KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A man has been lending a helping hand at Zoo Knoxville since the 1990s, and he does it all for free.

Norm Naylor is one of the zoo's longtime volunteers. He stepped into the role after retiring from a career in education, and he's been sharing his passion for learning and wildlife ever since.

Naylor has been retired since 1999, and he knew he didn't want to sit at home. He said he had no knowledge of anything related to the zoo, and his wife joked they'd have him cleaning up after the elephants.

"I've always been engaging people. I'm a former teacher in California. I did a lot of corporate training and I said the zoo is such a tremendous asset to the community of Knoxville, and I'd like to be part of that," Naylor said.

For 25 years, Norm has greeted every zoo visito

See Full Page