The veterinarian’s role in conservation it’s his responsibility to keep the animals healthy, to advise the curatorial staff on breeding, if it’s a captive breeding situation, or on keeping animals from breeding, which is now become a big problem with zoos. So he’s gotta advise on maintaining the collection, whether… Read More
What should the veterinarian’s role be in conservation?… Read More
I think it was helpful to me to be a veterinarian first and then become a zoo director. But when I look at being a zoo director, I think there are two skills, two groups of knowledge that you have to know. One of them is you have to have… Read More
We had talked about education, and you said at one point conservation wasn’t that big a deal, because you could get an animal, you don’t have to worry about replacing it. But now it’s a little different, conservation’s a big topic. Read More
And actually if I modified it, I’ll say, was it helpful to you to have been a veterinarian and then become a zoo director?… Read More
And if so, why?… Read More
Should a zoo veterinarian become a zoo director?… Read More
What skill set qualities, does the zoo veterinarian need today as compared to when you started?… Read More
Well, of course they’re better trained today, but because of the better training, some of them may think that they know more, and don’t have to listen to people like the curators or the keepers. And I think they have to learn to listen to people, and to work with… Read More
The ability to listen to people, to listen to keepers, to curators, and evaluate what they say. I think that’s one of the problems today, is that people don’t listen to people. People will come in and say, we’ve got this problem and people say, oh yeah, we know all… Read More
What would you say made you a good veterinarian?… Read More
Have any animals been special to you?… Read More
(laughs) There was a pair of gelada baboons that were kind of special to me. Well, I guess mainly because I did a cesarean section on the female. Delivered a live baby that we hand raised at home, but then she had several young naturally after that, but they were… Read More
Have you had the experiences where you lost a particular animal, that you cared for a long time?… Read More
Thank goodness, I was not at the zoo when either the two keepers were killed. One was killed by a tiger. I think it was the year after I retired, and the other one was killed probably about 10 years later by an elephant. So I was not there. I… Read More
Were you director at the time, veterinarian or education?… Read More
Or did you, when you were- Well, people used to ask me what the favorite animal in the zoo was. And by far it was the tigers. They were beautiful animals, impressive animals. I don’t know as I haven’t had any that are more important to me than others. But… Read More
But if I had to treat an elephant, I would either let the elephant keeper give the injection or I’d shoot him with a capture gun, and a projectile syringe. I did not go near elephants. You mentioned about a keeper at the zoo being killed by an elephant. Read More
Do you have a particular family or of animals you prefer to work with, then if you do, why?… Read More
If you don’t have a good zookeeper, then you’re gonna have problems. Read More