It’s getting very complicated, but I did have at a pretty early age, I had a cheetah named Arthur that I actually… That cheetah was given to me by one of the curators at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. And I used to raise, his name was Arthur. But… Read More
It goes from Falls Church all the way to the airport, national airport. And it comes out into a kind of a fresh water lake there. So I had a lot of fun reminiscing about that creek, ’cause that too was a place that I learned awful lot. I used… Read More
When was your first experience with exotic animals?… Read More
I had some pretty strange animals ’cause I used to lecture all over the country. Well, over the Eastern United States with things like, well, I had a pair of giant anteaters named Lawrence and Florence. And I used to lecture with a tamandua, a cheetah. I had a young… Read More
Was this because of the Four Mile Run area that you were near?… Read More
Well, you mentioned Four Mile Run that was in Virginia in Falls Church. I remember that very well because for a while my father when he was based in Washington, we lived in Falls Church and Four Mile Run was just a little ways down the road from us. And… Read More
I brought home… Yeah, I did bring home awful lot of animals and oh, you know, I’m the kind of guy that would have possums around, young possums I was raising. Unfortunately, a lot that is prohibited today. And I worry about that, because if you really can’t have a… Read More
Your mother supported you when you would bring home the snakes?… Read More
Well, with five sons, she had a problem to begin with. And, but I guess I was the one that was so involved in the outdoors. Yeah, I had a lot of different things in the house and, but I remember training birds of prey primarily. I once… But I… Read More
I always remember that. And so anyway, in the fourth grade to answer your question about how I got an early interest in the outdoors. (clears throat) I wrote a paper in the fourth grade in Virginia where I was at that time my father was relocated up to the… Read More
I remember during December 7th, Pearl Harbor, you always remember where you were at that time. I had a great horned owl and a little kestrel in my back porch in Maryland where we were staying. And I remember that very well, ’cause I was training even at age 10… Read More
So were you a kid that brought home a lot of animals?… Read More
Oh, boy! Did I?… Read More
What was your child like or your childhood growing up with your brothers and sisters?… Read More
My childhood was, it’s a different time in those days. We had a lot of freedom to do what we were interested in, and express ourselves. I hope we can still do that now. We didn’t have television, but we did have a lot of radio. (clears throat) But anyway,… Read More
And some of those are 15 to 20,000 acres. So I’m saying that because it was quite remote and we had a lot of wilderness all around us. And I remember the joy in going out and he would point out everything to us, you know, to me, and I… Read More
Some of us were born in Georgia where he was assigned. Yeah. Read More
Are you the oldest, middle?… Read More
No, I’m next to the youngest. I’m the one that when you said, “How do I fit within the family?” I’m the next to the youngest son. And one of the… I’ve got three brothers that are my height or taller, but I’m the one that had to do all… Read More
And your mom?… Read More