Well, when I started Lincoln Park, I was very fortunate, actually to get into the Veldt area because I also, part of my job was the commissary and we had to prepare foods for animals. So I knew where all the foods were going when animals were eating. I enjoyed,… Read More
I mean, things like potholes and galagos really had no business in the children’s zoo the way I thought about it, but they were specifically animals that he was interested in, animals that were difficult in many ways to keep and breed, so I learned a lot about a variety… Read More
And you’ve mentioned some of his strengths. Read More
Weaknesses?… Read More
Obviously I was enamored by Marlin. I probably only saw strengths. I didn’t see many weaknesses. If I could only be, I thought to myself, a Marlin Perkins, I’d do all right. Read More
As you started working at Lincoln Park, how did you start to approach the care of animals?… Read More
Early on, I had a pretty nasty temper and Marlin told me later in life that that would hurt me and that I could use temper as long as I could control it, and that worked, that was good, sound advice. Probably saved my career. Read More
Did Marlin have strengths?… Read More
Marlin I think helped shape my views early on because he had a very popular television show, and I watched that every week it was on. In fact, my wife recalls, she was then my fiance, remembers we had to break off what we were doing so I could get… Read More
Did you learn specific things that shape a future philosophy from him?… Read More
I think Marlin, I learned- Certain areas were- areas of dedication. Marlin was dedicated to his profession. He ran a very clean operation. I learned cleanliness is important. Cleanliness is next to godliness in a zoo operation, a good zoo, because obviously filth and trash can breed disease. He was… Read More
Marlin Perkins was a very- He was a study in- Observing Marlin and the way he operated was very, very important to me in my later life. Marlin was very unpredictable. He was a good animal man. I mean, I remember a day when he walked by, just to cite… Read More
How did he shape your views or did he shape your views a little on zoos and about zoo development?… Read More
Did he help shape any of those that you later had?… Read More
Did people mentor you?… Read More
I was mentored by a number of the head keepers. I had a very good friend. He wound up to be one of my dearest friend, Joel McHale, he was a character. He worked as a senior keeper, but I got a lot of good advice from Joel. Just common,… Read More
How was it working for this director?… Read More
So you meet Marlin, but how did your zoo career actually start?… Read More
Well, I followed in that- My zoo career started by me following an ad in the Chicago Sun-Times. There was an ad in the paper, there was a job open if you were not too choosy, and it was a job opening at the reptile house at the Lincoln Park… Read More
What were the early days like at Lincoln Park Zoo as a young keeper?… Read More