ROYAL OAK, Mich., July 2, 2008 – The Detroit Zoological Society has appointed Robert Lessnau as Curator of Mammals.  He is responsible for overseeing animal care and welfare for the Mammal Department as well as managing operations and maintenance of mammal facilities at the Detroit Zoo.

Lessnau joins the Society from the St. Catherine’s Island Foundation on St. Catherine’s Island in Midway, Ga., where he served as Primatologist.  He also worked as a Senior Zoologist in primatology and Interim Curator for the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Wildlife Survival Center on St. Catherine’s Island.  Prior to that, he was Primatologist at Charles River Laboratories in Homestead, Fla.

“Bob’s background in research and animal management, especially with primates, is an important contribution to mammal care at the Detroit Zoo,” said Director of Conservation and Animal Welfare Scott Carter.

A Michigan native, Lessnau was a Veterinary Technician Supervisor at Professional Veterinary Hospitals of Michigan in Southfield in the late 1980s.  He also held positions as a Curatorial Intern at the Detroit Zoo, Primate Technician at the Dallas Zoo, Wildlife Technician at the International Wildlife Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, and Animal Technician at the Belle Isle Nature Center.

In addition to his position at St. Catherine’s, Lessnau has also served for the past 14 years as a biology instructor at Armstrong Atlantic State University, in Savannah, Ga.   He earned a Master of Science in Biology from Wayne State University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Dallas Baptist University.

The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo.  Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak.  The Detroit Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October (open at 9:30 a.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day) – with extended hours until 8 p.m. Wednesdays during July and August – and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March.  Admission is $11 for adults 13 to 61, $9 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7 for children ages 2 to 12; children under 2 are free.  For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.  The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.  For more information, call (313) 852-4056. 

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