Our Wild Lives

Solving a Pig Problem

Since their introduction to North America in the 16th century, uncontrolled populations of wild pigs have wreaked havoc across North America.They can disrupt native wildlife, decimate riparian ecosystems, cause billions of dollars in agricultural damage and more.  Reducing the population has proved complex, but the state of Missouri has successfully removed feral swine populations from nearly 10 million acres throughout the state since 2016.  In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Alan Leary, wildlife management coordinator for the Missouri Department of Conservation and Travis Guerrant, state director for both the Missouri and Iowa U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services programs, join us to explain how they approach eliminating this invasive species from the landscape. Read more:  TWS Issue Statement: Feral Swine in North America: https://wildlife.org/tws-issue-statement-feral-swine-in-north-america/ [https://wildlife.org/tws-issue-statement-feral-swine-in-north-america/] Why has Missouri succeeded in wild pig control?: https://wildlife.org/why-has-missouri-succeeded-in-wild-pig-control/ [https://wildlife.org/why-has-missouri-succeeded-in-wild-pig-control/] Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2542693/fan_mail/new] Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/ [https://wildlife.org/join/] Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/ [https://wildlife.org/donate/] Follow us on  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/ [https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety [https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/219358/admin/dashboard/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society [https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society]

Restoring a Cultural Keystone Species

For Remington Bracher, working on the reintroduction of bison back to Canada is not only a win for his wildlife career, but also for his culture as a Nêhiyaw (Cree) member of Muskoday First Nation.  In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Bracher, an Indigenous Liaison with Parks Canada and graduate student at the University of British Columbia, shares how growing up hunting and fishing led him into wildlife conservation. His current research combines policy analysis with quantitative population modeling to see what a sustainable Indigenous bison (Bison bison) harvest could look like. He hopes it will further his dream of one day seeing Indigenous bison hunts in national parks.  Alongside his experiences working with bison, Bracher also discusses the importance of relationship-building, co-creation, youth involvement, and respectful integration of Indigenous knowledge in wildlife management.  “Our Wild Lives” is The Wildlife Society’s biweekly podcast, sharing compelling stories from wildlife professionals doing critical work around the world. Your hosts, Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett, of The Wildlife Society, bring you thought-provoking conversations with leading experts and emerging voices.  Further reading: About Remington Bracher - https://wildlife.org/remington-bracher-earns-graduate-fellowship-in-wildlife-policy/ [https://wildlife.org/remington-bracher-earns-graduate-fellowship-in-wildlife-policy/] The Native Student Development Program - https://wildlife.org/working-groups/npwmwg/ [https://wildlife.org/working-groups/npwmwg/] Towards reconciliation: 10 Calls to Action to natural scientists working in Canada- https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2020-0005 [https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2020-0005] Singing Back the Buffalo documentary trailer - https://youtu.be/xshtMcU6fZE?si=JfKEJ3r8s8FmyjU2 [https://youtu.be/xshtMcU6fZE?si=JfKEJ3r8s8FmyjU2] Photo Caption:  A bison stands in a grassland. Image by WikiImages [https://pixabay.com/users/wikiimages-1897/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=60592] from Pixabay [https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=60592] Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2542693/fan_mail/new] Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/ [https://wildlife.org/join/] Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/ [https://wildlife.org/donate/] Follow us on  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/ [https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety [https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/219358/admin/dashboard/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society [https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society]

Keeping Wild Sheep on the Mountain

Wild sheep are known for their tenacity to endure some of the harshest landscapes around the world, yet the global population of the subfamily continues to decline due to a bacterium,  Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M. ovi). Pneumonia caused by this bacterium can wipe out entire herds.  In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Kurt Alt and Corey Mason from the Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) join us to talk about all things sheep conservation. They discuss the role of the WSF, the unique way sheep conservation is funded, the disease challenges wild sheep face and more.  Learn more about the Wild Sheep Foundation: https://www.wildsheepfoundation.org/ [https://www.wildsheepfoundation.org/] “Our Wild Lives” is The Wildlife Society’s biweekly podcast, sharing compelling stories from wildlife professionals doing critical work around the world. Your hosts, Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett of The Wildlife Society, bring you thought-provoking conversations with leading experts and emerging voices.  Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2542693/fan_mail/new] Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/ [https://wildlife.org/join/] Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/ [https://wildlife.org/donate/] Follow us on  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/ [https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety [https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/219358/admin/dashboard/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society [https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society]

Big Cats and the Border

New evidence reveals that mountain lions can fit through small wildlife crossing cut-outs on the border wall dividing the U.S. from Mexico. But researchers are concerned about the future connection of the population of the big cats.  In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” carnivore ecologist Lisanne Petracca walks us through the monitoring being done to determine the potential effects of the construction of the 30 foot high wall along the Texas border on mountain lions (Puma concolor).  Preliminary results show that openings the size of a sheet of paper could be the solution keeping the United States and Mexico populations connected.  “Our Wild Lives” is The Wildlife Society’s biweekly podcast, sharing compelling stories from wildlife professionals doing critical work around the world. Your hosts, Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett, of The Wildlife Society, bring you thought-provoking conversations with leading experts and emerging voices. New episodes are released weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Read more:  About Lisanne Petracca: https://www.tamuk.edu/agriculture/departments/rwsc/faculty-staff-rwsc/Petracca.html [https://www.tamuk.edu/agriculture/departments/rwsc/faculty-staff-rwsc/Petracca.html] Spatial and Population Ecology of Carnivores (SPEC) Lab: https://thespeclab.weebly.com/ [https://thespeclab.weebly.com/] Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2542693/fan_mail/new] Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/ [https://wildlife.org/join/] Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/ [https://wildlife.org/donate/] Follow us on  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/ [https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety [https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/219358/admin/dashboard/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society [https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society]

The Forgotten Bird Artist

Rex Brasher was one of the greatest bird artists of his time. His life’s mission was to see and paint every bird species in North America. But today, many people–even avid birders–have never heard his name.  In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” Cynthia Carter Ayres and Matthew Schnepf from the Rex Brasher Association join us to tell the story of the man who painted 874 different bird species of North America.  Brasher's approach was unique. Unlike most other artists of his time, he painted live birds in the field, not after shooting them or from consulting stuffed study specimens. Now, the Association is working to bring his body of work to the modern age for all to enjoy. Learn more:  About Rex Brasher: https://rexbrasher.org/ The digitized “Birds and Trees of North America” collection: https://rexbrasher.org/collection/birds-and-trees Cover Images courtesy of the Rex Brasher Association Share your thoughts on the Our Wild Lives Podcast by sending us a text here! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2542693/fan_mail/new] Become a member of The Wildlife Society: https://wildlife.org/membership/ [https://wildlife.org/join/] Support Wildlife, Invest in Wildlife Professionals: https://wildlife.org/donate/ [https://wildlife.org/donate/] Follow us on  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/ [https://www.instagram.com/thewildlifesociety/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety [https://www.facebook.com/thewildlifesociety] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wildlife-society/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/219358/admin/dashboard/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society [https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wildlife_Society]