Arctic Animals

Více o knize

The Arctic, described by Marco Polo in 1296 as a "Region of Darkness" with an invisible sun for much of winter, has long been shrouded in mystery and home to extraordinary creatures like massive white bears. This enigmatic landscape has made its wildlife highly sought after throughout history. Notable figures, such as Ptolemy II of ancient Egypt, who kept a polar bear in his zoo, and Ivan the Terrible, who gifted an arctic gyrfalcon to Mary Tudor, exemplify this fascination. This tradition persists, as seen when the Chinese government presented two giant pandas to the United States in 1972 following President Nixon's visit, which was reciprocated with muskoxen. Illustrated with over fifty color and forty black-and-white photographs, this work is a vibrant tribute to humanity's enduring interest in the Arctic. Author and photographer Fred Bruemmer captures the diverse array of animals and plants uniquely adapted to this "last great wilderness," while emphasizing the delicate ecological balance that is increasingly threatened by human actions. The Inuit refer to the North as nunassiaq, meaning "the beautiful land," and this book serves as both a stunning visual narrative and a rich natural history, reflecting Bruemmer's two-decade fascination with the Arctic.