It just was a good program for us and we were able to do it. We have wonderful weather. We keep them out almost every day of the year. No problem with housing them, doesn’t require a lot of space, but that’s, again, that’s what a smaller zoo can do. Read More
Did any of your animals go back to the wild?… Read More
And did that affect protocols?… Read More
Sure. We had more inspections of the locking devices. And I think that’s all the problem really needed. You talked about breeding programs and what I wanna cover is the golden lion tamarin breeding program. Read More
How did that start or was it successful?… Read More
Yeah, it’s very successful along with many other zoos that were successful in keeping them and reproducing them and I’m not sure now what the program, whether it’s still in effect, but I would imagine so. They’re one of the most beautiful, the small primates. Read More
Mopie was a beautiful gorilla. I don’t think he’s alive anymore. He was sent back to National Zoo I believe because he was on loan from them. But Mopie, it wasn’t Mopie’s fault, we had a malfunction of a spring loaded locking device that we invented in San Antonio and… Read More
But Mopie did, he was frightened badly, so was the keeper, but Mopie did do some damage. He bit, as gorillas do, they bite in every joint, you know, arms and behind the knee and things like that. How they know that you can immobilize another gorilla, one gorilla can… Read More
Attendance rose for a short time, because everyone wanted to see the gorilla that got out. Read More
Yeah, always the best time. Read More
Can you tell us about the Mopie incident and how did that affect the zoo attendance, keepers?… Read More
What was it?… Read More
It was extremely important. It was an old sea lion performance lake. And it couldn’t be used for that anymore because we didn’t keep the sea lions in there. We now have to keep them in salt water and that wasn’t salt water. So I, and I knew I had… Read More
What was the nicest time when the zoos, before the visitors come in, after they leave?… Read More
So you have to breed them while you can. Read More
How important was the Everglades exhibit?… Read More
The Everglades exhibit?… Read More
They’re gorgeous. I learned a lot about snow leopards in the process of keeping them in the zoo. I’ve learned about their marvelous ability to disappear in an exhibit and as a result of the snow leopards and trying to keep them from being hidden from the public when people… Read More
And then your breeding program was successful?… Read More
Oh, very successful, too successful. And that’s a pet peeve of mine that they asked us not to breed them anymore because the population in captivity was lean toward are our animals more than they should. But that’s why we have species survival plan people. Because in some instances, when… Read More