Former Lincoln Park Zoo director dies at 100

Dr. Lester Fisher, the former director of Lincoln Park Zoo who helped transform the once aging facility into a renowned institution centered around education and animal welfare, has died.

He was 100 years old.

Fisher "laid the foundation for the institution Lincoln Park Zoo is today," said C. John Mostofi, chairman of the board of Lincoln Park Zoo. "As zoo director, Dr. Fisher transformed the zoo from an old-fashioned facility into a center of care and conservation. He built the first Great Ape House, with exhibits designed to mimic natural habitats, and today his name graces the Dr. Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, one of the world's leading ape behavior and science centers."

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