Defender Radio: The Podcast For Wildlife Advocates And Animal Lovers

The East coast seal hunt has started in Canada, and with it, a fierce public relations campaign from two sides: those who support the seal hunt, and those who oppose it. While the facts are available there are groups and individuals who pass on misinformation and disinformation regarding the hunt from both camps. That’s why I turn to my good friend and Canadian seal hunt expert, Sheryl Fink of the International Fund for Animal Welfare for answers. Using publicly available government documents, citing sources, and speaking plainly, Sheryl provides a fact-based look at the inherently inhumane hunt and helps Canadians and an international audience of animal lovers understand what’s happening in the east coast seal hunt. Sheryl joined Defender Radio to discuss the seal hunt, dismiss some disinformation, and address myths surrounding the commercial seal hunt. A full version of this interview will be available later this week. Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio Defender Radio email updates: www.T

From BC to the east coast, black bears are waking up and wandering about as winter finally gives way to spring. The best person to talk to about bears is a man who spends time rehabilitating them, teaching others to co-exist with them, and kind of looking like one when his hair gets extra scruffy: Mike McIntosh of Bear With Us. Defender Radio connected with Mike and talked spring bear adventures, feeding of bears and other attractants, and why rehabilitation of bears anywhere in Canada can be successful. A shortened version of this interview is available as a News Brief at TheFurBearers.com, the iTunes store, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. To learn more about Mike and Bear With Us, visit www.BearWithUs.org. Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio Defender Radio eNews: www.TheFurBearers.com/Updates  

Bears! In British Columbia they’re starting to wander about, and across the rest of the country they’re waiting out the final days of winter before venturing into the world.  The best person to talk to about bears is a man who spends time rehabilitating them, teaching others to co-exist with them, and kind of looking like one when his hair gets extra scruffy: Mike McIntosh of Bear With Us. We connected and talked spring bear adventures, feeding of bears and other attractants, and why rehabilitation of bears anywhere in Canada can be successful. This is a brief edit of our full interview. The full version will be available later this week at TheFurBearers.com, in the iTunes store, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio Defender Radio eNews: www.TheFurBearers.com/Updates Bear With Us: www.BearWithUs.org  

This week I’ve got a special episode for you. I’m going to tell you about the #RefuseTheGoose campaign we’ve launched, targeting Canada Goose for their ongoing use of coyote fur. If you just want to get straight to signing the letter and sharing with your friends and family, head to TheFurBearers.com/refusethegoose. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Canada Goose and coyote fur, let’s start at the beginning. And don’t worry – I won’t be using graphic language. Take Action: https://goo.gl/sjsdeq Fur Free Retailer Program: https://furfreeretailer.com Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio Sign Up for Defender Radio eNews: www.TheFurBearers.com/updates  

LaSalle Park in Burlington, Ontario, is a beautiful area, right on the shore of Lake Ontario. It’s a diverse area, full of wildlife, walking trails, and natural history. But it’s also where some individuals have complained coyotes are spending time, and not reacting how residents believe the wild canids should. I spent a few hours with Lesley Sampson, co-founder and president of Coyote Watch Canada, walking the trails, discussing what factors could lead to behaviour in coyotes that is received as troubling, and what we can do about it.  Following our walk, we recorded a conversation in the parking lot of LaSalle Park to review our thoughts and observations. Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio Defender Radio eNews Updates: www.TheFurBearers.com/updates  

LaSalle Park in Burlington, Ontario, is a beautiful area, right on the shore of Lake Ontario. It’s a diverse area, full of wildlife, walking trails, and natural history. But it’s also where some individuals have complained coyotes are spending time, and not reacting how residents believe the wild canids should. I spent a few hours with Lesley Sampson, cofounder and president of Coyote Watch Canada, walking the trails, discussing what factors could lead to behaviour in coyotes that is received as troubling, and what we can do about it.  Following our walk, we recorded a conversation in the parking lot of LaSalle Park to review our thoughts. This episode is a news brief edit of our interview. A full version will be available later this week at TheFurBearers.com, the iTunes store, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio Defender Radio eNews: www.TheFurBearers.com/updates  

We’ve all heard the phrase Wildlife management should be science-based. It’s spoken loudly by advocates who are opposed to all hunting and trapping, those who think hunting and trapping is all that stands between humanity and bedlam, and everyone in between. But is wildlife management in North America actually science-based? That’s the question posed by a team of scientists from Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria, and the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Their study, Hallmarks of science missing from North American wildlife management”, published by Science Advances earlier this month, asked this question: and came up with some disturbing results. Defender Radio connected with Dr. Kyle Artelle, one of the authors of the study to get a deeper understanding of what the team found. A five-minute edit of this interview is also available at TheFurBearers.com, in the iTunes store, or where ever you listen to podcasts. Read the study: http://advances.sciencemag.org/c

We’ve all heard the phrase Wildlife management should be science-based. It’s spoken loudly by advocates who are opposed to all hunting and trapping, those who think hunting and trapping is all that stands between humanity and bedlam, and everyone in between. But is wildlife management in North America actually science-based? That’s the question posed by a team of scientists from Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria, and the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Their study, Hallmarks of science missing from North American wildlife management”, published by Science Advances earlier this month, asked this question: and came up with some disturbing results. I connected with Dr. Kyle Artelle, one of the authors of the study to get a deeper understanding of what the team found. Read the study: http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/3/eaao0167.full Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio Defender Radio eMail UpdateS: www.TheFurBearers.com/updates

The Gryphon Press is a wonderful publishing company The Fur-Bearers met through the Humane Education Coalition. Their children’s books on subjects from adopting dogs, rescuing rabbits, and of course, why the animals need their fur, all reflect the publisher’s tagline: a voice for the voiceless. Emilie Buchwald, publisher of The Gryphon Press, joined Defender Radio last week to discuss why she came out of retirement to start up a new business that’s published several award-winning books, how truthful stories can create compassion in children, and what Gryphon Press looks for in a story about animals. A five-minute news brief version of this interview is available at TheFurBearers.com or in your podcast feed. Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio Defender Radio eMails: www.TheFurBearers.com/updates  

The Gryphon Press is a wonderful publishing company The Fur-Bearers met through the Humane Education Coalition. Their children’s books on subjects from adopting dogs, rescuing rabbits, and of course, why the animals need their fur, all reflect the publisher’s tagline: a voice for the voiceless. Emilie Buchwald, publisher of The Gryphon Press, joined Defender Radio last week to discuss why she came out of retirement to start up a new business that’s published several award-winning books, how truthful stories can create compassion in children, and what Gryphon Press looks for in a story about animals. This is the five-minute radio edit of our interview. The full interview will be available this week at TheFurBearers.com or in your podcast feed. Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio Defender Radio eMail Updates: www.TheFurBearers.com/Updates  

You’ve probably heard the name Bryce Casavant: he’s the former Conservation Officer in British Columbia who made headlines when he refused an order to kill two healthy bear cubs. He also ran as an NDP candidate in the last provincial election in BC and continues to work for the government in the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. But it is his efforts as a student that has Bryce back into the news. Bryce is working toward a doctoral degree in social sciences with Royal Roads University, and his area of study should come as no surprise: wildlife, law enforcement, and social change. Recently, Bryce was given the go-ahead to pursue a review of 100 years of wildlife enforcement records, described as a critical discourse analysis.  Bryce joined Defender Radio to get into what his research will look at, why it matters, and how understanding the history of wildlife enforcement could lead to a better world for people – and the animals. Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreo

You’ve probably heard the name Bryce Casavant: he’s the former Conservation Officer in British Columbia who made headlines when he refused an order to kill two healthy bear cubs. He also ran as an NDP candidate in the last provincial election in BC, and continues to work for the government in the Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. But it is his efforts as a student that has Bryce back into the news. Bryce is working toward a doctoral degree in social sciences with Royal Rhodes University, and his area of study should come as no surprise: wildlife, law enforcement, and social change. Recently, Bryce was given the go-ahead to pursue a review of 100 years of wildlife enforcement records, described as a critical discourse analysis. Hear more in this News Brief - the full interview will be available later this week on your podcast feed! Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio Defender Radio eMail Updates: www.TheFurBearers.com/updates  

While we all love wildlife and want to co-exist with the animals, sharing our bedrooms and walls with them isn’t exactly ideal; many species can cause significant electrical or structural damage to homes or businesses, putting everyone at risk. Some species do carry diseases that are harmful, particularly in locations like hospitals or restaurants. And, if you’re like me, having a squirrel scrabbling around in the vents causes the dogs to go absolutely insane. Safely and removing wildlife is an important job that should often be left to experts – but who exactly are the experts, and what makes them humane operators are long standing questions. And now, the BC SPCA wants to help answer them. The BC SPCA launched AnimalKind last week, a program that will help residents and business owners find accredited wildlife removal or pest control companies who put humane treatment of animals first. Dr. Sara Dubois, Chief Scientific Officer for the BC SPCA joined Defender Radio to explain the need for AnimalKind, how it w

The BC SPCA launched AnimalKind last week, a program that will help residents and business owners find accredited wildlife removal or control companies who put humane treatment of animals first. I connected with Dr. Sara Dubois, Chief Scientific Officer for the BC SPCA to talk more about this program. The full interview will be available on Wednesday, March 7! Defender Radio Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio Defender Radio Email Updates: www.TheFurBearers.com/Updates  

I love raccoons. They’re smart little problem-solvers, who have learned to adapt into a landscape that’s difficult to navigate for a non-human animal and taken up an essential role in many ecosystems. But the furry bandits’ cuteness isn’t enough to prevent media from maligning them, social media posts blaming them for human-centric problems, and keeping them safe when conflict does occur. That said, their cuteness can be too much: some advocates and animal lovers may go too far in trying to help raccoons, which creates new issues, from generating future conflict to disease transmission. To sort it all out, and understand what raccoons are up to this time of year – as well as address a few issues that have come up in the news, like rabies – I connected with Cara Contardi of Urban Wildlife Care in Grimsby, Ontario. Defender Radio Patreon (www.Patreon.com/DefenderRadio) Defender Radio Email Updates (www.TheFurBearers.com/Updates)

This is the first Defender Radio News Brief, a more traditional radio interview, edited down to its core points, and kept within 5 to 7 minutes, for quick and easy listening. Regular, full-length episodes will still be published, but now on Wednesdays! Raccoons are on the move. Whether you’re in an urban centre like Hamilton or Vancouver, or have forests or farmlands as your backyard, the masked critters are likely making more appearances – as well as interesting sounds – in your community. I connected with Cara Contardi of Urban Wildlife Care, a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Grimsby, Ontario, to talk raccoons. Full interview releases on Wednesday, February 28. Defender Radio Patreon! Defender Radio eNewsletter!

In our world, there are many types of dogs, each unique and wonderful. And in a 12-episode podcast series, Adam Winston has explored makes our relationships with them so incredible. Adam has combined his passions for learning, his love of dogs, and his experience as an Air Force Radio and Television Producer to create this journey of discovery called Dogs In Our World. Each episode features a produced interview with an expert, including a philosopher, a historian, multiple trainers and behaviourists, and even Dr. Temple Grandin. These experts all discuss with Adam the dogs with whom we share our lives, history, and homes, revealing incredible insights. The thought provoking episodes are a wonderful chance for life long dog lovers and trainers to those who know little about our domestic canines to learn alongside Adam. Having recently wrapped his first season, Adam joined Defender Radio for an exclusive, in-depth interview exploring his journey to becoming a dog person and ultimately developing Dogs In Our Wor

The story of Russell, the orphaned and injured bear cub outside of Calgary, broke hearts around the world. Wildlife rehabilitators and veterinarians were ready, willing, and able to assist by examining his injured leg, and providing a safe environment for his rehabilitation over winter, but Alberta Environment and Parks refused. While the story of Russell is sad, and his fate following hibernation remains unknown, it highlighted a greater problem: several indigenous species that the government has decided cannot or should not be rehabilitated from injury or illness, or cared for as orphans. The story of Russell also accomplished something remarkable: the government has stated they are now reviewing and implementing protocols for black bear rehabilitation in the province. Due to an overwhelming response by all of you, and the hard work of a core of advocates in Alberta, the media did not relent, and the science, ethics and logic of rehabilitation, forced a change. To discuss the cautious optimism of this impor

Host Michael Howie discusses The Fur-Bearers' push for trap warning signs in provinces and territories across Canada, how it can help protect dogs, cats, other domestic animals, and children, and how easy it is for you to take action with our one-click advocacy letter!

New research from Dr. Adrian Treves and his colleagues Drs. Francisco Santiago-Avila and Ari Cornman highlights that lethal management of wolves to prevent depredation of livestock on properties in Michigan may be ineffective and could create detrimental effects for neighbouring properties. The paper, titled Killing wolves to prevent predation on livestock may protect one farm but harm neighbors, was published by Public Library of Science, or PLOS One earlier this month. The researchers were given access to 16 years of data on wolf depredation and control in Upper Michigan and used multiple methods to analyze it. What they found was, in their words, that “given the evidence available, we cannot conclude that lethal management had the desired effect of preventing future livestock losses. There is also evidence of a spill-over effect to other properties in the region. The questions raised by this study play into a paper published by Dr. Treves with several colleagues in Nature Ecology and Evolution, titled Inte