Year Battle|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=October 5|publisher=National Geographic|year=2007|author=Ryan Bradley|language=English}}</ref><ref name="cic">{{Cite web|url=http://school.discoveryeducation.com/ontv/championsofthewild_1006.html|title=Mountain Gorillas|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=October 5|publisher=[http://www.ciconline.org/home Cable in the Classroom]|year=2006|author=Cable in the Classroom|language=English}}</ref> Little was known about the life of gorillas in the wild until the publication of ''The Mountain Gorilla: Ecology and Behavior'' in [[1963]], that first revealed to the general public just how profoundly intelligent and gentle gorillas really are, contrary to then-common beliefs. Schaller has more recently recounted his epic two year study in ''The Year of the Gorilla'', which also provides a broader historical perspective on the efforts to save one of humankind's nearest relatives from the brink of extinction.<ref name="Natgeo" />
==Preeminent naturalist==


⚫
The famed American zoologist, [[Dian Fossey]], with assistance from the [[National Geographic]] society and [[Louis Leakey]], followed Schaller's groundbreaking field research on mountain gorillas in the Virungas. Schaller and Fossey were instrumental in dispelling the public perception of gorillas as brutes, by demonstrably establishing the deep compassion and social intelligence evident among gorillas, and how very closely their behavior parallels that of humans.
After publication of ''The Mountain Gorilla'', Schaller was a research associate at [[Johns Hopkins University]] until [[1966]], when he became a Research Zoologist for the [[New York Zoological Society]] and professor at [[Rockefeller University]]. He later served as Director of the Society's International Conservation Program from [[1979]] to [[1988]].


⚫
{{Cquote|No one who looks into a gorilla's eyes - intelligent, gentle, vulnerable - can remain unchanged, for the gap between ape and human vanishes; we know that the gorilla still lives within us. Do gorillas also recognize this ancient connection? - George Schaller<ref name="quote">{{cite journal | last =Schaller | first =George B. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Gentle Gorillas, Turbulent Times | journal =[[National Geographic]] | volume =Volume 188 | issue =No. 4 | pages =page 66 | publisher =[[National Geographic]] | date =October, 1995 | url = | doi = | id = | accessdate = }}</ref>}}
Schaller's conservation efforts have led to the establishment of five of the world's wildlife reserves, including the [[Arctic National Wildlife Refuge]] (ANWR) in [[Alaska]]. In [[1988]], Schaller began collaborations with the [[China|Chinese]] government in studying wildlife there. His efforts helped establish the [[Chang Tang Nature Reserve]], one of the world's most significant wildlife refuges. At over 118,000 square miles, roughly the size of [[Arizona]], Chang Tang was deemed "One of the most ambitious attempts to arrest the shrinkage of natural ecosystems," by ''[[The New York Times]]''.


==Conservation career==
⚫
In [[1994]], Schaller and Dr. Alan Rabinowitz were the first scientists to uncover the rare [[saola]] in [[Laos]]. Later that year, Schaller rediscovered the Vietnamese [[warty pig]], once thought extinct. In 1996, he located a herd of [[Tibetan red deer]], also thought extinct.


In 1966, Schaller and his wife traveled to [[Tanzania]] to live in the [[Serengeti]], and Schaller conducted one of the first studies of social behavior and movement of Africa's big cats.<ref name="Natgeo" />
Schaller is one of a few prominent scientists who argue that [[bigfoot]] reports are worthy of further study. A 2003 ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' story describes Schaller as a "Bigfoot [[skeptic]]", but also reports his opinion that scientists don't bother with researching the subject before they "write it off as a [[hoax]] or [[mythology|myth]]. I don't think that's fair."[http://www.n2.net/prey/bigfoot/articles/newlife.htm]
In a 2003 ''[[The Denver Post|Denver Post]]'' article Schaller said, "There have been so many sightings over the years ... Even if you throw out 95 percent of them, there ought to be some explanation for the rest ... I think a hard-eyed look is absolutely essential". Schaller was perhaps proven correct, when [[homo floresiensis]] was discovered, although the 'little foot' turned out to be a [[hobbit]]-sized [[Hominidae|hominid]].


In his 1972 work ''The Tree Where Man Was Born'', author [[Peter Matthiessen]] described Schaller as "single-minded, not easy to know", "a stern pragmatist" who "takes a hard-eyed look at almost everything", and "lean and intent", and in 1978's ''The Snow Leopard'' notes that by that time some considered Schaller the world's finest field biologist.
In his 1972 work ''The Tree Where Man Was Born'', author [[Peter Matthiessen]] described Schaller as "single-minded, not easy to know", "a stern pragmatist" who "takes a hard-eyed look at almost everything", and "lean and intent", and in 1978's ''The Snow Leopard'' notes that by that time, some considered Schaller the world's finest field biologist.<ref name="msu" /><ref name="man" /><ref name="matt">{{cite book |author=Matthiessen, Peter |title=The Snow Leopard (Penguin Nature Classics) |publisher=Penguin Books |location=New York |year=1978 |pages=352 pages |isbn=0-14-025508-7 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2007-10-05}}</ref>


⚫
In the fall of [[1973]], Schaller went to the remote [[Himalayas|Himalayan]] region, {{mi to km|250}} inside [[Dolpo]], an area of [[Nepal]] occupied by people of the [[Tibet]]an culture and ethnicity. Schaller was there to study the Himalayan [[Bharal]], (blue sheep), and possibly glimpse the elusive [[snow leopard]], an animal rarely ever spotted in the wild. Schaller is one of only two Westerners known to have seen a snow leopard in Nepal between 1950 and 1978. Accompanying him on the trip was Matthiessen, and as a result of the trip, in [[1978]] Matthiessen wrote the [[National Book Award]] winning, ''The Snow Leopard'', detailing the accounts of their travels and research. Schaller is referred to through most of the book as "GS".<ref name="matt" />
⚫
==Publications and awards==


In the late [[1970s]], Schaller spent time in Brazil studying the [[jaguar]], [[capybara]], [[alligator]], and other animals of the region.<ref name="icp" />
⚫
Schaller has written highly acclaimed books on African and Asian [[mammal]]s, including ''Serengeti Lion: A Study of [[Predator]]–[[Prey]] Relations'', ''The Last Panda'', and ''Tibet's Hidden Wilderness'', based on his own pioneering studies, and supported by long-term observations of species in their natural [[Habitat (ecology)|habitat]]s.


In [[1980]], Schaller and his wife traveled to [[China]]'s [[Tibetan Plateau|Chang Tang]] region to study the [[Giant Panda]], and refute the notion that the population was declining due to natural [[bamboo]] die-offs.<ref name="icp" /> Instead, Schaller found the panda's popularity was leading to its frequent capture, and was the biggest threat to the population. Schaller also found evidence that pandas were originally [[carnivore]]s, but underwent an evolutionary change to accommodate a diet of [[bamboo]], which is difficult to digest, reducing competition with other animals for food.<ref name="icp" /> Since Schaller's research, the panda population has increased in the wild by 45 percent.<ref name="Natgeo" /> During his time in China, Schaller would hand out cards to wildlife hunters that read: "All beings tremble at punishment, to all, life is dear. Comparing others to oneself, one should neither kill nor cause to kill."<ref name="Natgeo" />
Schaller has also written hundreds of magazine articles and dozens of books and scientific articles about [[tiger]]s, [[lion]]s, [[jaguar]]s, [[cheetah]]s and [[leopard]]s, and on wild sheep and goats, [[snow leopard]]s, [[giant panda]]s, [[rhinoceros]]es and [[flamingo]]s. His four decades of field research have helped shape wildlife protection efforts around the world.


⚫
In [[1994]], Schaller and Dr. [[Alan Rabinowitz]] were the first scientists to uncover the rare [[Saola]], a [[forest]]-dwelling [[bovine]] in [[Laos]]. Later that year, Schaller rediscovered the Vietnamese [[Indo-chinese Warty Pig|Warty pig]], once thought extinct. In [[1996]], he located a herd of [[Tibetan red deer]], also thought extinct.<ref name="lang" /><ref name="Natgeo" />
⚫
Schaller's conservation honors include the [[Guggenheim Fellowship]], and the [[World Wildlife Fund]]'s Gold Medal for his contributions to the understanding and conservation of [[endangered species]]. Schaller has also been awarded the [[International Cosmos Prize]], [[Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement]] and he was the first recipient of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Beebe Fellowship. Schaller's literary honors include [[National Book Award|The National Book Award]] for his book on the [[Serengeti]] [[lion]] in [[1973]].


Schaller has recently worked with [[Pakistan]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Tajikistan]], and China to develop a new "Peace Park", that would protect {{mi2 to km2|20000}} of habitat for the largest wild sheep species, the [[Marco Polo sheep]]. In danger due to their impressive spiral horns, which can measure up to {{ft to m|6}} in length, the sheep is sought out as a trophy by international hunters. Schaller's research in the [[Pamir Mountains]] will play an important role in the park's creation.<ref name="lang" /><ref name="Natgeo" />
⚫
Schaller figures prominently in Peter Matthiessen's ''The Snow Leopard'', in which Matthiessen accompanied Schaller on his trip to the remote [[Himalayas|Himalayan]] region of [[Dolpo]], an area of [[Nepal]] occupied by people of the [[Tibet]]an culture and ethnicity. Schaller's trip was to study the Himalayan blue sheep, and possibly glimpse the elusive [[snow leopard]], an animal rarely ever spotted in the wild. Schaller is one of only two Westerners known to have seen a snow leopard in Nepal between 1950 and 1978. Schaller is referred to through most of the book as "GS".

==Conservation results==

Schaller's work in conservation has resulted in the protection of large stretches of area in the [[Amazon]], [[Brazil]], the [[Hindu Kush]] in Pakistan, and forests in Southeast [[Asia]]. Due to Schaller's work, over 20 parks or preserves worldwide have been established, including [[Alaska]]'s [[Arctic National Wildlife Refuge]] (ANWR), the Shey-Phoksundo National Park in Nepal, and the [[Chang Tang Nature Reserve]], one of the world's most significant wildlife refuges.<ref name="lang" /><ref name="man" /> At over {{mi2 to km2|118000}}, roughly the size of [[Arizona]], Chang Tang, a reserve that is now triple the size of [[America]]'s largest wildlife refuge, was called "One of the most ambitious attempts to arrest the shrinkage of natural ecosystems," by ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref name="cas">{{Cite web|url=http://www.calacademy.org/geninfo/newsroom/releases/2000/schaller0100.html|title=A Conversation with Dr. George Schaller|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=October 5|publisher=[[California Academy of Sciences]]|year=2000|author=[[California Academy of Sciences]]|language=English}}</ref>

==Controversy==

Schaller is one of a few prominent scientists who argue that [[bigfoot]] reports are worthy of further study. A 2003 ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' story described Schaller as a "Bigfoot [[skeptic]]", but also said it was his opinion that scientists din't bother with researching the subject before they "write it off as a [[hoax]] or [[mythology|myth]]. I don't think that's fair."<ref name="latimes">{{cite news | last =Bailey | first =Eric | coauthors = | title =Bigfoot's Big Feat: New Life; A prankster's deeds revealed posthumously appeared to doom the legend. | work = | pages =section A.1 | language = English| publisher =The Los Angeles Times | date =April 19, 2003 | url =http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/325851481.html?dids=325851481:325851481&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Apr+19%2C+2003&author=Eric+Bailey&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=A.1&desc=The+State%3B+COLUMN+ONE%3B+Bigfoot%27s+Big+Feat%3A+New+Life%3B+A+prankster%27s+deeds+revealed+posthumously+appeared+to+doom+the+legend.+But+Sasquatch+still+looms+large%2C+and+scientists+are+intrigued. | accessdate =2007-10-05 }}</ref><ref name="bfro2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_article.asp?id=332|title=Bigfoot's Big Feat: New Life|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=October 5|publisher=The Los Angeles Times|year=2003|author=Eric Bailey|work=archived by BRFO|language=English}}</ref> In a 2003 ''[[The Denver Post|Denver Post]]'' article Schaller said that he is troubled that no remains have ever been uncovered, and no feces samples have been found to allow DNA testing. However, Schaller notes: "There have been so many sightings over the years, even if you throw out 95 percent of them, there ought to be some explanation for the rest. I think a hard-eyed look is absolutely essential".<ref name="post">{{Cite news|url=http://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_article.asp?id=328|title=Bigfoot Believers: Legitimate scientific study of legend gains backing of top primate experts|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=October 5|page=Front Page - Sunday Edition, archived by [[The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization|BRHO]]|publisher=The Denver Post|date=January 5, 2003|author=Theo Stein|language=English}}</ref><ref name="post2">{{Cite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DP&p_theme=dp&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F86B5F3CA2AE03C&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Bigfoot Believers: Legitimate scientific study of legend gains backing of top primate experts|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=October 5|publisher=The Denver Post|year=2003|author=Theo Stein|work=archive|language=English}}</ref> Schaller was perhaps proven correct, when [[homo floresiensis]] was discovered, although the 'little foot' turned out to be a [[hobbit]]-sized [[Hominidae|hominid]].<ref name="so">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070922/fob1.asp|title=Walking Small: Humanlike legs took Homo out of Africa|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=October 5|publisher=Science News|year=2007|author=Bruce Bower|language=English}}</ref><ref name="guardian">{{Cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/sep/21/2|title=Yes, it's a Hobbit. The debate that has divided science is solved at last (sort of)|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=October 5|publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited|year=2007|author=James Randerson, science correspondent|language=English}}</ref>

⚫
==Publications ==

⚫
Schaller has written more than fifteen books on African and Asian [[mammal]]s, including ''Serengeti Lion: A Study of [[Predator]]–[[Prey]] Relations'', ''The Last Panda'', and ''Tibet's Hidden Wilderness'', based on his own pioneering studies, and supported by long-term observations of species in their natural [[Habitat (ecology)|habitat]]s. Schaller has also written hundreds of magazine articles, and dozens of books and scientific articles about [[tiger]]s, [[lion]]s, [[jaguar]]s, [[cheetah]]s and [[leopard]]s, as well as wild sheep and goats, [[snow leopard]]s, giant pandas, [[rhinoceros]]es and [[flamingo]]s. His fifty four years of field research have helped shape wildlife protection efforts around the world.<ref name="lang" /><ref name="Natgeo" /><ref name="man"><ref name="cas">

==Awards==

⚫
Schaller's conservation honors include National Geographic's Lifetime Achievement Award,<ref name="lang" /> a [[Guggenheim Fellowship]], and the [[World Wildlife Fund]]'s Gold Medal for: "''Contributions to the understanding and conservation of [[endangered species]]''". Schaller has also been awarded the [[International Cosmos Prize]],<ref name="icp" /> [[Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement]] and he was the first recipient of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Beebe Fellowship. Schaller's literary honors include [[National Book Award|The National Book Award]] (for ''The Serengeti Lion'' in [[1973]]).<ref name="casbs">{{Cite web|url=http://www.casbs.org/impact/awards/nba/?PHPSESSID=6142455c6093db58|title=The National Book Award|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=October 5|publisher=Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences|year=1973|author=Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences|language=English}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 40: Line 81:
* [[Wildlife Conservation International]]
* [[Wildlife Conservation International]]


==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Bibliography==
<div class="references-small">
*{{cite book | last =Schaller | first =George B. | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =The Mountain Gorilla - Ecology and Behavior | publisher =University of Chicago Press | date = 1963| location = | pages =431 pages | url = | doi = | isbn =[[ASIN]]: B0000CLSDI }}
*{{cite book |author=Schaller, George B. |title=The Year of the Gorilla |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |year=1966|pages= 304 pages|isbn=0-226-73648-2 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2007-10-05}}
*{{cite book |author=Schaller, George B. |title=Serengeti: a kingdom of predators |publisher=Knopf |location=New York |year=1972 |pages= |isbn=0-394-47242-X |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2007-10-05}}
*{{cite book |author=Schaller, George B. |title=The Serengeti Lion : A Study of Predator-Prey Relations |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |year= 1972|pages= 494 pages|isbn=0-226-73640-7 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2007-10-05}}
*{{cite book |author=Schaller, George B. |title=The Mountain Gorilla: Ecology and Behavior |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |year=1976 |pages=450 pages |isbn=0-226-73635-0 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2007-10-05}}
*{{cite book |author=Schaller, George B. |title=The Deer and the Tiger (Midway Reprint) |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |year=1967 |pages=384 pages |isbn=0-226-73631-8 |oclc= |doi= 1984 |accessdate=2007-10-05}}
*{{cite book |author=Schaller, George B. |title=The Giant Pandas of Wolong |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |year=1985 |pages= 318 pages|isbn=0-226-73643-1 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2007-10-05}}
*{{cite book |author=Schaller, George B. |title=The Last Panda |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |year=1994 |pages=312 pages |isbn=0-226-73629-6 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2007-10-05}}
*{{cite book |author=Schaller, George B. |title=Tibet's hidden wilderness: wildlife and nomads of the Chang Tang Reserve |publisher=Harry N. Abrams |location=New York |year=1997 |pages=168 pages |isbn=0-8109-3893-6 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2007-10-05}}
*{{cite book |author=Schaller, George B.; Vrba, E. S. (Editors) |title=Antelopes, deer, and relatives: fossil record, behavioral ecology, systematics, and conservation |publisher=Yale University Press |location=New Haven, Conn |year=2000 |pages= 356 pages|isbn=0-300-08142-1 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2007-10-05}}
*{{cite book |author=Schaller, George B. |title=Wildlife of the Tibetan Steppe |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |year=1998 |pages=383 pages |isbn=0-226-73653-9 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2007-10-05}}
*{{cite book |author=Schaller, George B. |title=A Naturalist and Other Beasts: Tales From a Life in the Field |publisher=Sierra Club Books |location=San Francisco, Calif |year=2007 |pages=272 pages |isbn=1-57805-129-0 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2007-10-05}}
</div>
==External links==
==External links==


* [http://www.bronxzoo.com/bz-about_the_zoo/252458/252558 BronxZoo.com] - History of the Wildlife Conservation Society
* [http://www.bronxzoo.com/bz-about_the_zoo/252458/252558 BronxZoo.com History of the Wildlife Conservation Society]
* [http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-06/wcs-wbg061803.php WCS press release] - WCS biologist George Schaller reports surprising increase in Tibet's wildlife
* [http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-06/wcs-wbg061803.php WCS press release WCS biologist George Schaller reports surprising increase in Tibet's wildlife]
* [http://www.unmuseum.org/fossey.htm UnMuseum.org] Dian Fossey and the Gorillas of the Virunga Volcanoes
* [http://www.unmuseum.org/fossey.htm UnMuseum.org Dian Fossey and the Gorillas of the Virunga Volcanoes]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Schaller, George}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schaller, George}}

Revision as of 14:55, 5 October 2007

George Beals Schaller
Dr. George Schaller at a lecture in Beijing Zoo on Aug. 10th, 2005.
Born1933[2]
Berlin, Germany[3]
Alma materUniversity of Wisconsin
Known forMountain gorilla conservation
AwardsNational Geographic Lifetime Achievement Award[1]
Guggenheim Fellowship
World Wildlife Fund Gold Medal
International Cosmos Prize
Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement
National Book Award
Scientific career
FieldsBiologist,
conservationist
InstitutionsWildlife Conservation Society

Dr. George Beals Schaller (born 1933) is a mammalogist, naturalist, conservationist and author, and is recognized by many as the world's preeminent field biologist, studying wildlife throughout Africa, Asia and South America.[2][5] Born in Berlin, Germany, Schaller grew up in Germany, and moved to Missouri as a teen. He is the Vice-President of the Science and Exploration Program at the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society.[1]

Early life

Schaller received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alaska in 1955, and went on to the University of Wisconsin to obtain his Ph.D. in 1962.[6] From 1962 to 1963, he was a fellow at the Behavioral Sciences department of Stanford University. From 1963 to 1966, Schaller served as research associate for the Johns Hopkins University Pathobiology department, and from 1966 to 1972, served as the Rockefeller University's and New York Zoological Society's research associate in research and animal behavior.[7] He later served as Director of the New York Zoological Society's International Conservation Program from 1979 to 1988.[4]

Mountain gorilla research

In 1959, at the age of 26, Schaller traveled to Central Africa to study and live with the mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) of the Virunga Volcanoes.[8][9] Little was known about the life of gorillas in the wild until the publication of The Mountain Gorilla: Ecology and Behavior in 1963, that first revealed to the general public just how profoundly intelligent and gentle gorillas really are, contrary to then-common beliefs. Schaller has more recently recounted his epic two year study in The Year of the Gorilla, which also provides a broader historical perspective on the efforts to save one of humankind's nearest relatives from the brink of extinction.[8]

The famed American zoologist, Dian Fossey, with assistance from the National Geographic society and Louis Leakey, followed Schaller's groundbreaking field research on mountain gorillas in the Virungas. Schaller and Fossey were instrumental in dispelling the public perception of gorillas as brutes, by demonstrably establishing the deep compassion and social intelligence evident among gorillas, and how very closely their behavior parallels that of humans.

No one who looks into a gorilla's eyes - intelligent, gentle, vulnerable - can remain unchanged, for the gap between ape and human vanishes; we know that the gorilla still lives within us. Do gorillas also recognize this ancient connection? - George Schaller[10]

Conservation career

In 1966, Schaller and his wife traveled to Tanzania to live in the Serengeti, and Schaller conducted one of the first studies of social behavior and movement of Africa's big cats.[8]

In his 1972 work The Tree Where Man Was Born, author Peter Matthiessen described Schaller as "single-minded, not easy to know", "a stern pragmatist" who "takes a hard-eyed look at almost everything", and "lean and intent", and in 1978's The Snow Leopard notes that by that time, some considered Schaller the world's finest field biologist.[2][5][11]

In the fall of 1973, Schaller went to the remote Himalayan region, Template:Mi to km inside Dolpo, an area of Nepal occupied by people of the Tibetan culture and ethnicity. Schaller was there to study the Himalayan Bharal, (blue sheep), and possibly glimpse the elusive snow leopard, an animal rarely ever spotted in the wild. Schaller is one of only two Westerners known to have seen a snow leopard in Nepal between 1950 and 1978. Accompanying him on the trip was Matthiessen, and as a result of the trip, in 1978 Matthiessen wrote the National Book Award winning, The Snow Leopard, detailing the accounts of their travels and research. Schaller is referred to through most of the book as "GS".[11]

In the late 1970s, Schaller spent time in Brazil studying the jaguar, capybara, alligator, and other animals of the region.[7]

In 1980, Schaller and his wife traveled to China's Chang Tang region to study the Giant Panda, and refute the notion that the population was declining due to natural bamboo die-offs.[7] Instead, Schaller found the panda's popularity was leading to its frequent capture, and was the biggest threat to the population. Schaller also found evidence that pandas were originally carnivores, but underwent an evolutionary change to accommodate a diet of bamboo, which is difficult to digest, reducing competition with other animals for food.[7] Since Schaller's research, the panda population has increased in the wild by 45 percent.[8] During his time in China, Schaller would hand out cards to wildlife hunters that read: "All beings tremble at punishment, to all, life is dear. Comparing others to oneself, one should neither kill nor cause to kill."[8]

In 1994, Schaller and Dr. Alan Rabinowitz were the first scientists to uncover the rare Saola, a forest-dwelling bovine in Laos. Later that year, Schaller rediscovered the Vietnamese Warty pig, once thought extinct. In 1996, he located a herd of Tibetan red deer, also thought extinct.[1][8]

Schaller has recently worked with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and China to develop a new "Peace Park", that would protect Template:Mi2 to km2 of habitat for the largest wild sheep species, the Marco Polo sheep. In danger due to their impressive spiral horns, which can measure up to Template:Ft to m in length, the sheep is sought out as a trophy by international hunters. Schaller's research in the Pamir Mountains will play an important role in the park's creation.[1][8]

Conservation results

Schaller's work in conservation has resulted in the protection of large stretches of area in the Amazon, Brazil, the Hindu Kush in Pakistan, and forests in Southeast Asia. Due to Schaller's work, over 20 parks or preserves worldwide have been established, including Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), the Shey-Phoksundo National Park in Nepal, and the Chang Tang Nature Reserve, one of the world's most significant wildlife refuges.[1][5] At over Template:Mi2 to km2, roughly the size of Arizona, Chang Tang, a reserve that is now triple the size of America's largest wildlife refuge, was called "One of the most ambitious attempts to arrest the shrinkage of natural ecosystems," by The New York Times.[6]

Controversy

Schaller is one of a few prominent scientists who argue that bigfoot reports are worthy of further study. A 2003 Los Angeles Times story described Schaller as a "Bigfoot skeptic", but also said it was his opinion that scientists din't bother with researching the subject before they "write it off as a hoax or myth. I don't think that's fair."[12][13] In a 2003 Denver Post article Schaller said that he is troubled that no remains have ever been uncovered, and no feces samples have been found to allow DNA testing. However, Schaller notes: "There have been so many sightings over the years, even if you throw out 95 percent of them, there ought to be some explanation for the rest. I think a hard-eyed look is absolutely essential".[14][15] Schaller was perhaps proven correct, when homo floresiensis was discovered, although the 'little foot' turned out to be a hobbit-sized hominid.[16][17]

Publications

Schaller has written more than fifteen books on African and Asian mammals, including Serengeti Lion: A Study of Predator–Prey Relations, The Last Panda, and Tibet's Hidden Wilderness, based on his own pioneering studies, and supported by long-term observations of species in their natural habitats. Schaller has also written hundreds of magazine articles, and dozens of books and scientific articles about tigers, lions, jaguars, cheetahs and leopards, as well as wild sheep and goats, snow leopards, giant pandas, rhinoceroses and flamingos. His fifty four years of field research have helped shape wildlife protection efforts around the world.[1][8]Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to George Schaller.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f National Geographic (2007). "Lifetime Achievement: Biologist George Schaller". National Geographic. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b c Minnesota State University. "George Schaller". Minnesota State University, Mankato. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Biography.com (2007). "George B(eals) Schaller Biography (1933– )". Biography.com, A&E Television Networks. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b National Geographic (2006). "Voices: George Schaller". National Geographic. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ a b c K. Pradeep (2006). "Man of Nature: A freewheeling chat with environmentalist George Schaller". The Hindu. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b California Academy of Sciences (2000). "A Conversation with Dr. George Schaller". California Academy of Sciences. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ a b c d International Cosmos Prize (1996). "The Prizewinner, 1996: George Beals Schaller". International Cosmos Prize. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Ryan Bradley (2007). "Biologist George Schaller's 50-Year Battle". National Geographic. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Cable in the Classroom (2006). "Mountain Gorillas". Cable in the Classroom. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Schaller, George B. (October, 1995). "Gentle Gorillas, Turbulent Times". National Geographic. Volume 188 (No. 4). National Geographic: page 66. {{cite journal}}: |issue= has extra text (help); |pages= has extra text (help); |volume= has extra text (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  11. ^ a b Matthiessen, Peter (1978). The Snow Leopard (Penguin Nature Classics). New York: Penguin Books. pp. 352 pages. ISBN 0-14-025508-7. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  12. ^ Bailey, Eric (April 19, 2003). "Bigfoot's Big Feat: New Life; A prankster's deeds revealed posthumously appeared to doom the legend". The Los Angeles Times. pp. section A.1. Retrieved 2007-10-05. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  13. ^ Eric Bailey (2003). "Bigfoot's Big Feat: New Life". archived by BRFO. The Los Angeles Times. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ Theo Stein (January 5, 2003). "Bigfoot Believers: Legitimate scientific study of legend gains backing of top primate experts". The Denver Post. p. Front Page - Sunday Edition, archived by BRHO. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ Theo Stein (2003). "Bigfoot Believers: Legitimate scientific study of legend gains backing of top primate experts". archive. The Denver Post. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ Bruce Bower (2007). "Walking Small: Humanlike legs took Homo out of Africa". Science News. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ James Randerson, science correspondent (2007). "Yes, it's a Hobbit. The debate that has divided science is solved at last (sort of)". Guardian News and Media Limited. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

Bibliography

  • Schaller, George B. (1963). The Mountain Gorilla - Ecology and Behavior. University of Chicago Press. pp. 431 pages. ISBN [[Special:BookSources/ASIN: B0000CLSDI|[[ASIN]]: B0000CLSDI]]. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Schaller, George B. (1966). The Year of the Gorilla. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 304 pages. ISBN 0-226-73648-2. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  • Schaller, George B. (1972). Serengeti: a kingdom of predators. New York: Knopf. ISBN 0-394-47242-X. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  • Schaller, George B. (1972). The Serengeti Lion : A Study of Predator-Prey Relations. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 494 pages. ISBN 0-226-73640-7. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  • Schaller, George B. (1976). The Mountain Gorilla: Ecology and Behavior. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 450 pages. ISBN 0-226-73635-0. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  • Schaller, George B. (1967). The Deer and the Tiger (Midway Reprint). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 384 pages. doi:1984. ISBN 0-226-73631-8. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check |doi= value (help)
  • Schaller, George B. (1985). The Giant Pandas of Wolong. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 318 pages. ISBN 0-226-73643-1. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  • Schaller, George B. (1994). The Last Panda. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 312 pages. ISBN 0-226-73629-6. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  • Schaller, George B. (1997). Tibet's hidden wilderness: wildlife and nomads of the Chang Tang Reserve. New York: Harry N. Abrams. pp. 168 pages. ISBN 0-8109-3893-6. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  • Schaller, George B.; Vrba, E. S. (Editors) (2000). Antelopes, deer, and relatives: fossil record, behavioral ecology, systematics, and conservation. New Haven, Conn: Yale University Press. pp. 356 pages. ISBN 0-300-08142-1. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Schaller, George B. (1998). Wildlife of the Tibetan Steppe. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 383 pages. ISBN 0-226-73653-9. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  • Schaller, George B. (2007). A Naturalist and Other Beasts: Tales From a Life in the Field. San Francisco, Calif: Sierra Club Books. pp. 272 pages. ISBN 1-57805-129-0. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
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