The Zoo Dudes Podcast with Gary and Larry

Adam Wilcox-CypherWorx
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The Zoo Dudes Podcast features Gary Priest and Larry Sorel—two guys who've spent their careers on the inside of the zoo world, Gary as a pioneering zookeeper and leader in animal behavioral conditioning, and Larry as a director who's run zoos across the country. Along with host Adam Wilcox, they sit down with the professionals, designers, scientists, and advocates who make modern zoos work — and dig into everything from the daily realities of animal care to the big issues facing the industry, like wildlife trafficking and conservation. Whether you're a zoo professional or just someone who's always wondered what really goes on behind the scenes, Zoo Dudes pulls back the curtain with expertise, candor, and more than a few good stories.

Episodes

  1. Aug 28

    Zoo Dudes E7: Inside Wonders of Wildlife's Aquarium with Mike Daniel

    What does it take to run one of the country's premier aquariums — and how different is it from managing a zoo? This week we sit down with Mike Daniel, Director of Animal Care at Wonders of Wildlife in Springfield, Missouri, to find out. Mike starts with his journey to his unique job. Then he breaks down the unique challenges of aquatic animal care, what it means to maintain a massive living ecosystem, and the ways aquarium management demands a completely different skill set and mindset than the zoo world. Whether you work in animal care or just love the animals, this one goes places you haven't heard before.

  2. Jun 22

    Zoo Dudes E6: From Zookeeper to Zoo Director with Gene Peacock

    What does the path from zookeeper to corner office really look like? In this episode of Zoo Dudes, Gene Peacock, Director of Zoo Boise, joins Gary, Larry, and Adam to trace a career that began as a weekend part-time keeper in North Carolina and wound through elephants, primates, and red pandas before landing in the director's chair. Gene shares hard-won lessons on working free versus protected contact with elephants, designing exhibits that serve animals and guests alike, and the surprising ways a zoo's governance — municipal, nonprofit, or some hybrid of the two — shapes everything from budgets and conservation funding to how it weathers a change in administration. Along the way, the guys dig into "zoo kids" — the unique experience of raising children who grow up hand-rearing red pandas and thinking it's perfectly normal. Gene also spotlights two species close to his heart: Laura the wolverine, Zoo Boise's elusive star, and the critically endangered African painted dogs that anchor the zoo's conservation partnership with Gorongosa National Park. In This Episode 02:15  How Gene ended up in Boise — and the unusual road to becoming a zoo director03:00  From a weekend keeper job in North Carolina to a career: anthropology, primatology, and falling into the field06:10  Primates, aye-ayes, and a winding tour through Knoxville, North Carolina, Oklahoma City, and Zoo Atlanta10:10  Working elephants in free vs. protected contact — and why the whole field changed14:10  Designing big habitats that work for both the animals and the guests17:50  How direct animal care shapes the way Gene leads as a director21:30  The accidental path to the director's chair: Brandywine Zoo to Zoo Boise25:55  Raising "zoo kids" — and why they turn out a little different35:35  Zoo governance 101: municipal, nonprofit, and hybrid models — and why every zoo operates differently44:35  Surviving administration changes and Boise's "quarters for conservation" model50:30  The two things every director does most: be a cheerleader and be a referee56:40  What Gene looks for when hiring, and honest advice for breaking into the field1:03:30  Species spotlight: Laura the wolverine & the African painted dogs of Gorongosa National Park About the Guest Gene Peacock is the Director of Zoo Boise in Boise, Idaho, a role he has held since 2018, and also serves as Executive Director of the Friends of Zoo Boise nonprofit. With nearly four decades in the profession, Gene began as a part-time keeper in North Carolina and worked hands-on with primates, elephants, and more before moving into leadership at the Brandywine Zoo in Delaware and then Zoo Boise. Under his leadership, Zoo Boise directs roughly 12% of its annual revenue to conservation, supporting partners including Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. Links & Resources Zoo Boise — zooboise.orgGorongosa National Park — gorongosa.orgAnimal Care and Conservation Academy (ACCA) — professional development for zoo and aquarium teams — https://theanimalcareacademy.com/

  3. Jun 3

    Zoo Dudes E5: Zoo Architecture with Scott Ramser

    In this episode of Zoo Dudes, Scott Ramser joins Gary, Larry, and Adam to discuss the art and science of designing zoo exhibits that serve three very different audiences — the animals living in them, the people coming to see them, and the staff and keepers who work alongside them every day. Scott is a principal at WDM Architects and has spent his career shaping the spaces where wildlife and wonder meet. We get into how animal behavior drives every design decision, the tension between creating immersive guest experiences and meeting the complex welfare needs of the animals, and how thoughtful design can make a keeper's job safer and more effective — all the behind-the-scenes challenges that most visitors never think about, but that make or break a great exhibit.

  • 3 Episodes

About

The Zoo Dudes Podcast features Gary Priest and Larry Sorel—two guys who've spent their careers on the inside of the zoo world, Gary as a pioneering zookeeper and leader in animal behavioral conditioning, and Larry as a director who's run zoos across the country. Along with host Adam Wilcox, they sit down with the professionals, designers, scientists, and advocates who make modern zoos work — and dig into everything from the daily realities of animal care to the big issues facing the industry, like wildlife trafficking and conservation. Whether you're a zoo professional or just someone who's always wondered what really goes on behind the scenes, Zoo Dudes pulls back the curtain with expertise, candor, and more than a few good stories.

Information

  • Creator
    Adam Wilcox-CypherWorx
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Adam Wilcox-CypherWorx