Talking Animals

Dr. Toni Frohoff—a wildlife behavioral biologist who has researched the lives and behaviors of elephants and cetaceans for more than 30 years—recalls how, as an aspiring surfer growing up in Southern California, encountering dolphins in the ocean there, spurred her initial interest in studying those cetaceans. Frohoff laments that she never learned to surf, but surfing’s loss represents science’s gain, as some of her earliest research explored the effects of captivity on bottlenose dolphins, with a focus on swim-with-dolphin enterprises. The co-author of two books, “Dolphin Mysteries: Unlocking the Secrets of Communication,” and “Between Species: Celebrating the Dolphin-Human Bond,” She recounts how her research widened out to orcas, particularly Luna, a solitary killer whale living in British Columbia. Over time, a personal interest in elephants—including tagging along with elephant researchers—led to expanding her studies into the realm of pachyderms, both in the wild and in captivity. Frohoff addresses how—and why—studying both captive and wild animals became something of a hallmark of her career, and how one side of this approach has served and informed the other. An advisor to The Whale Sanctuary Project, she touches on the sanctuary that aims to enable captive whales and dolphins to be rehabilitated and live in their natural environment, noting that The National Aquarium in Baltimore has parallel plans to create a similar sanctuary for dolphins, a striking step for a marine park with an array of captive animals. Frohoff shares her views on the gradually disappearing line between scientists and animal advocates, noting that the former—when inclined—are uniquely qualified to function effectively as the latter. (http://www.terramarresearch.org, https://wearesonar.org)

 

ALSO: I spoke with Fred Metzler, owner of the Dog Bar, in St. Petersburg, which is holding a Super Bowl Pawty on Feb. 3, including a Puppy Bowl before the broadcast of the big game— a multifaceted event that promises to be fun for two-legged and four-legged football fans.   (http://www.dogbarstpete.com)

 

COMEDY CORNER:  Kevin Hart’s “Phobias” (portion) (http://kevinhartnation.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Chuck Berry’s “Too Much Monkey Business”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/TAJan23.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Cathryn Michon & W. Bruce Cameron—screenwriters of the movie, “A Dog’s Way Home,” based on Cameron’s novel, and which had opened nationwide less than a week before this conversation—discuss the enthusiastic reception accorded the film: high audience ratings, third in box office sales on its opening weekend, after “Aquaman” and “The Upside,” some very favorable reviews, etc.

They also note that some critics, including a syndicated one whose critique appeared in The Tampa Bay Times, The Palm Beach Post, and Michon’s hometown paper in Minneapolis, took the movie to task for the Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) storyline that constitutes a central element, dismissing it as improbable, thereby blaring ignorance of such laws. (Another of these critics lives and works in Ontario, Canada, where there’s been a provincial ban on pit bulls since 2005: BSL should hardly be esoteric there.) There was some further conversation about BSL—in “A Dog’s Way Home,” it involves Denver’s ban on pit bulls. Reflecting the injustice and inconsistency of such laws—municipalities and counties where BSL exists can take action against a dog simply because how it looks—an overzealous Denver animal control officer ensnares Bella when the dog gets loose cautioning the family that the next time he catches Bella, she’ll be euthanized. Underscoring the inherent flaws of BSL, Bella (played by Shelby, a rescued junkyard stray) does not look like a pit bull, both to those in the movie and, very likely, to those watching it; we see her mom in the film, who does look pit-like. Michon and Cameron address why it was important to them that Bella was portrayed by a rescue dog, and how when they met Shelby, they knew instinctively she could undergo the training necessary and otherwise successfully play Bella. Notwithstanding some forays at the moment on the red carpet and attending other “A Dog’s Way Home”-related events, Shelby has since become a therapy dog. (https://www.adogswayhomeparents.com, https://wbrucecameron.com, http://www.cathrynmichon.com)

Six Pack Ring by Saltwater Brewery

ALSO: I spoke with Dustin Jeffers, co-founder and Head of Operations for Saltwater Brewery of Delray Beach, FL.  Saltwater Brewery helped develop six-pack rings that instead of tangling seabirds or choking seals and sea turtles—as regular plastic six-pack rings do—are made of wheat and barley, so they either biodegrade or serve as a snack for those very same critters. (https://saltwaterbrewery.com)

 

COMEDY CORNER:  K. Trevor Wilson’s “Deer” (portion) (https://www.ktrevorwilson.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: David Bowie’s “Cat People”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/TAJan16.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dave Du Toit—founder and co-director of the Vervet Monkey Foundation, a 57-acre sanctuary in South Africa dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of not just Vervet Monkeys, but other primates who’ve been orphaned, injured, abused, were used in lab testing, or former pets—provides an overview of Vervets and what traits distinguish them. He addresses how Vervet Monkeys are viewed in South Africa, including the antipathy toward them felt by a huge number of farmers. On a related note, Du Toit also analyzes the altered landscape, literally and figuratively, of farm in many parts of South Africa, and the various—sometimes polarizing—perspectives this topic has engendered. He outlines the reasons that baby Vervet Monkeys are orphaned (one reason: killed by farmers, angry the animals have touched their crops) and end up at their sanctuary, and details the protocol the Foundation employs in caring for those babies. As part of that discussion, Du Toit speaks to perhaps the most striking step in this process, in which unrelated adult Vervets become the foster mothers of these orphaned young monkeys. Some of this conversation is spawned by a documentary about the Foundation, called “The Vervet Forest,” that tracks the progress of some orphans from initial arrival at the sanctuary and being bottle fed and cared for round the clock as infants, to preparing them to be exposed to potential foster moms, to the successful completion of that process—but also features interviews with the heads of various organizations and other experts, sharing their views on such Foundation-related topics as farming, soil, habitat change, and more. Du Toit also spends some time discussing the Foundation’s significant volunteering program, which draws folks who travel internationally (including gap-year students) to help there, and sometimes find the experience so rewarding, Du Toit says, that they may end up staying six months, sometimes up to three years. (https://vervet.za.org, https://www.instagram.com/vervet_forest/)

ALSO: I spoke with Elana Kirshenbaum, who oversees the New Leaf Vegan Mentor Program, a newly launched matching service that pairs aspiring vegans with an experienced vegan mentor anywhere in the country (or internationally). Kirshenbaum explains that, like an online dating platform, New Leaf matches mentors with mentees after each completes a profile, and the mentor can help the mentee with questions or challenges that arise as the mentee travels down the path of becoming a new vegan. (https://www.newleafvegans.org)

COMEDY CORNER:  John Mulaney’s “Baby Grandma” (http://www.johnmulaney.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Elvis Presley’s “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/TAJan9-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

This morning, I once again set aside the customary “Talking Animals” format to present my Annual Christmas Animal Song special—that is, a show entirely devoted to Holiday-oriented animal tunes. I also played some far less obvious nuggets and possible future classics, including the Old 97’s gimlet-eyed original “Rudolph Was Blue” from the band’s new collection “Love The Holidays,” and Sia’s “Puppies Are Forever,” probably the best new Christmas song (especially in the “Talking Animals” realm) on probably last season’s best new Christmas album. Another new release we embraced was Otis Gibbs’ “Lloyd The Reindeer,” alongside the longtime staple on this show, the quirky, if wordy “Dominick, The Italian Christmas Donkey” by the also-wordy Vinnie Bonofici And His Italian American Band.“ For a program of this nature, we, of course, were almost required to go with “I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas”—in this case, the version by Kacey Musgraves, whose “Golden Hour” album is popping up on a multitude of Best of 2018 year-end lists. We also worked in EELS’ propulsive fave, “Christmas Is Going To The Dogs,” and the Bobs’ lilting “Rasta Reindeer.” Once again, as we make no bones about in the opening of the program, to effectively pull off this conceit, I’m required to cobble together the program with a liberal sprinkling of “Rudolph”-related songs, from Chris Isaak’s smooth, rollicking take, to Keith Richards’ classic fiery rendition, a must-include track. I took a brief break from playing cool yule songs to read 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—growing up, my Mom hung a poster of it each Christmas season—appears to have been written by Howard W. Hunter. Well done, Mr. Hunter.

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/TADec19-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Margaret Winslow—professor emerita of earth sciences at the City College of New York and author, most recently, of “Smart Ass: How a Donkey Challenged Me to Accept His True Nature and Rediscover My Own”—recounts her experiences with animals growing up, where the family had dogs, cats were forbidden by her father, and she was one of those horse-crazy young girls. As for a childhood interest in donkeys, Winslow recalls this was sparked in an unusual setting: the Sears catalog, which she says included a section displaying live farm animals until the mid 1960s. Still, that interest remained largely dormant for many years, activated a bit while conducting research in the Dominican Republic, where she observed donkeys and felt intrigued. Some years later, while busily working away teaching classes and executing the other duties of a professor, and with her oceanographer husband often at sea for long stretches, she experienced something she characterizes as at least akin to a midlife crisis—and decides the solution is to get a donkey. Enter Caleb, a 700-pound white Andalusian donkey. Echoing some of what’s detailed in the book, Winslow chronicles her adventures and misadventures with Caleb, including the efforts to train him—she allows that the professionals who undertook training the donkey employed methods that were harsh and probably counter-productive. She also notes that she was often in a bad mood because of problems and changes implemented at the college, and was typically hurried and harried when seeing Caleb, and that this was reflected back in his rough behavior, culminating in the day he tramples Winslow, injuring her. Now retired, she’s still with Caleb—she’s had him 16 years—and all is well with Winslow and her donkey. (https://margaretwinslow.com)

ALSO: I spoke with Lucy Monette, of the Humane Society of Pinellas, about its “Animal Art Series,” which continues this Saturday, Dec. 15, with a class in which kids, ages 7-14, will make Holiday ornaments and dog toys, and interact with some of the dogs at the shelter.  (http://www.humanesocietyofpinellas.org)

 

 

COMEDY CORNER:  Jason Rouse’s “Pet Donkey” (portion)  (http://www.jasonrouse.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/2018/12/TADec12.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Colleen Plumb—the Chicago-based artist, photographer and videographer, whose work explores the relationships people have with animals (particularly, captive ones)—recounts growing up in the Rogers Park area of Chicago, where her Dad cultivated in her an appreciation of nature, and where there was a family dog (and for a time, a family duck, Sir Francis Drake). Plumb also recalls receiving a Bell & Howell camera when she was about 12, and taking all kinds of pictures. (The emphasis on animals would come later.) She went on to become a graphic designer, realized she missed photography, and decided to enroll in graduate school, earning an MFA in Photography. Plumb explains she became drawn to photographing animals, interested in examining how we as humans connect with them, use them, exploit them—this culminated in her photography monograph, “Animals Are Outside Today.” Continuing on that thematic path, and, she explains, struck by seeing the conditions the elephants endured after (and probably during) a performance by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, she opted to focus her work on this iconic animal, alongside a medium-shift from photography to video. Plumb discusses traveling to some 75 zoos, filming elephants exhibiting stereotypy, a behavior only seen in captive animals, and which includes rhythmic rocking, head bobbing, pacing, etc. She stitched together much of this footage, yielding what became “Thirty Times A Minute” (a reference to the resting heart rate of an elephant)—which, since 2014, Plumb has projected outside on buildings located from Chicago, to Berlin, Paris, Reykjavik, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. Plumb often stands in the areas where the piece unspools, engaging in conversations with bystanders—she shares stories of such conversations at the very first projection in Chicago and, this year, with a Reykjavik resident who gave her the okay to project on the side of her house. She outlines projects on the horizon, including a new work about a polar bear, and a new book featuring her photos and essays from authors, due out in 2019. PHOTOS BY COLLEEN PLUMB (http://colleenplumb.com)

 

ALSO: I spoke with Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice, the entomologist and author of “Dr. Eleanor’s Book of Common Ants” series (and, more recently, co-author of  “Dr. Eleanor’s Book of Common Spiders”). She’s twice been a guest on the show, and I invited her to return to weigh in on the then-new New York Times Magazine cover story, entitled “The Insect Apocalypse Is Here,” an extended examination of the drastic decline in the bug population worldwide.

 

COMEDY CORNER:  Ellen DeGeneres’ “Nature & Insects” (portion)  (https://www.facebook.com/ellentv/)

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/2018/12/TADec5-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Glen Zipper—the creator and executive producer of  “Dogs,” the Netflix six-part documentary series (and whose resume includes producing the Oscar-winning doc “Undefeated”)—recalls growing up in an animal-free household, pets having been declared verboten by his father. Zipper also recounts his transformation into a dog guy: He was living in New Jersey, working as a criminal prosecutor, feeling restless and unfulfilled, when he adopted a neglected neighborhood dog, Anthony, after learning he was on the verge of being euthanized; this was in 2003, Zipper almost immediately quit his job, started volunteering at the shelter from which he’d plucked Anthony, helping others adopt dogs there. Tracing his pre-“Dogs” (but dog-oriented) career path, Zipper explains that he and Anthony—still a team now, in 2018–relocated to Los Angeles, where, after a detour working at an organization that pairs kids in continuation school with dogs (are we starting to detect a running theme?), he launched his producing career. He goes on to describe how “Dogs” came together: He partnered with fellow Academy Award winner, Amy Berg, they hired folks to cast a wide, global net of potential canine tales to tell–at one point, he says, there were 50 story ideas that were winnowed down to the final six, employing criteria that included the core element of these films addressing the human/dog bond, as well as “diversity,” achieved by telling different stories, expressing different points of view, and reflecting different international locales.  The upshot is that the “Dogs” films are set in Berlin, Costa Rica, Italy, Syria, Tokyo and the U.S., and while some might figure that a six-part doc series about dogs would likely feature episodes about adoption and service dogs—good guess—the subjects of the other four installments defy prediction. [As we did in the interview, we’re trying to largely avoid spoilers here…but because there’s a lot of chatter online about being moved to tears by “Dogs,” we hasten to note that no dog or person dies, and there’s no cruelty. As well as all kinds of special canines, the series does feature some truly extraordinary people, projecting notable soul and humanity.]  Zipper acknowledges his favorite dog of the series is Max, a key presence in the film that’s set in Costa Rica (my fave is Ice…or Zeus…or…), and touches on his large and eclectic slate of other projects he’s producing; it’s safe to say that Mike Judge, Pauline Kael, and Muhammad Ali probably wouldn’t otherwise occupy the same group. (https://www.netflix.com/title/80191036)

ALSO: I spoke with Hunter Miller, of Oceana, about the organization’s campaign to end the sale and trade of shark fins in the U.S.—specifically, its efforts on behalf of The Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, a bipartisan bill that Miller says has 260 co-sponsors in the House. There are high hopes the bill passes before this current session of Congress ends, and Miller urges folks to contact their representatives (via www.oceana.org/FinBanNow or calling their offices) in support of it. (https://oceana.org)

 

 

 

 

COMEDY CORNER:  Robert Schimmel’s “Punching A Shark In The Nose”

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” The Bottle Rockets’ “Dog,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Ukulele Chords’ version of Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/TANov28-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Dr. Nick Pyenson—the curator of fossil marine mammals at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, and the author of “Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth’s Most Awesome Creatures”—traces his interest in fossils to his childhood, when his parents would take him to natural history museums, experiences he called “formative.” (Seems so, since he now works at a natural history museum….) Pyenson recalls when his fascination with whales began, and describes what the first whales looked like: four-legged land dwellers about the size of a large dog, going on to chart the evolution of these mammals, spanning 50 million years. He responds to my observation that, in addition to more meaty, extensive explorations, the book is also brimming with fascinating tidbits and asides—for example, when Pyenson notes that hippos are the closest living relatives to whales. Or, that some whales can be left- or right-handed. In multiple spots across the pages of “Spying On Whales,” Pyenson chronicles research he’s undertaken with living whales—in the opening of the book, he sketches a scene where he and some colleagues are near the Antarctic Peninsula, studying humpback whales, emblematic, he explains, of his firm conviction that it’s important that a paleontologist (or, at least, he) be out in the field, engaging in some sort of research. Still, bones are close to his heart: Pyenson tells an abbreviated version of the story (that I suggest constitutes the heart, if not the soul, of the book) in which he realizes that the Atacama Desert area of Chile housed some 40 complete whale skeletons—a bone bonanza wholly unprecedented in his nearly 20-year career, during which he’d never found one—yet there was a ticking clock to unearthing and studying the skeletons, all of which made for an exhilarating and cinematic set of passages. (https://paleobiology.si.edu/staff/individuals/pyenson.html)

ALSO: I spoke with Don Goldstein, our longtime “greyhound correspondent,” in our first conversation since Amendment 13 passed. He offered a post-13 assessment, with an emphasis on addressing the doubt, confusion and misinformation surrounding what will happen to the dogs as racing is phased out by 2020—and debunking the dire scenarios floating around.

 

 

COMEDY CORNER:  Brian Regan’s “Whale Noises”   (http://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/2018/11/TANov21-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Keith Wilkins and Melissa Dollard—the Director of Operations and Hospital Supervisor, respectively, at the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, in Indian Shores, FL that rescues and rehabilitates sick, injured and orphaned wild birds—explain the brief history of the sactuary, founded in 2016, clarifying the differences between Seaside and a similarly-named entity  (Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary) that previously operated for some 40 years at the same location. Wilkins and Dollard each offer a bit of their own histories before arriving at Seaside, including Dollard—a licensed rehabilitator—detailing exactly what that means, and what animals this allows her to treat. Responding to my observation that the Sanctuary’s Dr. Marie L. Farr Avian Hospital appears to be the heart, if not the soul, of the operation, Dollard presents a verbal guided tour of the facility, noting how many birds (2300-2400) are typically treated there annually and the most common ailments (injuries from fishing line and hooks). Wilkins and Dollard addressed how it works when the birds are healed—the Sanctuary has a rate of 43% successful rehabilitation, Wilkins says—and released, or if not candidates for release, become permanent residents of Seaside or are transferred to other facilities. The pair acknowledge that, while “Seabird” is part of the operation’s name, they do also treat raptors. Wilkins and Dollard note that the Sanctuary also functions as a place to visit for birders and others, something akin to a full-blown tourist attraction–and as a 501 (c )(3) nonprofit, relies on donations to generate the funds needed to perform all this work. (https://www.seasideseabirdsanctuary.org)

The interview with Keith Wilkins & Melissa Dollard streamed live on Facebook, which you can watch here: https://www.facebook.com/duncan.strauss/videos/10157232557819218/

 

 

ALSO: I spoke with Dr. Heather Judkins, assistant professor of biology at USF St. Petersburg, and one of the organizers of an international conference on cephalopods (octopus, squid, etc) that the campus is hosting in the coming days, a prestigious opportunity in that the conference only takes place every three years. (https://www.facebook.com/events/273434096439484/)

 

 

COMEDY CORNER:  Eddie Izzard’s “Horse Whisperer” (portion)   (https://www.eddieizzard.com/en)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Fleetwood Mac’s “Albatross”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/TANov7-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Jason M. Colby—an environmental and international historian, and professor, at the University of Victoria and author, most recently of  “Orca: How We Came to Know and Love the Ocean’s Greatest Predator”—recounts the impetus for writing the new book, acknowledging that “Orca” was hardly telegraphed by his academic fields, or his previous book. Colby does note that he was partly impelled by a complex desire to settle some family business:  His father, John Colby, participated in capturing orcas for various operations, including SeaWorld, and has long felt tormented about it. His Dad discouraged him from writing the book, Colby recalls, noting he made it clear that he hadto write it—and once his Dad understood this, and talked with him for the book, other key figures in the history of capturing and displaying killer whales agreed to speak with him, too—he was John Colby’s son.  Colby spends a good portion of the interview discussing Ted Griffin, a pivotal figure—perhaps thepivotal figure—in this saga, the first person to swim and perform with a captive orca, and who became an uneasy entrepreneur, responsible for capturing and selling dozens of killer whales. He explains that Griffin, whose initial foray into this world was propelled chiefly by a desire to befriend an orca—at a time when the prevailing view of the animals was that they were vicious, blood-thirsty predators—did forge a profound relationship with that first orca, Namu; when Namu died, Griffin was shattered, and never quite the same, Colby says. Colby goes on to address insights Griffin, now 83, gleaned from “Orca,” how his Dad felt about the book, “Blackfish”—he sees “Orca” as a “prequel” to that film—and more. (https://www.uvic.ca/humanities/history/people/faculty/colbyjason.php)

ALSO: I spoke with Diane Koon, one of the organizers of the 9thAnnual Tampa Bay Veg Fest, slated to take place on Nov. 3, at a new location: Perry Harvey Sr. Park.  She addressed other new elements—namely, the Vegan Mac & Cheese Contest—this year’s speakers, including Captain Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, favorite features of past Veg Fests, etc. (http://www.tampabayvegfest.com, https://www.facebook.com/TBVegFest)

 

COMEDY CORNER:  Tom Ryan’s “Greyhound” (portion) (http://comedypro.com/performer/tom-ryan/)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: George Harrison’s “Dark Horse”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/TAoct31-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window