Zoo Story Page 28

  14 drawn to the remains of their kin: Cynthia Moss, Elephant Memories, pp. 73–74, 270–271.

  14 elephants pushed their way into the shed: Mary Battiata, “The Imperiled Realm of the Elephant: Africa’s Thinning Herds, Locked in a Struggle for Survival,” Washington Post, March 15, 1988.

  15 as though they were investigating: Dale Peterson, Elephant Reflections, p. 244.

  15 elephants ninety miles from a cull: Cynthia Moss, Elephant Memories, pp. 315–316; “Lethal Management of Elephants,” p. 298; also Battiata’s “The Imperiled Realm of the Elephant,” Washington Post, March 15, 1988.

  15 believed to be capable of hearing storms: This description of elephants’ ability to communicate over great distances is based on numerous sources, including Katy Payne’s Silent Thunder; Joyce Poole’s Elephants; Caitlin O’Connell’s The Elephant’s Secret Sense; Cynthia Moss’s Elephant Memories; W. R. Langbauer Jr.’s “Elephant Communication” in the journal Zoo Biology; “Unusually Extensive Networks of Vocal Recognition in African Elephants,” by Karen McComb and others, in Animal Behaviour; “African Elephant Vocal Communication I: Antiphonal Calling Behaviour among Affiliated Females,” by Joseph Soltis and others in Animal Behaviour; and “Rumble Vocalizations Mediate Interpartner Distance in African Elephants, Loxodonta Africana,” by Katherine A. Leighty and others, also in Animal Behaviour. Two of the most helpful sources I discovered on this subject were the Web site for ElephantVoices, an organization run by Joyce Poole and Petter Grannli, and the site for the Elephant Listening Project at Cornell, founded by Katy Payne and now directed by Peter Wrege.

  15 “a throbbing in the air”: Katy Payne, Silent Thunder, p. 20.

  16 ears stiffened and spread wide: Elephants have exhibited this behavior while listening to low-frequency calls, as has been chronicled in “African Elephants Respond to Distant Playbacks of Low-Frequency Conspecific Calls,” an article by William R. Langbauer Jr., and others, from the Journal of Experimental Biology; and “Responses of Captive African Elephants to Playback of Low-Frequency Calls,” by Langbauer and Payne and others, in the Canadian Journal of Zoology, among other sources.

  16 orphans had wreaked havoc: This phenomenon has been repeatedly chronicled in multiple sources, including Charles Siebert’s “An Elephant Crackup?” New York Times, October 8, 2006.

  17 then San Diego and Lowry Park made sense: Author interviews with Ted and Mick Reilly, as well as Lex Salisbury.

  18 a helicopter crew darted every elephant: This description of how the elephants were darted, assessed, and moved to the boma is based on the author’s interviews with the Reillys, Lex Salisbury, and Brian French.

  18 performed field sonograms: Based on author interviews with the Reillys, also “Reproductive Evaluation in Wild African Elephants Prior to Translocation,” by Thomas B. Hildebrandt and others, from the proceedings of a 2004 joint conference of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians, the American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians, and the Wildlife Disease Association, pp. 75–76.

  18 Two of the females were pregnant: Andrea Moss, “Elephant Pregnancies Spark New Concerns,” North County Times, July 15, 2003.

  18 protesting and organizing letter-writing campaigns: The opposition of the animal-rights coalition has been documented in numerous articles, including “The Swazi 11: A Case Study in the Global Trade in Live Elephants,” a paper presented by Adam M. Roberts and Will Travers at the XIXth International Congress of Zoology in August 2004 in Beijing; Kathy Steele, “Experts Oppose Importing Elephants to American Zoos,” Tampa Tribune, July 3, 2003; and Graham Brink, “4 Elephants from Africa Arrive at Zoo,” St. Petersburg Times, August 23, 2003.

  18 “If the elephants are euthanized”: From a transcript of a hearing on August 6, 2003, in front of U.S. District Judge John D. Bates.

  19 “consider them as sentient beings”: from an open letter written by Dr. Cynthia Moss and eight other researchers, sent on June 24, 2003 to San Diego Zoo and Lowry Park Zoo.

  19 PETA offered to pay: The efforts by PETA and the rest of the coalition to stop the elephant importation have been chronicled in numerous articles, on the Web sites of some of these groups, in public statements by their representatives, and in various court documents, including a Memorandum Opinion filed on August 8, 2003 in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Civil Action No. 03-1497; and in the Plaintiffs-Appellants’ Emergency Motion for an Injunction Pending Appeal, filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Case No. 03-5216.

  20 thronged together to push her through the fence: Author interview with Mick Reilly.

  2 THE AUDACITY OF CREATION

  22 thumping fists on steering wheels: The author witnessed this scene repeatedly throughout 2003 during morning rush hour traffic jams on I-275 at the Sligh Avenue exit.

  23 The zoo was a living catalogue: My thoughts on this point were guided by the introduction to Eric Baratay’s and Elisabeth Hardouin-Fugier’s Zoo: A History of Zoological Gardens in the West, pp. 7–13.

  24 whimpered like a puppy: Author observation during reporting with Pam Noel, assistant curator in charge of the zoo’s Asia section.

  24 bestowing the animals with Star Wars names: Author interviews with Kevin McKay, Pam Noel, Lee Ann Rottman, Virginia Edmonds, and Andrea Schuch.

  25 frogs and toads were dying off: Author interviews with Kevin Zippel.

  25 A parade of raptors: This scene, including the details on Myrtle’s release and the dream of her return, are based on the author’s reporting inside the birds of prey building and his interviews with Jeff Ewelt, who released the dove behind his home, and with Melinda Mendolusky, who shared her dream.

  27 unloaded a large mound of horse manure: James Steinberg, “Heavy Security Awaited Elephants,” Los Angeles Times, August 23, 2003; also “PETA Protests Pachyderms with Poo,” 10News.com, posted to Web site on August 22, 2003.

  28 living proof that visionaries can be hell: This description of Lex Salisbury is based on the author’s several years of observing and interviewing Salisbury, as well as the author’s interviews with multiple members of Lowry Park’s staff, past and present. Also based on an audit the city of Tampa ordered in 2008 to assess Salisbury’s leadership.

  29 bush khakis and a safari hat: Salisbury wore this garb in many issues of Lowry Park’s Zoo Chatter, in the zoo’s annual reports, and on the cover of the Maddux Business Report, in the fall of 2008, beside the headline “A Wild Thing.”

  29 “resembles the great white hunter”: Jeff Klinkenberg, “Wolf Pact: Endangered Red Wolves Find a Haven at Lowry Park Zoo,” St. Petersburg Times, March 11, 1990.

  29 “El Diablo Blanco”: The nickname was shared during several author interviews with Lowry Park staffers and was confirmed during an author interview with Lex Salisbury.

  30 a tiny menagerie: Account of zoo’s early history based on information from the zoo’s Web site, as well as numerous news articles over the years.

  30 undisputed star in those early years: “Animal Parade a Fun Idea,” St. Petersburg Times, June 23, 1965.

  30 threw food over a fence: “Lowry Park Safeguards Its Guests,” St. Petersburg Times, July 5, 1966.

  30 stoplights on Happy Drive: “Kids Do Driving on ‘Polite Boulevard,’ ” United Press International article, published in the St. Petersburg Times, November 28, 1966.

  30 “a children’s paradise”: “Nature Trail: Stark Contrast,” Evening Independent, May 31, 1965.

  30 Sheena the elephant was shipped off: “Elephant Dies of Heart Attack,” St. Petersburg Times, January 30, 1986.

  30 “It was a rat hole”: Christopher Goffard, “Zoo Will Add a World of New Life,” St. Petersburg Times, May 29, 2001.

  32 Disney’s armies of Imagineers: Some readers may be aware that the publishing house for this book is also owned by Disney. The author wishes to note that he included the description of the theme park entirely on his own, long before his publisher had any idea such a pas
sage would be part of the manuscript. The author included this section not as an endorsement of Animal Kingdom but because it would be virtually impossible to chronicle Lowry Park’s recent history without discussing its place among other major animal attractions in central Florida.

  34 “See the big monkey?”: The author repeatedly witnessed the same exchange between Herman and various moms, with the moms uttering almost exactly the same words every time.

  34 His early life had unfolded: These sections on Herman’s life and history are based on the author’s observations of the chimp over the years, plus his interviews with Ed and Roger Schultz as well as with multiple members of Lowry Park’s primate staff and other employees, including Angela Belcher, Kevin McKay, David Murphy, Rachel Nelson, Lee Ann Rottman, Andrea Schuch, and Heather Mackin.

  35 “We better move”: The author observed this scene firsthand.

  36 Enshalla appeared, cloaked in a calm: These sections on Enshalla and Eric are based on the author’s observations of the two Sumatran tigers between 2003 and 2006, plus interviews with multiple members of Lowry Park’s Asia staff and other keepers and employees who observed and worked with the tigers over the years, including Ged Caddick, Brian Czarnik, Rachel Nelson, Pam Noel, Carie Peterson, and Lee Ann Rottman.

  37 Her favorite was Obsession: Author interview with Pam Noel.

  37 “wildernesses of freedom”: Ted Hughes, “The Jaguar.”

  40 peat swamp forests where she belonged: Tigers of the World, edited by Ronald L. Tilson and Ulysses S. Seal, p. 86.

  40 “core of the zoo’s conscience”: Phillip T. Robinson, Life at the Zoo, p. 59.

  41 to live with ambivalence: Author interviews with Brian Czarnik and Carie Peterson.

  41 many keepers had reacted with quiet unease: Author interviews with multiple members of the Lowry Park staff, including Brian Czarnik, Brian French, Carie Peterson, and Lee Ann Rottman. Some were describing their own ambivalence; others, including French and Rottman, were simply attesting to the ambivalence they had witnessed among others on the staff.

  3 NIGHT DELIVERY

  43 Swazi Eleven arrived in America: This scene is based on author interviews with Brian French, Lee Ann Rottman, Lex Salisbury, and Heather Mackin, all of whom were at the airport and rode in the convoy. Also Kathy Steele, “Elephants Are Slipped into Zoo After Dark,” Tampa Tribune, August 23, 2003.

  43 caller threatened to burn down the zoo: James Steinberg, “Heavy Security Awaited Elephants,” Los Angeles Times, August 23, 2003.

  43 police had escorted the trio away in handcuffs: Author interview with Heather Mackin; Tampa police report 03-359730; Tamara Lush, “Trio of Protesters Arrested at Zoo,” St. Petersburg Times, August 15, 2003; Kathy Steele, “Importation of Elephants Protested at Zoos, Embassy,” Tampa Tribune, Aug. 15, 2003.

  43 a lead indicating that activists: Based on an author interview with Larry Killmar and also an FBI memo, written on August 20, 2003, and obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union. The memo is posted online at http://www.aclu.org/spyfiles/jttf/288.pdf.

  44 Lowry Park’s curator: In the fall of 2003, Rottman was actually the zoo’s acting curator because at that time the previous curator was on extended medical leave. Soon afterward, Rottman was officially named curator. For all intents and purposes, she was already serving in that capacity on the night the elephants arrived from Swaziland.

  44 one of the zoo’s true believers: Description based on years of the author observing and interviewing Lee Ann Rottman.

  44 as though she were a baboon: Kari K. Ridge, “I’m just one of the mandrill troop now,” St. Petersburg Times, December 23, 1996.

  44 three wallabies had died: Amy Herdy, “Wallabies Die after Trip in Ryder Truck,” St. Petersburg Times, July 2, 2002.

  44 the animal’s trunk dangling underneath: Murray Fowler, Restraint and Handling of Wild and Domestic Animals, pp. 7, 73; also Fowler and Susan Mikota, Biology, Medicine and Surgery of Elephants, pp. 86–87.

  45 braced herself for the possibility: The author observed Lee Ann Rottman discussing these fears during a meeting of Lowry Park’s docents on October 15, 2003.

  45 convoy turned east: Scene based on author interviews with Lee Ann Rottman, Lex Salisbury, Brian French, and Heather Mackin.

  46 “Learning to read the animals”: Details from the elephants’ first days at the zoo are based on author interviews with Brian French.

  46 Born into a family of circus performers: Author interviews with French.

  48 a fatality rate three times that of coal miners: John Lehnardt, “Elephant Handling: A Problem of Risk Management and Resource Allocation,” the Journal of the Elephant Managers Association, 1991.

  48 an Asian elephant killed Char-Lee Torre: The account of the handler’s death is based on author interviews with the Torre family and Lex Salisbury; also Marty Rosen, “Elephant Kills Young Trainer at Tampa Zoo,” St. Petersburg Times, July 31, 1993; and Marty Rosen, “Elephant Had Challenged Her Trainer Before,” St. Petersburg Times, August 7, 1993.

  48 elephants were not dominated: The descriptions of free and protected contact are based on numerous sources, including Eric Scigliano, Love, War, and Circuses: The Age-Old Relationship Between Elephants and Humans, pp. 280–286; Fowler and Mikota, Biology, Medicine, and Surgery of Elephants, pp. 52–55; “Welfare Implications of Elephant Training,” an article published by the American Veterinary Medicine Association’s Animal Welfare Division; Gary Priest, “Zoo Story,” Inc., October 1, 1994; and Jennifer Orsi and David K. Rogers, “No Rules on Handling Elephants,” St. Petersburg Times, July 31, 1993.

  50 “She doesn’t really know how to be an elephant”: Account of Ellie’s history and behavior based on author interviews with Lowry Park staff, including Brian French, Steve LeFave, and Lee Ann Rottman.

  50 Night-vision cameras: Description of the elephants’ first days is based on author interviews with Brian French, Steve Lefave, and Lee Ann Rottman.

  52 “Even if a lion could speak”: Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations, p. 241.

  52 a lexicon that catalogues: Based on information from the Web sites of ElephantVoices and of the Elephant Listening Project at Cornell University’s Bioacoustics Research Program.

  55 named by rangers inside Mkhaya and Hlane: Author interview with Mick Reilly.

  4 SIREN SONG

  57 manatees did tussle occasionally: Jennifer Young Harper and Bruce A. Schulte, “Social Interactions in Captive Female Florida Manatees,” Zoo Biology, 2005, pp. 137–139.

  59 “ ‘I wish they didn’t have to be here.’ ”: Several of Lowry Park’s keepers expressed such ambivalence during interviews with the author.

  59 sixty-four manatees back into the wild: Posted in Lowry Park’s Florida mammals office in October 2003.

  59 “We take ’em in”: Author interview with David Murphy.

  59 keepers would drape themselves: The author witnessed many manatee exams over several years and accompanied the staff on several manatee releases.

  60 newborn calves whose mothers had abandoned them: These sections on the orphaned manatee calves are based on the author’s interviews with Virginia Edmonds and Lex Salisbury, as well as e-mails from Edmonds, and the author’s firsthand reporting.

  61 the staff dubbed him Buttonwood: The description of the staff’s attempts to save the calf are based on the author’s interviews and e-mails with Edmonds. Also, Shari Missman Miller, “Newborn Manatee Rescued, Coddled,” St. Petersburg Times, May 15, 2003; and Rob Brannon, “Orphaned Manatee Delights Fans,” St. Petersburg Times, May 26, 2003.

  61 different combinations of formula and Pedialyte: “Zoo Puts Foundling Manatee on Display,” St. Petersburg Times, May 26, 2003.

  61 hoping she would let him nurse: “Despite a Couple of Setbacks, Buttonwood Is Getting Better,” Shari Missman Miller, St. Petersburg Times, July 6, 2003.

  61 his small gray body floating: Cory Schouten, “Facing Long Odds, Buttonwood Dies At Zoo,” St. Petersburg Times, Jul
y 12, 2003.

  62 a second abandoned manatee calf: Details on Loo’s life and death are based on the author’s interviews with Virginia Edmonds and Lex Salisbury, as well as e-mails from Edmonds. Also, the author saw Loo in one of the medical pools, in between feedings, not long after the calf was brought to the zoo.

  62 faint calls of the adult manatees: Author interview and e-mail exchange with Dustin Smith, who first told me that the Lowry Park keepers could hear the sounds. Background on the vocalizations was found on a Web site put together by the University of Rhode Island’s Office of Marine Programs in partnership with Marine Acoustics, Inc. The page that describes the vocalizations can be accessed at http://www.dosits.org/gallery/marinemm/31.htm, and it includes an audio clip of a vocalization provided by David Mann at the University of South Florida.

  63 each new wave of visitors: During his years of reporting at the zoo, the author witnessed these behaviors many times.

  64 an institution custom-made for families: Sue Carlton, “Renovated Zoo Will Roar with Excitement,” St. Petersburg Times, October 18, 1987.

  65 replica of a raccoon dropping: Lex Salisbury displayed the dropping during a tour he gave the author in October 2003.

  65 “We call him Pee Goat”: Author interview with Carie Peterson.

  66 The curator and the defiant monkeys: The author witnessed this scene.

  67 the ultimate troubleshooter: This description of Lee Ann Rottman’s history and duties is based on the author’s many interviews with Rottman and years of watching her do her job.

  67 a hippo surfaced directly beneath her boyfriend: Author interview with Rottman.

  68 “He’s very handsome, I think”: Author witnessed this moment with Rottman and Rango.

  69 “the Berlin boys”: Based on author interviews with Brian French and Lex Salisbury, also “Inseminating Elephant Takes 2 Germans, an Ultrasound and a Very Long Wait,” by Tom Paulson, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 2, 2005.