Welcome to the twenty-second episode of The Zoology Ramblings Podcast!
We begin this episode with a poignant discussion of Emma’s attendance of the Funeral of Nature in Bath, and a more light-hearted discussion of Robi’s recent sightings of the rare bat hawks in the Okavango Delta! For our species of the week, the dynamic duo discuss the weird, cow-stomached hoatzins, and two new species of deer and anaconda described in South America! For the local conservation topic, the pair scrutinise the UK governments new bovine tuberculosis consultation - a policy which fails badgers, fails farmers and fails cattle. For the global conservation section, Emma and Robi discuss a recent workshop Robi attended in South Africa, looking at how AI and footprint tracking are being used in conservation, and then share stories about satellite tagging crocodiles, and Skywalker gibbons in Myanmar!
Robi Watkinson is a Conservation Biologist and wildlife filmmaker specialising in the spatial and movement ecology of large carnivores, camera trapping survey methods, rewilding, metapopulation dynamics and conservation planning. He has an MSc in Conservation Biology from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, and the Institute of Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town. He is based between Cape Town and London, and has strong interests in equitable and inclusive conservation, palaeontology and wildlife taxonomy and evolution!
Emma Hodson is Zoologist and wildlife content creator, currently working in the community and engagement team at Avon Wildlife Trust. Emma’s role as a Wildlife Champions Coordinator involves supporting and upskilling people to take action for nature in their local communities. Emma has experience in remote wildlife fieldwork, and has been part of Arctic fox, macaw and cetacean research teams in Iceland, Peru and Wales respectively. She has also been involved in animal care and rehabilitation work in Costa Rica and South Africa. Emma is particularly passionate about the interface between community engagement and wildlife monitoring, and enjoys running workshops and giving talks on topics including camera trapping, beaver ecology and rewilding.
You can follow more of our weird and wonderful wildlife adventures on instagram: @thezoologyramblingspodcast & @robi_watkinson_wildlife & @emma_hodson_wildlife
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