You can learn from every zoo visit, I think. Even from the worst zoo, you can learn how not to do it. And it’s always, as with a favorite animal, it’s always a very difficult question, the favorite zoo, because Zoo A might have the best ape facility, Zoo B… Read More
And how important is it to the entire, as you see it, European zoo world?… Read More
In Frankfurt, we didn’t have a special assigned facility keeping animals. We only worked with the animals on public viewing. But I was very proud that I was able to appoint a curator for science. Although I do not think, and that was a, insofar quite good, as the person… Read More
As you were in the university and you had an advisor, have you been an advisor to students doing work at the zoo?… Read More
They are usually very lonesome in a city, so a lot of regular visitors. I knew a gentleman who came for 50 years every day to Frankfurt Zoo, and lot more are coming once a week or so. And they usually assemble with charismatic species, that is usually big cats… Read More
We’ve talked about conservation and education. Read More
How important was science and research to you in the Frankfurt Zoo?… Read More
Frankfurt Zoo is only 11 hectares in size. That is tiny and surrounded by the city. And when I arrived, there were Shetland ponies, there were pygmy goats and so on, but just in ordinary enclosures. That was probably the first change of an exhibit because it was the cheapest,… Read More
Wild species are not touchable for the visitor. And so I found this very important to get the children access to the pygmy goats. And we started rides with the Shetland ponies as another experience. And of course this continues. For families, for example, we made double labeling very low. Read More
So I think we reached quite a good collaboration between the two organization. There’s been some debate among zoo people sometimes about the use and the reason for children’s zoo. Read More
Did Frankfurt Zoo have a children’s zoo?… Read More
And if so, what’s your opinion about children’s zoo?… Read More
And when you came into the Frankfurt Zoo and as you were director, was there then a much bigger emphasis that you wanted to place on conservation?… Read More
Or was the zoo society already doing so many things that you just had to make sure it was kept going?… Read More
It’s very strange. My predecessor, Richard Faust, he was zoo director and President of Frankfurt Zoological Society. But in his term there was just one label in the zoo announcing Frankfurt Zoological Society, a small label in the old carnivore house. And I very much tried to, the cooperation between… Read More
What story shall we tell the visitor with the animals involved?… Read More
And I have had some philosophies how to go on. And one philosophy was as few machines, especially as few computers, as possible, because they very often are not functioning and that’s the worst thing, out of work and out of work. So we made interactive a lot of new… Read More
And we added a label in writing for blind people and the idea of us, not for all over 500 species, of course, but for about 20, 25 characteristic, six species, to add such broad statues and add blind people labels. Right before I came to Frankfurt, there was a… Read More
And then your time frame for, did the education philosophy shift or change while you were there?… Read More
I always included the zoo educator in the planning of new, all the things. The master planning, of course, and in the planning of new exhibits, because I think it’s very important to get the influence and ideas. Read More