There was a time when a trip to the zoo meant gaping at once-wild animals trapped on barren concrete and caged in sterile chain-link. Often bored, sometimes neurotic, bears and big cats paced back and forth with nothing else to do. Elephants rocked from foot to foot endlessly. Highly intelligent primates threw their feces at the crowds in frustration — a sad spectacle for us and a miserable existence for them.
For the benefit of all, a quiet revolution in the zoo business was launched in the late 20th century — a revolution that would tear down that concrete and chain-link and build instead natural habitat displays for captive animals — displays that gave them some semblance of their former freedom. Several of the pioneers of that movement got their start in Tucson, at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
One of those pioneers was Richard "Rick" Dyson, who learned the art and ethos of creating naturalistic enclosures at the Desert Museum, then went on to transform zoos and living museums throughout America. Rick died in Tucson on April 29 at the age of 82, leaving behind a legacy of humane beauty that we — and the magnificent animals — now enjoy on our trips to the zoo.
"Rick changed the world for animals" is how my sister, Joan Bondi, put it. Full disclosure here: I was married to Rick for nearly a decade during the 1980s —some of the best years of my life. I met him when I worked for three years at the Desert Museum during the 1970s, then watched him take his good work nationwide.
Rest of the article by Carla McClain For the Arizona Daily Star:
https://tucson.com/news/local/tucsonan-rick-dyson-built-natural-zoo-habitats-changed-the-world-for-animals/article_c0d45388-b744-11eb-acf6-a3c540be7a5c.html
For the benefit of all, a quiet revolution in the zoo business was launched in the late 20th century — a revolution that would tear down that concrete and chain-link and build instead natural habitat displays for captive animals — displays that gave them some semblance of their former freedom. Several of the pioneers of that movement got their start in Tucson, at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
One of those pioneers was Richard "Rick" Dyson, who learned the art and ethos of creating naturalistic enclosures at the Desert Museum, then went on to transform zoos and living museums throughout America. Rick died in Tucson on April 29 at the age of 82, leaving behind a legacy of humane beauty that we — and the magnificent animals — now enjoy on our trips to the zoo.
"Rick changed the world for animals" is how my sister, Joan Bondi, put it. Full disclosure here: I was married to Rick for nearly a decade during the 1980s —some of the best years of my life. I met him when I worked for three years at the Desert Museum during the 1970s, then watched him take his good work nationwide.
Rest of the article by Carla McClain For the Arizona Daily Star:
https://tucson.com/news/local/tucsonan-rick-dyson-built-natural-zoo-habitats-changed-the-world-for-animals/article_c0d45388-b744-11eb-acf6-a3c540be7a5c.html
There was a time when a trip to the zoo meant gaping at once-wild animals trapped on barren concrete and caged in sterile chain-link. Often bored, sometimes neurotic, bears and big cats paced back and forth with nothing else to do. Elephants rocked from foot to foot endlessly. Highly intelligent primates threw their feces at the crowds in frustration — a sad spectacle for us and a miserable existence for them.
For the benefit of all, a quiet revolution in the zoo business was launched in the late 20th century — a revolution that would tear down that concrete and chain-link and build instead natural habitat displays for captive animals — displays that gave them some semblance of their former freedom. Several of the pioneers of that movement got their start in Tucson, at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
One of those pioneers was Richard "Rick" Dyson, who learned the art and ethos of creating naturalistic enclosures at the Desert Museum, then went on to transform zoos and living museums throughout America. Rick died in Tucson on April 29 at the age of 82, leaving behind a legacy of humane beauty that we — and the magnificent animals — now enjoy on our trips to the zoo.
"Rick changed the world for animals" is how my sister, Joan Bondi, put it. Full disclosure here: I was married to Rick for nearly a decade during the 1980s —some of the best years of my life. I met him when I worked for three years at the Desert Museum during the 1970s, then watched him take his good work nationwide.
Rest of the article by Carla McClain For the Arizona Daily Star:
https://tucson.com/news/local/tucsonan-rick-dyson-built-natural-zoo-habitats-changed-the-world-for-animals/article_c0d45388-b744-11eb-acf6-a3c540be7a5c.html
For the benefit of all, a quiet revolution in the zoo business was launched in the late 20th century — a revolution that would tear down that concrete and chain-link and build instead natural habitat displays for captive animals — displays that gave them some semblance of their former freedom. Several of the pioneers of that movement got their start in Tucson, at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
One of those pioneers was Richard "Rick" Dyson, who learned the art and ethos of creating naturalistic enclosures at the Desert Museum, then went on to transform zoos and living museums throughout America. Rick died in Tucson on April 29 at the age of 82, leaving behind a legacy of humane beauty that we — and the magnificent animals — now enjoy on our trips to the zoo.
"Rick changed the world for animals" is how my sister, Joan Bondi, put it. Full disclosure here: I was married to Rick for nearly a decade during the 1980s —some of the best years of my life. I met him when I worked for three years at the Desert Museum during the 1970s, then watched him take his good work nationwide.
Rest of the article by Carla McClain For the Arizona Daily Star:
https://tucson.com/news/local/tucsonan-rick-dyson-built-natural-zoo-habitats-changed-the-world-for-animals/article_c0d45388-b744-11eb-acf6-a3c540be7a5c.html
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