Talking Animals

Carlton Ward, Jr.—a Florida native, conservationist, and celebrated photographer whose striking photos of the Florida Panther are featured in the April edition of National Geographic—recalls how growing up in Florida first spurred his love of nature and wildlife. He adds that this love evolved into a deeper, more philosophical and complex affection through college studies in such courses as biology and anthropology. And while he notes that, as a kid, he played around with his Dad’s camera here and there, Ward explains that his true foray into photography unfolded while he was studying abroad in Australia. Later, he observes, more globetrotting—including making seven trips to Gabon, with scientists, under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution—proved pivotal to his growth as a photographer. And may have helped galvanize his growing inclination toward becoming a conservationist, a role he acknowledges he values more highly than that of photographer, particularly in his advocacy of Florida fauna, protecting habitats, and resisting development that invades or destroys those habitats. Increasingly in recent years, those concerns have intersected at Ward’s passion for—and desire to protect–the Florida Panther. In discussing the new National Geographic piece, written by Douglas Main–which carried the title “Return of the Florida Panther”–despite this rosy headline, and the reported rebound in the cats’ population (Ward reminds us that there were about 20 Panthers in the 1970s, and there’s now thought to be 200), he agrees that the article ultimately constitutes a cautionary tale. Ward briefly describes a few techniques he employed in capturing some of the story’s images—including the shot featuring four Panthers—revealing he spent anywhere from two to five years making those pictures. There was more to the conversation, including Ward responding to an array of listener calls and emails. [Photo credits–Florida Panthers: Carlton Ward., Jr/National Geographic…Ward: Malia Byrus] (https://www.carltonward.com, https://www.facebook.com/CarltonWard/, https://www.instagram.com/carltonward/, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/issue/april-2021)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Dr. Bryan Franks, assistant professor of biology & marine science at Jacksonville University, and member of the science advisory committee at Ocearch, an organization devoted to assisting scientists collect data in the ocean, including tagging and tracking great white sharks. I asked Franks to address a particular shark, Edithe, who had made headlines recently in the Tampa area by turning up in waters there, given that Ocearch had first tagged her in (in October) in Nova Scotia, representing a trek of some 3000 miles. Franks explained some of what Edithe’s journey—extensive, but not unprecedented, he said—tells us, and the implications in terms of feeding and other behaviors, predicting that it won’t be long before she starts heading back, arriving in the Nova Scotia area by September or October. [Photo of Edithe: Ocearch] (https://www.ocearch.org)

COMEDY CORNER:  Mark Forward’s “Don’t Feed The Wildlife” (portion) (https://www.markforward.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/TAMarch31FINAL.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Caitlin O’Connell—a noted scientist who’s spent much of her career studying elephants and their communication, and author of several books, most recently “Wild Rituals: 10 Lessons Animals Can Teach Us about Connection, Community, and Ourselves”—addresses some of her varied professional pursuits, including a NASA project that involved the Space Station, that had prompted me, tongue partly in cheek, to dub her “a Renaissance Woman.” O’Connell explains that the NASA endeavor represented something of a detour from her work with elephants, which recently has focused on the animals’ middle ear and how bone conduction may have implications for human hearing aids. She also recounts another professional pursuit that partly accounted for the “Renaissance Woman” tag—that, in addition to writing a number of books that are highly serious, research-oriented (she’s taught scientific writing), she’s penned fiction: novels that are set in the bush, and draw on her many years living and studying in Africa…still, kind of unusual for a PhD scientist with ties to Harvard and Stanford.  She discusses the impetus for writing her latest book, “Wild Rituals,” while noting that the pandemic has wrought major changes to many of the 10 types of rituals she highlights in the book—to Grieving most of all; Covid-19 has generated a staggering number of deaths, so a lot more grieving, as well as altering the kind of grieving—people haven’t been able to attend conventional funerals or other services. In this portion of the conversation, O’Connell observes that, pandemic notwithstanding, many of us are not adept at grieving, citing as lessons we can take amidst the animal world examples from “Wild Rituals,” of how some captive elephants and wild zebras mourned the loss of a family member. She adds that other important rituals emphasized in the book have also been notably altered by the pandemic, including Courtship Rituals, Play Rituals, and Rituals of Travel & Migration. O’Connell also fields some intriguing questions and reflections from callers.  (https://www.caitlineoconnell.com, https://www.facebook.com/caitlineoconnell/, https://www.instagram.com/elephant_skinny/)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Aubry Walch, co-founder with her brother, Kale, of The Herbivorous Butcher, the country’s first vegan butcher shop. This Minneapolis-based business has been flourishing during the pandemic (they ship their food anywhere in the U.S.), and in a classic David & Goliath confrontation, the Walch siblings vanquished no less a corporate behemoth than Nestle, which had sought to trademark phrases that included the words “vegan butcher.” Walch also elaborated on the recent announcement that they’re launching a new enterprise, Herbie Butcher’s Fried Chicken, which will serve vegan fried chicken and all the plant-based fixings. She also noted they intend to open multiple locations of Herbie Butcher’s, extending their reach to other states, and at some point, their plans include starting additional casual dining outlets offering other vegan fare. (https://www.theherbivorousbutcher.com, https://www.facebook.com/theherbivorousbutcher, https://www.instagram.com/theherbivorousb/)

COMEDY CORNER:  Paul F. Tompkins’ “Alternative Pets” (https://paulftompkins.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/TAMarch10Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Elizabeth Lo—an award-winning filmmaker who directed “Stray,” a wildly-inventive documentary about the stray dogs who roam freely in Turkey (by law, no one there may hold captive or euthanize a stray dog)—discusses her lifelong love of dogs, spurred by her childhood dog, Mikey; “Stray”’s end credits note the film is “In memory of Mikey.” Lo explains that her initial plan for “Stray” was visiting multiple countries to document, and contrast, how they each treated stray dogs. But by first landing in Turkey, with its law protecting strays, the attendant cultural leaning—citizens tend to reflect true concern for the dogs, feeding them and otherwise looking after them—and by meeting Zeytin, Lo recognized the entire film should be made there. She describes some of the traits and behaviors that made Zeytin her movie’s pup-protagonist. From merely knowing Zeytin from the movie, it’s not hard to see why she emerged as its star: she’s highly charismatic, even by dog standards, she has enormously expressive eyes, she seems whip smart as she navigates through Istanbul rush-hour traffic and other day-to-day challenges. She appears to always know exactly what she’s doing, and what others are doing—for example, Lo tells a story about, while editing the film, spotting Zeytin giving her a previously unseen, knowing wink while the dog had seemed to be in a precarious position. Lo talks about how Zeytin’s two canine co-stars, Nazar and Kartal, came to occupy those roles, and addresses the ethical dilemma she faced around Kartal, a sweet puppy who was dognapped, and whether to intervene; the police ended up intervening. She offers observations about the trio of homeless, somewhat nomadic Syrian refugee boys, and how their storyline parallels (they’re strays, too), then intersects that of our pup trio: they obviously feel a real kinship with the dogs, and even though they’re squatting in local buildings, Lo says they somehow had the resources to get the dogs veterinary care. The final portion of the conversation includes a discussion about the notion of whether Zeytin would want to be adopted—using as a jumping off point comments on the “Stray” Instagram page that, while kindhearted, suggested a serious misunderstanding of the film)—and my asserting that Zeytin’s feelings may echo that of the Frances McDormand character, Fern, in “Nomadland”: She likes her solo life just fine, thanks, and would not be inclined to change it.“Stray is available everywhere March 5.”  (https://www.straymovie.com, https://www.instagram.com/straydocfilm/)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Amanda Wight, Program Manager of Wildlife Protection for the Humane Society of the United States, who provided information and analysis about the horrific situation that happened in Wisconsin last week, when trophy hunters killed nearly twice the sanctioned number of wolves in just under 60 hours—when officials halted the wolf hunt. Wight addressed the repercussions and implications of this fiasco, lessons we can learn from it, and methods to voice our displeasure, and outrage, to Wisconsin and Great Lakes lawmakers, and the Department of Tourism. (https://www.humanesociety.org)

COMEDY CORNER:  Jim Gaffigan’s “I Rescued A Dog”–within the piece “A Good Dad.” (https://www.jimgaffigan.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Rolling Stones’ “Beast of Burden”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/TAMarch3Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Ginny Sweet—co-founder (with Harry Toro) of Corsos for Heroes, an organization based in Lutz, Florida, that donates specially-trained service dogs, of the Cane Corso breed, to military veterans who are contending with one or more disabilities—describes some of the members of her military family. This includes her Dad being a WWII veteran, noting that back then what we now label PTSD was then called “shell shock,” and she provides details about the military family of her co-founder Harry Toro. Sweet notes how that familial perspective, coupled with a number of years of experience both she and Toro had as dog breeders—and having recently become acquainted with, and impressed by, Cane Corsos– created something of a lightbulb moment, prompting the pair to launch Corsos for Heroes. Sweet recounts placing their first Corso with a veteran, and how things proceeded from there. Given that word has spread fast and there are far more veterans in need than available Corsos—and that the dogs are trained to reflect and respond to the specific needs of that individual veteran–she also outlines the criteria by which veterans are selected to be awarded a Corso. And those selected do receive their trained dog at no cost, Sweet says, noting that they’ve provided 10 dogs thus far since founding the organization, with two more to be offered at a big then-forthcoming (Feb. 28) event, slated to be held at Harley-Davidson of Brandon. Sweet adds that she and Toro have longer-term aspirations that include presenting Corsos to 40-50 veterans each year, and operating their own, in-house training facility, whereas some of the Corsos for Heroes thus far have been trained in various location, even in other states. (https://www.corsosforheroes.com, https://www.facebook.com/Corsos4Heroes/)

 

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Gretchen Primack, a writer, poet, and animal activist who, several years ago, poured her passion—and compassion—for animals into a collection of poetry, called “Kind.” (We discussed that original edition of “Kind” in a full-length interview on “Talking Animals,” almost exactly seven years prior: Feb. 26, 2014.) “Kind” has now been republished, in hardcover, bearing other changes and additions, Primack explained, including a new cover design, additional artwork inside, and 10—count ‘em!–new poems. She outlines the main methods for buying the new version of “Kind,” starting with ordering from her website (http://gretchenprimack.com), noting she’ll sign books purchased there, and add an inscription if asked; another recommended method for buying “Kind” is via https://bookshop.org, kind of an indie Amazon (if that’s not too egregious a contradiction in terms). We end our short chat with Primack reading one of her new Kind poems: “Covid I.”

COMEDY CORNER:  Mike Feeney’s “Service Dogs Are A Miracle” (https://www.mikefeeneycomedy.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Genesis’s “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/TAFeb24Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Kim Sturla—executive director of Animal Place, the 600-acre farmed animal sanctuary in Grass Valley, California she co-founded in 1989—recounts that she had been employed by a local humane society for some time before launching Animal Place, having already spent a number of years “working with and for animals.” Sturla describes how the passion and zeal to create this sanctuary propelled her and co-founder Ned Buyukmihci (a veterinary ophthalmologist and professor at UC Davis) to sell their homes and work tirelessly, while still holding down day jobs, to realize their vision. She provides the lowdown on a few of the 400 or so animals now living at Animal Place, including recent arrivals Babe and Honey, two elderly cows whose human could no longer care for them when she herself had to enter assisted care; a goat named Vincent, who had been mauled by an undetermined animal; and ten as-yet-unnamed bummer lambs–ones who are twins or triplets, but abandoned by their mothers. Sturla talks about being regularly asked to take in animals, sometimes just two or three, other times in much larger numbers, which dovetails with a discussion of Animal Place’s Rescue and Adoption Center, a 12-acre satellite location in Petaluma, California. Unlike most sanctuaries, Animal Place does regularly adopt out animals it rescues—under strict protocols for the adopters–often large numbers of chickens that have resulted from raids or hoarding cases. Sturla addresses Covid-19’s significant impact on Animal Place, not only many staffers having to work remotely, but also being forced to suspend its volunteer program, tours, and other onsite activities—but notes that a few of the ways the operation has adapted have proven effective enough that they’re likely to retain some when the pandemic is in the rear view mirror. One of those notable successes was its Farmed Animal Conference E-Summit (FACES), an all-online, multi-day symposium held last July, and she says this year’s edition is scheduled to take place Aug. 2-8. FACES is free to attend, though you are asked to register for the event. (http://animalplace.org, https://www.facebook.com/animalplace, https://www.instagram.com/_animalplace/)

 

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Dr. Mike Heithaus, professor of biology at Florida International University, whom I’d invited to put in perspective the magical scene in St. Petersburg a few days prior, when nearly 200 manatees were lounging around—joined by a group of dolphins, playfully zipping in and out of their larger, more subdued counterparts. And he did offer observations on that singular sight. Additionally, because during this interview he was en route to field work he’s pursuing on alligators and bull sharks—and how those two species interact, he described that research, and some of the key findings and implications of it. (https://mikeheithaus.com)

COMEDY CORNER:  The Trailer Park Boys’  “The Kittyman Sea Shanty” (https://www.facebook.com/trailerparkboys/)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/TAFeb17Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Rob Chaney—a lifelong resident of Montana, a veteran reporter for the Missoulian (and 2020 Nieman Fellow), and author of “The Grizzly in the Driveway: The Return of Bears To A Crowded American West”—discusses the impetus for writing the book, agreeing with the assessment that, at times, it reads like more of a mission. Chaney explains what he means in one of the book’s initial sentences, when he writes “Two kinds of grizzlies roam the world.”  Using this sort of duality as a jumping off point, Chaney addresses my observation that one theme of the book involves the various—and, in some cases, decidedly different—ways that people, groups, organizations, experts and others, view grizzly bears and how they should be treated. A core element of “The Grizzly in the Driveway” is the animal being placed under protection of the Endangered Species Act, and the longstanding implications of that decision: Chaney talks about that action, including why an animal typically gets added to that list, and a few of the significant things it means for the grizzly story—especially relative to a motif of the book exploring, from the standpoint of many of those factions, the likely outcomes of grizzlies being removed from the ESA protection, or “delisted.” He also speaks to the striking—what some may deem downright surprising—importance of mountain bikes to the discussion of grizzlies—and to the broader calculus of what to do about them, so as to minimize grizzly-human encounters. Too, Chaney notes how the spiritual beliefs about grizzlies amidst Native American cultures can constitute conflicts with how officials intervene when the bears, say, become too habituated to humans—or otherwise end up in the driveway. [Grizzly photo: Courtesy Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Department]   (https://uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295747934/the-grizzly-in-the-driveway/, https://missoulian.com/users/profile/robchaney/)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Emily Minor, who has dedicated herself to fostering kittens for the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League in West Palm Beach. She recounts deciding to step into the realm of fostering baby cats (“I needed more joy in my life”), the challenges involved—including a distinct lack of enthusiasm from the resident cat, Ray Allen–and the joys of caring for kittens, three or four at a time, before they reach their two-pound weight, at which point they’re eligible to be adopted out. All this, and completely untouched by any instances of a “foster fail,” so far not tempted, she explains, to give one of these temporary boarders permanent status, mindful that doing so would constrict her future fostering capabilities. (https://www.peggyadams.org)

 

COMEDY CORNER:  Brian Regan’s “Flipper & Gentle Ben” (portion) (https://brianregan.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/TAFeb3Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Trish McMillan—an extensively educated, highly experienced behaviorist with a long, varied resume involving training and otherwise helping animals shape (or re-shape) their behavior—recalls growing up loving animals, feeling a kinship with them, both as a kid in her family and, later, training and showing horses. While animals were clearly a lifelong passion, she describes her circuitous academic and professional path to work as a behaviorist, including attending art school, and, afterwards, eking out a living. But then she managed to talk her way into The University of Exeter, in England, where she earned a master’s degree in Animal Behavior. (She is also a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, and an Associate Certified Cat Behavior Consultant.) McMillan outlines some of the most common behavioral challenges in dogs, and how best to address them. She also talks a bit about cat training, how it differs fundamentally from dog training, how effective a clicker (or making the sound of a clicker) can be, and how cat training is most often employed to mitigate litter box issues. McMillan spent a sizable chunk of time discussing the complex and controversial topic–behavioral euthanasia: defining it, how animal lovers who have a deeply troubled animal—often, a dangerously aggressive one—inevitably feel there must always be one more option to try, recounting her own experience with such a dog and eventually recognizing there actually wasn’t one more option. As a measure of how powerful this situation is, and how much more common it is than many might think, McMillan recalls how she and fellow trainer Sue Alexander decided to create “Losing Lulu,” a support group for people who have lost animals, of all species, to their own behavior—in just two years, the group has swelled to 9000 members. She offers her suggestions for looking for a trainer &/or behaviorist to help with an animal’s behavioral issues.  (https://trishmcmillan.com, https://www.facebook.com/McMillanAnimalBehavior, https://www.facebook.com/teothepitbull, https://www.instagram.com/pibbling/)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Jennifer Kanady, who has led, or consulted, on campaigns to pass anti-tethering laws that prevent people from leaving their dogs chained or otherwise tied up outside. She discussed the challenges in passing these laws, including the resistance of some dog owners, and why. Owing partly to the efforts of the League of Humane Voters—Florida, the state of Florida now has anti-tethering bills pending in both the House (HB 177) and the Senate (SB 650), and Kanady suggests steps people can take to help advance these bills. (http://lohv-fl.org)

COMEDY CORNER:  Steven Wright’s “Dog Stay”  (http://www.stevenwright.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/TAJan20Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Sam Anderson—a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, whose latest piece (the cover story) is “The Last Two Northern White Rhinos On Earth,” an account of the week Anderson spent in Kenya with the only two Northern white rhinos still alive: Najin, and her daughter, Fatu, though the story is about much more than that—discusses the genesis of the article, deciding to write a profile of sorts on the two remaining animals of a species nearing extinction. In explaining that decision, Anderson addresses why he and others find rhinos so compelling—why there tends to be major articles like his, documentary films, and other coverage of this animal’s plight, while other critters are similarly moving toward extinction, like the vaquita, a small porpoise that Anderson mentions in his story, but rarely draws media attention. Anderson recounts the first day meeting Najin and Fatu—referred to, universally, as “the girls”—noting he was instantly smitten, spending as much time with them as possible, every day. He also recalls the thrill of, at the invitation of one of the rhinos’ caretakers, JoJo, helping give Najin her daily “scratches.” Anderson describes how, given the powerful, profound experience he had over the course of that week in Kenya, he contended with fear that he might struggle to fully capture the experience in his piece; he worked on the story for a year, he says. Probably well worth it: Of the nearly 400 readers who commented online about the article before they turned off comments, a huge number mentioned being moved to tears, all raved about the piece (“This story should be nominated for a Pulitzer,” enthused one), and—having been posted online on Jan. 6, the day of the insurrection—the story, the comments also make clear, functioned as a tonic for crushed souls and broken hearts in the wake of that day’s horrific events. (It should be said that Jack Davison’s assemblage of striking black and white photos represented no less a factor in the story’s potent impact.) Anderson also talks about the way reporting and writing the story changed him. Photo credits–top: Sam Anderson; rhinos napping: Joseph Wachira; black and white: Jack Davison for The New York Times  (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/magazine/the-last-two-northern-white-rhinos-on-earth.html, https://www.shamblanderson.com, https://www.instagram.com/shamblanderson/)

 

ALSO: I spoke briefly with H. H. German, the founder of Sigma Comics, and the writer-creator of “Calico,” what may be the first comic-book hero dedicated to fighting animal abuse. German explains the impetus for creating “Calico” and the time he spent devising the character and story lines. “Here Comes Calico,” the first of what German expects will be an eight-issue series, was recently published, and let’s just say you don’t want to mistreat animals on Calico’s watch. (https://sigmacomics.com, https://www.instagram.com/sigma_comics/)

 

COMEDY CORNER:  Dave Attell’s “Pets”  (http://daveattell.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Adrian Belew’s “The Lone Rhinoceros”

 

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/TAJan13Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Amy Kight—executive director of Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, a multifaceted  operation in Jupiter, Florida serving as wildlife refuge, veterinary hospital, rehabilitation facility, and education center–recalls loving animals so much, so young, that she made an arrangement to start helping out at a veterinarian’s office at age six. Kight goes on to note this represents a lifelong passion—she remained at the vet’s office into her 20s—propelling her to her present job running Busch Wildlife Sanctuary. The core of the conversation was discussing the 19-acre parcel of land Busch purchased, and the game plan they’re formulating to move every aspect of the Sanctuary—including the 200 permanent animal residents, among them an alligator, crocodile, bears, bobcats, Florida panthers, snakes, raptors, and parrots. It’s a highly ambitious, panoramic relocation, and Kight answers the proverbial $64,000 question—Why?—by explaining that the hospital typically sees an 8-10% increase in the number of patients at the hospital each year, so one major goal of moving to the new campus is broadening its capacity to treat that ever-expanding group of animals. Mentioning that the Sanctuary is currently leasing 11 acres, but only actively using about six, Kight says the new 19-acres spread will also allow them to provide expanded habitats for some of the resident animals, and they’re contemplating other programs or services the larger digs might allow them to launch; a significant difference is Busch will own, as opposed to lease, this property. Kight touches on “Inside Busch Wildlife Sanctuary,” the facility’s recently unveiled monthly podcast, which, she says, provides glimpses of the resident animals, Sanctuary keepers and caretakers, educational programs, and will likely devote some episodes to documenting the relocation effort. (https://www.buschwildlife.org, https://www.facebook.com/BuschWildlife/, https://www.instagram.com/buschwildlife/?hl=en)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Don Goldstein, the show’s longtime “Greyhound Correspondent,” weighing in with some observations tied to greyhound racing in Florida ending when 2020 did. Goldstein explained that people who imagined the end of Florida dog racing meant an idyllic new retired life for all the dogs had to understand that a number of those dogs had not completed their careers—being sent to one or another of the still-functioning U.S. dog tracks (one in Arkansas, one in Iowa, two in West Virginia). Goldstein also helped illuminate, in the wake of Florida’s remaining tracks closing down, why there are so few greyhounds currently available to adopt.

COMEDY CORNER:  Martha Kelly’s “Horses Hate That We Ride Them” (https://marthakelly.net)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/TAJan6Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

This morning, I once again set aside the customary “Talking Animals” format to deliver the Annual Christmas Animal Song special—that is, a show entirely devoted to Holiday-oriented animal tunes.As has been required in the previous years of this special, and as I unapologetically concede while over-explaining this program’s premise (over-explaining the premise has become its own tradition—one of many here), the only way to effectively pull off this conceit is to assemble the special with a liberal sprinkling of “Rudolph”-related songs. Which meant including various versions of “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” including Chris Isaak’s velvety-smooth yet rollicking take, as well as an inimitable rendition by the inimitable Ella Fitzgerald. And it’s essential to include at least one version of “Run Rudolph Run,” this one a barn-burner by Keith Richards. But we believe in giving other reindeer if not equal time, exactly, we did acknowledge not all are named Rudolph–making the point by placing Otis Gibbs’ “Lloyd The Reindeer” back-to-back with Joe Diffie’s “Leroy The Redneck Reindeer.” These numbers took their place alongside a longtime staple on this show, the quirky, if delightfully verbose “Dominick, The Italian Christmas Donkey” by the also delightfully-verbose Vinnie Bonofici And His Italian American Band. And while it’s been a signature song on this show for a few years, I actually got a request for it! To round out our playlist, a program of this nature is practically constitutionally obligated to spin “I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas”—in this case, the more recent version by Kacey Musgraves. We also worked in something by my beloved EELS, the propulsive fave, “Christmas Is Going To The Dogs.” We also played the Bobs’ lilting “Rasta Reindeer.”  I took a brief break from playing cool yule songs for the traditional reading of what I call the Dorothy Strauss Christmas message, as dictated by tradition, or at least the tradition of the Talking Animals Annual Christmas Animal Song special. That message, whose author had always been unknown to me and my family while I was growing up–my Mom hung a poster of it each Christmas season, as part of our home’s holiday decorations–-was written by Howard W. Hunter, whom we credit multiple times in this show for fashioning those poignant, powerful words.

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/TADec16Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window