Jaguar conservationist and photographer Tico from Las Oncas joins Mario for a conversation centered on one of Mario’s favorite big cats—the jaguar.

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In this Studio Sessions episode, Mario and Trent dive into their love for Australia—one of their favorite filming destinations and a place that’s come to feel like a second home.

For Mario, filming in Australia was a childhood dream come true, and thanks to their go-to wildlife guides Max and Lockie from Australian Wildlife Encounters, the team has captured some of the country’s most iconic animals. They also reflect on the not-so-glamorous side of fieldwork, from Trent’s battle with food poisoning in Darwin to Mario chipping his camera lens on a rock.

Chapters:

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Predatory mammal expert and renowned wildlife filmmaker Casey Anderson joins Mario for a powerful conversation about animal intelligence, respect, and the deep bonds that can form between humans and wildlife.

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Crocodile biologist Dr. Chris Murray, one of Mario’s longtime best friends, joins the show for a special episode filmed on location at the Palo Verde Biological Station in Costa Rica.

As the two spend a week catching American crocodiles for Chris’s long-term research project, they reflect on their shared journey into science, the mentors who guided them, and how their parallel paths led to studying the same remarkable species.

Chris shares insights from his research, the future of croc conservation, and how even the most fundamental parts of science, like forming a hypothesis, can be a deeply creative and rewarding process.

Learn more about Dr. Chris Murray's work here: https://sites.google.com/site/murracm/home?authuser=0

00:00:00 Intro and history

00:10:28 The art of the hypothesis

00:54:33 Croc Research findings in Costa Rica

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In this Global Guardians episode, Sea turtle specialist Laura Exley joins Mario to share the story of how a research trip studying monkeys in South America unexpectedly led her to the shores of Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. There, she launched COPROT—a grassroots conservation initiative focused on protecting critical sea turtle nesting beaches.

Laura dives into the daily realities of monitoring turtles, building community involvement, and navigating the growing threats these animals face, including habitat loss and climate change. Together, she and Mario explore what it takes to safeguard one of nature’s most ancient mariners in one of the world’s most biodiverse regions.

Learn how you can get involved by visiting: www.tortugasdeosa.org

FOLLOW Tortugas de Osa on Instagram - / https://www.instagram.com/tortugasdeosa/

FOLLOW Lauran on Instagram - / https://www.instagram.com/laurita_pacita/

FOLLOW Global Guardians on Instagram - / https://www.instagram.com/global_guardians_pod/

FOLLOW Global Guardians on TikTok - / https://www.tiktok.com/@global.guardians

CREDITS:

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In this Global Guardians studio session, Mario and Trent take a look back at their unforgettable adventures filming in South Africa, where wildlife, conservation, and chaos often went hand in hand.

From unexpected encounters with venomous snakes to heartwarming moments with orphaned rhinos in rehabilitation, they share behind-the-scenes stories that reveal what it truly takes to produce meaningful wildlife content in the field.

The highlight of the trip was a powerful rhino conservation collaboration with Kariega Game Reserve and the anti-poaching organization Global Conservation Force. Along the way, Mario recalls relocating a forest cobra found in a hotel bathroom—and returning home with an unexpected souvenir: a bacterial infection from a tick bite.

Visit Kaiega Game Reserve !

Interested in helping protect rhinos and other threatened species?

Support Global Conservation Force

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This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/globalguardians and get on your way to being your best self.

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In this episode , Mario and Trent reflect on one of their most ambitious productions—filming jaguars hunting caiman in Brazil’s Pantanal, the best place on Earth to witness these elusive big cats in action.

From months of pre-production and engineering a custom camera gimbal for boat-based filming, to navigating the highs and lows of fieldwork, they share the BTS stories of what it takes to capture nature at its wildest. Along the way, Mario dives into fascinating facts about jaguars, and the unforgettable people who helped make the expedition possible.

To learn more and support Jaguar Conservation:

CREDITS:

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In this episode Trent sits down with sound engineer Ryan LaVergne to explore the often overlooked but critical role of audio in filmmaking.

From the dense jungles of Costa Rica to the bear-filled wilderness of Katmai, Alaska, Ryan shares what it takes to capture the natural world through sound. Trent and Ryan reflect on Ryan’s first Brave Wilderness production and the unforgettable adventures—and audio challenges—they faced along the way. Good sound can make or break a story, making it essential to every wild production.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/globalguardians and get on your way to being your best self.

Follow Ryan Lavergne on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ryan_lavergne/

CREDITS:

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In this episode, Mario sits down with cryptozoologist and marine biologist Pat Spain for a fascinating dive into the world of legendary creatures like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.

Pat brings a grounded yet open-minded approach to cryptozoology—balancing scientific inquiry with cultural respect. Together, they explore how stories of mysterious creatures hold deep meaning for indigenous communities and why the field, often dismissed as pseudoscience, deserves both serious attention and a sense of wonder.

FOLLOW Pat Spain on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/patspain/?hl=en

Chapters:

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