Zoo Atlanta RIP Terry L. Maple

[snowleopard]

Terry L. Maple was director of Zoo Atlanta for 18 years, from 1984 to 2002, during which time he helped dramatically overhaul that facility from being one of the worst zoos in the nation to one of the very best, winning multiple AZA exhibit awards in the process. He later went on to become director of Palm Beach Zoo, along with countless other accolades and achievements. Maple wrote a number of books and was a giant of the American zoo industry.

Here is some more information about his career:

Dr. Terry L. Maple - Original Safari Professionals Private Luxury Safaris

I own two of his books, with 1993's Zoo Man being particularly brilliant.

 

[DavidBrown]

Terry Maple's transformation of Zoo Atlanta from what was universally seen as a horrible zoo into a world-class zoo is legendary. He was especially known for his work with great apes, and the Zoo Atlanta gorilla and orangutan complexes were considered pioneering for their time (and still are quite good from what I hear).

The mascot of his excellent zoo work was Willie B the gorilla, who went from being a solitary male held in a barren cell with only a television as company to the leader of a gorilla troop in a large green space with multiple offspring.

 

[15399]

Terry Maple was also very influential during his time as president of the AZA, and in turning the institution into what it is today. If I was asked to name the most influential people in the development of the modern US zoo, Terry Maple would likely be the second name I mention, after Bill Conway. Certainly someone who had an outsized impact on the zoo world.