Thank You Dr. Wegeforth

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a zoo in San Diego? I believe I’ll build one”                                                 - -Dr Harry Wegeforth

 

Few men can create a legacy that not only survives but also thrives a century later. Harry Wegeforth was one of the few.

Nearly one hundred years ago, the City of San Diego held the Panama-Pacific Exposition to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal. During the course of the exposition over 3 million people visited Balboa Park and no visitor would prove to have more of an impact on our city than Dr. Harry Wegeforth of Maryland. Dr. Harry served as a physician as well as a member of the Board of Directors for the exposition. In the last days of the expo, Harry Wegeforth heard the roar of a lion in the distance. Upon hearing this, he wondered what would become of the exotic animals brought in for the exposition; as the animal handlers could not afford to have them shipped to their original locations. Then and there he decided to start the San Diego Zoo.

Within weeks, Dr. Wegeforth had secured deeded land from the city, enabling him to exhibit the first animals in what would become known today as one of the greatest zoological organizations in the world.

Dr Wegeforth was ahead of his time in many ways. Rather than showcase animals in enclosures made of cold, dreary iron bars, he decided to use moats that were out of the view of the visitor, giving guests an unprecedented eye-level view of lions, tigers and other majestic beasts. While those enclosures look ancient these days, when they first opened they were at the forefront of zoo technology. He was among the first to recognize the importance of long term care and conservation of animal populations; rather than simply putting them on display as a money making venture.

 Long after Dr Wegeforth passed on, the Zoo remained at the forefront of zoo, establishing itself as the premier zoo on earth. Almost 70 years after Ellen Scripps donated the funds for the original lion grotto, the African Rock Kopje exhibit opened. This set a new standard as a fully man-made exhibit that looked and felt like the animal’s natural habitat. The rock kopje is still one of my favorite exhibits; if it’s a slow enough day you really can feel like you’ve been transported to another continent. You’ll get the same feeling at any number of immersive exhibits. If you haven’t strolled down Tiger River just before closing time, do yourself a favor and do it.

Just six years after the zoo opened, Dr Wegeforth asked local electrician Laurence Klauber for help identifying a few snakes the zoo had acquired. This began a career in herpetology that lasted nearly four decades and Klaubers writings, now over 50 years old, are still considered the definitive writings on rattlesnakes. In addition, he identified over 50 new reptiles and amphibians and since then, scientific (latin) names of 14 different species have been named after him. Who knows what career Laurence Klauber would have had if it were not for Dr. Harry!

In 1925, the zoo was in need of an executive director and Dr Wegeforth asked a bookkeeper named Belle Benchley to step in for the time being. Mrs. Benchley held the position for the next 28 years and during that time, she was one of the only female Zoo Directors in the world.

In 1975 Dr. Kurt Benirschke urged the Society Board to create a “frozen zoo” of embryos that would come to be known as the Institute for Conservation Research. This research has led to the survival of countless endangered species and animals that were previously extinct in the wild are consistently being introduced into their original habitats.

One of their greatest success stories is of the California Condor. In 1987, only 22 condors remained in the wild. All were captured and brought into breeding programs established by the Zoological Society of San Diego in conjunction with the Los Angeles Zoo. There are now over 400 condors living in the wild and in zoos. They would have been extinct had it not been for the roar that Dr Wegeforth heard a century ago.

In addition to captive populations the Zoo has through San Diego Zoo Global; established conservation programs at over 200 locations worldwide. In an innovative approach reminiscent of Dr Wegeforth’s far-seeing ideas, the zoo has helped local artisans in finding other ways to earn an income that is more in harmony with the natural environment rather than the ages-old ways of harvesting, buying and selling of meat, pelts and the like with little to no regard for the natural balance.

I often wonder where the animal rights whackos are when the Zoo is doing such tireless work towards wildlife and habitat conservation. Many are quick to speak up when they get a new elephant and now some are even trying to sue Sea World for slavery, claiming that they are holding Killer Whales against their wills. They’ll throw paint on people who wear furs, but they won’t even acknowledge the fact that the Zoological Society of San Diego and similar organizations around the world have dedicated their entire existence to saving animals. But rather than pay lip service to those who only wish to bring down the good work of others, I choose to pay tribute to that work. Holding up a sign and calling zoo employees “murderers” and “slave owners” does nothing for wildlife. Tireless research, work and public education does. And I am so very grateful to have grown up in San Diego always within a 15 minute drive from the World’s Greatest Zoo. And I’m even more grateful that I now have the opportunity to share Dr. Wegeforth’s legacy with my children.

A century ago Dr. Wegeforth heard a roar in Balboa Park. That roar signaled the dawn of a new age of animal care and research.

What roars have you heard, and where could it possibly lead?

Hope to see you at the Zoo or Safari Park sometime.

Rudy

 

 For further reading, check out “It Began With a Roar” by Dr. Wegeforth and Neil Morgan

http://www.amazon.com/Began-Roar-Beginning-World-Famous-Diego/dp/B000BMSYRS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379542370&sr=8-1&keywords=it+began+with+a+roar

Crikey!

I have a very vague recollection of when Elvis Presley died. I have quite a few memories of when John Lennon passed away. I was in high school when Stevie Ray Vaughan went to the Great Stage in the Sky and I shed more than a few tears, as I had only recently begun to truly discover his work. When Dale Earnhardt died, it shook the racing world to its core. No sport had suffered such a tragic, high-profile loss since baseball lost Roberto Clemente.

We are often saddened by the death of a celebrity, especially those who are so dedicated to their respective fields of endeavor and the pursuit of excellence that they raise the bar and become legends while they still walk the earth. But the one that hit me hardest and still hurts the most came on September 4^th, 2006.

I was spending Labor Day weekend at Silver Strand State Beach with my family, always a great time. On that morning, I walked to the newspaper rack and an article on the front page of the UT made my heart sink.

The caption read “Steve Irwin Dead”

I shook my head in disbelief, and through my tear-clouded eyes, I expected to read about a car accident, or maybe a plane crash. Yet I learned that The Crocodile Hunter died doing what he loved best; introducing the rest of the world to dangerous animals. On that day, I tried my best to avoid others. I was hurt, hurt bad. Steve Irwin had fast become one of my favorite TV personalities. Wait, scratch that. Steve had become one of my favorite human beings of all. His enthusiasm was contagious; his love of wildlife was unmatched. I walked up and down the beach all morning, my face wetter from the tears than it was from the ocean spray. I remember getting a little irritated with those around me; as I broke the news, they were back into regular conversation just minutes later. I couldn’t fathom how they’d react to such devastating news with little more than “Oh wow”. Later in the day, I came to some semblance of peace, enjoying the sunset with my grandmother, uncles, aunts and cousins. As I looked toward the ocean again, I thought of how the mighty Pacific stretched all the way to Australia. At that moment, I felt a strange warmth inside, thinking to myself “He was just across the water”.

After a few drinks, I started having thoughts of wanting to catch and kill every stingray I could find. I carelessly did a lot of that across the bay as a youngster and a temporary rage brought on that desire once again. Yet it passed as soon as it came and common sense settled back in. I never knew the man personally and next to Teddy Roosevelt, I don’t think there’s anyone else in history I would rather meet and spend time with. Killing stingrays, or any animal was the last thing he would’ve wanted, so I just continued walking up and down the shore, praying thanks for such a wonderful man. One of the few who touched the lives of millions he’d never met.

When I was young, the only TV exposure we had to wild animals was the occasional PBS special or Mutual of Omaha’s “Wild Kingdom” shows on Saturday afternoons. On the rare occasion we’d catch a show on reptiles; I’d laugh at how my brother would get the willies when watching a snake on TV. Only later did I get the same feeling when watching the Crocodile Hunter. Up until that point, anyone dealing with venomous snakes wore high, thick leather boots, long sleeves, gloves and carried a snake stick. So naturally, when this crazy Australian came along in shorts and the only stick he used was a twig or branch he found only after he spotted a brown snake or cobra, then watching him grab them by the tail you can bet I got a few goose bumps!

Every show brought a new adventure and while the primary focus was on reptiles, there were always more than a few birds and mammals featured.

While reading the book he co-wrote with his wife Terri, I found another opportunity to get to know the man I admired so much. While reveling in story after story of rescuing crocodiles I gained even more respect for him; which is pretty much a miracle since I didn’t think it was possible to respect him more than I already did. As a father myself I smile at Terri’s account of the day their daughter Bindi was born. Apparently, Steve excitedly toured the hospital with little Bindi, joyfully showing her off to the staff and new parents in the maternity ward. It brings me great joy to know that he and Terri brought two beautiful children into the world, ensuring his legacy will be passed down the generations.

Many people were critical of him for feeding a crocodile with one hand while holding his one month old son Bob in the other. Would I do something like that? Definitely not. Then again, I’m no croc expert. But do I feel he shouldn’t have done it? Well I’ll just say this; he’d been around “salties” all his life and if he says his infant son was in no danger, I’m inclined to believe him more than I’d believe any of his critics. The man was an expert on crocs, an expert on snakes and pretty much an expert on all types of Australian wildlife.

But as I’ve studied him, I’d have to say that his expertise in being a great human being was his biggest trait, even bigger than his already larger than life TV personality. As much as he loved wildlife, the only thing he loved more was his family.

His parents Bob and Lyn built the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, later named Australia Zoo; in the name of wildlife conservation. All proceeds go right back into the zoo; improving exhibits, continuing research and promoting wildlife education. Of all the tenets of the zoo, the one that I like the most is the “Animals First” policy; which as they stated in their book, is something of a departure of the “guests first” policy within most businesses. Of course, the creation and continuation of Australia Zoo was never intended as a business in the traditional sense; the one and only mission was and still is to conserve wildlife. And in addition to their hands on work and expertise, the driving force behind the television shows was to educate the world and create awareness.

Oh how I miss those shows! You can still see some episodes on YouTube or for even better viewing order some of their DVD’s.

My all time favorite episode dealt with rattlesnakes. After dinner one evening I turned on the TV and caught The Crocodile Hunter a few minutes after the hour. Something was vaguely familiar about the terrain and when he mentioned his search for rattlesnakes, I knew what I was thinking was true.Steve Irwin was in my own back yard! With one of his shooting locations was in the back country of San Diego County. To this day, I wish I could have learned of his visit. How exciting it would have been to meet him in person!

Nowadays, when I’m driving to work in Alpine, I think of how excited he would be to scramble across the granite boulders in search of a Red Diamondback or the smaller and nearly invisible Speckled Rattlesnake. Often, I think to myself “He may have driven down this very road!”

In doing some research on him lately, I came across some memes that poked fun at the fact that he dealt with some of the most dangerous animals on the planet. It bugged me to see that some of them were sarcastic, shallow attempts at humor. A few just looked upon him as some nut. More than anything, I’m sad for those who have no idea about the importance of wildlife the world over. I’m sad for those who don’t appreciate the way Steve Irwin dedicated his entire life and being to conservation and education of wild animals. Closed-mindedness prevents some people from seeing him for what he truly was, a Wildlife Warrior.

But above all else, I’m grateful that such a man lived. He definitely affected my life. In this blog, I seek to tell the stories of those whose greatness is achieved by tireless dedication to the greater good.  That was definitely Steve. As if his constantly putting himself in harm’s way for the benefit of education wasn’t enough, Steve and Terri agreed long ago that ALL proceeds from television and merchandising would go right back into their Zoo.

As with any person you read about in this particular blog; Steve life challenges me to take a long, deep look at myself.

What am I doing for the common good?
What am I contributing to something larger than myself?
What legacy do I hope to leave?

These are questions I ask myself every day, yet I am not exactly looking for the answers. What I am doing is looking for ways to create the answers. Appreciating and learning from Steve Irwin’s life work has helped me on that path. Reading his story and studying his work is something I consider a challenge; if he accomplished what he did in his 44 years, what could I accomplish? Surely I won’t become a globally-known wildlife advocate but who knows, maybe one of my children will pioneer a new way to milk rattlesnakes, or develop a better feeding technique for baby gorillas. If they do choose a life path that involves wildlife conservation, you can bet that Steve Irwin had something to do with it. His influence on me will be passed on to my children and from them to theirs and on down the line; just as there are surely millions of parents who grew up watching the Crocodile Hunter in action.

Steve Irwin may be gone, but his work continues. In a a world of instant gratification, of people who will share a meme and pass it off as wisdom; it warms my heart to know there are still those who still dedicate their lives to something bigger than themselves.

Rest in Peace, Mate.