Do you go to any of their meetings and stuff?” Nobody did. And I just basically said to them, “It appears you need them but they don’t need you ’cause they’re still doing their hobbies.” And I just think that AZA made a big mistake when they started cutting them… Read More
When you were active in the profession as the director of the Oklahoma City Zoo, what professionals did you really look up to?… Read More
And the reason being is that they are too worried about the X factor genetic issue. In other words, I won’t take your duck because I don’t know his genetic history. What’s happened is that many of these waterfowl collections are disappearing in zoos. They’re not going back to the… Read More
We knew their families. We knew their kids. We’d visited their homes. They’d been in our homes. They were business colleagues and they were friends. This group today doesn’t know any of ’em. They on the whole, they don’t. They don’t have any contacts with ’em and as a result,… Read More
No, they don’t about private individuals. About four years ago, there was a spring regional in Oklahoma City and the Avian Interest Group, the bird curators were meeting, had their annual or mid-annual meeting there. And they asked me if I would come and make about a half hour, 40… Read More
So, if we wanted new specimens, if I wanted new specimens of waterfowl, I never went to a zoo, I went to a private aviculturist. Pheasants, the same things ’cause that’s where you were gonna find the good specimens and reputable breeders. We all did that. So, it was not… Read More
Do you feel that zoos today feel the same way about private individuals?… Read More
We probably traded more with other zoos than animal dealers because as you know many of the mammals in captivity were probably born in captivity. If we were going to work with some exotic species of antelope or something, maybe times you might have to import them. I know but… Read More
Were you trading with other zoos primarily?… Read More
Were you working with animal dealers?… Read More
Yeah. We did, started program and been propagating and been doing well. It’s been a successful program. Now, I haven’t been there for 14 years but I assume it’s still going. Read More
So, when we were talking then about replacing animals that are lost or so forth, how did you do that?… Read More
Did you ever get those pygmy hippos?… Read More
Well, let me just stop. Read More
It’s very alarming. Read More
Was it difficult to replace animals?… Read More
Oklahoma has always been a little loose on permits for large carnivores. That’s how all this happened. So, we would just try to discourage people in pursuing it simply because we weren’t a source, we would tell ’em right up that we’re not a source and we’re not gonna be… Read More
Or how can I get a mountain lion?… Read More
Many times we would get people that would call and want to know how they could get ahold of something, whether it was a giraffe or a tiger. And I will tell you at one time there were 19 large carnivores in the city limits of Oklahoma City. This included… Read More
How can I get a pet bobcat?… Read More