St. Louis Zoo has had at one time or another some of the most prominent international animal experts as directors: George P. Vierheller (1922-1962), William J. Hoff (1970-1973), Robert T. Briggs (1973-1975), Richard D. Schultz (1975-1982), Charles H. Hoessle (1982-2002), and Dr. Jeffrey P. Bonner (2002--present). The most famous St. Louis Zoo Director was R. Marlin Perkins (1962-1970) who gained fame on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. Marlin Perkin's and Jim Fowler's Wild Kingdom sucked me so deep into the world of animals when I was a child, I have not been able to ecape it today.
For more on Mr. Perkins, type Marlin Perkins in the search bar at the top of the blog. That includes Harry Kingston, who asked the "history channel" this morning, "where is Marlin Perkins and his chimpanzee?"
Monday, October 11, 2010
Directors of the St. Louis Zoo
1904 Worlds Fair Aviary--St. Louis Zoo
Today the famous flight cage is the Edward K. Love Conservation Foundation Cypress Swamp
Hagenbeck--1904 Worlds fair, St. Louis
This is a stereo card showing the Hagenbeck elephant before it learned to slalom. Below is a link to some wonderful old Hagenbeck photo's.
Celebrating the Louisiana Purchase (1904 World's Fair) -- Seeing ...
Little known St. Louis Zoo History
One of the reason's for St. Louis's greatness is the retain the services of great architect's and designers, as well as utilizing the talent's of skilled zoo professional's from other institutions, quite often consulting with former alumni in rehashing older exhibits. This year they consulted famed former St. Louis sea lion trainer, Jim Alexander, and retained him to redesign the old polar bear enclosure. Jim, who now works part time at Walt Disney's Animal Kingdom, shared his new knowledge in "exhibit immersion" with his old institution, and his brilliant contribution can be appreciated above. Great job, Jim.
Little known St. Louis Zoo History
St. Louis Zoo is home to some of the most beautiful animal and bird sculptures, mosaics, art, and architectural detail in the world. Above are two example of the beautiful mosaic's that can be seen at the zoo, Egret and Ibis. In 1994, when Ryan "Radar" Easley was grandstanding with the elephants in front of his friends, and his father who was a keeper at St. Louis had more important things to do, to keep him busy, the zoo had Radar design a mosaic for them. Below is Ryan's American Eagle mosaic.
Radar's artistic genius was not recognized until this year, when the Princess of Monaco high fived him for his circus photography.
Little known St. Louis Zoo History
You gotta love animal folk's, and the "real ones" are truly an endangered species.
A few years ago back at the Zoo the Zoo had a good day (lots of people) and I had a poor one (act probably screwed up, equipment not working, etc.) I couldn't wait to get home at the end of the day. Traffic was clogged as people left the parking lot. In my zest to leave I made a legal, but not polite, exit that was interpreted by a guest as cutting her off. She honked her horn and all but even before I worked for Disney I didn't give her the finger or anything.
Above is the Alexander Fountain, often mistakenly referred to as the Hermann Fountain.
Elephant house--St. Louis Zoo--1917
This historic building, built in 1917, has now been converted over to the Peabody Hall.
Raja--St. Louis Zoo--2009
Raja was the first elephant born at the St. Louis Zoo in 1993, and sired his first calf in 2005.
St. Louis Zoo Elephant History
These certificates were given to school children who donated money for the purchase of the elephant Miss Jim
St. Louis Zoo Elephant History--1971
Bill Rost and Miss Jim, above, giving elephant rides at the St. Louis Zoo.
William C. (Bill) Rost, elephant keeper at the St. Louis Zoo for the last 46 years, has a memory to equal the legendary one of his giant charges.
Looking back over his long zoo career Friday as he prepares to retire next week, Rost declared that he “enjoyed every minute” of the years since he joined the zoo staff in 1930.
A young man in the Depression days, Rost had grown up in the area just south of Forest Park affectionately known as “Dogtown” by its residents and had been caddying on the park golf course since he was about 10 years old. He had made many visits to the zoo, too, because his brother, the late Phil Rost, was a keeper there.
When Bill needed a job, he joined brother Phil in a keeper’s post at the old Elephant House, where he showed an immediate ability to get along with elephants — a trait not everyone has.
“They were having trouble with an elephant named Martha that hurt several keepers,” Rost recalled, “but I never had any trouble with her. I was lucky. Animals— especially elephants — have got to like you if you’re going to work with them.”
His all-time favorite charge was Miss Jim, the elephant purchased by St. Louis school children in 1916. Rost was in charge of Miss Jim (whose real name was Judy) for 16½ years, he said proudly, and would ride on her back along with the school children who flocked to the zoo to ride “their” elephant.Elephant House resident that Rost remembers fondly was Harry the Indian rhino, noted for a violent temper and cage-stomping tantrums.
“He used to take bananas out of my pockets to eat,” Rost said of Harry, “and I could put my hand through the bars to pet him and calm him down when he got upset.”
When the new Elephant House opened at its present location 14 years ago, Rost came along with his charges and has cared for the many other animals housed in the larger facilities, including hippos, white rhinos and the performers of the elephant show. CAROLYN, the child star of the show now, is “another Miss Jim — gentle and smart just like she was,” Rost said, and he acts like a proud father showing off the youngest elephant in his charge — Donna, only five months old and 3 feet high.
He and his wife, Scottish born Charlotte Rost, still live in the “Dogtown” area — although Rost jokingly calls it “Canine Heights” — within walking distance of Forest Park. He never has owned a car, preferring to walk to and from work. Many a night he has gone to the zoo to sit with a sick animal or cope with some other emergency. Asked what he plans to do in retirement, Rost, who is 66, said he will spend a lot of time with his flower and vegetable gardens at his neat brick home, 6534 West Park Ave. and also will play more golf. He and his wife plan to travel to visit married daughters in Miami, Fla., and Los Angeles. They also have two sons in St. Louis and six grandchildren.
Habits of 41 years are hard to break, and Rost admitted that he probably will be strolling over to the zoo grounds from time to time, to see old friends on the staff and to exchange fond reminiscences with his resident friends in the Elephant House.
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Only two zoo professional's in the history of the St. Louis Zoo were compensated well enough to eventually retire. Bill Rost was one, and the other one lives in Florida and work's part time at Disney Worlds Animal Kingdom.
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