This Wild Life Conservation Podcast

This week we head over to Zambia to talk to Anna Tolan, founder of the Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust. In 1998, Anna and her husband Steve packed their bags and moved from the UK to Zambia and the rest is history! Having found a plot of land on the banks of the Luangwa River, opposite the South Luangwa National Park, they created Chipembele. Their mission is to teach Zambian children and communities the value of wildlife and to conserve it for present and future generations. The success of the trust is evident and previous students have become conservation leaders in Zambia. As well as hearing about the incredible success of the trust, Anna also tells us all about her life in rural Zambia. From where she does her shopping, to rehabilitating a baby hippo, to wild dogs hunting on their doorstep – tune in, you won't want to miss it!   

Want to hear about one of the most dangerous jobs in wildlife conservation? Well, on today’s episode we take to the skies with Mike Ross, Helicopter wildlife capture specialist. Mike has over 22 years of experience in capturing wildlife for conservation purposes and tells us what it's like to be in the cockpit during a capture. In addition to being an exceptional pilot, Mike has a detailed knowledge of different species and explains the importance of using different capture methods and flying techniques depending on species, in order to reduce stress. Splitting his time between South Africa and North America Mike entertains us with stories of flying in the North American Rockies and the plains of Africa. This episode is not to be missed! 

This week we welcome Francesca Trotman onto the podcast! After witnessing distressing shark killings in the unprotected waters of Mozambique, Francesca founded Love The Oceans. Their mission is to create a marine protected area through research of species such as whale sharks, humpback whales, dolphins and manta rays. Love the Oceans is co-owned by the local people and has had a wide-reaching impact on the communities. For instance, their swim program has taught hundreds of children to swim to prevent tragic drownings. Learn about the challenges of living without a postal system and incredible encounters with humpback whales off the coast of Mozambique!
 
 
 

In this episode we are joined by Sabrina Colombo, a senior ranger and project manager at ‘Limpopo Eco Operations - Africa’. LEO Africa, situated in the beautiful Waterberg area of South Africa, aims to monitor and conserve key species, including cheetah and lion, amongst many other endangered species. We gain insight into the fantastic LEO Africa volunteer program and sustainable living philosophy. Sabrina discusses a range of topics including her journey from being a high level tennis player in Italy to turning her life upside down to work in wildlife conservation in South Africa. She also tells us hilarious stories including one encounter with a hippo that nearly prevented this episode being recorded at all. Join us for this high energy chat, all about African wildlife conservation!

Today I am thrilled to be talking with Dr. Johan Marais, a world-renowned wildlife vet and founder of the organisation, 'Saving the Survivors'. Saving the Survivors treats any animal in need ranging from lions to wild dog. A large proportion of their work involves rhinos, which suffer terribly as a result of barbaric poaching attacks and their horns hacked off. During this episode, Dr. Johan discusses how he brings back rhinos from the brink, including facial reconstruction and the difficulties of putting a rhino in a cast! Although this episode highlights the atrocities faced by these gentle animals, Dr. Johan’s passion shines through and is truly inspirational.

This week I talk to Dimitri Syrris, founder of Baotree. Baotree is a ground breaking digital initiative that strives to ensure co-existence between humans and wildlife across Africa. Dimitri explains how Baotree aims to provide the local communities with the opportunity to earn goods or services (e.g predator proof fencing) by engaging with conservation activities such as reporting a lion sighting or removing alien plant species. Tune in to hear about Dimitri's journey, how Baotree operates and his thoughts on the future of conservation in Africa. Dimitri’s passion to preserve our ecosystems, while enabling people to improve their lives is truly inspirational.  

This episode takes us straight to the front line of the war against wildlife crime. Jay Crafter, co-founder of Invictus K9, describes his experiences of canine anti-poaching operations throughout Central and East Africa. Jay also shares his personal journey from US Special operations and UK Army Veterinary Corps to setting up Invictus K9 together with Mike Hensman. You’ll hear all about the process of establishing canine anti-poaching units in remote Africa and real-life stories of anti-poaching operations. Jay also reveals how he selects each incredible dog and the best breeds for the job, including a special breed that specializes in ripping up floor tiles! Tune in – you won’t be disappointed! To support InvictusK9 please head to http://invictusk9.com/

Shannon Wild is a renowned National Geographic Wildlife Filmmaker who travels the world to bring us extraordinary footage. In this episode she describes serious physical challenges, filming Komodo dragons in Indonesia and spending 18 months filming an illusive melanistic leopard in Southern India. We also gain a fascinating insight into what it takes to succeed in the notoriously tough wildlife filmmaking industry. Shannon talks candidly about the physical trauma she faced while filming ‘The Real Black Panther’ for NatGeo WILD; and explains how one life threatening experience in the Masai Mara led her to start her jewellery line, 'Wild in Africa'.  Check out some of Shannon’s work here https://www.youtube.com/user/ShannonWildTV and be sure to take a look at Shannon’s gorgeous bracelets on the ‘Wild In Africa’ website, where 50% of the purchase price of her charity bracelets is donated to wildlife conservation https://wildinafrica.store/.

This week’s fascinating episode concerns one of Africa’s most persecuted species - the rhino. It has been widely reported that rhinos are killed for their horns by criminal poaching gangs, which has led to rhinos teetering on the edge of extinction. The barbaric rhino horn trade is fuelled by demand in China and Vietnam, despite the substance having no health benefits whatsoever. In this episode, Simon Jones, Founder and CEO of 'Helping Rhinos', describes his transition from a high level career at American Express to the different challenges of working in conservation. Simon provides behind the scenes insights into how 'Helping Rhinos' operates across Africa and their involvement in world leading projects to protect this critically endangered species. These exciting projects include: The 'Black Mambas', the first all-female anti-poaching team; 'Zululand Rhino Orphanage'; and 'Ol Pejeta Conservancy', home to the last two northern white rhinos on the planet. You can support 'Helping Rhinos' and get your delicious HORNi coffee by clicking on https://www.horni.org.uk/

Today we are joined by record breaking cave diver, Christine Grosart. Christine explores parts of our planet where nobody else dares to go. This episode will take you deep into the mysterious world of cave diving, a dangerous form of exploration where one small mistake can cost your life. Christine is also a key member of Ghost Fishing UK. This organisation removes abandoned fishing nets that pose a threat to marine life. She explains how the nets are removed by a group of highly trained volunteer divers. A dangerous task performed in often challenging water conditions. Listen to the podcast then find the link to Christine's incredible cave diving documentary 'The Master Cave' here https://vimeo.com/374157702