The natural world is filled with a rich tapestry of creatures, each occupying a unique evolutionary niche that helps to keep the ecosystems they live in functioning healthily. But the truth is, over the centuries, we humans have treated some of them better than others. Our tendency is to prefer cute, cuddly animals such as pandas or donkeys, or beautiful, majestic beasts such as elephants, eagles or tigers. Is it time that we had a long, hard look at this viewpoint, and extended our care and attention to the animals that we’ve traditionally viewed as ugly, creepy or even dangerous?

In this episode, we’re joined by Jo Wimpenny an author and specialist in animal behaviour, to talk about her latest book, Beauty of the Beasts – Rethinking Nature’s Least Loved Animals.

She tells us how the latest research is showing that snake venom can potentially give rise to a new category of medicinal drugs, how the insects we typically find disgusting such as maggots and cockroaches play a vital role as the natural caretakers of the environments they live in, and how, by rethinking our in-built prejudices, we can more deeply appreciate the richness and variety found in the natural world.

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