‘Cause just physical space didn’t allow it. Oh yes. It prevented an awful lot. It was also the topography within the center of the zoo. It’s a lot of up and down and we’re unable to follow the rules for like handicap ramps because it just doesn’t work. We’d take… Read More
When you, as director of the zoo, did you ever have the opportunity to meet what I would call famous people because you were the zoo director and did any of them stick in your mind?… Read More
They weren’t my favorite thing. I was glad they were defeated. We finally did have them come in. We had the Meat Cutters Union come in, thanks to Kroger Company that came into town, but they’re no longer there. So, the zoo union is the only, as far as I… Read More
So, it’s worked out pretty well. Read More
Do you understand since San Diego zoo did, San Antonio Zoo, did the space constraints of the physical plant prevent you maybe from doing things you wanted to do, or did they?… Read More
Oh, yes. The space is very important to San Antonio. We don’t have it. As I mentioned, I think earlier on we have 60 foot cliffs in this quarry that the zoo is built in and that’s all around the zoo. And the entire center of the zoo is solid… Read More
And your board was supportive of you being part of this?… Read More
And by the way, Fred Stark was a member of that organization prior to my coming to San Antonio. We’ll continue with some San Antonio Zoo things. Okay. There were two attempts by unions that were defeated. Read More
What were your feelings about unions?… Read More
Who put you up for membership?… Read More
I think Don Davis. And I can’t remember whether it was Charlie Schroeder or someone that was an influential member, but I was very happy to be invited. Oh, Ted Reed was another one. Read More
Ted, he called me and said, “Have you gotten your invitation to come to the meeting yet?… Read More
We wanna see you and introduce you to the other members.” I said, “No, I hadn’t.” And I forget, and I think it was Collin Rollins from London who was president and he called Colin and he said, “Louis DiSabato haven’t gotten that invitation yet, when are you gonna send… Read More
Yeah, the World Association of Zoos. There are so many regional, if you wanna call the world reset of regions, but ours is still in my mind the very best, because we not only have the American zoos, but the Canadian zoos and we used to have the Mexican zoos. Read More
You were invited to join the association?… Read More
I was invited many years ago. Read More
You know, the International Union of Zoo Directors initially was by invitation only. And there were only a handful. And I think that was good, but most zoo people who weren’t members thought it was just a club for certain zoo people. Now, it’s not. Now it’s open to almost… Read More
And they’ve all been to my zoos and enjoyed dinner in our homes and I in theirs. And it was just a good arrangement. Read More
And in today’s world, it’s even more important that there be an international union as there is an important reason to have an American association, but look at all the other associations we have in the world besides the WAZA, what do they call it?… Read More
So I talked with him and I found out he was a duplicate of me at that age. And he’s just retiring this year from the San Antonio Zoo, after being in San Antonio for many, many years as a senior keeper. I offered him more than once a higher… Read More