Posts by Laurel Neme
The WildLife: Life of a Wildlife Special Agent, Sheila O’Connor, Part I
US Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Sheila O’Connor reveals what it’s like to work in wildlife law enforcement. In the first of a two-part interview, Special Agent O’Connor tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme about her adventures stopping wildlife crime—from tarantulas to elephants. (Part 2 next week will focus on what it takes to…
Read MoreThe WildLife: Hawaii’s Reef Fish & Aquarium Trade, Robert Wintner aka Snorkel Bob
Robert Wintner gives an insider’s view of the fishes he knows on Hawaii’s coral reefs. He reveals to “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme why Hawaii’s coral reefs are so special, how the marine aquarium trade threatens their future, and how Maui County’s recent legislation could lessen the negative impact. Did you know the Hawaiian cleaner wrasse, a…
Read MoreMongabay.com: Operation Jaguar: Busting a Poaching Ring
From Mongabay.com By Laurel A. Neme, special to mongabay.comOctober 03, 2010 Twenty years ago Brazil’s most notorious jaguar hunter, Teodoro Antonio Melo Neto, also known as “Tonho da onça” or “Jaguar Tony,” swore off poaching after logging 600 kills. The foe turned ally of the jaguar then convinced environmental and research institutes, such as the non-governmental organization…
Read MoreThe Wildlife: Hawaii’s Aquarium Trade, Rene Umberger
Rene Umberger, dive master and activist, discusses the marine aquarium trade in Hawaii and its impact. She tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme that every year, over 30 million fish are plucked from their coral reef homes for use in the aquarium hobby, with over 1,500 species targeted. Nearly all, 98 percent, of these saltwater aquarium animals…
Read MoreThe WildLife: Bear Behavior & Emotions, Else Poulsen, Part II
Else Poulsen, bear expert and author of the book SMILING BEARS, shares her insights into bear behavior and emotions through stories about some of the bears she has known. She also details to “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme how she uses this knowledge to improve the lives of bears in captivity in this second of a two-part…
Read MoreThe WildLife: A Zookeeper’s Bear Adventures, Else Poulsen, Part I
Else Poulsen, bear expert and author of the book SMILING BEARS, talks about her adventures as a zookeeper and her work uncovering the emotional lives of bears in this first of a two-part interview. She reveals to “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme what makes these creatures so special – something she’s learned from years of raising…
Read MoreMongabay.com: Determining which birds cause airplanes to crash: an interview with a feather expert
By Laurel Neme, special to mongabay.comSeptember 19, 2010 Marcy Heacker, a wildlife forensic scientist at the Smithsonian Institution’s Feather Identification Lab in Washington, DC, spoke with Laurel Neme on her “The WildLife” radio show and podcast about wildlife forensics, bird strikes and feather identification, and how her analyses help airports manage wildlife to enhance airline safety. She also…
Read MoreThe WildLife: Lorises, Anna Nekaris
Anna Nekaris, an expert on nocturnal primates, discusses Asia’s slow and slender lorises. She reveals to “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme what makes these creatures so special and why they’re sought after both as pets and as a key ingredient in traditional medicine. Did you know that the lovable, furry Ewoks in Star Wars films…
Read MoreMongabay.com: Frogs and friends at risk from booming global wildlife trade
By Laurel Neme, special to mongabay.comSeptember 08, 2010 Alejandra Goyenechea, International Counsel at Defenders of Wildlife and Chair of the Species Survival Network’s (SSN) Amphibian Working Group, spoke with Laurel Neme on her “The WildLife” radio show and podcast about the global amphibian trade. This interview originally aired February 8, 2010. Assistance for this article was provided…
Read MoreThe Wildlife: Amphibian Trade, Alejandra Goyenechea
Alejandra Goyenechea, international lawyer, discusses the global amphibian trade and its impact on rare and threatened species. She tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme about the benefits of frogs and the many threats – such as habitat loss, climate change, pollution, disease, and overexploitation – to their survival. Did you know frogs indicate environmental quality,…
Read MoreMongabay.com: The role of wildlife conservation in human health
By Laurel Neme, special to mongabay.com September 07, 2010 Steve Osofsky, wildlife veterinarian and also Director of Wildlife Health Policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), spoke with Laurel Neme on her “The WildLife” radio show and podcast about the intersection between wildlife, livestock and human health, and how paying attention to all three in tandem leads…
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