What should a small or medium zoo- Be selective. To pick which species to manage. On international level, regional level, and local level. It’s important that you show the wide variety of animals to the public, but yet, you have to be selective, instead of trying to get all five,… Read More
Be selective. Now, zoos in many cases today may be afraid to confront animal welfare or animal rights groups that are anti-zoo. Mm-hmm. Read More
Now, yeah. Read More
Considering the financial resources of small zoos or medium zoos, what should be the focus of the collection?… Read More
That is critical. For instance, you’re walking around a zoo, looking at a gibbon. 10 o’clock in the morning. There is no doubt that the gibbon is very hungry, because in the wild, from sunrise to sundown, probably 60% of their active hours, they’re foraging. In other words, they’re looking… Read More
But in other words, a zoo animal, the zoo animal collection, is not a separate entity from the in situ populations, but so you have to have some knowledge of what a wild animal, what certain species do in the wild. In other word, you’re looking the books, whatever information… Read More
Did I make it pretty clear?… Read More
What would you say a small or a medium size municipal zoo can do today to be involved in wildlife conservation nationally, or maybe even internationally?… Read More
First off, you have to have some level of professional freedom allowed by the top management, whether the mayor, or the department head, in case of a society run zoo by the societies of top management, you have to have that freedom, without interference, political interference, from the top. That… Read More
Rapport with employees. And yet, be friendly. But don’t be a friend. Just be friendly. And see how the person operates. And try to get the person do what you want him to do, for the profession, and for the zoo. Read More
And what skill set do you think a zoo curator needs today as compared to when you started?… Read More
Because of the technology, nowadays you have to be thoroughly familiar with computers, whatever, the pocket devices, whatever. Now it’s a requirement that a dinosaur like me really is unfamiliar with. That’s a new area that you have to have, on top of the people skills. Thorough knowledge on animals,… Read More
The new Berlin Zoo director did the same thing. His style was much milder. He wouldn’t stare at people. He didn’t raise his voice, but he did basically the same thing, even in the Tierpark Berlin, in the big place. That’s something that American zoo directors don’t do. And that’s… Read More
What traits made you a good curator?… Read More
Pardon?… Read More
Did you make zoo rounds when you were curator?… Read More
Yes. Early in the morning. On foot. In Milwaukee, I got spoiled. Maybe I used the golf cart. But basically, as Hediger said, going around in the motor vehicle is not a morning round. You walk. And Bernard, you may have met him. Read More
He was saying, he’s now saying, why is such and such animal was not on the exhibit on weekend?… Read More
Hmm. That’s another zoo director’s round. And we stayed away from his sight line, even. Then for the first time, he looks at us, that’s Marvin Jones and Mark Reid and my wife and me, said 11:30, come to the zoo restaurant. (laughing) So 11:30, we will go to the… Read More
So did you make zoo rounds?… Read More