Mary Ellen Ostrander, author of Puff the Sea Lion, a Love Story, will be at the museum to talk about her book and sign copies of it.

During her more than 25 years working at the Seneca Park Zoo, Ostrander has cared for and trained Amur tigers, Bornean orangutans, polar bears, spotted hyenas, arctic wolves, Amur leopards, cougars, and California sea lions. However, she had never met any animal quite like the young bull sea lion, Puff. From the time he arrived at the zoo when he was less than a year old to his unexpected death at the age of six, Ostrander developed a strong bond with him that she can only call love.

Rocked by the sudden loss of this endearing animal with an engaging personality that made him a favorite of zoo visitors, Ostrander felt compelled to write his story. She describes forging a relationship with Puff using positive reinforcement to train him.