BBC Earth Podcast

In the final episode of series 4, we’re digging into some of the more elusive corners of our planet.To begin, we’re on a bear hunt deep in the Bornean rainforest. Guiding us is Siew Te Wong, who is the world’s foremost authority on a bear we know very little about. The sun bear is the smallest bear in the world and, as Wong has discovered for himself, tracking them can draw up some unexpected discoveries.Next we’re turning our attention upwards, to the sky at night. Or, to be more precise, to the sounds that come from it. Magnus Robb explores what birdsong can tell us about the extraordinary migration routes of these animals.To end, we sit still to see the visible changes over time to our glaciers. Using past and present technology, Kieran Baxter brings to life some of the unprecedented declines in our natural world.Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us your favourite episode so f...

In this episode, we’re delving into the topic of extinction. We'll be finding out about some of the animals who are critically endangered, meeting the people trying to rescue them, and exploring species who may be able to make miraculous comebacks.Perhaps one of the most endangered species is the vaquita, a small sea mammal with a population of less than 20. We hear from some extraordinary people weathering threats and tragedies in an attempt to bring these ‘pandas of the ocean’ back from the brink.According to US Department of Agriculture researcher, Dr Samuel Ramsey, every discovery is built upon a discovery that came before it. Yet some of those discoveries can be found in the most unexpected of places. For Samuel, understanding his father’s health issues provided the key to discovering why honeybee populations are on the decrease.And to finish, we’re asking one of the biggest questions in paleontology: how did birds evolve from dinosaurs? To help us explore this topic, we’...

In this episode, we’re displaying the most impressive artists of the animal kingdom. From tiny visual masterpieces, to animals that can dance to a beat, we’re shining a spotlight on the art that can be found in nature.Deep in the Amazon rainforest, there’s a tiny structure that (if you’re able to spot it) catches your eye. The intricate silk henge is a mini masterpiece, and for some time nobody could say exactly what it was or why it existed. Phil Torres takes us on his journey of discovery and demystification.Next we’re exploring whether animals can dance to a beat and, if so, why? To help us try and answer that, we hear from Henkjan Honing, professor of Music Cognition at the University of Amsterdam.Finally, we turn our attention to Northern Australia’s great bowerbird. What can the males' elaborate constructions teach us about perspective?Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us...

While nature is full of beauty and wonder, it also has a deadly side. In this episode, we're getting a brush with death and exploring how nature can be both a source of comfort and a source of danger.Prosanta Chakrabarty spends his time studying different species of fish in some of the world's most hostile spots. He leads us into a deep, dark cave in Madagascar where he and his team didn't just discover a new species, but also discovered a new illness.We’ll be introduced to the unlikely ‘assassins of the sea’: cone snails. Mande Holford explains how these extraordinary creatures can both kill and cure us.And finally, we hear how a lioness chose to share her most intimate moments of life and death with African wildlife expert, Gareth Patterson.Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us your favourite episode so far or a story that amazed, surprised or moved you…Website:www.bbcearth.comF...

We’re exploring the parts of our world that require us to look a little deeper. From the depths of our oceans to the canopies that grace our skylines, we’ll be venturing into unfamiliar pockets of nature with the people who have carved a life out of choosing to study the things that many of us can’t see.First up, we meet Matthew Doogue who finds solace in capturing small things. He tells us how photographing the tiniest creatures has helped him find a greater sense of happiness.We also travel to the bottom of the ocean, and discover how even in the most extreme environments fragments of life persist. What can this alien environment teach us about life’s limits and extraordinary capabilities?And finally we head upwards into the canopies of trees with ecologist Nalini Nadkarni. She invites us to to experience canopy life, and reflects upon what it can teach us about relationships and recovery.Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.As ever, we love heari...

We’re exploring the boundary between our world and the world of myth, mysticism, and magic. We’ll discover how some of the customs and practices from our ancient ancestors continue to influence our relationship with the natural world today.To begin, we’re opening our ears to some of the sounds of the natural world and the inanimate objects that produce them. On a trip to Serengeti, Jahawi stumbled across rocks which, when hit by another type of rock, produced different sounds. He leads us into the world of the rocks that ‘sing’.The Baka are one of the oldest hunter gatherer societies in the world. They’re physically and spiritually connected to the forests they inhabit. This connection runs so deep that they believe their top hunters have the ability to experience the world from another animal’s point of view.And in South Africa she’s known as the ‘frog lady’, but Dr Jeanne Tarrant didn’t always love them. Like many others, she grew up scared of frogs. Now, however, she w...

There are few places on our planet that have not in some way been shaped by humans. We’re looking at how, for better or worse, we’ve made a mark on our world, and whether it’s possible to escape the influence of us.To begin, we travel to Aldabra - an idyllic coral atoll in the Indian ocean. It’s one of the most remote places in the world, home to giant tortoises and very little human intrusion. Yet even in this largely uninhabited spot, traces of humanity can be found.Next we’ll be exploring an island far away from anywhere else, right in the middle of the Atlantic. Ascension Island is an arid landscape. But it’s also home to a lush man-made tropical forest. What lessons can we learn from one of humanity’s largest ever landscaping projects?To finish, we’ll hear from journalist Judith D. Schwartz. She explains how human influence - even that thousands of years in the making - has and can be reversed.Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.As ever, w...

We’re exploring the theme of recovery, delving into times when we’ve stepped in to help save our natural world, and looking at the moments when it’s come to our rescue too.We’ll be starting off in the sea off the West Coast of Africa where a crew member from the latest David Attenborough series, A Perfect Planet, will take us behind the scenes on an eye-opening rescue mission.We’ll then meet the Bloom family, whose lives were turned around following a life-changing accident. The road to recovery came in the unexpected form of a mischievous Australian magpie.Finally, we’ll burrow into the world of wombats and meet a woman who has journeyed through much of life’s ups and downs with these four-legged creatures at her side.Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us your favourite episode so far or a story that amazed, surprised or moved you…To find out more about David Attenborough’s ...

In this week’s episode of the BBC Earth podcast we’ll be looking to solve some of the natural world’s mysteries.Starting off in North West Honduras, we’ll hear from ethnobiologist and sound artist Ben Mirin who set out to discover the voice of a previously voiceless animal. The exquisite spike-thumb frog is a critically endangered species. Recording its voice could help save this frog. The only problem is, nobody actually knows what it sounds like.We’ll also be taken on a personal journey of discovery with a woman who has become known on the tiny island of Guam in Micronesia as the ‘Manta Mum’. Julie Hartup is a microbiologist who has spent over a decade studying the enigmatic Manta Rays. She explains how a simple hypothesis led to a beautiful discovery.Finally, we’ll speak to marine biologist Dr Edith Widder who has spent most of her career trying to communicate with the animals that live in our oceans.Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.As ev...

We're exploring what the natural world can teach us about teamwork. We'll learn how in some of the most remote locations and harshest conditions, strength can come in numbers.In the Amazon rainforests in Northern Peru, tiny creatures have found an ingenious way to tackle the annual floods. With the help of a crew member from the landmark series, A Perfect Planet, we'll be floating alongside fire ants forming a living raft.Tens of thousands of penguins make the journey from the sea to a spot in the Antarctic to breed. For them, sticking together is crucial for surviving such harsh conditions.Finally, we'll hear about slime mould. To prevent starving, genetically different strains of slime mould come together. But within this system exist loners. What can they teach us about the evolution of social behaviours?Thank you for listening to another series of the BBC Earth podcast.As ever, we love hearing from you on social media, so do share with us your favourite episode so far or a story...