Just the Zoo of Us Podcast Explores Apollo the African Grey Parrot's Remarkable Cognition

Apollo, a widely followed African grey parrot whose social-media clips and demonstrations of language ability are created and shared by Dalton Mason, became the subject of a dedicated episode of Just the Zoo of Us on MaximumFun. Mason, the creator and caregiver behind the Apollo & Frens brand, joined Jacksonville, Florida-based hosts Ellen and Christian Weatherford to dig into what makes Apollo's cognition so compelling to parrot people and general audiences alike.

The episode fits squarely within the show's guest format, which pulls in experts and knowledgeable figures from around the world to illuminate the animal world beyond what a standard research-and-review episode can offer. Just the Zoo of Us runs on a weekly cycle: each episode, both Ellen and Christian select a listener-submitted animal, research it independently, then rate it out of ten across three categories: effectiveness, ingenuity, and aesthetics. Guest episodes like the Apollo installment expand that framework, trading the rating structure for deeper conversation.

For anyone in the African grey community, the pairing of Mason's firsthand caregiver perspective with a podcast built around genuine animal curiosity is a natural fit. African greys have long occupied a particular place in parrot-keeping culture precisely because of the questions their behavior raises: how much of their language use is rote mimicry, how much is contextual, and what does any of it tell us about cognition more broadly. Mason's Apollo & Frens content has made those questions accessible to social-media audiences who might never have considered them otherwise.

The show carries a family-friendly designation and contains no profanity or graphic language, though the producers note that "some topics such as reproduction, predation and parasitism may not be appropriate for very young children, so parents are encouraged to use discretion when listening with their families."

Episodes are available to stream or download through the MaximumFun website and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and RSS-compatible podcatchers.