Charles and Jon are joined from South Africa by Rod Cassidy who runs world famous Sangha Lodge in the Central African Republic. A true mammalwatching nirvana.

Rod talks about his early career as a bird guide and conservation researcher including his entry for the Darwin Awards during an ill-fated attempt bat collection expedition. He talks about the importance for conservation of the work he and his wife Tamar are doing in the Central African Republic and some of the spectacular mammals they regularly encounter including huge gatherings of Forest Elephants in Sangha Bai, Lowland Gorillas, pangolins and Bongos.

Rod also talks about the very real challenges of persuading people to visit such a remote area and the importance of getting bums in beds to protect one of the last great strongholds of the Congo basin.

For more information visit www.mammalwatching.com/podcast

Notes: The Sangha Lodge website has more information about the lodge and how to visit.

Jon's 2011 and Charles's 2018 trip reports from Dzanga-Sangha National Park are among those on mammalwatching.com.

Jon's trip report from the Azores will appear here in September 2024.

Cover art: Non-habituated Lowland Gorilla, Dzanga-Sangha National Park, Jon Hall

Dr Charles Foley is a mammalwatcher and biologist who, together with his wife Lara, spent 30 years studying elephants in Tanzania. They now run the Tanzania Conservation Research Program at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

Jon Hall set up mammalwatching.com in 2005. Genetically Welsh, spiritually Australian, currently in New York City. He has looked for mammals in over 110 countries.

Charles and Jon are joined by Claudia Diaz, from Wild About Colombia, at her home in Bogota.

Claudia and Robin Smith founded Wild About Colombia in 2017 and the company quickly developed a reputation for high quality and adventurous mammalwatching trips.

Claudia talks about a career which has taken her from marine biology in Mexico's Gulf of California back to her native Colombia, via studying conservation in the UK. She describes her passion for involving local communities in ecotourism and runs through some of the particular difficulties she and Rob faced in bringing not just ecotourism, but mammal tourism, to a country emerging from 60 years of conflict. From navigating travel insurance company red zones to trying to persuade birding guides that some clients prefer to walk past megabirds (some clients like Jon for example), she describes a challenging but rewarding journey through an extraordinary country.

For more information visit www.mammalwatching.com/podcast

Notes: There are several trip reports featuring Wild About Colombia on mammalwatching.com including reports from Jane Kempler, Venkat Sankar and Jon.

Charles talked about a New York Times article on freeze dried bats which is here (though it is behind a firewall).

Cover art: Claudia Diaz.

Dr Charles Foley is a mammalwatcher and biologist who, together with his wife Lara, spent 30 years studying elephants in Tanzania. They now run the Tanzania Conservation Research Program at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

Jon Hall set up mammalwatching.com in 2005. Genetically Welsh, spiritually Australian, currently in New York City. He has looked for mammals in over 110 countries.

Charles and Jon talk to Dr Barbara Taylor (USA) and Dr Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho (Mexico), who together lead the global efforts to save the Vaquita from extinction.

The Vaquita, a tiny and beautiful porpoise, is found only at the top of the Gulf of California and holds the unfortunate distinction of being the world's rarest marine mammal (possibly the rarest of any mammal species). There may be as few as 6 animals left alive.

The story of the Vaquita's precipitous decline from its discovery in 1958 is as tragic as it is complex. In a fascinating conversation we learn about the Vaquita's biology and how gillnetting has driven the species to the very edge of extinction. We also discuss why illegal fishing - fueled by organized crime and a demand in East Asia for the swim bladder of the Totoaba fish - is so difficult to prevent. But Barb and Lorenzo offer some optimism for the future: there may be more Vaquitas hiding in the Gulf of California and it is not to late to save the species.

For more information visit www.mammalwatching.com/podcast

Notes: There is a lot more information online.

Viva Vaquita is a coalition of scientists, educators and conservationists who strive to increase attention on the Vaquita. They host an International Vaquita Day every year to update folks on the latest situation.

There are several documentaries about the Vaquita story including Sea of Shadows which you can find here https://www.vaquitacpr.org

The IUCN's Cetacean Specialist Group website has all recent Vaquita survey reports (with 2024 coming soon) as well as reports from the recovery team (CIRVA).

If you would like to help save the Vaquita you can donate money to - or volunteer to join - Sea Shepherd the conservation society who are doing very important work in the Gulf of Mexico to help tackle the illegal fishing that is killing the species.

If you want to check whether the seafood you eat is sustainable then you can visit Seafood Watch even if they do not as yet carry information about the fisheries that most impact the Vaquita.

Jon's report on joining the 2024 Vaquita Survey with Barb and Lorenzo is here.

Finally here is the Guardian article on the 6 million antelope migration in South Sudan that Charles mentions at the start.

Cover art: Barb, Lorenzo and a model Vaquita with Consag Rock in the background.

Dr Charles Foley is a mammalwatcher and biologist who, together with his wife Lara, spent 30 years studying elephants in Tanzania. They now run the Tanzania Conservation Research Program at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

Jon Hall set up mammalwatching.com in 2005. Genetically Welsh, spiritually Australian, currently in New York City. He has looked for mammals in over 110 countries.