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The Wild Enrichment Podcast is a show about animal welfare, training, enrichment and everything in between. Each episode will be exploring concepts surrounding behavioural husbandry and the ever-advancing field of animal welfare. From interviews with real animal care professionals to educational episodes about new concepts in animal care, The Wild enrichment Podcast has it all.
Episodes
Tuesday Feb 03, 2026
Tuesday Feb 03, 2026
Today on the Wild Enrichment Podcast, I’m honored to welcome Dr. Emma Lethbridge, a horse trainer, equine behaviour expert, and passionate advocate for science-based, ethical horsemanship. In this episode we discuss positive reinforcement in horse training, how to look holistically at equine husbandry to ensure optimal welfare and much more! Enjoy!
Resources:
- Meller 5 domains
- Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
- Emily Kieson inter species relationship theory
- Understand horses
- Andrew Hemmings
- Study on horse society and structure
- Emma Lethbridge
Tuesday Jan 06, 2026
Tuesday Jan 06, 2026
In this episode I am joined by Alan Toyne, former great ape keeper at Bristol Zoo and Author of the new book- Gorillas in our Midst:
Tuesday Oct 28, 2025
Tuesday Oct 28, 2025
Today I am joined by Mark Kingston Jones and Chris Hales of Team Building with BITE. The discussion covered the impact of their team-building activities on corporate participants, the expansion of their business into enclosure design and construction ("bite builds"), and the importance of prototyping and risk-taking in creating enrichment devices. Key talking points also included the value of external collaboration and communication for keepers, the challenges of team dynamics within the zoo industry, and the company's future goals.
Resources:
Tuesday Sep 23, 2025
Tuesday Sep 23, 2025
In this episode, I am joined by Sabrina Brando. Sabrina the director of Animal Concepts and is a world renowned consultant and animal care professional who helps organizations all over the world with all things wellbeing- human and animal. In this wide ranging conversation we talk about how Sabrina got into the industry, common themes and approaches to helping animal care organizations work together more effectively as well as how you can show up to work and lead up the chain of command. Enjoy!
References:
Tuesday Jun 10, 2025
Tuesday Jun 10, 2025
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:
Tuesday May 13, 2025
Tuesday May 13, 2025
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
Tuesday Apr 22, 2025
Tuesday Apr 22, 2025
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:
Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
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:
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
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:
Tuesday Dec 10, 2024
Tuesday Dec 10, 2024
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: