Animal Talk Podcast

In this milestone 60th episode of Animal Talk Podcast, Ryne sits down with Lindsey from Window to the Wild for a journey down memory lane!Ryne and Lindsey go all the way back to 2012, when their paths first crossed. Now, 14 years later, they reconnect to reflect on where it all began and how their journeys in the animal care industry have evolved.Lindsey shares her story of how she went from working at a rescue centre to discovering her passion for bird training. They discuss the experiences, challenges, and opportunities that shaped her career and ultimately led her to take the exciting step of starting her own venture, Window to the Wild.From their early days in the industry to the lessons learned along the way, this episode is filled with memories, laughter, and a shared passion for animal training, welfare, and education.Join Ryne and Lindsey as they explore how a journey that began and grew into a career dedicated to working with birds!Window to the Wild:https://www.instagram.com/window_to_the_wildTheir Website:https://www.windowtothewild.org 📧: [email protected] Links:https://linktr.ee/animaltalkpodcastSAAKA Links:https://linktr.ee/saaka_orgeRadioSA:

Ryne welcomes back a very special guest back onto Animal Talk Podcast. Joanne, who was one of the very first guests to join the podcast back in 2020 on Episode 2!Nearly six years later, we reconnect to dive into the fascinating world of Southern Ground Hornbills and explore the incredible work being done by the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project.From learning more about these remarkable birds, their behaviour and the challenges they face in the wild, to discussing the important conservation work dedicated to protecting their future, this episode is packed with insights into one of Africa’s most iconic bird species.It’s also a wonderful opportunity to look back at how far Animal Talk Podcast has come since those early episodes, reconnect with one of our original guests, and continue sharing the stories of the passionate people working behind the scenes for animal care, welfare and conservation.Join Ryne and Joanne for an engaging conversation celebrating Southern Ground Hornbills and the people dedicated to ensuring their survival for generations to come! 🌍🎧 Tune in to Episode 59Report Ground Hornbill sightings 📱:https://wa.me/27797546234How You can Help💻:https://ground-hornbill.org.za📧: [email protected] Links: https://linktr.ee/animaltalkpodcastSAAKA Links: https://linktr.ee/saaka_orgeRadioSA:

After 50 episodes, Chad Crittle is back on the Animal Talk Podcast! This time, Ryne catches up with Chad in episode 58 to explore his incredible journey through the zoological industry, from his beginnings as a zookeeper to his most recent achievement of becoming the Zoo Director at Adelaide Zoo, part of Zoos South Australia, a year ago.They reflect on Chad’s career, the experiences that have shaped him, and the transition from working directly with animals to leading an entire zoo. What does it take to make that leap? How does a background in animal care influence leadership and decision-making? And what challenges and opportunities come with managing one of Australia's well-known zoological institutions?Join Ryne and Chad for an insightful conversation about career development, leadership, animal welfare, and the journey of growing within the zoological profession. Whether you're a zookeeper just starting out, an experienced animal care professional, or someone interested in the leadership behind modern zoos, this is an episode you won't want to miss!📧: [email protected] Links:https://linktr.ee/animaltalkpodcastSAAKA Links:https://linktr.ee/saaka_org

In this Episode, Ryne chats with Peter Bonser-Blake about his journey through the world of animal care and his experiences as a keeper.Peter shares stories from his career, the lessons he has learned working with animals, and some of the memorable experiences that have shaped his approach to animal care and husbandry.But the conversation doesn’t stop there! Peter also takes us on a journey through some of his travel adventures, sharing stories from the places he has visited, the experiences he has had along the way, and the people and animals that have made those adventures so memorable. 🌍🐾It’s a relaxed and fascinating conversation about animal keeping, life experiences, travel, adventure and the many opportunities that a career working with animals can bring.Tune in and join Ryne and Peter for another great conversation on Animal Talk Podcast! 🎧📧: [email protected] Links:https://linktr.ee/animaltalkpodcastSAAKA Links:https://linktr.ee/saaka_org

In this Episode, Ryne chats with Sarah from Wild Welfare following an amazing Wild Welfare Animal Husbandry Workshop held at Lory Park Zoo.Sarah, who facilitated the workshop alongside Simon, shares her experience of the four-day workshop, the incredible engagement from everyone who attended, and the importance of continuing to develop knowledge, skills and animal welfare practices within the animal care community.But the conversation doesn’t stop there! After the workshop, Sarah headed out into the African bush, and she chats to Ryne about that experience, the wildlife she encountered, and what made the trip so special.Ryne and Sarah also dive deeper into Wild Welfare, including their e-learning opportunities, the work they are doing internationally, and some of the exciting projects, workshops and initiatives coming up around the world.It’s a great conversation filled with animal welfare, learning, experiences in the field and a look at how organisations like Wild Welfare are helping to create positive change for animals and the people who care for them.🎙️ Tune in and join Ryne and Sarah for Episode 56 of Animal Talk Podcast!Wild Welfare e-Learning: https://wildwelfare.org/resources-elearn-programme/Their Links: https://linktr.ee/wildwelfare📧: [email protected] Links:https://linktr.ee/animaltalkpodcasSAAKA Links:https://linktr.ee/saaka_org

In this episode, Ryne chats with Nicky about “Let’s Talk Shaping Behaviour” and the fascinating world of behavioural training.They dive into the principles behind shaping behaviour, how understanding animal behaviour can improve communication and relationships between animals and their caregivers, and why thoughtful, ethical training is such an important part of animal care.Nicky also shares more about her zoological consulting company, Shaping Behaviour, and the work she does to support animal care professionals and facilities through behaviour, training and practical knowledge.From the fundamentals of shaping behaviour to the bigger picture of improving animal welfare, this is a conversation packed with insight, experience and plenty for animal caregivers, keepers, trainers and anyone passionate about working with animals to take away.🎙️ Listen in and let’s talk Shaping Behaviour!📧: [email protected] Links:https://linktr.ee/animaltalkpodcastSAAKA Links:https://linktr.ee/saaka_org

In this special episode, Ryne chats with Tammy from FreeMe Wildlife all about vultures and why these incredible birds are so important to our ecosystems.To mark International Vulture Awareness Day, we take a closer look at the vital role vultures play as nature’s clean-up crew, helping to remove carcasses, limit the spread of disease, and keep ecosystems healthy.Ryne and Tammy discuss the fascinating world of vultures, their behaviour and adaptations, the threats they face, and why protecting these often misunderstood birds is so important.Vultures may not always be the most popular animals, but they are essential to a healthy ecosystem. 🦅🌍🎙️ Tune in and discover why we should be giving vultures the recognition they truly deserve!https://freemewildlife.orgTammy Caine: +27 76 724 6846 (WhatsApp) 📧: [email protected]://www.vulpro.com/report-a-tag📧: [email protected] links: https://linktr.ee/animaltalkpodcastSAAKA links: https://linktr.ee/saaka_org

In this episode Ryne chats to Shané and Ume from SAAMBR uShaka Sea World about their experiences at the Animal Cognitive Bias Workshop held just over a week ago. They discuss some of their key takeaways, experiences and how understanding cognitive bias can help us better understand animal behaviour and welfare.Then we dive into the story of “Val the Enrichment Ball” a boomer ball from the Shape Africa Enrichment Workshop that has already had quite the adventure! From her unexpected journey through airport security to making her way to uShaka Sea World, Val has certainly travelled further than most enrichment equipment.The team chats about Val’s journey, the plans for her future at uShaka Sea World, and how this simple boomer ball can become an exciting enrichment opportunity for the animals.A fun episode exploring cognitive bias, animal welfare, enrichment, professional development and the surprisingly eventful life of Val the Enrichment Ball! 🐾🎙️ Listen now and follow Val’s journey from Shape Africa to uShaka Sea World!📧: [email protected] Links:https://linktr.ee/animaltalkpodcastSAAKA Links:https://linktr.ee/saaka_org

In this Part 2 episode, Ryne catches up with Pippa from Cango Wildlife to continue their conversation about animal behaviour and training.After chatting about training, behaviour and her work with Patricia the porcupine in the previous episode, Pippa returns to share how things have progressed. She talks about her new training journey, the lessons she has learned along the way, and how the animals have responded to the training.Ryne and Pippa discuss what has changed since their last conversation, the challenges and successes she has experienced, and why understanding animal behaviour and body language is so important when developing a successful training programme.A great follow-up for anyone interested in animal training, behaviour, keeper development and building positive relationships with animals under human care.📧: [email protected] Links: https://linktr.ee/animaltalkpodcastSAAKA Links: https://linktr.ee/saaka_org

Ayrton is back! 🐾In this Episode, Ryne and Ayrton sit down with Pippa Fourie, an Animal Caregiver at Cango Wildlife Ranch, to chat about her journey into animal care and how she got to where she is today.Pippa shares her experiences working with a variety of animals and the different training relationships she has developed, including her special bond with Patricia the Porcupine! The conversation also dives deeper into the importance of understanding animal behaviour and body language. They discuss how reading an animal’s behaviour, recognising subtle changes in body language and understanding what an animal is communicating can play a vital role in successful training.Pippa also talks about recently joining SAAKA (South African Animal Keepers Association) as a member and what being part of a professional community can offer animal care professionals.From building trust and relationships to using behaviour and body language to guide training, this episode highlights how good animal training starts with understanding the animal in front of you.🎧 Tune in and join the conversation!📧: [email protected] Links:https://linktr.ee/saaka_orgOur Links:https://linktr.ee/animaltalkpodcast