Sharks and rays are some of the ocean’s most iconic species, but they are in crisis. At the upcoming CITES COP20 meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, governments will decide on dozens of proposals to regulate global trade in wildlife and wildlife products. That includes whether or not to give certain shark and ray species the highest level of international trade protections—a full ban. 

Reporting: Dan Rosen

Guests: Luke Warwick, Dana Tricarico

This summer, the Wildlife Conservation Society welcomed Adam Falk as its new president and CEO. Previously the president of Williams College and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Adam brings to his new role a deep commitment to science, a passion for education, and a belief in the power of collaboration. As WCS begins a new chapter, Adam sat down with Wild Audio to share his excitement for his new position and the opportunity to lead the Wildlife Conservation Society as it confronts the urgent conservation challenges of the moment.

Reporting: Nat Moss

Guest: Adam Falk

In Papua New Guinea’s Eastern Highlands, five clans have come together to formally protect 2,000 hectares of ancestral forest through the Yasina Conservation Deed. This landmark agreement shows how Indigenous communities can lead conservation, safeguarding biodiversity while preserving their cultural traditions.

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan

Guests: Harshad Hemant Karandikar, Bennie W Atigini

Every four years, the International Union for Conservation

Reporting: Dan Rosen

Guest: Dr. Elizabeth Bennett

Many New Yorkers have great memories of the Bronx Zoo's World of Darkness. It was a groundbreaking exhibit when it opened in 1969. This summer, the zoo opened a new version that features some fascinating species. From naked mole rats to aye ayes to vampire bats, the updated space offers a rare glimpse into the lives of animals that thrive in the dark. 

Reporting: Dan Rosen

Guest: Keith Lovett

Guanacos—fleet-footed cousins of the llama—roam the windswept grasslands of South America in one of the world’s longest overland migrations. But fences, hunting, and competition with livestock are putting their survival at risk.

Ahead of the 2nd International Guanaco Day, WCS Argentina is joining forces with local communities and the government to secure vast migration corridors, promote sustainable livelihoods, and bring guanaco populations back from the brink.

From live—shearing innovations to landmark land protection, this story reveals how conservation is turning the tide for these resilient creatures—and why their future matters for ecosystems and people alike. 

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan

Guests: Dr Andrés Novaro, Dr. Susan Lieberman

Recently, staff at WCS’s New York Aquarium got a call from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The authorities had intercepted an illegal shipment of corals and they needed WCS’s help. When corals come into the country like this, they typically can’t be returned to the wild. So the Fish and Wildlife Service turns to accredited facilities like the New York Aquarium to care for the animals.

Reporting: Dan Rosen

Guests: Aaron Brett, Camilla Piechocki

Talented, passionate local conservation leaders are critical for the durable conservation of wildlife and wild places around the world. To address the need for them, WCS launched the Graduate Scholarship Program in 1996 to provide financial support for the highest quality, graduate-level academic training to promising conservationists.  

Over its nearly 30 years, the program has awarded 163 scholarships to conservationists from 42 different countries to pursue advanced degrees. With those skills, recipients are able return home and make a significant impact on their countries.

They now lead conservation efforts in governments, universities, local organizations, and WCS itself—building lasting conservation capacity from within and delivering tangible conservation results on the ground.

Reporting: Dan Rosen

Guests: Denise Garcia, Richard Malonga, Peter Umunay

Participants from around the world have gathered in Nice this week for the third United Nations Oceans Conference. It’s an opportunity to assess the current state of marine conservation and seek ambitious new opportunities to achieve progress toward ocean protection. WCS was there with a big announcement to make.

Reporting: Nat Moss

Guests: Stacy Jupiter, Pamela Castillo

The 30x30 Ocean Accelerator is made possible through funding support from the Thomas L. Kempner, Jr. Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, BlackRock, The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, the Shark Conservation Fund, and several other visionary private donors, with multilateral partners now engaged to expand its reach.

In today’s episode, we journey to the heart of the Amazon Basin—home to the largest freshwater system on Earth. These waterways don’t just support rich biodiversity—they’re a vital source of food and nutrition for millions across South America, where fish are often the most affordable and accessible source of protein. 

But this life-sustaining resource is under threat. Mercury contamination, overfishing, and the pressures of a globalized food market are putting fish populations—and the health of the people who rely on them—at risk. In this episode, we explore how conservationists are working to reimagine food systems in the Amazon—blending traditional knowledge with science to protect rivers, restore fisheries, and ensure a healthy, sustainable future for communities and ecosystems alike. 

Reporting: Hannah Kaplan

Guests: Silvia López Casas, Sebastian Heilpern