Warren Iliff, who (laughs) was another very interesting character, but I learned a lot from Warren. He was, Warren was… Started in the career as the head of the Friends of the National Zoo in Washington, then became director of the Portland Zoo, the Dallas Zoo, and then the Aquarium… Read More
You’ve had a number of mentors. Read More
What are some of the things that they taught you that stand out?… Read More
Proudest accomplishment. Well, my proudest accomplishment are my two boys. But if you’re talking about the zoo, gorillas was a great. That was a wonderful day for me. I remember when they arrived from Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois. I was out in the zoo and I was… I… Read More
Are there any zoos in the world, ’cause you’ve traveled, that you particularly admire, and why, and where are they?… Read More
No, sure. I like small zoos that do neat things and also some bigger zoos. I love the little zoo in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I love the Toledo Zoo. I think the Toledo Zoo is a gem. The zoo in Jersey, the island Jersey, Gerald Durrell Zoo is a great… Read More
So there’s one of those things where, is that use of our resources worth it?… Read More
I think it is. It bought us a lot of attention and continues to. Anytime there’s a new baby, there’s a ton of attention, and people flock to the zoo to see the baby koalas. Read More
Would you say that’s your proudest accomplishment, or do you have another one?… Read More
They breed like rabbits. People think they’re gonna love them till they see them. (laughs) They don’t move. But they brought a lot of attention to the zoo, but it was something that in a million years I never dreamed that we would have. Read More
And people always ask me, “What is the most expensive animal you feed in the zoo?… Read More
What is it to maintain?” And I say, “Well, it weighs about 12 pounds. and it costs about $80,000 a year to feed.” And I ask people, “Guess what it is.” Well, it’s gotta be that. (mumbles gibberish) “No, it’s koalas.” It blows their mind, that, you know. ‘Cause we’re… Read More
Well, what did you learn from your importation of koalas?… Read More
Ugh. Lessons. Well, this came about as these things often do in a completely unanticipated way. Our state, South Carolina, is very conservative, and we have had a long, long, long list of Republican governors. But, I guess now 15-20 years ago, by a fluke of circumstances, we elected a… Read More
And they launched this at a big cocktail party and a press thing in our botanical garden. And I was there just as an invited guest because it was at the zoo, so they had to invite me. So I’m standing there drinking a glass of wine and watching all… Read More
Are there programs or exhibits that you would have implemented during your tenure that didn’t happen?… Read More
You know, we built in 2001. We never had great apes at the zoo, and I always wanted great apes, and in particular I wanted gorillas. And so finally we were able to do that. I got the funding, got the gorillas. That more or less fulfilled my dream list… Read More
So we had a lot of really cool animals, if I could use that very non-scientific term. So, no, you know, I don’t think so. I don’t think so. Of course, you always have a list. I mean, we were talking the other day about insect zoos. I think insect… Read More
I’m not sure I overtly received the advice, but I certainly learned it, and that’s don’t lie. I learned that from the best, a person who had a very difficult time telling the truth about anything. And I just saw the devastating impact that had on people, on morale, on… Read More
Nobody can tell you that firing somebody can be good for them, but you learn it, you see it. I fired a guy early in my career. He had a big position at the zoo, and I just, I had to let him go. And his wife was furious. I… Read More