They knew people so well. They communicated so well. They understood politics, especially patronage politics.

The most important thing is to preserve the world we live in. Unless people understand and learn about our world, habitats, and animals, they won't understand that if we don't protect those habitats, we'll eventually destroy ourselves.

We can't forget Pearl Harbor, but I'm afraid that we might. At one time we had some young people from some of the schools helping us out with the ceremony, and they didn't even know what Pearl Harbor was. That's so sad.

The most important thing is to preserve the world we live in. Unless people understand and learn about our world, habitats, and animals, they won't understand that if we don't protect those habitats, we'll eventually destroy ourselves.

I must say that in the last 20 years, I don't know of one zoo visitor that has been killed or maimed that bad by an animal in the zoo. Obviously, as zookeepers, our job tends to be dangerous at times.

Alligators and crocodiles are some of the most aggressive creatures on the planet - they'll take down a boat if you come up to their nest.