Dateline: November 7, 2025. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with an update from the Tree Kangaroo Workshop! 

We then have a headline story looking at a really cool thing some zoos are doing to say goodbye to beloved animals, including places like the Philly Zoo and Elmwood Park Zoo. 

Then it's time for Zoo News stories from Lehigh Valley Zoo, Audubon Zoo, ZooAtlanta, Animal Kingdom, Cape May County Zoo, Beardsley Zoo, the Erie Zoo, Sunset Zoo, the Toronto Zoo, the Indianapolis Zoo, the Columbus Zoo, Cincinnati, and more! 

Conservation News stories include lead levels in herps, rediscoveries, and discoveries galore! 

Other News deals with a Fake News story again.

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 
rossifari.com 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 

Today, the Safari brings you an episode recorded at the AZA Annual Conference, featuring Dr. Grace Fuller of the Detroit Zoo and the AZA's Animal Welfare Committee.  We talk all about the commitment to animal welfare that the AZA has, and how the committee helps to ensure that all AZA facilities have best practices for the welfare of their animals. We also veer into numerous controversial zoo topics! 

EPISODE LINKS: 

detroitzoo.org 

@detroitzoo on socials 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 

Rossifari.com 

Patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 

@rossifari on socials 

@rossifaripod on TikTok

Dateline: October 2, 2025. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness! 
 
We start off with a very, very exciting announcement! Then that's followed by a second announcement that is also very exciting! Speaking of, if you can help with Shots for Spots, please do so here: https://kindest.com/831498-shots-for-spots

Then it's time for Zoo News stories from Smithsonian's National Zoo, The Los Angeles Zoo, The Wilds, the Fort Worth Zoo, Chester Zoo, Mulhouse Zoo, Columbus Zoo, Turtleback Zoo, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Zoo Knoxville, and the Cincinnati Zoo, plus all of the AZA Honors winners from the conference this year! 

Conservation News stories include a sad story about HPAI and an old story about tree kangaroos. 

And in Other News, we have a super hot shark threesome, apparently.

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 
rossifari.com 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 

Today, the Safari brings you our first ever Holiday Gifts Guide, featuring interviews from multiple incredible companies that have the perfect gifts for yourself or the other animal lovers in your life! In this episode you'll hear from: 

Peppermint Narwhal (starts at 5:04). Use offer code ROSSIFARI at peppermintnarwhal.com for 10% off your order from now through 12/20! 

Cappy Trails (starts at 24:36). We discuss the custom 2024 Rossifari Holiday Ornament, new offers for Patrons, and more! Also, the entire store is 25% off from 11/28 to 12/2, and from 12/3 to 1/1, all stickers are buy three get one free! 

Buoy Bottles (starts at 41:20). The most eco-friendly water bottle around, featuring some incredible design choices! This bottle is being sold in zoo and aquarium gift shops across the country, and now you can get one for yourself! If you visit buoy.eco and email them saying you heard about the product on Rossifari, you'll get a bottle for $25 instead of $29! 

Saratoga Toy and Game, creators of the Zoo King game (starts at 53:36). One of the most fun games around, especially for zoo lovers! Visit saratogatoy.com and use coupon code ROSSIFARI on any Zoo King bundle to save $10 on your purchase! 

Tied In Knots Crocheting (starts at 1:08:00) for some incredible hand made stuffed animals that give back. You can order your own, including the binturong stuffy that was created through me reaching out! Visit tied-in-knots-crocheting.square.site to find your new best friend! 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
rossifari.com 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 

Dateline: November 22, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with a very special announcement about Tuesday's episode and also a limited edition bit of merch you can get your hands on NOW! 

Our headline story this week looks at the AZA's Animal Wellbeing Summit, and the surprising controversy that has occurred around it. 

We then move on to our births section, including babies at The North Carolina Zoo, The Lincoln Children's Zoo, Highland Wildlife Park, and the Houston Zoo

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals from Zoo Atlanta and the Milwaukee County Zoo. 
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  This episode features stories from Mote Marine Lab, the Oregon Zoo, the Adelaide Zoo, the Santa Barbara Zoo, and the Columbus Zoo. 

In Conservation News, we talk about avian influenza hitting Hawaii and a new species being uplisted to "Critically Endangered" 

In Other News, we talk about many animals roaming free in South Carolina. 

LINK TO THE ROSSIFARI 2024 ORNAMENT: www.cappytrails.com 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 
rossifari.com 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 

Today, the Safari sits down with Emily Mack to talk about grief. In a short period of time, the zoo Emily formerly worked at lost four animals on her string. To put it mildly, this was NOT a good time for Emily or her team. So we go into great detail on the relationships she had with her animals, what the losses felt like, and what living with and getting past that grief looked like to Emily. 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
rossifari.com 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 

Dateline: November 15, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with my life. Yay. 

We then do a quick headline story about a study that looks at the best way to experience a zoo or aquarium. My guess is you won't be surprised. 

We then move on to our births section, including babies at Adventure Aquarium, Darling Downs Zoo, Gulf Breeze Zoo, and Brookfield Zoo. 

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals from the Edinburgh Zoo, the Columbus Zoo, the Calgary Zoo, and Cameron Park Zoo.
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  This episode features stories from Edmonton Valley Zoo and the Toronto Zoo, The Bronx Zoo, Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, The North Carolina Zoo, the Maryland Zoo, Woodland Park Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo, and more. 

In Conservation News, we talk about the proposed new head of the EPA, why turtles being awesome is bad, the way AI is effecting the environment, and a debate about whether a species is back from extinction.

In Other News, we talk about the tiger at the LSU game, the largest coral in the world, a marching zoo, and an update on the monkey escape from last week.

Today, the Safari sits down with Jamie Delk in Dallas to talk a little bit about her career at the zoo, but a whole lot about the journey she has been on since she was the guest on the Season 1 finale of Rossifari. We talk about changes in her life and in her perspective that led her to walk away from zookeeping entirely, what she did in her time away from the field, and what finally drew her back into it. Along the way we joke, go into deeply personal stories, and more. Jamie's first episode was one of my most discussed episodes ever, and I'm sure this one will join the ranks as well! 

EPISODE LINKS: 
@dallaszoo 
dallaszoo.org 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
rossifari.com 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 

Dateline: November 8, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with my thoughts about the election, kind of. Just listen or skip that part, whatever you need today. 

We then move on to our births section, including red panda triplets at Lincoln Childrens Zoo, a cool giraffe birth story from Potawatomi Zoo, the start of African penguin breeding season at the Maryland Zoo, possibly the cutest pygmy hippo ever, unless you're a TikTok person, and more! 

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals from Zoo Miami, the National Zoo, the Buffalo Zoo, the Adelaide Zoo, and the Edinburgh Zoo. 
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  This episode features stories from The Fort Worth Zoo, Buttonwood Park Zoo, Beardsley Zoo, the London Zoo, Seneca Park Zoo, Seaquest Aquariums, and The Wilds! 

In Conservation News, we talk about the climate and some more good news for North Atlantic Right Whales

In Other News, we talk about an emperor penguin and the loss of 43 monkeys. 

Today, the Safari heads to SeaLife Grapevine to talk to Chase Stryhal all about the guitarfish, sea turtles, eels, flashlight fish, and other animals that call the aquarium home! From a background in theatre to a love of red pandas to a mutual friend, Chase and I have a lot of fun finding the things we have in common as we talk about the incredible animals he gets to care for! 

EPISODE LINKS: 
@sealifegrapevine on socials 
visitsealife.com 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
rossifari.com 
patreon.com/rossifari 

Dateline: November 1, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with a bunch of stuff from my life. 

We then get to our headline story, discussing the uplisting of African penguins to critically endangered. 

We then move on to our births section, including a bintlet at Wild Discovery, pied tamarin twins at Chattanooga, meerkat pups at the Melbourne Zoo, a toco toucan chick at Riverbanks Zoo, and two new Addax at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo. 

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals. We start off by saying goodbye to a penguin I got to spend a lot of time with at Aquarium of Niagara. We also say goodbye to Ivan at the Pittsburgh Zoo and the oldest resident at the Racine Zoo. 
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  This episode features stories from the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Sedgwick County Zoo, the Cincinnati Zoo, the Nashville Zoo, and Newquay Zoo. It also features a story involving a fake whale shark and another story involving Rossifari, Freakonomics, and the AZA! 

In Conservation News, we talk about three positive stories to offset the sad news about African penguins. 

In Other News, we talk about police chasing a kangaroo and the death of a famous grizzly bear.

Today, the Safari heads to Rochester, NY, to visit with Dr. Chris McKinney, the full time veterinarian at the Seneca Park Zoo! I actually spent the day shadowing Chris during his early work and morning rounds, and then we discussed what that looked like for all of you, so this is literally a step into the day of a zoo veterinarian. On top of that, you get the dish on the red panda kindergarten class of 2024! 

EPISODE LINKS: 
@senecaparkzoo on socials 
senecaparkzoo.org 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
rossifari.com 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 

Dateline: October 25, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness! 
 
We start off with a cool collaboration story and more stuff about my life.

We then get to our headline story, discussing the announcement that Ruth the elephant at Buttonwood Park Zoo is entering hospice care.

We then move on to our births section, including two new red pandas at the Exmoor Zoo! We also talk about a new giraffe at the Potawatomi Zoo, two maned wolves at Altina Wildlife Park, and four meerkat pups born at the Sydney Zoo.

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals. We start off with an incredible tree kangaroo that called the SF Teaching Zoo home. We also say goodbye to animals at the Lake Superior Zoo, Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park, and more.
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  This episode features stories from the Toledo Zoo, the Kansas City Zoo, the ZAA, Zoos Victoria, the Toronto Zoo, Beardsley Zoo, the Detroit Zoo, and the faux-kapi movement.

In Conservation News, we talk about two rhino conservation stories and why feeding wildlife is a bad idea.

In Other News, we talk about stem cell treatment for a vulture and a doggie door for a bear.

EPISODE LINKS:
@tied_in_knots_crocheting on socials
tied-in-knots-crocheting.square.site for the binturong and other plush friends!

https://www.beardsleyzoo.org/press/wild-election-showdown-meet-the-animal-candidates-battling-for-mayor-of-connecticuts-beardsley-zoo - How to vote for Berry! 

Today, the Safari heads to Colorado to the legendary Cheyenne Mountain Zoo! We talk all things giraffe with Amy Schilz, the senior animal behaviorist at the International Center for the Care and Conservation of Giraffe at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. We talk training, husbandry, conservation work, and so much more. Amy is an incredibly passionate guest, and I'm wildly excited to share her story with you. 

EPISODE LINKS: 

www.cmzoo.org 

@cheyennemountainzoo on socials 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 

rossifari.com 

@rossifari on socials 

@rossifaripod on TikTok 

Patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod

Today, the Safari heads back to the Fort Worth Zoo to talk with Dr. John Griffioen, who has a really unique role at the zoo. You'll hear about his veterinary work, but also how he transitioned to his new position where he takes care of the humans at the zoo along with the animals there. A lot of talking about leadership, flamingos, elephants, and more keep this one interesting and fun! 

EPISODE LINKS: 
fortworthzoo.org 
@fortworthzoo 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
rossifari.com 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod

Hey Friends! Here's a bonus episode for your feed from one of my favorite podcasts, Trainer Talks and Tails! Daisy and Tess are joined by Steph Lauren from Halls Gap Zoo to discuss training the red pandas there, including some things I've not heard of before. Enjoy! 

Don't forget to subscribe to the Trainer Talks and Tails podcast and follow along @trainertalksandtails on socials! 

Dateline: October 18, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with a quick look at how our Season 5 goals are coming along.

We then get to our headline story, looking at the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, especially on Mote Marine Lab. 

We then move on to our births section, including a new rhino at Whipsnade Zoo, an anoa calf at the Chester Zoo, a baby giant otter at New Forest Wildlife Park, a baby tamandua at the Memphis Zoo, and more! 

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals. We start off with a beloved jaguar at Woodland Park Zoo, then discuss the loss of the matriarch of the elephant herd at the Maryland Zoo, and say goodbye to an aardvark at the Rolling Hills Zoo.
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  This episode features stories from the San Diego Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, Smithsonian's National Zoo, the Louisville Zoo, Zoo Knoxville, Sea Turtle Recovery, and more! 

In Conservation News, we talk about the Aussie Bird Count, a huge conservation win by NOAA Fisheries, a caracal in Chicago, and a look at how de-extinction is going.  

In Other News, we talk about a dog fox hybrid and why orcas are attacking boats. 

Today, the Safari heads back to the Fort Worth Zoo to discuss the absolutely incredible gharial reproduction efforts taking place there. We do a super deep dive on exactly what the zoo is doing to help this species reproduce...the science, the art, the thought process, and the successes so far! It's a fascinating story.

EPISODE LINKS: 
fortworthzoo.org 
@fortworthzoo on socials 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
rossifari.com 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 

Dateline: October 11, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with a quick catch up on my life - actually, there's a whole lot to chat about, y'all. 

We then get to our headline story, looking at the preparations being made for Hurricane Milton. 

We then move on to our births section, including a new tree kangaroo at the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, a tamarin at Buttonwood Park Zoo, and four bush dog pups born at Yorkshire Wildlife Park! 

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals. We start off with a baby giraffe at the Abilene Zoo, then say goodbye to both the Watusi at the Virginia Zoo and a pair of lions at the Adelaide Zoo, along with some other animals. 
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  This episode features stories from the North Carolina Zoo, WNC Nature Center, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Seneca Park Zoo, Mote Marine Lab, Zoo Atlanta, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, the National Zoo in DC, and more! 

In Conservation News, we do a deep dive into tigers in the US, discuss a frog rediscovery, talk about a Capybara Cafe, and share one of the weirdest discoveries of a new species ever. 

In Other News, we talk about comb jellies and how Flacco the owl continues to inspire change in New York City.

Today, the Safari heads back to Roger Williams Park Zoo to talk to Sean Hoelle and Morgan Lopes of the NEI Bird Show that ran at the zoo this summer! We're back after last year's visit with Amy Fennell, and this year we're talking all about the changes to the show, the new birds and new people working the show, and how one year can make everything both more the same and more different than ever before! 

EPISODE LINKS: 
@naturalencountersinc on socials 
naturalencounters.com 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
rossifari.com 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the podcast 

Dateline: October 4, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with a quick catch up on my life

We then get to our headline story, looking at the effects of Hurricane Helene, especially on zoological facilities.  Three places are going to be shut down for a long time because of the storm, and more had to close for a day or a few days, so we get into that.

We then move on to our births section, including a new red panda at Edinburgh Zoo, a mountain bongo at Marwell Zoo, an aardvark at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, a new GLT at RWPZ, some Komodo's at Nashville, and more!

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals. We start off with a tree kangaroo that meant a lot to me, a bison at Lehigh Valley Zoo, a rhino at the Phoenix Zoo, a young dolphin at Shedd, and more.
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  This episode features stories from the Bronx Zoo, Greensboro Science Center, the accreditation hearings at the AZA Conference, and a look at Moo Deng and Pesto the penguin.

In Conservation News, we talk about a horrible thing that happened to some sea turtle nests, the rediscovery of a species thought lost, the reintroduction of a very endangered tiger species to a part of its original range, Australia's first Marsupial of the Year, and more.

In Other News, I give you a non-news fact about tree kangaroos.  You're welcome.

Today, the Safari heads back to Quincy, MA, to bring another unique and incredible part of the New England Aquarium experience to y'all. Today we are talking about husbandry, sustainability, and more as it pertains to raising fish and other aquarium animals through aquaculture. It's a topic I didn't know much about before this episode, and there is a lot of fascinating information in this one! 

EPISODE LINKS: 
www.neaq.org
@newenglandaquarium on socials 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
rossifari.com 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 

Today, the Safari comes to you from Toronto, where I'm attending the joint AAZV EAZWV Conference! I talk to six guests about their time at the conference and share a little bit about my own time here as well. You'll hear from: 

- Dr. Meghan Togher, a recent graduate of vet school in London 
- Lindsey Rice and Sammy Mould, two vet students attending the conference 
- Dr. Katherine Mosley, an exotics vet from New Jersey 
- Molly Gezella-Baranczyk, the new Executive Director of the AAZV 
- Dr. Abigail Fiske, the veterinarian at Saginaw Children's Zoo 

And also me, the least educated person at the entire conference! 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
rossifari.com 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 

Today, the Safari heads to New England Aquarium to talk about the giant ocean tank, with a heavy focus on the most famous resident of the facility: Myrtle, the incredible green sea turtle that is the undisputed queen of the aquarium. We also talk about the loggerhead turtles and other animals that share the tank with Myrtle, and a bunch of other fun and interesting stuff! 

EPISODE LINKS: 
@newenglandaquarium 
newenglandaquarium.org 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
patreon.com/rossifari 
rossifari.com 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 

Dateline: September 126, 2025. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness! 
 
We start off talking about my life, and then remind you all to donate to Shots for Spots!  If you can help with Shots for Spots, please do so here: https://kindest.com/831498-shots-for-spots

Our headline story this week looks at the passing of animal trainer Ryan Easley, and how there seem to be two completely different takes on who this person was and what their legacy is. 

Then it's time for Zoo News stories featuring births from the St. Louis Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, the Central Park Zoo, Drusillas Park, and more! 

We say goodbye to animals at the Topeka Zoo, Denver Zoo, Central Florida Zoo, Milwaukee County Zoo, Dallas Zoo, and Bristol Zoo Project.

We have additional Zoo News stories from Mote Marine Lab, Miami Seaquarium, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Roger Williams Park Zoo, and a wonderful quote from Jane Goodall. 

Conservation News stories include a cool solution for melting arctic ice, why rock stacking is dumb, a comedian helping tigers, and another rediscovery! 

And in Other News, we have a sweet story and a silly story.

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 
rossifari.com 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok

Today, the Safari is coming at you from Calgary, Alberta in Canada, where I'm recapping the 2024 AZA Conference. But you won't just be hearing about my experience.  Instead, you'll hear me talk about the conference with NINE guests! You'll hear from: 
Tiana, Kelley, and Randolf from the Edmonton Valley Zoo 
Jeff Ewalt from ZooMontana 
Christine Stephans from the Aquarium of Niagara 
Chris Jenkins from Natural Encounters, Inc. 
Elena Bell from the Akron Zoo 
Jamie Katis of the Trevor Zoo at Millbrook 
Tiffany James of ZooKnoxville 

Welcome to Calgary! 

Today, the Safari heads to New England Aquarium to talk to Adam Kennedy at the Sea Turtle Hospital run by the hospital. It meant so much to me to get to see these turtles and then attend a release that evening. 

EPISODE LINKS: 
neaq.org 
@neaq on socials 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
Rossifari.com 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
patreon.com/rossifari 

Dateline: September 13, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with a quick programming note and some catching up on my life. 

We start off our Zoo News section with births, featuring a new tiger at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, a new Grivet monkey at Southwick's Zoo, six new lemurs at Duke, a baby bonobo at the Cincinnati Zoo, a little giant anteater at Beardsley Zoo, and new black tree monitors at Riverbanks Zoo.

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals. We start off with a younger red panda who passed at Happy Hollow, and also talk about an old penguin that passed at the Maryland Zoo, a wolverine that recently started living at the Columbus Zoo, another ape claimed by Shigella at Jacksonville, one of the oldest Pallas' cats in the country at Hogle Zoo, and one of the oldest Lar gibbons at Reid Park Zoo. 
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  This episode features stories from Mote Marine Lab, the Memphis Zoo, Melbourne Zoo, the Toronto Zoo, a new SAFE Program, a tiger escape in Mexico, and more.

In Conservation News, we talk about the burning of Brazil, another oil spill, the rediscovery of a lost bird, and the tale of a trout.

In Other News, we talk about Mike the tiger, a black bear at a beach, and a search and rescue otter.

Today, the Safari starts our visit to New England with a super fun episode from Roger Williams Park Zoo.  This entire episode is dedicated to how two people came together to change the lives of two binturongs for the better! It's a really deep look at what training, husbandry, teamwork, and passion can mean to the lives of animals! It was also recorded at a food truck festival, so you know it's a good one! 

EPISODE LINKS: 
@rwpzoo 
rwpzoo.org 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
rossifari.com 
patreon.com/rossifari 

Dateline: September 6, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with the usual recap of my life. I'm playing a show. Yay! I almost died. Boo! 

We then get into our headline story for the week.  We talk about the Marsupial of the Year competition taking place in Australia right now, and how you can help Lumholtz tree kangaroos by going to www.marsupialoftheyear.com.au and voting for them! YAY! 

Then it's time for births, featuring a new human, three reticulated giraffes at Tanganyika Wildlife Park, an elephant baby at Fresno Chaffee Zoo, a new pygmy hippo at the Henry Doorley Zoo, and a new red panda in Germany! 

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals. We start off with a more personal post, then move on to a lion at Riverbanks Zoo, a coati at Brevard Zoo, and a gorilla at Busch Gardens Tampa. 
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  This episode features some really amazing work being done at the Memphis Zoo, National Zoo, Sedgwick County Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo, and the San Antonio Zoo! Some really amazing stuff.  

In Conservation News, we talk about a new annoying trend that has humans hurting animals and great news for beavers and wombats. 

In Other News, we talk about a piebald moose and wolf pack movements. 

Today, the Safari heads to MY aquarium! I volunteer at Aquarium of Niagara, and now I get to bring you there with me as we talk about the brand new Great Lakes 360 building that opened this summer! You get to hear from my friends Nat and Sarah on the Fish and Invertebrates team all about this new building, and more importantly, what working with me is like! Ok, that's not more important, but it's in there! 

EPISODE LINKS: 
@aqniagara on socials 
aquariumofniagara.org 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
rossifari.com 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 

Dateline: August 30, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with the usual recap of my life. I'm playing a show. Yay! 

We then get into our headline story for the week. Sea Turtle Recovery, a sea turtle hospital located at Turtle Back Zoo in New Jersey, was struck by lightning this week and suffered a fire. While all the turtles were saved by the incredible staff, the story is worth hearing and they need your help. The link to donate is: seaturtlerecovery.org . 

We also have two updates to stories from last week, including a correction.

Then it's time for births, featuring a tree kangaroo joey at Zoo Miami, a rhino at Werribee Open Range Zoo, a new muntjac at Elmwood Park Zoo, a flamingo baby at Paington Zoo with two dads, and more! 

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals. We start off with a tribute to Anchor, one of the most amazing animals I've ever seen at any facility. We also discuss multiple deaths at the Jacksonville Zoo due to a disease outbreak, and say goodbye to a snow leopard at Hogle Zoo. 
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  We have justice for the dumb tiger lady, a new exhibit at the Seattle Aquarium, dog days at the San Antonio Zoo, a sad story out of the Toledo Zoo, and some props for the Maryland Zoo. 

In Conservation News, we talk about some good duck news, how a dog is helping save orcas, how to train reintroduced birds to migrate, and an update on the South African oil spill. 

In Other News, we talk about rattlesnakes and one of the rarest animals in the world. 

Today, the Safari heads back to our heart zoo...Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown, PA! The zoo has a brand new entrance area with a new Welcome Center, new exhibits, a new Commissary and, most importantly, a new Vet Hospital! We talk to Michele all about her career and her growth at the zoo, how the new hospital space will impact animal care, how our buddy Slash the red panda is doing, why Elmwood Park Zoo is so good at breeding peccaries and porcupines, and so much more! 

EPISODE LINKS: 
@elmwoodparkzoo on socials 
elmwoodparkzoo.org 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
rossifari.com 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 

Dateline: August 23, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with the usual recap of my life. I'm playing a show. Yay! 

We then get into our headline story for the week, which is a tough one about an accredited facility in New Zealand that has a lot of former and current keepers speaking out about problems there. 

Then it's time for births, featuring a snow leopard at the Toledo Zoo, puffins at Monterey Bay Aquarium, a new fennec fox at Idaho Falls Zoo, and the first ever okapi born at Yokohama Zoo!

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals. It starts with two red pandas, but then we go to Ren Howell to tell us about a truly amazing penguin that has passed away. We also say goodbye to one of the rarest animals in human care, an elephant seal at Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Other obituaries include animals at Edmonton Valley Zoo, Tulsa Zoo, and ABQ BioPark. 
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  We discuss the current viral video of a woman enticing a tiger. Then we look at the top ten zoos in the US according to Newsweek. Additional stories from Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, the Cincinnati Zoo, and the Louisville Zoo follow. 

In Conservation News, we talk about a new species being protected by Aussie Ark, an oil spill in South Africa, and an incredibly innovative conservation strategy being proposed by the Smithsonian Institute. 

In Other News, we talk about a cruise ship for dogs, lobsters of rare colors, and Yo-Yo Ma, as one would expect. 

 ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
 www.rossifari.com 
 patreon.com/rossifari 
 @rossifari on socials 
 @rossifaripod on TikTok

Today, the Safari heads down to Chattanooga, TN, to talk with Jake and Amanda of the Chattanooga Zoo all about the new stuff going on at the zoo. A new African section? Check. An update on the fennec fox situation at the zoo? You bet. But of course, the main focus is on the new red panda cub that is calling the zoo home, Pilatus! Plus, as usual, we go off topic and have a lot of fun doing so! 

EPISODE LINKS:
www.chattzoo.org 
@chattanoogazoo on socials 
@redpandanetwork 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
rossifari.com 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod. 

Today, the Safari heads down to Tampa for the 2025 AZA Conference. You'll hear from people with all levels of experience and their thoughts on what they experienced this year, including me and our good buddy Dan Ashe, President and CEO of the AZA! 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 

rossifari.com 

@rossifari on socials 

@rossifaripod on TikTok 

Patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod

Dateline: August 16, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with a quick recap of what's going on in my life, including some viral video stuff. Who doesn't love discussing download numbers again? We also talk about Miles' birthday and how I hurt myself.

We then get into our births for the week including so many red panda cubs, weedy seadragon fry at Columbus, a new Nyala named Peach at the Toledo Zoo, a baby bongo at Milwaukee County Zoo, a penguin hatching at Jacksonville, Some Pig(s) at Beardsley Zoo, two patas monkeys at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, and so many more! 

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals including an incredible sheep (no, really) at Zoo Atlanta, a rascal of an otter at the Buffalo Zoo, two losses at the Cincinnati Zoo, a moose at the Toronto Zoo, an elephant at Point Defiance, one of the oldest red wolves in the world, and more. 
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  We start off with some gorilla movement taking place at Woodland Park Zoo, the Philadelphia Zoo, and others, and why these stories matter so much. We also do a deep dive that comes from an orangutan trying to learn to breastfeed from human mothers. We then talk about pangolins at Brookfield Zoo, new artwork at the London Zoo, and so much more.

In Conservation News, we talk about a rediscovery that is leading to desperate breeding efforts to save a species, the Florida Python Challenge, and a reintroduction in Australia that helps put the Python Challenge into context. 

In Other News, we talk about a bear that can read (maybe) and singing gorillas. 

 ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
 www.rossifari.com 
 patreon.com/rossifari 
 @rossifari on socials 
 @rossifaripod on TikTok

Today, the Safari stays at Buttonwood Park Zoo and visits the red pandas, and red panda keeper Steph Durette-Medeiros! Come with me into the panda habitat and hear an interview as I feed the pandas and hang out with those little balls of perfection. You'll get to hear about a panda having a tantrum about getting the wrong kind of apples, what the family has been doing for the last year, and most importantly, one of the craziest experiences I've ever had at a zoo about 43 minutes in. Get ready for a fun one with a wild ending! 

EPISODE LINKS: 
@buttonwoodparkzoo on socials 
bpzoo.org 
redpandanetwork.org 
@redpandanetwork 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
rossifari.com 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 

Dateline: August 9, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with a quick recap of what's going on in my life, including some viral video stuff. Who doesn't love discussing download numbers? 

We then get into our births for the week including so many red panda cubs, an incredibly rare onager, two rock hyrax pups at the Kansas City Zoo, a new beluga whale at Shedd Aquarium, and so much more. 

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals including a baby red panda at the Toronto Zoo, a juvenile red panda at the Lake Superior Zoo, a binturong at Drusillas Park, and more. 
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  We start off by saying an unexpected farewell to an absolute titan in the AZA. We then discuss some incredible conservation work at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, a cool new treatment for a takin at the St. Louis Zoo, the effects of Tropical Storm Debby, a huge win for the North Carolina Zoo, a potential strike at Woodland Park Zoo, giant pandas finally being visible at the San Diego Zoo, and the resignation of the CEO of the SeaQuest family of aquariums. 

In Conservation News, we talk about whaling in Japan, good news for the red pandas of Bhutan, some new hope for rhinos, and a really interesting strategy to help save a crow species in Hawaii. 

In Other News, we talk about how tennis balls save mice. 

To learn more about ZDR3, check out @zdr3usa on socials! 

 ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
 www.rossifari.com 
 patreon.com/rossifari 
 @rossifari on socials 
 @rossifaripod on TikTok

Today, the Safari grabs a pair of sticks and heads to Massachusetts to drum with Emily the elephant for the second time. This amazing experience is shared with you here, with all of the audio from our jam session interspersed with my take on everything happening, and then an amazing lesson about elephant tongues! This one is an absolute must-listen! 

EPISODE LINKS: 
@buttonwoodparkzoo on socials 
www.bpzoo.org 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
Rossifari.com 

Dateline: August 2, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with a cool story about my "real" job and my this job having a moment together. 

We then get into our births for the week including an important peacock, two of the smallest monkeys, a puggle at Brookfield, a Sumatran tiger cub at the Louisville Zoo, six new hornbills at the North Carolina Zoo, a new penguin at Detroit, and more! 

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals including a baby sloth at Roger Williams Park Zoo, Kipenzi the giraffe at Seneca Park Zoo, a beloved camel at Edmonton Valley Zoo, a harbor seal at Henry Vilas Zoo, an absolutely legendary chimpanzee at the Chester Zoo, and more. 
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  We talk about a pregnancy update for Isla the tamandua, a new exhibit at Riverbanks Zoo, an important record at the Los Angeles Zoo, more on the strike at Zoo de Granby, and the retirement of two legends...one at Beardsley Zoo and one at Zoo New England. Oh, and we also announce new chickens. 

In Conservation News, we talk about a spade-tooth whale carcass washing up on shore and why that is so important, how a mega den of rattlesnakes may help change public perception of the species, exciting news about Siamese crocodiles, a new docu-series we all may want to avoid, and exciting sea turtle news! 

In Other News, we talk about cocaine sharks and the return of a thieving otter. Ya know, the usual. 

 ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
 www.rossifari.com 
 patreon.com/rossifari 
 @rossifari on socials 
 @rossifaripod on TikTok

Today, the Safari heads back to Greensboro and our favorite Science Center to chat with Lily Reavis, who heads up the Life Support Systems (LSS) at the zoo and aquarium. LSS is very different than anything we've talked about on the podcast before, and it is absolutely essential to keeping any of the animals that have habitats with water healthy. 

EPISODE LINKS: 
greensboroscience.org 
@greensborosciencecenter 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 
Rossifari.com 

Dateline: July 26, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with a quick update on my life and then head to our headline story, which is an interview this week! I talk to Paige Hale of the Georgia Aquarium about coral smuggling in the United States, and how a story about the Georgia Aquarium's efforts to assist the confiscated coral led to some very impressive national news coverage! 
 
We then get into our births for the week including a tree kangaroo joey at Zoo Miami, a new red panda at the Chattanooga Zoo, a new zebra at Disney's Animal Kingdom, a really cool story about a Pittsburgh penguin (not a hockey player), and so much more! 

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals including a 7 year old polar bear at the Calgary Zoo, a Pallas' Cat at the Big Cat Sanctuary, a painted dog at the Dallas Zoo, and a beloved lion at the Hertfordshire Zoo. 
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  We talk about a new fox at the Cincinnati Zoo, health concerns for two different red pandas, giant panda updates from Zoo Atlanta and the San Diego Zoo, a news story about two dogs becoming zoo guests, and a follow up on our April story about the leadership crisis at the San Francisco Zoo. 

In Conservation News, we talk about an influx of cetaceans in San Francisco Bay and what that might mean.

 ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
 www.rossifari.com 
 patreon.com/rossifari 
 @rossifari on socials 
 @rossifaripod on TikTok

Today, the Safari heads to Des Moines, Iowa, to sit down with Brittany Behler of Blank Park Zoo! We have a conversation that gets into all kinds of super fun topics, including wolverines and paid vs unpaid internships and vegan pinnipeds (ok, not really) and so much more! 

EPISODE LINKS: 
blankparkzoo.com 
@blankparkzoo on socials 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod and get bonus audio from this interview! 
Rossifari.com 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 

Dateline: July 19, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with a quick update on my life and then head to our headline story, which is a look at the economic effect of accredited zoos and aquariums on their local economies! For this, we take a look at a recent economic development that happened because of the growth of the Greensboro Science Center! 
 
We then get into our births for the week including a tree kangaroo joey at the Bronx Zoo, a new spoonbill at Zoo Tampa, a colobus monkey at Zoo New England, a very special birth at the Prague Zoo, a new orangutan at the Philly Zoo, and a new penguin at the Kansas City Zoo!

We also say goodbye to some incredible animals including a chimpanzee at the Edinburgh Zoo, an old kangaroo at Columbus, a beloved giraffe at the Sacramento Zoo, an old eagle at the Denver Zoo, and more. 
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  We talk about a new exhibit at the National Aquarium, a strike at Zoo de Granby, new animals joining the fold at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Columbus, and Stone Zoo, plans for the future at Akron and Brookfield Zoo, an elephant entering hospice care at the Little Rock Zoo, and more! 

In Conservation News, we talk about sea turtle nesting season, a mass stranding of whales, and a technological advancement in collaring wolves! 
 
In Other News, we talk about AI, animals on roadways, and more!

 ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
 www.rossifari.com 
 patreon.com/rossifari 
 @rossifari on socials 
 @rossifaripod on TikTok

Today, the Safari heads back for another great visit to Greensboro Science Center! This time we talk to Dakota Harriman all about her incredible viral videos, the many animals she gets to care for, and the greatest romance you'll ever hear of...at least as far as ones involving casques. 

EPISODE LINKS: 
@greensborosciencecenter on socials 
greensboroscience.org 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
rossifari.com 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 

Dateline: September 19, 2025. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with a couple interesting emails I've received recently. If you can help with Shots for Spots, please do so here: https://kindest.com/831498-shots-for-spots

And if you work with great apes, please check out this survey: https://warwick.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9KB5xM0s0ToWbuS

Then it's time for Zoo News stories from Dickerson Park Zoo, St. Louis Zoo, Sedgwick County Zoo, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Henry Vilas Zoo, Altina Wildlife Park, Elmwood Park Zoo, Longleat, the Cincinnati Zoo, North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, the Smithsonian's National Zoo, New England Aquarium, the Buffalo Zoo, and more! 

Conservation News stories include a surprising bit of good news from the US House of Representatives, Scottish wildcat kitten births, a new form of bird-friendly glass, and a look at huge news for koalas. 

And in Other News, we have three crazy stories. 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 
rossifari.com 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 

Today, the Safari heads to Scottsdale, AZ, to chat with our dear friend Cassi Light about her career at OdySea Aquarium. In particular, we talk about the incredible SeaTrek underwater experience they offer at the aquarium. We chat about what guests can expect as they don wetsuits and helmets and head underwater for twenty minutes to spend time with rays, eels, and more! This is a really unique experience, and I'm glad to have Cassi on to share all about it! 

EPISODE LINKS: 
@odysea.aquarium on socials 
odyseaaquarium.com 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
@rossifari on socials 
@rossifaripod on TikTok 
rossifari.com 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 

Dateline: July 5, 2024. Rossifari Zoo News is back with a round up of the latest news in the world of zoos, aquariums, conservation, and animal weirdness!  
 
We start off with an unexpected Rossifari Poop Story! We then get to our headline story this week, saying goodbye to Charlotte the ray and trying to look at the situation from a different perspective. 
 
We then get into our births and deaths for the week including births at the Colchester Zoo, the Toledo Zoo, the Devon Zoo, Longleat, the San Diego Zoo, and the Oklahoma Zoo, and deaths from the Columbus Zoo, the Tulsa Zoo, and the Idaho Falls Zoo. 
 
We then move on to our other Zoo News stories.  We talk about giant pandas arriving at the San Diego Zoo, the walruses returning to the Indianapolis Zoo, the upcoming exhibit at the Aquarium of Niagara, how Point Defiance Zoo helped save an abandoned kinkajou, and about how a new lightbulb regulation is raising concerns for reptile keepers and owners all across the United States. 

In Conservation News, we talk about another new rhino poaching prevention innovation, a mass dolphin stranding, and a conservation win in Texas. 
 
In Other News, we talk about how hippos can fly. No, really.  Well, kinda. 

 ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
 www.rossifari.com 
 patreon.com/rossifari 
 @rossifari on socials 
 @rossifaripod on TikTok