SAN DIEGO — A little girl who loved going to the San Diego Zoo as a child, grew up to become a famous animal book author.
In this Zevely Zone, I met Georgeanne Irvine. the San Diego native who has devoted her career to raising awareness about animals and wildlife conservation.
"It's fascinating to watch him move in slow motion," said Georgeanne. "He holds a very special place in my heart." I met the author at the San Diego Zoo's sloth habitat for Tornero. "What's extra special is that I've known him since he was a baby," said Georgeanne.
Irvine is the director of publishing for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, where she has worked for nearly 46 years, as well as the author of nearly 30 children's books about wildlife. Her award-winning Hope & Inspiration collection features true stories about individual animals from the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park that have overcome challenges in their lives.
One of those books is titled Tornero: The True Story of a Sloth Superstar. I asked her when typing if she was faster than a sloth. "No, I probably move slower," laughed Georgeanne.
You sure couldn't tell it by Georgeanne's impressive body of work. She's spent years of her life embedded with the animals. "We have to find out what their story is," said Georgeanne.
Her hardcover books are illustrated with photographs and include wildlife facts and conservation information. Her newest book is Amazing Omeo: A Baby Koala's True Story of Survival. "When Omeo was only five months old his mother passed away, so we had to hand rear him," said Georgeanne.
Each book focuses on one animal that overcame a huge challenge, such as Saving Moka: The True Tale of a Rescued Tiger Cub. "Moka was confiscated when he was being smuggled over the border from Mexico into the United States," said Georgeanne.
Her passion has inspired children all over the world to care about wildlife and one very famous child in particular.
"Which person? I've met a lot of famous people," she said when I tested her memory about her meeting with Brooke Shields.
Decades ago, the famous face came to the San Diego Zoo as a teenager. "Oh, Brooke Shields, oh my god my friend Brooke Shields," said Georgeanne. She and Brooke have collaborated for years with the common interest of helping animals. I asked, "Can you call her up right now?" Georgeanne said, "I could absolutely. I have her number on my phone I could send her a text and say hey Brooke we're on the Zevely Zone."
But first, we had mouths to feed. "He's moving slowly to the food," said Georgeanne.
I then fed the sloth a flower. "Here you go Tornero," I said.
If a 'Sloth Superstar' can land in Hibiscus heaven, we wanted to know about the next chapter of his biggest fan. "How does your story end?" I asked the author. Georgeanne said, "It'll never end, I have lots more books to write."
When it comes to putting pen to paper, Georgeanne Irvine is the King of the Jungle. Her worldwide expeditions have taken her to many of the wildest places on earth—from the jungles of Borneo and South America to the mountains of China and the forests of India to the Outback of Australia and the savannas of Africa.
For more information about Georgeanne Irvine's Hope & Inspiration book collection, click here.
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