Best Blank Park Zoo Podcasts (2024)

1
Episode 1: Peter Kaestner 1:16:32

1M ago1:16:32

1:16:32

Charles and Jon open Season 3 of the podcast from the jungles of the Ivory Coast, before talking to Peter Kaestner, the world's most accomplished birder. In February 2024 Peter became the first person ever to see 10,000 bird species, though, as we hear at the very end of the episode, the climax of his record came with more plot twists than a Hitchc…

1
Episode 23: Sebastian Kennerknecht 54:33

3M ago54:33

54:33

In the season finale to Season 2 of the podcast, Charles and Jon talk to the founder of Cat Expeditions - camera trap virtuoso and feline aficionado - Sebastian Kennerknecht from his home in California. Sebastian explains how his passions for wildlife and photography were formed and talks about the powerful role photography can play in conservation…

1
Episode 22: Patricia Wright 52:33

4M ago52:33

52:33

Charles and Jon meet conservation legend and primatologist Patricia Wright. Dr Wright is most famous for her work in Madagascar, including her discovery of the Golden Bamboo Lemur. She is Founder and Executive Director of Stony Brook University Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments, and Founder and Executive Director of the Centre…

1
Episode 21: Patricia Medici 59:20

5M ago59:20

59:20

Charles and Jon talk to conservationist and tapir champion Dr Patricia Medici from her home in Brazil's Pantanal. Patricia is a founding member of the Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (Institute for Ecological Research), a Brazilian non-governmental organization which she helped set up in 1992. She also chairs the IUCN's Special Survival Commissio…

1
Episode 20: Connor Burgin 54:20

5M ago54:20

54:20

Charles and Jon meet Connor Burgin a PhD student working on mammalian systematics at the University of New Mexico. As a young boy Connor was fascinated by Wikipedia's list of dinosaurs. His fascination shifted to lists of present day fauna and at the age of twelve he began to create and update his own list of the world's mammals which quickly becam…

1
Episode 19: John Newby & Chad 1:08:22

6M ago1:08:22

1:08:22

Charles and Jon talk to the legendary John Newby about his 50 years in Chad and Niger working to save some of the rarest antelopes in the world. This is a fascinating story, which begins in the 1970s when John recalls seeing vast herds of Oryx, Addax and Dama Gazelle in the Sahara. Yet 15 years later these species had reached the edge of extinction…

1
Episode 18: Joel Berger 47:40

8M ago47:40

47:40

Charles and Jon talk to Professor Joel Berger from his home in Colorado. Joel has spent a lifetime studying 'extreme species in extreme places' as a senior scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society and at Colorado State University and the University of Montana. He has worked on many mammals including Huemul in Chile, Musk Ox in Russia and Pr…

1
Episode 17: Expedition to West Papua 52:10

9M ago52:10

52:10

Charles and Jon are reunited with Carlos Bocos who inspired, designed and guided their hugely successful trip to West Papua in June 2023. From Long-beaked Echidnas to Long-fingered Trioks, we talk about the incredible mammalwatching on New Guinea, the extraordinary local communities who helped us along the way, and a death-defying BASE jumping Grou…

1
Episode 16: Luke Hunter 54:26

10M ago54:26

54:26

Charles and Jon talk to Luke Hunter, the director of the Big Cat Program at the Wildlife Conservation Society and one of the world's leading experts on wild carnivore conservation. Luke discusses his work to protect Lions in west and central Africa, the reintroduction of Cheetahs in India, and a tragic story of Cheetah conservation in Iran. We also…

1
Episode 15: Harriet Kemigisha 55:40

11M ago55:40

55:40

Charles and Jon chat with Harriet Kemigisha - founder of Harrier Tours - from her home in western Uganda. Harriet talks about a life that has taken her from a young village girl exploring the forest with her grandfather on hunting trips, to the founder of a successful wildlife tour company. She recounts her rediscovery of the Green-breasted Pitta i…

1
Episode 14: Expedition to Chad 49:20

12M ago49:20

49:20

Charles and Jon talk with Brendan and Dan Nugent - Australian mammalwatching newcomers - about their recent expedition to Chad with Jon. They talk about the other-worldly scenery of the Ended Massif; the Dama Gazelles of Ouadi-Rimé - "the most beautiful things they have ever never heard of"; and a safari on steroids in Zakouma National Park, includ…

1
Episode 13: Arnaud Desbiez 58:52

1y ago58:52

58:52

Charles and Jon talk to Whitley Award-winning conservationist Arnaud Desbiez, from his home in the Brazilian Pantanal. Since 2010, Arnaud and his team have been studying one of the planet's most iconic and secretive animals: the Giant Armadillo. Very little was known about this magnificent mammal before their work began and the more the project unc…

1
Episode 12: Roland Kays 57:47

1y ago57:47

57:47

Charles and Jon talk to distinguished mammalogist Dr Roland Kays, head of the Biodiversity lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and a Professor at North Carolina State University. Roland has published on sloth sleep and incognito Olinguitos and written a North American mammal field guide - also an app - that many of you will have. R…

1
Episode 11: John & Terese Hart 1:08:41

1y ago1:08:41

1:08:41

Charles and Jon talk to legendary mammalogists and conservationists John and Terese Hart about 50 years' of work in the Congo rainforest. John and Terese have made an enormous contribution to studying and protecting African biodiversity and have had way more than their fair share of adventures en route. From discovering new monkey species to studyi…

1
Episode 10: Trip Planning & Equatorial Guinea 48:15

1y ago48:15

48:15

We chat with Venkat Sankar about how we plan and prepare for the perfect trip. From designing an itinerary and choosing target species to taking the "right" pictures. We also swap tips on how we identify some of the world's most obscure mammals either in the field or after we get home. And Jon talks about his recent trip to Bioko Island, a place wh…

1
Episode 9: Jo Setchell 50:01

1+ y ago50:01

50:01

Charles and Jon talk to Professor Jo Setchell from her home in the UK. Dr Setchell, a distinguished primatologist and anthropologist, has studied primates in Cameroon, Gabon, the DRC and Borneo and has particular research interests in sexual selection among Mandrills and primate conservation. Destined for a career in primatology from the age of two…

1
Episode 8: Tales of the Unexpected 53:40

1+ y ago53:40

53:40

Charles and Jon talk to recently converted mammalwatchers about their early mammalwatching experiences. Admittedly, some of our guests might deny they have been converted but we know different. We talk to Steven Arthur, Cheryl Antonucci's partner, about being stalked by Swamp Rabbits in Missouri. We hear about a trip to Guyana that could have gone …

1
Episode 7: Mammalwatching Guides 46:33

1+ y ago46:33

46:33

Charles and Jon are joined by Season 1 podcast veterans Mac Hunter and Cheryl Antonucci who starred in the first two podcast episodes, along with professional birding - and now mammalwatching - guide Carlos Bocos who dialed in from his home in Spain. We talk about guides: the benefits they bring to conservation, trips and to mammalwatching more gen…

1
Episode 6: Charles Foley 54:07

1+ y ago54:07

54:07

Jon finally gets the chance to interview his co-host Charles Foley. Charles shares adventures from a life spent working with African Elephants in Tanzania's Tarangire National Park with his wife Lara. His thirty years of research has generated many advances in our understanding of Elephants, including the long-term impact that poaching can have whe…

1
Episode 5: Karina Karenina & Andrey Giljov 50:57

1+ y ago50:57

50:57

Charles and Jon talk to Russian biologists and mammalwatchers Karina Karenina and Andrey Giljov (aka The Travelling Zoologists) from their new home in Paraguay. In a journey that runs from the Russian steppes to the Paraguayan chaco, they talk about their work to save Russia's Saiga Antelopes and the role mammalwatching has played. They discuss how…

1
Episode 4: Christopher Scharf 44:15

1+ y ago44:15

44:15

Charles and Jon talk to Christopher Scharf about his 30 year quest to photograph the planet's most iconic wildlife - a project that is destined to be a time capsule of 21st century wildlife observation. Chris talks about some of the near mythical mammals he has seen and the near mythical adventures along the way. We hear how a quest to photograph a…

1
Episode 3: The First Mammalwatching Meeting 40:38

1+ y ago40:38

40:38

Charles and Jon report back from the inaugural mammalwatching meeting in Asturias, Spain. Join us as we watch Brown Bears, Common Genets and Broom Hares and chat with the participants. In a podcast first you can share the ecstasy of people seeing lifer mammals, followed by the agony when one - a water vole - is devoured by a bear before being fully…

1
Episode 2: Robert Shumaker 57:17

1+ y ago57:17

57:17

We interview Dr Robert Shumaker, the President and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo. Rob is a renowned expert on primate cognition (i.e. primate behaviour and intelligence), a widely published scientist, and a leader in the zoo world. He talks to us about his fascinating research on Great Ape cognition and the very fine line between the abilities of hum…

1
Episode 1: Arjan Dwarshuis 59:42

1+ y ago59:42

59:42

December 25 1914: as World War I is raging, British and German troops along the frontline lay down their rifles, and cross the trenches to play a friendly football match. September 2022: the mammalwatching podcast brings a second, arguably greater, testament to the human ability to heal wounds, cross divides and search for peace despite many years …

1
Episode 27: Merlin Tuttle 53:21

2y ago53:21

53:21

Charles and Jon interview the original Batman, Dr Merlin Tuttle, from his home in Austin, Texas. Merlin has spent 60 years studying - and working to help - bats around the world and his photos and research have been featured in multiple National Geographic articles, the journal Science, and many other places. He founded and led Bat Conservation Int…

1
Episode 26a: Gear - Charles Hood & Fiona Reid (Part 1) 42:10

2y ago42:10

42:10

From binoculars to bat detectors, and from thermal scopes to thermarest pillows, we all have our own preferences for mammalwatching gear. We are joined by Charles Hood and Fiona Reid to discuss our kit and share some packing hacks that can make life a little more comfortable on a trip ..... because any fool can be uncomfortable in the bush! We had …

1
Episode 26b: Gear - Charles Hood & Fiona Reid (Part 2) 29:18

2y ago29:18

29:18

From binoculars to bat detectors, and from thermal scopes to thermarest pillows, we all have our own preferences for mammalwatching gear. We are joined by Charles Hood and Fiona Reid to discuss our kit and share some packing hacks that can make life a little more comfortable on a trip ..... because any fool can be uncomfortable in the bush! We had …

1
Episode 25: Tony Friend 57:27

2y ago57:27

57:27

We interview Tony Friend, legendary West Australian mammalogist, from his home in Albany, Australia. Tony talks about almost 40 years of work to save some of West Australia's iconic and wonderfully-named mammals including species like the Chudditch, Woylie and Dibbler. (And if you want to know what they look like you'll need to listen!) Tony talks …

1
Episode 24: Rob Foster 52:02

2y ago52:02

52:02

We interview Rob Foster from his home in Ontario, Canada about his work in the Canadian boreal forests and his frequent run-ins with Black and Grizzly bears. He describes an astonishing encounter with a predatory Black bear that he fought off for over 45 minutes in the back-woods with only a single can of bear spray and a pocket knife. He also disp…

1
Episode 23: Terry Townshend 50:32

2y ago50:32

50:32

We interview British economist turned conservationist Terry Townshend from his home in Beijing. about the work he has done over the past 12 years in China and some of the mammals he has encountered along the way. Terry describes stumbling on the Valley of the Cats, and its Snow Leopards, thanks to two students who overslept their alarm. He explains…

1
Episode 22: Mogens Trolle 39:58

2y ago39:58

39:58

We interview world famous Danish mammalogist turned wildlife photographer Mogens Trolle from his home in Copenhagen. Mogens talks about the philosophy that underpins his photography and choice of subjects, as well as his earlier work as a wildlife guide then researcher in Brazil. He describes greeting a herd of 3000 migrating Saiga on the Russian s…

1
Episode 21: Chris and Mathilde Stuart 45:16

2y ago45:16

45:16

Charles and Jon interview Chris & Mathilde Stuart - renowned wildlife researchers and authors - from their farm in South Africa. The Stuarts have had the sort of life many mammalwatchers can only dream of, searching and surveying for wildlife in much of Africa and beyond, including areas which had barely been studied before they arrived. They have …

1
Episode 20: Regina Ribeiro 39:02

2y ago39:02

39:02

Charles and Jon interview Regina Ribeiro, arguably Brazil's top mammalwatching guide. Regina talks about her journey to become one of Brazil's first female wildlife guides, and runs through her own list of the Brazilian Big 5. She also talks about what can go wrong when you have to take a minibus along the Transpantaneira. Here is the YouTube trail…

1
Episode 19: Vladimir Dinets 48:59

2y ago48:59

48:59

Charles and Jon talk with Vladimir Dinets, naturalist extraordinaire, about his adventures travelling the world searching for wildlife. We hear about a quest to Pakistan to be the first biologist to see a Woolly Flying Squirrel in the wild; and how 48 hours inside a Mexican hollow tree is the perfect place to recover from the flu and look for black…

1
Episode 18: The Mammalwatchers' Offspring 41:04

2+ y ago41:04

41:04

On New Year's Eve 2021, Ellesmere and Sierra Foley sat down with Patrick and Katy Hall to reflect on the highs and lows of growing up in a mammalwatching world. Ellesmere reveals the real reason to visit the Louvre, and Patrick gives tips on how to stare down a Tassie Devil. Sierra has an overly-close encounter with leeches. And Katy makes a shocki…

1
Episode 17: Bob Pitman 53:04

2+ y ago53:04

53:04

Charles and Jon interview Bob Pitman, a marine ecologist from Oregon who has recently retired after spending more than 40 years working with the USA’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Bob has seen more cetacean species than anyone else on the planet - over 80 species of whales and dolphins in the wild - and has only a handful left t…

1
Episode 16: Vivek Menon 47:05

2+ y ago47:05

47:05

Charles and Jon interview Vivek Menon founder and Executive Director of the Wildlife Trust of India. Vivek is a distinguished conservationist, scientist and author of the Field Guide to Indian Mammals (required reading for any mammalwatcher heading to the sub-continent). During more than 30 years of conservation work Vivek has had many adventures a…

1
Episode 15: Nils Bouillard 43:18

2+ y ago43:18

43:18

Charles and Jon interview Nils Bouillard, a young Belgian biologist who specializes in bat acoustics. In 2019 Nils set out to spend a year traveling the world to try to record as many bat species as possible. His Big Bat Year, the first of its kind, took him across 6 continents and 400 bat species. Nils talks about what drew him to bats and a Big B…

1
Episode 14: Wendy Panaino 45:29

2+ y ago45:29

45:29

Charles and Jon interview Wendy Panaino from the field in South Africa, about her research on one of Africa's rarest, most endangered and most endearing mammals: the Ground (Cape) Pangolin. Wendy's ground breaking research means she probably knows more about this species than anyone in the world and she shares some of her findings with us, includin…

1
Episode 13: Alex Meyer & Tomer Ben-Yehuda 50:09

2+ y ago50:09

50:09

Charles and Jon interview Tomer Ben-Yehuda and Alex Meyer, two 30-something mammalwatching friends about their adventures and misadventures around the world. We cover the full spectrum of mammalwatching emotions: the thrill of seeing a White-bellied Pangolin in the Central African Republic; the blissful relief of a last minute Maned Wolf sighting i…

1
Episode 12: Russ Mittermeier 47:09

2+ y ago47:09

47:09

We interview Russ Mittermeier, world famous author, mammalogist, conservationist and primate watcher. Russ takes us on a trip from a Tarzan-loving kid watching monkeys at the Bronx Zoo to a Tarzan-loving scientist discovering new species of primates in the jungles of the Amazon and Madagascar, and becoming the first person to see all 80 genera of p…

1
Episode 11: Lisa Dabek 47:14

2+ y ago47:14

47:14

We talk to Lisa Dabek, senior Conservation Scientist at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo, and Founder and Director of the globally renowned Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Lisa has received numerous awards and accolades for her work. The most recent include two from the IUCN. In 2019 she won their prestigious George Rabb aw…

1
Episode 10: Martin Royle (Royle Safaris) 43:18

2+ y ago43:18

43:18

We interview Martin Royle about the vision behind his ecotour company Royle Safaris. We talk about how much work has gone into designing tours that actually see (rather than search for) Javan Rhinos and Siberian Tigers, plus the cascading conservation benefits that come from small scale ecotourism. And we hear about some of Martin's adventures alon…

1
Episode 9: Venkat & Hari Sankar 36:43

2+ y ago36:43

36:43

We interview father and son Hari and Venkat Sankar about their mammalwatching adventures at home in California and around the world. We talk about how Venkat got the mammalwatching bug when he was 14 after a very close encounter with Wild Dogs; Venkat's love for rats and bats; and how their relationship survived the Puma that Hari saw but Venkat di…

1
Episode 8b: George Schaller (Part 2) 32:13

2+ y ago32:13

32:13

Charles Foley and Jon Hall's second part of their interview with George Schaller, widely regarded as the planet's greatest living field biologist. Some follow a career in wildlife biology and dream of discovering new species. Others of uncovering new information on our most charismatic animals. While some yearn to make a genuine impact on conservat…

1
Episode 8a: George Schaller (Part 1) 27:56

2+ y ago27:56

27:56

Charles Foley and Jon Hall's first part of a two part interview with George Schaller, widely regarded as the planet's greatest living field biologist. Some follow a career in wildlife biology and dream of discovering new species. Others of uncovering new information on our most charismatic animals. While some yearn to make a genuine impact on conse…

1
Episode 7: José G. Martínez-Fonseca 39:37

3y ago39:37

39:37

Charles Foley and Jon Hall interview José G. Martínez-Fonseca about his journey from part-time bat catcher in Nicaragua to studying for his PhD in biology in Arizona. Highlights include some of his legendary exploits in the field, risking life and limb to capture mammals on the move for the greater good of science and mammalwatchers everywhere. Her…

1
Episode 6: Peter Zahler 41:24

3y ago41:24

41:24

Charles Foley and Jon Hall interview Peter Zahler about 35 years' work conserving wildlife in the field around the world. Some of his many achievements include his work in Pakistan where he ran a world-renowned project to save the Markhor from extinction, and rediscovered the Woolly Flying Squirrel, a beast no scientist had seen for 70 years. Here'…

1
Episode 5: Fiona Reid 36:16

3y ago36:16

36:16

Charles Foley and Jon Hall interview scientist, author, artist and tour operator Fiona Reid about a lifetime catching, painting and studying some of the world's least known mammals. Highlights include bat glamour makeover tips, how to photograph a flying fox's teeth and why a plane crash is much more frightening if you've checked your luggage. Here…

1
Episode 4: Tim Davenport 41:04

3y ago41:04

41:04

Charles Foley and Jon Hall interview scientist and conservationist Dr Tim Davenport from his base in Tanzania about his many mammalian achievements and adventures during 30 years in Africa. Highlights include a Giant Pangolin rodeo, a flatulent gorilla, and his key role in discovering the Kipunji monkey in Tanzania: one of the most exciting mammali…

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Blank Park Zoo Podcasts

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