Description

Kenton Lint began his career at the San Diego Zoo in 1936 as Assistant Curator of Birds, and was Curator of Birds from 1948-1976, after which he became Curator Emeritus. Under his direction, the zoo's ornithology department established more than 400 bird breeding records of birds in captivity, and assembled the largest collection of parrots and parrot-like birds in history. Lint received the 1965 Bean Award of the American Association of Zoological Parks & Aquariums for the notable first hatching of the Thick-billed Parrot. In 1976, he received the Zoo's Gold Conservation Medal, and later was elected to the Avicultural Hall of Fame. Lint discusses his family background, employment history, and early memories of the Zoo. Topics include: his parents' and siblings' background; past jobs, including raising and dressing 500 squabs a week for restaurants in Tulsa while in college; his studies in poultry husbandry and animal husbandry; how he met his wife Alice Lint and her work accompanying him on expeditions; his first work with the Zoo on mammals (cats and bears); first impressions and early memories of the Zoo; the donations of Ellen Scripps to the Zoo; some of the early zookeepers; how they dealt with financial difficulties in the early days; memories of former Zoo directors Belle Benchley and Charles Schroeder; working conditions and long hours at the Zoo in the days before labor unions; Karl Koch, the Curator of Birds before Lint, and his forming the nucleus of the Zoo's bird collection; collecting trips and the specimens brought back, including hummingbirds, Bali Mynahs, and proboscis monkeys; and descriptions of trips abroad to Asia, South America, and Africa. Names mentioned during the interview include: Alice Marie Lint, Jim Lyon, Ralph Virden, Ellen Browning Scripps, Charlie Smith, Roland Lint, Bob Jarbo, Charles Faust, Edalee Harwell, Ken Scott, Kate Sessions, George Pournelle, Charles "Chuck" Shaw, Clyde Perkins, Karl Koch, Allan Hancock, and Augusto Ruschi.