Summary Hosts Susan Altrui and Joy Matlock celebrate conservation comeback stories and the teamwork behind them. Through a game of Two Truths and a Lie and a visit from zookeeper Hannah Baker (and ambassador ferret Hagrid), this episode explores how AZA-accredited zoos, government agencies, scientists, and communities combine tools like captive breeding, reintroduction, habitat protection, disease management, and genetics to bring species back from the brink.

In this episode you’ll learn

• Why bald eagles declined and which policy and habitat actions enabled their recovery.
• How black-footed ferrets were rescued from near extinction via captive breeding, reintroduction, and genetic tools (including cloning).
• What Species Survival Plans (SSPs) and national recovery programs do and why collaboration matters.
• Ways listeners can support comeback work through zoo visits, memberships, events, and everyday choices.

Highlights & Key Takeaways

• Bald eagles rebounded mainly after the DDT ban and habitat/legal protections.
• Black-footed ferrets depended on prairie dogs; their collapse required multi-pronged recovery efforts.
• Zoos play a vital role but recovery requires coordinated action among many partners.
• Ambassador animals like Hagrid help connect people to conservation stories.

Mentioned Little Rock Zoo & Arkansas Zoological Foundation; hosts Susan Altrui, Joy Matlock; emcee Dustin Bean; zookeeper Hannah Baker; ambassador ferret Hagrid; bald eagles Lynn & Griffin; Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program; AZA; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Arkansas Game & Fish Commission; Species Survival Plans (SSPs).

Quote “Saving species takes more than one thing — laws, captive breeding, habitat protection, and people working together. Everyone can be part of that team.” — Susan Altrui

Call to action Support comeback work: visit or join the Little Rock Zoo, attend conservation events, and make wildlife-friendly choices. Learn more at littlerockzoo.com.