The workplace is one big animal house every day

David Tetzlaff and his Zoo "coworkers" Sweat, blood and hard knocks. These are the things that taught Naples Zoo Executive Director David Tetzlaff the most important lessons about training and handling animals. Of course, a lifetime of experience and on-the-job training has helped, too.

The sons of Lawrence "Jungle Larry" and Nancy "Safari Jane" Tetzlaff, animal trainers, conservationists and founders of Wild Animal Park in Cedar Point, Ohio, as well as of the Naples Zoo (originally Jungle Larry's African Safari at Caribbean Gardens), David and his brother, Tim, were caring for wild animals of all types by the time they started elementary school.

As a boy, David traveled with his father to remote locations in Africa, leading safari tours and filming some of the world's most exotic wildlife.

"I had constant exposure to wild animals growing up," he says, adding hat his parents were frequent guests on local television programs, and that his father did stunt work for Johnny Weissmuller in the early "Tarzan" movies (Larry Tetzlaff was the one who actually handled the alligators).

Nevertheless, David Tetzlaff's initial interest was in marine biology.

"It wasn't until my senior year of high school that I developed a true passion for working with animals," he says. "That year, we brought in four leopards, and my father allowed me to be the one to train them. They were so amazing."

He has had no formal schooling or preparation in animal management. "My training came from working with my dad, and from handling animals of every type from the time I could walk. I couldn't have asked for any better or more complete training than that."

Perhaps because of his early experience training the leopards, Mr. Tetzlaff describes himself as "a cat man," although he has recently become fascinated with venomous snakes as well. "Working with reptiles interests me because it's 100 percent about technique," he says. "With cats, you can develop a relationship with the animal over time, and there is at least some forgiveness factor if you make a brief mistake. With snakes, it's technique alone that keeps you alive."

Although he was born in Ohio, he describes himself as very much a Naples native son. "My parents had a winter place here before I was born, and we moved here nearly fulltime when I was 6," he says. He attended Lake Park and Sea Gate elementary schools and graduated from Naples High.

For the Zoo's executive director, many day-to-day responsibilities are administrative in nature. Still, his is hardly what you would call a desk job. "My work is never boring," he says. "In all the years that I've been doing this, no two days have ever been the same."

There have been big changes at the Zoo in recent years. In 2004, the one-time family owned facility became a 501(c )(3) corporation after 73 percent of Collier County voters endorsed the purchase of the land under the Zoo. With the help of the Trust for Public Land, the county purchased the land under the Zoo as well as some of the surrounding land. However, the Zoo itself must generate its own funding to care for the animals, create new exhibits, pay rent and continue its conservation and education programs.

Mr. Tetzlaff now reports to a board of directors rather than to his parents, and he believes things have been working well so far. "We are deeply honored to serve the community and grateful for the faith that they have put in our family to manage and grow the Zoo," he says.

The latest addition to the Zoo is the Black Bear Hammock exhibit, which opened in May. Long-term plans include the creation of themed areas representing key coastal regions in Africa, Asia and tropical America.

While the Zoo staff has gone from 18 to 55 over the last few years, the Tetzlaff family remains involved in many of the operations. David's wife, Kelly Tetzlaff, serves as curator, and his eldest son, Sasha, 20, is one of nine animal keepers. David and Kelly also have two young sons — Zane, 10 and Kyle, 6 —who are growing up in the presence of some of the world's most exotic animals, just as their father did.

Among the things that Mr. Tetzlaff and his family are most proud of is the fact that the Zoo introduces people of all ages to animals they might not otherwise have a chance to meet. "Most people don't spend their average day in the forest or on safari, but the Zoo allows them to get a glimpse of these worlds and to participate in their beauty in a manner that is convenient and conducive to modern life," he says.

"Our hope is that each of our visitors leaves with a greater love and appreciation for animals and our natural world. If we can achieve that, even in some small measure, I believe our time and effort has been well spent."