Zoo Logic

Modern zookeeping involves an array of disciplines from veterinary medicine and operant conditioning to species specific nutrition. Founded in 1989, Mazuri, which means "good" in Swahili has research…

For the past few decades, an unsubstantiated narrative which suggests as many as 10,000 big cats are living in backyards across America has been repeated without evidence. The poorly understood and t…

Recent headlines about major zoological institutions not retaining their accreditation status have raised troubling questions about the inspection process, the role of trade associations, and the rel…

An all-star panel of researchers, Heather Hill, Jason Bruck and Isabella Clegg discuss and debate a recent published essay in the Journal of Applied Animal Ethics Research by Dr. Clegg in which she e…

Dr. Alex Dehgan is the cofounder and CEO of Conservation X Labs as well as author of the book, The Snow Leopard Project and other adventures in war zone conservation. His policy and field work have t…

A recent science publication describes the social bonding that seems to occur among male chimpanzees towards the alpha male that has the effect of enabling less dominant males access to females. The …

At age three, future animal care professional, Mike Dech, discovered a love of sharks. So much so that by age twelve, he earned his SCUBA certification, which has served him well in his zoological ca…

Bill Street, Sr VP at Indianapolis Zoo describes attending the recently concluded International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress held in Marseilles, France.  The IU…

Chicago Zoological Society's Dr. Lance Miller is one of the principle investigators of a recently published comprehensive Dolphin Welfare Study. Using new technology and software to track study anima…

In search of some happier news to amplify, we turned to San Antonio Zoo director, Tim Morrow and American Humane President and CEO, Dr. Robin Ganzert. Tim describes how his local  community responded…

Denver Zoo behavioral manager, Heather Genter describes her lifelong passion for animal training. Starting out with her own dog training business, she graduated to working with exotic species at a ti…

Within days of opening the new Mississippi Aquarium in 2020, hurricane zeta made a nearly direct hit on the Gulfport attraction.  While the harrowing experience left some damage to the campus shade s…

Dr. Alexa Delaune, Vice President of Veterinary Services at the Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport discusses her career, the challenges of launching a brand new zoological facility, and a very special …

Animal trainer Stephanie Mantilla has a new book How to Clicker Train Your Cat, which draws upon her many years working with exotic animals including cheetahs, hoofed animals, primates, and even elep…

Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo director, Jonathan Miot describes the 50-year-old program designed to train the next generation of zookeeping professionals. While college level zookeeping programs have…

Back by listener request, long time behaviorists and marine mammal experts, Ted Turner and Chuck Tompkins return to discuss the finer points of reinforcement schedules, tips for those hoping to chang…

Despite being an ancient species, we still have much to learn about sea turtles, in part, because they spend most of their long lives at sea. We usually only hear about them or get a glimpse when the…

Spring and summer represent the peak season when newly weaned seals and sea lion pups strand along the California coastline. Celebrating its 50th year, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center has rescued, r…

As Director of Communications for one of the largest zoos and aquariums in the western US, Kristy Morcom relies on her animal care and training experiences like barrel racing horses, being a mother t…

Amy Van Dyken-Rouen holds the record for being the first American woman to win 4 gold medals in the same Olympic Games. As a child suffering from severe asthma, Amy took up swimming to improve her lu…