The MGM lion, nicknamed Leo, must be one of the most recognisable logos and mascots in the world. Generations of moviegoers have grown up watching him herald the start of the newest blockbuster. But have you ever actually wondered who the real lion behind the screen is? Because I have. It turns out that there have actually been a lot of lions featured in the MGM logo over the years, and some of their life stories are beyond belief! Seriously, guys, this is probably one of the most fun episodes I've done in a long time!

Original air date: 15th October 2024

Important note: Unfortunately I wasn't able to import my show when I was switching hosting platforms, and as a result I'm having to re-upload my podcast from the start. Because of that, these early episodes are not indictive of the show's current quality - both in terms of the equipment used and my own skills as a writer & presenter - so apologies for that! Hopefully before too long I'll have caught up to my current output. In the meantime, you can check out my full back catalogue of episodes, and catch up with my newer content, over on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp6MWEI1w5ZrPiEM7zZKmgvtqhmWWbpeB

Show notes: (for content warnings, sources used, related non-profits, etc)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RddgZxazCJUnH84KYHk2EjfakZvJFsiFrbQVLfuDzYU/edit?usp=sharing

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When she was only a baby, Rosa the sea otter was abandoned by her mother. Her life was saved by staff at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, who rescued and rehabilitated her with the hope of one day returning her to the wild. And while she was never able to be released, she would still go on to have a massive impact on helping to save her species, by both serving as a foster mother to other orphaned babies (many of whom were successfully returned to the wild!) and by raising massive amounts of money and awareness for sea otter conservation through her unexpected career as an internet star. It's just as wholesome as it sounds, and I loved getting to share it with you today!

Original air date: 1st October 2024

Important note: Unfortunately I wasn't able to import my show when I was switching hosting platforms, and as a result I'm having to re-upload my podcast from the start. Because of that, these early episodes are not indictive of the show's current quality - both in terms of the equipment used and my own skills as a writer & presenter - so apologies for that! Hopefully before too long I'll have caught up to my current output. In the meantime, you can check out my full back catalogue of episodes, and catch up with my newer content, over on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp6MWEI1w5ZrPiEM7zZKmgvtqhmWWbpeB

Show notes: (for content warnings, sources used, related non-profits, etc)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DaelpyvJFA_2cptObZc1U1FvYk4C238WodA3mnNA8TI/edit?usp=sharing

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Revered as the world's most valuable dog, Pulaski's Masterpiece had it all. He was a champion show dog, a successful stud, the mascot of a luxury dog supply shop, a model, a socialite, a celebrity, a TV talk show host, and even an international goodwill ambassador. With a resumé like that, it's not surprise he was considered to be the most famous dog in the world during his lifetime. But that's not what Pulaski's Masterpiece is most remembered for. Instead, his legacy is dominated by the mystery of his disappearance. Despite an extensive police investigation and a high-profile campaign to find him, 70 years on the truth of what happened to him is still unknown. In this weeks episode of the Animal Nerd Podcast, we're diving deep into both Masterpiece's incredible life and the unsolved mystery of his disappearance. Honestly, this episode gets surprisingly true crimey for a podcast about pets!

Original air date: 1st October 2024

Important note: Unfortunately I wasn't able to import my show when I was switching hosting platforms, and as a result I'm having to re-upload my podcast from the start. Because of that, these early episodes are not indictive of the show's current quality - both in terms of the equipment used and my own skills as a writer & presenter - so apologies for that! Hopefully before too long I'll have caught up to my current output. In the meantime, you can check out my full back catalogue of episodes, and catch up with my newer content, over on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp6MWEI1w5ZrPiEM7zZKmgvtqhmWWbpeB

Show notes: (for content warnings, sources used, related non-profits, etc)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZHn4GdMlGtG7aMs95LdQCprOCcOGyHYfJlybdQW9pXo/edit?usp=sharing

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this weeks episode of the Animal Nerd Podcast, we're delving deep into history to try and track down the origin of the phrase "when pigs fly" / "pigs might fly". It's actually been around for a lot longer than you might expect, and has a surprisingly interesting history - in my slightly biased opinion, of course! So sit back and relax while I relay to you almost five hundred years of flying-pig-based history!

Original air date: 20th September 2024

Important note: Unfortunately I wasn't able to import my show when I was switching hosting platforms, and as a result I'm having to re-upload my podcast from the start. Because of that, these early episodes are not indictive of the show's current quality - both in terms of the equipment used and my own skills as a writer & presenter - so apologies for that! Hopefully before too long I'll have caught up to my current output. In the meantime, you can check out my full back catalogue of episodes, and catch up with my newer content, over on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp6MWEI1w5ZrPiEM7zZKmgvtqhmWWbpeB

Show notes: (for content warnings, sources used, related non-profits, etc)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Bcwq7OvgOqtqvJ4vH2WY-ytTGboF8RlTw1VauVq6BRY/edit?usp=sharing

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

White bison are sacred in many Indigenous American cultures, and so when White Cloud, the first documented albino bison, was born, it's no surprise that she was revered by many across Turtle Island. She was a truly unique and incredible animal, and I hope you enjoy getting to learn about her story 💕

Original air date: 17th September 2024

Important note: Unfortunately I wasn't able to import my show when I was switching hosting platforms, and as a result I'm having to re-upload my podcast from the start. Because of that, these early episodes are not indictive of the show's current quality - both in terms of the equipment used and my own skills as a writer & presenter - so apologies for that! Hopefully before too long I'll have caught up to my current output. In the meantime, you can check out my full back catalogue of episodes, and catch up with my newer content, over on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp6MWEI1w5ZrPiEM7zZKmgvtqhmWWbpeB

Show notes: (for content warnings, sources used, related non-profits, etc)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wmh94uriGYEmAofgBispWyCGXqPmytDMMcIyj_NADyQ/edit?usp=sharing

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Incitatus, the favourite horse of Emperor Caligula, lived a life of luxury the rest of us can only imagine. Servants, a palace, the finest jewellery, and even a potential consulate in the Roman Senate? But there's actually a lot more to this story than the surface-level tale that's often told, and it carries some important lessons that we can still learn from to this day about political power and what 'history' even actually is. Bet you weren't expecting that on the fun animal podcast!

Original air date: 10th September 2024

Important note: Unfortunately I wasn't able to import my show when I was switching hosting platforms, and as a result I'm having to re-upload my podcast from the start. Because of that, these early episodes are not indictive of the show's current quality - both in terms of the equipment used and my own skills as a writer & presenter - so apologies for that! Hopefully before too long I'll have caught up to my current output. In the meantime, you can check out my full back catalogue of episodes, and catch up with my newer content, over on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp6MWEI1w5ZrPiEM7zZKmgvtqhmWWbpeB

Show notes: (for content warnings, sources used, related non-profits, etc)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-vrK2B2kMc3SkbNMUmu4MVH9E3uFjdPkchn1amOBvwM/edit?usp=sharing

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are few animals more feared than the crocodile, and for good reason - but when Chito Shedden, a Costa Rican fisherman, found an adult male American crocodile on the verge of death after a gunshot wound to the head, he chose compassion, rescuing the croc, who he named Pocho, and tenderly nursing him back to health. That alone would have been a beautiful story about the power of love and the strength of the human-animal bond, but things only got more touching when Chito finally tried to release Pocho back into the wild.

The relationship shared between these two individuals was truly once-in-a-lifetime, and I loved getting to share it with you.

Original air date: 3rd September 2024

Important note: Unfortunately I wasn't able to import my show when I was switching hosting platforms, and as a result I'm having to re-upload my podcast from the start. Because of that, these early episodes are not indictive of the show's current quality - both in terms of the equipment used and my own skills as a writer & presenter - so apologies for that! Hopefully before too long I'll have caught up to my current output. In the meantime, you can check out my full back catalogue of episodes, and catch up with my newer content, over on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp6MWEI1w5ZrPiEM7zZKmgvtqhmWWbpeB

Show notes: (for content warnings, sources used, related non-profits, etc)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N-W2tUBQttU2vfSyk3VIbU4Y1ztJ1o38sBXgkEj_02c/edit?usp=sharing

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I don't need to introduce Keyboard Cat to you, right? It was one of the earliest cat videos to go viral online and is still one of the most recognisable ever memes to this day. But dip beneath the surface, and how much do you actually know about the real cat behind this viral phenomenon? Or should I say the cats behind it, because there have actually been four different Keyboard Cats over the years and the original video is actually over 40 years old! Today we're deep diving into the full story of Keyboard Cat, from humble beginnings as a 1980s home video to the height of it's fame in the early days of YouTube, and everything that's happened since. It's a fun one!

Original air date: 20th August 2024

Important note: Unfortunately I wasn't able to import my show when I was switching hosting platforms, and as a result I'm having to re-upload my podcast from the start. Because of that, these early episodes are not indictive of the show's current quality - both in terms of the equipment used and my own skills as a writer & presenter - so apologies for that! Hopefully before too long I'll have caught up to my current output. In the meantime, you can check out my full back catalogue of episodes, and catch up with my newer content, over on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp6MWEI1w5ZrPiEM7zZKmgvtqhmWWbpeB

Show notes: (for content warnings, sources used, related non-profits, etc)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j4tViVYTfy8pQP5E-VENYlHARTyDH8kUUFzVXZ4wO7I/edit?usp=sharing

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.