I mentioned that Terry Maple in an ’80s Director of Atlanta Zoo, he transformed Atlanta Zoo of one of the 10 worst zoos in the States to one of the 10 best zoos in the States. He was a great friend of Heini Hediger and he visited us very often… Read More
And at the same time I did a research project, unfortunately, not yet published, on the behavioral enrichment in the beautiful orangutan exhibits. So it was a wonderful time. And we even before leaving for Atlanta, I arranged with the City of Zurich that we would form a twin city… Read More
And what were you doing?… Read More
It’s still active today?… Read More
It’s still active, yeah. In 1989, you went to Zoo Atlanta for three months. Read More
Tell us about the trip and why did you go there?… Read More
Research didn’t play a big role in the Friends of Serengeti Switzerland. We just supported one elephant research in Tanganyika National Park. But it was rather a very low-level, hands-on organization. Helpings were in check. Getting boots, getting jackets, getting binoculars and so on. We built ranger posts and during… Read More
And we can reach Swiss people and make them enthusiastic for the Serengeti and through this enthusiasm, they donate money. So I think Friends of Serengeti Switzerland is a very important organization. Read More
In Europe, we have one zoo-based conservation organizations that is really big and of great importance, that’s Frankfurt Zoological Society, to which we’ll probably come later. It is similar to the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York. And this Frankfurt Zoological Society was started by Bernhard Grzimek and he loved… Read More
And it was founded only a few years before I became vice president. And at that time, they just couldn’t find anybody else as president. And my heart belongs to Tanzania so I really enjoyed working for Friends of Serengeti Switzerland. And I’m still a little bit involved with the… Read More
And then was their main function to fund a research a person in the Serengeti?… Read More
It was more work and I don’t think that it made a significant change. Maybe later in Frankfurt, it was, I had more influence. You were vice president and then president of the Friends of Serengeti Switzerland. Read More
What did this group do?… Read More
And how did you get involved?… Read More
Why the veterinary facility?… Read More
I already mentioned that we made courses of two weeks for vet students. And so as the relationship was already established and we have had another relationship with the vet department of the University of Zurich, Zurich still has no its own zoo vet. But the zoo vet work is… Read More
Was your lecturing helpful to the zoo or helpful to you in your work at the zoo?… Read More
Well, it was not me alone. It was already director in Frankfurt and we had a co-chairpersonship with Miranda Stevenson. And it was more or less that she did the work and I gave my name. And I think, yeah, it was at that time quite successful that we set… Read More
Did someone approach you or was this something you wanted to do?… Read More
I did not, I did single lectures at University of Zurich vet department. I was approached, yes, to give items I was specialized in. Read More