Well, I don’t think they’re the same. I think that the difference between older zoo patrons and newer ones is their ability to get information. The internet has been important to them, some of the documentaries, some of the animal planet type of experiences gives them an edge up. They… Read More
I think still the common or the most likely person to be at the zoo is a mother with some children, either pushing a primulator, or some of the fancy strollers that they have nowadays, or two or three children until they’re still, but have them get up to a… Read More
Almodovar, he was an author in the first edition of that book on reptiles and the reptile section. I found out a lot just being the editor of that, that there were many people that had knowledge, but couldn’t write. And I contended that I probably wrote about two thirds… Read More
Now you’ve seen people come to the zoo over the years. Read More
In your opinion, you think the type of people coming to the zoos has changed?… Read More
So I think that the biggest professional lack, if you will, is lack of public relations, putting the word out, “Hey, we’re here, we’re doing good things for this community,” and do it continually, not just a one-shot deal. Now you are the official historian for the zoo veterinarians association. Read More
Can you give me in a brief manner, maybe outline the progression of veterinary medicine in U.S. zoos, clinical, I guess, as well as scientific, but certainly in the last couple of decades, how has this organization and zoo medicine moved forward?… Read More
Well, there are several milestones that might be considered in the progression of zoos in a modern era. And there, some of them are medically oriented, some of them are not, some are the improvements in just routine husbandry practices, certainly in nutrition, this is the case. But just kind… Read More
And actually Patricia O’Connor, who is a well-known person at Staten Island and other places, I don’t know you remember her or not, but she is… She does a lot by producing a bibliography of mammals and birds in the early 1950s. That was a seminal publication, and yet it… Read More
Oh, well, I think it does matter because veterinarian may have been there the longest, and so for kind of senior people and they figure they got to put them in, but unless the veterinarian has some degree of administrative ability, not just… Or ability to get trained in administrative… Read More
Now, you’ve been around and seen zoos for a number of years, what would you say is the largest professional problem facing U.S. zoos today?… Read More
And is there something that might help correct it?… Read More
Well, I think the biggest professional problem is the ability to meet the needs of the public and the lack of financial abilities to accomplish that task in some situations. But I think the other thing is that in any aspect, whether it’s administrative finance, public relations and these sorts… Read More
Do you have any opinion on that?… Read More
Zoo directors, particularly of large zoos have a major job running a big business. And as a result of that, we’re getting non-animal oriented people into the business, and that’s not bad as long as they surround themselves with good people that are animal oriented. And the thing that is… Read More
Is there an advantage or disadvantage to being a veterinarian and being a zoo director or is it just academic doesn’t matter?… Read More
Some of the basic principles are the same, they need to do that general veterinarian medicine first. When I started out, it was all physical restraint. So if they became good veterinarians in general, now the newer things that are necessary for them to become skilled is once they get… Read More
Now you’re looking at this next question, maybe from a distance, but what would you say are the pros and cons of the new wave of the zoo directors?… Read More
A large number have more non-animal related background, such as business administration. Read More
Are we rolling?… Read More