Think the human process of growing old can be a pain in the posterior?

Consider what the fierce-looking eagle, ruler of its skies, must go through to survive to maturity.

The powerful bird of prey and symbol of strength can live up to 70 years. But to reach full maturity, the eagle must make tough decisions. (more…)

Baby gorilla, Alvila, San Diego Zoo - published in My Seven Years in Captivity

SAVE THE TIGER!

When I recently saw an AP item telling of India’s five-year plan to save the tigers, I told family how I once bravely stroked one of the largest of these man-eating jungle cats.

In the ‘70s, I had accepted an invitation to pose with a 700-pound Bengal tiger. Heart in my mouth, I stood on a stage with the sleek creature and its trainer at the San Diego Zoo. The ferocious-looking carnivore was a participant in a specialty act I had hired. At seven feet long and over four times my weight, she had been featured as the “tiger in your tank,” a famed TV commercial at the time. (more…)