What did the dinosaurs sound like? Does the family dog need more pats from dad? And who got into legally-dubious tiger ownership before the stars of Tiger King?

Among the nicest — and strangest — stories from the past year are stories about animals. Dolphins swam the canals of Venice. People in Paris kept dogs on a constant walk loop so they had an excuse to be out of their houses without an official pass. So many pets have been adopted now that people have time and need the companionship.

Join Elamin for a ride on the zoomobile with podcasts about the animals that have given us so much joy. Featuring: a calming podcast about the kiwi (bird not fruit), a mom arguing for more affection for the family dog, how movie sound designers bring dinosaurs to life, and more.

Podcasts featured this week:

Twenty Thousand Hertz: “When you imagine the sound of a dinosaur, you probably think of a scene from the Jurassic Park movies. How do sound designers make these extinct creatures sound so believably alive? And what does modern paleontology tell us about what dinosaurs REALLY sounded like? Featuring Jurassic World sound designer Al Nelson, and paleontologist Julia Clarke.”

Species: “In this episode, we learn about a bird that basically evolved into a mammal. The sheer number of areas where they have converged with mammals is absurd. Ironically, the mammals they have almost become may be their undoing.”

Criminal: “There are more tigers in captivity in America than wild tigers in the entire world. The exact number of captive tigers in this country isn’t known, because many of them live in people’s backyards or unaccredited zoos, and the legality of their ownership varies widely by state and even by circumstance. We travelled to Louisiana to see a 550-pound Siberian-Bengal tiger who lives at a truck stop. The owner, Michael Sandlin, has fought very hard to persuade Louisiana lawmakers he’s not a criminal. But animal rights activists and organizations, like the Humane Society and the Animal Legal Defense Fund, disagree.”

Judge John Hodgman: “Eric brings the case against his wife, Karla. Karla thinks that Eric should show more affection to their dog. But Eric says he does most of the dog care in the home. The dog petting can be left to another family member to fulfill. Who’s right? Who’s wrong?”

Kids Q The Music: “What sound does a cat make when you play it on the violin? This week we're chatting with Rezan Onen-Lapointe of Rezonance Ensemble and we're guessing which animals she's imitating on her violin.”

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