That crate was right in the middle of the cabin actually, in and out of the cabin. And when the guy was flying, was getting ready to land, (chuckles) the water in that thing, the top was open, just rushed out into the pilot’s cabin. And it stank to high… Read More
Anyway, I’ll remember it in a minute. It’s been a long time ago. I was out last night, carousing with some narrative wells. And anyway, we caught one. They really were fairly easy to catch. And brought it back, it was a male. And we called him, let’s see, the… Read More
We were at Tampa, you know, we had a fight, oh! Amon Carter agreed to buy that animal, as long as, so if we landed it at his airport, which was halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth. He built that airport. Dallas wouldn’t have anything to do with it ’cause… Read More
They had fenced off, there were manatees in this enclosure, it was huge. And said, “He’s doing fine in there. She is doing fine.” Okay. So we drew up a deal to add a wing to our aquarium. Did you ever see it? Okay. It was one big pool with… Read More
And so it took about two years. Pretty soon he calls up and he says, “Well,” they called them pink dolphins. “I’ve got Pinky here, you wanna buy it?” And, “Well, yeah, sure, I want to buy it. I’ll have to find some money.” “Well, you better find it in… Read More
I don’t remember how much it cost. By then, nobody ever asked thing, we were just gonna build it. We had this freshwater dolphin, none, at that time, none in captivity. And with a very unknown record of that kind, that species in captivity. So anyway, we brought her. I… Read More
Anyway, back to, what were we talking about?… Read More
Were talking about how you got, Inia. Oh, anyhow. Okay. I really, I had to have those animals. And naturally, I talked to Mike Tsalickis, and he had gotten us a lot of animals for the herpetarium. He was a good, he didn’t really catch them, but he knew how… Read More
I think it was in the (stammers)… At one time in the early ’40s, there were only, I think seven gorillas in the United States. One was named Susie and was at the Cincinnati Zoo. And the keeper slept, I’ve heard, slept with that gorilla. And I mean there’s just… Read More
And do you remember the Tarpon Zoo?… Read More
Tarpon Springs, Michael Tsalickis a Greek who was quite an animal collector. And Trudie Jerkens, she lived in a trailer with a female chimp. And we always wondered about that. Read More
But do you remember the, this is offhand, the gorilla at Cleveland, at Cincinnati?… Read More
I did, but that was later. We opened the aquarium in ’54. Okay, about 19, one of my, I’ve made lists, of this is what I want to get for the zoo, this animal, that animal. And man, as I said, you know, I grew up in aquariums, and I… Read More
And there was a guy in Florida, some springs who had somehow brought one in. And it had lived and all that. But then the cold weather came, or a cold for Florida. And anyway, it died. Read More
And we have to, Hittson has to send the park crew in there, probably for six months to get that thing built. But we got it built. And he named it after his editor of 30 or 40 years, Mr. Record. And Mr. Record was there when we dedicated that… Read More
Now, in that building, did you bring in freshwater dolphin?… Read More
Did I bring in freshwater dolphins?… Read More
Who did these plans?” And I said, “I did.” “Well, who’s your architect?… Read More
But I was impressed with it. Hell, I signed it right there. Then I thought, I’m not the park director. He needs to sign that. Well, I wasn’t gonna mention his name. So anyway, I sign the papers. He writes me out a check for $100,000. I take it to… Read More
Have you selected?” “Yeah, Charlie Freelove.” He was a brother-in-law or something of one of the park board members. He said, “He isn’t worth shit. He isn’t worth shit. Here, read this paper.” This man was, Mr. Carter was a great philanthropist. He said, “Read these. Everybody that I give… Read More