Episode 5: Mexican hairy dwarf porcupines, mysterious beaked whales, Bolivian bushfires, Sumatran rhinos and beavers in Britain

Welcome to the fifth episode of The Zoology Ramblings Podcast!

This time, the dynamic duo are setting up a new podcast structure! Part one will be the species of the week, part 2 will be global conservation topics, and part 3 will be the local (UK) conservation section. For the species of the week, the team chat about the epic Mexican hairy dwarf porcupine and a new species of enigmatic beaked whale found in Japan! For the global conservation section, Robi and Emma chat about the recent wildfires in Bolivia and the efforts to try to save the Critically Endangered Sumatran rhino in Indonesia. In the local conservation section, Robi and Emma get into the knitty-gritty of legal (and illegal) beaver reintroductions in Britain!

Robi Watkinson is a Conservation Biologist and wildlife filmmaker specialising in the spatial and movement ecology of large carnivores, camera trapping survey methods, rewilding, metapopulation dynamics and conservation planning. He has an MSc in Conservation Biology from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, and the Institute of Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town. He is based between Cape Town and London, and has strong interests in equitable and inclusive conservation, palaeontology and wildlife taxonomy and evolution!

Emma Hodson is a Zoologist and wildlife content creator, currently working in the community and engagement team at Avon Wildlife Trust. Emma’s role as a Wildlife Champions Coordinator involves supporting and upskilling people to take action for nature in their local communities. Emma has experience in remote wildlife fieldwork, and has been part of Arctic fox, macaw and cetacean research teams in Iceland, Peru and Wales respectively. She has also been involved in animal care and rehabilitation work in Costa Rica and South Africa. Emma is particularly passionate about the interface between community engagement and wildlife monitoring, and enjoys running workshops and giving talks on topics including camera trapping, beaver ecology and rewilding. 

You can follow more of our weird and wonderful wildlife adventures on instagram: @thezoologyramblingspodcast & @robi_watkinson_wildlife & @emma_hodson_wildlife

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