Interview 5420 – Caption Index: 646
Is that a problem and how do you believe?… Read More
Is that a problem and how do you believe?… Read More
You touched upon it a little, should curators be trained and what do you think is expected of them?… Read More
Well I think it’s a zoo director’s responsibility and his opportunity to encourage every keeper under his umbrella to become the best that they can possibly be, to encourage ’em to develop professionally, give them the opportunity, give them the support to reach that goal. Train curators to be keepers,… Read More
I’ll tell you my personal experience in animal rights while I was president, while I was director of the zoo. And in fact, president of AZA. I was also on the Board of Directors of the Animal Protective Association which is the biggest humane organization in the metropolitan St. Louis… Read More
And so that they really represented no threat to the St Louis Zoo whatsoever because the public defended us. So I think every zoo should look at themselves as being a humane act and then make sure they are doing the right thing with their animals so that it’s free… Read More
Is it there are too few good curators in the community today?… Read More
Is there still a place for that kinda thing and should it go on or just follow the dictum of the national?… Read More
Well I think as long as they’re tying all the resources into some individual private program, then I see no problem with them having an area of special interest. Might be somethin’ that’s local interest but has insignificance nationally. Zoos in many cases are afraid to confront animal welfare, animal… Read More
Can you give us your thoughts of how best to deal with these groups or how you did?… Read More
Should every zoo have a breeding program?… Read More
I would think every zoo. If they’re a zoo and they have any animals at all, they definitely should have some kind of a breeding program and it should be part of the AZA. An integrated breeding program and not an individual on its own. At times, zoos have worked… Read More
Is their place in today’s zoo for a zoo director to put forth their own idea of what species should be reproduced?… Read More
For example, the tuatara’s not a national breeding program. Right. it was important enough to wanna do it. Read More
Again, St. Louis is a large zoo. Read More
What can a small or medium zoo do today to be involved in wildlife conservation either nationally or internationally?… Read More
Well I think if it’s a real small zoo with limited budget, they should try to have some conservation program that involves species in their community or in their state whether if it’s an insect, a butterfly or a burying beetle or an amphibian or a frog. But be proactive… Read More
Is there any one piece of advice that you’ve consumed that has stayed with you your entire career?… Read More
Always do the right thing. Be fair. Read More
What do you think of smaller?… Read More
Well zoos are much more sophisticated and I think I had to learn managing people. I had to learn managing budgets. I guess a zoo director today has to have more training in those skills. But definitely has to have good skills for hiring people who support him. Read More