Miami Proud: Octogenerian Zoo Miami employee's love of animals, people keeps him young at heart
MIAMI - Fred Cohen loves to introduce people to his favorite animals with special close encounters, like showing guests at Zoo Miami the right way to feed the giraffes.
He started out in the 1960s at Crandon Park Zoo as a zookeeper. Now at age 86, he has had many 'encounters' of his own and loves to retell them.
"We used to show them how we would sheer sheep," Cohen explained talking about the children's zoo at Crandon and how it would take him about half an hour.
"In Australia, they can do a sheep in three minutes. I ain't that good!" he chuckled.
He also spoke about handling those, as well as some wild cats too.
"You could walk in and talk to the lions, you know, and just about scratch them under the chin," he recalled. "These are true stories."
Then there was the unforgettable moment of helping the veterinarian deliver a baby giraffe at Crandon.
Cohen said he's had every job at the zoo, he worked in the kitchen for over 30 years. In 1989, his executive chef role even landed him on national television.
"Ron Magill came to me and said, 'Come to my office, somebody wants to talk to you on the phone.' So I went, the phone rang, I answer the phone and it's a young lady from the David Letterman show in New York," said Cohen.
They wanted to have him demonstrate the food they make for the animals. So he and Magill went to New York with two ring tailed lemurs and a parrot for the adventure.
Never the shy type, Cohen has also been a professional clown named 'Gogo' and dressed up for the zoo Halloween party.
He retired in 1998, but returned not long after and worked the carousel, the giraffe feeding station, and then the transportation department where he's been ever since.
He's quite the celebrity. Just ask Henry Gomez, he's Cohen's supervisor and has known him for about twenty years.
"You have people that have been here before, met him, enjoyed the time with him, and then brought their children, and their children's children come to meet him," said Gomez.
Cohen's love for all creatures, including the two-legged ones, is evident.
"I've had people come in and pay admission to spend 10 minutes with me just to say hello and walk out. And I say, 'you came and paid to go see the animals! What animals do you want to see?!'," he said.
The staff cherishes him, they say it's like having your grandfather around complete with the pearls of wisdom.
"If you find a job that you like, regardless of how much it pays stay with it," said Cohen.