Episode 24 (REWILDING DEEP DIVE): weird tree shrimps, jawless fish, and the reintroduction of the European bison

The Zoology Ramblings Podcast

Welcome to the twenty-fourth episode of The Zoology Ramblings Podcast!

This is the first of a new episode structure for the ZR podcast: most episodes will follow the normal structure - News, Species of the Week, Local Conservation Story, Global Conservation Story - but every other episode, we will be doing a “Deep Dive” into a potential species reintroduction! At the end of each “Deep Dive”, we will rank the species in question out of 10, and ask our lovely listeners on which species you’d like to hear more about on the next Deep Dive!

So for our news this week, we talk about the bizarre, slimy, jawless hagfish, and the discovery of tree-dwelling shrimp the size of a grain of sand! And for the deep dive, the dynamic duo delve into how European bison were almost completely eradicated from Europe, and how restoration efforts and careful breeding have allowed bison numbers to recover across the continent. Get ready for in-depth discussions on the numerous ecological benefits that bison provide, and look at how we can learn from African conservationists on how to manage metapopulations of megaherbivores.

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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