Won a substantial sum of money in a poker game, which financed his first expedition to Brazil. For several years, he supplied zoos in the U.S. with exotic animals. He lost most of his money in the stock market crash of 1929, then became director of the San Diego Zoo. The following year, he wrote his best-seller "Bring 'em back alive" which revived his fortunes. He subsequently worked at Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus and had a lucrative spell in movies.