Sailing With Noah: Stories from the World of Zoos

by Jeffrey P. Bonner

Written by the president of the nation’s number-one zoo, Sailing with Noah is an intensely personal, behind-the-scenes look at modern zoos. Jeffrey P. Bonner, who was trained as an anthropologist and came to the zoo world quite by accident, shares some of the most compelling stories ever told about contemporary zoos. The stories jump between zoos in different cities and between countries on different continents. Some are fun and funny. Others are sad, even tragic. Pete Hoskins, the director of the Philadelphia Zoo, is in bed, sound asleep, when his phone rings. . . . “There’s been a fire in the World of Primates,” he is told. “You’ve got to get over here.” Whatever he has been dreaming, it is nothing like the nightmare he will find now that he is awake. . . . “They’re all gone. They’re all gone.” All of the animals in the building—the gorillas, the lemurs, the orangutans, and the gibbons—all twenty-three of them are dead. Written in a lively, accessible style, Sailing with Noah explores the role of zoos in today’s society and their future as institutions of education, conservation, and research. Along the way, Bonner relates a variety of true stories about animals and those who care for them (or abuse them), offering his perspective on heavily publicized incidents and describing less-well-known events with compassion and humor in turn. By bringing the stories of the animals’ lives before us, Bonner gives them a voice. He strongly believes that zoos must act for living things, and he argues that conservation is a shared responsibility of all mankind. This book helps us to understand why biodiversity is important and what it means to be a steward of life on earth.            From the day-to-day aspects of caring for some of the world’s most exotic creatures to the role of zoos as field conservation organizations, saving wild things in wild places, this book takes the reader on an incredible journey—a journey that begins within the zoo and continues around the globe.  Everyone—from zoo visitors to animal lovers to professional conservationists, the young and old alike—will be fascinated by this extraordinary book.

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction, Nature, Science, Conservation, Essays

309 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2006

About the author

Jeffrey Bonner is the President and CEO of the Saint Louis Zoo, and past President of the Indianapolis Zoo and White River Gardens. He was trained as an anthropologist and came to the zoo world quite by accident, and shares some of the most compelling stories ever told about contemporary zoos.

Reviews

[Cienna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this book had a more noticeable cover because the "drab" appearance is more reminiscent of a textbook than a zoo story book. This book was fantastic. I learned so much I didn't know about the ins and outs of zoos (although I'm sure some of it is a bit dated in 2019). As a biologist this is exactly the kind of book I want to read. Fantastic narrative, short stories, scientific evidence. This book is accessible to all kinds of readers of all kinds of ages. Although the author does use humor in his storytelling it is by no means distracting and only helps to make the tales more interesting. He presents facts and information in an educational way, just like a zoo would. I cannot praise this book enough. If you love animals this is a great place to start for finding sources to expand your knowledge.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really, really well-done book that not only tells a number of fun and interesting stories about encounters with animals (what I thought I would be getting), but also lays out in compelling ways the value, worth, and importance of zoos in our communities and our world. Bonner has a wide perspective that allows him to tell both the world-wide story of animals and conservation, and the up close and personal view of individual animals and keepers under his care. It makes for a great mix.

My only (mild) gripe with the book is that for a book written in 2005, I thought that there was a veeeeery subtle undertone of "this guy sure lives in a male-dominated worldview." Clearly he respects women and has capable and competent women in his life, don't get me wrong. But there were just little hints, here and there, that made me cock my head and think, "What?" For example, the 12-man crew that he explained had four women in it and someone who "manned the table" (an editor should have changed that to "staffed the table"). But even more, Bonner described a woman who "thinks herself the equal of any man." The simple use of the word "thinks" instead of "knows" implies that this is all in her head, and not reality. It's small, but it reflects something. And another woman who he described as a "statuesque blond." Not once did he describe the physical attributes or hair color of any men in the book, except once when the physical size of a keeper was relevant to a story because the fact that he was tall and wide, and his size made him both larger than the bear that attacked him and that he blocked the doorway so the second keeper couldn't get by to help. (See how description was relevant there?)

But again, though my description of my gender observations takes quite a few words, let me reiterate that this is a wonderful book. It teaches about zoos, conservation, wildlife, and the role we can all play, through these wonderful community organizations, in maintaining the diversity of our planet. I highly recommend it.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this book. Mr. Bonner, while self-depricating about his writing abilities, has a charm and base of knowledge that far outweighs any lack of writing skill (though I didn't percieve any of this anyway). This is an accessible, fun (for the most part) read.

This is a collection of essays that Mr. Bonner, the president of the St. Louis Zoo, has written about his experience in the world of zoos. And while I loved the stories about the big ticket animals (Great Apes, Pandas, Polar Bears), I was impressed that he wrote about animals I didn't really know about.

Mr. Bonner is dedicated to the cause of conservation, and his love of the natural world is infectious. There are a lot of funny stories here, but given the topic, some sad ones as well. There are so many species that are endangered, and it can be tough to hear about people who continue to hunt them without a care. But one of the saddest stories had to do with the fire in the primate house in Philadelphia. The images he describes had me choked up.

Two other standout chapters for me were the Panda Wars chapter (because I got to see the Pandas that the Toledo Zoo brought over back in the late 80's), and the PETA chapter, with Bonner's excellent breakdown of Animal Welfare vs. Animal Rights. It comes down to helping animals vs. being publicity whores, and I'm with Bonner all the way here.

I'd recommend this book highly, and I hope Mr. Bonner sees fit to give us more stories in the future.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be quite frank, I do not recommend this book. The condescending and white savior-esque narrative that Bonner promotes in his book is irrespective of history and people of color. His demeaning characterizations of both Native Americans (and his appalling and disrespectful descriptions of Ghost Dance and Wounding Knee Massacre) and Africans entirely obscured his message about conservation and animal protection. I started reading this book under the impression that it would be about the importance of zoos and protecting endangered species. I finished reading this book with an understanding of how ignorance and racism still have an unfortunate role in the zoo industry today.

[Kristin Cruise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little outdated to current zoological information, but a great read none the less. If you are interested in zoo history or how modern zoos are operating, this book has some great information. The stories from both the zoo world and conservation initiatives will be very much appreciated by all animal enthusiasts.

[Helena Jole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book a few years ago and enjoyed it, so I recommended it for our church book club. It does kind of drag in places but it's an interesting read. I learned a lot of things about zoos that I had never really thought of before. Stories of animal escapes, illnesses, rescues, and more than you ever thought you wanted to know about elephant mating. The process and purpose of the zoos' breeding programs was especially interesting to read about since we have some new tiger cubs at the zoo here.

A large part of the book focuses on conservationism. I was saddened to read of the plight of the poor little partula snail. And then there was this paragraph, which particularly stuck in my memory:

There is some debate about how many violins made by Antonio Stradivari survive to this day, but seven hundred instruments is a pretty good guess. They vary greatly in value, but they can fetch up to $3.5 million at auction. There is no debate about how many Guam kingfishers survive to this day. As I write this, there are fifty-eight birds left alive. I have no idea what you'd have to pay to own one, but my guess is that they are worthless. There is simply no economic demand for them.

That's pretty representative of the author's style. It's nicely conversational and easy to read, for the most part, but he does go off on some tangents that bog down a bit.

[Stacia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The National Zoo is my favorite place in DC (yes, I'm a FONZ...friend of the National Zoo) which is where I bought this book. It's written by the guy who ran the St. Louis Zoo and others and what zoos are really about and their stories for how to manage the animals and about wildlife protection. I found it really interesting because I would love to go work for a zoo or as a safari guide so I've basically taken on a double life as an animal behavioralist geek. Anyway, some may find the background on animal protection policy boreing if you're more into the animal stories, but I like his short stories, and they all left me thinking. In a good way.

[Carmen María · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I thought it would be just another collection of anecdotes but even if it includes indeed some of those it is a serious (yet not at all boring) and deeply-felt account of the role of zoos in conservation. If you're still in doubt as to whether it makes a difference or not to try and save all those species that are endangered or may soon be, this book will convince you as it has me. As Baba Dioum wisely put it "In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand and we will understand only what we are taught." And this book has definitely taught me a great deal.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

The harsh reality that all animals will end up in zoos.