167: Conservation Detection Dogs with Caroline Finlay

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Kbjj8Kg1xTsEEUkqH9BD5 When we talk about dogs and conservation, it is usually in the context of wildlife disturbances caused by pet dogs and their inconsiderate owners. However, a specially trained dog can be an invaluable asset in conservation projects that require searches or detection. The subjects can vary from searching and finding carcasses to detecting nests … Continue reading 167: Conservation Detection Dogs with Caroline Finlay →

164: Shotgun Conservationist with Brant MacDuff

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0qlUqB18FLvYGMlNJWVQlN The story of Brant MacDuff, the author of the book under the title “The Shotgun Conservationist: Why Environmentalists Should Love Hunting” is in many ways similar to mine. We were both born and raised in the city without any contact or access to hunting. We overcame not insignificant obstacles to get into hunting later … Continue reading 164: Shotgun Conservationist with Brant MacDuff →

163: The EU Review of Wolf Protection Status

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3TIXgTU3Rd1Lcn2moMsz0l The human-wildlife conflict with wolves has been brewing on the ground in the EU for some time. On the one hand, it has been fueled by a remarkable recovery of wolves across the continent, and on the other, by politicians trying to hijack it for their political gains. In September 2023 the European Commission … Continue reading 163: The EU Review of Wolf Protection Status →

Mark Avery’s Reflections – A Book Review

Mark Avery, a prolific author, senior UK conservationist, and independent campaigner, is well-known for writing book reviews on his blog. Those, like me, who read his reviews in search of their next book might be saddened by the fact that it would be awkward for Mark to write a review of his own work. So, … Continue reading Mark Avery’s Reflections – A Book Review →

160: Safari Club International with Ben Cassidy

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1fvtOmbU90f3oKNnIeiFOj Safari Club International (SCI) is one of the world’s most prominent hunting organisations. They pride themselves on being the leader in defending the freedom to hunt and promoting wildlife conservation across the world. Their tagline, “First for Hunters” says it all, really. Today, we continue the exploration of the public perception of hunting, the … Continue reading 160: Safari Club International with Ben Cassidy →

159: Polar Bears in a Warming World with Andrew Derocher

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3rOZNGaXFN6UUkz4sdrvby?si=5fxRZMCzSZCr7Lrn9BJOmQ Last week I published a blog post where I set out to answer the question of whether polar bears are facing impending extinction due to climate change or are they, in fact, doing better than ever. Around the time when I was investigating this question, I got in touch with Professor Andrew Derocher from … Continue reading 159: Polar Bears in a Warming World with Andrew Derocher →

Are Polar Bears Going Extinct or Are Their Populations Doing Better Than Ever?

Lately, a few listeners sent me links to blogs and videos suggesting that polar bears are thriving, which, some argue, is concealed by environmental groups to avoid undermining public action on climate change. This is something I've heard before, so I decided to do some digging. Disclaimer: I'm not a polar bear biologist, so I'm … Continue reading Are Polar Bears Going Extinct or Are Their Populations Doing Better Than Ever? →

157: Is The Red Wolf a Real Species? Conversation with Peter Brewitt

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6lsehN0AMB6t8AOIgzhI1X?si=XVCow1myTMCQIustrV8DgA Without exaggeration, red wolves are my favourite canid species. I don’t exactly remember where and when I heard about them for the first time but I really got interested after reading an excellent book by Dan Flores, “Coyote America”. The history of this species and the inept and ultimately futile conservation and recovery programs … Continue reading 157: Is The Red Wolf a Real Species? Conversation with Peter Brewitt →

154: Hunting Europe: The Present and Future with David Scallan

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5vu8iaLhvQFOTVM6lrZn7g?si=123f01cb57744b4c It was my great pleasure to once again welcome to my show Dr David Scallan, the Secretary General of the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE). It has been over three years since the last time we spoke on the podcast. So I felt that it was high time to talk with David … Continue reading 154: Hunting Europe: The Present and Future with David Scallan →

150: Predator Control with Barry McMahon

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ApGXbhv1xbswylSEU0AIE?si=10ede550079248ff The topic of lethal predator control has proven to be highly contentious. On one end of the spectrum, there are people who are inherently opposed to killing animals no matter the circumstances. On the other end are people who are eager to get on with reducing numbers, too eager perhaps. However, there are many … Continue reading 150: Predator Control with Barry McMahon →