Roland Smith was born in Portland , Oregon , graduated from Portland State University and , following a part-time job at the Oregon Zoo in Portland , began a 20-year career as a zookeeper , both at the Oregon Zoo and the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma , Washington . After working to save wildlife following the Exxon Valdez oil spill , in 1990 , he published his first book , '' Sea Otter Rescue '' , a non-fiction account of the process of animal rescue . Smith continued to draw upon his zoo experiences for other non-fiction titles , including '' Journey of the Red Wolf '' , which won an Oregon Book Award in 1996
Exxon Valdez oil spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill
Roland Smith