The Zoology Ramblings Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to the twenty-sixth episode of The Zoology Ramblings Podcast!

This is a Rewilding Deep Dive episode, so we begin with some conservation news, followed by our species of the week, and then the Rewilding Deep Dive! For the species of the week, both hosts picked Aotearoan species, including the weird and wonderful kakapo parrot and the tuatara. Emma and Robi then get into the knitty details of pine marten reintroductions to the UK, sharing positive news of how pine martens are spreading across Britain, the importance of wildlife corridors and how pine martens could help native red squirrels.

Robi Watkinson is a Conservation Biologist and wildlife filmmaker specialising in the spatial and movement ecology of large carnivores, camera trapping survey methods, rewilding, metapopulation dynamics and conservation planning. He has an MSc in Conservation Biology from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, and the Institute of Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town. He is based between Cape Town and London, and has strong interests in equitable and inclusive conservation, palaeontology and wildlife taxonomy and evolution!

Emma Hodson is a Zoologist and wildlife content creator, currently working in the community and engagement team at Avon Wildlife Trust. Emma’s role as a Wildlife Champions Coordinator involves supporting and upskilling people to take action for nature in their local communities. Emma has experience in remote wildlife fieldwork, and has been part of Arctic fox, macaw and cetacean research teams in Iceland, Peru and Wales respectively. She has also been involved in animal care and rehabilitation work in Costa Rica and South Africa. Emma is particularly passionate about the interface between community engagement and wildlife monitoring, and enjoys running workshops and giving talks on topics including camera trapping, beaver ecology and rewilding. 

You can follow more of our weird and wonderful wildlife adventures on instagram: @thezoologyramblingspodcast & @robi_watkinson_wildlife & @emma_hodson_wildlife

To get exclusive access to podcast notes, background research and references, consider supporting our Patreon (link to come), where you can get all sorts of extra goodies and Zoology Ramblings merch!

Welcome to the twenty-fifth episode of The Zoology Ramblings Podcast!

This week we begin by sharing some quick nature and conservation news, and then onto the species of the week! This time, Robi talks about the fascinating brown hyenas and how they might (or might not) actually be living members of an extinct genus - taxonomy nerds, this one’s for you! Emma talks about the invasive American signal crayfish and how it’s come to dominate British waterways. For the local conservation story, the dynamic duo talk about community-based stories of people drawing inspiration from taking action for nature at the local scale, as well as delving into a recent fear-mongering article about great white sharks “allegedly” spotted in Ireland. For the global conservation story, the team tackle a bizarre proposal to kill 1.5 million barred owls in the USA, and then celebrate the amazing female rangers of the North Luangwa Valley.

Robi Watkinson is a Conservation Biologist and wildlife filmmaker specialising in the spatial and movement ecology of large carnivores, camera trapping survey methods, rewilding, metapopulation dynamics and conservation planning. He has an MSc in Conservation Biology from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, and the Institute of Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town. He is based between Cape Town and London, and has strong interests in equitable and inclusive conservation, palaeontology and wildlife taxonomy and evolution!

Emma Hodson is a Zoologist and wildlife content creator, currently working in the community and engagement team at Avon Wildlife Trust. Emma’s role as a Wildlife Champions Coordinator involves supporting and upskilling people to take action for nature in their local communities. Emma has experience in remote wildlife fieldwork, and has been part of Arctic fox, macaw and cetacean research teams in Iceland, Peru and Wales respectively. She has also been involved in animal care and rehabilitation work in Costa Rica and South Africa. Emma is particularly passionate about the interface between community engagement and wildlife monitoring, and enjoys running workshops and giving talks on topics including camera trapping, beaver ecology and rewilding. 

You can follow more of our weird and wonderful wildlife adventures on instagram: @thezoologyramblingspodcast & @robi_watkinson_wildlife & @emma_hodson_wildlife

To get exclusive access to podcast notes, background research and references, consider supporting our Patreon (link to come), where you can get all sorts of extra goodies and Zoology Ramblings merch!

Welcome to the sixteenth episode of The Zoology Ramblings Podcast!

In this episode Robi and Emma give an update as to their own research (otter and mink spatial modelling for Robi, Galapagos tortoise parasite research for Emma), as well as discussing their recent expedition in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. Continuing on this theme, the dynamic duo discuss wildlife management and reserve conservation in South Africa. 

Robi Watkinson is a Conservation Biologist and wildlife filmmaker specialising in the spatial and movement ecology of large carnivores, camera trapping survey methods, rewilding, metapopulation dynamics and conservation planning. He has an MSc in Conservation Biology from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, and the Institute of Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town. He is based between Cape Town and London, and has strong interests in equitable and inclusive conservation, palaeontology and wildlife taxonomy and evolution!

Emma Hodson is a Zoologist and wildlife content creator, currently working in the community and engagement team at Avon Wildlife Trust. Emma’s role as a Wildlife Champions Coordinator involves supporting and upskilling people to take action for nature in their local communities. Emma has experience in remote wildlife fieldwork, and has been part of Arctic fox, macaw and cetacean research teams in Iceland, Peru and Wales respectively. She has also been involved in animal care and rehabilitation work in Costa Rica and South Africa. Emma is particularly passionate about the interface between community engagement and wildlife monitoring, and enjoys running workshops and giving talks on topics including camera trapping, beaver ecology and rewilding. 

You can follow more of our weird and wonderful wildlife adventures on instagram: @thezoologyramblingspodcast & @robi_watkinson_wildlife & @emma_hodson_wildlife

To get exclusive access to podcast notes, background research and references, consider supporting our Patreon (link to come), where you can get all sorts of extra goodies and Zoology Ramblings merch!

Welcome to the fifteenth episode of The Zoology Ramblings Podcast!

For the news section the dynamic duo talk about COP26, and whether it is going far enough to tackle the climate crisis and highlight a new species of shark. For the animals of the week, Emma discusses the bizarre and wonderful hog badger and Robi talks about the terrifying (and epic) potoo bird. For the conservation section, your hosts chat about the decision to withdraw one of the last two northern white rhinos from the breeding programme and about the growth of tuskless elephants in response to ivory poaching. 

Robi Watkinson is a Conservation Biologist and wildlife filmmaker specialising in the spatial and movement ecology of large carnivores, camera trapping survey methods, rewilding, metapopulation dynamics and conservation planning. He has an MSc in Conservation Biology from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, and the Institute of Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town. He is based between Cape Town and London, and has strong interests in equitable and inclusive conservation, palaeontology and wildlife taxonomy and evolution!

Emma Hodson is a Zoologist and wildlife content creator, currently working in the community and engagement team at Avon Wildlife Trust. Emma’s role as a Wildlife Champions Coordinator involves supporting and upskilling people to take action for nature in their local communities. Emma has experience in remote wildlife fieldwork, and has been part of Arctic fox, macaw and cetacean research teams in Iceland, Peru and Wales respectively. She has also been involved in animal care and rehabilitation work in Costa Rica and South Africa. Emma is particularly passionate about the interface between community engagement and wildlife monitoring, and enjoys running workshops and giving talks on topics including camera trapping, beaver ecology and rewilding. 

You can follow more of our weird and wonderful wildlife adventures on instagram: @thezoologyramblingspodcast & @robi_watkinson_wildlife & @emma_hodson_wildlife

To get exclusive access to podcast notes, background research and references, consider supporting our Patreon (link to come), where you can get all sorts of extra goodies and Zoology Ramblings merch!

Welcome to the fourteenth episode of The Zoology Ramblings Podcast!

In this episode, Emma talks about the recent decision by the British Government to possibly give beavers native species status and legal protection, and Robi chats about some hope for tuna species despite dwindling populations of other marine species. For the animals of the week, the dynamic duo talk about the fearsome Nile crocodiles, predators half-made of time, and the bizarre reticulated sirens!. In the conservation section, the team explore research to make seeds more drought resistant by using organic materials and explore the possibility of recovering jaguar populations in the USA. 

Robi Watkinson is a Conservation Biologist and wildlife filmmaker specialising in the spatial and movement ecology of large carnivores, camera trapping survey methods, rewilding, metapopulation dynamics and conservation planning. He has an MSc in Conservation Biology from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, and the Institute of Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town. He is based between Cape Town and London, and has strong interests in equitable and inclusive conservation, palaeontology and wildlife taxonomy and evolution!

Emma Hodson is a Zoologist and wildlife content creator, currently working in the community and engagement team at Avon Wildlife Trust. Emma’s role as a Wildlife Champions Coordinator involves supporting and upskilling people to take action for nature in their local communities. Emma has experience in remote wildlife fieldwork, and has been part of Arctic fox, macaw and cetacean research teams in Iceland, Peru and Wales respectively. She has also been involved in animal care and rehabilitation work in Costa Rica and South Africa. Emma is particularly passionate about the interface between community engagement and wildlife monitoring, and enjoys running workshops and giving talks on topics including camera trapping, beaver ecology and rewilding. 

You can follow more of our weird and wonderful wildlife adventures on instagram: @thezoologyramblingspodcast & @robi_watkinson_wildlife & @emma_hodson_wildlife

To get exclusive access to podcast notes, background research and references, consider supporting our Patreon (link to come), where you can get all sorts of extra goodies and Zoology Ramblings merch!

Welcome to the thirteenth episode of The Zoology Ramblings Podcast!

In this episode, our animals of the weeks include the shadowy short-eared dog and the cryptic little black tapir, which may or may not be a new species. The dynamic duo then delve deeper into some wider conservation stories, including a sad update about the status of vaquitas in Baha California and the newly discovered, yet already critically endangered Rice's Whale. 

Shoutout to Wayne Gourlay for the suggestion of the short-eared dog!

Robi Watkinson is a Conservation Biologist and wildlife filmmaker specialising in the spatial and movement ecology of large carnivores, camera trapping survey methods, rewilding, metapopulation dynamics and conservation planning. He has an MSc in Conservation Biology from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, and the Institute of Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town. He is based between Cape Town and London, and has strong interests in equitable and inclusive conservation, palaeontology and wildlife taxonomy and evolution!

Emma Hodson is a Zoologist and wildlife content creator, currently working in the community and engagement team at Avon Wildlife Trust. Emma’s role as a Wildlife Champions Coordinator involves supporting and upskilling people to take action for nature in their local communities. Emma has experience in remote wildlife fieldwork, and has been part of Arctic fox, macaw and cetacean research teams in Iceland, Peru and Wales respectively. She has also been involved in animal care and rehabilitation work in Costa Rica and South Africa. Emma is particularly passionate about the interface between community engagement and wildlife monitoring, and enjoys running workshops and giving talks on topics including camera trapping, beaver ecology and rewilding. 

You can follow more of our weird and wonderful wildlife adventures on instagram: @thezoologyramblingspodcast & @robi_watkinson_wildlife & @emma_hodson_wildlife

To get exclusive access to podcast notes, background research and references, consider supporting our Patreon (link to come), where you can get all sorts of extra goodies and Zoology Ramblings merch!

Welcome to the twelfth episode of The Zoology Ramblings Podcast!

In episode 12, Robi and Emma reveal very exciting news - The Zoology Ramblings Podcast has been selected as one of Spotify’s 8 winners of the Next Wave Initiative! We are so thrilled to have been selected alongside 7 other amazing podcasts which cover some very important and pressing topics in our society today.

For the species of the week, Robi and Emma talk about their recent expedition down to Devon to try and film wild (illegal - but now free) beavers! For the conservation section, Robi covers the elusive and possible extinct white-eyed river martin of Thailand, whilst Emma talks about cicadas and their weird and wonderful life cycle!

Shoutout to listener Hayley for the recommendation to discuss cicadas!

Robi Watkinson is a Conservation Biologist and wildlife filmmaker specialising in the spatial and movement ecology of large carnivores, camera trapping survey methods, rewilding, metapopulation dynamics and conservation planning. He has an MSc in Conservation Biology from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, and the Institute of Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town. He is based between Cape Town and London, and has strong interests in equitable and inclusive conservation, palaeontology and wildlife taxonomy and evolution!

Emma Hodson is a Zoologist and wildlife content creator, currently working in the community and engagement team at Avon Wildlife Trust. Emma’s role as a Wildlife Champions Coordinator involves supporting and upskilling people to take action for nature in their local communities. Emma has experience in remote wildlife fieldwork, and has been part of Arctic fox, macaw and cetacean research teams in Iceland, Peru and Wales respectively. She has also been involved in animal care and rehabilitation work in Costa Rica and South Africa. Emma is particularly passionate about the interface between community engagement and wildlife monitoring, and enjoys running workshops and giving talks on topics including camera trapping, beaver ecology and rewilding. 

You can follow more of our weird and wonderful wildlife adventures on instagram: @thezoologyramblingspodcast & @robi_watkinson_wildlife & @emma_hodson_wildlife

To get exclusive access to podcast notes, background research and references, consider supporting our Patreon (link to come), where you can get all sorts of extra goodies and Zoology Ramblings merch!

Welcome to the eleventh episode of The Zoology Ramblings Podcast!

In episode 11, Robi and Emma ramble first about their species of the week: the enigmatic tayra of Central and South America, and the tiny monito del monte, a South American marsupial lost on a sea of time! Then for our global conservation section, the dynamic duo focus on zoonotic diseases and the lessons we can learn from the Covid-19 pandemic on our relationship with the wild, and also highlight why the taxonomic classification of the African elephant really does, truly, matter. For our UK conservation topics, Emma talk about the very exciting reintroduction of beavers to Wales for the first time in 400 years and Robi talks about the fantastic white stork project and our recent interview with the wonderful conservationist and project manager of the white stork project Lucy Groves. 

⁠https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720364494⁠

⁠https://oneworldonehealth.wcs.org/About-Us/Mission/The-Manhattan-Principles.aspx⁠

⁠https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24933240-800-how-our-abuse-of-nature-makes-pandemics-like-covid-19-more-likely/⁠

⁠https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/zoonoses⁠

Robi Watkinson is a Conservation Biologist and wildlife filmmaker specialising in the spatial and movement ecology of large carnivores, camera trapping survey methods, rewilding, metapopulation dynamics and conservation planning. He has an MSc in Conservation Biology from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, and the Institute of Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town. He is based between Cape Town and London, and has strong interests in equitable and inclusive conservation, palaeontology and wildlife taxonomy and evolution!

Emma Hodson is a Zoologist and wildlife content creator, currently working in the community and engagement team at Avon Wildlife Trust. Emma’s role as a Wildlife Champions Coordinator involves supporting and upskilling people to take action for nature in their local communities. Emma has experience in remote wildlife fieldwork, and has been part of Arctic fox, macaw and cetacean research teams in Iceland, Peru and Wales respectively. She has also been involved in animal care and rehabilitation work in Costa Rica and South Africa. Emma is particularly passionate about the interface between community engagement and wildlife monitoring, and enjoys running workshops and giving talks on topics including camera trapping, beaver ecology and rewilding. 

You can follow more of our weird and wonderful wildlife adventures on instagram: @thezoologyramblingspodcast & @robi_watkinson_wildlife & @emma_hodson_wildlife

To get exclusive access to podcast notes, background research and references, consider supporting our Patreon (link to come), where you can get all sorts of extra goodies and Zoology Ramblings merch!

Welcome to the tenth episode of The Zoology Ramblings Podcast!

For the species of the week, Robi talks about the Sunda Islands tigers (with a rambling tangent into tiger taxonomy and palaeontology!), and Emma discusses the Laysan albatross (and in particular one individual, named Wisdom) and their extraordinary long lives! For the local conservation section, the dynamic duo discuss the majestic eagle owl in Britain, and the controversial proposal of a new coal mine in Cumbria. For the global conservation section, the team discuss coral aquaculture and its use as a mitigation strategy against global climate change impacts.

Link to the petition to campaign against the Cumbria Coal Mine: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-the-cumbria-coal-mine 

Robi Watkinson is a Conservation Biologist and wildlife filmmaker specialising in the spatial and movement ecology of large carnivores, camera trapping survey methods, rewilding, metapopulation dynamics and conservation planning. He has an MSc in Conservation Biology from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, and the Institute of Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town. He is based between Cape Town and London, and has strong interests in equitable and inclusive conservation, palaeontology and wildlife taxonomy and evolution!

Emma Hodson is a Zoologist and wildlife content creator, currently working in the community and engagement team at Avon Wildlife Trust. Emma’s role as a Wildlife Champions Coordinator involves supporting and upskilling people to take action for nature in their local communities. Emma has experience in remote wildlife fieldwork, and has been part of Arctic fox, macaw and cetacean research teams in Iceland, Peru and Wales respectively. She has also been involved in animal care and rehabilitation work in Costa Rica and South Africa. Emma is particularly passionate about the interface between community engagement and wildlife monitoring, and enjoys running workshops and giving talks on topics including camera trapping, beaver ecology and rewilding. 

You can follow more of our weird and wonderful wildlife adventures on instagram: @thezoologyramblingspodcast & @robi_watkinson_wildlife & @emma_hodson_wildlife

To get exclusive access to podcast notes, background research and references, consider supporting our Patreon (link to come), where you can get all sorts of extra goodies and Zoology Ramblings merch!

Welcome to the ninth episode (part 2) of The Zoology Ramblings Podcast!

In this episode the hosts talk about the Ebo forest in Cameroon and the incredible biodiversity of life it contains, as well as it’s threats and the pioneering individuals trying to conserve it. For the local conservation section, the dynamic duo chat about the invasive American mink which has exploded in numbers across Europe. 

https://whitleyaward.org/winners/community-protection-of-the-great-apes-of-ebo-forest/ 

Robi Watkinson is a Conservation Biologist and wildlife filmmaker specialising in the spatial and movement ecology of large carnivores, camera trapping survey methods, rewilding, metapopulation dynamics and conservation planning. He has an MSc in Conservation Biology from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, and the Institute of Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town. He is based between Cape Town and London, and has strong interests in equitable and inclusive conservation, palaeontology and wildlife taxonomy and evolution!

Emma Hodson is a Zoologist and wildlife content creator, currently working in the community and engagement team at Avon Wildlife Trust. Emma’s role as a Wildlife Champions Coordinator involves supporting and upskilling people to take action for nature in their local communities. Emma has experience in remote wildlife fieldwork, and has been part of Arctic fox, macaw and cetacean research teams in Iceland, Peru and Wales respectively. She has also been involved in animal care and rehabilitation work in Costa Rica and South Africa. Emma is particularly passionate about the interface between community engagement and wildlife monitoring, and enjoys running workshops and giving talks on topics including camera trapping, beaver ecology and rewilding. 

You can follow more of our weird and wonderful wildlife adventures on instagram: @thezoologyramblingspodcast & @robi_watkinson_wildlife & @emma_hodson_wildlife

To get exclusive access to podcast notes, background research and references, consider supporting our Patreon (link to come), where you can get all sorts of extra goodies and Zoology Ramblings merch!