Return From Extinction: the Triumph of the Elephant Seals by Linda L. Richards, published by Orcabook Publishers
Less than 100 years ago, the northern elephant seal was thought to be extinct. Today more than 250,000 elephant seals swim in the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Mexico. In Return from Extinction: The Triumph of the Elephant Seal Linda L. Richards tells the story of their dramatic recovery.
Elephant seals were hunted to near extinction for their precious oil before the Mexican government stepped in to protect them. Many people thought it was too late. Even though the life of the elephant seal is difficult and only 20 percent of pups born will make it to adulthood, the species adapted and came back from the brink. They are a true conservation success story.
Order the book in the United States.
What People Are Saying:
• Review in Canadian Review of Materials: “Richards’ book will undoubtedly introduce many readers to the northern elephant seal while also presenting a good news story of the return to abundance of an animal that was almost extinct a century ago.”
• Included in the CBC’s round-up of great middle grade books for fall. “Return from Extinction documents the life of the elephant seal and how the animals have adapted to humans and now thrive.”
• Named to The Children’s Book Council “Hot Books for October”.
• Kirkus: “Prompted by her unforgettable first sight of hundreds of elephant seals resting on a beach near San Simeon, California, and learning that these seals had been reported extinct at the end of the 19th century, journalist and novelist Richards tells this ‘good-news story’ as if she were sharing her excited discoveries with a friend.”