STILL ALIVE

A wildlife biologist and conservationist chronicles his quest to rediscover animals previously classified as extinct.

Galante grew up on his family’s 200-acre farm outside of Harare, Zimbabwe. His mother worked as a safari guide, offering him the opportunity to spend his days exploring the African bush, where his passion for animals and adventure began. During a political uprising, his family was forced to flee, moving from the beautiful countryside to a “one-bedroom, public-housing apartment in downtown Oakland, California.” Although assimilating to life in the U.S. was challenging, Galante found comfort exploring the oceans. After earning a biology degree from UC Santa Barbara, he and his girlfriend (now wife) went on a 14-month backpacking trip through 28 countries to see animals on the verge of extinction. Upon his return, armed with firsthand knowledge of the “atrocities that were taking place: the habitat destruction, the loss of species,” he decided he wanted to do something to make a difference on a global scale. Following a successful appearance on the Discovery Channel show Naked and Afraid, he was offered the opportunity to create a pilot for Animal Planet, which became the series Extinct or Alive. With a compassionate tone that only occasionally tilts toward arrogance, Galante takes readers along on his incredible, often dangerous adventures. In the Amazon, the author recounts receiving a blessing from a village elder before searching for the Rio Apaporis caiman, a near-spiritual moment that had “an undeniable psychological effect.” On Denmark’s Faroe Islands, Galante witnessed a gruesome whaling practice that dates back centuries and which brought him to tears. While exploring the Galápagos, he participated in a controversial expedition that led to the discovery of a Fernandina Island tortoise, last seen in 1906. In all, Galante and his team have rediscovered eight animals that had been labeled extinct or missing by scientists.

A powerful reflection on the abundant possibilities that conservation efforts can offer for the future.