Zoo Logic

After five years and nearly 300 weekly episodes on animals, training, human behavior and much more, Natural Encounters' TEC podcast is hitting the long pause. Show hosts Ari Bailey and Chris Jenkins have decided now may be the right time to sunset the long-running, keeper-trainer favorite, now that Chris has accepted an executive director role at another zoo. The hosts discuss their mutual long hi...

Dr. Tony Monahan is an artist, writer and professional educator at City University of New York. His fascination with turtles from an artistic and conservation perspective led him on a nearly four-year journey to write: The Turtle Lovers' Guidebook .  With more than 500 photographs, the book features 164 public facilities across the U.S. where one can see these amazing creatures. In addition to cel...

Before even graduating high school, a young Randy Wells worked as an intern at Mote Marine Lab training dolphins as part of shark-dolphin interaction study. He would eventually become part of the world's longest running study of a population of wild dolphins known as the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program ( SDRP ).  For decades, Dr. Wells has led the collaborative effort of veterinarians, researche...

Dr. Paul Ling is a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Virology at Baylor College of Medicine. He also serves as an advisor to Colossal Biosciences . Following the death in 2010 of a 2-year-old elephant at the  Houston zoo due to elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus (EEHV), Dr. Ling formed a cooperative effort with the zoo and others within the community to address this highly lethal...

After a long career as a wildlife manager and educator, David Kleven turned his zoological expertise and attention to improving animal welfare through better electronic recordkeeping. As President of Animal Care Software, he works with a range of animal facilities to use the power of smart phones to track animal behavior and health in the field and in real time. Recently, the cloud-based platform...

What began as one man's dream to rewild the eastern Cape of South Africa with the Big Five a quarter century ago has grown into the Mantis Collection of eclectic eco-lodges, waterways, and curated eco-scapes throughout Africa and the Middle East. The name Mantis stands for Man and Nature Together Is Sustainable. Its CEO, Craig Erasmus, describes the unique brand and the company's goal of not just...

After years working for Merlin Entertainments building and renovating major aquariums, architect Benedikt Schikora founded   BSK Projects which handles project management in the hospitality, entertainment and tourism space. He's also a partner in the zoo and aquarium consulting firm, IZACS . We discuss the trends in zoological design, particularly those back of house aspects of animal care that ha...

Sooner or later most zoological professionals will meet a local or national celebrity as part of their work. Some, like our guest Lanie Angeles, have met dozens or possibly hundreds of popular actors, musicians, politicians and other influencers as part of her long career in educational and media outreach. Sharing some of her most memorable encounters, both positive and not so positive, Lanie is q...

Christine Devane is a former elementary school teacher with a new children's book entitled, Elephant Beach . The story revolves around a shy girl who just wants to read her book while at the beach and a nearby playful group of elephants with other ideas. Devane hopes that introverted kids can learn to try new experiences and that extraverted children can be patient with those who may need a little...

Pernilla Mosesson is a long time trainer from Sweden having started her career working with marine mammals.  We sat with her at the Johannesburg airport to hear her thoughts on the state of marine and terrestrial animal training across the zoological space.  While there are many similarities between European and North American facilities, particularly with regard to the current politics surroundin...

Much has changed since Zoo Logic first examined six years ago the North American pangolin consortium formed by several zoological parks despite some pushback from the industry. Providing an update on the status of the species, the handful of animals living in human care, and the consortium is Mark Wanner is Associate Vice President, Animal Care & Conservation for Brookfield Zoo Chicago and the Cha...

Dr. Jason Bruck returns to discuss the seemingly increasing erosion of the peer review process by some authors looking to expand their legitimacy through overuse of self-citations and passing opinion articles off as science. The most egregious offenders of the process produce commentaries devoid of data or that refuse to address credible criticisms or contrasting data sets raised by other scientis...

Susan Kleven is the long time director of the Frank Buck Zoo in Gainesville, TX.  She returns to Zoo Logic to discuss her upcoming children's book telling the true story of Nzuri, a premature giraffe whose first time mother was unable to nurse or otherwise care for him.   Nzuri Grows Up: A Preemie Giraffe's Story coauthored by Jennifer Keats Curtis is due out in wide release this fall through Arbo...

Behaviorist Tim Sullivan has been with the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago for 47 years, nearly half the history of that leading institution. After two decades as a marine mammal trainer and leader, Tim moved to an internal consultant role at the zoo by guiding the change from free to protected contact with their elephant team. Needless to say those were challenging times early on, which led Tim to exam...

John M. Kinder is director of American Studies, professor of history at Oklahoma State University and author of the new book,  World War Zoos: Humans and Other Animals in the Deadliest Conflict of the Modern Age . He chronicles the horrific effects of war on zoos throughout Europe, the US and the South Pacific and the sometimes heroic efforts by keepers and the public to preserve their animal char...

Tom LaRock is a long time zoo administrator turned wildlife safari travel operator.  He founded Rewild Safaris to connect his travel organization with conservation organizations around the globe working on the ground to solve problems and preserve species and habitats. For him, the meaning behind rewild extends beyond the effort to return species to recovered habitats but also to connect travelers...

The Philadelphia Zoo is America's oldest zoological institution that takes pride in its history of firsts.  Dr. Jo-Elle Mogerman, President and CEO, exemplifies more firsts for the organization including serving as the first woman and first African American woman to hold the top leadership role. She describes how this urban Chicago introvert grew to love nature on her parents' front porch. She is...

A few weeks ago, Colossal Laboratories and Biosciences grabbed the world's attention when it announced the de-extinction of the Dire Wolf which last roamed the earth more than 12 thousand years ago, with the successful birth of three animals. Matt James, a long time zoo professional now serving as the company's Chief Animal Officer, discusses the science and technology behind the momentous announc...

According to its founder, Rebecca Rosenberg who was born with low vision, the name ReBokeh is derived from a photography term "Bokeh," a technique in which all light sources are out of focus and blurred. Re-Bokeh then represents her organization's efforts to re-clarifying of what is out of focus. When this eventual bioengineer was 17 and looking forward to college, she looked at the technology opt...

We begin season 8 of Zoo Logic with a frank conversation with Dr. Jason Bruck and Billy Hurley about the proper role of accreditation organizations, as well as, their limitations.  When an accredited institution stumbles or allegations of poor animal well-being are made, what is the responsibility of accrediting bodies to investigate, act, and inform its members and the public as to its findings a...

First time author Christine Mott has a forthcoming children's book entitled, Free Bird: Flaco the Owl's Dreams Take Fligh t by Lantern Publishing. The story for kids ages 4 to 8 is based on upon actual events surrounding the Eurasian Eagle Owl that escaped from the Central Park Zoo. The story enthralled people from around the globe as Flaco was recorded across Central Park for over a year before h...

While most North American zoological parks are still weeks away from the start of their summer high season, a few desert southwest facilities are already deep into their peak season. Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium and Safari Park president Kristy Hayden returns to discuss the latest additions to their collection including a baby giraffe and an all new tiger habitat. As important as these megafauna a...

Kristi Gravrock is a long time animal trainer having worked with dogs, horses, orcas, cats, dolphins and more. Her passion for training goes back to her early childhood pets before her first horse. Today, when she isn't competing in dressage, she uses her decades of experience with zoological species to train service dogs and mini horses.  While there are many similarities to training dolphins for...

It's our second installment talking with the management team at New England Aquarium following our recent three-day onsite visit with the pinniped and penguin department. With so much institutional and operant conditioning change affecting not only the animals' overall management through greater training and enrichment, but the employees' work experiences and responsibilities, how are the aquarium...

We are on location at the New England Aquarium talking with long time animal trainer and curator of pinnipeds and penguins, Kristen McMahon. Under her guidance, this unique department has successfully blended animal care providers from different taxa into one productive training team which has improved the social well-being of all the animals. Kristen discusses the aquarium's focus not only on imp...