{"product_id":"the-zoo-lady-sandra-e-bonura-9781496246240","title":"The Zoo Lady: How Belle Benchley Built the San Diego Zoo","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe struggling San Diego Zoo received a miracle in 1927: Belle Jennings Benchley, a middle-aged, newly divorced mother, reluctantly accepted a temporary job she openly \"dreaded.\" Small in stature and matronly in appearance, she charmed everyone she met--but beneath that gentle demeanor lay a leader of steel.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBenchley was just as likely to be found nurturing a vulnerable infant animal or calming fighting primates as she was wrestling a rattlesnake. Through these hands-on encounters, she won the deep affection of staff and visitors alike. Despite her lack of scientific credentials, the \"Zoo Lady,\" as she was fondly called, relied on curiosity and common sense to help build what would become a world-class institution. Drawing insights from the animals themselves rather than the era's rigid authorities, she pioneered conservation practices guided by her \"animal instinct,\" a term she coined.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBenchley authored four best-selling books that humorously illustrated that animals are not so different from people. Even as she faced relentless pressure to \"stay in her place,\" she met every challenge with unshakable courage. Over nearly three decades, Benchley transformed the San Diego Zoo into a global landmark, inventing groundbreaking educational programs that mentored generations of conservation leaders.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA true trailblazer, Benchley paved the way for future icons like Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, becoming the world's first woman director of a major zoo and the first woman elected president of the national association now known as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. \u003ci\u003eThe Zoo Lady\u003c\/i\u003e tells the extraordinary story of a woman whose courage and compassion forever changed zoology and reshaped the way we see--and care for--the animal world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Sandra E. Bonura\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1496246241\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781496246240\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Nebraska Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/01\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover","brand":"Sandra E. Bonura","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":49000997781759,"sku":"9781496246240","price":36.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-zoo-lady-sandra-e-bonura-9781496246240","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}