SOLVED. Science Fiction novel with ecological theme, late '80s? [s]

[Brian]

Around 1989-90 I remember reading a science fiction novel from the local public library. It was about people who were exploring or settling on an alien planet. They brought animals from Earth, possibly for re-population. There was some sort of entity or intelligence that started taking control of the animals and also the humans. It seemed to be trying to understand the new lifeforms from Earth. One character may have been a veterinarian, because the scene that sticks in my head was that they discovered the lions(?) had been eating plants instead of meat while under the entity's control. It's possible that the planet didn't have things like carnivores or sexual reproduction and that's why the entity was confused/investigating. This was a mass-market paperback, 200-300+ pages.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Brian, are you still looking for this?

[Kate]

Perhaps something by Sheri S. Tepper? This sounds like a theme that she would have explored.

[Brian]

Not looking regularly. Thanks for trying.

[Michele]

I second Sheri Tepper -- sounds just like her sort of thing. The Companions, maybe?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Brian wrote: "Not looking regularly. Thanks for trying."

How about now? Did you check out Sheri Tepper's books, as suggested?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Lobstergirl wrote: "Brian wrote: "Not looking regularly. Thanks for trying."

How about now? Did you check out Sheri Tepper's books, as suggested?"

No response in 2 years. Moving to Abandoned.

[Brian]

I'm about as sure as I can be that this book was Dinosaur Planet by Anne McCaffrey. It has the vet, the plants, the explorers, and would have been typical for the library I was using. The rest of the elements I seem to have been invented by 12-year-old me and the passage of time.

[Kris]

Glad you found your book, Brian. Here's the link - Dinosaur Planet by Anne McCaffrey. If it turns out this isn't your book, let us know and we can moved your request back to the Unsolved folder.