The Odyssey of KP2: An Orphan Seal, a Marine Biologist, and the Fight to Save a Species is the Book of the Month in September
September's featured title is The Odyssey of KP2: An Orphan Seal, a Marine Biologist, and the Fight to Save a Species by Terrie Williams. Copies of this title are available at the upper level Circulation Desk.
About the Book
When a two
day-old Hawaiian monk seal pup is attacked and abandoned by his mother
on a beach in Kauai, environmental officials must decide if they should
save the newborn animal or allow nature to take its course. But as a
member of the most endangered marine mammal species in U.S. waters,
Kauai Pup 2, or KP2, is too precious to lose, and he embarks on an
odyssey that will take him across an ocean to the only qualified
caretaker to accept the job, eminent wildlife biologist Dr. Terrie M.
Williams.
The local islanders see KP2 as an
honored member of their community, but government agents and scientists
must consider the important role he could play in gathering knowledge
and data about this critically endangered and rare species. Only 1,100
Hawaiian monk seals survive in the wild; if their decline continues
without intervention, they face certain extinction within fifty years.
In a controversial decision, environmental officials send KP2 to
Williams's marine mammal lab in Santa Cruz, California, where she and
her team monitor his failing eyesight and gather crucial data that could
help save KP2's species.
But while this young seal is the
subject of a complex environmental struggle and intense media scrutiny,
KP2 is also a boisterous and affectionate animal who changes the lives
of the humans who know and care for him-especially that of Williams.
Even as she unravels the secret biology of monk seals by studying his
behavior and training him, Williams finds a kindred spirit in his loving
nature and resilient strength. Their story captures the universal bond
between humans and animals and emphasizes the ways we help and rely upon
one another. The health of the world's oceans and the survival of
people and creatures alike depend on this ancient connection.
The Odyssey of KP2 is an
inside look at the life of a scientist and the role that her research
plays in the development of conservation efforts, bringing our
contemporary environmental landscape to life. It is also the
heartwarming portrait of a Hawaiian monk seal whose unforgettable
personality never falters, even as his fate hangs in the balance.
Labels: book of the month club, ReaDiNG RooM News, reading suggestions
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