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Retiring St. Louis Zoo Employees Discuss Animals They've Cared For Over The Years, Evolution Of Zoos

Eric Miller (at left) and Jack Grisham have put in a combined 66 years of work at the St. Louis Zoo.
Evie Hemphill | St. Louis Public Radio

It takes a village to raise a child, and it might take even more than that to care for the nearly 15,000 animals that call the St. Louis Zoo home.

Jack Grisham and Eric Miller are two people who know this well. They are retiring from the St. Louis Zoo after a combined 66 years of work experience there.

Grisham began his zoo career flipping burgers in high school and eventually became vice president for animal collections, and Miller came to St. Louis to work as one of the zoo’s veterinarians in the 1980s.

They both joined Don Marsh on Monday’s St. Louis on the Air to discuss their careers, the role of zoos in conservation and, of course, the animals.

Listen to the conversation:

St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh and producers Alex HeuerEvie HemphillLara Hamdan and Jon Lewis give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.

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Jon Lewis was the production intern at St. Louis Public Radio from January to May 2019. Originally from Pelham, New York, Jon came to St. Louis to attend Washington University in 2015. Previously, Jon has interned for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Eight by Eight, a soccer magazine based in Brooklyn.