An Animal Saved My Life

Drama, jealousy, and evolutionary biology come together in this story about a love triangle. Vanessa Woods was on a work trip to study bonobos when she landed a supporting role in a great ape soap opera. And although emotions ran high, bonobos taught Vanessa important lessons about life, love, and what it means to be a primate. Learn more about bonobos at bonobos.org [http://bonobos.org] Vanessa Woods is the co-author of Survival of the Friendliest and the author of Bonobo Handshake. Learn more at www.vanessawoods.net [http://www.vanessawoods.net]. The bonobo in the episode thumbnail is not a pet. It is one of the many orphans at a sanctuary in Congo whose mothers were shot for the bushmeat trade. The orphans were rescued from the illegal market, some of them from wildlife traffickers, others from people’s homes, and others on route for the illegal pet trade in Europe. Bonobos are primates and need to live in large social groups, not in isolation. Please help stop trafficking in bonobos. Visit www.bonobos.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Pippa Ehrlich, the co-director of the hit film My Octopus Teacher, takes us on a frigid underwater dive into the living, breathing kelp forests of South Africa. Psychedelic colors, mystifying lifeforms, and a curious shape-shifter invite Pippa into an alternate universe. Follow Pippa Ehrlich on instagram: the_rewilding [https://www.instagram.com/the_rewilding/?hl=en] Pippa is the co-director and editor of My Octopus Teacher [https://www.netflix.com/title/81045007]. Find out more about South Africa’s kelp forests at seachangeproject.com [http://seachangeproject.com] This episode features a song from the original score for My Octopus Teacher. It was composed by Kevin Smuts and Matthew Dennis. Photo credit: Faine Loubser Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Denise Corliss was training her golden retriever Bretagne for search and rescue service when they were called to a disaster scene unlike any other Photo credit: Texas A&M Task Force 1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

When Nicole Navarro lost her childhood farm, she never thought she’d find it again. A pair of forlorn forest creatures showed her the way back. Learn more about Nicole’s rescue organization Pawsitive Beginnings at pawsitivebeginnings.org [https://pawsitivebeginnings.org/]. Follow Nicole and her forest friends on Instagram at: @pawsitive_beginnings_inc [https://www.instagram.com/pawsitive_beginnings_inc/] Photo credit: Nicole Navarro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Are you a dog person or a cat person? It seems like a fun, simple question. But from a young age, Joshunda Sanders knew that being able to answer it is actually a privilege. Years later, she found the answer that works for her. You can find Joshunda’s writing at joshundasanders.com [https://joshundasanders.com/]. Photo credits: Joshunda Sanders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]