A zoo veterinarian has a very defined function, and that is the care of the animal collection to provide for their animal health. It doesn’t take into consideration all of the different ramifications that for instance, the educational, the research, some of the other aspects, unless you get into a little broader area. And being the associate director, I thought that I would have the opportunity to influence more than just the animal health of the collection. I got to do all of the purchasing and putting together of the nuts and bolts of the collection. Dr. Thomas of course said we wanted to work with this species, that species and the other species. And then I ended up working with the various zoos and animal dealers to try and find the specimens to put together the family groups that we put together. I didn’t necessarily want to get away from medicine, but it was just an opportunity to be a little more broadly involved in the overall zoo aspect. When Dr. Thomas left, I sort of had it put to me that we’d like you to be the director and if you don’t, we can understand, but we’re gonna hire someone and bring them in and we don’t know who that would be. So either you can do it or we’ll bring someone else in to do it.
