Nature Disturbed

This week, I journey to an unlikely destination in search of turtles: Canada!
The snapping turtle's range stretches all the way from Florida to the frozen north of the continent. And yet, its remarkable ability to survive the cold is hardly its most defining feature. Perhaps that credit could go to its razor sharp bill; its long, bendy neck; the fake worm on its tongue which it uses to lure fish... or its use of cloacal respiration. Listen to find out more!
I'm joined in this episode by Ellen Weatherford, of the Just the Zoo of Us podcast.

In 1981, infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar imported 4 hippos to his private zoo as a gift for his daughter. After his death, they escaped - and now there are hundreds of feral hippos living in Colombia.
Today's guest is Vanessa the Pink Hippo, the mascot of Escobar's former estate Hacienda Nápoles. Vanessa is severely inbred, but that doesn't stop her from living her truth.

Enormous predatory amphibians lurking in mountain streams and rivers - a thing of the past? Well, yes - the planet was once dominated by these early arrivals onto land. But here, today, now, in the present moment, as we hold space for time and we hold time for space, we must acknowledge the truth: giant amphibians still exist. They're out there. They're skilled nocturnal predators. They're slimy and huge. And they're out there!!!
In this episode I head to western Japan to meet Professor Mizuki Takahashi, to learn more about these amazing creatures. We discuss their reproductive biology; their conservation; and how they appear in Japanese culture.

Two South African orcas, named Port and Starboard, have become infamous shark-hunters. It has been widely reported that the pair are responsible for the declining great white populations in the world's cage-diving capital. But is it true? Should the blame be placed on the killer whales, or is there a bigger picture?
In this episode, I travel to the coastal waters of South Africa to speak with Lacey Williams, Head Field Specialist of Oceans Research South Africa. Lacey performed a necropsy (animal autopsy) on one of the fallen great whites - and she tells us what might really be going on.

Rumour has it, there is a giant prehistoric reptile inhabiting Britain's largest lake/loch by volume. Well, I'm not one for rumours, fairytales, gossips and besmirchments - unless I've made them up myself about my enemies.
In this episode, I head to Scotland to confirm what I already know - that the Loch Ness Monster does exist, but only in our minds. This conspiracy is a surprising jumping-off point for the discussion of science, from techniques like environmental DNA, to the application of statistics, to the biomechanics of ancient plesiosaurs.