Zoo Logic

Travel along the old route 66 west of Flagstaff and you'll find the historic town of Williams, Arizona, home of a unique zoo called Bearizona. It features a drive through section with dozens of black bears, bison, and other species native to ponderosa pine country. During a recent visit we learned how the animal team uses operant conditioning and their "enrichment truck" to safely manage and monit...

Have wild horses become America's tribble?  Guests from the Arizona Department of Game and Fish discuss the contentious subject of US wild horse policy, which is often marked by passions and frustration on all sides.  Congress passed the landmark 1971 Wild Free-roaming Horse and Burros Act to preserve those specific "unbranded and unclaimed" animals on public lands from steep declines in the prece...

Not all wildlife warriors use rakes, shovels or whistles as their tools for preserving a part of Nature. Some like Brian Masuga, one half of the husband and wife creative team at Peppermint Narwhal, use their art to tell "fun, whimsical" and always informative conservation stories about animals, from the every day kind to the endangered. Brian believes that through art we can breakdown the languag...

Conversations with animal training and research experts from our recent travels to Portugal and Japan. Guests Mandy Rodriguez, co-founder of the Dolphin Research Center, DRC's Director of Research and Zoo Logic contributor, Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, and professor Satoru Yamamoto pay homage, each in their own unique way to our animal training and care past, the growing focus on conducting research in the...

Using positive reinforcement-based skills she learned while training marine animals, and on a chance visit to a VA hospital with her own dog named "bear," Clarissa Black witnessed the full potential that the human-animal bond might provide service men and women returning from war and suffering from PTSD. So she formed an organization called Pets for Vets to identify, match, and train dogs in need...

Executive Director of the International Marine Animal Trainers' Association, Billy Hurley joins Dr. Grey Stafford, former president of www. IMATA.org following their three-day training seminar held at Osaka ECO college for students and zoo professionals. Billy discusses cultural differences and similarities, as well as, training challenges and improved welfare opportunities for zoo and training pr...

Terry Ryan has been training dogs and their owners from all over the world for 50 years. A self-described "crossover" trainer, Terry has witnessed and helped lead the ongoing transformation of companion animal training from the old days of relying heavily on behavior corrections using aversive methods to today's focus on animal behavior success using positive reinforcement. In addition to operatin...

On location at the International Marine Animal Trainers' Association annual conference hosted by Zoomarine in Algarve, Portugal, Dr. Grey Stafford talks with Dr. Jo Fava, marine mammal ophthalmologist, about the importance of certain supplements in zoological diets. Specifically, she describes her interest in what is known and yet to be discovered about the role of carotenoids like lutein on pinni...

Zoo Logic is in Algarve, Portugal for the International Marine Animal Trainers' Association annual conference. Our guests are Dolphin Research Center's Dr Kelly Jaakkola, Karen Pryor's Ken Ramirez, and Loro Parque's Dr. Javier Almunia. Kelly and Ken talk about the importance and current state of research and training in zoos and aquariums, and their impact on wild populations. Plus, Dr. Almunia de...

Should zoos partner with animal rights groups in those rare instances where there's a common interest, even if the larger, long term mission of these groups is to close all zoos and aquariums? Zoo Logic's guest is Will Coggin from Berman & Co, the driving force behind the watchdog website www. HumaneWatch.org . 18:00. Has there been any indication of a shift in anti zoo groups' thinking about zoos...

For more than 30 years, Florida's Dolphin Research Center has connected people and animals through trust-based relationships and fun. The DRC's Training Institute prepares post high school students to work with and train marine mammal, zoo, and domestic animals with positive reinforcement.   Plus, in a new installment of  Science Fact or Science Fiction,  Dr. Kelly Jaakkola asks, is a small variet...

Few have had as long and impactful an animal career as Brad Andrews. Best known for his many years as Chief Zoological Officer for SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, he shares how lessons learned playing college rugby helped him oversee the display and care of the largest  terrestrial and aquatic animal collection in the world. The same lessons may just help us save more species from extinction. Today, h...

Zoo Logic features a wife and husband animal care and training team that has successfully worked in the same field and at the same facilities for more than 20 years. Jess and Dave Peranteau are part of the senior team that built the OdySea Aquarium located in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community near Phoenix-- it's the largest aquarium in the desert southwest. From competing for the same...

Zoo veterinarian Dr. Lara Croft discusses the conflict that arises when new animal laws and regulations crafted by anti-zoo interests place veterinarians at odds with their professional ethics to "do no harm." In the most notable case to date, when CA Governor Jerry Brown signed the ironically named Orca Protection and Safety Act in 2016, he placed zoo veterinarians at legal odds with their profes...

Santa Barbara Zoo's Dr. Julie Barnes joins Zoo Logic's Dr. Grey Stafford to discuss the zoo team's evacuation response to 2017's record-breaking Thomas fire. From evacuating every creature to mobilizing a defensive position within a zoo to protect large, dangerous and not easily relocated animals like elephants and predators, every wildfire is different. Increasingly, zoos and aquariums must adapt...

Dr. Marty Haulena, a veterinarian with the Vancouver Aquarium provides Zoo Logic with a breaking Zoos News update about first of its kind medical efforts to help the malnourished wild and endangered southern resident killer whale known as J50.  In a related story, with nearly 70% of all humans depending on the world ocean as their source of protein, Michelle Garis, with McRoberts Sales discusses t...

What is good animal welfare and how do we measure it? Sabrina Brando, Animal Welfare Coordinator for the World Association of Zoos & Aquariums, talks with Zoo Logic host Dr. Grey Stafford about WAZA's work to increase collaboration among animal facilities and professionals to improve the lives of all animals across the globe.  Also, a breaking  Zoos News extended update with Marine Mammal veterina...

How did an old part from a VW bus and a rock chewing German Shepherd dog named Fritz lead to the most recognizable pet toy on earth? Zoo Logic host Dr. Grey Stafford asks Kong Company cofounder, Joe Markham and lead behavior and training specialist, Mark Hines about the history of the classic dog toy that's still made in the USA, and how it has helped solve problems for animals and people for more...

Long time Moorpark College professor Gary Wilson joins Zoo Logic host Dr. Grey Stafford to discuss the Exotic Animal Training and Management program, America's oldest professional zookeeping academic curriculum. Gary describes the early history of EATM at Moorpark first as a student and now as a long serving professor. Students develop advanced skills and gain practical experience  learning and wo...

Animal Law attorney Michelle Pardo joins host Dr. Grey Stafford to discuss legal challenges by animal rights groups using landmark laws such as the ESA, MMPA, and AWA to attack, not just zoos, but all domestic, pet, and wild animal activities, agriculture, and stakeholders. She describes important court rulings like PeTA's defeat in the "monkey selfie" case, the multimillion dollar settlement acti...

Dr. Jason Bruck joins Zoo Logic host Dr. Grey Stafford to talk about the increasingly important collaborative role between scientists and zoological facilities in order to preserve wild species. Jason describes his research on how complex social systems in cetaceans, primates and other vertebrates drive the evolution of complex learning and memory skills. They also discuss the role of a researcher...

NOAA Fisheries scientist, Dr. Barbara Taylor, joins Zoo Logic host Dr. Grey Stafford to discuss the progress of women in science, her field work to help endangered marine mammals like the Bowhead whale rebound in numbers, and the recent efforts through vaquitaCPR.org to save the nearly extinct vaquita porpoise. While the fate of the vaquita may be sealed, the cooperative model and painful lessons...

Zoo Logic host Dr. Grey Stafford talks with Doug Cress, Chief Executive Officer of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. With nearly 400 facilities and regional associations, WAZA members wield great influence with 700M visitors per year. As the new CEO, Doug describes changes to WAZA leadership, direction, and plans for growth in membership as a more balanced and representative global orga...

Animal training consultant, Barbara Heidenreich, talks with Zoo Logic host Dr. Grey Stafford. Barbara specializes in avian, exotics and zoo animal training. She lectures and consults worldwide working with zoos, universities, veterinary professionals, pet owners and conservation projects. She has worked with over 80 facilities in over 20 countries. She is an adjunct clinical instructor at Texas A...

Trainer, media personality, and author of the book, Wear a Wetsuit to Work , Kyle Kittleson talks with Zoo Logic host Dr. Grey Stafford about his journey from growing up in the desert to successfully becoming a marine mammal trainer. Kyle's journey prompted him to write a helpful how-to guide for those aspiring to become marine mammal trainers in a highly competitive field. Plus the latest Zoos Ne...