Living with all wildlife from bats, beavers and bobcats to squirrels, turtles and voles.

Alternate and humane ways of managing pests in your yard.

Wild Neighbors is broken into two major parts. The first section of the book deals with general wildlife information, understanding, and history. It's a great introduction to thinking about the animals that surround us as part of our environment rather than pests we have to deal with. There are a number of resources on how to manage life with animals and what to do when seeking outside help.

The second part of the book is broken up into specific animals. I was pleased to find a section on raccoons since they have caused me the most trouble recently. The suggestions given on managing the animals are realistic and guilt-free. I definitely plan to try the hot sauce as a deterrent for raccoons and making sure to clear the are of tempting raccoon meals.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who lives in an area with wildlife (that's just about all of you!). Even if you're not dealing with a problem, it's still a great book for learning to look at the animals in our lives differently. ( )

Wild Neighbors is broken into two major parts. The first section of the book deals with general wildlife information, understanding, and history. It's a great introduction to thinking about the animals that surround us as part of our environment rather than pests we have to deal with. There are a number of resources on how to manage life with animals and what to do when seeking outside help.

The second part of the book is broken up into specific animals. I was pleased to find a section on raccoons since they have caused me the most trouble recently. The suggestions given on managing the animals are realistic and guilt-free. I definitely plan to try the hot sauce as a deterrent for raccoons and making sure to clear the are of tempting raccoon meals.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who lives in an area with wildlife (that's just about all of you!). Even if you're not dealing with a problem, it's still a great book for learning to look at the animals in our lives differently. ( )

Wild Neighbors is a book published by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and offers advice about dealing with the wildlife we encounter in our lives. This book is really best used as a reference guide than a read through. The first section is useful for educating the reader about conflicts with wildlife, laws, health concerns, finding help and some of the methods of dealing with wild creatures which are considered inhumane. While the chapter on the various diseases that may be contracted by exposure to animals and their waste was educational, I also thought it could make one paranoid in spite of the author's assurance that it was written for the purpose of awareness and prevention. The chapter on traps and poisons was useful for explaining why certain methods are considered inhumane by the HSUS.

The second section of the book deals specifically with various animals who have come into conflict with people. These chapters are informative, although some of them occasionally lapse into short tirades about how people have created most of the conflicts by their disregard for their environment ever since the Europeans settled in America. Considering the amount of money I have donated to the HSUS over the years and the fact that I had my backyard certified as a wildlife habitat through the National Wildlife Federation, I considered this preaching to the choir. I wondered if it might be slightly offensive to the average suburbanite who wants to protect their shrubs from deer. I did enjoy the information on the animals and their habits, as well as the graphics of their footprints going across the last page of most chapters.

I do think this book would be a useful guide for someone who wants advice on living with the animal in their yard or home, or excluding it in a humane manner. I learned a few things about my own resident wildlife which will help me appreciate them all the more. ( )