Still considered relatively untamed land, Arizona's predominantly harsh desert terrain is host to a myriad of beautiful and interesting animals. The Desert Wild, written by nature enthusiast, Brooke Bessesen, offers visitors and residents a special look at the state's native fauna. Each column takes readers on a journey of discovery as Brooke shares unique insight and fascinating facts about an important southwest species.
Brooke Bessesen
For nearly two decades Brooke has served as a wildlife rescue volunteer, assisting sick, injured and orphaned animals through local rehabilitation organizations. She spent several years on the Phoenix Zoo medical team as a certified veterinary technician, working with hundreds of species from anteaters to zebras, concurrently working as the zoo's on-camera naturalist and appeared on local and national television with a variety of animals.
Brooke is also an award-winning television producer. She created a children's show, Cool Critters, wrote wildlife segments for the Emmy-winning series What's Up and produced a top-rated weekly program, A Brighter Day . Now a freelance producer, she has worked for cable networks including National Geographic and Discovery.
Brooke's new book Look Who Lives in the Desert! is now available at your local book retailer or from Arizona Highways Books.
Look Who Lives in the Desert! describes a delightful crew of desert animals. 48 pages, full-color illustrations, for ages 3 to 9.ORDER NOW
Months after rescuing an injured coyote on the side of the road, Brooke enjoys the sweet reward of seeing that animal return to the wild. A Silent Thank You
Arachnophobes Anonymous
When arachnophobia threatened to get the best of her, Brooke took the only reasonable course of action. she bought a pet tarantula. Soon, the eight-legged Princess was creeping her way into the writer's heart.
Snoodleberries
Bats were once creatures of legend shrouded in myth. Now, as these amazing animals gain ground in popularity, they also provide a wonderful summer pastime.
The Stinging Truth
When Brooke and her husband discovered scorpions in their new home, they found themselves pinched between irrational fear and the hard-core facts.
When Your Neighbor's A Rat
Dealing with uninvited visitors like packrats can be a real dilemma, but it's not difficult to send guests packing on a permanent vacation - without killing them.
Arizona Animals
