Interview 366 – Caption Index: 143
It was about animals. I don’t think that Conrad Lawrence talked about zoos but it was probably rather behavior of animals. Read More
It was about animals. I don’t think that Conrad Lawrence talked about zoos but it was probably rather behavior of animals. Read More
Well, I never have had my own regular programs. But I was actually at programs in TV and radio but already as curator and later on as Director of Frankfurt Zoo, of course, I was asked to act in a lot of TV programs. And the most famous one was… Read More
What was it about?… Read More
Well, for me, it was just the three big hats and I can’t remember on what it was. It is long time ago. Read More
Was it unusual to get them all together in one room?… Read More
I think there are two main points Hediger wanted to be known. The most important probably is respect for animals. And the other one is that zoos are justified, scientifically justified. And this, I think, is becoming more and more important since animal rights organizations try to stop keeping dolphins… Read More
What did you do?… Read More
At the time you worked with him, did you realize his significance and what his impact would be on the zoo world?… Read More
I started working with him directly 14, no, 24 years after his first important book was published. So I already knew at that time, how important his work was. So for me, it was very clear that he was in Europe, the most important zoo biologist. There is another person… Read More
What philosophies do you think a younger zoo professional should take away after reading Hediger’s book or books?… Read More
Well, he, the measurement of jumps in circus animals, this was done much, much earlier by Hagenbeck. So this was not the field in which Heini was interested since it doesn’t relate to the human-animal relationship. And by the way, one of his books, unfortunately only three of his books… Read More
So this is a book unknown to many Americans?… Read More
Yes, it is. Since it was never translated, it is unknown to all American colleagues, unfortunately. Maybe that should be a project. Well, I should write my own articles, I think. And it’s time consuming to translate a book. And I assume very few copies would be sold nowadays. Now,… Read More
But if I see elephants doing bad human tricks, I feel sorry for the animals. Read More
Would Heini ask the circus people, for example, in jumping distance, would he ask them to see how far their cats could jump?… Read More
Was that part of what he would be doing in his relationship with the circus people?… Read More
Is that a philosophy that you have, that philosophy of today may be different than yesterday with the keeping of endangered species in circuses, is that a philosophy that you have evolved over the years or did you always feel that way?… Read More
I think, I am not against circuses. And I see Heini Hediger’s point. This special relationship between certain specimens of animals and humans. But I think nowadays, the endangerment of so many species no longer justify to, if you want, sacrifice specimens of endangered species for the circus. But I… Read More
Can you explain how his work with the circus helped in the zoo field?… Read More
Well, Heini Hediger had, one of Heini Hediger’s special interests was relationship between animals and humans. That was one of his focal scientific interests. And of course, in a circus, this relationship between, especially big cats and humans, is very critical. And you can observe a lot of things, like… Read More