Matt Hamilton–writer-director of “Raptors: A Fistful of Daggers,” an unusual two-part edition of the PBS series, “Nature,” which premiered April 10, while the second episode debuts on April 17—recalls the impetus for creating this double-shot of cinematic raptor mania. Part of his explanation involved not having seen a documentary that delved deeply into the realm […] The post Matt Hamilton–writer-director of “Raptors: A Fistful of Daggers” first appeared on Talking Animals ..read more

In what might be called The Sequel, this represents the second portion of the interview I conducted on Feb. 12 with Temple Grandin, onstage at the Paramount Theatre in Austin. We covered a wide range of topics last week, though that discussion featured a preponderance of autism talk, hardly surprising given Grandin’s expertise, personal experience […] The post Temple Grandin, autistic animal scientist and author–The Sequel first appeared on Talking Animals ..read more

Temple Grandin–sometimes referred to as the world’s most famous autistic person, amidst several ways to describe her, including expert on animal behavior, prolific author, longtime professor of animal science at Colorado State University, fervent activist for autistic people, and tireless lecturer—sat with me onstage at the Paramount Theatre in Austin for what became a truly […] The post Temple Grandin, autistic animal scientist and author first appeared on Talking Animals ..read more

Josh Fox–founder of the Brady Hunter Foundation, a Miami-based nonprofit whose mission reflects a commitment to helping end animal cruelty, protecting wildlife, and making a positive impact in the lives of children—observes his love of animals is truly lifelong, citing a photo of Fox as an infant in his crib being happily licked by the […] The post Josh Fox, founder of The Brady Hunter Foundation first appeared on Talking Animals ..read more

Dr. Daniel Promislow–a biogerontologist, professor at the University of Washington, and principal investigator of The Dog Aging Project, a long-term study of health and longevity in dogs—recounts the genesis of the Project. **NOTE: There is static on the line during the first portion of the interview; it does clear up. He explains that it was […] The post Dr. Daniel Promislow, principal investigator of The Dog Aging Project first appeared on Talking Animals ..read more

Jessica Kelly—who, along with Sue Rountree, runs Cat Trap Fever, a nonprofit focused on improving the lives of feral cats, chiefly in Pinellas County—recounts the “hodgepodge” of jobs she held before devoting herself to long days of TNVR:  Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return. Kelly’s jobs included teenage waitress, traveling with the carnival, and ballet instructor. But […] The post Jessica Kelly, co-leader of Cat Trap Fever first appeared on Talking Animals ..read more

As we’ve done eight times prior—spanning the better part of three years–today’s program involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the show-length feature, “Ask The Trainer.” Listeners are invited to call or email questions about their dogs or cats, particularly involving behavioral issues or training concerns. The Trainer these listeners have an […] The post Glen Hatchell: dog trainer, behaviorist–“Ask The Trainer” 9th Edition first appeared on Talking Animals ..read more

I once again set aside the customary “Talking Animals” format to deliver the Annual Holiday Animal Song special—that is, a show almost entirely devoted to Holiday-oriented animal tunes. As has been required in the past, and as I acknowledged while over-explaining this program’s premise (over-explaining the premise has become its own tradition—one of this show’s […] The post The Annual Holiday Animal Song special first appeared on Talking Animals ..read more

Jason Schramm–a web developer and founder of Veg Groups, where he creates websites intended to help people go vegan, stay vegan, or become informed on vegan-oriented events, or films, on his VegMovies site—notes that he got deeply into computers as a seventh grader. While he was drawn as a youngster to exploring some aspects of […] The post Jason Schramm, founder of VegMovies first appeared on Talking Animals ..read more

Mark E. Hauber—professor, ornithologist, and author of “Bird Day: A Story of 24 Hours and 24 Avian Lives”—recalls becoming seriously interested in birds at age four or five. This was in his native Hungary, where, as that little boy, he dragged his mother to view the Spring Migration. His passion for birds was precocious and […] The post Mark E. Hauber, ornithologist & author of “Bird Day: A Story of 24 Hours and 24 Avian Lives” first appeared on Talking Animals ..read more