31 - The Complicated History of Koko the Gorilla

33 - Wolves of Yellowstone: Wolf 8, Wolf 21, and the World of Rick McIntyre

Debbie and Savanna overcome every technical issue under the sun to bring you this epic story of the initial packs of wolves reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995. Within these first packs lived a runt named Wolf 8, who grew up to mate with a widowed alpha female with 8 pups. Wolf 8 proved himself to be an exceptional alpha, protecting his young, providing for them, and yet exercising compassion and gentle leadership. One of his pups, Wolf 21, would grow up to be one of the most famous wolves in the world, and experts believe most of his leadership skills came from the stepfather who raised him. Debbie read The Rise of Wolf 8 by Rick McIntyre for this episode. McIntyre's expertise and deep knowledge of these animals give us a front row seat on their journey together. Let's Connect! insta: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: Book: McIntyre, Rick. The Rise of Wolf 8: Witnessing the Triumph of Yellowstone’s Underdog Greater Yellowstone Coalition. “A Timeline of the Yellowstone Wolf Reintroduction.” Greater Yellowstone Coalition, greateryellowstone.org/yellowstone-wolf-reintroduction “The Wolf Runt Who Rose to Alpha-Male Status in Yellowstone.” On Point, WBUR, 17 Oct. 2019, wbur.org/onpoint/2019/10/17/rise-of-wolf-8-yellowstone-rick-mcintyre “Rick McIntyre on the Stories of Yellowstone’s Greatest Wolves.” When We Talk About Animals, episode 44, 23 Nov. 2021, whenwetalkaboutanimals.org/2021/11/23/ep-44-rick-mcintyre Bethune, Brian. “How a Runt Wolf from Canada Became a Hero.” Maclean’s, 16 Oct. 2019, macleans.ca/culture/how-a-runt-wolf-from-canada-became-a-hero “1995 Reintroduction of Wolves in Yellowstone.” Yellowstone National Park Trips, yellowstonepark.com/park/conservation/yellowstone-wolves-reintroduction Yellowstone Forever. “Yellowstone Wolf Project.” Yellowstone Forever, yellowstone.org/wolf-project National Park Service. “Donate.” Yellowstone National Park, nps.gov/yell/getinvolved/donate.html

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/