Yeah. Can we start with the first zoo director and just kind of talk about different styles. I was at San Francisco for 32 years, a fair amount of time. In that time, there were six zoo directors. First was Saul who was there for almost 12 years. My first… Read More
Can you talk about the different management styles and how they affected the zoo, how you were able to work with them with the zoo collection, with what you had to do in your responsibilities?… Read More
I mean there was little financial cost to the zoo. It was trying something for the animal that didn’t succeed, the benefits of working with these institutions, these huge institutions, medical institutions was great for the zoo. So at the time, yeah. But we do it again, probably. Tell me… Read More
Yeah, probably so. And why I say probably so, I mean, A, there’s information, there’s science, there’s medicine that could be drawn out of this. And all the physicians that were involved, I mean, the two things A, they were doing on something radical. I mean, I don’t say it’s… Read More
Did you feel it was worth the effort?… Read More
They were MDs, not vets, also was developing relationships with the UCSF, with the department. And there was this kangaroo, it had heart problem. And it was decided that this heart problem potentially could be improved. I don’t know the exact words, but by implanting a pacemaker. So they wound… Read More
And you have to try something. Read More
Well, I had little involvement. I was little aware of what’s going on. Skippy was a great kangaroo, I believe. I can’t remember, anyway, had a heart problem. And we had been working with UCSF in Stanford. The vet department through, once again, personal contacts, I met someone at a… Read More
What was it and what was your involvement?… Read More
After the zoo closed, that was not allowed to leave until security had made a sweep of the zoo and made sure everyone was off grounds. It was a major impact on the zoo in doing that. Talking about a little different thing, animal health in you work with the… Read More
Certainly there were huge changes made to the lion house after that, the building was closed. I mean, there was all kinds, windows were added, this mode exhibit now had six feet class panels from you. The height was extended so much higher so to prevent something like that from… Read More
That being said, it never should have, that never should have happened, but we didn’t know that that that was possible for a cat to do that. You know, and undoubtedly, whatever the individuals did something to antagonize the cat. I mean, they were over the guardrail doing something. The… Read More
So should we expect it?… Read More
No. The only thing that I ever remember talking about with cats jumping from the moat is the old lion keeper who had been in the lion house for years and years and years. He used to talk about that they would have a cat get down at the bottom… Read More
You know, I mean, we called 911, I mean emergency service, but just separating people, talking to people, isolating the area. I thought, he impressed me with that, that moving on to the tiger attack. That happened on Christmas, I can, you know, happily say I was on vacation and… Read More
I don’t know if you were there, or when the keeper was severely injured by a cat and how that affected you and the zoo and your emergency plans. Okay. When the keeper was attacked by a Persian leopard, I have to admit it was David Anderson, was new. It… Read More
And you said after the earthquake we had them, can you talk a little about contingency plans or what your involvement was when some very bad things happened and how they affected the management or your professional understanding with the tiger escape?… Read More
Talked about, were there contingency plans?… Read More
And my stock answer is, well, let me know two minutes before the next earthquake. And I’ll go look, I mean, it is a question you can’t answer, you have to be at the right place and realize, and you talk about it with, an earthquake gives off different waves. Read More
And I have a sarcastic answer about that question because every time we had an earthquake it’s from the media, the heat wave media question, but this is the earthquake version and said, did you notice anything different about the animals before the earthquake?… Read More