WILD LIVES (WILD LIVES by faunographic)

Sperm whales are one of the most mysterious creatures on the planet – sure, they’re the largest toothed animals on Earth, but you’ve got to be pretty lucky to see them (especially because they can hold their breath for up to 2 hours!). Miranda Van Der Linde made her own luck by becoming a marine biologist and scoring a sperm whale research gig in the Azores. In this episode of Wild Lives, Miranda’s stories will give you goosebumps on your goosebumps as she recalls watching all kinds of fascinating behaviours (including seeing them give birth)! She also reveals how they received such an unfortunate name, the secret ways they communicate, and why their vomit is worth a fortune.

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In this fun episode, National Parks and Wildlife Ranger Mel Tyas introduces us to one of Sydney’s best-kept secrets – the endangered colony of wild Little Penguins of Manly, in the heart of Australia’s biggest city. The smallest of all penguins, these tiny, endearing critters have called Manly home for decades, and theirs is the only breeding colony on the NSW mainland, making them extra unique. Ranger Mel spends her days working alongside and protecting these beloved seabirds in the Sydney Harbour area, and in this episode she reveals their history, behaviours and challenges, and also shares some of her favourite penguin tales (including one about a fella who swam nearly 2000km from Sydney to Adelaide!?!).

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Ever wondered what it’d be like to leave your diving cage and swim among hundreds of sharks in a feeding frenzy? Or wondered how you’d survive if your dive boat left you behind, with nothing but some hair ribbons and your smarts to keep you alive? In this episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic, Valerie Taylor’s real-life adventure tales will blow your mind. 

Still diving at 83, Valerie has spent a lifetime in the ocean. Her decades-spanning career as a film-maker and photographer alongside her partner Ron kicked off in the 1960s and, with her fearlessness around sharks and an incomparable understanding of their behaviour, Val quickly became known as the world’s most glamorous shark expert.

As the years passed, the pioneering couple continued to up the ante and soon enough Steven Spielberg asked them to film the real-life shark footage for Jaws. In the following decades, the Taylors produced countless documentaries and filmed ocean sequences for a stack of Hollywood blockbusters, while also shooting photos for the likes of National Geographic and Time Life.

Few people in the world have had the opportunity to see the world like Valerie. After all, she’s spent more than 60 years in the ocean with its incredible wildlife – and she’s got the amazing stories to prove it. In this episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic, she shares a few of her favourites.

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Today, Yellowstone National Park in the United States is one of the very best places on earth to see wolves in the wild – and we can thank Douglas Smith for that.

Twenty-three years ago, Doug and his team at the Yellowstone Wolf Restoration Project reintroduced 41 wild wolves back into the park, at a time when they’d been virtually wiped out across North America.

Doug’s been with Yellowstone’s wolves ever since then and he’s seen the wild packs bounce back every step of the way – and the park’s flora and fauna are thriving as a result.

In this intriguing episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic, Doug reveals exactly how the wolves evolved to become the icons of Yellowstone that they are today, and shares what these fascinating predators have taught him about life.

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There’s no one else on Earth like Dr Jane Goodall. After all, she’s not only won countless awards for her decades-spanning conservation work, but her work with chimpanzees has actually changed the way we see both animals and humans.

At 85 years young, Dr Jane is still working hard, travelling 300 days of the year to share her important message of hope, and to support her Roots and Shoots program – an innovative approach to conservation that’s enabling young folks to be the change our planet needs.

In this episode, the finale for Season 2 of Wild Lives, Dr Jane introduces us to the chimpanzee that changed her life, David Greybeard; reveals what she’s learnt about the environment, climate change and the importance of education and local action; and reveals exactly how she wants to be remembered.  

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In this inspiring episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic, the legendary Dr Laurie Marker shares the fascinating tales of her life with cheetahs in both Namibia and her early days in the Unites States.

From her close bonds with cheetahs called Chewbacca and Khayyam, to the incredible work she’s done to boost the wild population in Namibia, Dr Laurie has a stack of intriguing insights about these vulnerable but mesmerising big cats.

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In this episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic we catch up with naturalist and photographer James Rogerson, whose wild work has taken him everywhere from Finland to the Seychelles, across his native United Kingdom and Africa and, more recently, to the tiger stronghold of Kanha National Park, in Central India.

During his time in Kanha, James got to know some of the reserve’s more famous wild tigers, including Munna, Chota Munna and Umaparni, so he’s got some fascinating stories about them. Plus, his tales of the area’s incredible birdlife and endangered barasingha peel back the many layers of Kanha to reveal why it’s such unique place to explore.

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Australian wildlife is being devastated by this bushfire crisis, with at least 1 billion animals lost so far. But what happens when these fires go out – can our wildlife and their habitats recover? In this special report we chat wildlife experts Professor Christopher Dickman, Tim Faulkner and Chad Staples to find out what happens next for our animals. (Spoiler alert: there IS good news!)

Professor Christopher Dickman
By December, 480 million animals had lost their lives in the New South Wales fires alone – Professor Christopher Dickman is the globally acclaimed ecologist who originally calculated that number. He talks us through the possibility of extinction, the specific behaviours of fire-affected animals, how our city critters are coping with the smoke, and most inspiringly, explains how our bush will rebuild itself. He also talks about some pretty cool little animals you’ve probably never even heard of, as well as about what’s happening with our bats/flying foxes, potoroos, and the resilience of our wildlife.
Listen: 2:33 to 26.28

Tim Faulkner
Aussie Ark president Tim Faulkner explains what’s happening with our koalas. Before the fire they were already in real trouble due to habitat loss, with experts predicting they were on the trajectory to be extinct by 2050. We’ll need to think laterally to help them bounce back. Thankfully, Tim and his team have just the thing to help them do that, and to also keep them safe for decades to come – the Koala Ark project.
Listen: 26:28 to 39:03

Chad Staples
Chad Staples has long been one of Australia’s favourite wildlifers thanks to his epic work at Featherdale. Now working as the Director of Mogo Wildlife Park, Chad and his team rescued Mogo’s 200+ animals  – including everything from giraffes to lemurs to big cats – when the 31,000-hectare Clyde Mountain blaze threatened their home on New Year’s Eve. In this interview, Chad reveals how the rescue unfolded, and he also shares some exciting plans for the park in the wake of this crisis.
Listen: 39:03 to 51:55

What You Can Do
In the months to come we may still encounter animals with burns and fire-related illnesses, so our mate Denis Duggan shares WIRES’ practical tips on how you can help them.
Listen: 51:55 to 53:18

If you’d like to get involved and/or show your support, here’s where to get started:  Mogo Wildlife Park, Aussie Ark’s koala project, Wildlife Victoria, WIRES (NSW only), Kangaroo Island’s Dunnarts, Kangaroo Island's Koalas & Wildlife. See Faunographic for info.

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Award-winning wildlife expert Tim Faulkner is leading the charge to save the Tasmanian Devil from extinction. As the president of Aussie Ark, he’s been building an insurance population of these charismatic critters; meanwhile a deadly disease has already taken 90% of Tasmania’s wild population. In this episode of Wild Lives, Tim shares his amazing insights into Devil behaviour, introduces us to a few individual animals and reveals why there’s definitely hope for these incredible Aussies.

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What it’s like to see the famous white whale, Migaloo, not once but twice? Or to be out kayaking in Sydney Harbour when a southern right whale brings her calf over to say hi? In this episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic, naturalist guide Annie Skarratt joins acclaimed photographer Jonas Liebschner to take you into thick of the whaley action right in the heart of Australia’s biggest city.

Our humpback story is a happy one. When the culling of humpbacks stopped in the 1960s there were just a couple of hundred of these gentle giants left in our East Coast population. Today, the numbers have bounced back to over 30,000 – it’s a rare, feel-good conservation success story that we’re rightfully proud of. Both Annie and Jonas have years of experience with these giants of the deep – and they have the extraordinary stories of close encounters to prove it! And if you’ve ever wondered where to go in Sydney to see them, this episode has plenty of suggestions.

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Get up close and personal with the animals you love ! This brand spankin' new podcast shares the real-life stories of wild animals and their people – naturalists, rangers, film-makers, photographers, adventurers and a whole lot more. Powered by Faunographic and hosted by Rachelle Mackintosh, each episode reveals deeply personal frontline stories as we get close to tigers, great white sharks, wolves, grizzly bears – and everything with fur, feathers and fins in between. From jaw-dropping close encounters to poignant insights into what makes these creatures tick, WILD LIVES by Faunographic will give you all the feels. Subscribe today!

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In this episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic we chat to Andre Bauma, a legendary ranger, guide and wildlife rescuer who has devoted his life to caring for the mountain gorillas of Virunga National Park, in the Congo.
Rescuing wildlife in a region ravaged by militia and rampant poaching takes the heart of a giant – but Andre Bauma is as humble as he is a great storyteller. In this podcast, Andre reveals how his work on the frontlines at Virunga have taught him exactly how to communicate with wild gorillas – and how he’s used that experience to help orphaned mountain gorillas like Ndakasi, Ndeze, Matabishi and Musuka heal from their traumatic pasts.

Please note: This episode may be emotional at times. Also, sometimes the sound isn’t as clean as we would’ve liked, as the phone line between Sydney and the Virunga wilderness wasn’t always clear. But Andre’s incredible stories make up for that!

* Portrait of Andre photo: with thanks to LuAnne Cadd for virunga.org

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Of the 350 species of shark in the world, few capture the imagination like the Great White Shark – after all, they’re one of the planet’s fiercest predators, measuring up to 6 metres long and clocking speeds of 56 kilometres per hour. But are these big fish simply misunderstood? In this episode of Wild Lives, marine biologist Kelly Baker shares her stories about life with these giants in Gansbaai, near Cape Town in South Africa, revealing their fascinating behaviours and individual personalities, and explaining exactly what happens with their arch nemesis – the killer whale, or orca – rolls into town.

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Dwarf minke whales were only discovered in August 1981, so there’s still stacks to learn about them. We do know that each year they mysteriously appear on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, stay about a month, and then totally disappear again. We also know that they are incredibly curious, playful and actively seek out human contact.

As a marine biologist studying the dwarf minke, Suzanne Hillcoat’s spent hundreds of hours in the water with these little giants to research their behaviour, and she’s had countless super-close encounters with them. In this episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic, Suzanne reflects on some of her most memorable interactions with these sweet cetaceans.

(Spoiler alert: If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to have a whale flirt with you, you won’t want to miss this!)

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As poaching decimates wildlife populations across Africa, determined people are stepping up to intervene – including the Black Mambas, the world’s first women’s only anti-poaching unit, who patrol and protect South Africa’s Balule Nature Reserve.

Through their surveillance and sophisticated monitoring techniques, the Mambas are the first line of defence in the war against poaching – but unlike the armed units who work alongside them, these incredible women carry no weapons, patrolling 20km on foot each day to ensure the reserve’s wildlife is protected.
The Mambas believe the poaching crisis will not be solved through violence,
but instead through empowerment and education, and their commitment to the cause is inspiring.

This episode of Wild Lives was recorded live in Balule, where we go on both night and morning patrols with Black Mamba rangers Mirren, Q and Goodness. Their strength, humility and determination will give you hope for wildlife – and us.

Please note: A large part of this episode was recorded live in the field, so the sound can be patchy in places. The night-patrol audio is a little challenging, because we're driving through the bush in an open 4WD, so you'll hear some distortion due to wind, along with bouncy car suspension, etc, especially around 11:00 to 16:35. BUT I know you'll be able to ignore those iffy bits because what these women have to say is solid gold!

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Expedition diver, oceans explorer, acclaimed film-maker and photographer Julia Sumerling has spent a couple of decades discovering Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and her knowledge of this World Heritage environment is eclipsed only by her passion for it.

Over the years she’s completed at least 10,000 dives – and at least 9000 of these were solo missions, so she’s had plenty of opportunities to form friendships with the reef’s dwarf minke whales, turtles, potato cods, thresher sharks, stingrays, guitar fish and a stack of other intriguing sea creatures. Her regular expeditions to the ribbon reefs of the Coral Sea and the Yongala Wreck have given her a unique perspective on life, and her hilarious, inspiring stories will have you reaching for your snorkel, asap!

Bonus: this legendary photographer also shares her best underwater photography tips (you’re welcome!).

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From his game-changing ocean documentaries to his iconic photography, Bob Talbot has shaped how we see and think about the sea – particularly when it comes to its wildlife, like dolphins and whales.

No doubt you’ve already seen Bob’s Oscar-nominated IMAX film called Dolphins, and you’ll soon be checking out his latest doco, called Being Dolphin 4D, which gives viewers a dolphin’s eye view of life in the pod. You’ve seen his incredible photography in Time and National Geographic, and you’ve probably even hung his prints in your home – Bob was in his 20s when his posters of whales and dolphins became the world’s best-selling line of marine artwork.

Bob’s career kicked off in 1977, when he and some tenacious mates drove from California up to Canada’s West Coast, hoping to find and photograph orcas underwater – and in this episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic Bob takes us along every crazy step of this rollicking journey (spoiler alert: it leads to him teaming up with legendary oceanographer Jacques Cousteau!).

He also tells us the stories behind is most iconic photos, introduces us to an overly enthusiastic orca called Sharkie and reflects on the time he barely survived an encounter with an entangled gray whale. And, his observations about what it’s like to be with wild dolphins, and feel part of the pod, will give you all the feels.

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Naturalist Justin Hawco presents a bird’s eye view of Newfoundland, Canada – an extraordinary wilderness famous for its 10,000-year-old icebergs, rugged coastline and the 35 million seabirds who flock to the Witless Bay area. As Justin’s discovered on his countless adventures, this is a place where seabirds go beak to beak in one of the planet’s most extreme environments; where even the most innocent-looking feathery friends are plotting mayhem. In this episode of the Wild Lives podcast, Justin reveals the secret lives of puffins and the sinister habits of northern gannets, plus he introduces us to blackback gulls, auks, and more. And, if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to get beaten up by ‘the clown of the sea’, Justin’s your guy!

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In this episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic we chat to the legendary whale naturalist Vicki Neville. Her expertise has seen her become widely renowned as The Whale Whisperer, and in fact a documentary of the same name was recently made about her adventures with the humpbacks of Hervey Bay, on Australia’s Fraser Coast.

For the past 21 years, Vicki has spent a squillion hours both in and out of the water  with these giants of the deep – and her stories of her close encounters will leave you breathlessly inspired.

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Naturalist guide Paulo O’Connor has had some pretty amazing orca encounters in the Salish Sea, on Canada’s west coast.

Throughout his career, Paulo’s worked as a ranger and naturalist all over the world, from American Samoa to Churchill in the Sub-arctic, and countless wildlife hotspots in between.

His many years working as a zodiac pilot and naturalist with the killer whales of British Columbia have given him a unique perspective not only of the area’s individual orca pods and their behaviours, but also of what makes them the most intriguing predator in the ocean.

And if you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to see transient orcas hunt right off the bow of your boat, Paulo has the adrenaline-charged story for you!

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Ever heard of a Spirit Bear? It’s also known as a Kermode bear – and as there’s only a couple of hundred of them in the wild, they’re one of the rarest creatures on earth. The only place you’ll find them is in the Great Bear Rainforest, in British Columbia, Canada. And what makes them so unique is that while they’re technically black bears, they’re actually white in colour, due to a recessive gene.

During his time tracking these incredible creatures through the epic wilderness of Canada’s Pacific North-West, naturalist and guide Jack Plant has had some unforgettable moments with them. In this episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic, Jack shares some of his favourite encounters.

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UK-based naturalist and wildlife photographer James Rogerson’s adventures with Scotland’s otters and England’s badgers make for some fantastic stories in this episode of Wild Lives.

Everyone loves an otter, and James’ wild close encounters with them have given him a unique insight into these secretive little guys’ lives – from their innovative hunting tactics to their endearing playtime habits, James has seen and photographed it all.

Closer to his home in central England, James has spent years photographing badgers as they live in and alongside urban environments – no easy task considering they’re secretive, very wary of humans and are being culled across England. James’ time with badgers has revealed their playful behaviours and rich social lives, giving him a rare glimpse into their wild world – and some fascinating tales to share.

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Boston’s Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary is home to a stack of sea icons, including the humpback and minke whale, oceanic sunfish (mola mola) and great white shark – and it’s also home to artist and naturalist Rich Dolan, who spends his days at sea documenting the creatures who thrive in this unique part of the world.

Through his innovative art and sculpture project, Tails of Stellwagen, Rich records each individual animals’ distinguishing patterns, helping both researchers and enthusiasts alike to identify, track and appreciate these mysterious leviathans.

And, as a naturalist with countless hours at sea, Rich has had some pretty amazing encounters with all kinds of critters – so while he was visiting Down Under we got him to tell us his best tales of Stellwagen.

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You already know and love Alastair Pollock’s stunning shark portraits, because you saw Australian Geographic’srecent shark special and are obsessed as I am with his Instagram.

In this episode, Alastair reveals how his underwater photography has brought him within touching distance of some of the ocean’s most fascinating creatures. His tales of diving adventures will make your jaw drop as he shares what it’s like to swim amongst 450kg great hammerheads and tiger sharks, with nothing but his camera and a small PVC stick to protect him. He also reveals his photography tips and reflects on what he’s learnt by spending time with these often misunderstood predators.

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Time magazine named Ian McAllister one of the ‘Leaders of the 21st Century’ – which is no surprise when you hear how committed he is to the unique wilderness he calls his office, Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest.

As an award-winning photographer, celebrated author, IMAX film-maker and co-founder of Pacific Wild, Ian’s spent decades in the field getting to know everything from spirit bears to sea wolves and grizzlies.

Plus, his adventures in the Great Bear Sea have revealed an epic ecosystem filled not only with iconic whales, dolphins, pinnipeds and kelp forests, but also a delicate environment where the balance rests on the future of salmon – the source of life in this truly special part of the world.

In this episode of Wild Lives, Ian’s stories of adventure, discovery and life lessons will both inspire and entertain you.

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Legendary snapper Jad Davenport has spent 15 years as an expedition leader and photographer in the Canadian sub-Arctic, where he sometimes gets so close to wild polar bears and tundra wolves that his camera can’t even focus! From peeing comps with alpha wolves to playtime invitations from juvenile polar bears, Jad’s interactions with these wildlings is the stuff of legend. Much like the man himself, really – Jad started out as a war photographer before he found his true calling as a National Geographic wildlife photographer, and today he’s known as one of the world’s best in the field. In this Wild Lives episode, Jad shares his favourite moments in the Hudson Bay area and reveals what his adventures have taught him about animals, humans and himself.  

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In this episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic we’re speaking to Dr Graham Lauridsen, who gets up close and extremely personal with the southern cassowary – a giant, flightless bird that’s endemic to the Australian tropical rainforest.

Known for being super aggressive and towering at 180cm tall, cassowaries are in the ratite family of birds – so they date back all the way to the Cretaceous period of 60 million years ago (yep, they’re pretty much living dinosaurs – and have the massive talons to match). But what’s it like to live alongside these dangerous but endearing birds – and to rescue them when they run into trouble? Dr Graham shares the stories of some of his most memorable rescues and introduces us to one of his wild favourites, a bald cassowary called Reggie.

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Award-winning photographer, cinematographer and explorer Shannon Wild is known for her close encounters with some of the world’s most endangered animals, and man does she have some stories!

Shannon grew up in Queensland, where she discovered her passion for wildlife and photography at a young age. In the years since then, she’s travelled all over the globe to film and photograph everything from wild komodo dragons to big cats for National Geographic, and, as part of her work, she regularly ventures to Svalbard for close encounters with arctic wildlife.

In this episode of Wild Lives by Faunographic, Shannon shares her most memorable encounters with polar bears, walruses and arctic foxes, and explains how she’s able to keep her cool in dicey situations – even when she’s being mauled by a cheetah!

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For wildlife photographer Paul Ojuara, getting the perfect shot in Natal, on Brazil’s northeastern tip, can be an extreme sport.

Paul’s hometown can be violent (to get to some areas, wildlife photographers need police escorts), and the animals themselves can be a little tricksy (prowling pumas, anyone?). But for architect-turned-biologist Paul, these challenges just fuel his passion for wildlife, in particular the common marmosets and burrowing owls he’s been photographing locally for years.

In this episode of Wild Lives By Faunographic, Paul shares what he’s learnt from his daily encounters with these stunning creatures, reveals the surprising challenges they face and explains the stories behind his most iconic photos.

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Happy World Lion Day! No one knows lions like Dereck and Beverly Joubert. After all, they’ve spent three decades filming them in the wild, and they founded the Big Cats Initiative to help protect these incredible predators in 27 countries.

Dereck and Beverly’s credentials are mega impressive: they’re National Geographic Explorers, multi-award-winning film-makers, TED talkers and conservation game-changers. But above all, they’re humble, bloody good people whose love for each other and what they do is irrepressible (for reals: Dereck has survived brutal attacks by elephants, buffaloes and deadly snakes, along with three plane crashes and at least four bouts of malaria).

As you’ll hear in this inspiring episode of the Wild Lives by Faunographic podcast, Dereck’s commitment to wildlife has never waivered and he’s had some very entertaining encounters during his career. He also takes us behind the scenes of their most recent film, called Tribe Versus Pride, which reveals the complex relationship between lions and the Maasai people who live alongside them.

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