Did they come to you and say, “Do this?” The AAZPA published a paperback called “Zoos, When, Where, and How?” And it was a committee deal, and it was really pretty bad. I mean, as far as solid information, it really didn’t give you guidance. but they sold a lot… Read More
So whoever it was, Conway was there, said, “Well, Curtis, are you willing to do that?… Read More
But I think we do need a publication.” At that time, Mark, there were new zoos popping up all over the country. There were a lot of new between, in the ’60s, there were a number. If I had the access to the public, to the rosters and all, I… Read More
And a lot of zoo directors that had to decide what’s best for the zoo association, and not your particular park director and park department, and got it through. It was a lot of bloodshed, it was bloody, bloody. That was a, they didn’t wanna turn this loose. When I… Read More
When did that start and why?… Read More
Well, let’s just kind of talk about that. You wrote edited material for the AZA book on Zoo Fundamentals. Read More
Do you remember Walter Stone?… Read More
Walter was president of the AAZPA, and I was on the board. And here again, zoo directors didn’t, they didn’t wanna rock the boat. You know, a lot of them were in park departments. And their park directors, you know, they didn’t want them breaking away. They needed our money… Read More
Walter was pretty good at politics. And we didn’t get a lot of support from the zoo people, but we got it on the officers. With a problem that began, you know, with our own people. Then there was a huge problem with the park people at the head. At… Read More
What was your impression of the AAZPA when it was part of the Parks Association Group?… Read More
And what was the evolution as you understand it for AAZPA to break away from the parks?… Read More
Excellent question. Excellent question. Read More
When that those trustees were there, that’s when it became pretty bad. He says, “I’ll come down that morning. And then I’ll take them aside, and I’ll tell them they can’t do that. And if they want to be on this prestigious zoo board, and be able to go to… Read More
They don’t want to hurt you. Generally, you’ll notice I said. Read More
Well, first I tried to reason with them. And I would say 25% of the time that would work. They would get the picture and all that. Then though, another 75% it didn’t work. Then I would get one of their colleagues, that I could talk to, and just not… Read More
How did you deal with that?… Read More
And that vet doesn’t need any help really. If he needs help, he’ll go up to Stillwater, the Ag station”. So that would work about a fourth of the time. The colleague would take him aside and say, “Look, you know.” and they would listen to a colleague, but not… Read More
And then we sold those ostrich, and we made a lot of money. Ranchers bought them, everybody wanted them. And then the, you know, it became a… I don’t know if you’re aware of it, the ostrich, and all those large birds became farmable. And McDonald’s was gonna offer ostrich… Read More
And raising ostrich was extremely labor intensive before. No longer was it really, and we were able to. But again, we got, maybe in a year we’d get really 50, $60,000 net profit off of ostrich chicks. Read More
What were your most frustrating times as director?… Read More