Talking Animals

Ann Paul–an organizer of the Florida Birding and Nature Festival, a multifaceted, multi-day extravaganza, scheduled to take place Oct. 12-15, in and around Apollo Beach, Florida—revisits, at my request, the story of her first real foray into birding, and how arriving late at that outing proved fortuitous. She spotted a black and white warbler, and […]

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RaeAnna Saks–founder and CEO of The Little Cats’ Rescue, the New Port Richey cat rescue and sanctuary—recalls the first cat she loved and felt truly connected with. But, Saks points out, she grew up with dogs: her family always had a dog; never a cat—Saks remains a dog lover, usually living with one, amidst the […]

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As we’ve done seven times prior—spanning about two years–today’s program involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the show-length feature, “Ask The Trainer.” Listeners are invited to call or email questions about their dogs or cats, particularly involving behavioral issues or training concerns. The Trainer these listeners have an opportunity to consult […]

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Mark Meyers–founder and executive director of Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, the largest donkey rescue operation in the U.S.—recalls how it all began, when he and his wife brought home a donkey named Izzy as a companion for their horse. That was nearly a quarter of a century—and thousands of donkeys—ago. Meyers acknowledges they knew nothing […]

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Dr. Catherine Macdonald–a marine conservation biologist and assistant professor at the University of Miami, who conducts, and oversees, research on sharks—recalls a childhood less enamored of the sea, at first, than of mud. This, Macdonald says, was part of being a kid who loved being outdoors, exploring nature, endlessly curious, and not at all opposed […]

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Scott Blais–co-founder of the Global Sanctuary for Elephants, whose initial facility is the Elephant Sanctuary Brazil (ESB); he also co-founded The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee—starts by attempting to field my curveball opening question: what makes elephants special? Drawing on 35 years of caring for elephants, he responds chiefly observing how quickly these animals—typically traumatized from […]

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Dr. Temple Grandin–who truly wears multiple hats: fervent activist for autistic people, longtime professor of animal science at Colorado State University, expert on animal behavior, prolific author, tireless lecturer—discusses her forthcoming book, “The Grandin Papers.” Grandin explains that this new book collects some of her most important the scientific papers she’s written–with an emphasis on […]

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Kim Caswell–president of the Skyway Cats Inc., a nonprofit operated by a cadre of volunteers who feed and care for a feral cat colony in a distinctive location, the South Skyway Fishing Pier, in Tampa Bay—notes that, as a longtime cat lover, the first time she saw a colony, she recognized a problem that needed […]

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Gene Baur–co-founder and president of Farm Sanctuary, which Baur helped launch in 1986—responds to the observation that, nearly 40 years later, he could be excused if some days felt “same old, old,” recounting some of the activities that currently most invigorate him. Fortunately, for him (and, really, for the rest of us), Baur explains he […]

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