Zoo Logic with animal trainer, zoo advocate, and ZOOmility author, Dr. Grey Stafford, is a weekly conversation with zoo, aquarium, and animal experts about Nature, wildlife, pets, animal training with positive reinforcement, health and welfare, research, conservation, and education, sustainability, zoo politics, activism and legislation, and all things animals! On Zoo Logic, we'll go behind the scenes with animal professionals and influencers from around the world to explore the latest Zoos News…
National Wildlife Federation's naturalist, author, and tv host David Mizejewski joins Zoo Logic to discuss the organization's many child focused programs designed to help families connect with Nature in their own backyards. From the classic Ranger Rick publications to promoting wildlife friendly gardening, NWF works to inform families about the importance of less screen time and more engagement…
Dr. Dino Martins is an entomologist and evolutionary biologist with a new book entitled Hidden Creatures: Luscious Leeches, Bashful Botflies, and the Wondrous, History-Shaping World of Parasites (Knopf). Growing up around animals in Kenya, Dr Martins travels the world investigating parasites and their hosts. With parasites making up about half of all biological species, he argues we need better…
Many training conversations lately involve the buzz words Choice and Control. In fact, zoological welfare programs often insist that choice and control form the foundation of good animal welfare, but are these behavior terms new or simply a rebranding of protocols trainers have been using for decades? Renown behaviorist, Ken Ramirez, Executive VP and Chief Training Officer for Karen Pryor Clicker…
As the oldest marine animal facility, the park known today as Marineland Dolphin Adventure in NE Florida has a storied past and for the longest time, it seemed to have an uncertain future. That is, until a grassroots effort to prevent the sale of the facility to developers over the past year prevailed against all odds. Now with local leadership and support, the team at Marineland has renewed…
James Misner is the owner and founder of the Kipos Group which is dedicated to helping organizations with their fundraising efforts. Given the extraordinary impact of DOGE cuts and the withholding of public funding by the current administration on nonprofit institutions across the political spectrum, James offers insights on how to navigate the current philanthropic environment. Whether one is…
Recently, the zoological community said goodbye to a few remarkable and long lived animals, Katina, Seaworld's iconic killer whale matriarch and Slowpoke, a 50-year-old Pacific walrus. Both animals had an impressive lifespan educating and inspiring millions of visitors, as well as, teaching generations of animal caregivers. Katina was not only the queen of Shamu stadium, she was a highly…
Kathleen Dezio has been the president and CEO of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums ( AMMPA ) for well over a decade. Her wealth of experience working in the Washington, D. C. area in the PR, public policy and trade association management space helps AMMPA's accredited facilities navigate the complex issues facing zoological institutions, especially those featuring marine mammals.…
Best-selling author, Emmy winning actor, and animal advocate, Carolyn Hennesy returns to discuss her long recovery from a serious accident last fall. She talks candidly about the need to balance taking pain medication in order to heal and to be able to work with maintaining her sobriety of 25 years. She also comically assures fans she is still quite alive and did not lose her leg despite rampant…
As a long time marine mammal trainer and educator, Madelynn Hettiger is the current Board President for the International Marine Animal Trainers' Association ( www.IMATA.org ). She discusses the ways in which the organization works behind the scenes to assist trainers with networking, career development, and when necessary, during challenging times like COVID, employment interruptions from severe…
Dr. Kathleen Dudzinski is the founder and director of the Dolphin Communications Project and has been studying dolphin behavior and communication since 1990, with a focus on tactile, behavioral and acoustic signals employed by dolphins as they share information with each other and across groups. Her husband John Anderson is a veteran documentary filmmaker with nearly 40 years focused on the…
On this our 400th episode of Zoo Logic , we are joined by Chris Dold, DVM, chief zoological officer for SeaWorld and Busch Gardens. While many are familiar with his veterinary career with the US Navy marine mammal program and later SeaWorld of Florida, Chris began his career as a trainer for Dolphin Quest. He discusses his role moving up the ranks to eventually lead the zoological program for one…