Great thread. I have a few questions and thoughts to add.
First off I think that people would be interested in a book about zookeeper stories, but marketing the book and getting people to actually buy it could be difficult on a large scale outside of zoo gift shops and specialty stores. There is an audience for the stories, but it would really have to have some compelling stuff and be marketed efficiently to be a money maker. Perhaps a collection of the best stories from around the world could provide that level or content to make more of a mainstream success, but otherwise it will be a niche read for the most part and most people who would enjoy reading it won't actually seek it out and buy it without some incentive.
I think that what you are doing in this thread is much more interesting because it provides interaction. I don't know if your zoo website already has an "ask a zookeeper" section or not, but this is the way to do it. I read through the whole thread and think that getting a few more zookeepers in here answering questions would only make it better and provide more perspective. It may be hard to duplicate on your zoo website because of the nature of some of the discussion and how appropriate it is for kids, but the basic concept of interaction and free flowing discussion is very interesting. I don't know how you find the balance of keeping it kid friendly and answering all the monkey masturbation questions. People are just curious about that type of stuff and you guys have the answers so it's a great fit in that regard.
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I've been to the Columbus Zoo recently and I was very unimpressed with it. The enclosures are too small in many cases. The reptile house enclosures seemed like pet store exhibits. The Komodo Dragon exhibit was a big let down as well, it's just too small and fake. They have some nice stuff, the manatee exhibit is cool in an otherwise weak aquarium and the Kangaroo exhibit is probably the best because you can go right in there with them. I think that the Cleveland Zoo is way better because of their Rain Forest building. I've been to the D.C. and Cleveland Zoos and they are both better than CBus.
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Steve Irwin is a beast and I mean that in the best way possible. I never met him, but I respect him so much. I always thought that it would be a snake that got him in the end, although I heard that he was never bitten by a venomous snake in his life. I don't know if that's true or not. I'm not surprised to hear stories about how genuine a guy he was from those who crossed paths with him.
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As far as the which animal would win in a fight discussions: Taking deep water out of the equation I tend to believe that the Elephant wins it. The African Elephant is the largest correct? Just the size and power of the world's largest elephants leads me to believe all it will take is 1 awkward kick to break most animals. Not to mention how hard it would be to damage such an elephant. What is your take on that? I know you are partial to the Polar Bear, but size wise they aren't on a level playing field so I see it as a route. In this debate you hear about Lions, Tigers, Bears, Crocs, Hippos, Rhinos, and various other animals. What about a spitting cobra? It's ability to blind it's opponent so quickly could make it a real sleeper in this theoretical tournament. Deep water I think I go Orca, but I think that irikandji jellyfish should actually be the most feared ocean dweller in terms of venom.
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What life lessons do you take from the animals? What knowledge have you gained from them in a philosophical sense that has improved your life?
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I can't remember where I heard this, maybe from the movie Free Willy... Killer whales in captivity have dorsal fins that wilt and curl, but scientists never figured out exactly why that is. Has that mystery been solved?