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
Was Heini Hediger correct, did this position allow you to make changes in the exhibits and get involved in other aspects of the zoo?… Read More
It didn’t change for me because the director in between was quite a weak director and not very strong in zoo biology. So I had these freedoms already as curator of mammals and birds without being assistant director. To make the decisions in creating new exhibits and selecting species and… Read More
I planned my career always myself and, of course, for me it was a good step towards the possibility of becoming director to see the management of an American zoo in depth. Read More
And how did you become assistant director?… Read More
So did this trip help you in that position?… Read More
That was one of the thinking, yeah. Read More
Your thinking or somebody else’s thinking?… Read More
Unfortunately neither anybody from Atlanta came to Zurich. The problem, of course, is language again, because most keepers, especially in these times, hardly spoke English. So for example, working together with keepers, which would be quite difficult. And unfortunately, no staff member from Atlanta came to Zurich, except Terry Maple. Read More
Now, when you did take this trip, were you thinking this would also give you better training in management to potentially, you became assistant director, correct?… Read More
I became assistant director in 19, no, I became assistant director in ’91, 1991. Read More
Did papers come out of your trip?… Read More
When you were there, you said you were the last. Read More
Did they send people from Atlanta to Zurich?… Read More
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