Lee A. Cockerell

Lee Cockerell LLC (www.LeeCockerell.com)
Executive Vice President (Retired) - Walt Disney World Resort

Today’s Date: 28 November 2007

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

I grew up on a dairy farm surrounded by all kinds of animals including my pet skunk which sprayed me when he/she became an adult. That has a lasting impression. I would say the other impact on my appreciation for the animal world and nature was a visit to Tiger Tops in Nepal where we interacted with elephants and saw many wild creatures in their own jungle environment.

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

The woods in and around our Oklahoma farm where my brother would spend the whole day hiking around and swimming in the local lakes and ponds with our dog whose name was Karo.

Now? We enjoy hiking and canoeing in France in the woods where we now spend the summers.

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is and why?

I would say elephants since we have seen them born at DAK (Disney’s Animal Kingdom) and also because of spending a week with them in Nepal and seeing how smart they are.

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

In both cases population growth is going to always be the main challenge. Not sure the Earth can sustain Billions more. Man to survive for the short term will continue to destroy the Earth. In my opinion this will be a bigger issue than solving the carbon issue. Reproduction will not be so easily resolved as carbon emissions even though this is a huge issue. Lack of food and clean water is our biggest issue, I think.

5. If you could give one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

Birth control


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