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Joan Embery serves as goodwill ambassador for the Zoological Society of San Diego which includes the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Wild Animal Park in the San Pasqual Valley.

As the Zoological Society's official hostess, her work includes television appearances, radio interviews, speaking engagements and animal presentations. Joan has led worldwide education tours exploring the wild habitats of: Africa, India, Nepal, China, Thailand, New Guinea and Europe. She has also lectured to cruise ship passengers on the Alaskan Island Passage, the Carribean, the Panama Canal and the Mexican Rivera.

She speaks at zoos and animal organizations across the United States to promote conservation and support for wildlife programs.

Joan has trained and handled some of the world's rarest and most unusual animals from aardvarks to zebras and elephants to hummingbirds.

Nationally known for her television appearances with animals, Joan has appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Leeza, PM Magazine, The Home Show, Donahue, Hour Magazine, Entertainment Tonight and many others. She has hosted two series, Animal Express and Animals of Africa which have both aired in the United States and abroad, and the Baby Panda and Challenge to Wildlife Specials for Public Broadcasting. Joan has also done guest appearances on Alf, Newhart, Hollywood Squares, Win, Lose or Draw, Gary Shandling, Mr. Rogers and Xuxa.

A native of San Diego, Joan attended San Diego State University where she specialized in zoology and telecommunications. She completed her Bachelors of Art degree in Communications with Eastern Illinois University in 1986. Joan received an honorary Ph.D. in social services from the university in 1995. She and her husband, Duane Pillsbury, live in Lakeside, California on their fifty acre ranch. Along with her yellow labrador retriever, "Traveller", a weimeraner "Blue", and two cats, at the ranch Joan keeps her clydesdale, six horse hitch of champion percherons, eight cutting horses that have won many Pacific Coast and national buckles and awards, dressage horses including her Westphalen warmblood from Germany now competing at Intermediare, miniature horses, and her California State Grand Champion Brahma Bull "Bruiser". She also maintains an assortment of animals which travel with her on appearances.

Joan has written four books, My Wild World and Amazing Animal Facts published by Delacorte, On Horses publisher by Morrow and The Good Dog Book published by Avon Books. She has completed a computer workbook Dogs! with Joan Embery for responsible dog ownership developed by Digital Vistas.

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