Eric Cole was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1959. He received a degree in zoology from Trinity College Dublin in 1981 and a degree in English from University College Dublin in 1986. He began his career at the Dublin Zoo in 1982 and has been working at the Toronto Zoo since 1992. He is currently Senior Keeper of Elephants, and hopes to remain so as long as his body allows. He lives in Whitby, Ontario with his wife, Stacy, and three children. Man & Beast is his first book.