Talking Animals

Katrina Shadix–founder and executive director of Bear Warriors United (BWU), whose stated mission is to preserve and protect bears, and all of Florida’s natural resources and wildlife—recalls, as a second generation Floridian, the formative joys of growing up in rural Seminole County.Shadix explains how that experience forged a profound connection with Florida wildlife—very much including […]

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Occasionally, I jettison the chief component of the “Talking Animals” format–a long form interview with a single guest–to give voice to a broader array of animal organizations and leaders, concerned animal advocates, and others who simply care about animals. That’s what happened today, when I invited listeners to call in (or email) and briefly serve as the […]

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Veteran science journalist Stephen S. Hall–the author of several books, most recently, Slither: How Nature’s Most Maligned Creatures Illuminate Our World—recounts how he approached writing Slither, a strategy seeking to beckon even those amidst the sizable contingent of people who are creeped out by snakes, hate snakes, or are afraid of snakes. And while only […]

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Kate MacFall and Katherine McGill—longtime wildlife experts joining me for a discussion devoted to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), specifically, the FWC’s current effort to evaluate existing rules for wildlife trapping—address what for many may be the surprising prevalence of trapping in Florida. McGill and MacFall go on to speak to the […]

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Kari Bagnall–founder and executive director of Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary, which offers permanent care to nearly 200 monkeys retired from laboratory research, who are former pets, or have been confiscated by the authorities—recalls the first monkey that entered her world, and forever altered her life. As part of this account, Bagnall describes creating the earliest […]

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Kelly McCormick and Glenn Maresca–co-founders of Florida Rescue Farm, a sanctuary in Duette, FL, devoted to rescuing, rehabilitating, and housing pigs, goats, geese, chickens, ducks, cattle, other critters, and no less devoted to cultivating a strong educational presence—described the remote community of Duette, and what prompted them to settle there. They make clear their original […]

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Jocelyn Stokes and Katie Schuler—co-creators of “In Her Nature,” a new digital series carried on the YouTube channel for the longstanding PBS program, “Nature”—retrace the path that led each of them toward their present filmmaking careers, specializing in natural history documentaries. Over the course of sharing their histories, they each recount a pivotal project early […]

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Michael Schneider, a pilot and founder of Pilots To The Rescue—which flies animals from shelters plagued by low rates of adoption (and, often, high rates of euthanasia), to rescues where foster or forever homes have been arranged—describes the career reinvention that preceded his taking flying lessons. Schneider remembers that, back then, like most new pilots, […]

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As we’ve done 11 times prior—spanning nearly four years–today’s program involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the show-length feature, “Ask The Trainer.”  In each instance, 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 […]

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Dr. Alex Travis–director of Cornell Public Health and chair of the Department of Public & Ecosystem Health in the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine—explains exactly what his extended job title involves, noting that he brings being both a veterinarian and PhD scientist to discharging his duties. Joining me on “Talking Animals” to discuss bird […]

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