Young, Nancy

Although born in New Mexico, Nancy Lee Young spent most of her life in the Grand Canyon State, and is what locals affectionately refer to as a "semi-native" Arizonan. When she was 4 years old, her father became curator of large mammals at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum. Infant animals were frequently brought in to the family's home to be cared for, trained and tamed to go on display at the museum. Young's proximity to the museum's wildlife planted the seed for her appreciation for animals.