In Search of Walking Sharks (Why the Future of Wildlife Depends on Breaking the Rules)

We can save the planet, but first we need to break the rules.

It's no surprise that the natural world around us is struggling. Climate change, destruction of vital ecosystems, loss of biodiversity—the list can feel never ending. But Forrest Galante, wildlife biologist, conservationist and television host of Animal Planet's Extinct or Alive, has a motto to saving the planet—"get sh*t done." Yet this can be easier said than done. Too often, the scientific institutions that have the welfare of the environment at their heart are also the slowest to move. And while our institutions fiddle, our wildlife and their habitats burn.

But what would the world look like if we broke the rules and implemented the mindset of radical conservationism? What projects might demand our attention, our creativity, our passions? And ultimately, how can we put aside irrelevant priorities to actually deliver for the planet?

From "The Indiana Jones of Biology" comes an enlightening and fearless journey, not only showing readers the current state of wildlife conservation but giving a behind the scenes look at his epic adventures across the globe, sharing incredible animals, habitats, and remote communities as he and others like him engage in radical conservation. From bucking the system to scuba dive beneath glaciers in wild Alaska, to saving African elephants in a remote village, to wrestling 20-foot-long snakes, to giving an inside look at the de-extinction of the Dire Wolf, and yes, even searching for walking sharks. Because ultimately, we need to expand the boundaries of what conservation can look like.

The future of wildlife depends on it.