Beast

Jade 1985. 1 3/4″ high. Private Collection.

Back in the olden days, I sometimes gave small sculptures to graduating research students.  The tiny jade Beast was for Zena Tooze.

Zena was a student in my first year biology course, worked in my lab throughout her undergraduate years, and did an inspired BSc honours research study of behavioural energy regulation by hummingbirds.  We also did a fascinating study together of ‘depression’ in police dogs for the Vancouver Police Department, which is an interesting story in its own right.  She did a masters degree study of wolves in Nova Scotia after studying hummingbirds with me, then founded Cercopan, a primate recovery centre in Nigeria that she headed for many years.  Zena is one of the greatest animal lovers I have ever known, and a superb scientist.

Photo by Lee Gass