Romp!: A Journey Through the Natural History of Otters and Why They Matter

Biographical Note:
Heide Island, PhD, is a professor of biological psychology and behavioral ecology at Pacific University and a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Otter Specialist Group. Her research on the welfare of captive and wild otter populations in the Pacific Northwest, including her longitudinal study of Whidbey Island's otters, has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences. She splits her time between a cabin on Whidbey Island, Washington, and a farm in McMinnville, Oregon, with her husband, Tom, and their dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, and honeybees.

Review Quotes:
"Otters are fascinating intelligent, emotional, and sentient beings. I've had the pleasure of watching them romp around and hang out with their friends, and in this insightful, scientifically rigorous, and beautifully written book filled with facts and heartwarming stories, Heide Island explains how they play, socialize, hunt, survive, and thrive. It's clear that Island, an otter expert, isn't just a first-rate scientist and storyteller--she also deeply cares about otters, and so must we."
--Marc Bekoff, PhD, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy―and Why They Matter