Cynthia Moss
Encyclopedia
Cynthia Moss is an American conservationist, wildlife researcher and writer, who specialises in elephant
behaviour. She has published several books including Portraits in the Wild: Animal Behaviour in East Africa (Hamish Hamilton 1979).
in Massachusetts
in 1962, majoring in philosophy. She worked as a reporter for Newsweek
, specialising in theatre and the dramatic arts.
However, while visiting Lake Manyara National Park
in Tanzania 1967, she met leading elephant researcher Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton
in Tanzania
. The following year she quit her job at Newsweek to work with Douglas-Hamilton and in 1972, she started the now famous Amboseli Elephant Research Project at Amboseli National Park in Kenya.
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
behaviour. She has published several books including Portraits in the Wild: Animal Behaviour in East Africa (Hamish Hamilton 1979).
Life and work
Moss graduated at Smith CollegeSmith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in 1962, majoring in philosophy. She worked as a reporter for Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, specialising in theatre and the dramatic arts.
However, while visiting Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park is a national park in Arusha Region, Tanzania. The majority of the land area of the park is a narrow strip running between the Gregory Rift wall to the west and Lake Manyara, an alkaline or soda-lake, to the east....
in Tanzania 1967, she met leading elephant researcher Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton
Iain Douglas-Hamilton
Iain Douglas-Hamilton, OBE, is a zoologist known for his study of elephants.He earned both a B.Sc. and a D.Phil. in zoology from Oriel College, Oxford, and he is the recipient of the 2010 Indianapolis Prize for his work on elephant conservation.His chief research interest is to understand elephant...
in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. The following year she quit her job at Newsweek to work with Douglas-Hamilton and in 1972, she started the now famous Amboseli Elephant Research Project at Amboseli National Park in Kenya.
Works
- Portraits in the Wild: Animal Behavior in East Africa, Hamilton, 1976, ISBN 9780241024539
- Elephant Memories: Thirteen Years in the Life of an Elephant Family, University of Chicago Press, 2000, ISBN 9780226542379
- Elephant woman: Cynthia Moss explores the world of elephants, Authors Laurence P. Pringle, Illustrated Cynthia Moss, Atheneum Books, 1997, ISBN 9780689801426