July 19, 2024 • 25 mins
While we have many conservation programs inside the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, our efforts span the world. This week, hosts Rick and Marco speak with Greg Vicino, vice president of wildlife care at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, about building relationships and working with local communities to strengthen conservation efforts. Tune in to learn more about some of the conservation success stories as well as the ongoing partnerships in conservation.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hi, I'm Rich Schwartz.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
When is the s World? Al Marco Wentz.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to Amazing Wildlife, where we explore unique stories of
wildlife from around the world and uncover fascinating animal facts.
This podcast is a production of iHeartRadio's Ruby Studio and
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, an international nonprofit conservation organization
which oversees the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
You know, Rick, it really has been amazing and so
much fun to go behind the scenes with countless wild
life care staff this season.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
It's true, Marco. And last season we were able to
have conversations with scientists, researchers, and even engineers who are
all working on conservation projects here in San Diego and
around the world.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
And I always love the fact that each person we
talk to always mentions the need for everyone to work
together right to make wildlife conservation successful, from our zoo
teams to government agencies, volunteer groups and nonprofits. Oh and
all the diverse communities and.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Oh exactly exactly, And that need for different individuals and
different groups to work together for conservation was.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
True with the butterfly episode.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
It's true with giant pandas, and that's why I'm looking
forward to heading to the San Diego Zoo with you today.
We're going to connect with someone who just so happens
to know all about making conservation partnerships successful.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Ooh, I'm super pumped because today feels like this time
around we are going to go behind the scenes of conservation.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Well that's actually pretty accurate.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
I am Greg Uccino. I am the vice president of
Wildlife Care for the San Diego Zoo.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
And right now, Greg, we're in your office, so we
can hear outside the window we are. Your office is
in the zoo itself, so we are hearing some of
the movement of the trucks because we're working for by
the warehouse office scenes from the guest area.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
You and I have a bit of history in the
sense of.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
You started here at the zoo win two thousand and seven,
and it was.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Shortly after that you were brought into what was.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
The children's Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, a couple of years
and when you were over there.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Yeah, and I was just leaving the children soo to
start the ambassador work.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Thank you for that, by the way, Now you're welcome.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
But it was really great getting to know you in
that capacity as a supervisor of that department, and over
the years your role has grown quite a bit and
you're now the VP of Wildlife Care. Can you explain
to our audience what that means.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Yeah, so it's a relatively new position. The position, that
role has existed for a long time, and so, like
historically would have called it a general curator, right, so
the general curator would be the head of the wildlife
care program. So all of the curators and associate curators
were report up to the general curator. And then as
the roles evolved and as we realized that, like we're
not just doing curatorial work, and curatorial work would be
(02:41):
a lot of administrative work, like managing the populations, deciding
how many of this species needs to be here, and
working with partners, zoos and all that to make sure
you're sustaining the population that's here. We do a lot more, right,
So that role has taken on a lot more. So
there's a lot of leadership, there's a lot of management,
there's a lot of administrative work, and there's kind of
like the external conservation work that I think post people
(03:04):
don't really recognize. There's a lot of partnerships that are
formed with federal agencies. There are partnerships that were formed
with NGOs, other government entities, other fish and wildlife services
from other governments. You form relationships with those folks, all
in the interest of balancing both what's happening here on
grounds and how that's impacting our conservation efforts outside.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I really appreciate you bringing that up, because we talk
a lot about our partnerships around the world. I mean,
it's so cool that your role is to oversee the
general population and wildlife care here at the Zoo, but
also managing partner relationships. I mean, anybody who's listened to
the podcast and knows we talk a lot about how
our conservation efforts and our work with wildlife is not
(03:46):
done alone, right. I mean, for example, our most recent
episode highlighting the giant pandas, we discuss how we're working
so closely with China for the pandas coming to the
San Diego Zoo and for the conservation of giant pandas
in general. Oh, or maybe a partners in megal right
with the thick bill parrot or the Peninsula.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Problemar Yeah, that's a massive Pandora's box.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
I mean you kind of like what you're doing right
is you're opening up that doorway for conversations. You're building
those relationships with you know, those are federal employees that
are the ones that say yes or no to whether
or not you can do conservation work in this national
park right right, or whether or not you know, you
can have biological samples that are critical for disease investigation,
(04:26):
whether they're going to approve the permits for those to
fly here to our diagnostic labs. So those relationships are critical,
and going all the way back to two thousand and seven,
you know, and you know we were much younger. You know,
I was a little bit more naive. I know, it's
new to the conservation field. I had done field work before,
but I was new to like the actual conservation field,
and I had this naive approach. Anybody knows me, he's
(04:47):
heard this before, that conservation is just all we have
to do is save habitats and safe species and everything
will be fine. And you quickly find out that it's
about people. Number one. It's always about people, right, It's
about being respectful of the people who are sharing this space.
It's about understanding their cultural sensitivities, understanding the ecological sensitivities
of the area and truly being a partner, and it
(05:08):
leads you to the one thing that you always take
home and ultimately the one thing that I think helps
me kind of be successful in this role as you
learn very quickly not to take yourself too seriously, you know.
And I think that's a huge trait because you know,
you run into so many situations where you just want
to be like, do you know who I am? And
you realize how a how foolish that sounds, but also
(05:31):
how useless it is because they truly are relationships that
you build or work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
I mean, that's had a fundamental impact on the respect
we get and our ability to get through that process,
you know, without those relationships with the biologists, with management authority,
without the scientific authority, you know, being able to pick
(05:51):
up the phone and talk to people that you know
and you've worked with in different contexts.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
I don't think any of that really happens without that.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
It's great that you brought that up, Grig because near
the end of last season, we talked with one of
our conservationists about community conservation, and in that episode, it
was highlighted that conservation is not just about going in
and saving habitat. It's about the relationships with the people
who live in near and around these habitats. And like
you said, people aren't necessarily impressed with your title or
where you're from. What matters is what kind of person
(06:19):
you are and how you're going to show up for them.
That's what's going to build those relationships, and that's what's
going to help with the long term impact of wildlife conservation.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
You know, then idea of community based conservation and partnerships
and all that. One of the things that's going to
sound counterintuitive, but one of the things that's helped our
conservation program so much is we have great leadership from
doctor Nadine Lamberski.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
You know, it's the head of conservation.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
And one of the first things she said in that
role was we should go, Okay, what projects are you
involved in? Well, I've got Hawaii, I've got this Kenya
capacity building program, I've got side.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
These work, I've got this. She goes, what's your exit plan?
Speaker 4 (06:53):
What? She goes, what's your exit plan for any of those?
And I said, why would I want an exit plan?
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (06:57):
You know, I'm trying to help, and she's like, you're
not helping by staying there, right, You're not helping. I'm
not you know, right, Like, how are you going to
how are you going to capacity build? You're only successful
if you walk out of there and the things that
you've helped develop can grow without you.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Nice And it's crazy, right, because.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
I mean that's of course, like that's how we take
our leadership roles, right, you know, we're always thinking about that.
We're always thinking this crew needs to be able to
work without me. Like, if I'm the key to this
crew being successful, then there's a problem. I've done a
poor job. It applies exactly to our conservation programs, and
again it was really counterintuitive, but it's so liberating because
you realize, I've got a time frame, right, I have
(07:38):
to meet this capacity for these folks to really be effective.
And I think that's probably been the biggest game changer
when it comes to like the community based conservation is
like we're not building those communities, We're just building some
capacity in those communities. We're just reminding them of how
their natural resources, how their natural heritage. Right, this is
(07:59):
their heritage, right, They've lived with these animals, they've lived
in this ecosystem seamlessly for eons. So how do we
remind them of that by saying, we're not here to
change anything, We're not here to mess anything up. We
just want to fill in those little gaps that you've have.
And again, you cannot find those gaps if you're not listening,
(08:19):
right right, That's the biggest thing, is you see you
know again when you come in with the you know,
I'm the great Hero from San Diego Zoo, and you
know who I am. You're not listening, so you don't
hear anything.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I mean, of course our listeners know that I'm a
bird of these now, right, so I'm sure no one
will be surprised. But this next question, now, I've heard
about this also being our approach to bird conservation work
we do out in the islands of Hawaii. Now I
was curious, can you share with us and to our
listeners the details of the conservation work being done out there.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
Yeah, so we've had the Hawaiian Dangered Bird Conservation Program
has been a partnership with the State of Hawaii and
the federal government and a couple of other smaller NGOs
for decades now. And really, you know, islands are again
when we talk about conservation, islands are those places where
it's really dire, right, it's isolated, you know, and especially
(09:09):
the mill Pacific Ocean, right, habitats are easily impacted by
invasive species and things like that, and there's a lot
of diversity on those islands, namely avian.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Diversity, so a lot of birds, a lot of diverse.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
Birds, honeycreepers, forest birds, and of course the famous a
La la the Hawaiian crow, which is extinct in the wild.
So we've been running a conservation breeding program there for
a couple decades. So doctor Ron sways Good and Megan
Owen are involved in that and they do a fantastic
job on the research side, right, So we've learned a
lot about the behavioral biology of these birds, how these
(09:40):
animals interact with the environment, all of those types of things.
But it truly is a wildlife care program at the
end of the day. Right at the end of the day,
you're taking care of birds that are in human care,
and you're trying to breed them, and you're trying to
have successful offspring that are reared by their parents and
all of that. So a couple of years back, we
made this switch and we said, let's pull the care
(10:01):
staff out there, let's pull them into the wildlife care program.
So they came into my program, and we were able
to take the advances in wildlife care that we use
at the zoo and the park and directly translate those
to these conservation breeding programs and vice versa. Right, so
we were able to learn, like, what makes an animal successful,
what are the behavioral characteristics that make it successful? How
(10:23):
do we then build those into the care programs. So
there's the science side of it, right, Then there's the
art side of it, is that these birds are incredibly
important to the Hawaiian people and incredibly important to their culture,
and the land is incredibly important, right.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
I think that's something a lot of people also don't
always realize. We're take into consideration. We talk about the
relationship with the people, but it's the culture of those
people and what the land represents for their culture, what
these species of wildlife represent for their culture. And that
was one of the first I think big eye openers
for me when I went to Maui for the Bird
Conservation Center over there and realize that there was so
(11:02):
much about the representation of these species existing just for
the culture of the people, and yet because of invasive
species and other issues that are beyond just fencing off
an area in Sabing. Yeah, it's impacting the culture, the
idea of these species going away forever. So I love
that you brought that up.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Yeah, it's so again, this is like so intuitive. It
makes so much sense when you really dig into it.
It's like ancient Hawaiians knew the role that these animals played.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Maintain system, which is what humans live off of exactly.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
Right, Like they know what they pollinate, they know that,
Like I mean that price Mstuda did a study on
Ala Lai years ago that showed that like germination rates
for native plant species that go through the digestive system
of a crow germanate eighty percent better. Right, And it's
the native plants that do not the invasive place, right.
It's fascinating.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Right.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
So there's that, right, and there's that connection, and it's
kind of neat, and you know you have to take
your hat off and say okay, So as an admirer
of this culture of that, I had kind of to
step outside of that to stay in my role as
working with conservation, but you better be respectful, you better
recognize it, you better see it, and you better hear it.
And we had a lot of staff turning and what
(12:12):
ended up happening was hiring a lot of Hawaiians.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Which traditionally wasn't the case.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
You know, And so now it's like the culture is
leading into the programs. And Jess and I were just
there and a little akakiki had hatched, and the supervisor
at the center called everybody in to the room where
the little baby was and did a traditional chance and
it was like, wow, this feels right, you know, like
(12:38):
this feels like the way this is supposed to go,
not SOPs and forums, and this is the way we
do it at San Diego Zoo. You know, we have
all that stuff too, but this was the most important
part was hearing that song, you know, welcoming that bird
back to where it belongs.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
It was really cool. That was amazing.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Nic Greg, your background and a lot of your history
here at the San Diego Zoo is based in behavior.
You do a lot of work with studying how the
wildlife can express natural behaviors. Can you go a little
more into that for all audience?
Speaker 4 (13:10):
Yeah, So we kind of put together this program. We
realize it's the relationship that they form with their environment,
and as the environment changes, do they have enough of
a behavioral repertoire to deal with those little changes, whether
those are subtle changes or significant changes. That's exactly what
they need for being reintroduced in the wild. That is
exactly what they need to survive in a new habitat, right,
(13:34):
especially if you're talking about like a translocation where an
animal is going from northern Kenya to having to live
in central or southern Kenya and it's an elephant, right,
there's a whole.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Lot of stuff that has to learn.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
And we realize that we weren't teaching those behaviors in
the zoo.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Even though we could, and even though nobody here.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
At this zoo in downtown San Diego is likely to
go back to their native habitat. What's wrong with finding
out how they learn those skills? What's wrong with trying
to teach them all those skills? And if we do that,
we're forcing ourselves into a situation. We have to provide
such a dynamic environment for them that they are actually
expressing species specific behavior, They are actually making choices and
(14:14):
those choices are relevant to outcomes that mean something to them.
Once we have that framework, we apply it directly to
the conservation programs.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
So that's the.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
Thing that really wakes me up and gets me out
of bed right is knowing that we're not just throwing
money at problems, like we're actually throwing these techniques at it,
and they can work right well.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
And to your point, maybe nobody here in the San
Diego Zoo proper in downtown San Diego is going to
find themselves going back and being reintroduced to their native habitat,
but their offspring lite or their offspring's offspring, or the
data and information we gather from that experience here can
be applied to somewhere that that is going to happen.
(14:57):
And that's what I think is so fascinating is that,
you know, it almost reflects back to the concept of
starting the Frozen Zoo, where at the time the science
didn't exist, we weren't really sure why we needed to
do it, but we did it, and now here we are,
you know, fifty some years later, it's like, oh, this
is great, Like how much we can do now? Sort
of the same idea in the sense of we are
studying the behavior. We're creating opportunities for them to have
(15:17):
choice and control, creating opportunities for them to express their
behavior repertoire as you say. And yeah, maybe right now
today that's just that animal experiencing those things and doing
those things and someone recording it and documenting it. But
ten years from now that could be incredibly valuable information
for setting up a program where we introduce that species
back into their environment.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
One hundred percent a me ego before we went out
of time with you, I want to make sure we
cover the work that is being done with Sieis. I mean,
you mentioned something about it before we started recording, and
I kind of want to make sure our audience learns
about it. I guess can you start with what does
scieties mean?
Speaker 4 (15:51):
So that's the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered
Species of Flora and Fauna.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
It's a mouthful, it is. I can see why I
use the acronyms.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
Yeah, it's basically like a peace treaty, right, It's a
treaty is signed by one hundred and eighty three different countries.
It's the rules that we use all of our fish
and Wildlife services, scientific and Management authorities of each of
these countries. It's the rules that they use to say
it's okay to transport this animal from here to here
if it's an endangered species, right, and you have to
(16:20):
have good reason for it.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Right.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
It can't be for financial gain. It has to be
contributing to scientific research and has to have a non
detriment to the wild population. There has to be enhancements
to the wild population in order to do it. And
it's not just for zoos and things like that, right,
you know, lots and lots and lots of countries. This
is a big part of their economy. So it's a
treaty that's signed through the un EP of the United
(16:42):
Nations Environmental Program, So it's a United Nations thing, right,
super cool, like especially if you're a nerd. Right, it's
totally you know, you get to sit there in the
big in Geneva with the microphone and the translator headphones
and all that and all the you know, the technical
terms and all of the chair recognizes delegate from it's
super neat. You would never guess this, but this is
(17:04):
where all of the language and all of the laws
come from that says whether or not you can trade
in these animals. Trade sounds very clinical, but it's really
what's happening.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
And again the trade being for the purpose of benefiting
the species.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Benefiting the species, but it also.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Protects and from what we've talked about in this podcast
before too, which is illegal.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
Wildlife trade one hundred and so people are doing it
for the pet trade beside these.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
It doesn't mean the term trade is important because it's
regulated for the benefit of the species, right, I mean,
like you said, it's kind of a technical term, but
it does have an important role in this whole concept
of protection under international laws.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Absolutely, and we're also tasked with kind of looking at
trade patterns. Wow, this many of this species which we
don't identify as threatened have been traded. And we're talking
about things like for food and fiber, right, you know,
fish sharks, those types of things. You know, like there
are some island nations where the entire industry, the economic industry,
(17:59):
is fishing, and are we monitoring those stocks? Do we
know if that trade needs to be regulated, does it
need to be regulated at a higher rate, what's the
language that you would put in to have it regulated.
And on the trafficking side, you know, like vast majority
of what side is about is the capacity building for
those the one guy that's at the border, providing them
with the resources to training and all that stuff. It's
(18:21):
a fascinating side of conservation that I think people probably
don't recognize. And I think it says something about this
organization that we've committed to having a delegation that since
two thousand and fourteen, we started this delegation and it's
still going. I leave in two weeks for Geneva for
the Animals Committee meeting, and I think it's incredibly telling
(18:44):
that we have a seat at that table. Now we're observers,
we don't vote, but we have a seat at that table.
You know, it says San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in
that chamber in Geneva with one hundred and eighty three
different countries, and our role is to serve as scientific
advisors to help the capacity building and to you know,
identify areas where we can help and all that. But
it's a big part of what we do that I
(19:05):
think is completely behind the scenes.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
I mean, you save the best for last. Wrapping up
this episode with this is so impressive because again, we
talk about different species, we talk about conservation. We do
have talked about other things beyond what you can see
at the Sfari Park at the Zoo, but you just
took it to a whole other level.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
And I don't think a lot of people listening realize
that the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has a seat
at the table in Geneva. I mean, like you said, Greg,
it really speaks to this organization's goals and mission. I mean, yes,
of course, come to the zoo, right, go to the
Safari Park and have a great time, but you're also
supporting a conservation organization that is doing international work in
(19:44):
science and conservation.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Yeah, and again that's where those relationships start. The chair
of the Animals committee will have dinner, you know, right,
Like some of my best friends that I've met there
are all part of the IUCN specialist groups in vipers,
in crocodiles, in hippos, in rhinos and.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
All that stuffing. And just real quick, I see in
I you see.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
An International Union on the Conservation of Nature.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Thanks for throwing me off.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Sorry, that's it's important because I U see And there's
a term we have used here on this podcast before.
We do remind people that It's sort of the how
we look at where are animal? Are they vulnerable, are
they endangered? Where are they on that scale? And that
comes from what you're talking about. It comes from societies.
It comes from these organizations and these nations coming together
and discussing scientific research, discussing these numbers, discussing habitat conditions
(20:31):
to then decide, Okay, this is now currently no longer
in dangered. It's just threatened or no. This one went
from vulnerable to endangered real quick.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
They're the ones who do that work right, and they
work with things like sustainability, and these guys work in
the field, and so you talk to them, you really
have your finger on the pulse, so you know when
they're saying, hey, this data is not really sufficient. I
know they mean the data is not really sufficient.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
You know one of them.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
You know how they do it is they do it
by getting to know the communities. And a good friend
of mine who study snakes, he said, you know how
I know when a species is getting into trouble? I
asked the hunters how hard it is to find it?
It's you know, makes perfect sense. It used to take
me a day to collect five Now it takes me
five days and I have to walk six miles.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Okay, there's a pattern, right, that's what he said.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
We're listening, we're actively listening, and that's where we start
to look at it. You know, seahorses, they have a
good friend who works in seahorse conservation. We don't even
think about seahorses in that way, right, they're vast majority,
Like people aren't fishing for seahorses. They're bycatch. How much
are we monitoring what the bycatch is? Where are the
regions that we're looking at that stuff?
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Okay, just to clarify, bycatch is a species that gets
caught up while they're trying to harvest a different species.
So in this case, seahorses are getting tangled up in these.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
Nets, gets tangled up in the net or whatever. You yeah, exactly, sorry,
thank you for explaining that. And so you don't get
that information from the pillowing fishermen unless you've eaten in
his house, right, unless you know his children, unless you
have been there, they're not talking to you about that.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
So really having that like.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
Wrapping your head around how complex conservation is and then
getting down to it. It's like, no, it's about breaking bread.
It's about shaking hands, and it's about being respectful and
truly understanding what drives people and that they need to
have a sustainable way to live. They want to have
a sustainable way to live, right, how do we find
that balance?
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Honestly, this is one of the most important and meaningful
things about our work, I feel, you know, listening and
supporting communities all over the world. I mean, last month
the world celebrated Pride Month, and it reminds me of
the beauty and necessity of diversity. Right, listening, respecting and
celebrating diversity of peoples and cultures from all over the world.
And that's really what this is all about, the global
(22:52):
community working together to find the sustainable balance it is.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
It is. It's great. Well, thank you so much, Greg, Really,
I appreciate you taking the time to sit down and
talk with us today, and I think you just gave
our audience an opportunity to peak behind and see the
bigger picture of what means to work for conservation organization.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
Yeah. Thanks, I ego my pleasure.
Speaker 4 (23:14):
Now.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
I have to admit I love talking about animals and
visiting with our wildlife care specialists behind the scenes, but
I am always so amazed after discussing our conservation work
that happens beyond the zoo and Safari Park.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
I know, I know exactly what you mean, friend, I
know how much the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance does
around the world, But honestly, talking with Greg reminded me
that conservation work also happens when everyone comes together, right
to make policies and laws that benefit wildlife and people alike.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Right, that's that sustainable balance Greg was talking about. And
with the knowledge we gain from the partnerships we have
the conservation efforts, it makes all that much more impactful
and in turn, it brings us closer to those sustainable balances.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Oh yeah, no doubt, friend, and I really appreciate what
Greg was saying about the importance of building relations right
and trust with those you're working with, from policymakers to
the indigenous communities of the world. We all need that
trusting relationship to build a solid foundation.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
On well said, well said, and from that solid foundation
we can work together for more meaningful and impactful partnerships
for conservation.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Hey, you know what, Rick, what it's kind of making
it think of something?
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Oh boy, I know that looks what bird species works
together with other flocks or herds or animal groups.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
What are you thinking of?
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Well, you know, that's actually a great idea for another episode. So,
but I was thinking about the episode we did on
Giant Pandas and how Megan was telling us all about
all the teams involved with that fuzzy black and white
and apple right.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Yeah, yeah, I kind of like what Greg was talking
about with different groups all working together.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Yeah, totally.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
And it's about time we learn more about the work
our hord Or Culture team does for Giant Pandas, right,
and all the other wildlife at the San Diego Zoo
and the Safari Park.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Well, then I guess there you have it. Be sure
to subscribe and tune into our next episode, in which
we leave the animal well kingdom and branch out into
the world of bamboo and other botanical facts.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
I'll not go away, and I'm Rick Schwartz.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
Thanks for listening. For more information about the San Diego
Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, go to SDZWA
dot org. Amazing Wildlife is a production of iHeartRadio. Our
supervising producers are Nikkia Swinton and Dylan Fagan, and our
sound designers are Sierra Spreen, and Matt Russell. For more
(25:30):
shows from iHeartRadio, check out the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Hi, I'm Rich Schwartz.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
When is the s World? Al Marco Wentz.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to Amazing Wildlife, where we explore unique stories of
wildlife from around the world and uncover fascinating animal facts.
This podcast is a production of iHeartRadio's Ruby Studio and
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, an international nonprofit conservation organization
which oversees the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
You know, Rick, it really has been amazing and so
much fun to go behind the scenes with countless wild
life care staff this season.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
It's true, Marco. And last season we were able to
have conversations with scientists, researchers, and even engineers who are
all working on conservation projects here in San Diego and
around the world.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
And I always love the fact that each person we
talk to always mentions the need for everyone to work
together right to make wildlife conservation successful, from our zoo
teams to government agencies, volunteer groups and nonprofits. Oh and
all the diverse communities and.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Oh exactly exactly, And that need for different individuals and
different groups to work together for conservation was.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
True with the butterfly episode.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
It's true with giant pandas, and that's why I'm looking
forward to heading to the San Diego Zoo with you today.
We're going to connect with someone who just so happens
to know all about making conservation partnerships successful.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Ooh, I'm super pumped because today feels like this time
around we are going to go behind the scenes of conservation.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Well that's actually pretty accurate.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
I am Greg Uccino. I am the vice president of
Wildlife Care for the San Diego Zoo.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
And right now, Greg, we're in your office, so we
can hear outside the window we are. Your office is
in the zoo itself, so we are hearing some of
the movement of the trucks because we're working for by
the warehouse office scenes from the guest area.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
You and I have a bit of history in the
sense of.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
You started here at the zoo win two thousand and seven,
and it was.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Shortly after that you were brought into what was.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
The children's Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, a couple of years
and when you were over there.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Yeah, and I was just leaving the children soo to
start the ambassador work.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Thank you for that, by the way, Now you're welcome.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
But it was really great getting to know you in
that capacity as a supervisor of that department, and over
the years your role has grown quite a bit and
you're now the VP of Wildlife Care. Can you explain
to our audience what that means.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Yeah, so it's a relatively new position. The position, that
role has existed for a long time, and so, like
historically would have called it a general curator, right, so
the general curator would be the head of the wildlife
care program. So all of the curators and associate curators
were report up to the general curator. And then as
the roles evolved and as we realized that, like we're
not just doing curatorial work, and curatorial work would be
(02:41):
a lot of administrative work, like managing the populations, deciding
how many of this species needs to be here, and
working with partners, zoos and all that to make sure
you're sustaining the population that's here. We do a lot more, right,
So that role has taken on a lot more. So
there's a lot of leadership, there's a lot of management,
there's a lot of administrative work, and there's kind of
like the external conservation work that I think post people
(03:04):
don't really recognize. There's a lot of partnerships that are
formed with federal agencies. There are partnerships that were formed
with NGOs, other government entities, other fish and wildlife services
from other governments. You form relationships with those folks, all
in the interest of balancing both what's happening here on
grounds and how that's impacting our conservation efforts outside.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I really appreciate you bringing that up, because we talk
a lot about our partnerships around the world. I mean,
it's so cool that your role is to oversee the
general population and wildlife care here at the Zoo, but
also managing partner relationships. I mean, anybody who's listened to
the podcast and knows we talk a lot about how
our conservation efforts and our work with wildlife is not
(03:46):
done alone, right. I mean, for example, our most recent
episode highlighting the giant pandas, we discuss how we're working
so closely with China for the pandas coming to the
San Diego Zoo and for the conservation of giant pandas
in general. Oh, or maybe a partners in megal right
with the thick bill parrot or the Peninsula.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Problemar Yeah, that's a massive Pandora's box.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
I mean you kind of like what you're doing right
is you're opening up that doorway for conversations. You're building
those relationships with you know, those are federal employees that
are the ones that say yes or no to whether
or not you can do conservation work in this national
park right right, or whether or not you know, you
can have biological samples that are critical for disease investigation,
(04:26):
whether they're going to approve the permits for those to
fly here to our diagnostic labs. So those relationships are critical,
and going all the way back to two thousand and seven,
you know, and you know we were much younger. You know,
I was a little bit more naive. I know, it's
new to the conservation field. I had done field work before,
but I was new to like the actual conservation field,
and I had this naive approach. Anybody knows me, he's
(04:47):
heard this before, that conservation is just all we have
to do is save habitats and safe species and everything
will be fine. And you quickly find out that it's
about people. Number one. It's always about people, right, It's
about being respectful of the people who are sharing this space.
It's about understanding their cultural sensitivities, understanding the ecological sensitivities
of the area and truly being a partner, and it
(05:08):
leads you to the one thing that you always take
home and ultimately the one thing that I think helps
me kind of be successful in this role as you
learn very quickly not to take yourself too seriously, you know.
And I think that's a huge trait because you know,
you run into so many situations where you just want
to be like, do you know who I am? And
you realize how a how foolish that sounds, but also
(05:31):
how useless it is because they truly are relationships that
you build or work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
I mean, that's had a fundamental impact on the respect
we get and our ability to get through that process,
you know, without those relationships with the biologists, with management authority,
without the scientific authority, you know, being able to pick
(05:51):
up the phone and talk to people that you know
and you've worked with in different contexts.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
I don't think any of that really happens without that.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
It's great that you brought that up, Grig because near
the end of last season, we talked with one of
our conservationists about community conservation, and in that episode, it
was highlighted that conservation is not just about going in
and saving habitat. It's about the relationships with the people
who live in near and around these habitats. And like
you said, people aren't necessarily impressed with your title or
where you're from. What matters is what kind of person
(06:19):
you are and how you're going to show up for them.
That's what's going to build those relationships, and that's what's
going to help with the long term impact of wildlife conservation.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
You know, then idea of community based conservation and partnerships
and all that. One of the things that's going to
sound counterintuitive, but one of the things that's helped our
conservation program so much is we have great leadership from
doctor Nadine Lamberski.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
You know, it's the head of conservation.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
And one of the first things she said in that
role was we should go, Okay, what projects are you
involved in? Well, I've got Hawaii, I've got this Kenya
capacity building program, I've got side.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
These work, I've got this. She goes, what's your exit plan?
Speaker 4 (06:53):
What? She goes, what's your exit plan for any of those?
And I said, why would I want an exit plan?
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (06:57):
You know, I'm trying to help, and she's like, you're
not helping by staying there, right, You're not helping. I'm
not you know, right, Like, how are you going to
how are you going to capacity build? You're only successful
if you walk out of there and the things that
you've helped develop can grow without you.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Nice And it's crazy, right, because.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
I mean that's of course, like that's how we take
our leadership roles, right, you know, we're always thinking about that.
We're always thinking this crew needs to be able to
work without me. Like, if I'm the key to this
crew being successful, then there's a problem. I've done a
poor job. It applies exactly to our conservation programs, and
again it was really counterintuitive, but it's so liberating because
you realize, I've got a time frame, right, I have
(07:38):
to meet this capacity for these folks to really be effective.
And I think that's probably been the biggest game changer
when it comes to like the community based conservation is
like we're not building those communities, We're just building some
capacity in those communities. We're just reminding them of how
their natural resources, how their natural heritage. Right, this is
(07:59):
their heritage, right, They've lived with these animals, they've lived
in this ecosystem seamlessly for eons. So how do we
remind them of that by saying, we're not here to
change anything, We're not here to mess anything up. We
just want to fill in those little gaps that you've have.
And again, you cannot find those gaps if you're not listening,
(08:19):
right right, That's the biggest thing, is you see you
know again when you come in with the you know,
I'm the great Hero from San Diego Zoo, and you
know who I am. You're not listening, so you don't
hear anything.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I mean, of course our listeners know that I'm a
bird of these now, right, so I'm sure no one
will be surprised. But this next question, now, I've heard
about this also being our approach to bird conservation work
we do out in the islands of Hawaii. Now I
was curious, can you share with us and to our
listeners the details of the conservation work being done out there.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
Yeah, so we've had the Hawaiian Dangered Bird Conservation Program
has been a partnership with the State of Hawaii and
the federal government and a couple of other smaller NGOs
for decades now. And really, you know, islands are again
when we talk about conservation, islands are those places where
it's really dire, right, it's isolated, you know, and especially
(09:09):
the mill Pacific Ocean, right, habitats are easily impacted by
invasive species and things like that, and there's a lot
of diversity on those islands, namely avian.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Diversity, so a lot of birds, a lot of diverse.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
Birds, honeycreepers, forest birds, and of course the famous a
La la the Hawaiian crow, which is extinct in the wild.
So we've been running a conservation breeding program there for
a couple decades. So doctor Ron sways Good and Megan
Owen are involved in that and they do a fantastic
job on the research side, right, So we've learned a
lot about the behavioral biology of these birds, how these
(09:40):
animals interact with the environment, all of those types of things.
But it truly is a wildlife care program at the
end of the day. Right at the end of the day,
you're taking care of birds that are in human care,
and you're trying to breed them, and you're trying to
have successful offspring that are reared by their parents and
all of that. So a couple of years back, we
made this switch and we said, let's pull the care
(10:01):
staff out there, let's pull them into the wildlife care program.
So they came into my program, and we were able
to take the advances in wildlife care that we use
at the zoo and the park and directly translate those
to these conservation breeding programs and vice versa. Right, so
we were able to learn, like, what makes an animal successful,
what are the behavioral characteristics that make it successful? How
(10:23):
do we then build those into the care programs. So
there's the science side of it, right, Then there's the
art side of it, is that these birds are incredibly
important to the Hawaiian people and incredibly important to their culture,
and the land is incredibly important, right.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
I think that's something a lot of people also don't
always realize. We're take into consideration. We talk about the
relationship with the people, but it's the culture of those
people and what the land represents for their culture, what
these species of wildlife represent for their culture. And that
was one of the first I think big eye openers
for me when I went to Maui for the Bird
Conservation Center over there and realize that there was so
(11:02):
much about the representation of these species existing just for
the culture of the people, and yet because of invasive
species and other issues that are beyond just fencing off
an area in Sabing. Yeah, it's impacting the culture, the
idea of these species going away forever. So I love
that you brought that up.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Yeah, it's so again, this is like so intuitive. It
makes so much sense when you really dig into it.
It's like ancient Hawaiians knew the role that these animals played.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Maintain system, which is what humans live off of exactly.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
Right, Like they know what they pollinate, they know that,
Like I mean that price Mstuda did a study on
Ala Lai years ago that showed that like germination rates
for native plant species that go through the digestive system
of a crow germanate eighty percent better. Right, And it's
the native plants that do not the invasive place, right.
It's fascinating.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Right.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
So there's that, right, and there's that connection, and it's
kind of neat, and you know you have to take
your hat off and say okay, So as an admirer
of this culture of that, I had kind of to
step outside of that to stay in my role as
working with conservation, but you better be respectful, you better
recognize it, you better see it, and you better hear it.
And we had a lot of staff turning and what
(12:12):
ended up happening was hiring a lot of Hawaiians.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Which traditionally wasn't the case.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
You know, And so now it's like the culture is
leading into the programs. And Jess and I were just
there and a little akakiki had hatched, and the supervisor
at the center called everybody in to the room where
the little baby was and did a traditional chance and
it was like, wow, this feels right, you know, like
(12:38):
this feels like the way this is supposed to go,
not SOPs and forums, and this is the way we
do it at San Diego Zoo. You know, we have
all that stuff too, but this was the most important
part was hearing that song, you know, welcoming that bird
back to where it belongs.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
It was really cool. That was amazing.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Nic Greg, your background and a lot of your history
here at the San Diego Zoo is based in behavior.
You do a lot of work with studying how the
wildlife can express natural behaviors. Can you go a little
more into that for all audience?
Speaker 4 (13:10):
Yeah, So we kind of put together this program. We
realize it's the relationship that they form with their environment,
and as the environment changes, do they have enough of
a behavioral repertoire to deal with those little changes, whether
those are subtle changes or significant changes. That's exactly what
they need for being reintroduced in the wild. That is
exactly what they need to survive in a new habitat, right,
(13:34):
especially if you're talking about like a translocation where an
animal is going from northern Kenya to having to live
in central or southern Kenya and it's an elephant, right,
there's a whole.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Lot of stuff that has to learn.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
And we realize that we weren't teaching those behaviors in
the zoo.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Even though we could, and even though nobody here.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
At this zoo in downtown San Diego is likely to
go back to their native habitat. What's wrong with finding
out how they learn those skills? What's wrong with trying
to teach them all those skills? And if we do that,
we're forcing ourselves into a situation. We have to provide
such a dynamic environment for them that they are actually
expressing species specific behavior, They are actually making choices and
(14:14):
those choices are relevant to outcomes that mean something to them.
Once we have that framework, we apply it directly to
the conservation programs.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
So that's the.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
Thing that really wakes me up and gets me out
of bed right is knowing that we're not just throwing
money at problems, like we're actually throwing these techniques at it,
and they can work right well.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
And to your point, maybe nobody here in the San
Diego Zoo proper in downtown San Diego is going to
find themselves going back and being reintroduced to their native habitat,
but their offspring lite or their offspring's offspring, or the
data and information we gather from that experience here can
be applied to somewhere that that is going to happen.
(14:57):
And that's what I think is so fascinating is that,
you know, it almost reflects back to the concept of
starting the Frozen Zoo, where at the time the science
didn't exist, we weren't really sure why we needed to
do it, but we did it, and now here we are,
you know, fifty some years later, it's like, oh, this
is great, Like how much we can do now? Sort
of the same idea in the sense of we are
studying the behavior. We're creating opportunities for them to have
(15:17):
choice and control, creating opportunities for them to express their
behavior repertoire as you say. And yeah, maybe right now
today that's just that animal experiencing those things and doing
those things and someone recording it and documenting it. But
ten years from now that could be incredibly valuable information
for setting up a program where we introduce that species
back into their environment.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
One hundred percent a me ego before we went out
of time with you, I want to make sure we
cover the work that is being done with Sieis. I mean,
you mentioned something about it before we started recording, and
I kind of want to make sure our audience learns
about it. I guess can you start with what does
scieties mean?
Speaker 4 (15:51):
So that's the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered
Species of Flora and Fauna.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
It's a mouthful, it is. I can see why I
use the acronyms.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
Yeah, it's basically like a peace treaty, right, It's a
treaty is signed by one hundred and eighty three different countries.
It's the rules that we use all of our fish
and Wildlife services, scientific and Management authorities of each of
these countries. It's the rules that they use to say
it's okay to transport this animal from here to here
if it's an endangered species, right, and you have to
(16:20):
have good reason for it.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Right.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
It can't be for financial gain. It has to be
contributing to scientific research and has to have a non
detriment to the wild population. There has to be enhancements
to the wild population in order to do it. And
it's not just for zoos and things like that, right,
you know, lots and lots and lots of countries. This
is a big part of their economy. So it's a
treaty that's signed through the un EP of the United
(16:42):
Nations Environmental Program, So it's a United Nations thing, right,
super cool, like especially if you're a nerd. Right, it's
totally you know, you get to sit there in the
big in Geneva with the microphone and the translator headphones
and all that and all the you know, the technical
terms and all of the chair recognizes delegate from it's
super neat. You would never guess this, but this is
(17:04):
where all of the language and all of the laws
come from that says whether or not you can trade
in these animals. Trade sounds very clinical, but it's really
what's happening.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
And again the trade being for the purpose of benefiting
the species.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Benefiting the species, but it also.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Protects and from what we've talked about in this podcast
before too, which is illegal.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
Wildlife trade one hundred and so people are doing it
for the pet trade beside these.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
It doesn't mean the term trade is important because it's
regulated for the benefit of the species, right, I mean,
like you said, it's kind of a technical term, but
it does have an important role in this whole concept
of protection under international laws.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Absolutely, and we're also tasked with kind of looking at
trade patterns. Wow, this many of this species which we
don't identify as threatened have been traded. And we're talking
about things like for food and fiber, right, you know,
fish sharks, those types of things. You know, like there
are some island nations where the entire industry, the economic industry,
(17:59):
is fishing, and are we monitoring those stocks? Do we
know if that trade needs to be regulated, does it
need to be regulated at a higher rate, what's the
language that you would put in to have it regulated.
And on the trafficking side, you know, like vast majority
of what side is about is the capacity building for
those the one guy that's at the border, providing them
with the resources to training and all that stuff. It's
(18:21):
a fascinating side of conservation that I think people probably
don't recognize. And I think it says something about this
organization that we've committed to having a delegation that since
two thousand and fourteen, we started this delegation and it's
still going. I leave in two weeks for Geneva for
the Animals Committee meeting, and I think it's incredibly telling
(18:44):
that we have a seat at that table. Now we're observers,
we don't vote, but we have a seat at that table.
You know, it says San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in
that chamber in Geneva with one hundred and eighty three
different countries, and our role is to serve as scientific
advisors to help the capacity building and to you know,
identify areas where we can help and all that. But
it's a big part of what we do that I
(19:05):
think is completely behind the scenes.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
I mean, you save the best for last. Wrapping up
this episode with this is so impressive because again, we
talk about different species, we talk about conservation. We do
have talked about other things beyond what you can see
at the Sfari Park at the Zoo, but you just
took it to a whole other level.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
And I don't think a lot of people listening realize
that the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has a seat
at the table in Geneva. I mean, like you said, Greg,
it really speaks to this organization's goals and mission. I mean, yes,
of course, come to the zoo, right, go to the
Safari Park and have a great time, but you're also
supporting a conservation organization that is doing international work in
(19:44):
science and conservation.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Yeah, and again that's where those relationships start. The chair
of the Animals committee will have dinner, you know, right,
Like some of my best friends that I've met there
are all part of the IUCN specialist groups in vipers,
in crocodiles, in hippos, in rhinos and.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
All that stuffing. And just real quick, I see in
I you see.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
An International Union on the Conservation of Nature.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Thanks for throwing me off.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Sorry, that's it's important because I U see And there's
a term we have used here on this podcast before.
We do remind people that It's sort of the how
we look at where are animal? Are they vulnerable, are
they endangered? Where are they on that scale? And that
comes from what you're talking about. It comes from societies.
It comes from these organizations and these nations coming together
and discussing scientific research, discussing these numbers, discussing habitat conditions
(20:31):
to then decide, Okay, this is now currently no longer
in dangered. It's just threatened or no. This one went
from vulnerable to endangered real quick.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
They're the ones who do that work right, and they
work with things like sustainability, and these guys work in
the field, and so you talk to them, you really
have your finger on the pulse, so you know when
they're saying, hey, this data is not really sufficient. I
know they mean the data is not really sufficient.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
You know one of them.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
You know how they do it is they do it
by getting to know the communities. And a good friend
of mine who study snakes, he said, you know how
I know when a species is getting into trouble? I
asked the hunters how hard it is to find it?
It's you know, makes perfect sense. It used to take
me a day to collect five Now it takes me
five days and I have to walk six miles.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Okay, there's a pattern, right, that's what he said.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
We're listening, we're actively listening, and that's where we start
to look at it. You know, seahorses, they have a
good friend who works in seahorse conservation. We don't even
think about seahorses in that way, right, they're vast majority,
Like people aren't fishing for seahorses. They're bycatch. How much
are we monitoring what the bycatch is? Where are the
regions that we're looking at that stuff?
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Okay, just to clarify, bycatch is a species that gets
caught up while they're trying to harvest a different species.
So in this case, seahorses are getting tangled up in these.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
Nets, gets tangled up in the net or whatever. You yeah, exactly, sorry,
thank you for explaining that. And so you don't get
that information from the pillowing fishermen unless you've eaten in
his house, right, unless you know his children, unless you
have been there, they're not talking to you about that.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
So really having that like.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
Wrapping your head around how complex conservation is and then
getting down to it. It's like, no, it's about breaking bread.
It's about shaking hands, and it's about being respectful and
truly understanding what drives people and that they need to
have a sustainable way to live. They want to have
a sustainable way to live, right, how do we find
that balance?
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Honestly, this is one of the most important and meaningful
things about our work, I feel, you know, listening and
supporting communities all over the world. I mean, last month
the world celebrated Pride Month, and it reminds me of
the beauty and necessity of diversity. Right, listening, respecting and
celebrating diversity of peoples and cultures from all over the world.
And that's really what this is all about, the global
(22:52):
community working together to find the sustainable balance it is.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
It is. It's great. Well, thank you so much, Greg, Really,
I appreciate you taking the time to sit down and
talk with us today, and I think you just gave
our audience an opportunity to peak behind and see the
bigger picture of what means to work for conservation organization.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
Yeah. Thanks, I ego my pleasure.
Speaker 4 (23:14):
Now.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
I have to admit I love talking about animals and
visiting with our wildlife care specialists behind the scenes, but
I am always so amazed after discussing our conservation work
that happens beyond the zoo and Safari Park.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
I know, I know exactly what you mean, friend, I
know how much the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance does
around the world, But honestly, talking with Greg reminded me
that conservation work also happens when everyone comes together, right
to make policies and laws that benefit wildlife and people alike.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Right, that's that sustainable balance Greg was talking about. And
with the knowledge we gain from the partnerships we have
the conservation efforts, it makes all that much more impactful
and in turn, it brings us closer to those sustainable balances.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
Oh yeah, no doubt, friend, and I really appreciate what
Greg was saying about the importance of building relations right
and trust with those you're working with, from policymakers to
the indigenous communities of the world. We all need that
trusting relationship to build a solid foundation.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
On well said, well said, and from that solid foundation
we can work together for more meaningful and impactful partnerships
for conservation.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Hey, you know what, Rick, what it's kind of making
it think of something?
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Oh boy, I know that looks what bird species works
together with other flocks or herds or animal groups.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
What are you thinking of?
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Well, you know, that's actually a great idea for another episode. So,
but I was thinking about the episode we did on
Giant Pandas and how Megan was telling us all about
all the teams involved with that fuzzy black and white
and apple right.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Yeah, yeah, I kind of like what Greg was talking
about with different groups all working together.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Yeah, totally.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
And it's about time we learn more about the work
our hord Or Culture team does for Giant Pandas, right,
and all the other wildlife at the San Diego Zoo
and the Safari Park.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Well, then I guess there you have it. Be sure
to subscribe and tune into our next episode, in which
we leave the animal well kingdom and branch out into
the world of bamboo and other botanical facts.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
I'll not go away, and I'm Rick Schwartz.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
Thanks for listening. For more information about the San Diego
Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, go to SDZWA
dot org. Amazing Wildlife is a production of iHeartRadio. Our
supervising producers are Nikkia Swinton and Dylan Fagan, and our
sound designers are Sierra Spreen, and Matt Russell. For more
(25:30):
shows from iHeartRadio, check out the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Hosts And Creators
Rick Schwartz
Marco Wendt
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