Defender Radio and The Switch

When conflict arises between coyotes and humans, the coyotes typically get the short end of the stick. Trapping, hunting and all-out culls are always on the horizon when coyotes are involved in incidents. But, it’s not always a coyote who is responsible for perceived or actual conflict; sometimes it can be predatory birds, other terrestrial mammals like bears or raccoons, and it can even be domestic dogs.

Finding the truth is the ultimate goal whenever and wherever conflict exists – and that’s the speciality of Coyote Watch Canada.

Lesley Sampson, founder and Executive Director of Coyote Watch Canada, is an expert coyote tracker and runs dozens – if not hundreds – of investigations into coyote and wildlife behaviour in communities each year. She joined Defender Radio recently to talk about the process of investigating wildlife conflict, the need for public education in this time, and analysis of some recent wildlife conflict events across Canada.

This special report episode has been rushed to post for you, our wonderful supporters, so that we can let you know about an incredible documentary airing on CTV and CTV2 in Alberta this Monday, May 18. Unnatural Enemies: The War on Wolves explores the incredibly controversial wolf killing taking place in Alberta. Wildlife experts, biologists, advocates, hunters and trappers are all included in 44-minute documentary, as well as historic data and current science on wolf populations and behaviour.

We’re very fortunate to have been granted an exclusive interview with the director and producer of the Pyramid Productions documentary, Geordie Day, who joined us to talk about the motivations of the film, the harsh realities facing wolves and why everyone in Canada should be watching.

What do a Buddhist monk in Vancouver and the owner of a sanctuary farm in central Ontario have in common? Compassion. This week we’re talking with Shifu Zhihan, a teacher of Buddhism in Vancouver who’s helping to host Vesak 2015 For World Peace this Saturday, May 16. We’ll also connect with Brenda Bronfman the founder of Wishing Well Sanctuary in Bradford, Ontario.

With surprising similarities, Zhihan and Brenda spoke with Defender Radio about the role of animals in their lives, how they found their way to peace and compassion, and how they hope to leave the world a little more beautiful.

Anger and frustration are common for us animal advocates. And this week we’re talking with someone who can help us by teaching us what questions we should be asking ourselves.

Deb Ozarko finished college and got a diploma in Design, Communications and Advertising. She worked in corporate and studio settings. Deb Ozarko completed an Ironman triathlon. Deb Ozarko was an aggressive, outspoken activist. And yet, none of these things are how Deb Ozarko defines herself today.

In an incredible journey from grief and anger to compassion and hope, Deb transformed her life. Her story – and the many things she learned in this lifelong lesson – are spoken of during her popular The Unplug Podcast, in her book the Status Quo Crusher and through her blog.

Deb Ozarko wants to see a revolution of love. And she joined Defender Radio to discuss her life lessons, plans and hopes with us in an in-depth and revealing interview.

After speaking on behalf of our members, supporters and all the fur-bearing animals of Canada as expert witnesses in a parliamentary committee last week, we wanted to share two important ways we can all represent for the animals.

We’ll hear from Camille Labchuk, animal rights lawyer extraordinaire and former Green Party candidate, to discuss the ins and outs of proportional representation – what it means for our country and how we can get fair representation in our parliamentary system.

Then we’ll talk with Kimberly Panzarella, owner and designer of FTLA Apparel, whose new line of Make Fur History shirts helps everyone represent the animals – and provide much needed support to The Fur-Bearers.

With Earth Day on the horizon it makes sense to take a step back from fur-bearer-specific issues and look at a subject plaguing the entire planet. What’s interesting, however, is that this issue does, in fact, relate back to fur-bearing animals.

For this week’s episode, we connected with Keegan Cuhn, a co-director of the popular and incredible documentary Cowspiracy. In what begins as a simple flick about water use and sustainability, Keegan and co-director Kip quickly discover that there is a much, much larger problem in the use of life-giving water around the world: animal agriculture. This massive and powerful industry is responsible for an uncanny level of damage to our planet and, of course, our wildlife.

In this interview, Keegan explored the building of the film – from the personal journey to the stonewalling by massive non-profits and how it changed his life – and may change the world.

On this week’s episode we’re focusing on two spring-related topics that come up every year – wildlife feeding and living with bears.

In almost every wildlife conflict situation we’ve studied, food is a central issue. Whether it’s intentionally feeding ungulates like deer or unintentionally feeding predatory animals like coyotes, the easiest and safest way to live with wildlife is to ensure we’re not feeding them. And Dr. Sara Dubois, the Chief Scientific Officer for the BC SPCA, has a plan – she wants to make wildlife feeding the new littering.

Being Bear Smart isn’t always something on our minds – but it certainly is easy to do once you understand the basics. Sylvia Dolson of the Get Bear Smart Society in Whistler, BC, joined Defender Radio to talk spring bears – what they’re up to, how they respond to us and what we can do to prevent conflict.

They are our best friends, our family and our own personal heroes. Dogs have become an everyday part of life for millions of Canadians – from sharing our homes and time to our pillows and hearts. With so many people profiting from this companionship and our quest to perfect the relationships between ourselves and our pets, there’s sure to be some bad eggs – little dogs with big barks, as it were. And then, there are those who rely on modern science, coupled with compassion, to find the truth about dogs – and how we can live fulfilling lives for both us and our canine companions.

One such modern saviour of dog lovers is Jean Donaldson. Born in Montreal, has become known as a pre-emptive authority on dog training and behaviour through her ongoing study and growth both the practice and science of her trade. Jean joined Defender Radio for a special, 50-minute interview to talk dogs, the evolution of behaviour models from B.F. Skinner to Walt Disney and beyond, breaking through the media hype of certain celebrity trainers, and even took time to answer questions from our listeners and supporters.

Some 500 years ago, Leonardo Da Vinci said ‘water is the driving force of all nature.’ And today, that message needs to be spread.

Not only are our oceans the last frontier of Earth-based exploration, they – along with our lakes and rivers – are the basis of all life on the planet. And these water systems are at risk.

From drought in California to pollution of Canada’s Great Lakes, water is an important topic that needs to be addressed. And this week, we have two experts prepared to do just that.

On this episode we hear from Bill Pazert, a climatologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), who has been studying the California drought – and the possible solutions available, from beavers to centralized management. Following that, we connect with Liat Podolsky, a staff biologist with EcoJustice, who are fighting to protect our lakes from a new threat – microbeads.

As sure as eggs are being hidden by the Easter bunny in homes across the country this week, many parents are planning special gifts for their children – including bunnies. But these intelligent, beautiful animals require special care and a long-time commitment – much more so than many people understand. And that’s when the heroes at the Small Animal Rescue Society of BC get involved.

Founded in 2004, the volunteer-run group focus their efforts on the needs of small animals – ranging from bunnies and chinchillas to rats and hamsters. And they’ve got an important message this time of year: don’t give rabbits as gifts.

Lisa Hutcheon of the Small Animal Rescue Society of BC joined Defender Radio to talk rabbits, small animal rescue and how everyone can be a hero this Easter.