Even when you’re a, a zoo director, you know, you’re talking to somebody that’s just coming into the field. I think that’s important. But I don’t know if people, they’re gonna remember me, if anything, probably for long neck matter. ’cause it’s the last thing I did and it’s, it… Read More
But, but you, but you, but it is, it’s, it’s a super commitment. Animals are not gonna go on your timetable. You have to be on their timetable. Read More
Tell me what, how, how would you like to be remembered?… Read More
What your legacy, Dogmatic, arrogant little Italian guy I guess. But that, that’s what I came across with. I think on that last question. I think I like to be remembered as somebody that always had the time to talk to people. I, I made a lot of time, ’cause… Read More
It’s changed quite a bit, obviously for the better. It’s got a long way to go. I may not be right. I mean this is Rick Ji’s opinion, but again, we have to take a much more active role in, in saving habitats in the wild. And sometimes I think… Read More
You can’t come into a zoo that’s got substandard or small exhibits or animals that are sleeping and not doing anything and look miserable all the time and say, yeah, but we’re giving millions of dollars to conservation. It doesn’t work that way. The first thing you have to look… Read More
What do you know about that profession you’ve devoted your entire life to, what do you know about it?… Read More
They’re not gonna be able to walk the talk. You’ve been in the profession over half a century. Read More
Your conservation budget is what you’re doing with animals, you know, in, in outside of the zoo and other habitats. So I think there’ll be zoos, but I think there’ll be, there’ll be more like the, the zoos I mentioned earlier. I think there’ll be bigger zoos. I, I don’t,… Read More
Are you concerned about zoos and aquarium staying viable and pertinent in the next 25 years?… Read More
Well, I’m not, I don’t want to see zoos survive in the next 25 years. If they’re not doing the right things that we talked about, conservation animal care, I think there’ll be less zoos in the future. I think they’ll have less species, but bigger quality habitats and, and… Read More
What direction would you think will help keep them relevant?… Read More
And, and I, I, I think the big zoos have these mega exhibits and they’re, they’re, they’re amazingly powerful immersive exhibits. We call it immersive naturalistic habitats. They have their place if you can afford it. But to say, well, you know, well just give that money to the wild,… Read More
And is it, is it worth, is it worth that money?… Read More
So, so you have to say, am I doing it?… Read More
The gorilla doesn’t care if it’s a straight wall or it’s got contours and it’s colored. I don’t think they care about that as long as they got other vegetation and stuff in the exhibit. Read More
Who am I doing this for?… Read More
Well, it’s hard to prove, but after many, many years, people going through those exhibits and seeing those gorillas, some of them are gonna help save them in the wild in some way. And, and it should. You spend millions of dollars just on making rock, you know, incredible rock… Read More
You’re doing that for the public, right?… Read More
Now talked about you raised a million dollars when a zoo spends multimillion dollars on a gorilla or an elephant or a tiger exhibit, and critics ask why this money is not used to help animals in the wild. You say what?… Read More