Well I think it’s been a gradual change. You know, Charlie was instrumental in helping to change that. Hopefully I was part of that, and to educate the visitor about these animals. Now can you, people will say, “Well, we really don’t need zoos,” ’cause today you can get it… Read More
Well, we had three different shows as I started. We no longer have those shows. We still have a sea lion show. At one point we did have a show that we tried with birds primarily flying in, a lot of hawks, and I think birds of prey. In terms… Read More
What’s your opinion about, generally about that?… Read More
And so gradually we moved away from them and into more conservation activities. We still have a sea lion show, and that’s still a popular entertainment thing, but it is also a very good educational thing. They do try to get the messages across to the people. I think, you… Read More
Oh yeah, that was with a whole group of zoos. Now you’d mentioned I don’t know what happened to that facility in Arkansas, whether anything ever came of that, because it was essentially, well you know zoos who are, you know, over the years the elephant SSP, species survival plan… Read More
And do animal shows like birds in flight or other types of things, demonstrations of marine mammals, so forth, help to get the message across to visitors about a group of animals or a conservation effort?… Read More
Yeah, now St. Louis was famous for its animal acts, why did they stop?… Read More
Was that, that was not just St. Louis, that was with group of zoos?… Read More
And some of the sanctuaries that we were aware of, we thought that our care was much better than what they got at the sanctuaries. So we were looking at a place in Arkansas, which just never did come about. Read More
And because there was some thought that elephants oughta go to some of these, I don’t know what they call them, not a rehab center, but a- Sanctuaries?… Read More
That’s when I think we had a few protestors, and we were part of a group that was looking at getting facility in Arkansas that has some elephants down there in large open spaces. I don’t know exactly how big they are, but acreage. Read More
I think we can do better.” Did you have an issue with animal rights people when the St. Louis Zoo wanted to purchase an elephants facility in Arkansas to turn it into a breeding facility?… Read More
I think when I got involved with a little bit, I said I was on some committees with animal rights people, it was actually dealing, for the city of St. Louis, because their animal control group was considering some different things. And I think trying to understand where they’re coming… Read More
Yes, I recall being on a couple committees actually with some animal, I guess you’d call them animal rights people. But because we had such a close relationship with the Humane Society that it was, you know, we had them really supporting us. Read More
Did you find it, do you think there’s a way for zoos to achieve some relationship with animal activists or animal rights?… Read More
Because we already had built the River’s Edge, much earlier than that, and had very large exhibits when we changed from our old elephant house to that. And I would’ve agreed with our old elephant house, that they needed a lot more space. Read More
If they were complaining, you know we, in 2006?… Read More
Have you had to have dialogue with animal activists while you were in your leadership position at the zoo?… Read More
No, we didn’t. We had a close relationship with the Humane Society. I mentioned that I used to work there, and we continued to utilize them, that they were always very supportive of us. We did not have issues with animal rights in St. Louis. Which is, I mean again,… Read More
I think there were four or six people who showed up for it. So there weren’t very many that were, I’m not sure, the animal rights group was not in St. Louis. They were complaining about the elephants and their lack of space in your zoo. Read More