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anthropomania
an original podcast about the complex relationship between humans and the wildlife around us
  • Podcast
  • About
  • Blog
    • Late Nights at The Beringia Museum
    • C is for Creepy
    • The Corvid Wars
    • My Backyard Chickens
    • A Peek Behind-the-Scenes Making Nature Documentaries
    • How to make engaging content as brought to you by Eco-Tok TikToker Carissa Cabrera
    • Tales From The Concrete Jungle
    • Keys To The Freezer
    • The Ultimate Mother’s Day Gift Guide from Anthropomania
    • The Largest Toad In The World Is Thriving (and it’s not a good thing)
    • Are there aliens in your back yard?
    • Shakespeare’s Starlings
    • Colombian Cocaine Hippos: Pablo Escobar’s Larger than Life Legacy
    • Billionaires, Ballet and Big Cats
    • Understanding Anthropomania
    • What’s Your Animal Personality?
  • Meet The Team
    • 5 Q’s with Niki Wilson
    • 5 Q’s With Jay Ingram
    • Meet Frances MacKinnon
    • Meet Aviva Lessard
    • Meet Jason Barkhouse
  • Media
    • The Social on CTV
    • CBC Radio Montreal Let’s Go
    • Media Release | Season Two
    • New Scientist Magazine
    • Your Morning CTV
    • Daily Hive
    • Here and Now, CBC Radio
    • Media Release

Author: Victoria Bouthillier

April 5, 2021 by Victoria Bouthillier

Colombian Cocaine Hippos: Pablo Escobar’s Larger than Life Legacy

hippo with open mouth eating grass in zoo

It’s difficult to comprehend the sphere of influence and riches once possessed by the man known as the Cocaine King, drug lord, Pablo Escobar. Escobar is the wealthiest criminal in history, having amassed an estimated…

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Next time you take a sip of your favourite microbr Next time you take a sip of your favourite microbrew and tear off a chunk of baguette piled with cheese you might wanna toast to fungi.  Fungus really are among us. From high-priced morels to mold to the medicinal promise of magic mushrooms, fungi were here before us and they'll be here long after we're dust.   They could live without us, but could we live without them? Would we want to?  Listen to the story of a college kid who ran up against a shotgun wielding morel hunter in a forest in Northern Canada while on a quest to find the best patch of mushrooms. Find out what pricey mushroom smells like  sweat and semen, and hear a mycologist who thinks we have a lot to learn from listening to the lowly mushroom. 

Link in bio 

https://link.chtbl.com/jGPJ7C17

#mushrooms #morels #foraging #fungi #nature #fantasticfungi #yeast #mycology
📣On our latest 🎧 podcast episode, (*link in 📣On our latest 🎧 podcast episode, (*link in bio to listen) “Resurrection: Bringing Back Extinct Animals , @harvardmed ‘s @george.church who  also heads up the #woollymammoth de-extinction project talks woolly mammoth 🦣 versus Arctic elephants 🐘 and the complexities of ancient DNA. 

 but we ran out of time before he could tell us about his entertaining and fascinating connections to the book and movie Jurassic Park. 

🦕Watch this clip to hear George talk about what author Michael Crichton got wrong #Lysine 

🦖 And Now he discovered his work was part of the storyline. 🧐

Will you be watching the new Jurassic movie Jurassic World Dominion when it comes out next month? Let us know in the comments below👇🏼🦖🦕

PS Do YOU think they should bring back the woolly mammoth / Arctic Elephant? 

Double tap ❤️ to like. 

#woollymammoth #jurassicpark #arcticelephant #deextinction #conservation #speciesatrisk #climatechange #iceage #dinosaurs #harvard
⭐️New Episode is live.⭐️ Link in bio to li ⭐️New Episode is live.⭐️ Link in bio to listen. 

RESURRECTION: Bringing back extinct species. 

What are the chances *really* that given all the advances in gene editing and genome sequencing that we can recreate extinct species like mammoths 🦣 dinosaurs 🦖 and even birds 🐦? 

Who decides which animals make the cut? Where will they live? And most importantly could it benefit conservation efforts or hurt them? 

Our brilliant  guests include George Church head of the woolly mammoth/African elephant de-extinction project, Ben Novak from Revive and Restore, Amy Fletcher and paleogeneticist Mikkel Sinding. 

#deextinction #conservation #woollymammoth #africanelephant #passengerpigeon #environment #nature #animals
What do you think of when someone says "CHICKEN" ? What do you think of when someone says "CHICKEN" ?  Have you ever raised your own? Discuss. 🐓

Listen to the fascinating and funny Episode 202 FORMIDABLE FOWL: from the jungle to the backyard all about chickens. Available everywhere you get podcasts.

#chicken #fowl #redjunglefowl #tasteslikechicken #coqauvin #chickenwings #chickensofinstagram #backyardchickens #anthropomania #animals #eggs #raisingchickens #farmlife #podcast #conservation
Think chickens are boring? 🐓 Or, better questi Think chickens are boring? 🐓

Or, better question, do you ever actually give them a second thought?  Or is it just chicken wings and omelettes all day long for you? 🐓 🍳

Watch this clip from episode 203, where guest Andrew Lawlor, author of How the Chicken Crossed the World quizzes co-host Jay Ingram on the ancient birds original role with humans. (not what you think

Chickens have come a long way - literally - from the jungles of Asia to the shores of North America and every other corner of the world you can imagine.  They've played a role in deciding the fates of nations, religious ceremonies and feeding the planet. And they make a great pet. 🐔

Catch the entire episode on @apple podcasts @spotify and all the usual podcast streaming platforms.

#chicken #wildjunglefowl #redjunglefowl #rooster #cockfighting #animals #asia #food #conservation #podcast #backyardchicken #broilerchicken
🐓🐓New Episode out now. 🐓🐓The extraordi 🐓🐓New Episode out now. 🐓🐓The extraordinary saga of the world’s most common bird: 🐓combatant, 🐓experimental subject, 🐓entrée 🐓and pet 🐓 (not necessarily in this order).  The chicken is far more meaningful to our lives than you ever imagined. They can count, recognize faces and are capable of deception.   We trace the history of the humble chicken from its wild beginnings as the Red Jungle Fowl in Southeast Asia all the way to the broiler chicken of today, and finally to the modern backyard chicken craze.  Listen wherever  you get podcasts. 

#Chicken  #backyardchickens #hens #henparty #conservation #chickenlandia #bigchicken #environment #birds #eggs #lovechickens #petchicken
#ICYMI Have you listened to episode one of season #ICYMI Have you listened to episode one of season two yet? Get caught up before tomorrow’s next episode drops. (Link in bio)

The beeb #BBC and many other traditional broadcasters like @Discovery and @PBS are known for their visually stunning cinematic wildlife documentaries. But is it time to make way for micro docs? 

With younger viewers and content creators spending their time on #Instagram and #tiktok it has us asking ourselves if longform documentaries are losing their appeal. 🤔

One Oxford researcher says short form videos like the amazing ones @ASAPscience make are the future of documentaries. Do you agree? Do you watch documentaries? 

🔖Tag your favorite #science #wildlife and #nature #influencers in the comments.

#Science #nature #wildlife #documentaries #Anthropomania #environment #conservation #planet #earth #plants #animals
🌊 It’s World Water Day! In honour of the da 🌊 It’s World Water Day! 

In honour of the day, we compiled a list of some of our favourite nature documentaries about the ocean. 

5 Best Nature Documentaries about the Ocean 🌊

1. My Octopus Teacher
2. The Blue Planet
3. Co-Extinction (coming soon!)
4. James Cameron’s Deep Sea Challenge
5. Chasing Coral

Do you have a favourite? What ocean friendly accounts should we follow? Tell us in the comments 👇🏼

🔗 Check out our link in bio to listen to the first episode of season 2 of Anthropomania to hear all about what it's like to make nature docs!

#worldwaterday #nature #animals #wildlife #conservation #environment #loveanimals #loveyourplanet #savetheplanet #earth #anthropomania #water #documentaries @myoctopusteacher @bbcearth #blueplanet @chasingcoral
Those amazing shots you see wildlife documentaries Those amazing shots you see wildlife documentaries are what make them so dang addictive. 

In the latest episode of Anthropomania Jay and Niki talk to three veteran documentary filmmakers who've spent countless agonizing hours hiking, waiting and hoping. for that  #moneyshot They've directed and produced major docs for BBC, CBC PBS  including Caroline Underwood. 

If you want to hear more about their incredible adventures filming whales, and hummingbirds and giant stinky plants,  fire up your favourite podcast app and listen to Bingeworthy; Are Nature Documentaries Good For Nature? (Or, you can click the link in our bio) 

#wildlifedocs #wildlife #naturedocs #nature #documentaries #animals #bowhead #whale #bbc #cbc #pbs #anthropomania #conservation #environment #filmming
⚡️ IN ONE WEEK ⚡️ March 15th We're Back. ⚡️ IN ONE WEEK ⚡️ 
March 15th We're Back.

▶️ Check the link in our bio to find out how to listen and follow for an exciting new S2 series with interviews, stories, discussions and adventures exploring the human bond with all things wildlife.

➤ We know you've been asking, And Anthropomania is back for a second season starting March 15th, 2022. And we couldn't be more excited. 

➤ Hosts Jay Ingram and Niki Wilson get curious about the sometimes complicated always fascinating connection we have with the world around us, especially when it comes it nature and wildlife. 

➤ Bursting with world class guests and storytellers, and rooted in our curiosity and love of science and the planet, you are GUARANTEED to learn something cool and be entertained. 

➤ Season Two drops *March 15th* with the A-Team (Niki and Jay) exploring the magical and sometimes controversial world of Nature Documentaries - everyone watches them but ...what's the point, seriously? Are they actually good *for nature*? 

➤ We're joined by Emmy and BAFTA winning doc filmmakers from the BBC Natural History Unit, PBS & CBC. We talk to the rule-makers, to a TikTok influencer about the future of the Nature Docs. And so much more! You don't want to miss it. 

➤ Do you who made the very first nature documentary? Or that Disney is responsible for one the most enduring myths about animal behaviour that you probably think is true? Or what it's like to be on set with Sir David Attenborough? We got you. 

🌎 If you love the planet, you'll love Anthropomania.

❤️ Share! Like! Follow! Listen! Help us spread the word! 

@anthropomania @applepodcasts @spotify @stitcher @google @amazon @newscientist @cbc @bbc @pbs @asapscience @science.sam @telus_spark @jay.ingram.315 @nikilynnwilson @coneflower_studios @naturecanada_ @nature @ncc_cnc @natureguelph @entobird @natgeo @natgeowild @cangeo @ontariosciencecentre @thetorontozoo @parks.canada @natgeodocs @discoverycanada @natureismetal @world_wildlife
Happy World Wildlife Day! And get ready for Seas Happy World Wildlife Day!  And get ready for  Season Two of Anthropomania!!

We are all about #wildlife and putting our relationship we have with it under the proverbial microscope. Whether it's dissecting the art and science of #taxidermy or stretching our ideas about #plant sentience or asking if nature #documentaries are really all that good for the wildlife they focus their lenses on - we are (ahem) wild about wildlife. 

Click our link in bio to spend World Wildlife Day listening to some great podcast episodes. 
 
We are heavy into  production for Season Two of the Anthropomania podcast and excited to bring you more amazing episodes starting March 15th! #worldwildlifeday #wildlife #anthropomania #conservation #environment #animallove #nature #humansandwildlife #podcast
National Polar Bear Day. Polar bears live in 19 National Polar Bear Day. 

Polar bears live in 19 populations across the Arctic. About 60% live within or are shared by Canada. Polar bears are also found in the U.S. (Alaska), Russia, Greenland, and Norway (Svalbard).

The IUCN Polar Bear Specialist Group lists the polar bear as a vulnerable species, citing sea ice loss from climate change as the single biggest threat to their survival. 

In addition to climate warming, other challenges to the bears include increased commercial activities, conflicts with people, pollution, disease, inadequate habitat protection (of denning and seasonal resting areas), and the potential for over-harvest in smaller or declining polar bear populations.

#cimatecrisis #polarbearday #polarbears #churchillmanitoba #endangeredspecies #animals
Consider the hippopotamus 🦛 on the occasion of Consider the hippopotamus 🦛  on the occasion of World Hippopotamus Day.

Hippo Facts: ⬇️⬇️⬇️

🦛  Hippos kill more people every year than lions, elephants, and buffaloes combined.

🦛 Their closest living relatives are whales and dolphins.

🦛  Hippos can’t jump. Hippos don’t jump because their vertebrae are fused together, making it impossible for them to bend their back like other mammals such as cats and dogs. If they tried jumping, they would cause severe damage to their backs and could even die!

🦛  They are considered the third largest land animal on Earth (behind elephants and rhino's)

🦛  The biggest threat to hippos is humans. Hippos are killed by humans for their meat, ivory tusks, and skin. They are also threatened by habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade. 

🦛 They sweat an oily red liquid which helps protect their skin from drying out – and acts as a sunblock. 

🦛  Despite their enormous size (3200kg), hippos are great swimmers and can hold their breath for up to five minutes underwater. When completely submerged, their ears and nostrils fold shut to keep 
water out. #hippo #worldhippoday #animals #conservation #wildlife #nationalgeogrqphic #natgeo #cangeo #endangeredspecies
Would you eat an octopus? Last December 2021 a st Would you eat an octopus?

Last December 2021 a statement from the UK Animal Welfare recognized lobsters, octopus, and crabs as ‘sentient’ beings.

In an article by the Australian Broadcasting Commission on its website at abc.net.au, they wrote that “a sentient being is capable of experiencing a range of feelings or emotions, from negative ones like pain and suffering to positive ones like pleasure, excitement and joy.”

In the same article, it states that “researchers found there was "very strong evidence" for sentience among octopuses in particular.

This report is just the latest of many to show the complex behaviors of octopuses. For example, a 2018 study found that if octopuses were given the party drug ecstasy, they were increasingly sociable with one another.”

Here’s some crazy facts about octopuses as per @live_science , written by Megan Gannon:
🐙 They eat their arms when bored.
🐙They pack poison.
🐙They use tools.
🐙They can open childproof pill bottles.
🐙They're masters of camouflage.
🐙They live fast and die young.
🐙Their suckers are the strong but sensitive type.
🐙They're playful.

Read the whole article here: https://www.livescience.com/41924-smart-octopus-facts.html

Octopuses also had their moment in the Academy Awards stage when My Octopus Teacher @myoctopusteacher , a Netflix documentary by Craig Foster @theoctopusteacherr , was awarded as the Best Documentary Feature in the 2021 Oscars @theacademy 

Do you have any interesting trivia about octopuses? Share them in the comments!

#octopus #sentientbeings #myoctopusteacher #nature #oceanlife #academyawards #anthropomania #livescience #sciencelover
Have you heard of fishing spiders, Dolomedes teneb Have you heard of fishing spiders, Dolomedes tenebrosus?

If you’ve listened to the very first episode of Season 1,  @jay.ingram.315 , @nikilynnwilson , and @riksiren together with Herzog and Gosling talked about animal personalities. As the trio discussed anthropomorphism, behavior, and personality, Jay asserted that “this idea of calling any differences in behavior among individuals in a group personality seems to me it means that just about any living thing can have a personality, even insects, like ants that explore have a different personality than ants that stay at home. And I think that's a really different notion of personality than most of us have.”

To which Erika responded with a great story about female fishing spiders and sexual cannibalism.

Listen to Erika’s story in this clip about fishing spiders and personality as soon as Jay mentioned insects. Check out the full episode by heading over to the link in bio.

As a brief background about fishing spiders, according to PennState Extension (extension.psu.edu) fishing spiders are:

🕷 Similar to the larger wolf spiders in size, shape, and coloration.

🕷 Species in the genus Dolomedes are called fishing spiders because most live near water and have been reported to catch small fish and aquatic insects from the water as they walk on the surface.
 
🕷 The species Dolomedes tenebrosus is more frequently associated with wooded areas (it would be more accurately classified as a tree-dwelling spider) and is a common household invader in these locations. It occurs from New England and Canada south to Florida and Texas.

Don’t forget to subscribe to Anthropomania Podcast on your favorite podcast player to get updated with the latest episodes.

Now that you’ve heard about fishing spiders killing their mates, how would you describe their personality? Drop your answers in the comments and tag a friend who loves/hates spiders!

#fishingspiders #dolomedestenebrosus #spiders #anthropomania #podcast #sciencepodcasts #animalpersonality #anthropomorphism #podcastinglife
Will Wiarton Willie see its shadow and we’ll ha Will 
Wiarton Willie see its shadow and we’ll have six more weeks of winter or are we going to experience an early spring?

Today, we’ll know the answer. 

In 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the famed annual celebration went virtual and a pre-recorded video was posted online. This year in its 66th year, amidst reports that the albino Wiarton Willie was dead, it is up to his big brown understudy to predict the fate of our seasons. 

And while we’re at it, it is also wise  to brush up on the history of Groundhog Day. According to visitwiarton.ca: “It all started back in 1957, when a jovial local by the name of Mac McKenzie decided that his little town of Wiarton could use some 'livening up' in the bleak months of winter. He sent out invitations to all of his city friends, welcoming them to a Groundhog Day celebration in his hometown.

Most knew Mac for what he was, a long time joker, and ignored the invite - and the long trek north. However, the invitation caught the attention of one reporter and photographer from the Toronto Daily Star, Frank Teskey.

When Frank Teskey, the reporter dispatched by the Toronto Daily Star, first arrived in Wiarton, he asked for directions to the Groundhog celebration. Local residents were confused, what celebration? It didn't take them long to figure out what was up when the reporter mentioned the name 'Mac McKenzie'.

The reporter was directed to, at that time, the Arlington Hotel where, sure enough, Mac was sharing a few drinks with a dozen or so friends. When Teskey asked 'What's the deal?', Mac said 'This is it!'. 

Teskey joined the party, but the next day he knew he couldn't go back to Toronto without a story for the paper.

The group went outside to the snow a dug a little hole. They looked around for something that looked like a groundhog, then grabbed a white fur hat off of a lady and threw it into the hole - and snapped a photo. A story was born!”

#groundhogday2022 #wiartonwillie #groundhogs #anthropomania
Merry Christmas to all. 🎄 Spend some time in na Merry Christmas to all. 🎄 Spend some time in nature, notice the wildlife around you and while you’re at it. catch up on season one of our podcast. It’ll lift your spirits. And make sure you’re signed up for our newsletter so you don’t miss our exciting updates coming soon! Link in bio.
Aliens -aka the dangerously invasive wild boars - Aliens -aka the dangerously invasive wild boars - have been sighted just outside Canada’s biggest city. Find out who saw this coming and why officials have reason to be concerned. Listen to Episode 104 Aliens Among Us. Link in bio or see our highlights. ⁣
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#invasivespecies #wildboar #anthropomania #animals #swine #pigs #conservation  #toronto #nature #environment #intario #mnr
🦏 It's World Rhinoceros Day! 🦏 Have you tak 🦏 It's World Rhinoceros Day! 🦏

Have you taken a close look at a rhino? Go ahead, take a second to zoom in. I'll wait. See?  Have you ever seen one IRL?  Tell us in the comments and hit the ❤️.

 They've one of the most fascinating mugs in the animal kingdom. For.sure. 

Today we're gonna give some love to the beautiful rhino: 

🦏  They're the second largest mammal on the planet after the elephants. They exist in  Africa and Asia. 

🦏  Five known species exist, all of them on the brink of extinction because of excessive hunting and poaching.

🦏  White rhinos are nearly extinct – but a few years ago scientists grew a test-tube embryo to help save them, 🧪

🦏  Malaysia’s last male Sumatran rhinoceros, Tam,  died in 2017—a serious blow for the critically endangered species. 
Iman, a female,  is now  sole remaining member of its species in Malaysia. Due to decades of habitat loss and poaching, fewer than 80 Sumatran rhinos are thought to exist in the wild.

🦏  The first rhinoceros to wandered the planet was the Woolly  Rhino which, lived around 50 million years ago. 

🦏  The paraceratherium, a hornless species of ancient rhinoceros that roamed the Earth 30 million years ago, stood over 16 feet tall. Modern rhinos are significantly smaller, of course, but scientists don’t really know how they evolved. The white rhino, which grows up to 6 feet tall, is the largest of the five species that exist today. 

🦏  It’s estimated about 29,000 rhinoceros are left in the wild, compared to 500,000 at the beginning of the 20th century. They are killed due to their horns used in traditional folk medicine, particularly in Asia.

Source: NatGeo.com, 5factum.com 

#worldrhinoday #rhino #wildkingdom #conservation #anthropomania #whiterhino #savetherhinos #africa #environment #earth #earthday #animals #nature #podcast #science #wildlife #nationalgeographic
Question: How do you survive the Concrete Jungle Question:  How do you survive the Concrete Jungle if you're a little critter used living in the wild? (Asking for a four legged friend). Eating garbage helps. (looking at you, trash panda).

Wellll, there are a few other things that can make you king of the concrete  jungle.  Check out Jay's video, including a surprise connection to our very first episode. 

Episode 106 #ConcreteJungle, and the entire season one, is Available to binge on your favourite podcast app.  Link in bio to listen.

#anthropomania #concretejungle #podcast #jayingram #animals #urbanwildlife #science #nature #omnivore #adaptation #alberta #coyote #raccoon #citylife #cityanimals #trashpanda #toronto #luxuryaffect
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