Bob Lessnau is the Director of Animal Collections at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical
Garden. Bob has been working in wildlife conservation and education for the past 35
years. He began his career as a zookeeper at the Dallas Zoo in the primate department.
After earning his Masters degree in zoology, Bob began his career in conservation
research first in Madagascar, then became a senior zoologist for the Wildlife
Conservation Society on St. Catherine’s Island, Georgia. During his 15 years on St.
Catherine’s, Bob also participated in field projects in Costa Rica and Panama. In 2008,
Bob was appointed mammal curator for the Detroit Zoological Society. During that
time, Bob continued his work in Central America and added a research project in Kenya
working with olive baboons. Along with his responsibilities at the Cincinnati Zoo, Bob
continues his field work and is also an adjunct professor for the University of Cincinnati.