MEDIA PAGE

 Jon Wassner  
where he once worked,  
at the Indianapolis Zoo

Allen and Jon can tell you:

• Why all zoos are not the same, why you should visit another zoo
• How a day at a great zoo compares well with a theme park visit
• What they like best about your hometown zoo
• What amazing new zoo exhibits are opening this year in the USA
• What animals would no longer exist -- if not for zoos
• Updates on news and controversies involving zoos, such as:
• Zoos possibly closing or making major cuts 
• Pandas from China
• Elephants in zoos
• San Francisco tiger tragedy
• Unexpected animal deaths (or births) in zoos
• Why did Newt Gingrich write the Foreword for the book

      < Allen's Interview Notes >       < Jon's Interview Notes >

Downloads:    Press Release (PDF)         Press Release (MS Word)

                         Book Cover (High Res)    Book Cover (Low Res)

                         Allen's Photo                      Jon's Photo

Radio Interviews: 

      TravelTalkRADIO, satellite/online: August 30, 2009  <Listen>

               Let's Travel, NYTalkRadio.net: August 27, 2009  <Listen>

             The Travel Show with Bobbi Jo: August 13, 2009  <Listen>

                KNRY 1240 AM, Monterey CA: August 10, 2009  <Listen> (click Podcasts & slide down)

                     KPAM 860 AM, Portland OR: August  8, 2009  <Listen>

 

The Travel Show w Peter Greenberg: June 6, 2009 (@33:34) <Listen>

      WBT 1110 AM, Charlotte NC: April 25, 2009 (at end)  <Listen>

                                        The Travel Queen: April 18, 2009  <Listen>

                                         The Travel Queen: July 19, 2008  <Listen>

                            The Vacation Station: January 23, 2009  <Listen>

The Travel Show w Peter Greenberg: Nov.8, 2008 (@42:56) <Listen>

                  The Nature Connection: September 12, 2008  <Listen>

 WSJS 600/1200 AM, Winston-Salem NC: Aug 15, 2008  <Listen>

Did You Know?

• With more than 150 million annual visitors, America's zoos attract more people than all of the major pro sports combined.
• Based on a 2004 survey, we estimate that fewer than 10% of all zoo visitors are tourists. We aim to change that!
• The typical family of 4 will pay over $250 per day for admission and parking at a major theme park. By comparison, that same family of 4 pays an average of $37 for a full day at a great zoo.
• The average "best" zoo (in our book) has nearly 3,000 animals of almost 400 different species.
• Only 4 USA zoos exhibit Giant Pandas.  Only 9 have Koalas.  Only 3 zoos with Dolphins, 3 zoos have Manatees, and similarly, only 3 exhibit Kiwi birds.  We can tell you where.
• Tourists going on safari to Africa look to photograph the famous "Big Five" animals (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo). Only 1 USA zoo has all five of them!
• Two of every 3 adults at the zoo visits with a child -- thus the emphasis on children's zoos.

• "A fantastic resource for people of all ages. If you're hooked on zoos like I am, you'll treasure this book!"

Jack Hanna,

Director Emeritus, Columbus Zoo

Host, TV's "Into the Wild"

   (and "Animal Adventures")

 

 

  

“I can not see that anyone with even the slightest interest in zoos would not want to read America's Best Zoos. It is bursting with information, it is enthusiastic and it is energetic.”

 

John Tuson, International Zoo News, July/August 2008

 

“America's Best Zoos is a must-have for any wildlife lover traveling across the country. Highly recommended for community library travel collections."

 

Midwest Book Review: August 8, 2008