The San Diego Zoo Safari Park doesn’t just have animals—it also has incredible plants! Last episode, we learned about elephants, and this week, we’re learning about their zoo habitat. Host Marco is speaking with Director of Horticulture Raj Brown about Elephant Valley and how his team creates a sense of immersion and place. Tune in to learn more about hot composting, force fields, and the meaning of “zookie.”

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This week Marco is visiting Elephant Valley to learn all about the world’s largest land mammal. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is home to eight elephants, and they are very social animals! These intelligent mammals are special in the way they interact with each other and our care specialists. Tune in to hear about their social dynamics and learn more about the new and improved Elephant Valley. 

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Did you know the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is home to 11 gorillas? This week, Marco is going behind the scenes at the bachelor habitat to learn more about the “jock” of the great ape family. Tune in to discover how they obtain their silverbacks, how you can donate your old cell phone to support conservation efforts, and much more.

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Last week was World Okapi Day, and to celebrate, hosts Rick and Marco are heading to the San Diego Safari Park to speak with Dallas Dumont and learn all about this strikingly striped mammal. While a relative of the giraffe, the okapi is not quite as tall but shares its prehensile tongue. Tune in to hear about the newest okapi addition to the zoo, the purpose of tucking, and how they use their large ears.

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World Cassowary Day is September 26th, so hosts Rick and Marco are headed to the cassowary habitat area in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to learn more about these incredible flightless birds. Today they’re speaking with Wildlife Care Specialist Anna Caranahan about their unique feathers, their large green eggs, and the benefits of their casques.

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Conservation is dynamic and deeply collaborative—and it takes many people across diverse disciplines to address the challenges facing wildlife. Hosts Rick and Marco speak with Hendrik Nollens, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s vice president of Wildlife Health, to learn how this team works to detect and prevent disease in wildlife and monitor their overall health. From California condors to mountain yellow-legged frogs and more, find out how the Wildlife Health team is helping increase many species’ chances of survival.

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This week, host Rick speaks with senior wildlife care specialist Nora Willis about an iconic bird with a gigantic wingspan! In the 1980s, just over 20 California condors were left in the world, but through groundbreaking conservation efforts, there are now more than 500. Find out more about San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s successful breeding program, how young California condors learn to thrive in Southwest habitats, and the meaning of “puppet rearing.”

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This week, hosts Rick and Marco are headed to Baja Garden in the San Diego Safari Park to speak with James Sheppard and Jenna Stallard about a brilliantly colored thick-billed parrot! While the thick-billed parrot used to be one of only two parrot species native to the United States, only a few remain in the wilds of Mexico. The San Diego Zoo is working with its partners in Mexico to restore the species, and the conservation efforts are making a difference. Tune in to learn more about their unique personalities, how the thick-billed parrot’s eating habits help forests and much more.

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The San Diego Zoo is home to several critically endangered species, and not just animals. We’re talking about plants, too! This week, hosts Rick and Marco speak with Zoo Horticulture Manager Christy Powell and Senior Plant Propagator Heinfried Block about orchids. You can find orchids on every continent except Antarctica, however conditions need to be just right—including having a special fungus around. Find out how our team is saving, protecting, and caring for orchids, the importance of symbiosis, and how you can visit the Orchid House.

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This week, hosts Rick and Marco speak with Dr. Kirstie Ruppert and Dr. Shifra Goldenberg about human and elephant conflict and coexistence. African elephants are invaluable to ecosystems and hold great cultural importance to Kenyans, but sometimes communities come into conflict with these giant mammals. Our guests talk about adaptability training and ways to balance the behavior of elephants and the needs of humans.

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California Panda Day is coming up on August 8th, so hosts Rick and Marco are headed to the Denny Sanford Panda Ridge to get an update on everyone’s favorite black and white bears at the San Diego Zoo. This week, they are speaking with Senior Wildlife Care Specialist Jessica Wagner about caring for Xin Bao and Yun Chuan. Tune in to learn about their pseudo thumbs, their behaviors, and how many pounds of food they can eat in a day (hint: it’s a lot)! 

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