Dateline: March 14, 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 quick update on me and a chat about Penguins International's March of the Penguin Madness competition! 

We then move on to our births for the week, featuring animals from Roger Williams Park Zoo, Zoo Montana, Seneca Park Zoo, Zoo Miami, The Toledo Zoo, The Duke Lemur Center, Sacramento Zoo, The Denver Zoo, Sedgwick County Zoo, Henry Doorly Zoo, and the Nashville Zoo.

We say goodbye to beloved animals at Lehigh Valley Zoo, the Phoenix Zoo, Zoo de Granby, and the Jacksonville Zoo.

The rest of our Zoo News stories feature items from Monarto Safari Park, the Cincinnati Zoo, Zoo Poznań, Reid Park Zoo, Zoo Miami, the Columbus Zoo, and also a look at some fake stories that popped up online this week. 

Then in Conservation News we discuss the latest Trump Administration decisions that affect conservation, some new rediscoveries of species, how six elephants dying in Sri Lanka illustrate the larger issues facing the species, and the start of sea turtle nesting season. 

In Other News, we talk about a new discovery about mice that is truly fascinating. 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
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Today, the Safari heads to Wildlife World Zoo outside of Phoenix, to talk to three trainers who had to put up with my sorry butt for an entire week as I did a voluntary mini internship (Minternship) with the sea lion training team at the zoo! We talk about why an incredible team matters so much, and how an incredible culture can create resiliency for animals and staff alike. We dig into so much more interesting stuff, and the episode ends with a very unique musical performance! 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 

rossifari.com 

@rossifari on the socials 

@rossifaripod on TikTok 

patreon.com/rossifari 

Dateline: March 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 where I am now, and wondering why is it so cold?

Our headline story is a look at Chappy, the seal pup rescued by Mystic Aquarium that came to national prominence before sadly passing away. What can we learn from all the things Mystic did so, so right? 

We then move on to our births for the week, featuring animals from Blank Park Zoo, the San Diego Zoo, Jacksonville Zoo, the Indianapolis Zoo, the London Zoo, and Wild Discovery! 

We say goodbye to beloved animals at Potawatomi Zoo, the Calgary Zoo, and the Toronto Zoo.

The rest of our Zoo News stories feature items from the AZA, Zoos Victoria, Zoo Atlanta, Buttonwood Park Zoo, Roger Williams Park Zoo, and more! 

Then in Conservation News we discuss the latest Trump Administration decisions that affect conservation, some new rediscoveries of species, and the latest update on the quest to recreate the woolly mammoth. 

In Other News, we talk about a death that wasn't and also a look at how your house cat can be affected by HPAI in new and exciting ways! 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 
patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod 
rossifari.com 
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Today, the Safari continues our celebration of 10 years and 50 programs under the AZA's SAFE banner! We look at what individual programs are doing, talking to members of SAFE Gorilla and SAFE African Penguin about the work they are doing in the field, what goes into getting involved in a SAFE program, how conservation partners team up with SAFE programs, and more. We also spend some time talking about the incredible animals at each of their home facilities, The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo! 

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Rossifari.com 

Patreon.com/rossifari 

@rossifari on socials 

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Dateline: 2.28.25 

Today's episode of Rossifari Zoo News starts with Jon riffing about life and how tired he is. Lots of cool stuff going on this week, 

Then we do a deep dive into what is going on at the SeaQuest chain of aquariums. It's a long story with a pretty solid ick factor. 

Then it's Animal Holidays, because Jon is very, very tired.

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 

patreon.com/rossifari 

Rossifari.com 

@rossifari on socials 

@rossifaripod on TikTok 

Today, the Safari sits down with Dan Ashe and Katey Leban of the AZA to start a two-part series looking at the ten years and fifty programs of AZA SAFE! We talk about what SAFE programs are, how they are run, how they manage to maintain independence while being part of the AZA, and so much more! Tune in next week to hear from members of individual SAFE programs as they share the incredible work they are doing towards their goal of Saving Animals From Extinction! 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 

Rossifari.com 

patreon.com/rossifari 

@rossifari on the socials 

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Dateline: February 21, 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 story about my time on SNL. 

We then move on to our births for the week, featuring animals from Hogle Zoo, Zoo Tampa, the Perth Zoo, Smithsonian's National Zoo, and Zoo Miami. 

We say goodbye to beloved animals at Zoo Boise, the Chattanooga Zoo, The Denver Zoo, Paignton Zoo, the Oakland Zoo, and a surprising and amusing farewell.

The rest of our Zoo News stories feature items from Milwaukee County Zoo, the Auckland Zoo, the Fort Worth Zoo, the Philadelphia Zoo, as well as a look at the Top 10 Zoos voting from USA Today and a look at grief. 

Then in Conservation News we discuss Celebrity Jeopardy and two conservation stories from Scotland. 

In Other News we talk about pet microchips. 

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

Today, the Safari heads down to Fort Worth, TX, to talk to Tripp Gorman, the president of the Elephant Managers Association. This professional organization exists to help any human who takes care of elephants to increase their knowledge and skills! A lost-cost professional organization that focuses on welfare regardless of anything else going on at your facility is pretty rare, and I find it really inspiring! 

EPISODE LINKS: 

elephantmanagers.com 

@elephantmanagersassociation on socials 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 

rossifari.com 

@rossifari on socials

@rossifaripod on TikTok

patreon.com/rossifari to support the pod

Dateline: February 14, 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 quick update about the SAFE Red Panda plan.

Our headline story this week is...well, I'm not going to spoil it. But it's a STORY, y'all!

We then move on to our births for the week, featuring animals from the Oregon Zoo, Shreveport Aquarium, Metro Richmond Zoo, Mystic Aquarium, and Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.

We say goodbye to beloved animals at Elmwood Park Zoo, the Adelaide Zoo, the Tulsa Zoo, the Naples Zoo, ZooAtlanta, and Smithsonian's National Zoo.

The rest of our Zoo News stories feature items from Sedgwick County Zoo, Phoenix Zoo, Bronx Zoo, the San Francisco Zoo, and more.

Then in Conservation News we have the latest ways Trump is trying to destroy environmental protections, jaguar migration, a look at the tiger population of India, an extension of the ivory ban in the UK, some concerning news about monarch butterflies, and one way climate change is actually a positive.

In Other News we talk about pinnipeds in beds and such.  

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

Today, the Safari heads to Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester to sit down with elephant footcare specialist Mike McClure. I spent the day with Mike watching him train the elephant teams from Seneca Park Zoo and Rosamond Gifford Zoo on the intricacies of elephant foot health, and it was truly amazing. We talk about the conservation work Mike participates in, the field work he does in Africa and Nepal, how zoos contribute directly to the welfare of animals in the wild, and so much more! 

EPISODE LINKS: 

@mcclureinternational 

ROSSIFARI LINKS: 

rossifari.com 

Patreon.com/rossifari 

@rossifari on socials

@rossifaripod on TikTok