Because the governing board is just like politicos. They have to understand the complexity of a zoo. You know, when you’re on a board of directors for the Humane Society or you know, spousal abuse or you know, those kinds of things, you’re, you’re looking more at, you know, at… Read More
You know, so, oh, oh, we can close that street off. Okay. But that’s where the zoo parking lot is, those, those kinds of things, you know, staying connected with the politicos of your community and your state and, and it is, it is vital. I mean, it has grown… Read More
Oh, absolutely. You know, thinking Children’s Zoo is even a private zoo. We sit on city park land, but we have a 50 year lease with the city park. Okay. With, with the city. And there are details in there regarding the relationship. Okay. It, but a politician is like,… Read More
Do you feel in, in Zeus today, is there a way that people need to deal with elected officials and municipal bureaucracies in order to manage their zoo?… Read More
Zoos need to be involved with animal welfare. Animal welfare is a very broad def defining animal welfare is complicated. Okay. But I think zoos should have always been committed to animal welfare. Doing what is right for the, for the animals in your care is animal welfare. Okay. I… Read More
But when I, when a zoo is told, you have to worry about enriching and the animal welfare of your worms or your crickets, you know, that you’re feeding to other animals, I think that’s going a little bit overboard. You know, you get mealworms in once a week, you… Read More
What do you feel about Susan Aquariums having the need to be more involved with animal welfare?… Read More
Well, I think animal welfare is a complicated term. Okay. I think animal, I’m sorry. Let’s, let’s just pause that again. You just put that right in front of the lens. Oh, well, Well, that’s a bad location. Sure. What do you think? Yeah. Okay. Cool. Okay. Could we start… Read More
No, I don’t, I don’t think it’s an unreasonable thing to ask zoos to do conservation work. I, I, I don’t think it’s unreasonable. I, I think it’s unreasonable if somebody does a specific, well, x percentage needs to be committed. I think that’s an outsider telling you how to… Read More
Is the conservation issue so big that’s unreasonable request to ask of zoos?… Read More
You can do that. So, but don’t be an outside place and tell me that I’ve gotta make a 10% commitment of my budget for conservation. I can make my conservation work. It’s just make a commitment. Read More
So they’re, you know, you have to be careful with what you’re doing. You have to be selective with what you’re doing. But it’s been very successful at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, you know, and you don’t always touch the animal you’re feeding. I mean, and it is just like… Read More
I don’t care what that connectivity is to get them thinking about animals, thinking about nature. That’s our mission. And hopefully they’ll keep growing that connectivity, keep that connectivity for their entire life, and care about animals and their habitat and care about animals. Back to conservation a bit, many… Read More
The way I got energy, if I was having a real grumpy day in my office, I would go out into the zoo and watch those kids go, wow, that is why I got up every morning is to, is to see those happy faces, the oh wow. Experiences when… Read More
What is the message you feel this should convey?… Read More
You know, it’s, some zoos are very critical of that. I think the, the message that it’s conveying is looking at the adaptation the animal has. I don’t think there’s, if the animals are conditioned for it, and it’s not negative, if it’s good animal welfare, I mean, the more… Read More
But I think the more a director, because again, the, the director is the keeper of the dream, and the dream is that institution, are we doing it right?… Read More
Oh, I, I, my wife love my wife dearly. I married a zookeeper. She used to always chastises me when I got home. You make it around the zoo today, you make it around the zoo today. I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t make it. Every day. I’m very, and… Read More
How important do you feel it is for the zoo director to make rounds?… Read More
Oh yes, absolutely. Abs abso positivity. It definitely, they go, that’s really amazing that we got to experience in the wild. But it’s also amazing that the Lincoln Children’s Zoo is making that commitment as well to help save species. Absolutely. You know, you, you know, when you’re in the… Read More