Trainer Talks & Tails Podcast

15/08/2024

EPISODE 46: Let’s catch up with Daisy & Tess!

It’s been a hot minute, but we thought we’d do a short and sweet update episode for what the last few months has looked like for us both! 🥰

Thank you for everyone’s continued support, we’re both so grateful for our TT&T community!! 🤍🐾

Link in bio!
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07/08/2024

EPISODE 46: Funnel Web Spiders for anti-venom programs with Emma Teni.

Emma joins us this week to chat about a unique species! Moving from marine to arachnids, Emma shares how she was able to transfer her skill set. 🦭🕷️

We touch on the importance of anti-venom programs and why it’s so important to maintain high standard of welfare for animals used in milking.

Link in bio!
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31/07/2024

EPISODE 45: The use of differential reinforcement for training with Deane Jones.

We’re so lucky to have Deane back with us and sharing some of the incredible training they have been achieving with lions and chimps at ! 🐒

We really focus this conversation on how the use of differential reinforcement has helped manage some undesirable behaviours. 👏🏼

Link in bio!
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29/05/2024

EPISODE 43: Reptile Conservation in Zoos with Rory Keenan.

Rory has a lot of experience in the industry with his passion primarily driven towards different reptile species. 🐸

Rory chats about some vital conservation work he is participating in with earless dragons and frogs, as well as juggling being the species coordinator for Fijian Iguanas. 🦎

Link in bio!
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23/05/2024

EPISODE 42: Working in a rhino orphanage and maintaining your identity as a zookeeper with Sophie Bland.

Sophie initially worked in zoos before moving across to field work where she spent a lot of time at a rhino orphanage in Africa. She shares the day to day and the harsh realities of the job. 🦏

Like many of us, Sophie struggled with the idea of being a zookeeper and conservationist encompassing her personality, we chat through balance and things to remember when working in a compassion role. 🫶🏼

Link in bio!
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16/05/2024

EPISODE 41: Raptors, Buffalo’s and Enrichment Programs with Blake Hutchinson.

Blake joins us this week to touch on his career working across numerous facilities primarily specialising in raptors and mammals! 🦅

Blake has a huge passion for enrichment and shared why quality enrichment is so important and how we can better provide it.

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14/05/2024

ATTENTION - Animal Training Community - We need YOUR help!

We apologize for our recent lack of activity on social media, but rest assured, we've been hard at work organizing our upcoming conference.

Our committee members, Phoebe and Bianca, recently had the opportunity to attend The Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA) conference in Nashville, USA. Their aim was to stay abreast of the latest developments in animal behaviour within zoos, parks, and aquariums worldwide over the past year. The conference featured some truly remarkable presentations.

During their time there, Phoebe and Bianca had the chance to reconnect with our esteemed invited speakers from the 2023 conference, Ken Ramirez, Rick Hester, and Tim Sullivan.

And now we need YOUR help!

We want to hear from you which speakers you would like us to invite out for the 2025 conference? Post below who you would like to see present at our next event.

More details around when and where will be relieved over the coming months!

05/05/2024

An owl smoooosh for your Monday morning. 🦉🤍

03/05/2024

Today is 🐨 Being endemic to Australia, koalas need our protection as they battle with increasing habitat loss and disease.

A couple of years ago, Daisy had the pleasure of visiting a 11,000 acre property on the Mary River, where the owner generously donates a proportion of his land for the reintroduction of koalas to this area! 🌿

The team here catch them for health checks, swabs and have observed successful breeding in this area! It’s amazing projects like this that play a huge role in caring for such a special native species. 🤍🐨

01/05/2024

EPISODE 38: Training terminology and concept teaching with Erin Oakley.

For this weeks episode, we were lucky enough to be joined by , from ! Erin has had the opportunity to work with a variety of marine animals and has an incredible understanding of training and behaviour from her years of experience. 🦭

With this, Erin helps explain some basic training terminology, with examples, that we might use daily within our facilities. She is also interested in concept training and shares what that might look like and how this type of training can positively affect animals in human care! 🐬

Link in bio!
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30/04/2024

Our episode from last week is a good one. We took so much away from our chat with and his wealth of experience with public speaking! 🎙️👏🏼

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26/04/2024

It’s World Veterinarian Day! ❤️‍🩹

Veterinarians are essential health workers and contribute significantly to animal care and wellbeing.

We thought we’d share just a few vets leading the way in caring for our native and exotic wildlife in zoos and aquariums and out in the field, conserving wild populations. 🐾

Thank a vet today! 🙏🏼

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25/04/2024

Happy World Penguin Day! 🐧 A whole day celebrating and recognising the 18 species found around the world!

Have a read at what species Kiara, Georgia & Colleen love and their favourite penguin fact! 👀

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25/04/2024

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Terrific to spend some time recently with Tess and Daisy, host’s of the TRAINER TALKS AND TAILS Podcast.

Currently available wherever you find your Podcasts.

24/04/2024

EPISODE 38: Public speaking and presentations with Michael Croaker.

We’re so excited to be joined by Village Road Show’s Head of Entertainment and communication coach, Michael! With over 30 years experience, Michael generously shares his tips and tricks for gaining confidence with public speaking and developing your skill set. 🎤

We chat all about maintaining guest engagement and what to remember when writing scripts! 🎙️

Link in bio!
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22/04/2024

This weeks episode is live! 🐾 Have you listened yet?!

22/04/2024

Happy Earth day! 🌱 🌍 🐍 For the past 50 years, Earth day has been celebrated by billions of people around the world on this day to promote awareness for the health of our environment. serves as a conscious reminder of how fragile our ecosystems can be and how our actions can positively and negatively affect the world we live in 🌍

What can you do to help our planet? ♻️

17/04/2024

EPISODE 37: Paradise Country’s meerkat, macropod and marmoset training with Hollie Hughes, Tabatha Crewes and Rhiannon Oosthuizen.

This week we were lucky enough to sit down with 3 of Paradise Country’s animal specialists to chat all about training!

The girls chat about training wins and challenges, reinforcers, and future training goals with all 3 species!

Link in bio!
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15/04/2024

Last episode we chatted with all about incredible elephant herd, their training and Jamie’s insights into PC vs FC! 👏🏼 Link in bio! 🐘

14/04/2024

MEET AN ANIMAL SPECIALIST 🐾

Mikaela from Wild Life Sydney Zoo! 🦘

13/04/2024

We had a lot of fun yesterday! 🙊 Stay tuned for this weeks episode chatting all about it! 🐾

10/04/2024

EPISODE 36: Full vs protected contact for elephants with Jamie Gray.

Jamie chats with us this week and shares his love and passion for elephants! We chat all about training, reinforcers and social dynamics before diving into the hot topic of protected vs full contact with elephants! 🐘

Jamie discusses about his experience working both, what he sees as pros and cons and what the future of elephant training might look like. 👀

Link in bio!
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03/04/2024

EPISODE 35: So you want to work with dolphins? Tips and jobs with Rachel Hudon.

This week we are lucky enough to be joined by Rachel all the way from the US! Rachel has years of experience working with and training dolphins and we dive into conversations all about training and reinforcers! 🐬

Asides from working hands on with dolphins, Rachel has developed an incredible program, from her experiences, which provides advice, tips and guidance for aspiring marine animal trainers! 🫶🏼

Link in bio!
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27/03/2024

EPISODE 34: Q&A with Tessa & Daisy.

This week its just us! We chat through a bunch of questions that we got sent covering a huge array of topics related to the industry! 🦭🦅

Link in bio!
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20/03/2024

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Congratulations to our penguin team 🙌🐧

SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast’s penguin team presented their Husbandry Training Programme for Little Blue Penguins during a recent Australasian Society of Zoo Keeping (ASZK) conference on the Gold Coast.

The training programme was noticed by The Animal Behaviour Management Alliance in the US and published in their quarterly ‘Engage’ publication!

The team are incredibly proud of their work being internationally recognized and more importantly, our wonderful penguin colony.

20/03/2024

EPISODE 33: Coordinating animal training with Bianca Papadopoulos.

Bianca joins us this week where she generously shares so much of her experience in animal training! She has had an inspirational career gaining a variety of experiences from numerous facilities working alongside a huge variety of species! 🐘🐬

We chat about training resources, writing a shaping plan, training hurdles and what a training coordinator or consultant really does! 🦍

Link in bio!
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13/03/2024

EPISODE 32: Cooperative care with ungulates with Vicky Smith and Jessica Burgess.

Not one, but two ungulate specialists joined us this week! Vicky and Jess, both from chat all about their primary species, rhino, giraffe and nyala! 🦒

They share their cooperative care training focuses for all species including important dental work and hoof care. 🦏

Link in bio!
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06/03/2024

EPISODE 31: Teaching agility dogs through positive reinforcement with Matisse Martin.

Matisse is an absolute professional when it comes to agility training with dogs! We were lucky enough to chat with her all about her passion, from puppy training to agility and her new exciting sheep herding venture! 🐑

We chat about the importance of using positive reinforcement with dogs and leaving old training techniques in the past. 🐶

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28/02/2024

EPISODE 30: Parenthood as a Zookeeper with Elizabeth Johnson.

For our 30th episode, we were lucky enough to be joined by host of Mothering Wildlife podcast, Elizabeth! 🦒

Elizabeth has decades of experience working within the field and uses her podcast platform to chat with other professionals about balancing work life with parenthood. 👶🏼

We chat about the common challenges, how management can be supportive and whether her years of animal training experience has transferred into her kids!

Link in bio.
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21/02/2024

EPISODE 29: Mentorship and Self-Fulfilling Prophecies as an animal specialist with Tim Sullivan.

Tess and Daisy were overjoyed to be joined by the Director of Behavioural Husbandry of Brookfield Zoo, Tim Sullivan. 👏🏼

Tim expands on his impressive career within the animal field before diving into the topic of mentorship and the key role it plays in our field. 🐬

We discuss self-fulfilling prophecies and the impact it can have both positively, and negatively on our training.

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