Rossifari Podcast - Zoos, Aquariums, and Animal Conservation

Today, the Safari heads back to Knoxville, TN, to visit with Phil Colclough, the Director of Animal Care, Conservation, and Education at Zoo Knoxville! You'll learn all kinds of stuff, from cool facts about snakes, to how a new exhibit goes from dream to reality, to how to pronounce "Colclough!" This episode features a heavy does of reptile stories, but also looks at the world of zo...

Zoo News is back with a roundup of the news from the worlds of zoos and conservation!  In Zoo News, we discuss the America the Beautiful Initiative, zoo lights, the lion queen of the Bronx Zoo, and much more! In Conservation News, we're talking about right whales, sharks, red pandas, and a special guest deep dive on emperor penguins with Katie Propp of Penguins International!  Other News feat...

Today, the Safari heads to Massachusetts to visit The EcoTarium and sit down with former (and now current) guest Kelsey Castrogiovanni! Kelsey recently became the lead keeper at the EcoTarium, and the story of her decision to leave a beloved institution to help grow her career is incredibly interesting.  On top of that, we talk about some amazing animals including an incredible fox, and ancient po...

Today we take a departure from our normal Zoo New (Zews) format to bring you a deep dive on four sad stories that happened this last week in the world of zoos, aquariums, and conservation.  We skip a lot of the fun and the goofy songs to do a deep dive into the passing of Winter the dolphin and three snow leopards at the Lincoln Children's Zoo.  We also talk about the disappointing results fr...

Today, the Safari stays at Beardsley Zoo to talk to Lindsay Carubia, an animal care specialist who takes care of the red pandas at the zoo (amongst other animals, probably). We talk all about Lindsay's career, and learn all about the adorable duo of pandas at the zoo.  Lindsay also talks at great length about a non-charismatic species she is incredibly passionate about, burying beetles!   EPI...

Zoo News is back with a roundup of the news from the worlds of zoos and conservation!  In Zoo News, we discuss the latest Covid news at zoos, an important new behavioral consultancy company, some sad passings,  and much more!  In Conservation News, we're talking about sea turtles, right whales, and the climate change conference! Other News features a disease in deer,  baby seal communication,...

Today, the Safari heads back to Beardsley Zoo in Connecticut to talk to former guest JT Warner about the new anteater baby at the zoo, and the parents who have lived there for a while now!  You'll learn all about this incredible species and the amazing individuals at the zoo, and as a bonus, you'll get to listen to my first interview with JT from early in the podcast days, talking about...

Zoo News is back with a roundup of the news from the worlds of zoos and conservation!  In Zoo News, we discuss the latest Covid news at zoos, two awesome grants going to the Cincinnati Zoo, the hatching of a cool turtle, a bunch of aquarium news,  and much more!  In Conservation News, we're talking red-tailed hawks, ape conservation, a brand new moth, awesome news for red pandas, and more! Ot...

Today, the Safari heads back to Queeche, VT, to the Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences, better know as VINS! You first heard of this facility (and today's two guests) on episode 17 of the podcast, and now Grae O'Toole and Anna Morris are back to update us on all the new stuff happening at VINS, talk about raptor rehab and bird conservation, share thoughts on life, and, at the end, wal...

Zoo News is back with a roundup of the news from the worlds of zoos and conservation!  In Zoo News, we discuss the latest Covid news at zoos, the closing of a zoo that needed to be closed, an app that might help you enjoy zoos more,  and much more!  In Conservation News, we're talking rhinos, amazing strides being made in California, and some and interesting story of elephant evolution! Other...

Today, the Safari bids farewell to one of the oldest red pandas in the country, Yukiko, who lived at Woodland Park Zoo.  Yukiko is one of those pandas who had a legitimate impact on multiple lives without ever realizing it...and today, you'll get to hear some of those stories.  From my personal experience with Yukiko, to the thoughts of one of the keepers who took care of him for many years,...

Today, the Safari starts our trek through some awesome facilities in the New England region that I recorded while playing at Northern Stage in Vermont!  We start with Betsey Brewer-Bethel of Southwick's Zoo, a ZAA-accredited zoo in Mendon, MA.  Listeners of the pod will recognize the name from my interviews with Dani Poirier-Larson and Emily Begué, but Betsey brings an entirely new look at th...

Zoo News is back with a roundup of the news from the worlds of zoos and conservation!  In Zoo News, we discuss the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (obviously), some stories out of Cincinnati, and much more!  In Conservation News, we're talking animals out of fever dreams, a lot of cool evolutionary stuff, and more! Other News features a statue that has me very confused and some very deadly...goldfis...

Today, the Safari finishes its time in Florida by visiting with the Director and founder of the South East Zoo Alliance for Reproduction and Conservation (SEZARC), Dr. Linda Penfold! We talk about the amazing and unique work this organization is doing to further the scientific understanding of animals in captivity, and how that work impacts wild animals as well!   We talk about a bunch of studies...

Zoo News is back with a roundup of the news from the worlds of zoos and conservation!  In Zoo News, we discuss some zoo Covid updates, a few amazing stories out of Zoo Atlanta, how a zoo electrician saved some baby turtles, and much more! In Conservation News, we talk about a battle brewing in the conservation and training world, follow up our John Oliver story, and much more!  Other News features...

Today, the Safari sits down with Dr. Lindsay Mahovetz of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens to talk about the amazing research work she is doing with the primates at the zoo.  We go into details about the APEX machine she is using for cognitive behavioral studies, and I even get to try the machine myself! You'll also learn about many of the amazing primates that live at the zoo, and also hear a...

Today's episode of Rossifari Zoo News is ALL about the story that broke earlier this week about the Columbus Zoo losing its AZA accreditation.  In reading multiple articles and speaking directly to many sources including current and former staff members of the zoo, I have compiled what I believe to be the most accurate description of what occurred at the zoo, what steps the zoo has taken to f...

Today, the Safari sits down in the studio apartment of one Taylor Gray - actor, musician, producer, music director, and the voice and many of the instruments you hear in the various musical interludes of this podcast! I constantly get messages from people asking about the music that Taylor and I make for this podcast, and today, you'll get those questions answered.  You'll also find out...

Today, the Safari visits another incredible conservation and science organization in Sarasota, where I was gigging at the time, the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program! I talk to Katie McHugh, a staff scientist at SDRP who talks about all kinds of cool dolphin research, and about the wild dolphins that call Sarasota home! You'll learn a ton about dolphins, and it's totally different than w...

Zoo News is back with a roundup of the news from the worlds of zoos and conservation!  In Zoo News, we discuss enrichment day, some history at the Maryland Zoo, an update on the cats with Covid at the National Zoo, an adorable story from the Detroit Zoo, and so much more! In Conservation News, we talk about red pandas, John Oliver, a cell phone, the move to declare 23 species extinct, and much mor...

Today, the Safari heads to the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida, to talk to Keith Winston, the Director of the zoo! This is a free-wheeling conversation that feels more like two people chatting than a true interview, and is a lot of fun! You'll get to hear stories about armadillos, goats, manatees, sea turtles, emus, ostriches, and many more animals!  You'll also get to hear about the e...

Zoo News is back with a roundup of the news from the worlds of zoos and conservation! In Zoo News, we discuss some amazing conservation successes achieved by zoos, a zoo where all of the big cats are Covid positive, the loss of an amazing snow leopard, a cool auction for you to check out, and so much more! In Conservation News, we talk about red pandas, spotted lanternflies, floating wetlands, a b...

Today, the Safari takes an old dirt road to an incredible facility, the Mote Aquaculture Research Park, to explore the new International Coral Gene Bank there!  You'll learn all about what coral is (it's an animal, I swear), the dangers facing this amazing group of creatures, and what is being done to preserve them!  This is an episode unlike any you've heard to date!   EPISODE LINK...

To celebrate International Red Panda Day 2021, I'm going back into the archives to give you not one, but TWO red-panda centric interviews from last season!  First you'll hear from Danica Wolfe, a former keeper at Zoo Atlanta who talks about the last red panda she worked with there, Idgie, the queen of the zoo!  Then you'll hear from Terrance Fleming, who works for Red Panda Network,...

Zoo News is back with a roundup of the news from the worlds of zoos and conservation!  In Zoo News, we discuss exciting zoo-based conservation stories out of the Fort Worth Zoo and Roger Williams Park Zoo; discuss health advancements and issues at the Oklahoma City Zoo, ABQ Biopark, and the Kansas City Zoo; and so much more! In Conservation News, we talk about red pandas, a new snake species, dang...