Knowing Animals

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Original Air Date: 
September 03, 2016

Can we ever get inside the mind of an animal? Can we really know how a chimp or a parrot thinks and experiences the world? We'll talk with some naturalists and scientists who're trying, including Helen Macdonald and Frans de Waal. And the fascinating story of Charles Foster's attempt to live like a badger, when he lived in a hole in the ground and ate worms.

Living Like a Beast

Badger
Audio

What's it like to be a badger? British naturalist Charles Foster wanted to know, so he dug a burrow and lived in the darkness, eating worms. Yup, it was kind of disgusting, but he says the experience brought him closer to the wildness within himself.

Length: 
10:14

B is for Birdle (the Parrot)

Birdle
Audio

Helen Macdonald's book "H is for Hawk" turned her goshawk Mabel into one of the most memorable literary characters of recent years. Mabel is no longer with her, but Helen now has a new avian companion — an ornery and very smart parrot.

Length: 
9:20

Frans de Waal on the Emerging Science of Animal Cognition

Gorilla
Articles

What separates your mind from an animal's? It's a question we've all asked, but renowned primatologist Frans de Waal says there's no point trying to rank who's smarter or dumber in the animal world. In fact, he believes there's no clear dividing line between humans and the rest of the animal world.

Length: 
13:30

Jennifer Jacquet On 'Last Chance To See'

Bookmarks

Environmentalist Jennifer Jacquet recommends "Last Chance to See" by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine.

Length: 
3:19

Searching for the Last Unicorn

Saola
Audio

Finding the horns of a saola — a large ox-like mammal on the Laos-Vietnam border — was one of the great biological discoveries of the 20t

Length: 
8:58
Show Details 📻
Airdates
September 03, 2016
June 10, 2017
Guests: 
Charles Foster

Charles Foster

Author
charlesfoster.co.uk
twitter.com
Helen MacDonald

Helen Macdonald

Author and Naturalist
twitter.com
dewaal

Frans de Waal

C. H. Candler Professor of Psychology, Emory University
emory.edu
Jennifer Jacquet

Jennifer Jacquet

Author, Professor
jenniferjacquet.com
William Robichaud

William Robichaud

Zoologist
globalwildlife.org
William deBuys

William deBuys

Writer and Conservationist
williamdebuys.com
Categories: 
Nature
Last modified: 
April 04, 2018