Wild Animals

WDF128: The African Wild Dog Who Was a Phoenix

Ngatia joined a research project studying African wild dogs in Laikipia Kenya when they were some of the best news in conservation – an endangered species that reclaimed

Mamma Jane the Ocelot reality star

Ocelots in Texas are closely monitored, so Mamma Jane grew up around remote cameras since 2011, and wasn’t afraid of the lenses. When Fin and Fur Films called about doing

F202: The Yellowstone Cougar Who Showed the Value of Protected Areas

F202 lived right in the heart of Yellowstone National Park where Anton used groundbreaking technology to study not only where she moved, but also how she hunted. F202 was

Lobstah: The Fisher Who Lived the Salt Life

Fishers are woodland creatures who traditionally avoid people and prefer dense forests. Lobstah was a (very large) fisher who bucked this trend by surviving in small subu

007: The Warbler Whose Secret Missions Underpin a Species Recovery

In 2019 a small yellow bird in The Bahamas was given a radio transmitter and a mission – show us what Kirtland’s warblers do. Nicknamed 007, this bird not only migrated a

Kilkenny: The Red Wolf Who Hatched a Hypothesis

While Dr. Hinton progressed along his career as a wolf biologist – from intern to master’s student to PhD student – the Kilkenny female (11170F) matured from a young teen

Cheetah 784: The Orphan Who Overcame.

When poachers killed the mom of young cheetah 784 there was only a slim chance the cub would survive on her own. With no one to teach her how to hunt or navigate the dang

003: The White-tailed Deer Who Was a Gold Medal Marathoner

Deer 003 was the most unusual animal in a large study of deer in Missouri. While most animals disperse a few miles to set up their home range, this deer set out on a mara

Turkey 473: The Southern Chick Who Sported a Beard and Was a Truck Junkie

Even before he launched a rocket-net over her head, Dr.Chamberlain knew Turkey 473 was a special bird because she sported a big beard (which is very unusual for hens). Af

Samuel: The Little Giant Tortoise Who Lived

Dr. Blake first met Samuel as the hatchling tortoise left its nest on the Galapagos Islands. A tiny tracking tag helped Stephen and his team track the little guy as he le

5715: The Woodpecker Who’s Seen It All

Bird 5715 was the, you guessed it, 5715th bird captured as part of a long-term study of acorn woodpeckers since 1974 at Hastings Natural History Reservation in Carmel Val

Waffles - the hyena who climbed the social ladder

Spotted hyenas live in large clans ruled by a queen who typically passes her high rank onto her daughters. Waffles was born from a low ranking (peasant) family, but was a

Wild Animals Season 3 Preview

A preview to the episodes coming up in season 3.

Leroy the fisher who learned no means no the hard way

Leroy was one of the first fishers to ever get a GPS tracking collar, providing immediate, new discoveries about how this “wilderness species” colonized suburbia. Dodging

Josphine, the most reliable sea turtle

Josephine was a sea turtle who found an easy meal by raiding a fisherman’s nets.  Kate was happy to help the fisherman by moving the turtle and putting a tracking device

Diane, the Shark That Jumped Out of the Water Four Times in 47 Seconds

Lucy met Diane the basking shark when she gave the fish a small tracking tag off the coast of Scotland. While Diane typically loafed around eating plankton, this high-tec

Etumbe, the Bonobo who led her group back to the wild.

Etumbe was rescued from captivity and became part of the first group of Bonobos to be released back into the wild. Her seniority and calm demeanor helped her become one o

M36 - the mountain lion by which all others will be compared

There are a surprising number of mountain lions in the hills just above Silicon Valley. Chris Wilmers is studying how these big cats make a living in the midst of so much

Bobby, the world’s largest ocelot

Bobby was a big bruiser of an ocelot. When Ricardo first trapped and collared him, Bobby was feisty and scarred after prowling his tropical island home like a king, sendi

Agui the Oedipus Monkey

Jorge spent over two years living in a remote Amazonian jungle where he developed a special relationship with a monkey that looked like his mom.