Badges, bears, and eagles

Over his thirty-year career as a wildlife protection officer for the California Department of Fish and Game, Steve Callan conducted some of the most fascinating, complex, and highly successful wildlife investigations in California history. He also collected a wealth of true stories—action-packed, suspenseful, and often humorous.

Steve is even stalked by African lions and mauled by a five-hundred pound Bengal tiger. One of the most important cases of his career begins with a slain bald eagle dropped on the doorstep of the Fish and Game office, along with a note threatening the life of a fellow warden.

A decade later, Steve and his longtime working partner Dave Szody conduct the investigation of their lives, uncovering a statewide criminal conspiracy to kill California black bears for their valuable gallbladders. It’s not all about catching bad guys—in “Saving Lake Mathews,” Steve chronicles how he helped save a beloved wildlife sanctuary from development.