Interview 5420 – Caption Index: 393
Did you have any public relations problems because of having to do this?… Read More
Did you have any public relations problems because of having to do this?… Read More
I can’t remember that. No, not at that time. And we’re talkin’ about education also as part of the big four, so to speak. And you had indicated you now were able to do the docents and move them ahead. Read More
Was there other visions for education that you wanted to develop?… Read More
How did you handle this kinda volatile situation?… Read More
Was it necessary?… Read More
The gaur, I don’t remember exact details. But they had infirmities due to old age and yet we suspected or we hoped that perhaps they had viable semen. So we did have to euthanize ’em. But before they euthanized ’em, they electroejaculated them and collected the semen. And then that… Read More
I’m tryin’ to remember at Nebraska Zoo, I think Oklahoma City, Brownsville, St. Louis. There were only a handful of zoos that had gaur. And he felt that if they were gonna survive, they had to be managed, just one herd. I think that’s one of the forerunners of our… Read More
Well for one thing, we’re tryin’ to do research on breeding elephants in captivity. So we did some experimental work with collecting semen from a bull elephant in Kansas City and shipping it by Greyhound bus. And then taking the semen was in capsules and the veterinarians would take the… Read More
So we know when the best time that they were fertile so that we sent them for a honeymoon with the bull in Kansas City. And outta the three, one in full-term and produced Raja the elephant. But that was one of my high priorities in research was elephant reproduction. Read More
Can you tell us what happened?… Read More
So our research began emphasizing not just on good fertility but also on contraception. So our zoo became a center for contraception research. Read More
Did you have particular research things that you wanted to champion?… Read More
Did Howard Baer?… Read More
Hang on, I had a question. It escapes me here. You’d mentioned that recreation and conservation, education were important. Read More
When you became director, was research something that was high on your list or how did you start to develop that concept?… Read More
Well because of my relationship with AZA and working with the Captive Breeding Survival Group, research became very important to me. And so I did make sure that all of my curatorial staff were involved in some research program. But with emphasis out of the veterinary hospital, we added a… Read More
Okay, and how was Howard Baer a help?… Read More
Well Howard Baer was a civic leader that was very powerful in the Republican circles and he had the dream about the Zoo Museum District and was always confidant of mine and a mentor. Had a good feel for all the public institutions in St. Louis. And the judge was… Read More
But you never got in trouble. Not serious trouble, no. Read More
(chuckles) Were there ever any challenges working with a group of those people?… Read More