No More Dodos: How Zoos Help Endangered Wildlife (Discovery! (Sagebrush)) [Hardcover]

Nicholas Nirgiotis (Author), Theodore Nirgiotis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1996 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Discovery! (Sagebrush)

Describes the efforts to save such animals as the black-footed ferret, the golden lion tamarin, and the California condor from extinction through programs designed to protect endangered species.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7. Since zoos are one of the last hopes for many endangered species, it stands to reason that they would be among the leaders in conservation efforts. This book looks at the way zoos (and connected wildlife groups) are involved with helping to improve these animals' odds for survival. A wide range of topics is covered including the creation of more realistic zoo enclosures, captive breeding programs, exchanges of animals among zoos to enlarge the gene pool, and programs to reintroduce some animals to their native habitats. The authors also examine cooperative-education programs where wildlife groups train native peoples in preservation techniques. The writing is clear and detailed without being too technical. Sidebars provide additional information. There is certainly a pro-zoo slant here, but the Nirgiotises are careful to mention other viewpoints as well. Full-color photos are scattered throughout. While much of the material can be found in other sources, the connection to zoos gives this title a new and fascinating angle that should be of interest to young conservationists.?Arwen Marshall, New York Public Library
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-8. The island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean was once the home of the dodo bird. Defenseless against Portuguese settlers in the 1500s, the dodo was killed for food and its eggs eaten by imported animals. By 1680 the dodo was extinct. In more recent history, Mauritius residents discovered that the youngest of their prized Calvaria trees were 300 years old and that all efforts to grow new ones failed. Coincidentally, the dodo had been extinct for 300 years. Scientists reasoned that the trees' seeds passed through an animal's digestive tract in order to germinate, and that animal was the dodo. Such organizations as the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the New York Zoological Park are racing to save endangered species in the face of their rapidly shrinking natural habitats and declining numbers. This book ably documents such organizations' captive breeding programs, complex cryopreservation efforts, attempts at habitat preservation, and reintroduction of endangered animals to their native environments. The readable, highly interesting text features color photographs with sidebars of related information highlighted in bold hues to heighten the book's visual appeal. Up-to-date and looking to the future of plant and animal preservation, this is a valuable resource for public and school library collections. Glossary; list of further reading. Ellen Mandel

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Lerner Publications (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822528568
• ISBN-13: 978-0822528562
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,289,174 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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