The Wild Enrichment Podcast

My guest today is Dr. Marion Desmarchelier, a veterinarian with a rare blend of expertise in both zoological medicine and animal behavior. After graduating from the Veterinary School of Lyon, Marion pursued advanced training and board certifications in zoological medicine and later in veterinary behavior, making her one of the few professionals dually certified in these fields. She's worked across Canada and France in clinical, academic, and research roles and currently teaches at the Université de Montréal. Today, we're exploring her work on stereotypic behaviours in zoo animals—what they are, why they happen, and how science-based approaches can help improve welfare. Enjoy! Resources:  https://fmv.umontreal.ca/etudes/personnel-enseignant/fiche/in/in29915/sg/Marion%20Desmarchelier/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/marion-desmarchelier-dvm-daczm-deczm-zhm-dacvb-731020a8/?originalSubdomain=ca https://www.nightowlvetspecialists.com/about

My guest today is Sharon Joseph. In this episode we talk about Sharons impressive career working at zoos across the United States from Zoo keeper to Vice President. We also discuss structuring animal welfare programs for institutions large and small. Enjoy!   Resources:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-joseph-300b32164/ sjoseph@birminghamzoo.com

In this episode I am joined by Daniel O'loughlin and Arun Benty of the Life Sciences Education Trust. We discuss a wide range of topics from animal care staff training to using AI to advance animal welfare practices. Enjoy! Resources: https://lifesciencetrust.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-o-loughlin-/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/abenty/ https://www.instagram.com/lifesciencetrust/?hl=en

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Fiona French, to discuss "Playful" technology and how it can be used to benefit animal welfare. We discuss several ways animal care staff can use technology in their animal welfare programs as well as several real world examples of how Fiona has used technology to enrich the lives of animals. Enjoy! Resources:  https://www.londonmet.ac.uk/profiles/staff/fiona-french/ https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wmQhO5oAAAAJ&hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionafrench https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3357236.3395445

In this episode I am joined by Dr. Paul Rose. In this wide ranging conversation, we discuss topics such as ecologically relevant  husbandry, exhibit design as well as some of Paul's research in the field of animal welfare. Enjoy! Resources:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoopaul81/?originalSubdomain=uk https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul-Rose-8 https://experts.exeter.ac.uk/21253-paul-rose https://www.youtube.com/@paulrose1

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Ricardo Lemos de Figueiredo of The Zoo Scientist. In this wide-ranging conversation, Ricardo and I talk about the importance of zoos in conservation, communicating science and using data from wild animals to help us make welfare decisions for animals in human care.  Resources: https://www.thezooscientist.com/ https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5636/5/4/44 https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardolemosdefigueiredo/ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ricardo-Lemos-De-Figueiredo

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research at the Dolphin Research Centre in Florida. In this wide-ranging discussion, we discuss animal cognition as well as why cognitive enrichment is so important and how it can be evaluated and implemented with a variety of animals.  Resources:  https://dolphins.org/pat_kj_bio https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kelly-Jaakkola https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyjaakkola/

In this episode I am joined by Daisy Barrett & Tess McKelliget who are the cohosts of the podcast "Trainer talks and tails", a podcast focusing on training, animal welfare and conservation science. We have a wide ranging conversation around how Tess and Daisy started their podcast, the future of training in the industry and much much more!  Resources:  Trainer Talks and Tails Daisy Barrett & Tess McKelligetApplehttps://podcasts.apple.com › podcast › trainer-talks-and-t... https://www.instagram.com/trainertalksandtails/

In this episode, I am joined by DR. Eszter Matrai, who is a senior research fellow at Ocean Park, Hong Kong. Dr. Matrai runs a lab at Ocean Park currently working with multiple marine and terrestrial species, focusing on activity monitoring, behavioural pattern analysis and the use of cognitive enrichments. In this episode, we talked about assessing, creating and implementing cognitive and cooperative enrichment and much more! Enjoy! Resources:  https://www.esztermatrailab.com/our-work https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358520451_Testing_use_of_the_first_multi-partner_cognitive_enrichment_devices_by_a_group_of_male_bottlenose_dolphins https://www.facebook.com/hkoceanpark/videos/495496558474202 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/8/1370

In this episode, I am joined by Kelsey Worth, an experienced zookeeper, leader and a great person to chat with! The main topic of discussion is emotional longevity in the animal care industry, with a focus on how to be happy long-term and become resilient for a long and successful career. I hope you enjoy!  Internal vs External Locus of control  https://wildenrichment.com/articles/learn-to-soar-dealing-with-burnout-in-the-animal-care-industry/

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Kylen Gartland who is the Manager of Applied Animal Welfare Science at the Centre for Zoo and Aquarium Animal Welfare and Ethics located at the Detroit Zoological Society. In this wide ranging conversation, we touched on creating effective systems to assess animal welfare, demystifying statistics and much more! Resources and links:  https://detroitzoo.org/animals/center-for-zoo-animal-welfare/ https://czaw.org/ https://a.co/d/78H44qR  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylen-gartland-lea-phd-a153a0137/ 

In this episode, I am joined by Shane Gorbett, who sits on the board of directors of The ABMA and runs their podcast, Animal Behaviour Conversations: The Podcast of The ABMA. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about the importance of building relationships with the animals you work with and the power of positive reinforcement to change an animals life.  Check out Animal Behaviour Conversations: https://open.spotify.com/show/2cARqU5pklJUooKVlOHyNq?si=fd2e71ffc7704ef0    Resources:  https://www.theabma.org/images/userfiles/files/ABMA%20Glossary.pdf https://www.theabma.org/  https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-animal-behavior-management-alliance/ https://www.facebook.com/AnimalBehaviorManagementAlliance/

In this episode I am joined by Elliot Carr, Sanctuaries and Rescue Centres Coalition Lead Coordinator at Asia For Animals Coalition. We talk about animal welfare issues across Asia and the World as well as some of the great companies on the front line of these issues. Enjoy! https://www.asiaforanimals.com/ https://www.smaccoalition.com/  https://www.asiaforanimals.com/news

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Jake Veasey, Director of Care for the Rare. In this wide-ranging conversation we talk about his company, Care for the Rare, the future of habitats for animals in human care, the interface between animal welfare and conservation as well as some insight into the future of welfare assessments. Enjoy! Resources: Website www.carefortherare.com Personal LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakeveasey/ Company LinkedIn page www.linkedin.com/company/carefortherare Welfare audit paper https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/zoo.21677 Peak welfare paper https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/zoo.21390 Tiger AWPIS findings https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/9/1536

In this episode, I am joined by Christine Dorchak and Carey Theil, co-authors of  Brooklyn Goes Home: The Rise and Fall of American Greyhound Racing and the Dog that Inspired a Movement, are the founders of the small non-profit organization GREY2K USA, where they led a coalition of ordinary dog lovers in fighting a multi-billion dollar gambling industry — and won. We talk about their new book, The Greyhound Racing Industry and how their formula for success can be used to create legislation to improve animal welfare across the globe. Resources:  https://www.amazon.com/Brooklyn-Goes-Home-American-Greyhound/dp/1590567145/ref=sr_1_1?crid=BSHKROD07POA&keywords=brooklyn+goes+home&qid=1694809669&sprefix=%2Caps%2C62&sr=8-1 https://www.grey2kusa.org/index.php https://www.grey2kusa.org/who/victories.php

In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Van Herpt, Senior Bear Team Manager at Animals Asia. Animals Asia is a company dedicated to ending bear bile farming and improving the welfare of animals across Asia. To accomplish this goal, Animals Asia has several bear sanctuaries for moon bears and sun bears they rehabilitate them from the horrors of the bear bile industry. In this conversation, Sarah and I talk about how they go about rehabilitating these bears, the unique challenges they face as well as how you can contribute to Animals Asia and their fight against this industry.  Resources:  https://www.animalsasia.org/intl/about-us/who-we-are/ https://www.facebook.com/AnimalsAsia https://www.instagram.com/animalsasia/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/animals-asia/

In this episode, I am joined by Nicky Plaskitt, an expert animal trainer and owner of Shaping Behaviour training consultancy. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about how Nicky started in the industry, using positive reinforcement to train raptors and what makes a training program successful.  Resources:  https://shapingbehaviour.com/  Nicky Plaskitt BSc (Hons), CPBT-KA, CPAT-KA's PostLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com › posts › nicky-plaskitt-bsc-ho... https://www.facebook.com/shapingbehaviour/ https://iaate.org/about-iaate/

In this episode, I am joined by Gerry Creighton. Gerry is a second-generation zookeeper and former operations manager of the Dublin Zoo. Gerry now runs his own consultancy, Global Elephant Care Inc. and just released his new book "Raised by the Zoo: My Life with Elephants and Other Animals", a memoir of his experiences in over 30 years of working in zoos. Check out his book here: Raised by the Zoo: My Life with Elephants and Other AnimalsAmazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Raised-Zoo-Elephants-Oth... https://www.easons.com/raised-by-the-zoo-hb-gerry-creighton-9780717197514 Follow Gerry on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerry-creighton-b84a9745/?originalSubdomain=ie

In this episode, I sit down with Matthew Shackleton, a veterinary physiotherapist and former zookeeper. Matthew works with a wide variety of animals, exotic and domestic. In this conversation, we talk about Matthews's approach to physiotherapy in zoos, training and enrichment as therapy tools and how to support geriatric animals as they age. Resources:  https://www.shackletonvetphysio.com/about https://www.facebook.com/ShackletonVetPhysio/ https://www.instagram.com/shackleton_vet_physio/

"In the absence of clearly-defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it." Robert Heinlein. Zookeepers are faced with many challenges these days, being short-staffed, underpaid, and burnt out, and on top of all that, they have to stay on top of an extremely rapidly advancing industry. Being "Product Oriented" is aimed at helping with this by giving animal care teams clear priorities and ensuring the daily tasks of managing an animal care section do not stop you from creating and accomplishing goals.

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Jenna Congdon. Dr. Congdon is a Psychologist, specializing in comparative cognition and behaviour in animals. Her research spans many topics, from, songbird communication to training artificial intelligence to analyze Orangutan behaviour. During this conversation, we explore the exciting ways animals perceive the world, the power of artificial intelligence, how we can better understand animal behaviour and much more.  Resources:  https://jennacongdon.weebly.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenna-congdon-phd/ https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3357236.3395559

In this episode, I am joined by Peter Giljam, founder and head trainer at Zoospensfull. Peter has spent many years as an animal trainer, influencer, educator and consultant and brings his expertise to this wide-ranging conversation. We talk about the most important things to consider in a training program, cooperative care and the future of positive reinforcement training. We also discuss dealing with burnout and compassion fatigue in the industry.  https://zoospensefull.com/  https://www.facebook.com/zoospensefull/ https://www.instagram.com/zoospensefull/?hl=en 

In this episode, we sit down with Ezekiel Gading, a master's student and animal welfare researcher. We talk about Ezekiel's fascinating research on Orangutans, building resilience in the animals you work with and how animals are perceiving their environment. Resources we covered:  https://www.some.ox.ac.uk/our-people/professor-marian-dawkins-cbe-frs/  https://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/directory/profile.php?dmb16  https://suzannemacdonald.ca/ 

In this episode, I am joined by Tim Husband, a former zoo director with over 40 years in the animal care industry. Tim brings the perspective of having worked at all levels of animal care facilities to this wide-ranging conversation. Tim currently owns a consulting company ZooWorks, where he and his team perform audits of animal care facilities to determine strategic goals for the facility as it relates to leadership and operations.  You can find Tim on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-husband-26413b22/ 

In this episode, I sit down with Alice Vassalo, Director of the Keeper Educational Exchange Programme and host of Asshole Animals With Alice. We chat about the importance of collaboration on animal welfare and learning as well as some of the animals that we still loved working with despite them being jerks.  Resources:  https://www.keeperexchange.org/about-us-2 https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/a-e-animals-with-alice/id1667378735  https://www.instagram.com/assholeanimalswithalice/

In this episode, Nick Naitove & Emily Cain-Bernhart of WildThink are back! We chat about the enrichment vending machine, animal cognition, our sensory biases and the future of animal welfare with things like AI. Check it out!  Resources:  https://www.wildthink.org/  https://czaw.org/  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/616914/an-immense-world-by-ed-yong/9781039003903

In this episode, I sit down with Grant Kother, Senior Consultant at Zoospensfull. Grant brings his expertise in leading animal care teams, enrichment and training as well as extensive experience as an animal educator. Please enjoy this wide-ranging conversation!  Resources  Sabrina Brando 24/7 care  https://animalconcepts.mykajabi.com/247approachtopromotingoptimalwelfareforcaptivewildanimals  https://zoospensefull.com/

In this episode, we chat with Jade Fountain, owner of Animal Behaviour Matters. Animal behaviour matters is a behaviour consultancy that works with people and animals worldwide to teach the fundamentals of applied behavioural science and behaviour change via positive reinforcement training. In this conversation, we go over what makes a great animal trainer, decision-making in behavioural husbandry, and some of the fundamental principles of Animal Behaviour Matters.    Resources  https://www.clickertraining.com/the-steep-price-of-conservation https://animalbehaviourmatters.com.au/ https://www.facebook.com/AnimalBehaviourMatters https://www.instagram.com/animalbehaviourmatters/

In this episode I am joined by Dr Valli Fraser-Celin, an expert on human- canine relationships and positive reinforcement training advocate. In this wide ranging conversation we talk about Valli's doctoral research on human-canine conflict and relationships in Africa, how this informed her advocacy around R+ in canines and some common myths around dog behaviour. Resources:  https://www.instagram.com/thelivesofwilddogs/?hl=en https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=F-yUFmgAAAAJ&hl=en The effects of using aversive training methods in dogs—A review https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787817300357

In this episode, we sit down with Kristina Bartley, Founder and President of the American Association of Laboratory Animal Enrichment. We chat about the unique challenges with the enrichment and welfare of lab animals as well as some of the parallels between the research field and the zoo field.  Some resources we talked about:  https://www.aalae.org/about-us/ https://www.aalae.org/enrichment-database/

In this episode we sit down with Bale Pigors to talk about Free to be Wild Sanctuary, the primate sanctuary she started in Zimbabwe. We talk about the steps involved in rehabilitating an animal for release as well as the unique enrichment and animal welfare challenges that come with rehabilitation.  https://freetobewildsanctuary.org/ https://www.instagram.com/freetobewildsanctuary/

In this episode, I chat with Dr. Isabella Clegg, Director of Animal Welfare Expertise. We discuss a wide range of topics relating to animal welfare and enrichment including bridging the gap between research and practical application of animal welfare concepts, common challenges, the importance of team work, and much more!  Resources discussed:  https://www.animalwelfareexpertise.com/ https://www.animalwelfareexpertise.com/ideabox https://www.facebook.com/AnimalWelfareExperti https://www.linkedin.com/company/animal-welfare-expertise/? https://www.instagram.com/thedolphindoctor/?hl=en

In this episode, we chat about measuring the demeanour of the animals you work with and how it can be used to improve animal welfare. Resources/ Further reading:  Andreasen, S. N., Wemelsfelder, F., Sandøe, P., & Forkman, B. (2013). The correlation of Qualitative Behavior Assessments with Welfare Quality® protocol outcomes in on-farm welfare assessment of dairy cattle. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 143(1), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2012.11.013 Brydges, N. M., Leach, M., Nicol, K., Wright, R., & Bateson, M. (2011). Environmental enrichment induces optimistic cognitive bias in rats. Animal Behaviour, 81(1), 169–175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.09.030 Walker, J., Dale, A., Waran, N., Clarke, N., Farnworth, M., & Wemelsfelder, F. (2010). The assessment of emotional expression in dogs using a Free Choice Profiling methodology. Animal Welfare (South Mimms, England), 19, 74–84. Wemelsfelder, F. (n.d.). How Animals Communicate Quality of Life: The Qualitative Assessment of Behaviour. 12. Wemelsfelder, F., Hunter, A. E., Paul, E. S., & Lawrence, A. B. (2012). Assessing pig body language: Agreement and consistency between pig farmers, veterinarians, and animal activists1. Journal of Animal Science, 90(10), 3652–3665. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2011-4691

In this episode, we sit down with Jay Pratte, President of the Bear Care Group and Director of the Miller Park Zoo. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about the origins of the Bear Care Group, AZA's Well-being shift and the future of animal welfare science. Resources we discussed:  https://www.bearcaregroup.org/  Maher, Chloe J., Angela Gibson, Laura M. Dixon, and Heather Bacon. 2021. "Developing a Reliable Welfare Assessment Tool for Captive Hibernatory Bear Species" Animals 11, no. 11: 3090. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113090 https://greystonebooks.com/collections/else-poulsen https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2332/aza_animal-welfare-strategy.pdf https://www.eaza.net/ https://www.waza.org/ 

Our third and final part in the "How to become a zookeeper" series. In. this episode we sit down with Marc Brandson, curator, hiring manager and safety guru to chat about networking, resumes, interview tactics and insider tips for you to become a zookeeper!  Links we talked about:  https://www.aza.org/accred-materials https://caza.ca/policies-backgrounders/  https://ocean.org  https://worksitesafety.ca/category/training/online/  https://www.aalso.org  https://aazk.org 

In this episode, we talk about AZA's new document "A Strategic Framework for the Wellbeing of Animals". We go over the position statement on the shift to wellbeing, the 5 priorities in the document as well as what this shift means for you in the day-to-day husbandry of animals.  Here is a link to the framework: https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2332/aza_animal-welfare-strategy.pdf 

Part 2 of our interviews with hiring managers! We are joined by Denise Soufflant to chat about how to become a zookeeper! 

In this episode, I am joined by Kelsey Worth, hiring manager, animal trainer and a keeper who has worked all over the world. We take you through the journey of becoming a zookeeper, from networking, resume dos and don'ts interview tips and tricks and finally, how to get a full-time job when you get your foot in the door! Check it out and have your hiring questions answered! 

In this episode, we are joined by Demi Booth, an Animal Welfare Specialist. We chat about the ins and outs of what it's like to run an animal welfare/ behavioural husbandry program at a large institution as well as some of the fascinating work Demi has been a part of.  Check out Demi's work at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/demibooth/.  Links to resources we talked about  https://www.eaza.net/academy/courses/  https://www.aza.org/animal-management 

In this episode, we sit down with Sarah Bonser-Blake, Animal Welfare Feild Manager at Wild Welfare. We talk about animal welfare assessments, some of the great work Wild Welfare is doing and the free Wild About Welfare: Digital Education Programme and much more!  Check out Wild Welfare at:  https://wildwelfare.org  https://wildwelfare.org/resources-elearn-programme/  https://www.facebook.com/WildWelfare  https://www.instagram.com/wildwelfare/?hl=en 

In this episode, we are joined by Amanda Gobel of Enriching Equines to talk about all things horse welfare and enrichment. Check out Enriching Equines at: https://enrichingequines.com  https://www.facebook.com/enrichingequines/  https://www.instagram.com/enrichingequines/ 

Good employee welfare = Good animal welfare! In this episode, we go over some useful tips and tricks to avoid burnout and learn to soar in the animal care industry. Check out my article on this topic as well: https://wildenrichment.com/articles/learn-to-soar-dealing-with-burnout-in-the-animal-care-industry/ 

Animal welfare is a continuously evolving science and proactively keeping on top of the welfare needs of every animal in a collection is a tremendous undertaking, but looking critically at the people and processes around you as well as your own skillset is a great place to start, find out more on today's podcast!    Link to full article: https://wildenrichment.com/articles/are-you-leaving-welfare-on-the-table/

In this short episode, I talk about my thoughts on reptile enrichment and where I think everyone should start when they are looking to make a reptile's life more enriching and increase their welfare. 

Today we are sitting down with the incredibly talented Sarah Feliciano and Matthew Owens to chat about their company, Zoo Enrichment Lab.  Check them out on: Their website: https://zooenrichmentlab.com  Their shop: https://zooenrichmentlab.com/store  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zooenrichmentlab/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zooenrichmentlab/ 

In this episode I sit down with Emily Cain and Nick Naitove of WildThink and we chat about their company, the enrichment vending machine as well as some important topics surrounding enrichment.  Check them out at: https://www.wildthink.org https://www.instagram.com/wildthinkenrichment/?hl=en  https://www.facebook.com/wildthinkenrichment/ 

This podcast is one that has been in the works for a while now! I've spent a lot of time creating enrichment plans and behavioural husbandry programs for a variety of exotic animals, and many of the key concepts and ideas transfer over to the domestic animal world. So let's take a deep dive into what a behavioural husbandry program for a domestic horse might look like and how it will not only benefit your beloved horse, but also allow you to have fun doing it! Check out my article: https://wildenrichment.com/articles/a-guide-to-domestic-horse-enrichment/

In this episode Ben and I sit down to talk about how to go about setting a baseline for an enrichment program and what that even means. We also answer some audience questions about what to do with an animal that just wont interact with enrichment! Enjoy! 

In this episode we are once again joined by Ben! We talk about how you can go about getting your team on board with an enrichment program and what to do when a team member won't budge. We also talk about how important it is to get everyone on your team on the same page when it comes to enrichment evaluation and overall interpretation of animal behaviour. Enjoy!

An important concept to always keep in the back of your mind with behavioural husbandry, is the fact that you are trying to enrich the lives of the individual animals under your care and not the entire species. What I mean by that is, when you are designing an enrichment program, you need to design the program to benefit the individual animal or group of individuals that you are caring for, many of these individuals will have special needs, tendencies and behaviours that could stray from what we envision the “ideal” needs, tendencies and behaviours should be, based on what we know about these animals in the wild.

I think that the ability to think critically and make “good” decisions is one of the most important skills in animal care. Luckily It's a skill that can be learned and improved upon with some practice. Here's a podcast on how to do just that, check it out! Based on the article "How to Think Critically and Make Better Decisions in Animal Care" https://wildenrichment.com/articles/how-to-think-critically-and-make-better-decisions-in-animal-care