Zoo Logic

It's part two of our discussion about modern behavioral training applications to improve animal husbandry and wildlife conservation with friends of Zoo Logic , large animal managers Erin Ivory, Chuck Tompkins and Ted Turner. Using examples from their work with animals in human care and in the wild, the trio downplay the role of rewards like food while stressing the importance of establishing stron...

Friends of Zoo Logic , large animal managers Erin Ivory, Chuck Tompkins and Ted Turner return to discuss success stories from 3 decades or more of positive reinforcement-based training principles utilized with zoological and domestic species. The trio downplay the role of rewards like food while stressing the importance of establishing strong relationships with large predatory and prey animals thr...

The Fort Worth Zoo has been focused on preserving threatened and endangered iguana species in their native ranges for many years. Recently, they announced the successful hatching of 2 endangered Grand Cayman iguanas as part of a multi-institutional cooperative effort to boost healthy and genetically diverse populations of these animals, both in human care and in restored habitats.  Remarkably, few...

According to their press release, a new report published in recent weeks by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) calls for a broader, more integrated approach to the conservation of small cetaceans, particularly dolphins and porpoises.  Many species and populations that are only found close to human activities are quickly declining due to known but unsolved problems – primaril...

American Humane's new groundbreaking documentary,   Escape from Extinction , narrated by Academy Award winner Helen Mirren, showcases the critical efforts certified zoos and aquariums are undertaking to preserve millions of species on the verge of disappearing forever. As the first pro-zoo-and-aquarium documentary of its kind, the film takes viewers on a dramatic trip around the world and through...

The San Diego Zoo Global's Institute for Conservation Research maintains what is called the frozen zoo. For decades, carefully collected and prepared cell samples from over 1000 species, many of them listed as threatened or endangered and nearing extinction, have been stored almost indefinitely in ultra cold freezers.  Recently, the frozen zoo played an instrumental role in the successful cloning...

Recently, historic news of the successful birth of an endangered Przewalski's Horse foal conceived through cloning technology was announced. Remarkably, the nuclear material used for the purpose of expanding the genetic diversity of this managed species was from a genetically underrepresented stallion that has been deceased for many years. The stallion's DNA had been preserved at what is colloquia...

Long time journalist for the popular environmental news website Mongabay.com , Jeremy Hance has a new book entitled, Baggage: Confessions of a Globe Trotting Hypochondriac . In it, he openly and sometimes humorously describes his own struggles with mental illness including anxiety and depression as a child and how his later in life diagnosis of OCD affected and informed his work as a world traveli...

Dr. Isabella Clegg is an ethologist researching animal welfare, particularly in cetaceans, and developing species assessments in zoological settings. David Kleven is a zoo animal professional and founder of Animal Care Software. Together, they developed a new animal welfare assessment software module that caregivers can use other mobile devices in the field and in real time. The goal is to have cu...

Researchers at UC Davis published a paper recently describing through computational methods the relative risk of COVID-19 infection to over 400 species examined. Nearly half of the species studied are listed as threatened or endangered. Some of the animals found to be most at risk were not too surprising, such as endangered Old World apes. Still others, particularly reptiles and birds, represent a...

It's part two of our conversation about the future with zoo and aquarium thought leaders from the Denver Zoo, Indianapolis Zoo, Dolphin Discovery, and Karen Pryor Clicker Training. Coinciding with the news that at least 1 major aquarium has decided to close public operations temporarily to reassess its business model in a COVID-19 reality, our panel looks at revenue streams and the need for greate...

Following our conversation with futurist Bob Johansen last week, we assembled a panel of zoo and aquarium thought leaders with diverse backgrounds, interests and organizations, to get their views on what the future may hold for zoological facilities and professionals. Topics include: sharing how they adapted their guest experience, infrastructure, and staffing roles to address the challenges prese...

Given the globally disruptive challenges presented by COVID-19, zoos, aquariums, and the conservation and research organizations they support are in serious financial jeopardy. So to help sort out a robust pathway forward, we sought the assistance of renowned futurist, Dr. Bob Johansen from the Institute for the Future . In his latest book, he describes the importance of a  Full-Spectrum Thinking...

More than a year after his arrival in the waters of Norway, Hvaldimir, a trained beluga whale is surviving on his own while still seeking the company of his human family. Whether it's sleeping under maintenance boats at fish farms or engaging with people in crowded waterways, Hvaldimir may be living free in the open ocean but he's anything but wild. Marine mammal expert Lindsay Rubincam shares how...

Animal training experts Chuck Tompkins and Ted Turner return for a third installment on behavioral principles to discuss how operant conditioning using positive reinforcement in managed care can prevent and at minimum reduce the frequency and intensity of aggressive behaviors directed at other animals, caregivers, or the immediate environment. The goal is not to react to or try to suppress aggress...

Renowned veterinary pathologist and researcher, Dr. Judy St. Leger is the president of Rising Tide Conservation. According to its website,  Rising Tide Conservation is dedicated to developing and promoting aquaculture of marine ornamental fish species through the collaborative efforts of researchers, public aquaria, hobbyists, pet industry professionals, and conservation groups. Rising Tide Conser...

This special episode features a series of panel presentations based on recently published peer-reviewed papers about dolphin life expectancy, orca longevity, cetacean dive physiology, and two rebuttals of Marino et al 2019. Panelists Kelly Jaakkola, Kevin Willis, Andreas Fahlman, Heather Hill, Kathleen Dudzinski, & Jason Bruck present data, as well as, commentary on a case study example of a publi...

Friend of the podcast, Dr. Hendrik Nollens describes his new role as VP of Conservation Medicine and Science at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center . In addition to responding to marine mammal stranding events along the entire coastline of Orange County, the PMMC has an ongoing role in public education, original wildlife research, as well as, assisting wild animals, particularly large cetaceans, enta...

Modern zoos and aquariums are agents for positive change. Through conservation, public education, in situ and e x situ research, and the display of amazing animals, zoological facilities inspire people of all ages to care about the well-being of wildlife and wild places. Still, it doesn't take one long to realize that these organizations so dedicated to preserving biodiversity are, in fact, not al...

Our recent episode on the Least Reinforcing Scenario (#113) set download records and elicited so much feedback from listeners that we invited long time animal training experts Chuck Tompkins and Ted Turner back to discuss other controversial operant conditioning terms and topics. The Intermediate Bridge and End of Session signal are two such concepts about which few behavior training professionals...

Dr. Barbara Baker the president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium for thirty years spoke at the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums annual meeting in February (just as  the COVID-19 pandemic was arriving in the United States) as part of a panel discussion made up of leaders of major zoological organizations from around the world. She also serves as the Board Chair for the tr...

Recently, the Georgia Aquarium site of the Animal Planet show, The Aquarium , announced the birth of a large female beluga whale calf. Long time marine mammal husbandry and training professionals, Eric Gaglione and Dennis Christen describe the extensive planning and staff preparation that occurs in advance of any cetacean birth. Most important to the process is the extensive desensitization traini...

Few behavioral terms or concepts have engendered as much discussion, confusion, and heated debate among zoo professionals, behaviorists, and animal trainers over the past thirty years as the Least Reinforcing Scenario, known simply as LRS. Two of the original LRS architects, Chuck Tompkins and Ted Turner, describe the concept and the fundamental shift in behavioral psychology it represented by rej...

Dr. Andreas Fahlman returns with doctoral candidate Alicia Espinosa to describe their research using tools and knowledge of human spirometry to better understand dolphin pulmonary function. Their goal is to establish a baseline of small cetacean pulmonary physiology measures for use in assessing wild and stranded dolphin respiratory health. Global Diving Research That Sounds Wild: Bottlenose Dolph...

With science proving to be an easy target these days for those looking to politicize it, what lasting harm is done to the public discourse and society's faith in anything the research community at large has to report on any subject, in those rare instances when unsubstantiated, misleading, or unethically crafted papers clear a respected journal's peer review process? Dr. Heather Hill, principle au...