WILD LIVES

Of the 350 species of shark in the world, few capture the imagination like the Great White Shark – after all, they’re one of the planet’s fiercest predators, measuring up to 6 metres long and clocking speeds of 56 kilometres per hour. But are these big fish simply misunderstood? In this episode of Wild Lives, marine biologist Kelly Baker shares her stories about life with these giants in Gansbaai, near Cape Town in South Africa, revealing their fascinating behaviours and individual personalities, and explaining exactly what happens with their arch nemesis – the killer whale, or orca – rolls into town.

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Legendary snapper Jad Davenport has spent 15 years as an expedition leader and photographer in the Canadian sub-Arctic, where he sometimes gets so close to wild polar bears and tundra wolves that his camera can’t even focus! From peeing comps with alpha wolves to playtime invitations from juvenile polar bears, Jad’s interactions with these wildlings is the stuff of legend. Much like the man himself, really – Jad started out as a war photographer before he found his true calling as a National Geographic wildlife photographer, and today he’s known as one of the world’s best in the field. In this Wild Lives episode, Jad shares his favourite moments in the Hudson Bay area and reveals what his adventures have taught him about animals, humans and himself.  

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Award-winning wildlife expert Tim Faulkner is leading the charge to save the Tasmanian Devil from extinction. As the president of Aussie Ark, he’s been building an insurance population of these charismatic critters; meanwhile a deadly disease has already taken 90% of Tasmania’s wild population. In this episode of Wild Lives, Tim shares his amazing insights into Devil behaviour, introduces us to a few individual animals and reveals why there’s definitely hope for these incredible Aussies.

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From his game-changing ocean documentaries to his iconic photography, Bob Talbot has shaped how we see and think about the sea – particularly when it comes to its wildlife, like dolphins and whales.

No doubt you’ve already seen Bob’s Oscar-nominated IMAX film called Dolphins, and you’ll soon be checking out his latest doco, called Being Dolphin 4D, which gives viewers a dolphin’s eye view of life in the pod. You’ve seen his incredible photography in Time and National Geographic, and you’ve probably even hung his prints in your home – Bob was in his 20s when his posters of whales and dolphins became the world’s best-selling line of marine artwork.

Bob’s career kicked off in 1977, when he and some tenacious mates drove from California up to Canada’s West Coast, hoping to find and photograph orcas underwater – and in this episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic Bob takes us along every crazy step of this rollicking journey (spoiler alert: it leads to him teaming up with legendary oceanographer Jacques Cousteau!).

He also tells us the stories behind is most iconic photos, introduces us to an overly enthusiastic orca called Sharkie and reflects on the time he barely survived an encounter with an entangled gray whale. And, his observations about what it’s like to be with wild dolphins, and feel part of the pod, will give you all the feels.

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For wildlife photographer Paul Ojuara, getting the perfect shot in Natal, on Brazil’s northeastern tip, can be an extreme sport.

Paul’s hometown can be violent (to get to some areas, wildlife photographers need police escorts), and the animals themselves can be a little tricksy (prowling pumas, anyone?). But for architect-turned-biologist Paul, these challenges just fuel his passion for wildlife, in particular the common marmosets and burrowing owls he’s been photographing locally for years.

In this episode of Wild Lives By Faunographic, Paul shares what he’s learnt from his daily encounters with these stunning creatures, reveals the surprising challenges they face and explains the stories behind his most iconic photos.

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You already know and love Alastair Pollock’s stunning shark portraits, because you saw Australian Geographic’srecent shark special and are obsessed as I am with his Instagram.

In this episode, Alastair reveals how his underwater photography has brought him within touching distance of some of the ocean’s most fascinating creatures. His tales of diving adventures will make your jaw drop as he shares what it’s like to swim amongst 450kg great hammerheads and tiger sharks, with nothing but his camera and a small PVC stick to protect him. He also reveals his photography tips and reflects on what he’s learnt by spending time with these often misunderstood predators.

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In this episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic we catch up with naturalist and photographer James Rogerson, whose wild work has taken him everywhere from Finland to the Seychelles, across his native United Kingdom and Africa and, more recently, to the tiger stronghold of Kanha National Park, in Central India.

During his time in Kanha, James got to know some of the reserve’s more famous wild tigers, including Munna, Chota Munna and Umaparni, so he’s got some fascinating stories about them. Plus, his tales of the area’s incredible birdlife and endangered barasingha peel back the many layers of Kanha to reveal why it’s such unique place to explore.

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In this episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic we chat to Andre Bauma, a legendary ranger, guide and wildlife rescuer who has devoted his life to caring for the mountain gorillas of Virunga National Park, in the Congo.
Rescuing wildlife in a region ravaged by militia and rampant poaching takes the heart of a giant – but Andre Bauma is as humble as he is a great storyteller. In this podcast, Andre reveals how his work on the frontlines at Virunga have taught him exactly how to communicate with wild gorillas – and how he’s used that experience to help orphaned mountain gorillas like Ndakasi, Ndeze, Matabishi and Musuka heal from their traumatic pasts.

Please note: This episode may be emotional at times. Also, sometimes the sound isn’t as clean as we would’ve liked, as the phone line between Sydney and the Virunga wilderness wasn’t always clear. But Andre’s incredible stories make up for that!

* Portrait of Andre photo: with thanks to LuAnne Cadd for virunga.org

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In this episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic we’re speaking to Dr Graham Lauridsen, who gets up close and extremely personal with the southern cassowary – a giant, flightless bird that’s endemic to the Australian tropical rainforest.

Known for being super aggressive and towering at 180cm tall, cassowaries are in the ratite family of birds – so they date back all the way to the Cretaceous period of 60 million years ago (yep, they’re pretty much living dinosaurs – and have the massive talons to match). But what’s it like to live alongside these dangerous but endearing birds – and to rescue them when they run into trouble? Dr Graham shares the stories of some of his most memorable rescues and introduces us to one of his wild favourites, a bald cassowary called Reggie.

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