And we have had as guest, the most prominent zoo director at that time of Europe, that was Heinz Klos from Berlin Zoo. And he saw the six crates standing in front of our antelope house and he peeked in and saw, oh, Arabian oryx. And you, small zoo, get… Read More
So I was invited to go to Shaumari and to give some advice. You’re talking about you were made assistant director. But not by the director, by the board. Read More
And as zoo director, I always answered, I’m responsible from arm to gorilla because it’s dangerous, as a zoo director, to name a species and everybody thinks, oh, he’s just working for this species. But after being retired, I can say, if I would have to name one species, it… Read More
And I have had a wonderful ape keeper in Zurich Zoo, who was very instrumental in developing natural behavioral enrichment. And I got along very well with him, with one exception, and that was who should become the silverback in our gorillas. Because the Chertsey male, the unrelated Chertsey male,… Read More
And so it was a real fight between my favorite keeper and I, of course, won because it was clear, we need an unrelated male. And when he became silverback and dominant over the females, he became the best father you could imagine. And he sired, I think about 25… Read More
Those are different for each species, the improvement of breeding groups was somewhat different. For example, with the rhinos, black rhinos, we have had a really famous Africa building plant by Heini Hediger. Building without right angles and without flat floors and so on. And we have had hippos, black… Read More
Or I’m especially proud and that’s one of the, you see, as a zoo director, you are very often asked, what is your favorite species?… Read More
That was again a new position. I always have had new positions in Zurich Zoo. Registrar didn’t exist before. Scientific Assistant didn’t exist. Curator of Mammals and Birds didn’t exist before. And Assistant Director didn’t exist before. So all positions were new when I started them. Read More
Can you tell us a little about the creation of some of the reading groups and what was your involvement in the pileated gibbons, you mentioned these before, Sumatran orangutan, the gorillas, black rhinoceros, the Bali myna, the Ravenarc, some of those?… Read More
Were you instrumental in bringing more animals in or doing better management with what you had?… Read More
And who appointed you assistant director, Alex?… Read More
This was done by the President of the Board. He made me assistant director. Read More
Was that a new position?… Read More
There was a director between Heini Hediger and Alex Ruble. Read More
Okay, so when the person who left after Heini Hediger, then you applied for the job?… Read More
Yeah, I applied after retirement of, it was Peter Weinerman, the director after Heini Hediger, and both Alex and I applied for the position of director of Zurich Zoo after retirement of Peter Weinerman. Read More
Just so I understand, was there Heini Hediger and then Alex became the next director?… Read More
No- in between?… Read More
Well, that was quite a difficult time for me because when the successor of Heini Hediger retired, I applied for directorship of Zurich Zoo and my colleague and friend, Alex Ripple, became director. And that was a very tough time for me. Heini Hediger helped me very much. He told… Read More
We sometimes make travels together to zoos and national parks. So I’m very happy in the meantime, but in ’91, it was a very difficult time for me. Read More