2014 CONSERVATION ADVOCATE MEDAL
A historic day: Chuck Bieler was all smiles as six koalas arrived from Australia in 1976, part of that country’s bicentennial gift to the United States.
Charles Bieler
A Remarkable Director for Changing Times By Mary Sekulovich SENIOR EDITOR, DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Looking Back
Photos by SDZG
Some might say it would be difficult to follow legendary San Diego Zoo directors such as Dr. Harry Wegeforth, Mrs. Belle Benchley, or Dr. Charles Schroeder. Yet Charles Bieler did it with grace, charm, and a light touch. He forged a strong friendship with Dr. Kurt Benirschke, and together they created CRES (the Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species) in 1975, the precursor to today’s San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. “Chuck” also saw the Safari Park through its initial 12 years of development, first as its operations manager and later as the organization’s director.
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ZOONOOZ
SEPTEMBER 2014