Sharon Matola

Sharon Matola visited the small country of Belize in Central America to help with a nature documentary back in 1982. After the shoot was over, the director left her to “take care of” the animals they’d used. So she stuck a stick in the ground with a sign on it saying “Belize Zoo.” Today, the zoo exhibits more than 125 animals on 29 acres, and she’s a beloved figure in Belize known as the Zoo Lady. But she’s also a controversial wildlife-conservation activist. And there’s a new book about her. It’s called The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw: One Woman’s Fight to Save the World’s Most Beautiful Bird, by the reporter Bruce Barcott. She speaks with Faith Salie on Fair Game, all the way from Belize.