All Creatures Podcast

Chris interviews Dr. Enric Sala, a marine ecologist and Explorer in Residence at the National Geographic Society, where he leads the groundbreaking Pristine Seas initiative. Since 2008, his work has helped protect over 6 million square kilometers of ocean by combining science, exploration, and policy. By documenting some of the last untouched marine ecosystems on Earth, Sala works directly with governments to establish large marine protected areas—proving that when the ocean is given space to recover, it can rebound faster than we expect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris and Angie revisit emperor penguins, exploring their incredible adaptations, males incubate a single egg through the brutal Antarctic winter, enduring extreme cold, fierce winds, and months without food. But this resilience is being pushed to its limits as melting sea ice causes widespread chick mortality. They unpack the species’ rapid decline from near threatened (2019) to endangered (2026), with projections suggesting up to 90% of colonies could collapse by 2100. Additional threats include krill fishing and the spread of avian flu. The episode also covers their biology, evolution, and unique survival strategies before highlighting what listeners can do, reduce emissions, avoid krill-based products, and support conservation efforts protecting the Southern Ocean. Timeline 00:00 Emperor Penguin Crisis 01:30 Earth Month Wake Up 04:59 Looks and Chicks 07:14 Size and Range 09:54 Sea Ice Collapse 12:43 Why They Matter 17:56 Threats and Tipping Points 24:24 What You Can Do 28:04 Penguin Origins 29:35 Antarctic Origins 31:14 Giant Penguin Throwback 31:42 Speed And Survival 32:45 Cold Weather Toolkit 37:59 Feathers Like Dry Suits 39:53 Deep Dive Superpowers 44:22 Senses And Navigation 46:53 Vocal ID In Colonies 50:36 Breeding Season Marathon 01:00:00 Climate Threat Forecasts 01:03:00 Conservation Groups To Support 01:05:10 Hope And Wrap Up == Another thank you to all our Patreon supporters. You too can join for one cup of "good" coffee a month. With your pledge you can support your favorite podcast on Patreon and give back to conservation. With the funds we receive each month, we are have been sending money to conservation organizations monthly. We now send a check to every organization we cover, as we feel they all are deserving of our support. Thank you so much for your support and for supporting animal conservation.  Please considering supporting us at Patreon HERE. We also want to thank you to all our listeners. We are giving back to every conservation organization we cover and you make that possible. We are committed to donating large portions of our revenue (at minimum 25%) to every organization we cover each week. Thank you for helping us to grow, and for helping to conserve our wildlife. Please contact us at [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast You can also visit our website HERE.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this classic episode, Chris and Angie tackle the jaguar. Who is more than just a powerful predator, it’s a keystone species that helps regulate entire ecosystems across Central and South America. By controlling populations of prey like deer, capybara, and even caiman, jaguars maintain balance in the food web, preventing overgrazing and supporting forest regeneration. Currently listed as Near Threatened, jaguar populations are declining due to habitat loss, deforestation, and human conflict. As forests are fragmented, their territories shrink, putting pressure on one of the most important predators in the Americas. Protecting jaguars means protecting entire ecosystems—and ultimately, the future of biodiversity itself. == Another thank you to all our Patreon supporters. You too can join for one cup of "good" coffee a month. With your pledge you can support your favorite podcast on Patreon and give back to conservation. With the funds we receive each month, we are have been sending money to conservation organizations monthly. We now send a check to every organization we cover, as we feel they all are deserving of our support. Thank you so much for your support and for supporting animal conservation.  Please considering supporting us at Patreon HERE. We also want to thank you to all our listeners. We are giving back to every conservation organization we cover and you make that possible. We are committed to donating large portions of our revenue (at minimum 25%) to every organization we cover each week. Thank you for helping us to grow, and for helping to conserve our wildlife. Please contact us at [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast You can also visit our website HERE.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris opens this min episode by arguing that extinction begins with silence and that humans live in “awareness without response,” Citing species decline and ecosystem change, including emperor penguins being upgraded to endangered with a projected 90% decline by century’s end, he frames our current global reality. Chris states apathy, quoted from Dr. Jane Goodall, as a quiet, dangerous gap between knowing and acting, driven by disconnection, distance, and overwhelm. The time to act is now and Chris sets up for future episodes on how we will accomplish that. Timeline 00:00 Extinction Starts With Silence 01:01 Awareness Without Response 02:28 Apathy Not Ignorance 03:50 Vaquita And Pangolin Examples 05:31 Slow Collapse And Shifting Baselines 06:39 Birdsong Comparison Australia vs NZ 09:59 Forest Elephants And Ocean Declines 14:59 Migration Timing Breaking Down 17:31 Inaction Becomes A Decision 22:06 Responsibility And What We Can Do 23:03 Jane Goodall Hopeful Sendoff == Another thank you to all our Patreon supporters. You too can join for one cup of "good" coffee a month. With your pledge you can support your favorite podcast on Patreon and give back to conservation. With the funds we receive each month, we are have been sending money to conservation organizations monthly. We now send a check to every organization we cover, as we feel they all are deserving of our support. Thank you so much for your support and for supporting animal conservation.  Please considering supporting us at Patreon HERE. We also want to thank you to all our listeners. We are giving back to every conservation organization we cover and you make that possible. We are committed to donating large portions of our revenue (at minimum 25%) to every organization we cover each week. Thank you for helping us to grow, and for helping to conserve our wildlife. Please contact us at [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast You can also visit our website HERE.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this classic episode, Chris and Angie chat all about Chinchillas. Chinchillas are famous for having the densest fur on Earth, but that same trait nearly wiped them out. Native to the Andes, these incredible jumpers and dust-bathing specialists are now endangered due to hunting and habitat loss. Today, wild populations remain small and fragmented. The long-tailed chinchilla is listed as endangered, while the short-tailed chinchilla is critically endangered, making their survival in the wild increasingly uncertain without continued protection. == Another thank you to all our Patreon supporters. You too can join for one cup of "good" coffee a month. With your pledge you can support your favorite podcast on Patreon and give back to conservation. With the funds we receive each month, we are have been sending money to conservation organizations monthly. We now send a check to every organization we cover, as we feel they all are deserving of our support. Thank you so much for your support and for supporting animal conservation.  Please considering supporting us at Patreon HERE. We also want to thank you to all our listeners. We are giving back to every conservation organization we cover and you make that possible. We are committed to donating large portions of our revenue (at minimum 25%) to every organization we cover each week. Thank you for helping us to grow, and for helping to conserve our wildlife. Please contact us at [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast You can also visit our website HERE.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices