Creature Meets Culture

32 - Orion: The Heroic Rottweiler Amidst The Vargas Tragedy

Savanna, Haley, and Debbie are here for Orion, the Rottweiler who set the Guinness World Record for the most amount of people rescued by a dog in 24 hours. During the deadliest mudslide in history (also a world record), the people of Vargas State, Venezuela, were in a state of desperate crisis. Orion, a beloved family dog, was left behind his family who were rescued by helicopter. The exact motive unknown to all, Orion went on an extreme spree of rescuing a total of 37 people in a single night. He went on to be reunited with his family and live a long life not only as a hero within his community, but around the world as well. Please forgive our echo-y (in parts) audio. We are in the process of fixing it! We are new to this still and appreciate your patience as we learn all the ins and outs of this thing! Let's be friends: instagram: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: WORKS CITED The Vargas Tragedy https://www.britannica.com/event/Venezuela-mud-slides-of-1999 [https://www.britannica.com/event/Venezuela-mud-slides-of-1999] https://compacthistories.com/disasters/the-vargas-tragedy/ [https://compacthistories.com/disasters/the-vargas-tragedy/] https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2001/ofr-01-0144/ [https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2001/ofr-01-0144/] https://www.elnacional.com/venezuela/orion-el-rottweiler-que-salvo-mas-35-vidas-en-la-tragedia-de-vargas/ [https://www.elnacional.com/venezuela/orion-el-rottweiler-que-salvo-mas-35-vidas-en-la-tragedia-de-vargas/] https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world- [https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/382221-most-humans-rescued-by-a-dog-in-24-hours] records/382221-most-humans-rescued-by-a-dog-in-24-hours [https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/382221-most-humans-rescued-by-a-dog-in-24-hours] https://www.amrottclub.org/history-of-the-rottweiler/ [https://www.amrottclub.org/history-of-the-rottweiler/] https://www.britannica.com/animal/Rottweiler [https://www.britannica.com/animal/Rottweiler] https://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/what-were-rottweilers-bred-for [https://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/what-were-rottweilers-bred-for] https://www.trupanion.com/pet-blog/article/rottweiler [https://www.trupanion.com/pet-blog/article/rottweiler]

31 - The Complicated History of Koko the Gorilla

Debbie and Savanna bring you the story of Koko the gorilla. Many of us have heard of Koko. Maybe you've seen the videos of Robin Williams laughing with Koko, or maybe you've seen one where a barefoot Mr. Rogers is cuddling with her. Her knowledge of sign language and perceived ability to communicate broke barriers of what we previously believed a gorilla could do. But as the story unfolded, so did the complexity. Credible science was called into question as the world fell in love with this heartwarming, kitten-loving gorilla. Let's connect: instagram: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: https://www.britannica.com/animal/western-lowland-gorilla https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/conversation-koko/12392/ ⁠https://news.columbia.edu/news/chimpanzee-language-project-nim-herbert-terrace⁠ [https://news.columbia.edu/news/chimpanzee-language-project-nim-herbert-terrace] ⁠https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/research/spotlight-research/lost-translation-koko-gorilla-and-language-research⁠ [https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/research/spotlight-research/lost-translation-koko-gorilla-and-language-research] The Gorilla Foundation: https://www.koko.org Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund: https://gorillafund.org IUCN Red List — Western Lowland Gorilla: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/9404/136250557

30 - The Big Bear Bald Eagles: The History and Fame of Jackie and Shadow

It's a Haley episode! And not just that...it's a Haley episode AND a bird episode! So you're not going to want to miss this one. We're talking about the famous Jackie and Shaow, the two bald eagles whose nest in Big Bear is livestreamed 24/7 most months of the year. Their yearly clutches capture the heart of hundreds of thousands around the world and there's a good reason why. Let's connect: insta: @creaturemeetsculture email: creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: Www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org Www.allaboutbirds.org

29 - Why We Say "Canary in a Coal Mine"

Haley and Debbie are here to tell you the history behind the "canary in a coal mine" saying and there are tiny american flags, canary-sized oxygen cages, and lots of giggles. Let's Connect! instagram: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: Dig episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/canary-in-a-coal-mine-literally/id1271238763?i=1000561501023 Show notes: digpodcast.org/2022/05/15/canary-in-a-coal-mine [https://digpodcast.org/2022/05/15/canary-in-a-coal-mine/] https://usbirdhistory.com/canaries-in-coal-mines/ https://www.britannica.com/science/respiratory-system/Birds https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312669029_The_Canary_in_the_Coal_Mine https://history.alberta.ca/energyheritage/coal/the-early-development-of-the-coal-industry-1874-1914/early-methods-and-technology/canaries-in-the-coal-mine.aspx https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-happened-canary-coal-mine-story-how-real-life-animal-helper-became-just-metaphor-180961570/ https://notyourgrandfathersmining.ca/canary-in-a-coal-mine https://nautil.us/when-canaries-actually-worked-in-coal-mines-1258467 https://boingboing.net/2026/04/27/an-1875-coffin-for-little-joe-the-canary-who-saved-a-mine-crew.html https://earthlife.net/canaries/

28 - Whale 52: The "Loneliest" Whale in the World

Haley and Debbie sit down for a story that inspired lots of tangents, opinions, and deep thoughts and reflections! In 1989, a military surveillence system picked up a whale call at a frequency never heard before. With a call at a frequency of 52 hertz, the whale earned its name and decades of fame to go along with it. When researchers studied and shared the story of this whale, thousands of people around the world resonated with the idea of calling out and not being answered or understood. Books, movies, songs, albums, poems, tattoos, and blog posts were created, and the story of the "loneliest" whale became cemented in history. In this episode, we explore the facts that buffer this story and add context, and we're so very excited to share this one with you! Let's Connect! instagram: @creaturemeetsculture gmail: creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com fable (join our book club!): fable.co/club/cmc-book-club-with-debbie-442046716793?club_type=free Sources: Netflix Documentary: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81446263?trackId=284616272&tctx=0%2C0%2C8f3ca2a0-9181-41a2-805a-a1936c3c0e6c%2C8f3ca2a0-9181-41a2-805a-a1936c3c0e6c%7C%3DeyJwYWdlSWQiOiI4ZTI4MzM1Ny1mZjM3LTQ3YzYtYjI2ZS04YzNmNTQ3N2RiOTMvMS8vd2hhbGUgNTIvMC8wIiwibG9jYWxTZWN0aW9uSWQiOiIyIn0%3D%2C%2C%2C%2C%2C%2CVideo%3A81446263%2CdetailsPagePlayButton Watkins' Publication: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/223377110_Twelve_years_of_tracking_52-Hz_whale_calls_from_a_unique_source_in_ the_North_Pacific Blue Whale: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/blue-whale Fin Whale: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/fin-whale Additional: https://cascadiaresearch.org/crc-and-the-loneliest-whale/ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/648247/52-hertz-loneliest-whale-documentary https://niche-canada.org/2021/08/19/review-of-the-loneliest-whale-the-search-for-52/ List of Art inspired by Whale 52: MUSIC * "Whalien 52" — BTS (2015), from their album The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Pt. 1 — about the isolation of fame, directly inspired by 52 * "Part of Me Apart From You" — Colin Stetson (2013), from New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light — not explicitly about 52, but the Montreal saxophonist has said publicly at live performances that the whale's story resonated deeply with the composition * "Ode to 52 Hz" — Kimiko Hahn, from her 2010 poetry collection Toxic Flora (this is a poem, not a song, but worth noting) * An unnamed full album written by a singer in New Mexico who quit his tech job to record it — mentioned in Leslie Jamison's essay but not named FILM & DOCUMENTARY * The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52 (2021) — dir. Joshua Zeman, exec. produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Adrian Grenier, 86% on Rotten Tomatoes * The Phantom 52 (2019) — animated short, premiered at Sundance, directed by Geoff Marslett, stars Tom Skerritt as the whale * The Loneliest (2014) — short mockumentary about two women searching for 52, dir. Lilian T. Mehrel, funded by an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant * 52Hz, I Love You (2017) — Taiwanese musical comedy film directed by Wei Te-sheng, loosely inspired by 52 * Whale 52: Suite for Man, Boy, and Whale (2025) — animated short, screened at Manhattan's IFC Center and the Woodstock Film Festival, animated by Bill Plympton, stars Bruce Vilanch * 52 Hertz Whales (2024) Japanese novelist Sonoko Machida published a novel in 2020 using 52 as a metaphor for voiceless lonely people finding each other — it was adapted into a film in 2024 (called 52-Hertz Whales). LITERATURE & ESSAYS * "52 Blue" — Leslie Jamison (2014), The Atavist Magazine, later collected in Make It Scream, Make It Burn (2019) * "52 Hertz" — Corrie Williamson (2014), prose poem * A children's song written by a singer in Michigan — mentioned in Jamison's essay, unnamed VISUAL ART * A sculpture made from old plastic bottles by an artist in upstate New York * Countless tattoos, fan art, and social media tributes — including a dedicated Twitter account with the hashtags #lonely and #sadlife