Basing this work on his ethnographic fieldwork in mountain villages of Japan's Kii Peninsula in the late 1980s, Knight examines an issue relevant to any locale debating whether to re-introduce wolves. His analysis draws on the observation from structural

"A superb study that reveals much about human-animal interactions and relationships among humans.... [Chapters consider] human-wildlife relations by focusing on harm caused by wild boars, monkeys, deer and serow (a goat-antelope), and bears.... [The book] also looks at wolves and the debate over their possible reintroduction.... Those interested in gaining insight about the social repercussions of environmental issues and the symbolic and material connections among humans and other creatures are sure to find this book to be essential reading." - Journal of Asian Studies"