The, the assistant, the other assistant zoo director retired. And she kind of did different things. But the, the zoo director needed somebody to handle that zoological society, those rich ladies. Okay. Because we had a group of citizens who wanted to support the zoo. And the last thing he… Read More
Again, just kept pushing it, kept being there, kept doing it. Keep getting more responsibility. Just, I just was very persistent. Just wanted to keep doing it. I wanted to do it better. I just wanted to keep doing things better. Read More
Or you’re just happy to be there?… Read More
So, at that time, are you starting in any way to form a philosophy about zoos?… Read More
In 1979, you become head keeper. How did that occur?… Read More
Yep, yep, yep. I got, I was assigned the newest building, the Clark Allison Mezo Animal Kingdom Building or something like that. Had indoor exhibits and things like that. That was my supervisory responsibility. And we had aquariums to, to take care of and things like that. It was a… Read More
Yep. Does that mean more responsibilities?… Read More
Now later you, you move up to zookeeper three. Read More
And was that the road to your career you thought?… Read More
And so, I mean, I was the only zoo personnel on the grounds. And, you know, you gotta milk a cow every 12 hours. So the morning keeper would milk the cow at seven o’clock and then I would milk the cow at seven o’clock in the evening before I… Read More
Yeah. You know, there was zoo really needed a weekend person. Okay. Because it is, you know, union Zoo. And they needed a union person to work 12 hour days on Saturdays and Sundays. Okay. To just basically do the afternoon work, kind of be the live body there in… Read More
And, and you were selling, what were you selling?… Read More
We had a popcorn machine, you know, and prepackaged candy and those kinds of things. Then we really went uptown and got a cotton candy machine, you know, and the, the coke dispensing machines, you know, things like that. There was this, you know, those really tacky metal concession stands… Read More
Or I had to go in with spider monkeys and clean them out and things like that. You know, it was just not very, a very impressive zoo at all. Who was the director of the zoo That at that time was Craig McCowen. And he had started as a… Read More
That was part-time or full-time?… Read More
Oh, that was, that was weekends. ’cause I was just a 16-year-old kid. Yeah. Read More
Aside from the WPA building, what kind of zoo did you find?… Read More
Old WPA chain link boxes along that, you know, that, that Old Lion house, I mean, we’re talking chain link boxes with very heavy chain link that housed adult bears. Okay. Concrete slab chain link boxes. You just hose it down with a two inch fire hose or the monkey… Read More
Right. You know, behind the head, support it just Right. Transfer it over into a little holding area. Did that with the other one, cleaned it out, put it all back together. And he, he was, you really are stubborn. I mean, he, he couldn’t dissuade me at all. And… Read More
Boy, I was making big money working. I got to work at the zoo. I wasn’t taking care of animals, but I was at the zoo doing concessions. And so that was so important for me to be making money and working at the zoo, even though I wasn’t doing… Read More