The Wildlife Podcast with Laurel Neme and Jeffrey Barbee

Episode 2: Lions: The keystone species of the African savanna Did you know every lion has their own roar, much like a name, particular to that lion only?  In this short episode, Laurel Neme and Jeff Barbee learn this fascinating detail about African lion conservation with noted researcher Andrew Loveridge. Check out our full episode, out now, for all the latest on lions! We discuss the importance of lion ecology and behavior, and the threats facing Africa’s last wild lions, which number only around 24,000. We dive into the advances and challenges of lion conservation, and do a deep dive into his personal experience studying Cecil the lion, whose death in July 2015 sparked international outrage.  What you might not know? Cecil’s death also resulted in strong global interest in lions and their conservation after he was killed by an American trophy hunter. Guest:  Dr. Loveridge is a senior researcher at Oxford University’s WildCRU (Wildlife Conservation Research Unit) and the Director of the Lion Program for Panthera, a wild cat conservation organization.  You can check out Dr. Loveridge’s book, Lion Hearted: The Life and Death of Cecil & the Future of Africa's Iconic Cats at this link: https://www.amazon.co.za/Lion-Hearted-Future-Africas-Iconic/dp/1682451208 You Can Help Support Lions: Support the criitical work of Panthera:  https://panthera.org/ Lion Basics: https://panthera.org/cat/lion Top 10 Lion Facts You Might Not Know: https://panthera.org/blog-post/top-ten-lion-facts-you-might-not-know Love lions? You can help support community lion conservation through the following Ewaso Lions https://ewasolions.org/ Or the Lion Guardians https://lionguardians.org/

Episode 2: Lions: The keystone species of the African savanna Did you know every lion has their own roar, much like a name, particular to that lion only?  In this episode, Laurel Neme and Jeff Barbee learn fascinating details about African lion conservation with noted researcher Andrew Loveridge.  We discuss the importance of lion ecology and behavior, and the threats facing Africa’s last wild lions, which number only around 24,000. We dive into the advances and challenges of lion conservation, and do a deep dive into his personal experience studying Cecil the lion, whose death in July 2015 sparked international outrage.  What you might not know? Cecil’s death also resulted in strong global interest in lions and their conservation after he was killed by an American trophy hunter. Guest:  Dr. Loveridge is a senior researcher at Oxford University’s WildCRU (Wildlife Conservation Research Unit) and the Director of the Lion Program for Panthera, a wild cat conservation organization.  You can check out Dr. Loveridge’s book, Lion Hearted: The Life and Death of Cecil & the Future of Africa's Iconic Cats at this link: https://www.amazon.co.za/Lion-Hearted-Future-Africas-Iconic/dp/1682451208 You Can Help Support Lions: Support the critical work of Panthera:  https://panthera.org/ Lion Basics: https://panthera.org/cat/lion Top 10 Lion Facts You Might Not Know: https://panthera.org/blog-post/top-ten-lion-facts-you-might-not-know Love lions? You can help support community lion conservation by following Ewaso Lions https://ewasolions.org/ Or the Lion Guardians https://lionguardians.org/

THE WILDLIFE PODCAST EPISODE ONE: VULTURES   In this episode, Laurel Neme and Jeff Barbee delve into the world of vultures—what they are, why they’re important, the threats they face, and what happens if we lose them. Guest: Dr. Corinne Kendall, conservation biologist and Southern Africa Program Director for The Peregrine Fund. Vultures are big, high-flying birds that can soar on thermals with little effort.   They also have keen eyesight and sense of smell that lets them find carcasses even from miles away. They play a critical role in the ecosystem by consuming the remains of dead animals, which in turn keeps diseases at bay. On the African continent, vultures are in serious trouble.   One of the main threats to them is poisoning. As scavengers, they're particularly susceptible—especially when carcasses are laced with lethal pesticides. This can lead to high mortality events and cause populations to plummet.   Yet The Peregrine Fund, Endangered Wildlife Trust and others are doing a lot to help them, such as helping rangers find the birds in time for them to be rehabilitated.   How You Can Help Support Vultures:   Donate to both the Peregrine Fund and EWT, they are doing incredible work!:   THE PEREGRINE FUND: https://peregrinefund.org/ ENDANGERED WILDLIFE TRUST: https://ewt.org/   EXPLORE MORE ABOUT VULTURES: https://peregrinefund.org/explore-raptors-...   Do you have an amazing story/project or person that we should highlight? Get in touch at our email: greatwildlife.podcast@gmail.com

THE WILDLIFE PODCAST EPISODE ONE: VULTURES SHORT: THE SOAP OF THE SAVANNA   In this episode, Laurel Neme and Jeff Barbee delve into the world of vultures—what they are, why they’re important, the threats they face, and what happens if we lose them. Guest: Dr. Corinne Kendall, conservation biologist and Southern Africa Program Director for The Peregrine Fund. Vultures are big, high-flying birds that can soar on thermals with little effort.   They also have keen eyesight and sense of smell that lets them find carcasses even from miles away. They play a critical role in the ecosystem by consuming the remains of dead animals, which in turn keeps diseases at bay. On the African continent, vultures are in serious trouble.   One of the main threats to them is poisoning. As scavengers, they're particularly susceptible—especially when carcasses are laced with lethal pesticides. This can lead to high mortality events and cause populations to plummet.   Yet The Peregrine Fund, Endangered Wildlife Trust and others are doing a lot to help them, such as helping rangers find the birds in time for them to be rehabilitated.   How You Can Help Support Vultures:   Donate to both the Peregrine Fund and EWT, they are doing incredible work!:   THE PEREGRINE FUND: https://peregrinefund.org/ ENDANGERED WILDLIFE TRUST: https://ewt.org/   EXPLORE MORE ABOUT VULTURES: https://peregrinefund.org/explore-raptors-...   Do you have an amazing story/project or person that we should highlight? Get in touch at our email: greatwildlife.podcast@gmail.com