The article examines some of the non-routine challenges that an academic library director can expect to deal with during his or her career. Each challenge is discussed in a paragraph or two, beginning by characterizing the challenge as an animal that serves as a metaphor for unusual but nonetheless important conditions that can, sooner or later, demand a response from any library director. The article considers strategies for managing the director's relationships with superiors, peer administrators, patrons, and library employees, and gives specific recommendations for handling them effectively.