The Internet of Animals - by Martin Wikelski (Hardcover)

About the Book

"All we need to do is give animals a voice and our perception of the world could change forever. That's what author Martin Wikelski and his team of scientists believe, and this book shares their story for the first time. As they tag animals around the world with minuscule tracking devices, they link their movements to The International Space Station, which taps into the 'internet of animals': an astonishing network of information made up of thousands of animals communicating with each other and their environments. Called the International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space, or ICARUS, this phenomenal project is poised to change our world. Down on the ground, Wikelski describes animals' sixth sense first-hand. Farm animals become restless when earthquakes are imminent. Animals on the African plains sense when poachers are on the move. Frigatebirds in South America depart before hurricanes arrive."--

Book Synopsis

An illuminating account of animal migration and the stunning new science that reveals their infinite, untapped knowledge.

"A loving ode to science itself, told with wit and wonder."--Thor Hanson, author of Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid

What do animals know that we don't? How do elephants detect tsunamis before they happen? How do birds predict hurricanes? In The Internet of Animals, renowned scientist Martin Wikelski convincingly argues that animals possess a unique "sixth sense" that humans are only beginning to grasp ...

All we need to do is give animals a voice and our perception of the world could change forever. That's what author Martin Wikelski and his team of scientists believe, and this book shares their story for the first time. As they tag animals around the world with minuscule tracking devices, they link their movements to The International Space Station, which taps into the 'internet of animals' an astonishing network of information made up of thousands of animals communicating with each other and their environments. Called the International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space, or ICARUS, this phenomenal project is poised to change our world.

Down on the ground, Wikelski describes animals' sixth sense first-hand. Farm animals become restless when earthquakes are imminent. Animals on the African plains sense when poachers are on the move. Frigatebirds in South America depart before hurricanes arrive ...

As Wikelski shows, animal migratory rhythms are not triggered by genes encoded in their DNA, as previously thought, but by elaborate cultures that are long established. What does this mean for humans? It means that, by paying attention to animal cultures, we can learn more about our environments. We can better prepare for natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes. Most of all, we can learn to live alongside animals in harmony for the betterment of our future, their future, and the future of the planet.

Review Quotes

"[A] fascinating personal account of how science unfolds....Wikelski is...a great storyteller....[T]he book is also filled with charming anecdotes about animals and their underappreciated intelligence....Learning [what ICARUS might reveal] could both open our eyes to the incredible hidden lives of our animal neighbors and move us to better protect the planet that sustains us all."
--Hillary Rosner, Undark

"[A] bonkers, delightful read....[Wikelski's] vision of creating a way for animals to communicate what they are remains a vital, galvanizing example of how human ingenuity and persistence can make a difference in how we understand the world around us."
--BookPage

"[An] energetic memoir ... Wikelski's speculation that tracking animals capable of sensing natural disasters could warn humans about impending volcanic activity or tsunamis intrigues. It's an awe-inspiring look at the scientific process and the wonders of nature."
--Publishers Weekly

"Wikelski has gotten to know more individual animals than anyone in history--in this book he helps those animals tell us their most important stories."
--Roland Kays, NC Museum of Natural Sciences and NC State University

"The Internet of Animals is an eloquent bird's-eye view of life on Earth. Martin Wikelski, a visionary biologist, has spent his career at the razor edge of technology and animal behavior. His adventurous research poses an ultimate question: What can we learn from the collective wisdom of all living things? Wikelski's narrative is fascinating and refreshingly optimistic. I read this book in a happy nanosecond, and will ponder it for a lifetime.
--Noah Stryker, author of Birding Without Borders

"Wikelski's account of pioneering one of the most revolutionary approaches ever to tracking wild creatures is as uplifting as it is fascinating."
--Scott Weidensaul, author of A World on the Wing

"In The Internet of Animals, Martin Wikelski traces the trials and triumphs of a grand idea: tracking the migrations and everyday movements of multiple species from space. But while the ICARUS project may rely on satellites, its stars are the earthbound creatures that come alive in Wikelski's wonderful stories, drawn from decades of dedicated fieldwork. At its heart, this book is a loving ode to science itself, told with wit and wonder."
--Thor Hanson, author of Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid

"Wildlife is in steep decline on every continent. New tools like the marvels described in this book will help, and so will a new consciousness those tools might create: the real sense of what an honor and privilege it is to share our planet with the wondrous rest of creation."
--Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature

"An accessible, exciting story full of cutting-edge science brought to life through personal experience focusing on the author's central question: how can we best understand and protect the network of life on this planet with all its diversity and complexity?"
--Klaus Hahlbrock, former vice president of the Max Planck Society and author of Feeding the Planet: Environmental Protection through Sustainable Agriculture

"Martin's story has the immediacy of an engaging private conversation. Enriched with enchanting vignettes of animal behavior, the book concludes with an optimistic, if idealistic, vision of our future. It is compelling, deeply thoughtful reading that leaves the reader with much to ponder. We strongly recommended the book to all those who seek a better world that respects and learns from nature."
--Peter and Rosemary Grant, authors of 40 Years of Evolution: Darwin's Finches on Daphne Major Island

About the Author

Martin Wikelski is the director of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and honorary professor of ornithology at the University of Konstanz. Previously, he was a research fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, assistant professor at the University of Illinois and associate professor at Princeton.

Keith Gaddis is the program manager for NASA's Biological Diversity and Ecological Forecasting programs. An ecologist and biogeographer by training, he is a vocal advocate for the use of science in public decision-making.