Today I have some animal conservation success stories for you. These books are about species that were successfully brought back from the brink of extinction, or are at least showing much more promise than they were some years ago. I also am including 3 recommended series/authors for you to read if you are interested in the current issues in animal conservation. Click on the titles to see my full reviews including any content notes/trigger warnings.
Animal Conservation Success Stories
The American Bison: the Buffalo’s Survival Tale (History Comics) by Andy Hirsch
A graphic novel history of the American bison in North America, the golden centuries when the Native Americans and bison lived in a well-balanced ecosystem, and how and why the population became threatened to the point of near extinction 100 years ago, and efforts to help bring the wild population in North America back up since then.
A very readable history of not only an animal but also the people and land around it. Hirsch writes and illustrates his graphic novels in such a way that you forget you’re learning things.
Target Readers:
Bison Lovers, Animal Lovers, American History Studiers, Graphic Novel Fans, Middle Grade & Young Adult Readers
Cat Tale: the Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther by Craig Pittman
Craig Pittman takes readers through the history of the ups and downs of the efforts to save the Florida panther through the years. He looks at key figures along the way in efforts to determine how many panthers were left when their numbers got critical and in figuring out how to save those remaining. And he brings the story up to the present day looking at continuing troubles faced by this big cat in an area that continues to see a lot of human population growth.
Pittman has woven this true story into a riveting tale that definitely lives up to the subtitle.
Target Readers:
Animal Lovers, Wild True Story Fans, Florida Setting Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to Young Adult Readers)
Condor Comeback (Scientist in the Field) by Sy Montgomery, photos by Trianne Strombeck
Sy Montgomery shadows scientists on the frontlines of helping Californian condors come back from the brink of extinction. She learns a lot of the hazards that the condors still face, and the active role scientists play in keeping the birds healthy as much as possible.
Target Readers:
Animal Lovers, Readers Looking for Practical Ways to Help, Middle Grade & Young Adult Readers
Once a Wolf: How Wildlife Biologists Fought to Bring Back the Gray Wolf (Scientists in the Field) by Stephen R. Swinburne, photos by Jim Brandenburg
A look at the common perceptions of wolves in history, how the wolf was hunted out of much of the USA, and then how scientists started to study wolves and their impact on the ecosystem and changed their policies, moving towards reintroducing the wolf to Yellowstone Park.
There are now some more updated books on the wolves 20+ years down the road and how they are doing today, but this is very interesting to read as one of the first books written for kids about the wolves coming back to Yellowstone.
Target Readers:
Animal Lovers, Ecosystem Studiers, Yellowstone Setting Fans, Middle Grade & Young Adult Readers
Current Issues in Animal Conservation Reads
The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spence
Lawrence Anthony bought a game park in South Africa called Thula Thula used for hunting and turned it into an animal reserve with eco tourism. In this book he shares some of the challenges of getting the reserve up and running, battling poachers, keeping good relations with his Zulu neighbors, building up the animals protected in the reserve, and figuring out how to get a restless herd of elephants settled there. Next to the poachers the elephant herd provided one of Anthony's biggest challenges. He was the herd's last shot at life. They had broken out of too many other reserves. It took all of Anthony's creative juices to figure out a way to outsmart these wily animals who did things like smash the batteries running the electric fences so they could break out. While relating these challenges, and showing the progress Anthony makes over several years, readers get a peek into the life of a ranger running a reserve that keeps itself running with eco tourism.
This, Anthony’s other books, and his wife’s sequel to this book bring you to the frontlines of animal conservation, what methods are working, and what their biggest challenges are.
Target Readers:
Animal Lovers, Africa Setting Fans, Biography Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Conservation Frontline Studiers, Adult Readers (though approachable to Young Adult Readers, and there’s a Young Readers’ edition for Middle Grade Readers)
FunJungle series by Stuart Gibbs
FunJungle is a middle grade contemporary mystery series starring Teddy Fitzroy who lives behind the FunJungle zoo in Texas with his zookeeper mother and animal photographer father. Teddy solves mysteries that happen in and around FunJungle that highlight very real animal conservation issues in the world today and how good zoos work to help (and Gibbs usually provides notes on those in the back of the books). They are extremely well-written, entertaining, fun, and engaging mysteries that are insanely popular with our middle school readers (and certain librarians 😉)!
Target Readers:
Mystery Fans, Animal Lovers, Zoo Setting Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Middle Grade Readers
Photo Ark series by Joel Sartore
Joel Sartore has set out to photograph as many species of animals as he can in a 25 year period and develop an "ark" of photographic evidence of animals, many of which are on the brink of extinction. Each book includes stunning photos of animals from all over the world with notes on their vulnerability and sporadic essays about conservation efforts that are showing promise. The essays are targeted at adult readers, but the photos will appeal to all ages.
Target Readers:
Animal Lovers, Photography Fans, Science Fans, All Ages
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