Wild Lives

April 1, 2017
A children's-zoo veterinarian who became an advocate for the world's dwindling cheetah population. An intrepid Indian scientist who confronted the dangerous scourge of elephant poaching. A pioneering female biologist who became the world's leading expert on giraffes. Who knows why some people develop the passion that defines their life's work? For some, such as investigative wildlife photojournalist Paul Hilton, it was a love of animals that started in childhood. For others, such as internationally renowned treetop ecologist Meg Lowman, it was an affinity for nature that began in the woods of rural upstate New York. With the world facing an unprecedented spate of species extinction, the survival of iconic wildlife, such as the polar bear and such lesser-known creatures as Israel's long-billed hoopoe, is often up to courageous individuals who commit to their passion and sacrifice their comfort so that the planet maintains a healthy biodiversity. Thanks to the environmentally committed interviewers Robinson and Chodosh, 20 conservationists succinctly tell their stories in this illuminating volume that may well inspire readers to take up the cause.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)