Corwin - 100 Heartbeats: A Journey to Meet Our Planets Endangered Animals and the Heroes Working to Save Them

A very special thank-you to my beautiful wife, Natasha, and our precious daughters, Maya and Marina. No matter where I am in the world, my heart is always with you. To my parents, Marcy and Valerie, who nurtured my love for nature, thank you.

To all of the scientists and conservationists working to preserve animal species around the world, thank you. You are all heroes. 100 Heartbeats would not have been possible without the generous contribution of time and expertise from my friends and colleagues in the conservation community. Thank you to Dr. Laurie Marker of Cheetah Conservation Fund, her lifetime work to save the cheetah has been a great inspiration; Dr. Ian Singleton, director, the Orangutan Conservation Program; Femka Den Haas, director, Jakarta Animal Aid Network; Dr. E. O. Wilson, an iconic scientist and conservationist; my good friends at Defenders of Wildlife; Steven C. Amstrup, PhD, senior polar bear scientist, USGS Alaska Science Center; Eric Regehr, PhD, research scientist, USGS Alaska Science Center; Adrienne E. Crosier, PhD, reproductive physiologist, Center for Species Survival, Smithsonians Conservation & Research Center; Fateh Singh Rathore, PhD, first field director, Ranthambore National Park, India; Mahendra Shrestha, PhD, director of Save The Tiger Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; Carel van Schaik, PhD, primatologist, Duke University; John Seidensticker, PhD, biologist, Smithsonian Institutions National Zoological Park; Russell Mittermeier, PhD, chairman of the IUCN Species Survival Commissions Primate Specialist Group and president of Conservation International; Pat Chapple Wright, PhD, professor of anthropology, State University of New York, Stony Brook; Russell Ciochon, PhD, professor of anthropology, University of Iowa; Birut M. F. Galdikas, PhD, director, Orangutan Foundation International; Jo Gayle Howard, DVM, animal-reproduction specialist, the Smithsonian Institution; Zhang Zhihe, PhD, director, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding; James Dietz, PhD, researcher, Golden Lion Tamarin Conservation Program; Benjamin Beck, PhD, director of conservation, Great Ape Trust of Iowa; Alan Lieberman, PhD, biologist, Keauhou Bird Conservation Center, San Diego Zoos Conservation and Research for Endangered Species department; Carl Jones, founder and scientific director of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, fellow with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust; Stanley A. Temple, PhD, Cornell University postdoctoral researcher associated with the Peregrine Fund; Peter Koopman, PhD, University of Queenslands Institute for Molecular Bioscience; Richard T. Watson, PhD, vice president and director, International Programs, The Peregrine Fund; Joe Burnett, PhD, wildlife biologist, Ventana Wildlife Society; Brian Gratwick, PhD, director of amphibian conservation, National Zoo, Washington, DC; Edgardo Griffith, PhD, director, Panamas El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC); Bill Konstant, PhD, director of conservation and science, Houston Zoo; Ross Alford, PhD, professor of biology, James Cook University, Australia; Lee Berger, PhD, James Cook University, Australia; Reid Harris, PhD, professor of biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia; Karen Lips, PhD, associate professor, Southern Illinois University; M. Tim Tinker, PhD, biologist, USGS WERC Santa Cruz Field Station Long Marine Laboratory, UCSC; Dean Biggins, PhD, wildlife biologist, US Geological Survey; Dan Roddy, PhD, biologist, Wind Cave National Park; Pete Gober, PhD, black-footed ferret recovery coordinator, USFWS; Richard G. Ruggiero, PhD, chief, Branch of the Near East, South Asia, and Africa of the USFWS Division of International Conservation; Lawrence Witmer, PhD, professor of anatomy, Ohio University; Eric Dinerstein, PhD, chief scientist, WWF; Terri Roth, PhD, director, Carl H. Lindner Jr. Family Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife, Cincinnati Zoo; Debby Cox, AMMSc. Env, director, Chimpanzee Welfare Africa Programmes; Heather Eves, PhD, director, Bushmeat Crisis Task Force (BCTF); Natalie Bailey, MS, assistant director, BCTF; Vincent Opyene, Uganda Wildlife Authority lawyer, member of the Bushmeat-Free Eastern Africa Network; Ravi Chellam, PhD, faculty member, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun; Marta Curti, PhD, wildlife biologist, The Peregrine Fund; Doug Smith, PhD, Yellowstone Wolf Project Leader, Yellowstone National Park; Art Beyer, PhD, biologist, USFWS; Chris Lucash, PhD, biologist, USFWS; and Ryan Nordsven, PhD, biologist, USFWS.

I would also like to express my gratitude to my literary agent, Stephanie Tade; to Rodale Inc. and my editor, Julie Will; and to Toni Robino and Doug Wagner, whose editorial and research talents were instrumental in the creation of this book.