Dr Ann Jones is bringing true crime and natural history together with Nature's Most Wanted, a new series from What the Duck!? investigating when animals get on the wrong side of the law.

From cats stealing underwear to roosters accused of witchcraft; human-eaters to parrots with opioid addiction; this series promises to get to the bottom of why animals turn to crime.

Dr Ann Jones examines the history of animals on trial in human courts, the responsibilities humans take in when an animal goes rogue, and ultimately how we think of animals and ourselves.

Hear the evidence of episode one on Friday, March 20.

What the Duck?! is recorded and produced on the lands of the Kulin Nation.

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

Join What the Duck?! at a science comedy debate called Sci Fight.

Sci Fight brings scientists and comedians together to examine serious topics in a silly way.

The topic up for debate is that nature doesn't care where an animal is from.

Featuring:

• Alanta Colley, science communicator, host and founder of Sci Fight

Affirmative:

• Aaron Agostini, biologist and researcher at the University of Melbourne
• Rose Bishop, stand-up comedian and writer
• Lukian Adams, aquatic ecologist and PhD student at the University of Melbourne

Negative:

• Trish Koh, fish ecologist at the University of Melbourne
• Rowan Thambar, stand-up comedian and writer
• Adam McKenzie, actor, writer, and comedian

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Rebecca McLaren, Producer
• Hamish Camilleri, Sound Engineer
• With thanks to Richard Girvan and Luke Woollett

This episode of What the Duck?! was recorded and produced on the land of the Kulin Nation.

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

At first, you might think it is a plot from a zombie movie: that undead animals are coming for you.

But it turns out that Australia's animals aren't just dangerous when they're alive — they can be deadly even when they're dead.

Ann Jones is joined by science reporter Belinda Smith to examine why snakes can still bite up to 45 minutes after death and are potentially dangerous for years.

Think we're lying? Belinda found a guy whose great aunt (and her dog) were killed by a decapitated snake!

So if a snake could commit multiple murders from beyond the grave, what other animals are going to get you?

Featuring:

• Ray Miller, relative died after being bitten by a dead snake
• Dr Christina Zdenek, Australian Reptile Academy
• Professor Kylie Pitt, Griffith University
• Dr Olaf Meynecke, Griffith University
• Len Zell, retired marine scientist and author of Australian Wildlife — Roadkill

Production:

• Belinda Smith, ABC Science Reporter/Producer
• Ann Jones, Presenter/Producer
• Petria Ladgrove, Producer
• Additional mastering: Hamish Camilleri

This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2024 produced on the land of the Wadawarrung, Wurundjeri and Kaurna people.

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

Bush rats are not black rats — that's the first thing you need to know.

Ann Jones is joined by ABC Top 5 scientist Dr Patrick Finnerty to understand why researchers are going around sniffing bush rats — and how it might help reintroduce them to Sydney's nature reserves.

Find out more about the Top 5 science media residency here.

Featuring:

• Dr Patrick Finnerty, conservation ecologist at the University of Sydney
• Professor Peter Banks, conservation ecologist at the University of Sydney
• Associate Professor Thomas Newsome, conservation ecologist at the University of Sydney
• Mareshell Wauchope, PhD student at University of Sydney

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Rebecca McLaren, Producer
• Hamish Camilleri, Sound Engineer

This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Eora and Kulin Nations.

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

Marion Anstis pursued her love of tadpoles and frogs on afternoons and weekends, writing papers for scientific journals despite not studying zoology at university.

When she retired from her job as a music teacher, she finally had the time to pack her campervan and travel the country, chasing wet seasons and documenting the frogs she found.

The result of that fastidious research venture is her PhD and the froggy bible, Tadpoles and Frogs of Australia.

In 2022 her contribution to the field was recognised with the genus Anstisia named after her, a group of frogs that lay their eggs on the ground.

Featuring:

• Dr Marion Anstis, herpetologist and author

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Rebecca McLaren, Producer
• Hamish Camilleri, Sound Engineer

This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Taungurung people.

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

From the rolling hills of country Ireland to rolling waves beneath her boat docked in Hobart, Dr Diane Purcell has explored the most extreme places algae survive.

She's also explored the prospect of its survival away from Earth when she worked at NASA studying extremophiles.

Some of Diane's earliest research was looking at algae behaviour when it's kind of sleep deprived, and algae that will eat so much it will literally explode!

She's also dealt with the ebb and flow of research work by moving to Darwin and working as a high school science teacher.

Featuring:

• Dr Diane Purcell, Project Manager of the Remediation Section, Science and Technical Branch, at the Environment Protection Authority

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Rebecca McLaren, Producer
• Hamish Camilleri, Sound Engineer

This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Taungurung people.

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

Peter Menkhorst is the mammalogist who wrote the birding bible, The Australian Bird Guide.

As a boy, Peter would go birdwatching with his dad, setting up in a hide before dawn to observe malleefowl tending their mounds — and ignoring ongoing attacks from mosquitoes!

His professional work ranged from surveying mammals and developing National Parks, to ecological research and managing over-abundant koalas, while also leading conservation work to protect the orange-bellied parrot, the regent honeyeater and the helmeted honeyeater.

Peter still keeps a list of the birds he sees, in the hardcover notebook his grandmother gave him when he was 11.

Featuring:

• Peter Menkhorst, zoologist and author

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Rebecca McLaren, Producer
• Hamish Camilleri, Sound Engineer

This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Taungurung people.

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

Every superhero has their origin story, and a superhero of science is no different…

From watching slater bugs and catching non-venomous snakes in her garden just outside Toronto in Canada, to harnessing lizards with palm fronds in the Caribbean, Tanya Latty was always going to study animals.

But it wasn't until an invertebrate zoology class that her "mind exploded" and her passion for entomology became clear.

She went to the Rocky Mountains to study mountain pine beetles for her PhD — where she also accidentally studied bears and cougars up close.

These days Tanya is based in Australia and raises awareness and understanding of invertebrates after bushfires.

This is the origin story of Associate Professor Tanya Latty.

Featuring:

• Associate Professor Tanya Latty, entomologist and insect ecologist at the University of Sydney

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Rebecca McLaren, Producer
• Hamish Camilleri, Sound Engineer

This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Taungurung people.

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

Nineties kids didn't dawdle on the way home from school in the afternoon. This was the age of appointment television, and that appointment was with Totally Wild.

From 1992 it was beloved afternoon viewing for almost 30 years, hosted with a massive smile (and a decent fringe) by Ranger Stacey.

Every superhero has their origin story, and a superhero of environmental education is no different…

From the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service, to holding her own with cranky carpet-faced puppet Agro, and then hosting her own TV show for 29 years.

This is the origin story of Ranger Stacey Thomson.

Featuring:

• Ranger Stacey Thomson, environmental educator, Redland City Council

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Rebecca McLaren, Producer
• Hamish Camilleri, Sound Engineer

This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Taungurung people.

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

The influence of selective breeding by humans has created a doggo for every occasion, but it's not without problematic results.

Some breeds have breathing difficulties, hip problems, aggression, or anxiety. There are dogs with ADHD and others with depression.

Does our longest-term relationship need couples therapy?

Featuring:

• Dr. Annika Bremhorst, founder of Dogs and Science, and canine scientist at the University of Bern
• Professor Clive Wynne, animal psychologist, Arizona State University
• Dr. Mia Cobb, Chaser Innovation Research Fellow (Canine Welfare Science), Animal Welfare Science Centre at the University of Melbourne
• Professor Chris Johnson, the University of Tasmania
• Michael Worboys, Emeritus Professor at the University of Manchester

With thanks to Paula Pérez Fraga at Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary for audio from Family pigs' and dogs' reactions to human emotional vocalizations:a citizen science study

Further reading:

• Associations between Domestic-Dog Morphology and Behaviour Scores in the Dog Mentality Assessment
• Solitary working hunting dogs show a higher tendency for magnetic alignment, with decreased alignment in older dogs

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Nat Tencic, Producer
• Rebecca McLaren, Producer
• Jacinta Bowler, Producer
• Petria Ladgrove, Executive Producer

This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2025 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Taungurung people.

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.