Aussie Wildlife Show

Dr Natalie Warburton is Associate Professor of Anatomy at Murdoch University and Dr Aaron Camens Lectures in Palaeontology at Flinders University. We discuss marsupial evolution from marsupial moles to extinct tree dwelling kangaroos from the Nullarbor Plains.  Marsupial Mole. Image credit: Auscape International Pty Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo

We caught up with good friend Michael Smith to chat about some of the awesome Western Australian wildlife he has worked with during his career in conservation and education. 

Mark Smith holds a senior position at Adelaide Zoo and is a world-renowned shark and ray expert and the co-author of Elasmobranch Husbandry Manual: Captive Care of Sharks, Rays, and their Relatives.

Dr. Katherine Tuft is the Chief Executive at Arid Recovery and leads the team, managing operations, overseeing the science program and community engagement. She has a background in conservation ecology, having completed a PhD on Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies in NSW, and spent six years working on declining mammals in northern Australia. Western Quoll release, photo by Melissa Jensen

Terry Reardon is a bat expert and researcher and works as a technical officer at the South Australian Museum. Terry has worked tirelessly with SA communities to raise awareness about bat ecology and conservation.​

Joan Gibbs is a Grasslands and Fire Ecologist teaching out of the University of South Australia.  Photo by Trevar Skillicorn-Chilver on Unsplash

Helen and Ali work as wildlife ecologists for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. AWC is the largest private owner and manager of land for conservation in Australia, protecting endangered wildlife across more than 12.5 million hectares in iconic regions such as the Kimberley, Cape York, Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre and the Top End. 

Matt Summerville and Kristy Jensen are the creators of the YouTube channel, The Natural Herp Keeper. They created the Natural Herp Keeper to share their passion for reptile keeping, herping, DIY naturalistic enclosures and to  inspire others to change the way they keep reptiles by increasing the standard of husbandry and striving to create the best possible life for captive animals.  Both Matt and Kristy are experienced zoo keepers with a passion for the natural world.  Collett's snake (Pseudechis colletti). Matt Summerville.

We catch up with conservation geneticist Dr Tahlia Perry to learn about all things echidnas. You can be involved in echidna conservation by downloading Tahlia's app 'Echidna CSI' to add echidna sightings, photos and observed behaviours.  Image by PCTRS by Pixabay

We caught up with Professor Chris Daniels the CEO of Koala Life to chat about Koala conservation. Chris has been a prolific scientist and author, having written or edited 9 books and 1 DVD and contributed to more than 170 scientific publications. 

Jeremy Austin is an evolutionary biologist working in the fields of ancient DNA, molecular ecology, conservation genetics and forensic biology.  Jeremy's research uses ancient and modern DNA techniques to “travel through time” to understand the evolutionary history of living and extinct vertebrates; assess the impacts of past environmental change on animal populations; and provide valuable genetic data for conservation and management of threatened species. Jeremy is the deputy director for the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA at the University of Adelaide. 

In this episode we chat with conservationist Ross Oke about ways we can encourage native wildlife to live sustainably within the urban environment. Ross Oke is the General Manager at the Goolwa to Wellington Local Action Planning Association.

Peter Mirtschin has published over 70 scientific papers on venom research, snake ecology, conservation and snake behaviour, as well as several books on Australian dangerous snakes. He is also the founder of Venom Supplies, which supplies both Australian and exotic snake venoms for research, antivenom and therapeutic applications.  

Emma McKenzie has worked with many species of threatened marsupials such as Tiger Quolls, Eastern Quolls, Brush-tailed Rock Wallabies and Squirrel Gliders and has also been involved in ecotourism, education and habitat restoration. Emma is the wildlife manager at Wildlife Wonders in the beautiful Otway Ranges, just 5 minutes out of Apollo Bay. Wildlife Wonders offer guided walks through lush tree fern gullies, Eucalypt woodlands and spectacular ocean vistas. All the profits from Wildlife Wonders go directly to the Conservation Ecology Centre, working to conserve the unique Australian plants and animals across the Otways.

We were joined again by Dr John Read the Pragmatic Ecologist who tells us about one of the biggest threats to Australian biodiversity. Is it cats, rabbits, cane toads or something else? Have a listen to find out. We also asked john about the pushback ecologists receive regarding the culling of native animals. Make sure you also check out our previous interview with John when he launched his book 'Among the Pigeons: Why Cats Belong Indoors'. Photo Cathy Zwick

Kristen Messenger, owner of Bugs n Slugs, tells us why mangroves matter and gives a passionate plea for mangrove conservation. Click here to sign the petition to save the St Kilda mangroves :)  Image by Bishnu Sarangi from Pixabay 

John Gitsham is the Senior Park Ranger in charge of the Coorong National Park, the former president of Birds SA, and is a skilled and passionate wildlife photographer. We chat with John about one of his favourite groups of birds, the ducks. The below image is of Australian Shovellers. Photo credit: John Gitsham.

We recently had a visit from Dr Cheryl Wilson to learn about the science behind the benefits of connecting with the natural world. Cheryl specialises in Lifestyle Medicine and has a life-long passion for wildlife and nature. Follow Dr Wilson's Facebook page, Living Well with Dr. Wilson for more heath tips.

David Mclelland is a wildlife veterinarian at the Adelaide Zoo. We chat about some of David's experiences working with wildlife, from devils to dragons and everything in between. Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

ANiMOZ Creator, Joel Howland, is a student studying Animal Science at Flinders University in Adelaide. He designed ANiMOZ - a trading card game - as a way to engage kids and people of all ages in Australia’s incredibly unique, but endangered native fauna. Every card features a different native Australian animal, from the powerful Wedge-tailed Eagle to the critically endangered Mountain Pygmy Possum. Click here to buy the ANiMOZ starter pack.

After 54 years of dedicated service to the veterinary care, wellbeing, conservation and research of wildlife, Dr David Schultz, former Zoos SA veterinarian, has been awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for “significant service to veterinary medicine, to zoological societies, and to philanthropy. We chat about rock-wallaby cross-fostering, wildlife reintroduction projects and we get David's advice on how to get involved in the conservation industry. 

Samantha Bywaters a lecturer in Conservation and Land Management, is an advocate for volunteering and is doing a PhD on conserving orchids in a changing climate. 

Researchers Dr Mike Swinbourne and Dr Alyce Swinbourne chat with us about wombat ecology, natural history and conservation. You can check out Mike's Facebook page, 'Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats - the Science', for more awesome wombat information, pics and videos.  

Michael Mills is the creative director at Heaps Good Productions. He connects all ages to the natural world through song, theatre and storytelling with characters such as Professor Flint and with his Facebook page Dinosaur University.  

John has a PhD in Ecosystem Management and has published over 100 peer reviewed journal articles in the fields of arid zone ecology, reptile and avian ecology, mining and grazing impact assessment, vertebrate pest management and threatened species recovery. Click here to find our more about John's most recent book 'Among The Pigeons'.

Carl Charter is the co-founder of Experiencing Marine Sanctuaries, under water photographer and scuba diving instructor. Check out some of Carl's footage of the giant cuttlefish here Click here to ask about private tours with Carl for very small groups to see leafy-sea dragons and other unique sea creatures.

We recently had a ribbetting conversation, warts and all, with frog researcher Steven Walker :) Spotted Marsh Frog (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis). Photo by Steven J Walker.

Clive and Claire are field ecologists that have have been focusing on plant diversity as a guide to overall ecosystem health.  Flying Duck Orchid (Caleana major). Photo by Clive Chesson. 

In this episode Kristen Messenger from Bugs n Slugs reveals some of the bizarre ways that invertebrates reproduce, from beetles with chastity belts to snail love darts. This episode is recommended for mature audiences :)  Photo by Egor Kamelev from Pexels

This is our first episode for 2020 and was recorded as fires ravished the country. Over 18 million acres have been burnt including thousands of homes and buildings and we saw the loss of over one billion animals. We talk about a range of subjects with Wayne ranging from climate science to wildlife conservation during this confronting and emotional time. 

Dianne Pearson is a zookeeper and animal rescuer specialising in native mammals. We caught up with Dianne after she returned from working with Tree Kangaroos at the Tree Roo Rescue and Conservation Centre in Far North Queensland. 

Dr Erinn Fagan-Jeffries is a researcher studying parasitoid wasps with a passion for communicating about biodiversity, insects and species discovery.

Rex Neindorf is the owner/director of the Alice Springs Reptile Centre which he opened in 2000. Rex chats with us about some of the awesome reptiles he gets to work with as well as sharing much of what he has learnt in growing his facility to become the successful business it is today.  

Dr Tim Jessop is an ecologist with Deakin University and is a scientific adviser for the Komodo Survival Program. Click here to check out and to support the awesome work the Komodo Survival Program do :)

Scott Pullyblank is a knowledgeable and passionate science communicator, specialising in conservation and biology and is currently the Curator of Life Sciences at the Alice Springs Desert Park.  Thorny Devil, photo courtesy of C.Margetts Photography

Richard Gibson is the Head of Life Sciences at Auckland Zoo and has managed zoo reptile departments all over the world. We caught up with Richard at the Large Varanid Workshop (October 2019) in Alice Springs where he gave two presentations, one on Komodo Dragon husbandry and the other on parthenogenesis, which he co-discovered in Komodo Dragons. 

In this episode the always inspiring Sophie Thomson gives us advice about creating habitat friendly gardens for any situation. Sophie is a gardening consultant, writer as well as a presenter for ABC TV's Gardening Australia. Sophie lives at Sophie’s Patch, a three acre garden that produces organically grown food as well as locally indigenous plant species for wildlife habitat.   

Katie Irvine is a Science Communicator with the School of Biological Sciences of the University of Adelaide. Katie has an interest in citizen science, community ecology, habitat fragmentation, revegetation, and conserving the natural environment for the benefit of people and wildlife. In this episode we chat about Katie's work in the rain forests of Far North Queensland, Tree Kangaroos and conserving threatened orchids. 

Zac Bower works with some of the most dangerous snakes on the planet with the venom extraction program at the Australian Reptile Park.  The Australian Reptile Park is the sole-provider of terrestrial snake venoms to the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories. Their work contributes to the production of life-saving medicines that are relied upon by hundreds of patients in Australia and New Guinea every year. 

Ben Britton is the Director of the Wild Cat Conservation Centre in Hawkesbury, one hour north west of Sydney, Australia. The Conservation Centre focuses on the preservation and conservation of wild cats of the world, including African Serval, Caracal and the endangered Cheetah.  Ben has more than 20 years of professional experience in animal husbandry and wildlife conservation which has taken him across the world, from reserves in Africa to sanctuaries in Asia. Ben currently features on National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild, appearing in numerous documentaries highlighting his wildlife conservation efforts.

Trevor Evans has dedicated his life to protecting and saving endangered Australian species and their habitats. He is the founder of Secret Creek Sanctuary which was set up to provide a feral-proof enclosure where endangered native species are protected from predation. The sanctuary aims to show visitors what Australia once looked like prior to European settlement and houses species such as Eastern Quoll, Dingo, Tasmanian Devil, Long-nosed Potoroo, Rufous Bettong, Spotted-tailed Quoll and Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby. It is also the home of the Secret Creek Cafe, a unique, rustic home-style cabin serving delicious refined plant-based food. Pictured below is an abandoned Spotted-tailed Quoll joey that Trevor was hand-raising when we visited.  

We recently had the opportunity to visit Chad Staples (Zookeeper Chad) at Featherdale Wildlife Park. Chad has worked at Featherdale for over 20 years and chats with us about why he loves his job and shares his passion for conservation and education. Located in the Greater Western Sydney Region, Featherdale Wildlife Park have a wonderfully diverse collection of Australian animals and are involved in many conservation programs to preserve vulnerable and endangered Australian wildlife.  You can follow Chad's journey at: https://www.facebook.com/zookeeperchad/ https://www.instagram.com/zookeeper_chad/?hl=en

Tim Faulkner is the co-director at the Australian Reptile Park, a conservation-based zoo located in a natural bush setting on the Central Coast of NSW which specialises in education, conservation and lifesaving snake and spider venom collection work. Tim is also the president of Aussie Ark, established in 2011 as ‘Devil Ark’, with a focus on saving the iconic Tasmanian devil from extinction. Since then and due to overwhelming success, the role of the organisation has expanded, and now has vision of creating a long-term future for our threatened Australian species. Tim was the Australian Geographic Australian Conservationist of the Year 2015.  

This week we had a visit from conservation biologist Dr David Peacock to talk about how his idea to return Western Quolls to the Flinders Ranges came into fruition. We also talk about his latest idea to return Tiger Quolls (pictured) onto Kangaroo Island.

This week we had a visit from Toby Esplin who owns and operates African-based wildlife tour company About Nature Tours. Toby and his team specialise in nature-based safaris around southern Africa and Madagascar. 

This week we caught up with David Evans from Clear Mountain Reptiles who came down from Queensland to chat with us about some of the awesome reptiles he works with, including the stunning Emerald tree Monitor.  

We had a visit from Estuarine Ecologist 'Faith Coleman' to talk about the heath of the Murray River, carp herpes, restoring natural flows and bioluminescent dinoflagellates. Faith really only came over to cuddle Snuffles the wombat.   

This week's episode is a collection of short interviews we did at last year's Riverland Field Days where we were set up in the Natural Resources SA Murray-Darling Basin tent. We chat with some of the awesome people working to protect the fragile river ecosystems, the owner of wildlife demonstration business Black Snake Productions and the owner of Southern Emu Farm. 

This week we catch up with Daniel Saliba to learn about the secret lives of the threatened Murray-Darling Carpet Python. Daniel has spent many years out in the field researching, surveying and studying these cryptic snakes. Daniel's work aims to bring an awareness of these beautiful pythons, which are disappearing from the eastern Australian woodland ecosystems of the Murray-Darling Basin.

Thank you to all the listeners and to all the guests that support the Aussie Wildlife Show. In this episode we chat about why we do the show and why we love Australian wildlife and nature.  For those that may wish to donate to the show click here to access our Patreon account.

Sarah and Alex are an ecological power-couple who are passionate about protecting biodiversity and also, through their business EnviroEdu, they raise awareness and educate future generations. We chat with them about some of the projects they've worked on in Australia and around the world including gorillas in Africa and also meeting Lonesome George in the Galápagos Islands.