Lia Kvatum

LIA KVATUM loves to tell stories. She thinks a good story is not only entertaining, but is the way to inspire people to do good things. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband Kevin and baby girl Violet. This is her first book for National Geographic. LIYA POKROVSKAYA was born in Moscow, Russia, and from childhood dreamed of working to save endangered animals around the world. In 2008, she graduated from Moscow State University as a specialist in vertebrate zoology. Her areas of interest are behavioral ecology, behavioral development, large carnivores, and social relations in animals. During her studies she has been on scientific expeditions to the White Sea, the Commander Islands, and Antarctica. She lived in the Russian Far East studying moon bears for almost two years. She has been named a National Geographic Young Explorer for 2009.