Chris McKinney, DVM is the veterinarian for the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY. At the zoo, Dr. McKinney oversees the health of all the animals from the small lizards and rodents to the elephants and giraffes. He also gets to assist the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation with local wildlife conservation projects. JGC member Mariana asked Chris about his role at the Seneca Park Zoo and his experiences as a veterinarian.

Dr. Liana Zanette is a Professor of Biology at Western University in London, Ontario where she teaches Conservation Biology and Population Ecology. JGC member Mariana asked Liana about her research which examines the relationship between predators and their prey with a focus on the ‘Ecology of Fear’.

Rob Laidlaw has spent more than 40 years working to protect animals of all kinds in Canada and around the world. He is a Chartered Biologist, founder of the wildlife protection organization Zoocheck and in 2014 was awarded the prestigious Frederic A. McGrand Lifetime Achievement Award for substantial contributions to animal welfare in Canada. Junior Giraffe Club member Mariana asked Rob about his role in animal advocacy, his journey, and more.

Anton is a biologist and animal researcher and spent the last twelve years successfully managing and leading international zoo and wildlife research. His core areas of expertise are bioacoustics, animal behavior, and animal cognition. Junior Giraffe Club member, Mariana, interviewed Anton to ask him about about his research in bioacoustics, his career, and more.

Check out Junior Giraffe Club member, Mariana’s, interview with Jenna Stacy-Dawes. Jenna is part of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance as a Researcher in Population Sustainability. Her research focuses on using socio-ecological methods to further understand and conserve reticulated giraffe populations in Kenya alongside a local research team, the Twiga Walinzi.

Junior Giraffe Club member, Mariana, interviewed Kaitlyn Taylor, a JGC facilitator who is currently in South Africa pursuing her Masters degree in Wildlife Science at the University of the Free State. Her research is focusing on how human sounds impact giraffe behavior and if giraffes can become habituated to these noises.

Monica Bond is a wildlife biologist & biodiversity activist and Principal Scientist for Wild Nature Institute. Recently, Junior Giraffe Club member Mariana interviewed Monica.

Read on to learn more about Monica and the work she does in the field.

Junior Giraffe Club member Mariana created a poster for World Giraffe Week and you can too!