Animals To The Max Podcast

In this episode, I sit-down with blogger, author, and Loch Ness Monster enthusiast, Roland Watson. Roland has been intrigued by the monster for over 30 years and has a popular blog, Loch Ness Mystery, that has millions of hits. In the interview, Roland goes over why he believes the Loch Ness Monster is real and he responds to critics. This is a very FASCINATING interview whether you believe or not!

In this special edition episode, I recap my recent visit to central Nebraska to witness one of nature’s greatest migrations! Over one million Sandhill Cranes stop in central Nebraska every year from mid-February to mid-April to recharge and refuel along Nebraska’s Platte River. It’s credited as one of the last great spectacles on earth and I experience it firsthand! In this episode, I go over travel tips, what to do, what NOT TO DO, and why you and your family need to plan a trip to see the cranes ASAP!

I’m on assignment in central Nebraska to cover one of the GREATEST MIGRATIONS on the planet! Over 1 million Sandhill Cranes flock to this area from mid-February to mid-April. I sit-down with Crane Trust President, Brice Krohn. We discuss the Sandhill Cranes, why they migrate to Nebraska, what the Crane Trust is doing to preserve their habitat, and how YOU can witness this spectacle in person!

In this episode, I interview world-renowned photographer, speaker, author, and conservationist, Joel Sartore. Joel has been working with the National Geographic for over 30 years. He has visited over 40 countries and photographed thousands of different species. He founded the National Geographic Photo Ark. It’s a multiyear effort to document every species living in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, inspire action through education, and help save wildlife by supporting on-the-ground conservation efforts. To date he has photographed 11.500 species. His goal is to reach 20,000 species! As you’ll find out in the interview, Joel initially reached out to me to photograph two of my animals. “Irwin” my Solomon Island Tree Skink and my Blue Panay Tarantula. It turns out Irwin, my skink I’ve had for 13 years, is quite rare! A taxonomist came back and said Irwin was a Solomon Islands Tree Skink, Corucia zebrata, ‘Malaita form’. Irwin is likely a southern form of this skink with possible mixed heritage.

In this episode, I sit-down with marine biologist, photographer, and author of The World Beneath: The Life and Times of Unknown Sea Creatures and Coral Reefs. Dr. Richard Smith. We discuss coral reefs, diving around the world, and his work studying TINY pygmy seahorses!

In this episode, I sit-down with Animal Expert, TV Personality, and Zoologist, Jarod Miller. Jarod is known from his numerous appearances on national television from shows like “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, “The Today Show”, and “The Rachael Ray Show”, among many others. Jarod also hosts the syndicated program, Animal Exploration with Jarod Miller. Jarod has worked with many exotic animals and at one time was the youngest zoo director in the country! This is MUST-LISTEN for anyone wanting to pursue a career in the zoological world!

In this episode, we talk about one of the most elusive animals on the planet: The Ghost Of The Mountains AKA Snow Leopards!!!! I sit-down with Koustubh Sharma, a senior regional ecologist from the Snow Leopard Trust. He has been studying snow leopards for 14 years. We discuss their elusive habits, conflicts with local farmers, their genetic relationship with tigers, and Koustubh shares a thrilling story about his WILD encounter with a Snow Leopard!

In this episode, I sit-down with “Amazon John” and “Boa Bryce” from Silly Safaris, a wildlife education company based in Indiana. Founder John tells his story about leaving the Indianapolis Zoo to pursue his dreams of opening his own wildlife education company. Topics include how the business has been affected by COVID, funny stories from the road, and how Bryce trained a crab-eating raccoon!

In this episode, I sit-down with my friend and zookeeper, Matt Price. Matt has been working in the zoological field for 20 years, 7 of which has been with polar bears. We discuss the incident at the Detroit Zoo where 20 year old female polar bear, Anana, was killed by Nuka, a male polar bear. Topics include the aggressive nature of polar bear breeding, what preventive measures are in place to prevent accidents like this, and what it’s like to care for polar bears in human care.

In this special edition show, I interview Dan Stahler, a wildlife biologist who has been working at Yellowstone National Park for 23 years. Dan shares the exciting news of a wolverine recently caught on a trail cam outside of Mammoth Hot Springs. Find out how rare wolverines are, how many they believe are in the park, and what YOUR chances are of seeing one in Yellowstone!

What do you do if you find a rattlesnake in your yard??? In this episode, I interview Alex the Critter Catcher! Alex specializes in removing rattlesnakes and other exotic animals in California. You’ll learn all about rattlesnakes in this episode and also learn why they are so incredibly important for the ecosystem! Other topics include what to do if you are accidentally bit by a rattlesnake…SPOILER ALERT: You are more likely to be killed by a cow!

In this special edition episode, I recount my recent trip to the Grand Canyon National Park. I share insider travel tips, including the best times to visit the Grand Canyon, which part of the park you should visit for the best views, silence, and to get away from the crowds! Whether you’re visiting the south rim, north rim, or the west rim, this podcast is a MUST LISTEN for anyone wanting to visit the iconic Grand Canyon!

In this episode, I interview Zookeeper Mel, an animal care supervisor at Utah’s Hogle Zoo. Mel has worked with over 160 different species. She gives great insight on anyone who wants to get into the animal care field and shares HILARIOUS stories along the way!

In this episode, I interview animal expert, author, adventurer, and YouTube personality, Coyote Peterson. Known from his Brave Wilderness Channel on YouTube, his videos have garnered over 3.8 BILLION views and the channel alone has 18.1 million subscribers. Coyote tells it all in this very canid interview!

In this episode, I recap 2020 and go over a lesson I learned from each month along with fun, animal memories! Happy News Year everyone!!!