You know, I switch back and forth on that, I really do. Sometimes I think, well it’s better the animal person needs to be in charge, but I don’t know, maybe not. I’m not positive about it. In years gone by, I certainly would’ve said the animal person should be… Read More
Were there other things that either you did implement in the way of structure that you would want, or you think a zoo should have from a person outside?… Read More
And if you were wrong, if something that you did led to it, or some of the zoo, whatever, facilities or protocols led to it, you have to own up to it. But I really don’t think that’s the case. I mean, in most instances, I really don’t. Read More
How would you describe your management style?… Read More
What management style? (laughing) No I, you know, I tried not to be a dictator, although I was accused of it, certainly. But there, you would always be accused of it. You made them do anything, you were a dictator. But that’s, you know, I tried to be non-dictatorial and… Read More
It’s very difficult, and most of that is because of that. Not all, not all of it, but most it’s because of it. Read More
Did you have any strategies for trying to deal with the negative press?… Read More
Well, I think that you had to meet things head on, and not make excuses, but have reasons, you know?… Read More
And it was a little one, it wasn’t a full-grown one. And I took it down to the Children’s Zoo who was getting, who was used to having animals stolen from them. Oh yeah, that went on a lot. But here I, I put the sheep down there. I didn’t… Read More
But they were saying, well they’re giving you this, you’re getting all the housing, not free exactly, you paid a little, but it was very little. And still, it was not a good, not a good deal. San Francisco Zoo’s problems with animals getting hurt or keepers getting hurt was… Read More
And you know, and then that’s, you can put all the protocols that you have into, you know, put them down in writing and say they know it, but if they don’t adhere to it, what are you gonna do?… Read More
The police took care of it, but it, you know it’s just, I remember there’s, people love to bring animals to the zoo and give, you know, they thought, “Oh, well the zoo will take care of it.” By animals, I’m talking about cats, you know?… Read More
And other odd things would show up, truthfully. But one day, one evening, I remember I heard a car drive up and I heard (mimicking bleating) like that. And I said, I got so mad, ’cause I knew exactly what had happened. A guy drove up and he was gonna… Read More
So come out, you know, come out and help me get him.” And that’s all dark and nobody’s around. And of course, when we get out there to do it, to try to catch the sheep, here comes, above us, across from the zoo, there was a hill. And on… Read More
And of course it was often where we were, you know, we’re off in the back of the zoo. So that the road that if it had gone straight, it could go straight had, lead you to the ocean, that was blocked off, and there was a lot of people… Read More
I don’t know what happened, but he was tied up and he was thrown out of a car naked (laughing) in the back of there, you know?… Read More
I don’t know what his story was. Read More
You can, you know just, and see and listen to the animals at night,” which you can, and it just would be a wonderful thing. But it isn’t wonderful at all. Every, every zoo director, I believe. I’m trying to think if that’s the statement, this statement is true. Every… Read More
We had a kid, little, little kid, and it’s just, you know, you wake up on Sunday morning and there’s a disgruntled keeper sitting on the steps, waiting for you to come wake up, so he can bitch about his supervisor. That happened many times, and that happened a lot. Read More
And it’s just not a place, you know?… Read More