Shows
other5billion: intriguing animal histories200 Million Organic Trucks, Tractors and TaxisWorking animals. There are currently 200 million horses, donkeys, mules, camels and elephants serving us as trucks, tractors and taxis all over the world. Some are "owned" and some are "rented" by people who derive an income from their animals. The human depend on the animals for their livelihood and vice versa.
While many of us are thinking about whether our next car runs on petrol or electricity, hundreds of millions of people are still taking the "organic" option when it comes to their transport. Taking good care of working equines is the subject of this episode.
In this episode we...
2019-12-0533 min
other5billion: intriguing animal historiesChimpanzees as pets and wild animal souls. Life at AAP Primadomus in Spain.In another episode dedicated to exploring the fate of chimpanzees, our closest cousin, we speak with Maria Blazques, a care giver at AAP Primadomus in Alicante, Spain.
Maria Blazques inside one of the chimpanzee enclosures at AAP Primadomus
We already know something about this organisation and their rescue centres. Two episodes ago we interviewed the Executive Director of AAP, David van Gennep. This time we get to hear from Maria who is working closely every day with the animals at the centre. We also speak about why people keep wild animals as pets and get philosophical about what this means...
2019-01-3128 min
other5billion: intriguing animal historiesWhat happens to chimpanzee TV advert stars when the lights go down?In the last episode we spoke with David van Gennep, the Executive Director of AAP – a rescue and rehabilitation centre, mainly known for helping chimpanzees, with a centre in the Netherlands and another one in Spain.
Today, we’re staying on a similar subject. In this episode we’re speaking with Olga Feliu who is the Director of the MONA Foundation – that’s a sanctuary for chimpanzees located near to the town of Girona in Catalunya, Spain. Yes, we have the same name, so for clarity whenever I speak about “Olga” from now on, it’s not about me, it’s about our guest...
2019-01-0746 min
other5billion: intriguing animal historiesChimpanzees. The fate of our closest cousin. Interview with David van Gennep, AAP.Chimpanzees are our closest relatives. That doesn’t mean we’ve made their lives are easy. Far from it.
According to our friends who monitor the species as part of the IUCN Red List, the Chimpanzee (or “pan troglodytes”) is an endangered species.
While the global human population is now 7.6 billion, the global chimpanzee population is less than a million.
What you might also not know is that there are actually many subspecies of the chimpanzee… and some of those sub-species are down to their last few hundred individuals.
Now, in this episode, we’re not going to talk much about the de...
2018-10-2556 min
other5billion: intriguing animal historiesGrasshoppers, Corals and Global Crisis. Full interview with Simon Stuart.When you read the evermore worrying news about species extinction, climate change and rising sea levels, do you ever wonder how much you can believe?
In our busy and frenetic lives we often don’t know what to believe, or how serious some of this news might be. That’s why I wanted to speak to someone who knows a thing or two about species conservation. Well, not just a few things, actually, much more than that. I wanted to hear it from someone who lives and breathes conservation.
So, imagine what a delight it was when Simon Stuart, who effe...
2018-10-1153 min
other5billion: intriguing animal historiesGlobal Species Conservation with Simon Stuart, a previewJust last week I was over in the UK, in a very pretty little town called Bath which is famous for its Roman-built Baths.
Unlike many of the people who stopped by for the day, I didn’t have time to sight see. There were far more important things to do. And it was a wonderful experience because I was very lucky to have an interview with Simon Stuart, someone who is a global authority in species conservation. Although he would probably be very humble and try tone it down a bit!
These days Simon is the Director of Strategic Con...
2018-10-0409 min
other5billion: intriguing animal historiesHuskies in AntarcticaYou can find and subscribe to the other5billion podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Overcast and wherever you get your quality listens.
In this special bonus episode, you'll hear the full interview that I had with John Killingbeck. John went to Antarctica on two expeditions, once in the 1960s and then in the 1990s. During the latter expedition, he was actually one of the very last two people to ever drive a husky team on the continent. After that, they were removed from Antarctica for good.
In 45 action-packed minutes we cover so much:
John's first drive when his...
2018-10-0348 min
other5billion: intriguing animal historiesA Husky HistoryThis is a fascinating episode to begin the podcast series with! We discover that huskies have been supporting us humans for up to 15,000 years. What’s more, they’ve saved countless lives and even helped us to make some of the top scientific discoveries of the twentieth century. These days, huskies are most likely to find themselves in living rooms and on Instagram and there certainly are some good and bad things about that.
So, make yourself comfortable and come with me on a journey over 30,000 years that will take us to Siberia, Alaska, Greenland, Antarctica and Ireland.
Disclaimer I am st...
2018-09-0459 min
other5billion: intriguing animal historiesother5billion 0.1: What Have the Animals Done for Us?What have the animals done for us? A podcast about the history of human life alongside our furry friends.
2018-08-1616 min