ENGLISH

Life at the Zoo: Behind the Scenes with the Animal Doctors

By Phillip T. Robinson

Book information

Publisher
Columbia University Press
Year
2004
ISBN
9780231132480, 0-231-13248-4
LCC
QL76 .R64 2004
Open Library ID
OL3303107M
Language
english
Format
DJVU
Filesize
3 MB (3118098 bytes)
Pages
307\307
Topic
Biology Zoology
Time added
2014-10-05 02:30:00

Description

Seasoned veterinarian Phillip T. Robinson shares his remarkable stories of working at the world-famous San Diego Zoo. In vivid detail he describes encounters with foulmouthed parrots, gum-chewing chimps, and stinky flamingoes, and the sometimes dangerous consequences of both human and animal interactions. He relates insider stories such as escaping the affections of a leopard who wanted to be a lap cat, training a gorilla to hold her newborn baby gently (instead of scrubbing the floor with it), operating on a semi-anesthetized elephant, and figuring out how to feed koalas in captivity, as well as why the zoo's polar bears were turning green. Robinson's wildly entertaining tales illuminate the hazards and rewards of a world in which the "natural" and "unnatural" can collide, insightfully tracing the evolution of zoos from banal menageries to important conservation institutions.

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