Best Dr Grey Stafford Podcasts (2024)

1
Escape From Extinction: Rewilding 37:04

5d ago37:04

37:04

According to American Humane and its leadership team, the newly released sequel to 2020's award-winning "Escape from Extinction," introduces the science of "rewilding," a proven method for sustainable conservation that has the potential to bring back hundreds of thousands of species from the brink of extinction. Dr. Robin Ganzert, President and CEO…

1
Survival of the Fitness 33:12

12d ago33:12

33:12

Peter Giljam is a long time animal trainer and cofounder of the training resources website Zoospensefull.com. In his spare time from his role as Behavioral Curator at SeaWorld Australia, he's also developed into an avid triathlon athlete. We asked him about his physical and mental health journey since COVID and whether the pain, frustration, dedica…

1
Enrichment Is Not a Substitute Trainer 29:33

19d ago29:33

29:33

Jim Nemet is a long time marine and terrestrial animal trainer and serves as the Director of Wildlife for the Cleveland Natural History Museum. We asked him about the somewhat dated and artificial distinctions between training and enrichment, especially at a time when zoological facilities are increasingly concerned about improving animal welfare o…

1
Developing Dolphin Drones 33:24

27d ago33:24

33:24

Dr. Jason Bruck and his collaborator, Dr. Jamey D. Jacob, School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma Sate University describe their efforts to develop a suitable drone platform to study small cetaceans in the wild. Known as PHASM, Passive Health Assessment in Sea Mammals, the team has already worked through several iterations of the e…

1
Seadragons 29:19

1M ago29:19

29:19

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium announced the significant birth of several weedy seadragons. It is the first successful birth of these uncommon animals at Columbus, one of only a handful of institutions that have successfully bred seadragons. Senior Aquarist Aaron Jeskie, who was instrumental in the successful outcome, describes these unique creature…

1
Sharks Don't Sink 33:48

1M ago33:48

33:48

Jasmin Graham describes her unique path as a shark scientist at Mote Marine Lab and Aquarium, as well as, her efforts to increase diversity among the biological sciences, especially in marine science. She's also the president and CEO of Minorities In Shark Sciences (MISS), an organization dedicated to "see representation of gender minorities from h…

1
International Conservation Center 20:34

2M ago20:34

20:34

Dr. Jeremy Goodman President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium returns to discuss the organization's rural 1000 acre offsite conservation center. Originally acquired to facilitate African elephant breeding and closed to the public, the International Conservation Center (ICC) has added a few additional species and developed educational prog…

1
Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium 22:36

2M ago22:36

22:36

In 2021, Dr. Jeremy Goodman succeeded long time leader Dr. Barbara Baker to become the president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the US. Following years working as a clinician, Dr. Goodman elected to change his professional focus to serve as chief administrator of several other zoological inst…

1
Cannabis for Companion, Farm and Exotic Animals 37:17

2M ago37:17

37:17

Dr. Tim Shu is the founder and CEO of VetCBD, a California based company that specializes in cannabis products for domestic, farm and zoological animals. As the legal cannabis industry for humans and animals grows across the US, state by state, the public has many questions as to the safety and efficacy of extracts like CBD or full spectrum product…

1
News Zoos Can Use 35:15

2M ago35:15

35:15

Troy Hayden has been a journalist and TV news anchor for over 35 years. We asked for his perspective concerning the news industry's views on zoos and aquariums and whether a reporter's approach varies if the names "sanctuary" or "rescue" are attached. Troy admits to being a fan of zoos as a kid but admitted major controversies like that portrayed i…

1
Ocean Connections 36:12

3M ago36:12

36:12

Shelley Ballmann is the force behind Ocean Futures and its nonprofit wing, Ocean Connections. Starting her career as a dolphin trainer, Shelley earned her niche working with pinnipeds at a time when everyone was more focused on cetaceans like bottlenose dolphins and orcas. She believes that training sea lions truly hones one's skill as a trainer in…

1
Never Too Late to Prepare for Disaster 34:32

3M ago34:32

34:32

Hurricane Beryl's effect on the Texas power grid still being felt by millions of people reminds us all that natural disasters like wind, fire, or flood can can occur anywhere with devastating consequences. Fortunately the team at Zoological Disaster Response, Rescue and Recovery (ZDR3) has experience helping facilities plan for and if needed, respo…

1
Operation Beluga Rescue: Ukraine to Spain 31:52

3M ago31:52

31:52

Dennis Christen, Senior Director, Animal Wellbeing & Behavior for the Georgia Aquarium was one of the architects that helped move two beluga whales from the NEMO Dolphinarium in Putin-ravaged Ukraine to the safety of Europe's largest aquarium, Oceanographic, in Valencia, Spain. This story made international headlines recently and involved a host of…

1
Ischia: Nature's Laboratory for Ocean Acidification 37:38

3M ago37:38

37:38

Growing up on the beautiful Italian island of Ischia 19 miles off the coast of Naples, Dr. Valerio Mazzella of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli grew to love the ecosystem's unique features and species. As a natural source of thermal and pH gradients due to the region's secondary volcanism, which gives rise to carbon dioxide vents, Ischia a…

1
How to Win Celebrity Friends and Influence Hollywood 33:42

3M ago33:42

33:42

Best selling author, Emmy winning actor, and fierce animal advocate, Carolyn Hennesy returns to discuss her recent comments at the annual meeting of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA) about how zoos and aquariums can begin to build better relationships with entertainers and influencers. In many instances, entertainers and tho…

1
Are Zoos Still in the Conservation Business? 30:36

4M ago30:36

30:36

Long time zoological statistician and animal manager, Kevin Willis, returns to discuss dolphin demographics and other mathematical insights into current species populations in human care. The overall population of dolphins in facilities looks promising, but Kevin warns this view is not reality since the animals are not actually maintained as one bu…

1
Bullying 39:52

4M ago39:52

39:52

The team from GRAZE (Growing Resiliency for Aquarium and Zoo Employees) Erin McNally and Hannah Fullmer return to discuss a widespread problem in most fields, including the zoological profession. While not unique to animal facilities, bullying takes a tremendous toll on an already beleaguered workforce. If social media content is to be believed, yo…

1
Saving and Enriching Lives Through Scent Work 33:33

4M ago33:33

33:33

Long time animal trainer and consultant, Jade Fountain from Animal Behavior Matters returns to discuss her latest work in East Africa with a global organization called APOPO (Anti-Persoonsmijnen Ontmijnende Product Ontwikkeling”, or in English, Anti-Personnel Landmines Detection Product Development. For the past 25 years, APOPO has been utilizing A…

1
Latest Avian Flu Strain Poses Lethal Risk to Marine Mammals 16:39

4M ago16:39

16:39

Dr. Jay Sweeney, cofounder of Dolphin Quest, returns to discuss the latest strain of avian flu making its way across the globe with lethal effects. It was an avian flu strain that caused the global pandemic in 1918 that killed tens of millions of humans. The current strain H5N5 seems to be mild in infected dairy cows and humans but it has caused th…

1
Mission Driven Research 13:50

5M ago13:50

13:50

Dr. Terrie Williams, long time UC Santa Cruz wildlife researcher interested in species energetics returns to discuss the race against geometric levels of extinction. We are losing species at pace well above the normal background rates. Her mission is to gather basic bioenergetic data to help inform regulators, lawmakers, and industry about the pote…

1
Efficacy and Ethics of Using Hormones to Modify Behavior 34:19

5M ago34:19

34:19

Following a recent industry webinar, we asked ethicist, Dr. Raymond Anthony and veterinarian and researcher, Dr. Dave Miller to weigh in on the subject of using hormone therapy to curb aggressive behavior in managed settings. Under what conditions and to what extent is modifying animal behavior through pharmacology, specifically hormones or their s…

1
Zoological Association of America's New Leader 39:12

5M ago39:12

39:12

Before she accepted the role of executive director of the Zoological Association of America in 2023, Dr. Kelly George was a researcher with Ohio State University studying human-animal relationships with an emphasis on welfare and behavior. Today she leads the young but growing trade association focused on improving standards of husbandry care, educ…

1
Impoverished vs. Cognitively Challenging Environments 35:11

5M ago35:11

35:11

As director of research for the Dolphin Research Center, Dr. Kelly Jaakkola spends much of her time studying the cognitive abilities of bottlenose dolphins, as well as, refuting the false or unsubstantiated narratives stemming from all places, recent peer-reviewed publications by authors opposed to marine mammals in human care. One of two of her re…

1
Training Crocs! 36:16

6M ago36:16

36:16

Before she became an expert avian trainer with Natural Encounters, Ari Bailey got her start working with crocodilian species at a time when aversives and physical restraint were still commonly in use. Fortunately, the state of animal training for crocodilians and other ectothermic species has since advanced; in many ways, the same sort of husbandry…

1
Our Kindred Creatures: How Americans Came to Feel the Way They Do About Animals 37:48

6M ago37:48

37:48

The post Civil War era gave rise to unprecedented social changes. The energy and activism directed at ending the scourge of slavery found new life in improving the welfare of animals, particularly those species in American homes, industry, entertainment, and on the dinner plate. Authors, Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy, DVM have written their second b…

1
Revisiting Negative Reinforcement with Ken Ramirez 36:31

6M ago36:31

36:31

On a recent visit to a zoological facility, their senior animal manager asked about my current views on the use of negative reinforcement given past treatment of the subject in my book ZOOmility going back to the mid 2000's, when I largely discouraged trainers from using the training tool. So we thought it might be time to take another look at that…

1
Boldly Go 35:29

6M ago35:29

35:29

What is the secret to longevity and relevance in any career path? While the answer may vary among differing professions, one ingredient seems to be a willingness to "apply the joy of exploration to our own lives," according to actor, director, best selling author, musician, and real life space traveler, William Shatner. In 2022, Shatner now 93, bes…

1
Caring for Military Working Dogs After Their Service 21:07

6M ago21:07

21:07

It would likely surprise most people that until about a decade ago, military service dogs were routinely euthanized at the end of their working service life rather than be transported back to the U.S. and a life of retirement. Congress and the Department of Defense finally provided some resources to ensure military working dogs are returned to U.S.…

1
Uncompromising Animal Ambassador Welfare 36:34

7M ago36:34

36:34

Recently, the open access scientific journal Animals published a special issue entitled: Zoo and Aquarium Welfare, Ethics, Behavior. Many of the peer-reviewed papers within this special issue focus on and in some instances call for improvements to animal welfare assessment, husbandry, training, housing, and overall management. The goal of the invit…

1
Secrets of the Octopus 36:55

7M ago36:55

36:55

A prolific naturalist, award-winning and bestselling author Sy Montgomery and her colleague, Warren Carlyle founder of Octonation, the largest octopus fan club in the world, have a new release entitled Secrets of the Octopus. This book is a follow up to Sy's scientific treatment of the species in 2015's bestseller, Soul of the Octopus. Warren and S…

1
Disaster Planning 30:08

7M ago30:08

30:08

The Executive Director of Zoological Disaster Response, Rescue, and Recovery (ZDR3), Julia Matson Wagner, returns on the eve of this coming season for natural disasters such as wildfires, floods, and hurricanes. After several years focusing on providing immediate disaster response and support for affected zoological facilities, ZDR3 has grown in sc…

1
Tequila Corrido 34:20

7M ago34:20

34:20

After years of working with some of the world's top tequila brands, particularly on the elimination of production waste water, retired police officer Tony Boyle and his news anchor spouse, Olivia Fierro have embarked on a new venture producing Tequila Corrido. The relaunch of the award-winning spirit rests on the principles of sustainability and pa…

1
My One-Eyed, Three-Legged Therapist 36:25

8M ago36:25

36:25

Kathy Finley found herself bullied as a child but she drew comfort, confidence, and courage from the pets she loved so well, especially her cats. She thought of her animals as the source of her superpower to make friends which helped build up her self-esteem. That is, until later in life she allowed an abusive husband to remove animals from her hom…

1
Conservation Math 36:58

8M ago36:58

36:58

Kevin Willis has served the zoological community for decades in a variety of posts, including time with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, as one of our most important statisticians. His work is documented in peer-reviewed publications and essays across a multitude of terrestrial and aquatic species, from elephants to orcas. His greatest skill …

1
The Cetacean Sanctuary: A Sea of Unknowns 40:02

8M ago40:02

40:02

The journal, Animals, has published a special issue that includes overviews and original research papers that rigorously assess zoo and aquarium behavior, welfare and ethics. One of the papers, The Cetacean Sanctuary: A Sea of Unknowns is written by frequent Zoo Logic guest, Dr. Jason Bruck and concerns the elusive cetacean sanctuary standards put …

1
International Elephant Foundation 37:32

8M ago37:32

37:32

The International Elephant Foundation turns 25 this year and the conservation organization continues to break new ground in preserving the world's largest land mammal. Conservation Coordinator, Sarah Conley describes the three species of elephants and the unique challenges to their respective survival. From working with local communities to support…

1
Dolphin Research Center Turns 40 36:58

9M ago36:58

36:58

According to its website, the Dolphin Research Center promotes peaceful coexistence, cooperation and communication between marine mammals, humans and the environment. They achieve this through education, research and rescue. Home to generations of bottlenose dolphins as well as California sea lions, the DRC is uniquely situated to study cognition, …

1
Episode 300: A Head Full of Hope 32:41

9M ago32:41

32:41

A fun day of snowboarding for 18-year-old Forrest Allen ended in a life-threatening traumatic brain injury, which forever altered his life and that of his family and friends. Neurologists told his well-known parents, veterinarians, Kent Allen and Rae Stone, cofounder of Dolphin Quest, that he would likely not survive the night. Despite that dire wa…

1
Planning Your First Safari 23:44

9M ago23:44

23:44

Many people dream of going on safari. Given the distance, time, and expense involved it is important to research and understand what options, locations, and experiences are most important to you and your travel companions. We talk with one expat with nearly 20 years of experience living abroad, combined with dozens of safaris to well known and more…

1
The Legacy of SeaWorld of Ohio 1:11:28

9M ago1:11:28

1:11:28

As 2023 draws to a close and Zoo Logic approaches its 300th episode, we look back at a remarkable institution that launched or strengthened the careers of many zoological professionals and leaders still very active today. In 1970, the second SeaWorld park opened in a most unlikely place, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio on the shores of Geauga Lake. The…

1
Veterinary Sustainability 29:38

10M ago29:38

29:38

KVP is one of the largest veterinary product manufacturers and distributors in the U.S. In their quarterly newsletter called the Bowman Report, the company describes the growing push by veterinarians and their customers towards more sustainably sourced materials and manufactured veterinary products, especially high use plastic products like nitrile…

1
Capitalism AND Conservation 27:58

10M ago27:58

27:58

Recently, Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park welcomed the birth of a female white rhino. This was no ordinary or overnight conservation success story according to its president, Kristy Hayden. The process began nearly 10-years ago with a significant financial commitment of hundreds of thousands of dollars by the forty-year-old, for-profit o…

1
Errorless Learning 52:49

10M ago52:49

52:49

A recent peer-reviewed paper discussed the concept and procedure known as errorless learning and compares its efficacy training dogs to that of the more typical trial-and-error approach to learning. One of the authors of the paper: Comparing Trial-and-Error to Errorless Learning Procedures in Training Pet Dogs a Visual Discrimination, Dr. Eduardo "…

1
A Conversation About Mental Health and Grief with GRAZE 37:26

10M ago37:26

37:26

Several years ago, a few zoo professionals recognized the growing need for better access to mental health resources for their peers. Together they formed Growing Resiliency for Aquarium and Zoo Employees or GRAZE for the purpose of "bringing mental health support to those in the zoo and aquarium industry by raising awareness, sharing ideas, resourc…

1
Brave-ish Author Lisa Niver 36:10

10M ago36:10

36:10

Lisa Niver was a successful teacher, traveler, and dive master turned award-winning travel writer, but privately things were not as they seemed. At the lowest point in her life and staring at starting over, she found the strength to free herself from an abusive marriage and set upon a path towards personal growth and healing. One strategy was to co…

1
Hounds and Hops 37:45

11M ago37:45

37:45

Long time zoo expert and media personality, Jarod Miller and his business partner Bob Manley have launched phase one of their pet services concept Hounds and Hops in his hometown of Buffalo, NY. In a city known for deep snowfalls and cold winters, their master plan includes the development of a covered outdoor dog-friendly green space, as well as, …

1
Humane Tourism 29:59

11M ago29:59

29:59

The oldest animal welfare organization in America, American Humane, has launched a new third party certification program consistent with its longstanding programs covering zoos, farming, and even the film and television industry. Announced a month ago, "Humane Tourism" is designed to certify "wildlife reserves, lodges, and tour operators for their …

1
Evacuating Working Dogs from Afghanistan 34:37

11M ago34:37

34:37

Co-founder of Mission K9 Rescue, Bob Bryant returns to discuss the organization's recent success and ongoing mission to return military and contract working dogs from their deployments around the world as the animal's tour of duty ends due to illness, age, or loss of work drive. In many instances MWD are reunited with their longtime human handlers …

1
Animal Educational Outreach Programs 38:02

11M ago38:02

38:02

We begin with long time zoo educator Lanie Angeles reminiscing about her time at Moorpark College's Exotic Animal Training and Management Program and their recent 50th anniversary celebration. The lessons she learned there have helped her educate thousands of kids of all ages through animal outreach programs. She discusses the important and nearly …

1
Killers in Eden Revisited 36:30

12M ago36:30

36:30

Scientist and historian Dr. Danielle Clode returns to discuss her extraordinary 2002 book, Killers in Eden and the documentary that followed in 2004 that explored the unique cooperative relationship between a pod of orcas and their human whaling partners in a small coastal town in New South Wales. Building upon the historic relationship between the…

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