Aussie Wildlife Show

We recently caught up with Dr Catherine Kemper at the South Australian Museum to learn more about her role as the Senior Researcher of Mammals. We also discuss whales, taxonomy, wildlife conservation and even the Thylacine gets a mention.    

We catch up with Emma Malik and chat about training native animals such as crocodiles and quolls, and we find out how a professional animal trainer becomes a professional comedian.  We saw Emma's show 'If you can't train it, eat it' and it was hilarious. Emma's other shows include 'Sticking with it' and even a children's show entitled 'Fee-Fi-Fo-Fun'. Click here for show dates 

We chat with Steve McKechnie, co-owner of Gorge Wildlife Park about living in a wildlife park, the park's history, and some of the new projects that are currently being worked on.   Gorge Wildlife Park is situated in the Adelaide Hills and hosts an array of native, as well as exotic species. It's an attractive park that offers opportunities to interact with koalas, kangaroos as well as other iconic Australian species. 

We delve deep into the world of aquatic serpents as we learn about sea snakes and sea kraits with evolutionary biologist Jenna Crowe-Riddell.  This episode was uploaded on the same day as the release of Jenna's paper on sea snakes, titled 'Phototactic tail: Evolution and molecular basis of a novel sensory trait in sea snakes'. Olive sea snake (Aipysurus laevis). Photo credit: Chris Malam.

Michael Bayliss is the Communications Manager for Sustainable Population Australia (SPA). SPA are an independent not-for-profit organisation seeking to protect the environment and our quality of life by ending population growth in Australia and globally. Click here to check the SPA Facebook page. Click here to check out the SPA website.

Thylacoleo carnifex , the marsupial lion, was Australia's top order mammalian carnivore and a real life 'drop bear'. This week we chat with Dr. Aaron Camens, paleontologist at Flinders University and co-author of a recently published paper which analyses the first compete skeleton reconstruction of this highly adapted predator. Spare a thought for the early Australians who had to contend with this 100kg semi-arboreal hunter they may have dropped onto its prey with its sharp hooked-claws, razor-sharp teeth and possibly, pound for pound, the most powerful bite of mammal species! Photo Credit: Beclectic, Wikimedia Commons          

We're back from a big Christmas break and 2019 is off to a flying start with our good friend Dave Irwin, raptor trainer, educator and founder of Kangaroo Island's Raptor Domain.  Dave Irwin is a qualified Zoo Keeper and has been involved with raptors from a very young age. He has years of experience in training and hand-raising and rehabilitating sick, orphaned and injured animals and birds of prey. Visit Raptor Domain on Kangaroo Island and witness one of the best free-flight bird shows on Earth. It's truly a rare and unique opportunity to view and experience wildlife up close and personal, while creating an understanding and appreciation of them and their role in the environment. 

Dan Mangano is a zoologist and environmental educator, when he's not playing drums and singing with the Aussie rock band Ablaze. We chat with Dan about some of the wild and captive animals he has worked with, his love for the natural environment, and the educational work he does with Victorian wildlife demonstration company Reptile Encounters. Click here to check out Ablaze and support an awesome original band. Click here to check out Victorian wildlife demonstration company Reptile Encounters.

This week's episode is a little bit different. We chat with our good friend Dr. Chris Hunt about the potential health benefits of nature and how it might help in calming the mind.   Chris is a general practitioner specialising in mental health and Indigenous health.

John Fowler shares with us some of his tales about travelling around Australia, and the world, following his passion for reptiles and the environment. Once a computer technician, he got onto the internet early and started the Australian Herpetology page.  Click here to check out John's current page, The Reptiles of Australia.