helps rescue black footed ferrets from the brink of extinction by breeding them in the zoo and reintroducing them into the wild And Rachel Santymire uses z00 science to give critically endangered wild black rhinos in South Africa a fighting chance These scientists have played important roles in their animals stories stories full of adventure tragedy and joy that unfold much like your favorite novel More than 181 million people visit zoos every year That's more than the number of people who attend Major League Baseball pro hockey pro basketball and pro football games combined But zoos aren't just entertainment centers they are living libraries Zoos allow us to get close enough to animals to hear their stories Stories in which humans often play a part either as hero or villain Zoos also give scientists an up close look at animals that are difficult to observe in the wild These scientists use their training and a hefty dose of ingenuity to study the animals in their care What do these animals eat How do they reproduce Where do they fit in their natural habitats How do we preserve them in the wild The answers to these questions unlock the animals secrets Read on to meet three z00 scientists who are adding to our knowledge of three remarkable species Meredith Bastian once lived among wild orangutans and now shows z00 visitors how to help these hairy apes survive Jeff Baughman
Meredith Bastian left Jeff Baughman top right and Rachel Santymire bottom right each work at a different US z00 Their scientific work helps save species endangered
FEATURED ANIMAL Orangutan SCIENTIFIC NAME Pongo abelii Sumatran and Pongo pygmaeus Bornean FEATURED SCIENTIST Dr Meredith Bastian FEATURED Z00 Smithsonian's National Zoo ANIMAL STATUS Critically endangered
CHAPTER 1 TREETOP TEACHERS Z00 VISITORS WHO STARE INTO BATANG S WARM BROWN EYES SEE INTELLIGENCE A twenty one year old orangutan she lives at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington DC Many of the things she does might remind you of well you At bedtime she often makes a pillow and blanket for her nest of hay And she cuddles her young son Redd as lovingly as you might cuddle a younger sibling or a pet A sign outside the orangutan enclosure at the National Zoo explains that the apes red coloring mimics shadows in the forest's canopy As little as 30 feet 9 meters above the forest floor orangutans essentially disappear which is surprising given their bulk Fully grown wild male orangutans can weigh up to 220 pounds 100 kilograms and wild females can weigh up to 120 pounds 54 kg Z00 orangutans tend to be between 50 to 100 pounds 23 to 45
