The Year of the Dragon

The dragon is both revered and feared in many cultures around the world.  This year the Chinese will celebrate the upcoming new year as the Year of the Dragon.  A symbol of strength and royalty, you can find interpretations of these mythical beasts adorning clothing, wall tapestries, statues, and even etched into flesh.  But what do we know about our last remaining dragon, the Komodo dragon, which still walks the earth?  What is being done to conserve this magnificent creature and its habitat to ensure that it too remains immortalized? Weighing in at up to 100 kg (220 lbs) and …

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WVU Doctoral Student Pursues Passion

WVU Doctoral Student Pursues Passion By: Kaidy Murdock For the Charleston Daily Mail MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Tina Dow has always had an interest in elephants.   From her first Little Golden Book and frequent visits to the Pittsburgh Zoo as a girl, the Cumberland, Md., native’s love for the creatures has transformed into a career and a passion. “In my backpack I still carry the first Little Golden Book that I was given as a child, and that was ‘The Saggy Baggy Elephant,’” said Dow, a doctoral student at West Virginia University. “I keep that around with me all the time. …

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Devil Facial Tumor Disease

In honor of Australia Day I thought it would be fitting to write about one of their most beloved species, the Tasmanian devil.  Immortalized as the spinning, incoherent cartoon character, the survival of the real Tasmanian devil is in peril.  A communicative disease called Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) is decimating the devil population of Tasmania.  As researchers race to understand the etiology behind DFTD the devils face an uncertain future. Devil Facial Tumor Disease was first documented in 1996 in northeastern Tasmanian.  The disease is characterized by large, fast-growing cancerous tumors that are found around the face and inside …

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A Love For Elephants

West Virginia University has gone to the elephants!  Not only were Tina and her pachyderm friends highlighted on the homepage of the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, but they were also featured on the West Virginia University main homepage.  In addition, you can find an interview with Tina regarding her research at the following link Inside WVU               

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Thank You

This week, in the United States, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving.  This holiday is a time for recognizing the things and special people we are thankful for.  Aside from stuffing ourselves with roasted turkey, potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie, the day is spent with friends and family.  In addition, I thought it would be the most fitting time to give thanks to all those special people who have inspired me over the years and helped cultivate my passion for wildlife conservation and habitat preservation.  If not for these wonderful people, I would not be who I am today. As a …

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A Trunk of Love: WVU Doctoral Student Finds Her Calling Researching Elephants

The story of Tina Dow’s love for elephants began in another story, tucked away in the pages of her first Little Golden Book. Never could she predict that someday she’d work with the same creatures that fascinated her as a little girl. It was the mighty elephant that steered her back onto an academic path. Dow, who grew up in Cumberland, Md., earned her bachelor’s degree in Animal and Veterinary Sciences at West Virginia University in 2002. After graduating, she didn’t know quite what to do. She enrolled in some courses at the University of Connecticut and took an internship at Roger Williams Park …

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An Evening with Jane Goodall: A Story of Inspiration and Hope

As a child I can vividly remember thumbing through old National Geographic magazines, living vicariously through the adventures of Dr. Jane Goodall.  In the 1980s, long before online giants Amazon or Barnes and Noble became popular, I would visit both my school library and the local city-owned branch on an almost daily basis.  I was able to read about Jane’s explorations of the forests of Gombe and the chimpanzee ambassadors who greeted here as a friend.  Oh to live life amongst the chimps must have been paradise. I soon understood that chimpanzees were very much like humans, one may say …

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Student Creates Wildlife Conservation Project

For as long as Tina Dow can remember, she’s had a passion for wildlife. Dow, a West Virginia University student, is pursuing her passion through an organization she and her husband formed – Wildlife Research and Conservation. “I don’t ever remember a time not being interested in wildlife,” Dow said. “As a kid I always felt more at home outside with the creepy crawlies than I did inside.” During her doctoral studies at WVU, Dow’s focus has been on elephant captivation and the effects it has on the species’ fertility. Though Dow is unsure where she’ll end up after graduation, …

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