San Diego Zoo
Sprawling wildlife park of naturalistic habitats set in canyon terrain, home to giant pandas and rare species from six continents.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the San Diego Zoo follows Belle Benchley, a divorced former schoolteacher who walked in looking for temporary bookkeeping work in the 1920s and instead caught the attention of founder Dr. Harry Wegeforth. You'll hear how she went from tallying dimes at the gate to running the place in all but title, and how her instinct for a sick animal became legend among the keepers, including a tapir named Mickey she kept near her own office. It also traces the fight she waged against the era's habit of caging everything behind bars.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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