Episode 16: Nigel Marven

Charles and Jon talk with wildlife filmmaker and presenter Nigel Marven from his home in the UK.

Nigel describes how a childhood fascination with wildlife led to his first job in TV, 'wrangling worms', and from there to working with Sir David Attenborough and ultimately presenting and making his own shows and films.

He explains why his films have often put the spotlight onto smaller, less well-known but fascinating mammals including Russian Desmans, Chinese Mole-shrews and Star-nosed Moles. 

And he describes some of his most memorable mammal encounters from Bactrian Camels in China to swimming with Belugas in the Canadian Arctic.

For more information visit www.mammalwatching.com/podcast

Notes: Details of Nigel's forthcoming wildlife tours are on his website. You can read more about his trip to Madagascar here.

This is the article about the discovery of Leadbeater's Possum in New South Wales that Charles talked about.

Jon encouraged listeners to visit mammalwatching.com's Join a Trip page. More details on the two trips he is helping to convene are here:

Primates and Porcupines in Northeast Brazil, May 2026

Mammalwatching Cruise to Antarctica, January 2027

Cover art: Nigel Marven

Dr Charles Foley is a mammalwatcher and biologist who, together with his wife Lara, spent 30 years studying elephants in Tanzania. They now run the Tanzania Conservation Research Program at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

Jon Hallset up mammalwatching.com in 2005. Genetically Welsh, spiritually Australian, currently in New York City. He has looked for mammals in over 110 countries.