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
That was again a new position. I always have had new positions in Zurich Zoo. Registrar didn’t exist before. Scientific Assistant didn’t exist. Curator of Mammals and Birds didn’t exist before. And Assistant Director didn’t exist before. So all positions were new when I started them. Read More
Can you tell us a little about the creation of some of the reading groups and what was your involvement in the pileated gibbons, you mentioned these before, Sumatran orangutan, the gorillas, black rhinoceros, the Bali myna, the Ravenarc, some of those?… Read More
Were you instrumental in bringing more animals in or doing better management with what you had?… Read More
And who appointed you assistant director, Alex?… Read More
This was done by the President of the Board. He made me assistant director. Read More
Was that a new position?… Read More
There was a director between Heini Hediger and Alex Ruble. Read More
Okay, so when the person who left after Heini Hediger, then you applied for the job?… Read More
Yeah, I applied after retirement of, it was Peter Weinerman, the director after Heini Hediger, and both Alex and I applied for the position of director of Zurich Zoo after retirement of Peter Weinerman. Read More
Just so I understand, was there Heini Hediger and then Alex became the next director?… Read More
No- in between?… Read More
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