Absolutely, yeah. And, and there are additional ones as well. I think you, you know, most of us are dealing with boards, they’re dealing with some form of governance. And so it’s really critical that you understand that if whether you are, you know, city owned or in the case… Read More
So a broad background, a personality which is tolerant of people and understanding of the way people tick and knowledge these days. Very much of fundraising, of marketing didn’t have to worry about that too much going back, you know, 50 years, 40, 50 years. But all of those skills… Read More
Well, first of all, a good background in one of the two main knowledge bases that you really need to be a zoo director. You either, you either need to have a good biological background and, and the reason for that is, of course, that you can participate sensibly in,… Read More
But in, in your opinion, what qualities did you have that you feel made you a good director?… Read More
What made you a good director?… Read More
Well, I grew up in a very rural area north of London. And in one of those sort of Georgian rectory, my father was a, an an andan priest with lots and lots of land woodland time when of course one could roam freely as a child. And my, all… Read More
We’re already big. And so accepting the idea that actually having more acreage gave you more opportunity and it certainly protected the rather unique atmosphere of, of, of that particular zoo. So I think, I mean, those are the two things that I most would like to be remembered for. Read More
I think my work in welfare particularly, and especially the last, well 20 years, but certainly the last 10 or 15 with the founding of, of wild welfare, still the only organization in the world with, with zoo background, people working to help zoos that are substandard. I’m pleased that… Read More
So I’m glad that we, that I took that step and it wasn’t, it wasn’t actually a very easy step because I had the likely funders of that, both the state and of, and it wasn’t mostly the state, it was mainly private individuals were quite cynical about, you know,… Read More
You’ve just, you’ve got to start managing them as a single population. And, and what’s happened now 50 years later is that that community is, is much, it’s much more transparent. It’s, it’s, it’s not competitive in the way that it used to be. I’m not saying there aren’t one… Read More
How would you like to be remembered your legacy?… Read More
What have you gleaned from it personally?… Read More
It’s always friendly, always welcoming. I think any, any group within the animal world, I, I found that with veterinarians, with zookeepers, with zoo directors because there’s a commonality of interest and, and often a commonality of humor and of, and sort of life experiences. I’ve always found my colleagues… Read More
What Do you know about this profession?… Read More
As it affects you personally?… Read More
You’ve spent all these years working in zoos. Read More
Do you mean what in in what way?… Read More
What do you know about this profession that you’ve devoted so many years of your life?… Read More
What, what do you know about this?… Read More
Well, it depends a bit on what the collection is. If it’s as it is in most cases of quite important species, species that are important to the, the main, the mainstream, the mainstream breeding programs, the mainstream reintroduction programs, whatever the purpose of that plan may be, then, then… Read More