Talking Animals

Researchers are chasing whales off the coast of Antarctica. Mark Phillips reports. Plus -- Sam Litzinger finds out why pandas are black and white.

Move over big mouth bass, you're not the only singing fish. Plus -- one scientist who lives LIKE an animal. CBS News Correspondent Sam Litzinger reports on this week's Talking Animals.

Stephen Wells—the executive director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund ALDF)—traces his intriguing, sometimes colorful, career path before joining ALDF, particularly his years in Alaska, where, among other developments, he formalized his commitment to becoming a professional animal advocate. (His early time in Alaska included participating in the clean up of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and living for a period in a cabin with no running water or electricity.) Wells outlines some key aspects of ALDF’s mission and operation, including the distinct niche it occupies among national animal welfare organizations. Wells addresses some of ALDF’s recent efforts—and victories—including help pass the California Orca Protection Act, which prohibits the breeding of captive orca in that state. (ALDF is introducing a comparable bill in Florida.) Extending the orca theme a bit, Wells addresses ALDF’s concerted efforts—joined by other organizations, including PETA–to achieve the release of Lolita, the orca who has lived by herself in a singularly small tank at Miami Seaquarium. He also talks briefly about the “Careers In Animal Law” panel he was due to appear on locally at Stetson University College of Law, and fields some listener calls. (http://aldf.org)

 

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Don Goldstein, of Greyhound Rescue Adoptions of Tampa Bay (GREAT), who over the years has become “Talking Animals”’s greyhound legislation expert. Goldstein described two new pieces of pending Florida legislation—HB 743 (and Senate companion bill, SB 512), that carry important implications for greyhounds, and those who care about them. (www.great-greyhound.org)

COMEDY CORNER: Eddie Izzard “Talk To The Animals” (www.eddieizzard.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We did not play Name That Animal Tune today

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Psychology Today writer Adam Clark joins CBS News Correspondent Sam Litzinger to discuss the grieving process for someone who has lost a pet.

CBS News Correspondent Sam Litzinger explores the connection between cats and vikings.

Kristie Middleton—the Senior Director of Food Policy for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and author of the new book “Meatless: Transform the Way You Eat and Live—One Meal at a Time”–discusses her job at HSUS, and what the duties entail. Middleton, who’s done animal rights/welfare work for many years, and earlier in her career was employed by PETA, assesses the evolution of sensibility and messaging that characterize these larger organizations in addressing and promoting plant-based diets. Responding to my observation about the large number of books (and films) in recent years espousing the virtues of adopting a plant-based diet, Middleton outlines some of her reasons for writing “MeatLess,” and ways she hoped to carve out a new niche amidst this literary canon. Noting that—as a 20-year vegan–that she herself made a very slow transition to a plant-based diet, Middleton articulates why it’s so significant in her book and elsewhere to project a kind, flexible, nonjudgmental, and encouraging tone for those people making similar changes, in whatever scope and pace they choose. She provides capsule summaries of some “MeatLess” profiles of individuals who made such changes, including those who oversaw university dining facilities. (One was Ken Botts, who created the nation’s first vegan dining hall.) Middleton speaks about some of the 60-plus recipes for plant-based dishes that she includes in the book.

COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman’s “Crows” (excerpt) (http://www.zimmermancomedy.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” The Beatles’ “Hey Bulldog,” Jethro Tull’s version of “Serenade To A Cuckoo,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Sweet’s “Fox On The Run”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/TAMARCH22-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Is climate change impacting the penguin population? CBS's Mark Phillips travels to Antarctica to find out. Plus -- scientists are using drones to gather information on animals -- especially birds. CBS's Sam Litzinger reports on this week's Talking Animals.

How is drone technology helping the fight against poachers? Plus -- a look into the lives of otters. CBS News Correspondent Sam Litzinger reports on this week's Talking Animals.

Keegan Kuhn—half of the filmmaking duo behind the award-winning documentary, “Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret,” and whose new film is “What the Health”—discusses the impact and acclaim generated by “Cowspiracy,” and how, rather than feeling intimidated by the success in approaching the next project, he and partner Kip Andersen largely viewed this new movie as an important extension of the previous one. In response to my marveling that the twosome has completed two feature-length documentaries within three years, Kuhn describes the way they work, which involves extremely long days, extremely long weeks, and those two wearing nearly all the filmmaking hats. He addresses what seemed to be a pivotal scene in “What the Health”: An onscreen interview Andersen conducts with Dr. Robert Ratner, the chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), which Ratner abruptly ends when Andersen raises peer-reviewed studies demonstrating that a plant-based diet can prevent Type II diabetes. Noting Ratner’s emotional reaction suggested to the duo that there was something more profound to unearth at the ADA, and perhaps comparable organizations. On a related note, Kuhn speaks to what I called the “two-tiered collusion” he and Andersen discover that exists between the ADA, the American Heart Association and comparable entities—receiving sponsorship monies from major food and fast food corporations whose products are known to cause those illnesses, and receive funding from pharmaceutical behemoths like Merck, Pfizer, Eli Lilly. He expands on how the March 16-20 online viewing of “What the Health” works (partially benefitting Food Not Bombs), fields calls from listeners, and shares what he and Andersen envision as the ideal outcome of the film. (www.whatthehealthfilm.com)

 

ALSO: I spoke briefly with journalist Arin Greenwood—formerly the Animal Welfare Editor at The Huffington Post, now a contributor to The Washington Post Animalia blog, The Today Show website, and The Dodo—who ran down the recently-available 2016 statistics for the animal shelter PETA operates, and what they may suggest about the organization’s overall philosophy on companion animals. If you weren’t conversant with the shelter aspect of PETA’s operation, these figures would’ve been eye opening and, either way, they were grim, yielding a dog/cat combined kill rate of 71%. Greenwood noted that in Virginia, where PETA’s shelter is located, the state save rate is 83%.

COMEDY CORNER: Jim Gaffigan’s “I’m A Manatee” (excerpt) (www.jimgaffigan.com)

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

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Adam & The Ants’ “Ant Music”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/TAMarch15-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Taiwan has banned the euthanasia of stray animals. Now -- shelters around the world are trying to follow suit. CBS News Correspondent Sam Litzinger reports.