Animal Training Academy: Making Ripples31 Jul 2025

Choice, Control & Conservation with Olly Jacobs & Calum Torcasio [Episode 61]

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Olly Jacobs (he/him) and Calum Torcasio (they/them) from Moonlit Sanctuary - two zookeepers whose passion for animal welfare and behavior science shines through every word. From early dreams of working with animals to becoming key members of Moonlit's show and mammal teams, their parallel journeys are filled with curiosity, grit, and deep respect for the animals they care for.

Olly and Calum share their unique entry points into zookeeping, the roles that education, volunteering, and community played in launching their careers, and how their love for Australia's diverse native wildlife continues to grow. We dive into their creative and thoughtful approaches to animal training, with heartwarming and educational stories - from target and station training a potoroo named Pikelet, to building trust and voluntary cooperation for dingo toothbrushing.

This episode highlights:
✅ The power of relationship-based training and consent-driven interactions
✅ How show animals are given choice, control, and a starring role in education
✅ Why tailoring communication to the individual matters - no "one-size-fits-all"
✅ How storytelling, humor, and hope create meaningful conservation messages
✅ Their hopes for connecting audiences, especially children, to native species

With humility and humor, Olly and Calum show us what it means to train with intention and heart - making waves not just for the animals they work with, but for the future of conservation.

Links

https://moonlitsanctuary.com.au/

https://www.instagram.com/moonlitsanctuary/

https://www.facebook.com/moonlitsanctuary/

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