Once again saying I’m old school. I think it’s very important that curators need to experience. I mean, they need practical hands on experience. I have certainly seen institutions hire people from the academic community. Have great academic credentials may have done, some wonderful field work, but never worked in a zoo and have that experience of dealing with the people, the animals and the captive experience. So depending where I am, but for the most part, I would take practical experience over academic training for a curator. Give me three qualities you think a curator should have. Able to communicate well with his staff, have a knowledge base of it, the animals that he’s responsible for, and be honest about it.
