Episode
75: Enrichment - Where We're At and Where We're Going with a special guest panel of Nicki Boyd, Rick Hester, and Elly Neumann
- Published
- Mar 5, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 5051
- Processing state
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Summary
To commemorate the 75th episode of the podcast, a special guest panel discuss current progressive practices in enrichment and the future of innovative enrichment strategies. The panel consists of Nicki Boyd (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance), Rick Hester (Cheyenne Mountain Zoo & BehaviorWorks), and Elly Neumann (Jerusalem Zoo). The discussion starts with looking to nature to inform enrichment and using that knowledge to create environments that are responsive to the animals’ experience. Next, the panel discusses strategies for setting up an enrichment program for success. The panel also answers listeners questions about aggression and the evolution of audio enrichment. The episode ends with looking towards the future with the role of animal personality in enrichment and innovative ways to implement a free operant strategy for enrichment. Instead of a "Training Tale" to end the episode, each panelist gives their best advice for taking your enrichment to new heights. For questions or suggestions about the podcast or to ask any of the panelists a question email [email protected] For more information on the ABMA’s virtual conference visit this link: https://www.theabma.org/virtual-conference 4:35 Introduction to panelists 8:00 The focus on the animals’ experience and creating a new system 17:10 Updating the animals’ environment 24:10 How to look to nature to inform enrichment 26:40 How can we set up keepers for success when it comes to planning, implementing, and tracking enrichment 43:40 If an animal is displaying aggressive behaviors towards enrichment, can that impact the animal’s behavior outside of interactions with enrichment? 51:15 The role individual animal personality plays in enrichment 59:40 Free Operant Enrichment 1:07:45 The evolution of “audio…