All Creatures Podcast

Chris recounts the recovery of New Zealand’s Chatham black robin (karure/keruru), an island species devastated by habitat clearing and introduced predators like rats and cats, until its range shrank to tiny Mangere Island.

Numbers fell from 18 birds in 1972 to seven in 1976, then to five by 1980 with only one breeding female, “Old Blue,” paired with “Old Yellow,” leaving the species’ future dependent on her.

Chris tells the story of how conservationists and the New Zealand Wildlife Service team, led by figures like Don Merton, combined translocation, predator control, habitat restoration (including planting about 120,000 trees), and pioneering cross-fostering led to this species survival.

Timeline

00:00 Welcome and Setup
00:59 Island Origins and Threats
02:58 Collapse to Seven Birds
05:12 Only Five Left
08:23 Old Blue Last Female
12:06 Why Every Egg Matters
16:49 Radical Egg Moving
18:31 Cross Fostering Breakthrough
23:07 Habitat and Predator Control
27:37 Numbers Rebound
30:52 Hope and Wider Lessons
33:23 Ongoing Work Today
36:05 Northern White Rhino Parallel
37:41 Final Takeaway and Hope

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Another thank you to all our Patreon supporters. You too can join for one cup of "good" coffee a month. With your pledge you can support your favorite podcast on Patreon and give back to conservation. With the funds we receive each month, we are have been sending money to conservation organizations monthly. We now send a check to every organization we cover, as we feel they all are deserving of our support. Thank you so much for your support and for supporting animal conservation.

Please considering supporting us at Patreon HERE.

We also want to thank you to all our listeners. We are giving back to every conservation organization we cover and you make that possible. We are committed to donating large portions of our revenue (at minimum 25%) to every organization we cover each week. Thank you for helping us to grow, and for helping to conserve our wildlife.

Please contact us at [email protected]

if you would like to advertise on our podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What kind of animal can see light we cannot and strike with enough force to crack a crab’s shell? In this classic episode from 2022, Chris and Angie meet the mantis shrimp: a small marine predator with extraordinary eyes and one of the most powerful hunting strikes in the animal world. Some species smash hard-shelled prey, while others use sharp, spear-like limbs to catch fish.

“Mantis shrimp” refers to hundreds of species, so there is no single conservation status for them all. Some face pressure from fishing and the loss of the reefs and seabed habitats they call home. Join us for one of our favorite classic episodes and discover why this remarkable creature deserves attention far beyond its famous punch.

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In this classic episode from 2019, Chris and Angie explore the cheetah’s incredible speed, from its flexible spine and gripping claws to the long tail that helps it turn during a chase. But there is much more to this remarkable cat than its sprint.

Cheetahs are currently listed as Vulnerable globally, while the remaining Asiatic cheetahs in Iran are Critically Endangered. Across their range, shrinking and fragmented habitat leaves cheetahs with less space and fewer wild prey. Many live alongside farmers, where conflict over livestock can lead to cheetahs being killed; cubs are also taken for the illegal pet trade.

Join us to discover why the cheetah’s future depends on protecting connected landscapes and finding ways for people and wildlife to live together.

==

Another thank you to all our Patreon supporters. You too can join for one cup of "good" coffee a month. With your pledge you can support your favorite podcast on Patreon and give back to conservation. With the funds we receive each month, we are have been sending money to conservation organizations monthly. We now send a check to every organization we cover, as we feel they all are deserving of our support. Thank you so much for your support and for supporting animal conservation.

Please considering supporting us at Patreon HERE.

We also want to thank you to all our listeners. We are giving back to every conservation organization we cover and you make that possible. We are committed to donating large portions of our revenue (at minimum 25%) to every organization we cover each week. Thank you for helping us to grow, and for helping to conserve our wildlife.

Please contact us at [email protected]

if you would like to advertise on our podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris speaks with Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Drew Kann about Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp and its new status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

They explore the swamp’s blackwater wetlands, remarkable wildlife, and delicate balance of fire and water. Drew explains how a proposed titanium mine raised concerns about water loss, severe fires, and damage to nearby rivers—until public opposition and a conservation land purchase stopped the project. They also discuss the power of local journalism and why continued protection remains essential.

Timeline

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
03:24 What Makes Okefenokee Wild
06:46 Ecology Fire Water Wildlife
09:23 Mining Threat Origins Trail Ridge
13:35 Pushback Science and Local Stakes
17:11 Politics and Public Opinion
20:15 How Journalists Tell Complex Science
22:50 Accountability Reporting and Impact
27:24 Buyout and UNESCO Journey
31:27 What World Heritage Really Means
34:08 Local Journalism and What Gets Missed
36:59 Blueprint Hope and Persistence
43:06 Where to Follow Drew Closing

==

Another thank you to all our Patreon supporters. You too can join for one cup of "good" coffee a month. With your pledge you can support your favorite podcast on Patreon and give back to conservation. With the funds we receive each month, we are have been sending money to conservation organizations monthly. We now send a check to every organization we cover, as we feel they all are deserving of our support. Thank you so much for your support and for supporting animal conservation.

Please considering supporting us at Patreon HERE.

We also want to thank you to all our listeners. We are giving back to every conservation organization we cover and you make that possible. We are committed to donating large portions of our revenue (at minimum 25%) to every organization we cover each week. Thank you for helping us to grow, and for helping to conserve our wildlife.

Please contact us at [email protected]

if you would like to advertise on our podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris and Angie will record a special live episode of the All Creatures podcast on Sunday, October 11 at 6:00 PM at the Grosvenor Auditorium in National Geographic’s new Museum of Exploration in Washington, DC. The live 90-minute event will feature National Geographic explorer, photographer, filmmaker, and conservation storyteller Amy Vitale, whose work documents relationships between people, wildlife, and shared landscapes, including major conservation projects. The event includes audience Q&A, images shown onstage, a post-show meet-and-greet, and tickets can be purchased below.

Live Podcast Tickets HERE

You can also visit the National Geographic Museum of Exploration website and search under What's On- Events.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices