Zoo Animals and Their Discontents
July 3, 2014
Photo Credit: mikeywally via Compfight
Cat PDA Vs. Human PDA, And Other Animal Behavior Explained
July 23, 2014
(Photo by Federico Gambarini via New York Magazine)
The Case for the End of the Modern Zoo
July 11, 2014
“Vint Virga, in Halberstadt’s hands, is a winning subject and an obvious credit to his species….Called in by zoos to assess a psychologically troubled animal, he tries to understand the source of the stress and alter it….Virga, confronting something like the problem of the killer whale in the bathtub, does what he can to make the bathtub more accommodating and less stressful, to show the animal that it is home: He spends time alone with the giraffe so she might grow comfortable with him, feeds her branches when visitors are around so she grows more comfortable with the scenario. He teaches zoo technicians how to medicate animals without freaking them out.”
The Human-Animal Connection
July 10, 2013
“Veterinarian and veterinary behaviorist Vint Virga discusses the inner lives of animals and explores the strong relationships we forge with them. The Soul of All Living Creatures draws from his decades in veterinary practice to reveal how to perceive the world as animals do and how that can enrich our own appreciation of life, improve our character, relationships, and communication.”
The Truth About Dogs
August 19, 1999
In this in-depth interview with Anderson Cooper, Vint Virga explores the human relationships with dogs. Are dogs the ultimate con artists? Are they social parasites as an article in The Atlantic Monthly suggests? Cooper and Virga dissect the attention-seeking behaviors of “man’s best friend.”
The Secret Life of Cats
This in-depth segment on National Geographic Explorer follows house calls to several feline patients, exploring the diagnosis and management of a number of behavioral issues which develop in cats.
The Animals We Live With on PBS
In this PBS Nature segment, a reporter follows Dr. Virga as he makes house calls. Virga explores our relationships with dogs and how we can best meet their behavioral needs in our families.