To explore the wonderful wild world is to find adventure—whether close to home or far away. It can be found in the exotics brought close and the unseen brought home.

In this issue, we tell the stories of an alumnus who found himself caring for elephants in Tennessee and researchers who travel far to bring microbes back to Tennessee to uncover their mysteries in our rapidly changing world. There is the story of an alumna hooked on the allure of what moves in the deeps and one about an organization that has helped animals a little less wild.

In fact, our quotidian worlds and humdrum lives intersect with the wild in sometimes surprising ways. One of our researchers seeks drugs to help when we are undone by mosquito-borne illnesses or by COVID-19. We also take a look back at a time when an orangutan came to college.

We hope you enjoy this issue that gives a quick look at when the wild moves among us.

As always, we look forward to hearing from you regarding each issue. You may send a letter to the editor at alumnus@tennessee.edu or reach out to us on social media. We can be found on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.