Well, from an animal standpoint, the renovation of the birdhouse at the St. Louis Zoo. I was always proud of that because that was monumental change. That was a big step in the way bird collections were being exhibited and maintained and that was maybe a next generation start on… Read More
Well, I don’t like to take risks. That doesn’t mean I didn’t make some snap decisions (chuckles) because on occasion I did. Now, I think my track record for snap decisions is pretty good though. I probably made more correct snap decisions than I did incorrect ones but it seemed… Read More
Impetuosity from a person who told me that they don’t like to take risks?… Read More
Probably and I do realize and I learned this with age and you learn a lot of things with age that there were more ways to doing something than my way. And I could have paid a lot of more attention to those because it would’ve been the right thing… Read More
I don’t know that they balanced out but certainly one of the things that I would’ve done different is I would’ve spent more time with my family. I mentioned that earlier. You don’t realize it as you’re doing it, it’s that way of life. And you don’t realize that there… Read More
Well, that’s interesting because I have thought if I hadn’t gone into the zoo business, what would I have done?… Read More
I would’ve probably end up running a nursery. A tree nursery or a plant nursery. It would’ve been doing something with something living, although an accounting job would’ve been a nice eight to five thing but probably a lot of things I would’ve done differently. I always had a little… Read More
Would you been a CPA?… Read More
(laughter) What would I have done?… Read More
Would you have stayed in the profession?… Read More
How much time we got?… Read More
If you could go back in time, if anything, what would you have done differently?… Read More
I tell ’em do their homework. It’s a lame remark and I don’t believe that it’s founded on anything other than emotion. That intellectually, you can’t make that kind of a statement in today’s world. You maybe could have 40 years ago. I don’t think it applies today. It’s an… Read More
But I do think it’s going in the right direction. I do think AZA has taken a leadership role in at least coordinating these efforts and that a lot of the directors and appropriate individuals have realized that there’s gotta be change and it’s got to take place now. Read More
What would you say to those who still believe that zoos are nothing more than places where you keep caged animals?… Read More
And I think AZA has been really taking a hard, hard look at where elephants fit into the collection. Now, also little sidebar on that is we know that it’s been difficult working with the philosophy of the people that maintain elephants through the years. This argument of no contact… Read More
What’s your opinion about that?… Read More
Well, I certainly agree with a couple of points that I think have been made through the years. Not every zoo needs an elephant. You don’t have to have an elephant to tell the elephant story. And if you’re gonna have elephants, certainly by what we know today and the… Read More
I think that’s a big philosophical question. Now, I know that it’s probably a balancing act and there are some institutions that might try to say, “Okay, we’ve got an operating budget but 10% of our operating budget, we’re going to identify for in situ conservation activities and that’s what… Read More
Do they want you spending that kind of money helping something that isn’t going to show any benefit at home or would they rather see you fix up something at home that has benefit to the institution and to the people who care about the place?… Read More