Richard Despard Estes (December 26, 1927 - December 6, 2021) was a

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

specialising in the

behaviour Behavior (American English) or behaviour (British English) is the range of actions of Individual, individuals, organisms, systems or Artificial intelligence, artificial entities in some environment. These systems can include other systems or or ...

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

s in mainland

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. He was particularly interested in studying

wildebeest Wildebeest ( , ,), also called gnu ( or ), are antelopes of the genus ''Connochaetes'' and native to Eastern and Southern Africa. They belong to the family Bovidae, which includes true antelopes, cattle, goats, sheep, and other even-toed ...

. This interest led Rod East, the former co-chair of the Antelope Specialist Group of the IUCN-

World Conservation Union The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the statu ...

, to dub him the 'Guru of Gnu.' It has been suggested that Estes is responsible for most of the world's knowledge of wildebeest behaviour. Estes chose to study wildebeest because he thought they were 'the most interesting' animals he knew, particularly in their rutting behaviour. He obtained his

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

in the early 1960s with a thesis on the wildebeest of the

Ngorongoro Crater Ngorongoro Conservation Area (, ) is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Ngorongoro District, west of Arusha City in Arusha Region, within the Crater Highlands geological area of northeastern Tanzania. The area is name ...

, in which he advanced the theory that the females'

estrus The estrous cycle (, originally ) is a set of recurring physiological changes induced by reproductive hormones in females of mammalian subclass Theria. Estrous cycles start after sexual maturity in females and are interrupted by anestrous phas ...

was triggered by the rumbling 'love call' of the males. Estes has spent most of the ensuing 40 years doing field work in Africa. In 2004 he began a project in cooperation with the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

to test his early theory using new advances in

molecular A molecule is a group of two or more atoms that are held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions that satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, ...

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

. Estes has written two guides for travellers to Africa, ''The Behavior Guide to African Mammals'' (considered the standard reference of its kind) and ''The Safari Companion.'' Estes lived in

Peterborough, New Hampshire Peterborough is a New England town, town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,418 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The main village, with 3,090 people at the ...

until his death in 2021.

Bibliography

*
The Behavior Guide to African Mammals: Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, Primates
',

University of California Press The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish scholarly and scientific works by faculty ...

, 1991 *''

National Audubon Society The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such orga ...

Field Guide to African Wildlife'' (with Peter C. Alden, Duane Schlitter and Bunny McBride),

Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Blanche Knopf and Alfred A. Knopf Sr. in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers ...

, 1995 *
The Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, and Primates
', Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 1999

Notes and references

External links

Selection of articles by Estes
from the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation.
Interview
with Thomson Safaris Newsletter.

(mp3 format) from airborneadventuresafrica.com. 1927 births 2021 deaths American mammalogists People from Peterborough, New Hampshire {{US-zoologist-stub