Wild Animals
35 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 months ago - ★★★★★ - 33 ratingsCrazy stories about animals, told by the people who study them.
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Episodes
WDF128: The African Wild Dog Who Was a Phoenix
May 08, 2023 11:49 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBNgatia joined a research project studying African wild dogs in Laikipia Kenya when they were some of the best news in conservation – an endangered species that reclaimed lost territory and found new ways to coexist with people. Then a canine pandemic hit that wiped out the entire population … except one animal: WDF128. Ngatia tells the story of how a new population sprung from the ashes of a pandemic through the perseverance of one female African wild dog.
Mamma Jane the Ocelot reality star
May 03, 2023 16:14 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBOcelots in Texas are closely monitored, so Mamma Jane grew up around remote cameras since 2011, and wasn’t afraid of the lenses. When Fin and Fur Films called about doing a documentary, Dr. Lombardi was skeptical if they could get a shot of Mamma Jane and her kittens, but thought they might be able to get some footage with remote cameras. He was right— and guided by Jason’s earlier camera-trapping experience and GPS telemetry data, the crew turned Mamma Jane into a reality star in the PBS Na...
F202: The Yellowstone Cougar Who Showed the Value of Protected Areas
April 25, 2023 14:17 - 37 minutes - 34.2 MBF202 lived right in the heart of Yellowstone National Park where Anton used groundbreaking technology to study not only where she moved, but also how she hunted. F202 was a fantastic hunter and mom, rearing a number of litters in the park. However, some of her offspring wandered out of the park where they can be legally hunted, showing the challenges of large predators living with the risk of this harvest, and the value of protected areas as a way to help species survival.
Lobstah: The Fisher Who Lived the Salt Life
April 17, 2023 13:45 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBFishers are woodland creatures who traditionally avoid people and prefer dense forests. Lobstah was a (very large) fisher who bucked this trend by surviving in small suburban forests, hunted in coastal shrub habitat, and even ran along the rocky coast of Rhode Island. By tracking his movements, Ganoe was able to learn more about how fishers have adapted to the modern word.
007: The Warbler Whose Secret Missions Underpin a Species Recovery
April 10, 2023 13:00 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBIn 2019 a small yellow bird in The Bahamas was given a radio transmitter and a mission – show us what Kirtland’s warblers do. Nicknamed 007, this bird not only migrated all the way to Michigan, but also displayed a new behavior that scientists had never tracked at this spatial scale before. This discovery shows how the species was able to recover its lost range over the past three decades and offers hope for their adaptation to climate change.
Kilkenny: The Red Wolf Who Hatched a Hypothesis
April 03, 2023 14:19 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MBWhile Dr. Hinton progressed along his career as a wolf biologist – from intern to master’s student to PhD student – the Kilkenny female (11170F) matured from a young teenage wolf into an Alpha female. While Hinton spent time tracking and watching the Kilkenny female, a new idea started crystallizing in his mind about what factors made the difference between a wolf deciding to breed with another wolf, versus hybridizing with a coyote.
Cheetah 784: The Orphan Who Overcame.
March 27, 2023 14:17 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBWhen poachers killed the mom of young cheetah 784 there was only a slim chance the cub would survive on her own. With no one to teach her how to hunt or navigate the dangers of the open plains, Anna feared the worst. But 784 persevered and started to figure out how to use her speed to her advantage. Anna and her team watched from nearby, like guardian angels, and taught the cat how to avoid villages. At the same time, 784 was keeping an eye on Anna, and saved her from having the most embarra...
003: The White-tailed Deer Who Was a Gold Medal Marathoner
March 20, 2023 12:50 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBDeer 003 was the most unusual animal in a large study of deer in Missouri. While most animals disperse a few miles to set up their home range, this deer set out on a marathon trek, breaking records as he went. Moving at night to avoid archery hunters, 003 was on a mysterious mission, and showed scientists just how far a deer can move.
Turkey 473: The Southern Chick Who Sported a Beard and Was a Truck Junkie
March 13, 2023 12:48 - 43 minutes - 39.5 MBEven before he launched a rocket-net over her head, Dr.Chamberlain knew Turkey 473 was a special bird because she sported a big beard (which is very unusual for hens). After outfitting her with a radio transmitter, Chamberlain tracked 473 for more than two years, monitoring her nesting behavior, and learning how turkeys avoid, or fail to avoid, their many predators. One year her nest seemed positioned at the ideal place to watch for Chamberlain’s approaching field truck, which seems like it ...
Samuel: The Little Giant Tortoise Who Lived
March 06, 2023 11:32 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBDr. Blake first met Samuel as the hatchling tortoise left its nest on the Galapagos Islands. A tiny tracking tag helped Stephen and his team track the little guy as he legged it away from his nest site, navigating the harsh volcanic landscape in search of safety and some edible foliage. Eight years later Samuel has grown to over 15 pounds and survived the most dangerous period of his life, which now could stretch on over the next century and beyond.
5715: The Woodpecker Who’s Seen It All
February 27, 2023 11:24 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBBird 5715 was the, you guessed it, 5715th bird captured as part of a long-term study of acorn woodpeckers since 1974 at Hastings Natural History Reservation in Carmel Valley California. She had the fortune of being born into the richest territory around, with tens of thousands of acorns stashed into woodpecker-created holes in trees (aka granaries). However, this privileged upbringing also presented challenges to her finding a mate under the watchful eye of her record-setting father, forcing...
Waffles - the hyena who climbed the social ladder
February 20, 2023 19:52 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBSpotted hyenas live in large clans ruled by a queen who typically passes her high rank onto her daughters. Waffles was born from a low ranking (peasant) family, but was able to assemble a gang that helped her claim the throne. This risky venture paid off for Waffles, who had numerous offspring (named after syrup brands), but ended tragically for some of her gang members.
Wild Animals Season 3 Preview
February 20, 2023 19:51 - 4 minutes - 4.09 MBA preview to the episodes coming up in season 3.
Leroy the fisher who learned no means no the hard way
May 25, 2020 23:00 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBLeroy was one of the first fishers to ever get a GPS tracking collar, providing immediate, new discoveries about how this “wilderness species” colonized suburbia. Dodging police and sneaking through culverts, Scott eventually found Leroy dead in a swamp - a murder mystery tied to the unusual mating behavior of fishers.
Josphine, the most reliable sea turtle
May 18, 2020 23:00 - 24 minutes - 22.3 MBJosephine was a sea turtle who found an easy meal by raiding a fisherman’s nets. Kate was happy to help the fisherman by moving the turtle and putting a tracking device on it. Undeterred, Josephine returned to her favorite fishing spot, providing interesting data and creating a new dependable and friendly link between fisherman and turtle biologist.
Diane, the Shark That Jumped Out of the Water Four Times in 47 Seconds
May 11, 2020 23:00 - 23 minutes - 21.1 MBLucy met Diane the basking shark when she gave the fish a small tracking tag off the coast of Scotland. While Diane typically loafed around eating plankton, this high-tech tag showed that Diane would occasionally sprint to the surface and jump into the air over and over again.
Etumbe, the Bonobo who led her group back to the wild.
May 04, 2020 23:00 - 31 minutes - 42.6 MBEtumbe was rescued from captivity and became part of the first group of Bonobos to be released back into the wild. Her seniority and calm demeanor helped her become one of the leaders of this new group and also led to an incredible interaction between man and their closest wild cousin.
M36 - the mountain lion by which all others will be compared
April 27, 2020 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBThere are a surprising number of mountain lions in the hills just above Silicon Valley. Chris Wilmers is studying how these big cats make a living in the midst of so much Bay Area development. 36M unwittingly joined the study when he got trapped and equipped with a tracking collar with technology fancier than any other study, as you would expect from Silicon Valley.
Bobby, the world’s largest ocelot
April 20, 2020 23:00 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBBobby was a big bruiser of an ocelot. When Ricardo first trapped and collared him, Bobby was feisty and scarred after prowling his tropical island home like a king, sending smaller males fleeing with flurries of claws and teeth. Eventually, however, those teeth gave-way, and the next generation of ocelots had the last laugh.
Agui the Oedipus Monkey
April 13, 2020 23:00 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBJorge spent over two years living in a remote Amazonian jungle where he developed a special relationship with a monkey that looked like his mom.
255 - The deer who just kept going
April 06, 2020 23:00 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBDeer 255 is part of a herd that winters in the Red Desert of Wyoming. In the spring, some animals stay locally, some migrate up into the nearby foothills, and some, like 255, keep going on a serious long-distance migration. This incredible annual movement was only discovered a decade ago, and 255 now holds the record for the longest deer migration. She was first tagged by Anna and her helicopter cowboy colleagues six years ago, and has managed the 484-mile round-trip every year. She annually...
Pacman the Jaguar with two girlfriends in two countries
March 30, 2020 23:00 - 30 minutes - 41.3 MBPacman was a jaguar in the Mayan rainforests of Southern Mexico. He was easily recognized by a bite mark on his flank shaped like his namesake video game character. International collaboration between scientists led to the surprise finding that Pacman would cross a major river to patrol parts of a territory in Honduras as well. This double life seemed to work for Pacman, until a tragic and surprise ending that served as a warning to Mexican conservationists of a new threat in their country.
Jon Snow the Marmot who died and came back to life again.
March 23, 2020 23:00 - 19 minutes - 26.4 MBBiologists often use themes to name their study animals, making it easier to keep track of which group an individual was from. John Snow was a male marmot in the Game of Thrones marmot colony, obviously. As biologists tracked this marmot they were amazed at how much the animal’s story paralleled the character from the TV show [Spoiler Alert!].
Introduction to Season 2
March 23, 2020 22:02 - 1 minute - 1.37 MBThis is a short introduction to season two of the Wild Animals Podcast
Hansi - the stork who brought a baby to a farm
August 13, 2019 05:00 - 30 minutes - 56.7 MBDr. Martin Wikelski shares the story of Hansai, a young stork that lost his flock while migrating south for the winter. Instead of ending up in Africa, he was stranded in Germany as winter quickly approached. Listen in to hear just how Hansai survived and brought a baby to a farm.
B5- The Flamulated Owl who got away, over, and over, and over again
August 06, 2019 05:00 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MBStudying Flammulated Owls is tough work, flailing around with tall catch-poles, at night, on mountain slopes, while avoiding the occasional bear or mountain lion. The owls don’t make it any easier, and B5 was a bit of a nemesis for Scott as he conducted his research into the movement and ecology of these tiny owls.
Marijo, the forest elephant who liked to run the tracks.
July 30, 2019 05:00 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBMarijo is a forest elephant living in Gabon where she walks a fine line between remote forests, local farmers, and ivory poachers. Amelia Meier learned the story of Marjio as she followed her GPS tracks and footprints, literally, through the forests of Gabon. By following close behind, Amelia could find fecal samples and document elephant diet and seed dispersal. But you never want to get too close to an elephant, as Amelia learned the hard way.
Joy, the show-off humpback whale.
July 23, 2019 05:00 - 30 minutes - 35.3 MBLisa Kettemer met Joy the humpback whale when it enthusiastically swam up to the boat and allowed biologists to tag it. Joy’s story includes intrepid work in frigid oceans and a mysterious but real-life white whale. You can find out more about this project including tracks from Joy and other whales here.
Vanilla Ice, the coati who loved the ladies
July 16, 2019 05:00 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBVanilla Ice is a male coati who would rather hang with the ladies and their kids than do the normal solitary-male coati thing. Dr. Ben Hirsch uses video and DNA tests to document the coati soap opera and find out why. You can learn more about Ben’s research at this page.
P22, the mountain lion of Hollywood.
July 09, 2019 05:00 - 48 minutes - 44 MBP22 is a mountain lion that lives under the Hollywood sign in Griffith Park. He is one of the most urban large cats in the world with one of the smallest home ranges (8 mi2). As part of his research with Los Angeles carnivores, Dr. Seth Riley has been following P22 since 2012 and joins us to tell his remarkable story. The survival of P22 for over 10 years shows how large predators and people can survive together, but also highlights the challenges the Los Angeles lion population faces for...
Bravo Luis, the capuchin monkey who became the leader on a rainy day.
July 02, 2019 05:00 - 20 minutes - 19 MBBravo Luis was subordinate male in a monkey group who liked to hang out on the edges and never stood up to fight for the group. This all changed when a long rainstorm wiped out the other group males and only Bravo and a few females survived. Dr. Meg Crofoot has been following Bravo Luis for over 15 years and tells the story of this reluctant monkey leader.
Osito, the bat who wanted a harem but ended up in a ditch.
June 25, 2019 05:00 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBOsito was a young male bat living in a dingy drainage ditch who struggled to maintain the interest of a local pack of young females. Dr. Teague O’Mara tells about Osito’s struggles and expands on his research in Panama into how bats know where to find food. You can learn more about Teague’s research at his website teagueomara.com or by following him on twitter teague_o.
Jaeger the python that should have never been in the Everglades.
June 18, 2019 05:00 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBGiant pythons have escaped from captivity and started to invade southern Florida. Biologists are scrambling to learn about how these snakes survive, with the hopes of eventually eradicating this invasive species. Monica Lasky tells the story of Jaeger, a huge snake she radio-tagged and later tracked deep into the Everglades, dodging sawgrass and alligators along the way.
Pluie, the wolf who inspired carnivore recovery across the west.
June 11, 2019 05:00 - 27 minutes - 31.8 MBPluie was one of the first animals to wear a satellite tracking collar with global readout, meaning her movements could be tracked no matter how far she went - and did she every go far! Dr. Mark Hebblewhite tells how the incredible movements of this one wolf inspired a new effort to protect large landscapes, from Yukon to Yellowstone (Y2Y), needed by large carnivores. She also was featured on an episode of the West Wing.
Intro to Wild Animals Season 1
June 03, 2019 15:08 - 2 minutes - 2.55 MBIntroduction to the podcast and to season one.