For further details on the sources listed in these notes, see the Bibliography on page 281.
1 THE NEW WORLD
1 Eleven elephants. One plane: The scene from the 747 was reconstructed from the author’s interviews with Mick Reilly and Chris Kingsley, the only two humans in the cargo hold with the elephants as they traveled from Johannesburg to Tampa.
4 elephants loom like great gray ghosts: The author was in the Land Rover, reporting in Mkhaya in April 2007, when this incident occurred with the elephants and the bushwillow.
6 The conflict unfolds in miniature inside Swaziland: The history of the Reilly family and of the reintroduction of wildlife to Mlilwane, Hlane, and Mkhaya are based largely on author interviews with Ted and Mick Reilly.
6 an old jeep named Jezebel: Cristina Kessler, All the King’s Animals: The Return of Endangered Wildlife to Swaziland, page 21.
7 Their armored captive was groggy: Cristina Kessler, All the King’s Animals, page 21.
8 miles of dead trees: From the author’s firsthand reporting in Swaziland in 2007.
9 “Kahle mfana”: Mick Reilly recounted this dialogue to the author, writing out both the original lines in siSwati and the English translations.
10 so corrosive it can eat through metal: Holly T. Dublin and Leo S. Niskanen, editors of “IUCN/SSC AfESG Guidelines for the in situ Translocation of the African Elephant for Conservation Purposes,” page 38.
12 elephant culls had long been a reality: This chapter’s lengthy description of the history and methodology of culls in different African countries is gathered from numerous sources, including “Lethal Management of Elephants,” a chapter written by Rob Slotow and others for Elephant Management: A Scientific Assessment for South Africa, by R. J. Scholes and Kathleen Mennell; Elephants and Ethics: Toward a Morality of Conscience, edited by Christen Wemmer and Catherine A. Christen; Dale Peterson’s Elephant Reflections; Raman Sukumar’s The Living Elephants: Evolutionary Ecology, Behavior and Conservation; Iain and Oria Douglas-Hamilton’s Battle for the Elephants; Katy Payne’s Silent Thunder; and Cynthia Moss’s Elephant Memories.
12 The brutal choreography evolved: To describe the history of elephant culls inside Kruger National Park, the author also relied on the chapter on elephant management, authored by Ian J. Whyte, Rudi J. van Aarde, and Stuart L. Pimm, in The Kruger Experience: Ecology and Management of Savanna Heterogeneity edited by Johan T. Du Toit and Kevin H. Rogers, pp. 332–348; numerous sections of Salomon Joubert’s massive The Kruger National Park: A History, especially volumes one and two; and “Assessment of Elephant Management in South Africa,” a powerpoint presentation authored by dozens of elephant researchers, delivered on February 25, 2008.
13 the use of Scoline was prohibited: “Elephant Culling’s Cruel and Gory Past,” an article posted on the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s Web site.
13 “Don’t ask me if I enjoyed it”: This quote and the description of vultures and hyenas waiting for the disposal teams to finish are taken from Fred Bridgland’s article, “5,000 Elephants Must Die. Here’s Why,” Sunday Herald, October 24, 2004.
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 passage 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, July 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.
69 raised the height of Lowry Park’s perimeter fence: Author learned this while listening to Lee Ann Rottman’s talk in front of the docents in October 2003.
69 red paint and paint thinner: Jane Fritsch, “Animal Activists Deface Homes of Dunda’s Keepers,” Los Angeles Times, October 15, 1988.
70 a compelling example: “On the Brink of Extinction: Saving the Lion Tamarins of Brazil,” The Encylopedia of Mammals, pp. 342–343.
70 none had ever been selected: Author e-mail exchange with Lex Salisbury.
71 not even attempt to climb into the trees: Vicki Croke, The Modern Ark, p. 195.
71 Bornean orangutans were so endangered: Michael Casey, “Orang-utans on ‘Fast Track to Extinction,’ ” Independent, July 6, 2008.
71 “not all it’s cracked up to be”: Author interview with Lee Ann Rottman.
5 ROYALTY
72 Liberia, December 1966: Account of Herman’s early life and history are based primarily on the author’s interviews with Ed and Roger Schultz. The details of the baby chimp’s purchase, including the thumbprint, are also based on a copy of the original receipt, provided to the author by Ed Schultz.
74 tumbled into a snow bank: Scene based on a family photo taken by Roger Schultz and shared with the author by Ed Schultz, as well as the author’s interviews with both the father and son.
75 incident in Stamford, Connecticut: This account is compiled from several news reports, including Andy Newman, “Pet Chimp Is Killed After Mauling Woman,” New York Times, February 16, 2009; Stephanie Gallman, “Chimp Attack 911 Call: ‘He’s Ripping Her Apart,’ ” CNN.com, February 18, 2009; Anahad O’Connor, “Woman Mauled by Chimp Has Surgery, and Her Vital Signs Improve,” New York Times, February 18, 2009; and John Christoffersen, “Brothers: Victim of Chimp Attack Feared Animal,” Associated Press, June 28, 2009.
77 sued the city for discrimination: Shannon Behnken, “Tuskegee Airman Demanded Equality,” Tampa Tribune, August 14, 2007.
77 Razor blades were flicked: David Smith, Evening Independent, August 31, 1976.
77 Sea lions collapsed: “Kindness Kills Old Sea Lion,” Associated Press article published in the St. Petersburg Times on June 6, 1963.
77 Two Bengal tigers died: “Youth faces charges for tossing Tylenol tablets to otter at zoo,” United Press International article published in the St. Petersburg Times on May 29, 1983.
77 “I didn’t even want to talk about it”: Richard Danielson, “Lowry Park Zoo Has Record Number of Visitors,” St. Petersburg Times, December 6, 1966.
77 stole one of the zoo’s lions: “3 Charged in Lion Theft,” St. Petersburg Times, February 19, 1976.
78 the chimp hurled away: “Mayor Greco Gets a Hand,” Associated Press article published in the St. Petersburg Times, Sept. 27, 1972.
78 Herman read the nonverbal signals: Author interviews with Kevin McKay, Lee Ann Rottman, and Andrea Schuch.
78 staff left Schultz a key: Author interviews with Ed Schultz. This detail was confirmed by Lowry Park staff.
79 “Wonderful,” she called him: Details of Jane Goodall’s affection for Herman and Lowry Park are taken from Mary Dolan’s “Noted Expert on Primates Visits ChimpanZoo Site,” St. Petersburg Times, May 7, 1987; and Sue Carlton’s “Primate Expert Touts Zoo Project,” St. Petersburg Times, May 9, 1990.
79 a wild chimpanzee call: Dong-Phuong Nguyen, “A Girl’s Curiosity Nurtured Expertise,” St. Petersburg Times, March 23, 2005.
79 just as Gombe’s chimps did in the wild: Jane Goodall, In the Shadow of Man, pp. 35–36.
80 termite mound was not real: Vicki Croke, The Modern Ark, page 39.
80 distaste for seeing animals in cages: Eric Baratay and Elisabeth Hardouin-Fugier, Zoo, p. 237.
80 simulated bird droppings: Phillip T. Robinson, Life at the Zoo, p. 90.
80 “imitation freedom.”: Baratay and Hardouin-Fugier, Zoo, p. 244.
81 In one gruesome case: Frans de Waal, Chimpanzee Politics, pp. 211–212.
81 “an assassination”: Richard Wrangham and Dale Peterson, Demonic Males, p. 128.
81 waging war on other chimp groups: Jane Goodall, Through a Window, pp. 98–111.
81 eating their flesh: Jane Goodall, Through a Window, p. 108.
81 while others dismember him: Jane Goodall, Through a Window, pp. 104–108; also Wrangham and Peterson, Demonic Males, pp. 17–19.
81 “so naturally aggressive”: Author interview with Andrea Schuch.
81 just to maintain his dominance: This account of Chester’s dominance, and of Herman’s confusion during that time, is based on author interviews with Lee Ann Rottman.
83 play through the scenarios: Author interview with Rottman.
83 a hand on his daughter’s shoulder: Author witnessed this scene.
84 their protector and leader: This account of Herman’s reign in the renovated Lowry Park, including his reaction to Dr. Murphy’s dart, is based on author interviews with Rottman.
84 imbued with ruthless purity: This account of Enshalla’s history and behavior is based on the author’s interviews with multiple members of Lowry Park’s staff, including Brian Czarnik, Pam Noel, Carie Peterson, Lee Ann Rottman, and Lex Salisbury, as well as interviews with Ged Caddick and Don Woodman, who worked with the tiger in earlier years, and from the author’s own years of observing her at the zoo and shadowing her keepers as they cared for her.
85 Tigers have distinctive personalities: Lee S. Crandall, A Zoo Man’s Notebook, p. 133.
85 “true to her species”: Author interview with Pam Noel.
85 “tofu shaped to look like their prey?”: Ibid.
86 she treated him as an intruder: Mary Jo Melone, “Tigers Take Time Breaking the Ice,” St. Petersburg Times, June 28, 1989.
86 Shere-Khan struggled and suffocated: Kathleen Ovack, “Tiger Kills Rare Cub as Visitors Watch,” St. Petersburg Times, May 6, 1990.
87 “she wasn’t seeking human companionship”: Author interview with Ged Caddick.
87 walked into the Bengal tiger exhibit: “Fatal Mauling a Metrozoo Mystery,” Miami Herald, June 7, 1994; and “In the Zoo World, a Mistake Can Be Lethal,” Boston Globe, June 11, 1994.
87 lion bit down on her hand: Logan Mabe, “Lion Bites Off Worker’s Arm,” St. Petersburg Times, May 13, 2002; and Kathryn Wexler, “Zoo Keeper Put Fingers in Lion’s Cage,” St. Petersburg Times, May 14, 2002.
87 nothing like holding a housecat: This description is based on the author’s firsthand experience at the home of Don Woodman, a veterinarian who worked with Enshalla as a young tiger. At the time of our interview, his family was foster caring for a litter of ten-week-old tiger cubs orphaned after they were confiscated from a facility where they were being neglected. During our interview, one of those cubs kept climbing into my lap and trying to gnaw on my notebook.
88 cubs were an instant hit: Marty Rosen, “Tiger Kittens Make Debut,” St. Petersburg Times, November 27, 1991.
89 the explosions startled him: Author interviews with Don Woodman.
89 they found Rajah dead: Ibid.
89 something set them off: Janet Shelton Rogers, “Zoo’s Female Tiger Dies after Fight with Mate,” St. Petersburg Times, March 12, 1994; also “Crushed Windpipe Killed Tuka,” St. Petersburg Times, March 16, 1994.
90 trained to check and recheck every lock: Author interviews with Pam Noel, Carie Peterson, Brian Czarnik, and Lee Ann Rottman.
90 answered with a half-roar, half-snort: Author witnessed this scene.
91 “All our girls are like that here”: Author interview with Carie Peterson.
91 chasing his minders: Author interviews with Kevin McKay, Andrea Schuch, and Lee Ann Rottman.
92 race toward her, running on all fours: Author interviews with Pam Noel and Lee Ann Rottman.
6 COLD-BLOODED
93 died in Virginia’s arms: Author interviews and e-mail exchanges with Virginia Edmonds.
94 “They’re good at birthing”: Author interview with Dan Costell.
95 calculus of life and death: Author interviews and observations of the herps staff.
95 “Whoever hatches first, wins”: Details on frog eggs and mortality rates among K-selected and r-selected species based on author interviews with Dan Costell, Dustin Smith, and Kevin Zippel.
95 running catalogue of stereotypes: The author heard these stereotypes constantly bandied among the zoo staff during his years of reporting.
96 Dustin and Dan—as they were invariably called: The portraits of the two herps keepers’ personalities are based on many interviews with them and other keepers, as well as years of observing them both at the zoo and outside the zoo.
97 the minor god who held sway: The author followed Dan Costell many times as he nurtured the frogs and their artificial rain forest.
98 a Komodo dragon coiled itself: Author witnessed Dan Costell getting this tattoo.
98 “Loser,” he would say, smirking: Author witnessed this exchange, and many others like it, while following Dustin Smith on his rounds.
98 hurled her droppings at him: Author interviews with Dustin Smith. Lee Ann Rottman confirmed the orang’s general dislike of men.
99 Gabremariam had visibly shuddered: Author witnessed this moment on the elevator while following Gabremariam and Lex Salisbury to a Tampa city council meeting.
99 Dustin could quote the studies: These studies were confirmed in Vicki Croke’s The Modern Ark, p. 97.
100 a cluster of howler monkeys: Author witnessed these keeper scenes, including Kevin McKay’s comment on Grimaldi, Carie Peterson’s encounter with the geese, and Dan Costell’s fascination with the frogs.
101 Led Zeppelin wailed on: The author noticed that Zeppelin songs almost always happened to play on the radio inside the venomous snake room. ZZ Top also serenaded the snakes regularly.
101 “I’m no bunnyhugger”: This section on keeper culture is based on the author’s numerous interviews and months of reporting with Costell, Carie Peterson, and many other members of Lowry Park’s staff.
103 especially fond of Bamboo: Author interviews with Costell, Carie Peterson, Dustin Smith, and Lee Ann Rottman.
7 FRONTIER
104 Code One drill, again: Author witnessed the scene.
105 Lowry Park’s Code One protocols: Based on author interviews with Lee Ann Rottman, Lex Salisbury, and many other keepers.
105 At the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo: Phillip T. Robinson, Life at the Zoo, p. 77.
105 most likely to kill humans: Vicki Croke, The Modern Ark, page 105.
105 rainstorm flooded the polar bear moat: Ibid.
106 Hurricane Andrew roared: Tai Abbady, “Miami’s Zoo Teems with New Life 10 Years after Hurricane Andrew,” Associated Press, 2002; also, the Miami zoo’s Web site describes the devastation of the hurricane at http://www.miamimetrozoo.com/about-metro-zoo.asp?Id=93&rootId=8.
106 Lowry Park . . . had never taken a direct hit: In the decades prior to 2003, the worst hurricane to come close to Tampa Bay was Hurricane Elena, a Category 3 storm that stalled just off the central Florida coast in 1983 before turning northward.
107 a Siberian tiger named Tatiana: This account is based on numerous San Francisco Chronicle articles and on a fifteen-page report compiled by several AZA inspectors in the wake of the attack. The inspectors interviewed many of the San Francisco zoo employees who were on the grounds the evening of the attack, and together their accounts offer a comprehensive and detailed time line of the incident. The inspection report was completed in March 2008 and was accessed by the author on the San Francisco Chronicle’s Web site at http:www.sfgate.com/ZCTQ.
107 “My brother’s going to die”: The excerpt of the 911 call is taken from a transcript published in the San Francisco Chronicle on January 16, 2008.
109 alerting him to the bad news: Justin Scheck and Ben Worthen, “When Animals Go AWOL, Zoos Try to Tame Bad PR,” Wall Street Journal, January 5, 2008.
109 dismissed zoos as wretched prisons: “Zoos: Pitiful Prisons,” article on PETA Web site, accessed July 10, 2009, at http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=67.
110 first time a zoo escape had resulted: Scheck and Worthen, “When Animals Go AWOL,” Wall Street Journal, January 5, 2008.
110 “ ‘I am the lion now!’ ”: Lawrence Wright, The Looming Tower, p. 231.
111 tried to approach Knut: “Lonely Man Jumps Into Cage With Polar Bear Knut,” Associated Press, December 22, 2008.
111 teacher despairing over her inability: “Woman Is Mauled by Polar Bear after Jumping into Berlin Zoo Enclosure,” Associated Press article published in the Los Angeles Times, April 15, 2009.
111 into a pit with a pride of ten lions: “Lioness Kills Man Who Jumped into Zoo Pit,” Reuters, January 25, 2002.
111 a keeper discovered her body: This description is based on several Washington Post articles, including Avis Thomas-Lester’s “Autopsy Says Lion Attack Killed Woman; Police Try to Establish Identity of Woman Found in Lion’s Den,” March 6, 1995; Phil McCombs’ “In the Lair of the Urban Lion,” March 7, 1995; and Toni Locy’s “Lion Victim Spent Final Day at Court; Clerk Says Woman Wanted to File Suit for Custody of a Daughter,” March 10, 1995. In addition, Kay Redfield Jamison provides a haunting summary and analysis of the case in “The Lion Enclosure,” a chapter of her book Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide, pp. 154–159.
112 zoo’s most serious Code One: This brief history of animal escapes at Lowry Park is based on author interviews with Dan Costell, Rachel Nelson, Lee Ann Rottman, and Heather Mackin. The author observed the guinea fowl on the loose and heard the “code one, chicken” call.
112 Lex called to Rudy: Salisbury’s success in safely retrieving the orangutan was reported in the St. Petersburg Times on June 28, 1991. In addition, Salisbury shared some details of the incident in an e-mail exchange with the author.
112 orangutans are known as escape artists: Eugene Linden, The Octopus and the Orangutan, p. 96.
113 a set of Code One recommendations: The author saw this advice on a bulletin board in the herps building and wrote it down.
114 “The night before she died”: This account of Char-Lee Torre’s last weeks and her death is based on the author’s interviews with Torre’s family and with Lex Salisbury; on the Tampa police report on the attack, #93-050287; and on several St. Petersburg Times articles, including Marty Rosen’s “Elephant Kills Young Trainer at Tampa Zoo,” July 31, 1993, and Rosen’s “Elephant Had Challenged Her Trainer Before,” August 7, 1993.
115 Asian elephants typically show more patience: M. Gore, M. Hutchins, and J. Ray, “A Review of Injuries Caused by Elephants in Captivity: An Examination of Predominant Factors,” International Zoo Yearbook, 2006, p. 60.
115 New trainers . . . particularly vulnerable: Same study as above; also Amy Sutherland, Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched, p. 270.
115 Tillie had spent three decades in captivity: Details on the elephant’s history are available in The North American Regional Studbook—Asian Elephant, p. 51.
116 a particularly ugly scandal: This account of the elephant controversy at San Diego is based on a series of articles by Jane Fritsch published in the Los Angeles Times between May and December of 1988.
116 Protected contact . . . showed another way: The section chronicling the development of protected contact is based on numerous sources, including Gary Priest’s “Zoo Story,” published on the Web site of Inc. in October 1994; an article by Priest and others titled “Managing Elephants Using Protected Contact,” Soundings, First Quarter 1998, pp. 21–24; and a collection of pieces written by Tim Desmond, Gaile Laule, and Margaret Whittaker, three consultants who worked on the new protocol with Priest. One article, “Protected-Contact Elephant Training,” was presented by the consultants at the 1991 AZA conference. The other articles are available online at http://www.activeenvironments.org.
116 caring for an elephant’s feet: Gary Priest, “Zoo Story,” and Ian Redmond, Elephant, p. 16.
117 rearing up like Godzilla: Tim Desmond and Gail Laule, “Protected-Contact Elephant Training,” pp. 4–5.
117 they vandalized his car: Amy Sutherland, Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched, p. 271.
118 “one of the very best zoological parks of its size”: Jennifer Orsi, “Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo: From Bad to Best,” St. Petersburg Times, March 3, 1994.
118 risk was minimal and manageable: E-mail exchange between author and Salisbury.
118 Tillie’s warnings began almost immediately: Larry Dougherty, “Zoo Cleared in Elephant Handler’s Death,” St. Petersburg Times, April 3, 1997.
119 “Don’t hurt the elephant”: Lex Salisbury recounted this detail in an interview with the author.
120 Mourn not for us: Torre’s family showed the paper and its handwritten verse to the author. The lines are from “The Star,” a Twilight Zone episode based on a short story by Arthur C. Clarke.
120 photos of Char-Lee Torre still hung: Observed by author during his reporting.
8 BERLIN BOYS
121 Msholo weave his trunk: Scene described to author during interview with Brian French.
121 Elephants are skilled tool-users: A detailed list of their abilities, and an account of them blocking the cull roads, is available in “Tool Use by Wild and Captive Elephants,” an article by Suzanne Chevalier-Skolnikoff and Jo Liska, published in Animal Behaviour, Volume 46, p. 210.
122 their abstract works have been auctioned: Hillary Mayell, “Painting Elephants Get Online Gallery,” National Geographic News, June 26, 2002. To view or buy examples of elephant artwork, go to http://www.novica.com/search/searchresults.cfm?searchtype=quick&txt=1®ionid=1&keyword=elephants&keywordsubmit=. The paintings are accompanied by articles about the artwork and discuss the differences between paintings where a handler guides the elephant’s brushstrokes and where the animal has been allowed to move the brush across the page however she likes.
122 large rocks on electric fences: Joyce Poole, Elephants, p. 36.
122 Burma hoisted a log: “Elephant Escapes after Dropping Log on Electric Fence,” New Zealand Herald, January 23, 2004; also Peter Calder, “One Morning Out Walking an Elephant Crosses My Path,” New Zealand Herald, January 24, 2004.
122 testing every aspect of their new lives: Author interviews with Brian French and Steve Lefave.
123 crash on the cot in the hall: Author interviews with Brian French.
123 didn’t act like circus elephants: This account of the elephants’ behaviors and personalities is based on the author’s interviews with Brian French and Steve Lefave.
124 anatomy of an elephant’s face: Interpretation of elephant expressions provided by Murray E. Fowler and R. Eric Miller, Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine, p. 44.
126 ominously named Elephant Restraint Device: Author witnessed the keepers using the ERD to draw blood and exfoliate the elephants’ skin.
127 rehearsed, so she wouldn’t be startled: Author interviews with Brian French.
128 English, German, French, and Hindi: Ibid.
128 “She was my elephant.”: Ibid.
128 the sacred and the scientific: The artificial insemination scene is reconstructed from the author’s interviews with Brian French and Steve Lefave, and a phone interview and e-mail exchange with Dr. Thomas Hildebrandt, as well as numerous papers and articles explaining elephant AI, including “Successful Artificial Insemination of an Asian Elephant at the National Zoological Park,” published in Zoo Biology, volume 23, pp. 45–63.
129 a technique originally developed to allow paraplegic men: Vicki Croke, The Modern Ark, p. 167.
129 just another day in a remarkable career: Gretchen Vogel, “A Fertile Mind on Wildlife Conservation’s Front Lines,” Science, November 9, 2001, pp. 1271–1272.
129 “He’ll ultrasound just about anything”: Ibid.
130 mechanics of elephant reproduction: Author interview with Thomas Hildebrandt, also “Aspects of the Reproductive Biology and Breeding Management of Asian and African Elephants,” an article written by Hildebrandt, Göritz, and others for International Zoo Yearbook, 2006.
131 “It’s for the best for Ellie”: Author’s phone interview with Hildebrandt.
9 MATING
132 In the darkness beyond the edge of the sky: The opening section describing the satellite tracking the manatee is based on author interviews with Monica Ross and on information from NOAA and from CLS America, the company that tracks the manatees using NOAA’s satellites.
133 attempting to capture him one last time.: The author accompanied Monica Ross, Virginia Edmonds, David Murphy, and other manatee researchers as they searched for Stormy on the St. Johns River.
135 newborn male, still connected by the umbilical: Author interviews with Kevin McKay and Lee Ann Rottman.
136 trying to mark the entire zoo: Author interviews with McKay, Rottman, and Andrea Schuch.
136 first meeting did not go well: Author interviews with Carie Peterson and Pam Noel.
136 joined forces to clean the moat: Author witnessed this scene after climbing into the lemur moat with the keepers.
138 They had to make it fun: This section describing the lives of the keepers is based on the author’s interviews with many members of Lowry Park’s staff.
138 bustled through their morning workload: The author was following Carie Peterson on her rounds that day.
139 “He wants her so bad”: The author witnessed the tiger mating ritual while sitting beside Peterson under the boardwalk.
10 THE HUMAN EXHIBIT
143 Another sexual request from Herman: Details of the chimp’s sexual habits and of the keeper reactions were based on author interviews with Andrea Schuch, Angela Belcher, and Lee Ann Rottman.
143 “It makes me crazy”: The author witnessed this exchange between the female keepers.
144 Rukiya was easily the most intelligent: This description of the female chimp’s behavior and personality is based on the author’s interviews with Lee Ann Rottman.
145 deception and counter-deception: Anne E. Russon, “Exploiting the Expertise of Others,” a chapter in Machiavellian Intelligence II, edited by Andrew Whiten and Richard W. Byrne, pp. 193–194.
146 the chimp would listen: Author interview with Lee Ann Rottman.
146 who was really in charge: The author witnessed this moment between Herman and Lex Salisbury.
146 he could identify every bird and every gecko: This scene is based on a tour Salisbury gave to the author.
147 how to woo mayors and governors.: This section describing Salisbury’s history and management style is based on the author’s observations of the CEO during years of reporting, plus several of the author’s interviews with Salisbury, as well as with many people who worked for him over the years.
148 complaints were almost always whispered: Author interviews with multiple members of Lowry Park staff, past and present.
149 “a benevolent dictatorship”: Author interview with Salisbury.
149 Diamonds sparkled inside augmented cleavage: The author attended Karamu and witnessed these scenes firsthand, including the late-night visit to the elephant building.
150 “just kick me in the balls”: Overheard at the table where the author was seated.
153 surveyed his creation: The author followed Brian Morrow through the construction site that day, interviewing him as they walked.
155 a deep crimson form stirring: This section is based on the author’s firsthand reporting and on interviews with Kelly Ryder and other members of the aviary staff.
156 the magazine saluted: Maureen P. Sangiorio, “The 10 Best Zoos for Kids,” Child, June–July 2004, pp. 112–122.
156 The lucky guest: Author witnessed this scene.
156 “Because God made us”: Andrea Schuch recounted this moment to the author.
157 final days before the debut: Author witnessed these scenes, as well as the unveiling ceremony with the mayor and then the grand opening of Safari Africa.
11 CITY AND FOREST
159 news of Ellie’s pregnancy: Author interviews with Brian French and Steve Lefave.
160 a hybrid of The Odyssey and Wild Kingdom: Author interviews with Jeff Ewelt, Melinda Mendolusky, and Heather Mackin.
161 an unexpected obstacle: The author reported firsthand on these experiences inside the basement at Rockefeller Center and outside and inside the studio of Late Night With Conan O’Brien.
164 a lethal fungus known as chytrid: Author interviews with Kevin Zippel and Dustin Smith, also information from Project Golden Frog’s Web site, http://www.ranadorada.org/.
164 they had to decide: Author interview with Kevin Zippel.
164 their first two weeks in the forest: Author interviews with Kevin Zippel, Dustin Smith, and other members of the research team.
165 the Thousand-Frog Stream: The author joined the research team in Panama and accompanied them on this journey into the gorge by the water’s edge.
166 Jeff and Melinda saw it: Author interviews with Jeff Ewelt and Melinda Mendolusky.
166 Dustin had to devote almost three weeks: Author interviews with Dustin Smith and Lee Ann Rottman.
166 Lowry Park’s conservation fund had donated: Figure supplied by the zoo.
167 He and Brian French were disagreeing: Author interviews with Lex Salisbury and Brian French.
168 Lex’s big push: Interviews with multiple members of Lowry Park’s staff, past and present.
168 One of the doubters was Carie Peterson: Author interviews and e-mail exchanges with Peterson.
168 Lamaze class was under way: Author interviews with Brian French, Steve Lefave, and Heather Mackin.
169 a newborn calf ran forward: The scene describing the discovery of the baby elephant’s birth is reconstructed from the author’s interviews with Brian French, Steve Lefave, and Lee Ann Rottman.
12 UNDERTOW
172 In those first days after the virgin birth: Based on the zoo’s media releases and on press conference statements made by David Murphy and Lex Salisbury.
172 the marketing team knew how to capitalize: “Ellie’s Big Bundle of Joy,” by Alexandra Zayas, St. Petersburg Times, November 11, 2005.
173 the clear winner, suggested by a second-grade class: “Elephant Calf Christened at Lowry Park,” by Alexandra Zayas, St. Petersburg Times, December 22, 2005.
173 Ellie, now reigning as the unquestioned matriarch: Author interviews with Brian French and Steve Lefave.
173 unmistakable signs of an undertow: Based on the author’s interviews with multiple members of the staff, past and present, as well as the author’s observations while reporting at the zoo in that period.
174 Brian, always camera shy: Author interviews with Brian French.
174 the zoo was letting him go: Author interviews with Brian French and Lee Ann Rottman.
174 “It’s a personnel matter”: Author interview with Rachel Nelson.
174 Brian and Lex confirmed: Author interviews with Brian French and Lex Salisbury.
175 “You could get fired at any time for any reason”: Author email exchange with a former keeper.
175 Carie Peterson debated: Author interviews with Carie Peterson.
175 The two Sumatran tigers: Author interviews with Carie Peterson and Pam Noel.
175 Dr. Murphy was preparing: Based on statements Dr. Murphy made at a press conference on August 23, 2006.
176 “That’s my son”: Author witnessed this scene.
176 he had never forgotten Herman: Author observations and interviews with Ed Schultz.
177 The young female’s name was Sasha: Details on the baby chimp’s gradual introductions are based on author interviews with Lee Ann Rottman and Angela Belcher.
177 she would immediately raise her arms: Sasha did this for the author, who held her.
178 Herman and Bamboo had tangled: Author interviews with Lee Ann Rottman.
178 Lee Ann noticed something odd: Ibid.
178 The chimps were fighting: This section is based on author interviews with Lee Ann Rottman, David Murphy, and Jeff Kremer.
180 He looked at peace: Scene based on author interviews with Ed Schultz and Lee Ann Rottman.
13 FREEDOM
181 Noting Herman’s prominence: Rebecca Catalanello, “Fight Kills Lowry Park Chimp,” St. Petersburg Times, June 9, 2006.
181 primate males are often viewed as inherently violent: The author was present at a meeting of St. Petersburg Times editors the day after Herman’s death and watched as one editor made this assumption explicit, theorizing that Rukiya had “tried to help” and stop the fight because females are more nurturing.
182 “Everybody considered them buddies”: Author interview with David Murphy.
182 rumors circulated, both inside and outside the zoo: Based on author interviews at Lowry Park and on theories raised in Rebecca Catalanello’s article “Bringing Up Babies, Bringing in Dollars,” St. Petersburg Times, July 9, 2006.
183 some wondered out loud if Bamboo should be punished: The author heard this issue debated several times, including during a conversation at a meeting of St. Petersburg Times editors the day after Herman’s death.
183 He refused to look at them: Author interviews with Ed Schultz.
184 Bamboo was suffering as well: Author interviews with Lee Ann Rottman.
184 a quest to identify the caller: Author interviews with Carie Peterson, Brian Czarnik, and Jeff Kremer. The campaign to track down the tipster was confirmed and defended in author interviews with Lex Salisbury and Rachel Nelson.
184 Carie finally quit: Author interviews with Carie Peterson.
185 fired only a few days: Author interviews with Brain Czarnik and Carie Peterson. The firing was confirmed by author interviews with Lex Salisbury, Lee Ann Rottman, and Rachel Nelson. Salisbury also discussed the firing in a press conference on August 24, 2006.
185 the zoo hired a new keeper: Statements made by Lex Salisbury and Lee Ann Rottman at the press conference in August 2006.
185 the new keeper found himself alone with the tigers: The description of Enshalla’s escape and shooting is based on author interviews with Lex Salisbury, Lee Ann Rottman, Virginia Edmonds, and Pam Noel, as well as a written statement Chris Lennon made for investigators, as well as statements made by Salisbury, Rottman, and David Murphy at the press conference the next day.
14 CONSPIRACY THEORY
189 “What’s wrong?” Carie asked: Author interviews with Carie Peterson.
189 a good draw at the front gate: Author witnessed the ticket line the day after Enshalla’s shooting.
190 Chris was so devastated: Author interviews with Lex Salisbury and Lee Ann Rottman, as well as statements made at the 8/24/06 press conference by Lt. Steve De Lacure, a Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission inspector.
190 Lex had no choice: Author interviews with multiple staff members, past and present.
191 the zoo had been stretched: Author interviews with Brian Czarnik.
191 Lex was asked about Czarnik’s firing: Salisbury statements made at the 8/24/06 press conference.
191 “We don’t call them unless we need them”: Ibid.
192 Lee Ann was stunned: Author interviews with Lee Ann Rottman.
192 Lex guided two reporters to the boardwalk: The author was one of those reporters.
193 talk of a statue: Author interviews with Lee Ann Rottman and Rachel Nelson.
193 The surviving chimps . . . had not fully recovered: This section, including the theory on what could have motivated Rukiya to instigate a coup, is based on the author’s interviews with Lee Ann Rottman.
195 former staff members stepped forward: Author interviews with Jeff and Coleen Kremer; also, their Web site, TampasZooAdvocates.com.
196 The zoo fired back: These rebuttals are based on the author’s interviews with Lex Salisbury, Lee Ann Rottman, and Greg Stoppelmoor.
197 he gave a triumphant speech: The author reported the speech firsthand.
15 WINNING
198 The critics pounded away: Author interviews with Jeff and Coleen Kremer; also, their Web site.
199 something had gone deeply wrong: Author interviews and e-mails with Carie Peterson.
199 Lex had learned not to worry: Author interviews with Lex Salisbury.
199 filling Lowry Park with more species: Author interview with Larry Killmar.
200 Detroit officials questioned the practice: The quote was excerpted from a discussion on the Detroit Zoo’s Web site, http://www.detroitzoo.org/News%10Events/In_the_News/Elephants_Questions_and_Answers/, but it has since apparently been removed from the site.
200 warmer temperatures of Florida were well suited: This update on the elephants’ progress and on Sdudla’s transfer to the Montgomery Zoo is based on the author’s interviews with Steve Lefave, Lee Ann Rottman, Brian French, Lex Salisbury, and Rachel Nelson.
200 “among the best in the country”: Author interview with Steve Feldman.
200 stemming the tide of extinction: Author interviews with Dan Costell.
201 situation with the tigers: The update on Eric and the white tigers is based on author interviews with Lee Ann Rottman and Rachel Nelson.
201 no conservation value to them: The case against exhibiting white tigers has been made in many interviews and articles. The most damning criticisms have come from Ronald Tilson, director of conservation at the Minnesota Zoo and one of the world’s acknowledged experts on various tiger subspecies.
201 Lex did not agree: Author interview with Lex Salisbury.
202 his will never seemed to waver: This section is based on the author’s observations and interviews with Salisbury over several years, as well as multiple interviews he has given to other journalists.
202 posed for the cover: Bob Andelman, “A Wild Thing: How Lowry Park Zoo Scratched Its Way from Worst to First,” Maddux Business Report, October 2008.
203 Lex invited a St. Petersburg Times reporter: The author was the journalist who toured Safari Wild that day in December 2007 with Salisbury and his wife and Larry Killmar.
206 memorandum of understanding: The memo was first publicly reported by the author in “Zoo Story,” St. Petersburg Times, December 16, 2007. Over the following year, the memo was dissected at length in further coverage of the zoo and of Safari Wild in the St. Petersburg Times and the Tampa Tribune, as well as in multiple reports from several media outlets.
16 NOT WINNING
209 The real trouble began: The account of the monkeys’ escape and miscellaneous adventures is based on numerous news articles published in the St. Petersburg Times, the Tampa Tribune, and the Lakeland Ledger. It would require pages, literally, to list them all. In addition, Lex Salisbury and Elena Sheppa discussed the escape in an interview with the author in February 2010.
209 people had warned him the species could swim: Author interview with Salisbury.
210 patas monkeys appear somewhat comical: Tom Lake, “Fastest Monkeys on Earth Won’t Be Easy to Capture,” St. Petersburg Times, April 24, 2008.
210 sometimes called dancing monkeys: Herb Clement, Zoo Man, p. 144.
210 the males typically weigh: patas monkey fact sheet available online from the University of Wisconsin’s Primate Info Net, http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/patas_monkey.
210 they rely on evasive tactics: Kelley Benham and Don Morris, “Escape from Monkey Island,” St. Petersburg Times, February 1, 2009.
210 None of this deterred Lex: Benham and Morris, “Escape from Monkey Island.”
211 “I have monkeys in my yard”: Erin Sullivan, “Seeing Monkeys? You’re Not Bananas,” St. Petersburg Times, August 30, 2008.
211 They snuck onto a ranch: Baird Helgeson, “Escaped Monkeys Make Mischief on Ranch,” Tampa Tribune, October 25, 2008.
212 Revelations tumbled forth with dizzying speed: This section summarizing the exposés into Lex Salisbury’s business affairs is based on numerous news reports, but the lion’s share of the investigative work was pieced together by Alexandra Zayas of the St. Petersburg Times, Baird Helgeson of the Tampa Tribune, and Steve Andrews of News Channel 8.
213 “I should have had better political instincts”: Alexandra Zayas, “Iorio Says Zoo Didn’t Keep City Informed,” St. Petersburg Times, September 16, 2008.
213 board had reviewed the memo: These details on the controversy are based on the city of Tampa’s audit of the zoo, released to the public in its final form in March 2009. The document is available online at http://www.tampagov.net/dept_Internal_Audit/files/09/0901.pdf. In addition, the audit’s contents were reported and discussed extensively in numerous news articles in the St. Petersburg Times, the Tampa Tribune, and other media outlets.
214 a three-day trip to Paris: The city audit, pg 45.
214 “Mr. Salisbury appeared to treat the operation”: p. 61 of the audit.
215 “Plead for mercy”: Alexandra Zayas, “Zoo Leader Takes Issue with Audit,” St. Petersburg Times, December 16, 2008.
216 many of the audit’s findings about Lex should not have shocked anyone: Numerous difficulties at Lowry Park were publicly disclosed many times in the two years before Lex Salisbury was forced out. Alex Pickett at Creative Loafing repeatedly sounded an alarm about conditions at the zoo, most prominently in “Endangered Species: How Safe Is Lowry Park Zoo?” a lengthy exposé that appeared on the magazine’s cover on October 25, 2006. Jeff and Coleen Kremer gave interviews to several reporters at different media outlets and documented problems at the zoo on their group’s Web site, tampaszooadvocates.com, long before the scandal exploded. The author, meanwhile, detailed Herman’s and Enshalla’s deaths in “Elegy for the King and Queen,” published in the St. Petersburg Times on October 1, 2006, and chronicled Salisbury’s fiery management style and morale issues at the zoo, as well as the potential for conflicts of interest at Safari Wild, in “Zoo Story,” a nine-part series published in December 2007.
216 the staff routinely saw him driving a trailer: The author observed this repeatedly and heard zoo staffers talking about it as a matter of course, including at a docents meeting he attended in October 2003, where Lee Ann Rottman announced that four of the zoo’s zebras had come from Salisbury’s ranch.
216 The Mayor’s Hour: Alexandra Zayas, “City of Tampa TV Showed Rhinos’ Delivery to Private Zoo,” St. Petersburg Times, October 23, 2008. As of this writing, photos of the two rhinos being transported to Safari Wild—and of Lowry Park employees observing the move—can still be viewed on the city of Tampa’s Web site, http://tampafl.gov/dept_Cable_Communication/programs_and_services/city_of_tampa_television/_behind_the_scenes/behind_the_scenes37.asp.
217 Trent Meador thought maybe it was a coyote: This account of Meador’s shooting of one of the escaped monkeys is closely based on Ben Montgomery’s remarkable article, “The Real Fate of Monkey No. 15,” St. Petersburg Times, January 30, 2009.
219 “You’re not going to catch those monkeys”: This account of Lex and Deana Brown’s experiences trapping the final four monkeys is based on an award-winning multimedia project written by Kelley Benham and illustrated by Don Morris, titled “Escape from Monkey Island” and published in the St. Petersburg Times on February 1, 2009. An interactive version of the story, featuring animation by John Corbitt and Desiree Perry, can be viewed on the Times’ Web site at http://www.tampabay.com/specials/2009/reports/monkey-island/. Additional information from the original interviews with the Browns was also shared with the author, courtesy of Benham, and was woven into this account.
17 CULL
222 That Thursday broke bright and clear: This chapter is based on numerous news articles on the board meeting, especially Alexandra Zayas’s “Lowry Park’s Longtime Chief Forced to Resign,” St. Petersburg Times, and Baird Helgeson’s “Lowry Park Zoo Director Announces Resignation,” Tampa Tribune, both published on December 19, 2008. The author also relied on Web updates that these reporters and others filed even before the meeting was over. The account is also based on the author’s interviews with Salisbury and Sheppa and with two members of the Lowry Park board who voted that day.
224 the nothingness of the hotel corridors: The descriptions of how the day felt to the reporters are based on the author’s interview with Alexandra Zayas.
225 “You can’t possibly be serious”: Author interview with Marti Ryan, spokeswoman for Hillsborough County’s Animal Services.
225 “in a car with the windows cracked?”: This scene is based on the author’s interviews with Elena Sheppa, Marti Ryan, and Corporal Denise Brewer, the animal services officer who cited Sheppa, as well as photos that Brewer took of the Pathfinder that day in the parking lot as part of her investigation. The author also relied on an article by Dennis Joyce, “Wife of Ex-Zoo Director Charged with Animal Cruelty,” Tampa Tribune, December 18, 2008.
226 details trickled out: This account of the board meeting is based on the author’s interviews with Salisbury, with former board member Bob Jordan, and with another board member who wished to remain anonymous.
227 board chairman went to the room: Based on the author’s interview with Lex Salisbury and on statements made by Robert Merritt, the chairman, during a press conference immediately after the board meeting.
Epilogue DUSK
228 search for a new executive director: Baird Helgeson, “Tampa Zoo Uses Vague Ad to Seek New CEO,” Tampa Tribune, September 30, 2009.
229 “A business with two brands”: Quoted from a Lowry Park media release.
229 “the number one zoo in America”: Heard by author repeatedly during calls to the zoo in the fall of 2009 and spring of 2010.
229 Lee Ann remembered: This section, including the details of Bamboo’s and Sasha’s deaths, is based on the author’s interview with Rottman in early 2010.
231 El Diablo Blanco stared into the flames: This section is based on the author’s interview with Salisbury and Sheppa at their ranch in Pasco County on February 28, 2010.
232 clearly weary of the whole affair: Alexandra Zayas, “Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo and Former President Lex Salisbury Negotiate a Financial Settlement,” St. Petersburg Times, August 22, 2009.
232 further prosecution is not warranted: Salisbury supplied the author with a copy of the letter.
235 “the serial killer of the biosphere”: E. O. Wilson, The Future of Life, p. 94.
235 golden frogs have all but vanished: Author interview with Kevin Zippel.
236 a toddler, staring down a rhino: The author saw the poster during a visit to Mick Reilly’s home.
236 “Nature . . . plays no favorites”: The author reported these scenes in Mkhaya, including the closing conversation at the watering hole, during an April 2007 trip to Swaziland.