Roger A. Caras was born on May 24, 1928 in Methuen, Massachusetts. At the age of ten, he went to work for 10 cents an hour cleaning the stables of abused horses seized by the Massachusetts ASPCA. During college, he did two tours with the U.S. Army, first in World War II and then in the Korean conflict. He graduated with a degree in cinema from the University of Southern California and worked as a motion picture executive for fifteen years. He found his true calling in following the tracks of animals in their natural habitats, and wrote over 70 books on animals. His first book, Antarctica: Land of Frozen Time, was published in 1962. His other works included A Perfect Harmony: The… Intertwining Lives of Animals and Humans Throughout History, The Bond, and Going for the Blue: Inside the World of Show Dogs and Dog Shows. He also served as president of the ASPCA and was an advisor to the Walt Disney Company, assisting in developing Disney's Animal Kingdom. His television career began in 1964 with the position of House Naturalist on The Today Show. From 1965 to 1968, he worked with Stanley Kubrick on 2001: A Space Odyssey. In 1975, he moved to ABC where he became a special correspondent for animals and the environment on ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, Nightline and 20/20, as well as nature and companion animal correspondent for Good Morning America. Caras had a radio show which was first aired in 1969 called Pets and Wildlife and was heard on the CBS, NBC and ABC Radio Networks. He died of complications of a heart attack on February 18, 2001 at the age of 72.
Pamela Johnson, a former senior editor of Essence magazine and now a frequent contributor, is a graduate of Stanford University. She is the co-author of the novel Santa & Pete. She lives in New York City.