The last zookeeper that I met with to sell tub faucets was the keeper of the Asian small-clawed otter. She was really nice to me and just as passionate and informative as the other zookeepers that I had met with at the Bronx Zoo.
The Asian small-clawed otter is playful and social. The small-clawed otters live in groups of four to twelve in the wild. They are also known to often stay with their parents after reaching adulthood. Asian Small-Clawed Otters live in freshwater and coastal regions. They enjoy the care center with the zookeeper and the tubs that they use when working with them. The zookeeper liked the idea of new tub faucets.
I liked learning more about the otters. I was impressed to find out that by nine-weeks-old, they have learned to swim by using their tails as rudders. The can propel their sleek, streamlined bodies through the water. An otter has special muscles that seal its ear canals and its nose to keep out water when it is diving for food or fun. The zookeeper liked my presentation as much as I liked her enthusiasm and she signed a purchase order for tub faucets.
I have found that in North American zoos, the Asian small-clawed otters are part of a Species Survival Plan. This plan serves to maintain a healthy and genetically diverse captive otter population. The plan is also in place to create public awareness of this threatened species.
The care center is expanding and needed more tub faucets because the Bronx Zoo's new otter babies mark the 84th, 85th, and 86th births of small-clawed otters at JungleWorld. It is nice that they can breed in captivity. In the wild, the otter's home is shrinking, and the otter's survival is threatened by water pollution. They are further threatened due to the hunting of otters for their thick fur. Fish traps are also a threat to otters; they get caught in them and drown.
I was able to make three sales to the Bronx Zoo for my tub faucets. I was enjoying the Bronx so much; I wanted to stay awhile longer. I was able to identify several more potential clients and I set up sales calls with them.
I decided that I could sell tub faucets to Yankee Stadium. I made an appointment to see the procurements director and he was able to meet me three days after my initial call. The day before I called him, he had decided that he needed new tub faucets in the locker rooms. He did not like the fixtures that were already in place.
Yankee Stadium ended up ordering twice as many tub faucets as the Bronx Zoo. I'm glad that I was also able to spend just a few more days in the Bronx. I was able to visit the New York Botanical Garden. It was splendid.