San Diego

Arthur Crane Risser, a leader of efforts to preserve the rare California condor, has been appointed general manager of the San Diego Zoo.

Risser, 47, succeeds James P. Bacon who died April 4 of a collapsed lung after serving three months as general manager.

Risser will continue Bacon’s plans to direct zoo operations toward exhibiting animals in their natural habitat and steer away from the entertainment or circus aspects used as a drawing card to entice larger audiences to the zoo, said Jeff Jouett, zoo spokesman.

“Jim and I have basically the same philosophy in that regard,” Risser said. “I plan to keep the momentum. My role is also to provide leadership to the general manager’s team, we’re working towards a closer functioning relationship.”

Before his appointment on Monday, Risser worked as general curator of birds for the zoo and the San Diego Wild Animal Park. He is co-chairman of the Working Group for Captive Breeding and Reintroduction of Condors, and a member of the California Condor Recovery Team.

The park and zoo are both operated by the Zoological Society of San Diego.

As general manager, Risser will oversee the zoo’s extensive renovation process under way which will ultimately rebuild the zoo over the next 20 years, Jouett said.

After receiving a Ph.D. in zoology from from the University of California at Davis in 1970, Risser joined the biology staff at the University of Nevada, Reno as assistant professor before relocating to the zoo as assistant curator.