A look back on 'TODAY'

Last week's appearance on The Today Show, marked my 18th time appearing on the mega morning show. I can honestly say, Studio 1 A is feeling more and more like home! One thing that hasn't changed since my first appearance, is how incredibly fast everything goes. Several weeks are spent researching, pitching ideas, preparing animal permits, and then before you know it, you're next to Kathie Lee Gifford! I finally had to time to wind down from such a busy week and reflect on some of my favorite moments. Hope you enjoy- Corbin

Pre-promotion for my upcoming TODAY appearance took place on the New Mix Morning show on Mix 106. Over the years, I've come to absolutely love radio and look forward to every time I visit. I was even more ecstatic about this appearance because it was the first time I'd be working with a badger! All the animals featured on the show were rescued from my good friends at The Animals in Distress Organization. They will also all be returned to the wild.

Every time I travel to New York, I always try to visit and stay in different boroughs. This time around I stayed in Astoria, Queens. Hands-down one of my favorite boroughs. Quick and easy access to the city, fantastic night time views of the Manhattan skyline, and great Greek food!

The "Who Knew?" trivia segments are quite different than my normal animal spots on TODAY. There are more elements to them such as trivia, audience member participation, and live animals.

Because June is National Zoo & Aquarium month, it made sense to team up with my good friends over at the Adventure Aquarium.

One of my favorites was Cornelia, the African Penguin. Cornelia made herself at home, walking around the set, checking out food in the green room, and causing every member of the crew to whip out their Iphones and snap pics!

Words still cannot express how surreal it is to work with a television icon like Kathie Lee Gifford. She's always very friendly and a great sport when it comes to working with the animals. (Sorry KLG that the lobster splashed you pretty good!)

If you haven't had a chance to watch the segment, you can find it below.

Special thanks to everyone for the support and tuning in. It sincerely means a lot to me. Until next time...

Behind-the-Scenes on 'Late Night'

As a wildlife expert on television, there isn't anything much better than landing an appearance on Late Night - One of the most coveted spots in the industry. All the greats, from Jim Fowler to Jungle Jack Hanna, got their start on this prestigious program. Making my debut last week on Late Night with Seth Meyers was literally a dream come true. All the years of touring the country, appearing on local TV, speaking to various audiences large and small, is starting to pay off. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at my experience at Late Night.

What a lot of people do not know about animal segments, is the amount of time it takes to plan them. This segment took approximately two months to coordinate. A team of people including talent coordinators, segment producers, and animal handlers work closely together to make sure the segment goes as smooth as possible. The first step is picking out the animals (My favorite part as I feel like a kid in a candy store!). I typically pitch anywhere from 8-10 animals and the segment producers make the final choices.

Picking the baby tiger cubs for the segment was a no-brainer! The cubs, at approximately one month old, completely melted the hearts of everyone in the building, from the Late Night staff, to the Saturday Night Live staff who tape on the same floor.

A lot of people wonder where the animals come from. The cubs, capybara, and alligator all came from a licensed facility in Pennsylvania, which I've seen firsthand. The facility has spacious habitats, outdoor ponds, and the animals receive the best possible care.

The mother tiger would typically hold the cubs by the back of the neck, so holding them in this position, is the most comfortable way to handle them. They literally go into a 'trance-like' state.

My dressing room was packed with everything you could think of: Various snacks, an assortment of drinks, and gift bags.

A lot of people have asked me how Seth was in person. He was extremely friendly and genuinely grateful to have us there.

Having appeared on national television for quite some time, I've been able to work with various celebrities; some nice, some not-so-nice! Let me tell you, it was a huge relief meeting Andrew and seeing how down-to-earth he was! He also brought his family and young nephew, who was a HUGE animal fan. I think he won an award that day for being the coolest uncle!

The segment was an absolute hit! Seth and Andrew interacting with the animals was hilarious, and the cubs completely stole the show. All fun and games aside, I'm happy the animals served as ambassadors for their wild counterparts. If you haven't had a chance to see it yet, you can check it out below.

Thank you all for the support! I enjoyed seeing your pictures you sent while watching the segment on your TV's!

The stage manager of Saturday Night Live was such a big fan of the animals, she invited us on set to watch rehearsals and take pictures on the set. Talk about a surreal moment!

The following day was spent exploring the city, stopping at every single pizza stand (the best I found was in Queens), and enjoying the great spring weather in NYC!

Thanks for taking the time to read about this exciting new chapter in my life. Until next time-Corbin

December 29, 2015 NBC TODAY

A look back at 'Today', NYC, & More

New York. The Today Show. Michigan. Home. As I recall my favorite moments saying goodbye to 2015 and welcoming in 2016, it's hard for me to believe it's already the third week of January! So much has happened. I'm thrilled to finally sit down, write this blog, and share with you some of my most memorable highlights. Hope you enjoy- Corbin

I'll always remember 2015 as "The Year of The Today Show". I broke a record number of appearances and was able to work with some of the most amazing (and unusual) animals. 2015 in particular though, proved quite exciting, as when you work with animals, you NEVER know what's going to happen! From a deer eating Tamron's dress, to birds flying all over the studio, every appearance was a thrill. These hilarious moments ended up making "The Today Show's BEST OF 2015"!

For my last Today Show segment of 2015,  some of the smallest animal ambassadors helped me ring in the New Year. This included "Braveheart" the quarter-size Leopard Tortoise, "Ava" a three-week-old Patagonian Cavy, and three Angora bunnies.

Also joining the show were two Southern Stingray pups from Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey. Can you believe stingrays give birth to live young? The babies come out as miniature adults!

Every now and then I'm able to work with a celebrity co-host. This time around it was John Cena, face of the WWE and recent movies Trainwreck and Sisters. John was a super nice guy and a great talent to work with.

Here's a behind-the-scenes look at Studio 1-A. If you look closely, you can see the Adventure Aquarium staff making sure the stingrays and their tank is camera ready.

I could not have asked for a better segment to wrap up 2015. The animals were great (John and Braveheart the tortoise stole the show), and it was a pleasure reuniting with Today co-host Natalie Morales. You can check out the segment below.

After Today, I was off to Inside Edition, where I serve as their biologist and wildlife expert for breaking animal news. I spoke with correspondent, Megan Alexander, about the recent bear attack on a boy scout leader in New Jersey. Happy to report the scout leader was recently released from the hospital.

There's nothing like having some down time in the city that never sleeps. I also have to say, there's nothing like New York City during the holidays. We made a stop to visit the world famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and indulged in classic NYC style pizza. (I think I had five pieces that night!)

The following week I was back in Michigan and enjoyed a visit to the Detroit Zoo. January is the BEST time to visit any zoo. There are less crowds and the animals seem more active. I was also able to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the zoo's awarding winning Polar Bear and Seal exhibit, Arctic Ring of Life. Special thanks to the keepers for the tour.

My remaining time in Michigan was spent enjoying the outdoors with the unusually warm weather for January AND eating my body weight in pizza. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Jet's Pizza is the best in the world. (Sorry New York.)

After being gone for nearly two weeks, it never felt so good to be home. Thanks for taking the time to read my latest update. Here's to a great 2016! - Corbin

September 30, 2015 NBC TODAY