Wild Encounters

There are animals that roam the streets in all towns and even those little critters need to be cared for. This is when Dr. Andrew Kushnir steps in to provide medical care to animals both near and far. He has traveled to many countries and worked with some insane animals. His opportunities and steps he's taken to get to where he is today were inspiring to listen to. We dove deep into the world of veterinary medicine and how society perceives those working in the animal field and what we need to do in order to sustain our mental health.  Check out Dr. Kushnir's Instagram page @thenomadvet. Here you'll find incredible stories and pictures of the animals he has cared for first hand. Check out San Diego Humane society's Instagram page to figure out how you can help and donate @sdhumanesociety

Dr. Max Polyak is an exquisite sea turtle veterinarian. He completed veterinary school at the University of Florida and took post-graduate training in Aquatic Animal Medicine. This man is an educator in animal medicine and conservation in multiple different countries. Dr. Polyak developed advances in the artificial life support system for organs awaiting transplant. Before becoming an exclusive sea turtle veterinarian, he aided as Medical Director of Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary, the largest new world monkey sanctuary in North America. We chatted about how he took care of retired animals being brought into a sanctuary as a first of their species and how he treats Sea Turtles on a daily basis. Dr. Polyak works at one of the busiest sea turtle hospitals in the world serving as a veterinarian and helping to treat/release sea turtles back into the wild. You won't want to miss some of the insane stories he shares at the end so give it a listen!! Check out Dr. Max Polyak's website below! https://unity.edu/faculty/dr-max-polyak/ Check out his Instagram @drmaxpolyak Check out the center's Instagram @loggerheadmarinelifecenter Take a gander at the loggerhead marine life center's youtube channel and website! https://marinelife.org/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmp2XY5XQQuYBmOOzZuPG_Q

 I had a great discussion with a freelance journalist who reports about science for the New York Times, National Geographic, BBC future, and more. Rachel Nuwer has a multi-award winning book, Poached: Inside the Dark world of wildlife trafficking that sheds light on many aspects of the illegal animal trade going on around the world. Back in 2010, she investigated the illegal wildlife trade use in Vietnam ultimately leading to the publication of her research after. We discussed the world's highest-trafficked mammal, her encounters with ivory trade, and traditional medicine black markets in China.  Check out her book! https://www.amazon.com/Poached-Inside-World-Wildlife-Trafficking/dp/0306825503/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=poached&qid=1595036447&sr=8-4 Check her out on National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/contributors/n/rachel-nuwer/ Rachel's website: http://www.rachelnuwer.com/about

Learning about intelligent animals is one thing, but what about those that share over 98% of their DNA with us? Just how smart can they be? Today I had the opportunity to talk with the veterinarian at chimp haven, Dr. Raven Jackson-Jewett. Over the last decade, this woman has cared for and looked after hundreds of rescued chimpanzees to give them a shot at living a normal life. This great sanctuary offers 200 acres of land for the chimpanzees to socialize and form families. The stories told in this episode are mind-blowing and what is even greater is the care that the animal care staff provides for each individual chimpanzee. Make sure to check them out on Instagram for tons of cool photos and videos of what goes on at the sanctuary @chimphaven.   Check out their website, https://chimphaven.org/, and see how you can donate to make sure the chimps are getting the best quality of life. You can even sign up to get updates on your favorite chimp! You can learn about their habitats, enrichments, and diets so go check it out!

Have you ever looked at the insects on the ground and wondered what they were up to? Well, as it turns out, they do far more than we think! Today I had the opportunity to talk with Gwendolyn Erdosh, an entomology major at UC Davis. The facts I learned about insects in this episode are only the beginning and thanks to Gwendolyn's Instagram page I can learn so much more. Make sure to check her out @gwentomologist and give that follow button a click to learn all things insects. We discussed Ant lions, giant golden orb-weaving spiders, hummingbird moths, and so many more. These insects are CRAZY and you are guaranteed to walk away knowing so many cool insects facts after this episode.

I was fortunate enough to talk with Cristina Zenato, an underwater cave explorer and shark enthusiast. Just over 25 years ago Cristina traveled to the Bahamas to learn how to scuba dive and soon made it her home. Cristina is a passionate cave explorer and trained diver as she has surveyed dozens of cave systems in the Bahamas. When Cristina isn't diving in underwater caves, she works with wild sharks. Specializing in shark diving and shark behavior Cristina is one of the ONLY known individuals that can induce a state of relaxation in the Caribbean reef shark. Cristina has an enormous heart and has dedicated much of her life to the well-being of the ocean.  You guys HAVE to check out her website ------->  cristinazenato.com  

Found and President of The Orangutan Project: Leif Cocks has dedicated his life to the survival of The Orangutan. The project was established back in 1998 with Leif being the President from the get-go. This non-profit has gained over $14,000,000 to save the species from extinction and has made enormous accomplishments. Leif was involved in the first-ever successful reintroduction of a zoo-born orangutan giving the project wold standing in conservation. To donate, go to orangutan.org.au Check out their Instagram @Theorangutanproject Leif has a Masters of Science studying orangutans and also the author of books: Orangutans and their Battle for Survival (2002) and Orangutans My Cousins, My Friends (2016). Visit leifcocks.org to learn more!

In this episode, I was delighted to talk with Todd Montgomery, head of operations and outreach coordinator at The Elephant Sanctuary located in Hohenwald, Tennessee. Taking a stance on what is right vs wrong is defining and The Elephant Sanctuary has portrayed what it means to do good on this earth since 1995. Elephants are held captive for terrible reasons and this is where The Sanctuary comes into play, providing amazing animals with a home to flourish in. A total of 27 elephants call The Elephant Sanctuary their home with more than 2700 acres to explore. Make sure you check out their website, www.Elephants.com, and on Instagram @Theelephantsanctuary to learn more about one of the greatest places on this planet! If you want to learn about how smart elephants truly are while also restoring your faith in humanity I'd recommend giving this episode a listen! 

Marine biology is sweet, as are the venomous octopi that come with it. I chatted with a free diver who captures footage of these radical cephalopods and all alien~ like creatures living down below. Lawrence is a talented individual who shares some of the most fascinating information on sea life. We chat about blue dragons, seals, eels, and many more. If you don't know much about those that conquer in the deep blue you'll want to check out this weeks episode!

Let's zoom in on the ground where an entirely different group of animals reside. In this episode, I chatted with a biologist who studies snakes, lizards, birds, bats, and many more. We discuss what this man did while studying crazy animals in Belize and how he helps to educate students everywhere possible. He explains the unknown creatures of the night and those that can hardly be seen during the day. Dillon Jones is the MAN and you do not want to miss out on this sweet episode!

In this episode I met up with a freediver from Australia who swims with some insane sea creatures. We discuss the "symbiotic relationships" between marine animals, the curiosity of dolphins, and many other walks of life that live below the earth's surface. Jules not only gets killer footage of underwater creatures, but also keeps it clean and rids the ocean of trash when she can. If you want to learn some WILD facts about marine life and to finally start recycling you better listen to this awesome episode! 

In the FIRST EPISODE EVER of Wild Encounters, I had discussed the interesting life of Dr. Joel Alves. From conservationist to wildlife veterinarian working in Africa this man had some insane stories to share. His journey has taken him to the most remote locations to deal with some of the most unique animals. We discussed his work with wild dogs, lions, and many more. Take a listen to hear about some of the craziest encounters with animals.