I think that each of possibilities would be suitable for any one zoo. A small zoo like the Arizona Desert Museum is exhibiting animals only of the Sonoran Desert from Arizona and Mexico, no place else. It doesn’t have worldwide collection. The Topeka Zoo is really a small zoo, yet… Read More
Is education doing any good particularly in boosting the images zoos among the public in the face of anti-zoo groups?… Read More
Well in St. Louis, the anti-zoo group is invisible. It’s not there. So I can’t speak from a national level. Because in St. Louis, we’re not exposed to it. It’s not a problem whatsoever. You talked about individual animals but elephants. Read More
How effective are they?… Read More
Well they are very effective at the gate. We brought in a white tiger one time from the National Zoo and we had a big, big attendance increase. We brought it in during the slow time of the year. We brought in a white alligator one time. That was a… Read More
When you have these small and these mediums zoos, should there be a focus of collection for these small and medium zoos?… Read More
Well I’d like to see ’em do more for saving habitat and the Indigenous people that live within the habitat where species are most at risk. But with the political situation internationally, it’s right now pretty grim. We gotta solve some social problems of the world. I don’t know how… Read More
How effective do you think temporary exhibits are?… Read More
I know that there are some zoos that have the World of Frogs and it’s a temporary exhibit or the World of Seahorses or things like that. Read More
Were there things that were no big concerns during your career that you had to deal with, whether they were within your zoo or nationally?… Read More
I can’t think of any. Read More
What issues would you like to see zoos in general address in the future?… Read More
What changes have you seen during your years in the zoo field regarding visitor attitudes and administration at the national level?… Read More
In the last 20 years, 30 years, I think our visitors to the zoo have become more sophisticated. In fact, when I started in 1963, we were told write, sign, copy to appeal to a six year old ’cause that’s what the adult average mentality would be. But in fact,… Read More
What issues caused you the most concern during your career and how do you see the future regarding those concerns or are they been taken care of?… Read More
I can’t think of any issues that weren’t addressed. I can’t think of anything that I was totally frustrated or that I left feeling man, I wish I could’ve done that. Can’t recall anything. Read More
Well my personal experience at St. Louis. As we trained, we picked the best trained or trainable people, help them become curators. And then as curators, help them develop to the utmost. Encourage them to be involved nationally, international with conservation endeavors. That they would continue to be motivated so… Read More
But we’re not beyond bringing people in. We brought curators in from outta town to fill in. So we have a combination of homegrown and some outside trained people on the staff. As long as they stay motivated and they’re subject to annual appraisal by their supervisor, by the general… Read More
None of the curators work in a vacuum, none of the curators run a empire of their own. They’re all part of a team and they all interact and they all participate in the overall management of the zoo. So I think keeping that in that manner keeps ’em motivated… Read More
Is there a plus and a minus to having longevity in the sense of no new blood comes in or new ideas or that curators become complacent because they’ve been there so long?… Read More