30% Wild

Mountain lions, cougars, panthers, pumas - by any name, they’re the scariest animal out there, at least in our imaginations. On “30% Wild,” we look at the prospect of these big cats returning to the eastern part of the United States, where we know they live right now, and how they can show up virtually anywhere from time to time. How dangerous are these top predators? How do you stay safe during wildlife encounters? We also talk about black panther sightings, and learn why you shouldn’t choose the legendary Native American Underwater Panther as a kayaking buddy. Brian Roell, Wildlife Biologist and Large Carnivore Specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, tells us about the real animal behind the stories, evaluates your chances of seeing a black panther in the wild, and shares a hair-raising bear encounter from the north woods of the Upper Peninsula.Listen to “Mountain Lions in the East, Part 1” and “Mountain Lions in the East, Part 2,” and subscribe to “30% Wild,” at www.thirtywildpod.com Are mountain lions dangerous to you?Will mountain lions return to the eastern US? Could they already be here? How to handle mountain lion encounters and stay safeWhere cougars live, past and present, and where they could turn up nextWhy black panther sightings are dismissed by expertsHouse cat or cougar? Cases of mistaken identityHow cougars are weathering climate changeCougars and deerIncludes the original story, “Copper Mine.”

Face your fear of sharks and dare to go back in the water - as long as you’re watching for the scary invasive species lurking in your neighborhood lakes and rivers. We discuss where you’re most at risk from shark attacks and where else the bull shark might turn up. What do people see when they report sharks far from the ocean, and is it dangerous? We also follow a lost bull shark through urban flooding, combined sewers, and other inland terrors of the not-so-deep. Rochelle Sturtevant, PhD, the program manager for NOAA’s Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Information System (GLANSIS), tells us about the scariest invasive fishes in your backyard, why you can relax about sharks but not alligators - and why the scariest creatures are probably already inside your house. We also hear about the regular reports she gets about space aliens in local waterways. Listen to “Snakeheads and Sharks, Part 1” and “Snakeheads and Sharks, Part 2,” and subscribe to “30% Wild” at www.thirtywildpod.comWhere you should be afraid of sharks, and where you shouldn’tShark hoaxes and mistaken sightingsThe sharky lake sturgeonThe most dangerous state for shark attacksInvasive species vs native species vs naturalized onesThree terrifying mystery invasives in your local lakeCan we eat our way out of invasive fish troubles? Invasive species vs zombies Other scary threats to your waterways: combined sewers and urban floodingHow to get your free copy of “Invisible Infrastructure” from the book Design by Deficit: Neglect and the Accidental CitySharks, alligators, and space aliens in the Great Lakes The secret sinister life of goldfish Includes the original sea shanty, “Lost Bull Shark, with special guest performances by Larry Womac (Part 1) and Ryan Gill (Part 2)

Face your fear of sharks and dare to go back in the water - as long as you’re watching for the scary invasive species lurking in your neighborhood lakes and rivers. We discuss where you’re most at risk from shark attacks and where else the bull shark might turn up. What do people see when they report sharks far from the ocean, and is it dangerous? We also follow a lost bull shark through urban flooding, combined sewers, and other inland terrors of the not-so-deep. Rochelle Sturtevant, PhD, the program manager for NOAA’s Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Information System (GLANSIS), tells us about the scariest invasive fishes in your backyard, why you can relax about sharks but not alligators - and why the scariest creatures are probably already inside your house. We also hear about the regular reports she gets about space aliens in local waterways. Listen to “Snakeheads and Sharks, Part 1” and “Snakeheads and Sharks, Part 2,” and subscribe to “30% Wild” at www.thirtywildpod.comWhere you should be afraid of sharks, and where you shouldn’tShark hoaxes and mistaken sightingsThe sharky lake sturgeonThe most dangerous state for shark attacksInvasive species vs native species vs naturalized onesThree terrifying mystery invasives in your local lakeCan we eat our way out of invasive fish troubles? Invasive species vs zombies Other scary threats to your waterways: combined sewers and urban floodingHow to get your free copy of “Invisible Infrastructure” from the book Design by Deficit: Neglect and the Accidental CitySharks, alligators, and space aliens in the Great Lakes The secret sinister life of goldfish Includes the original sea shanty, “Lost Bull Shark, with special guest performances by Larry Womac (Part 1) and Ryan Gill (Part 2)

What’s that huge shadow sweeping overhead? We explore the “death from above” that is raptors, and learn how ravens are on the move from legend and myth to your backyard courtesy of rewilding. We talk about the conservation victory of the return of eagles, ospreys, and their kin and what this shifted baseline tells us in the struggle against climate change. We also watch as the semi-supernatural thunderbirds of legend soar across the continent and beyond. Ryan MacLean, the Senior Education & Public Programs Coordinator for the Greenwich Audubon Center, tells us about the triumph of raptors and ravens over the pesticide DDT, and fills us in on current perils facing our birds, as well as what you can do right now at home to save your feathered friends. Listen to “Raptors and Ravens,” and subscribe to “30% Wild” at www.thirtywildpod.comThe near-death experience of bald eagles due to the pesticide DDT, and their resurgence after the DDT banThe resurrection of ospreys, aka fish hawks, due to banning DDT.The spread of Common Ravens into the rewilding EastThe shifted baseline of growing up with or without the thunderbirdsThe success of 1970s’ conservation measures are inspiration for fighting climate change and habitat loss todayBiggest threats to birds today, including songbirdsHow climate change is threatening birdsWhat you can do personally to protect birdsIncludes the original story, “Shadows over America.”