BBC Earth Podcast

By BBC Earth

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What's BBC Earth Podcast about?

Each week the BBC Earth podcast brings you entertainment, humour, an abundance of amazing animal stories and unbelievable unheard sounds. Explore the world of animals with superpowers, deep dive into death, hear from heroes passionately protecting the planet and get expert insights into corners of the natural world you’ve never explored before.
Hosted by zoologists Rutendo Shackleton and Sebastian Echeverri, each episode features special guests including the world’s most respected scientists and naturalists, stars of film and television, nature Instagrammers and more.
Listen, laugh and learn – whether you’re a nature lover, nature curious or haven’t yet realised nature is for you, there’ll be a story here to captivate your ears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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LAST EPISODE

Ghosts

12.20.2022

The show takes a spooky turn as we go on a ghost hunt through the natural world. Sebastian shares his adventures finding fossils – the traces of animals that once lived, and Rutendo talks about her experiences in The Cradle ...

BBC Earth Podcast episodes:

12.20.2022 Ghosts The show takes a spooky turn as we go on a ghost hunt through the natural world. Sebastian shares his adventures finding fossils – the traces of animals that once lived, and Rutendo talks about her experiences in The Cradle ...
12.13.2022 Order and chaos The difference between order and chaos can depend on your perspective. The systems and processes that drive the natural world might seem random in close-up, whether it’s an ant wandering around near its nest, or a wildebeest charging through the ...
12.06.2022 Rhythm Sebastian is not afraid to admit that he lacks natural rhythm. But Rutendo thinks he’s too hard on himself – perhaps the world is just out of sync with him. Besides, every living thing is built upon natural rhythms, from ...
11.29.2022 Individuals In an age of individualism, sometimes we are more connected than we think. And the same is true for everything on the planet. Rutendo and Sebastian explore the question of how and why we define an individual, a colony, or ...
11.22.2022 Threat It’s a scary world out there, as we explore how everything on the planet – from humankind to glaciers – must be able to respond to threat in order to survive. Sebastian surprises Rutendo with a story of the time ...
11.15.2022 Reflections Light and reflection are crucial across the animal kingdom, and sometimes they interact in strange and surprising ways. Rutendo tells Sebastian about the time she carried out a classic experiment, the mirror test, with lions, during her PhD. Some lions ...
11.08.2022 Defenders of the Earth Sebastian and Rutendo celebrate nature’s defenders in all their forms. They argue that vultures should get more credit for their vital role as scavengers. Their super-acidic stomachs kill off deadly bacteria, like anthrax, that accumulates onrotting carcasses. This prevents the ...
11.01.2022 Whose Story? Rutendo and Sebastian are looking at stories and whether it matters who is telling them. Paula Kahumbu is a renowned conservationist and film-maker in Kenya who wants to see more African stories told by Africans for Africans. “It's really important ...
10.24.2022 Pulling Power We explore the invisible pulling powers of nature through the forces of smell, sound and gravity. In Greece, desert ants start their lives underground in total darkness. Void of landmarks and sun they initially learn to orient themselves using the ...
10.17.2022 Death Rutendo and Sebastian explore death and its role in the natural world. For Sebastian, death is a permanent state, a complete end to a life. But for Rutendo and her family, death is just a temporary parting. Around the world ...
10.10.2022 Superpowers Rutendo and Sebastian get to indulge their passions for nature AND superheroes, as they look at real-life superpowers in nature. Rutendo explores how these superpowers inspire fictional worlds and heroes with Mike McHargue, a science advisor/world builder for film and ...
10.03.2022 Safari You don’t need to be on an African Savanna to enjoy a safari. Rutendo and Sebastian explore how to have a nature adventure wherever you are. On the isle of Bute in Scotland, Nature Instagrammer Lucy Lapwing takes us on ...
09.26.2022 Series trailer Each week the BBC Earth podcast brings you entertainment, humour, an abundance of amazing animal stories and unbelievable unheard sounds. Explore the world of animals with superpowers, deep dive into death, hear from heroes passionately protecting the planet and get ...
04.13.2021 Finding what doesn't want to be found In the final episode of series 4, we’re digging into some of the more elusive corners of our planet. To begin, we’re on a bear hunt deep in the Bornean rainforest. Guiding us is Siew Te Wong, who is the ...
04.06.2021 Saving the world's rarest marine mammal In this episode, we’re delving into the topic of extinction. We'll be finding out about some of the animals who are critically endangered, meeting the people trying to rescue them, and exploring species who may be able to make miraculous ...
03.30.2021 The artists of the animal kingdom In this episode, we’re displaying the most impressive artists of the animal kingdom. From tiny visual masterpieces, to animals that can dance to a beat, we’re shining a spotlight on the art that can be found in nature. Deep in ...
03.23.2021 I became part of a lionesses family While nature is full of beauty and wonder, it also has a deadly side. In this episode, we're getting a brush with death and exploring how nature can be both a source of comfort and a source of danger. Prosanta ...
03.16.2021 What the deep ocean can teach us about life We’re exploring the parts of our world that require us to look a little deeper. From the depths of our oceans to the canopies that grace our skylines, we’ll be venturing into unfamiliar pockets of nature with the people who ...
03.14.2021 The desert rocks that 'sing' We’re exploring the boundary between our world and the world of myth, mysticism, and magic. We’ll discover how some of the customs and practices from our ancient ancestors continue to influence our relationship with the natural world today. To begin, ...
02.09.2021 The man-made forest that led to extinction There are few places on our planet that have not in some way been shaped by humans. We’re looking at how, for better or worse, we’ve made a mark on our world, and whether it’s possible to escape the influence ...
02.02.2021 A wombat ate my homework We’re exploring the theme of recovery, delving into times when we’ve stepped in to help save our natural world, and looking at the moments when it’s come to our rescue too. We’ll be starting off in the sea off the ...
01.26.2021 Saving a species through sound In this week’s episode of the BBC Earth podcast we’ll be looking to solve some of the natural world’s mysteries. Starting off in North West Honduras, we’ll hear from ethnobiologist and sound artist Ben Mirin who set out to discover ...
01.19.2021 Fire ants floating for survival We're exploring what the natural world can teach us about teamwork. We'll learn how in some of the most remote locations and harshest conditions, strength can come in numbers. In the Amazon rainforests in Northern Peru, tiny creatures have found ...
01.12.2021 Looking for mushrooms, finding happiness We're journeying into hidden worlds, exploring nature that offers much more than what initially meets the eye. We travel to locations that continue to thrive against the odds. When Long Litt Woon's life drastically changed, she turned to the secretive ...
01.05.2021 Baby iguanas born inside a volcano We’re back with new discoveries and awe-inspiring moments, taking you to a world far beyond your own four walls. The wildlife photographer and adventurer Tui De Roy explores one of the most hostile spots on Earth: the mouth of a ...
12.19.2019 My best friend was an octopus We've reached the end of Series 3! It's been a series of new discoveries, awe-inspiring moments, tear-jerkers and revelations. In the final episode of the series, we are telling stories about the senses. We begin by meeting Sy Montgomery, who ...
12.12.2019 This river is legally a “person” In this episode of the BBC Earth Podcast, we’re getting glimpses into brave new worlds, advancing into unfamiliar territories and breaking new ground. We’re pushing at the frontiers between us and the natural world. In New Zealand there is a ...
12.05.2019 Frozen squirrels and the human brain For the seventh episode of the BBC Earth Podcast, we’re bringing your stories about adaptation. Did you know, during its 8 month hibernation, the Arctic ground squirrel can survive with a core temperature of 3 degrees below freezing? Scientists have ...
11.28.2019 The singing sand dunes of the Sahara Welcome to another episode of the BBC Earth Podcast; the podcast that delves deep into nature’s great mysteries and surfaces the unknown. This week we’re telling stories of the unexpected, stories which seem too astounding to be true. Journey with ...
11.21.2019 The music that makes camels cry This week we are telling stories from the wilderness. Stories of scale, vast expanses, extreme conditions, little known corners of the planet and the sparsest environments. We begin in Alaska, with the tale of an unbreakable bond between a dogsled ...
11.14.2019 This corridor of trees unites 20 countries This week on the BBC Earth Podcast, we are sharing stories of unity. Hear the story behind the international mission of 20 African countries to hold back the desert and plant trees to reclaim the once lush oasis of oasis ...
11.07.2019 The rhino that flew 10,000 miles This week we're travelling to a place that is different for all of us, but one we all hold close to our hearts: Home. Listen to the heart-warming story of a keeper in Ohio who built an unbreakable bond with ...
10.31.2019 Hitching a lift to the bottom of the world Welcome to the third series of the BBC Earth Podcast. This time, we’re taking you behind the scenes and sharing untold stories from our latest landmark series, Seven Worlds One Planet, from the perspective of camera crew, producers, researchers and ...
10.17.2019 Series 3 - Trailer The BBC Earth Podcast is back from Thursday 31st October. This series, we're taking you behind the scenes and sharing untold stories from our latest television series, Seven Worlds One Planet. Alongside these stories, you'll hear tales from all over ...
05.09.2019 Looking Up Welcome to the final episode of the BBC Earth Podcast, Series 2. This series we've told stories about the amazing animals that live among us, and discovered the amazing technology that helps us get close to them; we've looked down ...
05.02.2019 Mystery of the Milky Sea Sometimes we need to look at our planet from a different perspective to really appreciate its splendour and realise how small we really are, when sailing the seas or staring into the sky. This week join us in discovering the ...
04.25.2019 The planet where it rains diamonds Ever wondered what it would be like to fly into the heart of a storm? For the pilots of the 53d Weather Reconnaissance Squadron it’s just another day on the job monitoring and collecting data on weather systems. These ‘Hurricane ...
04.18.2019 The birds, the bees and the robots This week we turn our attention to the technology that enables us to soar above the clouds to and zoom in close to our natural world. We meet Sacha, who conquered a debilitating fear of flying to fly alongside and ...
04.11.2019 Can anything last forever? This week, we tackle one of the biggest questions that has puzzled scientists and philosophers for centuries – the concept of ‘forever’. First, we look to the future where advances in science could give the species we thought lost forever ...
04.04.2019 The Ugly Animal Preservation Society Never has the saying 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' been more true, than in nature. This week, we ponder a question: who really decides what is beautiful? It is the creatures who do not fit our conventional ...
03.28.2019 The things you can only see by slowing down The world is moving and changing at an ever-increasing speed, but we’re all starting to realise the importance of slowing down. This week we meet Amy Powney who explains how the influence of her off-the-grid childhood led her to be ...
03.21.2019 Big hairy neighbours We begin the second series of the BBC Earth Podcast in bustling, often polluted, but always charismatic cities. In today’s built-up world, it’s easy to forget that nature is often closer than we might think. Meet the two women from ...
03.14.2019 Series 2 - Trailer The BBC Earth Podcasts returns for a second series from Thursday 21st March. We’ll be taking you on a journey from our beautiful but changing environment here on earth, to less explored corners of the universe. Imagine how it feels ...
01.03.2019 Raising 34 orphaned chimpanzees For our final week of BBC Earth Podcast's first season, we're talking families, the bonds that bind us so tightly and the feuds that could tear us apart. Series producer Rupert Barrington takes us on a deep dive into Dynasties, ...
12.27.2018 The man who discovered an unseen world Join us for a game of hide and seek. Imagine trying to track down an uncollared tiger in a vast, dense jungle in India… You’d need the help of experienced local trackers who have spent years perfecting the art of ...
12.20.2018 When wolves sing Discover the rituals performed in the animal kingdom for love, life and death. Did you know painted wolves sing to vote for the next alpha couple? Neither did we. This behaviour was documented for the first time ever by the ...
12.13.2018 Teenage elephants need a father figure The transition between childhood and adulthood is no easy feat for humans and animals alike. These awkward years see creatures evolving physically and socially, clumsily learning to fend for themselves with all the pitfalls of being young, foolish and free. ...
12.06.2018 Could you survive 8 months of isolation? This week we’re taking you to the southernmost continent on the planet: Antarctica. This is where cameraman Lindsay McCrae and his team spent 10 months filming emperor penguins for Dynasties. As it was impossible for the crew to leave their ...
11.29.2018 The man whose life was saved by honey bees Beginnings. Join the crew from the BBC Studios series Dynasties on a journey to Senegal, home of Fongoli chimps. Each year, these chimps brave intense wildfires that ruin their homes. Destructive though they seem, these wildfires are actually part of ...
11.22.2018 Introducing: BBC Earth Podcast Intimate stories and surprising truths about nature, science and the human experience in a podcast the size of the planet. Each week the BBC Earth podcast brings you a collection of immersive stories about our world and the astonishing creatures, ...