JoGayle Howard, reproductive scientist for the Smithsonian National
Zoo, passed away on March 5. She had been battling malignant melanoma.

It's because of her work that the black-footed ferret Peanut and
several other kits were born of fathers long gone.

I was privileged to have met JoGayle and to have done volunteer work
with her. She was warm, friendly, funny, smart and very dedicated to
the animals she was working to preserve. Her loss is a blow to our
fragile ecosystem. I will miss her.

You can read more about her life and work here:
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/08/AR2011030805902.html>

I really like this quote from the article:
"She had no immediate family, but her survivors include the ferrets,
pandas, cheetahs and clouded leopards she helped bring into the world."

Linda

[Posted in FML 6997]