28 Aug 22nd-Aug 28th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | relatively low but they’re increasing every year and they could use some conservation support because now Arizona, it’s full of people, full of highways, full of roadways, that kind of thing.” Around the late 1800s, some of the first Arizona sightings of coatis were docu- mented. Since then, they’ve been making a comeback. “It’s interesting because we don’t know why they went away, why their populations dropped,” Wynn-Grant says. ‘My heroes were nature show hosts’ Some of the credit should go to zoos, sanc- tuaries and wildlife groups making sure the coati population is back to a healthy standard. Wynn-Grant is doing her part by bringing awareness to these fascinating creatures via “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild.” Her fasci- nation with the show began at an early age. She grew up in an urban setting and her parents weren’t the outdoorsy type. When her family went on vacation, it was to visit family or friends. Her parents were also strict with the type of television she watched. No mind- dulling cartoons or trash TV; it had to be educational. “Wild Kingdom” ticked all the boxes. “So, when I was a little kid my heroes were nature show hosts,” she says. “I used to watch ‘Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom’ and I used to just absolutely love it. It would transport me around the world and into the wilderness. And so I would tell people that I wanted to be a nature show host when I grew up.” That dream would become a reality in her adult life. She achieved an undergrad- uate degree, two master’s degrees and finally a Ph.D. “I really fell in love with environmental science, wildlife ecology and conservation in the academic space. For a long time, I really felt that I was doing the nature show stuff but without the cameras.” Now the cameras are rolling and her life has come full circle: Wynn-Grant is teaching the next generation of young nature enthusiasts the same way she learned — on television. The Phoenix Zoo has made a comfort- able environment for its coatis. However, some animal lovers take issue with keeping animals confined in enclosures for human enjoyment. Wynn-Grant explains that in the past, people would take animals from the wild and put them on display; a lot of zoos began that way. But today, there are strict accreditation processes to protect the animals, the largest one being the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). “The Phoenix Zoo is AZA-accredited,” she says. “It is the right kind of place and they do not take animals from the wild to be at the zoo. They mostly have animals that were already born in captivity or sometimes they rescue animals that were people’s illegal pets or maybe animals that were found in some of those roadside zoos that aren’t accredited. Most of the time these facilities do a lot of reproduction work so that they can release the animals born in the zoo back into the wild.” With their comfortable digs and helpful caretakers, coatis are making a comeback but, more importantly, being protected for future generations. “I would encourage Arizonans to feel a lot of pride,” Wynn-Grant says. “You know, coati are not widespread. You know, we’ve got some in Arizona, a bunch in New Mexico and a few in Texas. So they are a very special species for this country, let alone North America. You know, it can feel kind of cool to represent a state that has a rare animal, especially one as awesome as the coati.” Creature Feature from p 26 The white-nosed coati can be found in Arizona. (Photo by Bernard Dupont/Flickr)