Throughout her life, Nina Leichtling has maintained a keen interest in nature and wild animals. In particular, Leichtling enjoys studying the flora and fauna of the African continent, the home of some of the most unique and diverse organisms in the world. With more than 3,000 protected wildlife areas and nearly 200 marine protected areas, Africa houses a large number of the globe’s endangered species, as well as many species yet to be discovered by researchers. In the past, Leichtling has capitalized on a number of opportunities to explore Africa, including countries such as Namibia, Angola, Kenya, and Tanzania.

An avid primatology enthusiast, Leichtling devotes a portion of her free time to studying the common chimpanzee, an endangered species and one of the closest relatives to modern humans. In the field of primatology, Nina Leichtling counts the renowned researcher Jane Goodall among her favorite scientists and authors. For more than 45 years, Goodall has studied the unique behavioral patterns chimpanzees in the wild, most notably at the Gombe Stream National park in Tanzania. One of the aspects of Goodall’s research that Leichtling finds highly appealing is Goodall’s study of chimpanzee social interaction, which sheds a great deal of light on human social hierarchies and norms.

Supplementing her love of primatology and nature exploration, Nina Leichtling is a classical music aficionado who revels in the beautiful music produced by skilled pianists. To this end, Leichtling listens to the works of some of the most famous classical composers of the late 20th and 21st century, including Ennio Morricone, who arranged music for more than 400 motion pictures throughout his career. Rene Touzet, another influential composer of the past few decades who made immeasurable contributions to the advancement of popular music, blending classical music with jazz and Cuban folk music.