Ocean State Libraries

"Casey Anderson, the host of National Geographic's 'Expedition Wild' met a month-old bear cub, whom he affectionately named Brutus, in a wildlife preserve in 2002. The cub was destined to remain in captivity or, more likely, to be euthanized, due to overpopulation at the preserve. Anderson just could not let that happen to little Brutus, who looked like 'a fuzzy Twinkie.' From the beginning, it was clear something special existed between the two......

When his son Rowan was diagnosed with autism, Rupert Isaacson was devastated, afraid he might never be able to communicate with his child. But when Isaacson, a lifelong horseman, rode their neighbor's horse with Rowan, Rowan improved immeasurably. He was struck with a crazy idea: why not take Rowan to Mongolia, the one place in the world where horses and shamanic healing intersected?

In 1971, graduate student Penny Patterson began teaching sign language to a gorilla named Koko, a scientific experiment that evolved into an intimate friendship lasting almost half a century and changed the course of human-animal communication.

"Visits marine biology professor David Scheel, who has hosted an octopus in his home. Examines Octopus behaviors and traits, focusing on the relationship that evolves between Heidi the octopus and Dr. Scheel and his teenage daughter." --

"When he was a child, James Middleton wanted nothing more than a dog of his own. Struggling to connect in the classroom, James would often take off in pursuit of nature and animals - adventuring in the Berkshire countryside, tinkering with rusty farm machinery, performing locum care to injured creatures, and losing himself for hours to the outdoors.Then, finally, his pleas for a dog (made via handwritten letters to his parents) were answered. This...