- Overview
-
From the history of human-animal relations, such as the relationship between biodiversity and human life, the causes of new infectious diseases, the relationship between humans and their companion animals, animal welfare and behind the scenes at the zoo, the 3R principle of animal experimentation, and the issues of the animal protection movement to the trend of changes that have already started, this book provides a new reflection on human life in coexistence with other beings.
- Book Intro
-
(English) Do Animals Have to Be Healthy for Me to Be Healthy Too?
“We can never go back to the past.” COVID-19 changed a big part of the way we live over the last two years, and new infectious diseases are expected to cause many more changes in the future. In this era of the “New Normal,” the relationship between non-human animals and humans has also become a subject of essential consideration. Why do bats keep spreading infectious diseases? Why are bird flu and swine fever on the news every season despite advances in medicine and science? Even though we know that factory farming is bad, what can we humans do now? And must all conversations about animal welfare be about “livestock welfare”? The generation that will live after the coronavirus pandemic needs a new perspective on humans, animals as heterogenous species, and the environment.
Do Animals Have to Be Healthy for Me to Be Healthy Too? is a story of coexistence with non-human animals told by veterinarians who are researching and working in various fields such as the National Institute of Wildlife Management under the Korean Ministry of Environment, the College of Veterinary Medicine of Seoul National University, and the Bear Nest Project.
From the history of human-animal relations, such as the relationship between biodiversity and human life, the causes of new infectious diseases, the relationship between humans and companion animals, animal welfare and behind the scenes at the zoo, the 3Rs principle of animal experimentation and the issues of the animal protection movement to the trend of changes that have already started, this book provides a new reflection on human life in coexistence with other beings.
- About the Author
-
Chun Myung-Sun and other
(English) Chun Myung-Sun is a Professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine of Seoul National University. He studies and conducts research on the scientific, historical, social, and cultural implications of human-animal relationships and animal diseases. He participated in the writing of this book in the hope that the world would be a kinder and better place for the four cats that he lives with and the stray cats that he takes care of. He hopes that this book will give readers an opportunity to think seriously about the health and well-being of the animals around us.
Lee Hang is a Professor in Veterinary Biochemistry at the College of Veterinary Medicine of Seoul National University. While teaching veterinary biochemistry, he focuses on conservation biology and policy research related to wildlife. Living in a pandemic era, he wants to share with readers the idea that respecting animals also protects human health and well-being.
Choi Taegyu is a Bear Nest Project activist and animal welfare researcher. After working as a livestock veterinarian for over 10 years, he went to the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom to study more about animal welfare. Currently, he is teaching animal welfare at a university while pursuing a doctoral course in the same area. He has created an organization called the Bear Nest Project to save bears that are bred for their gall bladders, bears that are not recognized as either livestock or wild animals and therefore suffer in a welfare blind spot. He participated in writing this book because he wanted to introduce readers to every corner of the world unknown to them and where animal welfare is desperately needed.
Hwang Jusun is a veterinary researcher at the National Institute of Wildlife Management under Korea’s Ministry of Environment. She is working hard to see whether the government can contribute to maintaining healthy biodiversity. The relationship between animals and humans seems to have been twisted at some point in its long history. These twisted relationships threaten the well-being and survival of humans and sometimes other animals too. She took part in this book with the intention to tell the next generation who will inevitably suffer damage from the ways we messed up our relationship with animals. She believes that today’s teenagers and many more generations to come will become the driving force for change. She wishes that we make more better choices so that all animals, including humans, can live in harmony.
- Selection
-
2021 National Children and Youth Librarians’ Recommended Books
2021 School Library Journal Recommended Books
