I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to Paula Mackie, a Reproductive Sciences Coordinator at the Toronto Zoo, about what the Reproductive Sciences team does to help drive conservation at the Zoo. 

Paula tells me about how her passion for conservation guided her to work at the Zoo after exploring and working in other fields. She discusses the steps (and patience) it takes to create an animal embryo and she also explains to me why it’s so hard to preserve sperm from large cat species. 

Episode 3 - Dr. Gabby Mastromonaco - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/wild-for-life/id1456395854?i=1000434606012”

Did you know that the red panda (Ailurus fulgens), known for being cute and cuddly, is an animal that is not related to the giant panda at all? In this episode, I interview keeper, Lisa Termini, who has the joyous opportunity to work with these incredible animals. I had the chance to ask Lisa some questions to find out more about the red pandas including what they eat, how the zookeepers use behavioural husbandry to work closely with the animals, and why they are endangered in the wild which, makes the work at your Toronto Zoo so important.

Jon Spero, Lead Keeper of Birds, joins me on the podcast to talk about the four species of hornbills at the Toronto Zoo. During the episode, Jon and I discuss the unique features of these wonderful birds, their cavity nests, and their conservation. Listen to why these birds are so important and find out what bird they are most often mistaken for.

Use this audio tour while on your Drive-Thru BOOmobile adventure at the Toronto Zoo! This NEW adventure takes you on a tour around the Zoo from the comfort of your own car and with this audio tour, your family can enjoy the beautiful fall foliage and festive décor while listening to a special Halloween-themed podcast! Book your tickets at torontozoo.com today and use this audio tour while on your Drive-Thru BOOmobile adventure at your Toronto Zoo.

The learning and Engagement team coordinates everything from sign content for our animal habitats to the volunteer and school programs that are designed to help you engage and learn about all of the wonderful conservation work that happens at the Zoo and within the community. Mary Ellen Fraser and Shawn Blackburn join me in today’s episode to discuss how the programming unfolds whether you are visiting the Zoo or connection with us through our virtual content.

Horticulture enthusiasts lined up to take a whiff of the corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum), Vincent Van Gross, whose name describes its smell. With blooms occurring once every 6-10 years and lasting for about 36 hours, this was a must-see at your Toronto Zoo!

Clare Wharton joins me on the podcast to discuss the organization of the plant collection, why the corpse flower has an awful smell, and how it’s linked to the plant's reproduction success. 

Brent Huffman is back on the podcast to provide you with great information on the cheetah. We talk about how the cheetah is built for speed as they are the fastest land animal. We also talk about their social dynamics and how it affects the way the Zoo cares for them.

Finally, Brent tells us about the conservation status of cheetahs and how the breeding program at the Zoo is designed to help maintain genetic diversity.

The Eland is a dynamic species that has a varied herbivore diet and an interesting herd dynamic. I wanted to find out more about the Eland so I sat down with Zookeeper, Jason Pootoolal, who passionately describes what it’s like to look after the Eland herd at the Zoo and what challenges wild Eland face in the African Savanna.

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