Well, it depends upon the personality. And I became director in Frankfurt in 1994. And one of my aims was to learn the names. I have had 140 employees in Frankfurt. To learn the names of my employees as fast as possible. And I think after about two or three… Read More
Impressed or surprised?… Read More
How are the lines?… Read More
It’s keeper?… Read More
Well, in Frankfurt we have the director, the assistant director, several curators, usually three vet. Then we have the financial department. Well, sorry, the administrative department, which include the finances, the marketing. Then it’s a educational department and the head keepers and keepers, they are under the directorship of the… Read More
Well, the director makes a decision and tells the decision to the board, who then officially makes a decision. But in fact, it’s the director, but officially it’s the board. And that makes a good director that he can teach the board what they have to decide. Read More
What about the lines of communication and how generally, or how Zurich Zoo or maybe the Frankfurt Zoo would run?… Read More
There’s a director, always. Read More
Was it the director or was it the board?… Read More
Nowadays, the usual thing would be that the director appoints an assistant director. But since both Alex and I run for the position of director, obviously the board thought, it’s important to have Christian Schmidt, to retain him in Zurich and to help this, obviously the board decided I would… Read More
But in most things, for the day-to-day decisions of the zoo or what about long-term, is it more the board who makes those or the director that brings those to the board?… Read More
Who would make the decisions in the zoo?… Read More
And we agreed that he’s sending, as a first breeding group for Western Europe, two male, four female Arabian oryx to Zurich Zoo. And my director became very angry. He wanted to see all the correspondence. And I told the director, I have no correspondence. I have just telephone calls… Read More
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