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Joyce Poole

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Joyce Hatheway Poole (born 1 May 1956) is an elephant researcher based at the Gorongosa National Park in Kenya.[1] Her body of research has led to discoveries about their social and sexual lives and their communicative and cognitive abilities. Her work and research on elephant societies played a central role in the eventual international ban on the trade of ivory. She became the head of the Elephant Program for the Kenyan Wildlife Service from 1990 to 1994.

She is the founder of the charity Elephant Voices, is the author of a memoir titled Coming of Age With Elephants, and has been the subject of numerous documentaries.[2]

Early life

Born in Germany to American parents, she spent the first 6 years of her life in Connecticut when she moved with her parents to Malawi and then Kenya. In 1966, when she was 11 years old, she went to one of primatologist Jane Goodalls lectures on her research with chimpanzees, and made a determination to become and animal behavior researcher.[3] She graduated from Smith college in 1979 with a degree in biology and received her PhD in animal behavior from Cambridge University in 1983.[4]

Research and work

Poole's research has focused on communication behaviors in elephants, and has identified more than 200 distinct vocal and physical expressions. She has also documented elephants using vocal imitation.[5] This research helped support efforts to internationally ban the ivory trade.[6][2] She is one of five co-authors of The Elephant Charter, an effort to provided a scientifically based guidance for those forming public policies related to elephants.[7] She also co-founded ElephantVoices, a California based non-profit elephant advocacy group, and has helped to establish multiple Africa-based elephant conservation projects.[4][8]

Books

  • Poole, Joyce (Mar 28, 1996). Coming of Age With Elephants: A Memoir. Hyperion. ISBN 978-0786881918. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  • Poole, Joyce (1997). Elephants. Colin Baxter Photography. ISBN 978-0896583573. Retrieved 5 October 2017.

References

  1. ^ "Talking To The Elephants". Video.nationalgeographic.com. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  2. ^ a b Alden, John R. "Review of 'Coming of Age With Elephants: A Memoir'". Smithsonianmag.com. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  3. ^ "My life: Joyce Poole". Scmp.com. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  4. ^ a b American Women of Science Since 1900, Volume 1 By Tiffany K. Wayne, Page 768
  5. ^ "A Passionate Voice for Justice: Joyce Poole '74 Named 2017 Horace Dutton Taft Alumni Medal Honoree". Taftschool.org. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  6. ^ Katy Payne, Cornell University; Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Save the Elephants; Vivek Menon, Wildlife Trust of India; Cynthia Moss, Amboseli Elephant Research Project; Joyce Poole, Savanna Elephant Vocalization Project; Andrea Turkalo, Wildlife Conservation Society (31 October 2002). "Lifting the Ivory Ban Called Premature – Scientists Offer a Perspective on Elephants and Ivory". NPR. Retrieved 28 January 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "The Elephant Charter". The Elephant Charter. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  8. ^ "What we do". ElephantVoices. Retrieved 29 December 2017.