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Cindy R.,
C i nd y R . ,
Brookfield
Br o o k f iel d
Volunteer Engagement Program (Docent and Certified
Interpretive Guide)
Animal: Binturong

Why? They’ve got this cute little face. They’re known as
“bear cats,” but they are neither bears or cats. They have
a strong smell, though —some people say they smell like
popcorn…They live in trees in South and Southeast Asia.
They have a prehensile tail that helps them balance in trees,
which is cool. Their habitat is being lost because of the palm
oil plantations. People should only use products that contain
sustainable palm oil. [To make sure the products you buy use
certified sustainable palm oil, Cindy suggests scanning product
bar codes with the PalmOil Scan Mobile App.]

Yuktha M., 15,
Naperville

King Conservation Leadership
Academy’s King Conservation Science Scholars
Animal: Tiger

Why? I’ve loved tigers since the first grade. I did a research project and I just fell in love with
them. They are so majestic. They are very agile. They swim and climb. They are intelligent.
I like their eyes—they are always glimmering…Tigers are misunderstood. Everyone thinks
they’re scary and ferocious. They are usually the bad guy in every story. In The Jungle Book,
the tiger is a man killer and all the other animals are scared of him. But tigers are just trying
to survive. A lot of species are terribly endangered. I want to go into animal sciences and be
a vet, a zoologist, or a wildlife biologist.

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