The show's first trainer and host was Steve Martin (not the comedian of the same name, by the way). After Steve's departure in 1980, Sunni Black, Gary Price, Dave Frank, Dave Bender, and Greg Sorini became the principal trainers and hosts. They were joined two years later by Kent Mahaffey, who has since grown into the role of head trainer and general manager for the show, as well as composer and music director.

Other show ventures followed, including the long-running Cat And Canine Show, the Hawk-Talk, and the special-event presentation, The Aussie Down-Under Show, featuring the wild and exotic birds and marsupials of Australia.

Following Ray's passing in 1990, ownership of the show passed to his wife, Suzanne. Soon after, the show was purchased from her by Gary Price and Sunni Black, now the executive staff for the show.

At about the same time, we began exploring a new idea in bird presentation, a fully interactive experience, where the guests and the birds are all together, with virtually no boundaries. And to take it even one step further, the guests would even be able to feed them directly. The Rainbow Lorikeet was found to be an ideal bird for such an endeavor, and Lorikeet Landing was launched at the San Diego Wild Animal Park in 1994. With Lorikeet landings established at the San Francisco Zoo, and the Philadelphia Zoo in Pennsylvania, the Lorikeet Landing presentation has proven to be both a ground-breaking and successful concept.