At home in exotic locales studying the declining species on our planet as he is in running one of the top zoos in the United States, Jeffrey Bonner brings a global perspective to Man's role in conserving wildlife on Earth.

Bonner was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Saint Louis Zoo in 2002 after serving as President and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo and White River Gardens from 1993 to 2002.

As chair of Amphibian Ark, a worldwide effort to ensure the global survival of amphibians, Bonner's message is that these species are facing the largest mass extinction since the dinosaurs due to climate change and habitat loss. Amphibian Ark is a consortium of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the IUCN Conservation Breeding Specialist Group and the IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group.

Bonner is dedicated to explaining that zoos are a critical part of species conservation around the world.

An avid advocate for animal welfare, Bonner received his B.A. in anthropology from the University of Missouri - Columbia in 1975. He received his M.A. and M. Phil. degrees in anthropology from Columbia University in New York in 1977 and 1979, along with his Ph.D. from Columbia in 1982. He is a Burgess Fellow, Traveling Fellow, Fulbright Scholar, President's Fellow, and a recipient of the National Research Service Award. Dr. Bonner is the author of numerous articles and has written a book based on his doctoral research in northern India.

He serves on numerous boards, including the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group. He recently chaired the International Species Information System and the Madagascar Fauna Group, an international consortium of 39 zoos and related institutions.

Bonner is also the author of Sailing with Noah, Stories from the World of Zoos. The book, published in 2006, is an intensely personal, behind-the-scenes look at modern zoos. Bonner explores the role of zoos in today's society and their future as institutions of education, conservation, and research. Written in a lively, accessible style, he relates a variety of true stories about animals and those who care for them, offering his perspective on heavily publicized incidents and describing less-known events with compassion and humor.

PRESENTATIONS
Why Do We Need Zoos?: The Art of Field Conservation
Amphibians Are the Canaries in the Coal Mine of Climate Change
Animal Rights Vs. Animal Welfare

LINKS
Join KMOV Channel 4 Chief Meteorologist Kent Ehrhardt and Saint Louis Zoo president, Dr. Jeffrey Bonner, reach Saturday morning at 10 a.m. on "At the Zoo" to see what it takes to be a world-class zoo. http://www.stlzoo.org/events/atthezooshow.htm