Best Claudia Hirtenfelder Podcasts (2025)

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S5E7: European Wildcat 10:32

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9d ago10:32

10:32

In this Animal Highlight, fellow Virginia Thomas uses one of Jo-Anne McArthur’s images as her inspiration. She compares and contrasts the lives of mink kept for fur with those of wild mink before reflecting on some of the ethical and environmental concerns that emerge from using mink for fur. Recorded: 12 October 2023 Featured: S6E7: Animal Photojo…

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S5E6 - Brown Dog 16:50

17d ago16:50

16:50

In this Animal Highlight, fellow Virginia Thomas talks about Brown Dog, a canine who in 1903 was subjected to vivisection at University College London. Two activists brought his plight to the attention of the International Antivivisection Society and what ensued was a series lengthy legal and social battles commonly referred to as "The Brown Dog Af…

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S5E5 - Exploited Honeybees 10:32

24d ago10:32

10:32

In this Animal Highlight, fellow Virginia Thomas discusses honeybees and the ways in which they are exploited for their honey. She notes how much labour goes into making honey and the scale of the industry that relies on it. Because of the violence and exploitation in the industry vegans do not eat honey. Recorded: 26 October 2023 Featured: S6E5: A…

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S5E4 - European Wildcat 14:29

1M ago14:29

14:29

In this Animal Highlight, fellow Virginia Thomas discusses the European Wild Cat and their entangled relationships with domesticated cats. She notes how the interbreeding between these two species has conservationists worried and has resulted in a range of, oftentimes, violent interventions into their animals’ lives. Recorded: 12 October 2023 Featu…

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S5E3 - Pale Male 12:54

1M ago12:54

12:54

Virginia Thomas tells us about a red-tailed hawk named Pale Male who sparked controversy and admiration when he built his nest on a luxury Fifth Avenue apartment building in New York City. Pale Male is a celebrity whose story illuminates questions about animal habitat rights in urban environments. Recorded: 12 October 2023 Featured: Some We Love, S…

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S5E2 - Misunderstood Magueys 16:00

2M ago16:00

16:00

Virginia Thomas introduces the red maguey worm; a caterpillar often mistakenly called the "tequila worm.” She explores their biology and ethical implications of using these metamorphosing creatures as novelty ‘items’ in alcoholic beverages. Recorded: 18 September 2023 Featured: Cosmopolitanism with Angie Pepper on The Animal Turn. Perdido Street St…

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S5E1 - Citizen Dogs 18:26

2M ago18:26

18:26

In this Animal Highlight, fellow Virginia Thomas focuses on the domestic dog and the ways in which they might be thought of as citizens. She thinks about some of dogs' history and discusses the work of Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka. Recorded: 18 September 2023 Featured: Zoopolis: A Political Theory of Animal Rightsby Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlic…

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Bonus: Sensory Pollution with Brett Seymoure and Jennifer Phillips 58:41

3M ago58:41

58:41

In this crossover episode from The Deal With Animals Podcast, Marika S. Bell talks to two experts about the impacts of sensory pollution on animals. Sensory pollution from artificial light and noise has profound effects on wildlife behavior, reproduction, and survival. Brett Seymour and Jennifer Phillips share insights about how everyday choices im…

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Bonus: Big Cat Trade with Vanessa Amoroso 51:28

3M ago51:28

51:28

The global big cat trade encompasses both legal and illegal networks, with South Africa standing as the world's largest exporter of big cats including both live animals and parts. Vanessa Amoroso from Four Paws International explains how captive breeding facilities create a "conveyor belt of cubs" that fuels tourism attractions while obscuring the …

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S7E10: Grad Review with Rashmi Singh Rana and Priyanshu Thapliyal 1:38:52

5M ago1:38:52

1:38:52

Rashmi Singh Rana and Priyanshu Thapliyal join Claudia on the show to discuss some of the key themes to emerge in Season 7, Animals and Multispecies Health. These include thinking beyond anthropocentric understandings of health; considering how geography and context shape health relations; and the importance of discourse in both imaginative and mat…

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S7E9: Dogs’ Health with Jessica Pierce 1:19:08

5M ago1:19:08

1:19:08

In this episode Jessica Pierce joins Claudia to explicitly discuss dogs’ health. They discuss everything from end-of-life care for dogs, to breeding practices, and discourses about dogs’ purpose in society. They unfurl some of the overlapping and similar health needs of street- versus pet-dogs and surmise that in general dogs are facing a range of …

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S7E8: Pavlov’s Dogs with Matthew Adams 1:26:13

6M ago1:26:13

1:26:13

Matthew Adams joins Claudia on the show to talk about the dogs who were used by Ivan Pavlov in his extensive laboratory operations in St Petersburg. They discuss the importance of psychology and psychological experimentation in debates about multispecies health, also pointing to the importance of art-based research that challenges anthropocentricis…

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S7E7: Urban Health Histories with Heeral Chhabra 1:17:14

6M ago1:17:14

1:17:14

In this episode we delve into how urban health histories can help us to understand changing multispecies health. Heeral Chhabra tells us how the welfare of free-roaming dogs in India was caught up with the colonial history of the country and how rabies saw drastic changes in human-dog relations. Date Recorded: 27 September 2024. Heeral Chhabra is a…

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S7E6: Compassionate Conservation with Daniel Ramp 1:46:14

6M ago1:46:14

1:46:14

This episode dives into the principles of compassionate conservation, emphasizing the importance of recognizing individual lives and experiences in conservation efforts. Daniel Ramp outlines how traditional conservation often overlooks the welfare of specific animals, leading to harmful outcomes, and presents compelling arguments for integrating co…

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S7E5: Marginalized Multispecies Collectives with Oswaldo Santos Baquero 1:51:49

7M ago1:51:49

1:51:49

Join us for a conversation with Oswaldo Santos Baquero about marginalized multispecies collectives. He explains the complexities of biological taxonomy and challenges traditional definitions of species to instead think about how collectives operate. By critically analyzing health practices through the lens of multispecies marginalization, Oswaldo c…

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S7E4: Behavioural Ecology with Anindita Bhadra 1:14:54

8M ago1:14:54

1:14:54

Anindita Bhadra joins Claudia on the show to explain what behavioural ecology is and how it has been applied to understanding the free-roaming dogs in India. They discuss the interconnections between domestication and evolution, the social organization of free roaming dogs, and dogs relationships with urban ecologies. Date Recorded: 16 August 2024.…

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S7E3 - Species Story with Mariam Fraser Motamedi 1:33:10

8M ago1:33:10

1:33:10

In this episode Mariam Motamedi-Fraser joins us in the show to discuss ‘species story’ a concept she developed in her book Dog Politics. We discuss how the human-dog bond has been established and maintained through modern day practices and scientific discourses which have implications for how dogs can live. Date Recorded: 31 July 2024. Mariam Motam…

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S4E8: Animals and Waste Review 37:24

8M ago37:24

37:24

The last episode of Season 4 is a review of the season “Animals and Waste.” Herre de Bondt, Rebecca Shen, and Claudia Hirtenfelder touch on some of the common themes to emerge in the season. These include how animals are valued as well as the mobility and accumulation of waste. Recorded: 14 August 2024. Herre de Bondt has done research on rats in A…

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S4E7 - Radioactive Boars 18:23

9M ago18:23

18:23

In this Highlight, Herre looks at how nuclear waste has impacted the lives of wild boars living in Japan. More specifically, he discusses how, following the 2011 triple disaster, boars responded to the departure of humans from the Fukushima area and how the animals are being impacted by their slow return. Recorded: 15 May 2024. Featured: Evaluation…

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S7E2 - Healthy Publics with Melanie Rock and Gwendolyn Blue 1:52:18

9M ago1:52:18

1:52:18

Gwendolyn Blue and Melanie Rock join Claudia on the show to discuss ‘healthy publics.’ They explore how the idea of ‘public health’ has persistently been conceived of as human and unpack some of the opportunities and challenges with conceiving of multispecies health. From the historical roots of the ‘One Health’ to the modern challenges of public p…

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S7E1: Multispecies Health with Guillem Rubio-Ramon and Krithika Srinivasan 1:28:56

9M ago1:28:56

1:28:56

Guillem Rubio-Ramon and Krithika Srinivasan join Claudia to kick of Season 7 which is focused on “multispecies health.” They discuss human-dog relations and how multispecies health involves components of care, indifference and violence. Date Recorded: 7 June 2024. Guillem Rubio-Ramonis a Research Associate in Human Geography at the University of Ed…

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S4E6: Metropolitan Macaques 15:36

9M ago15:36

15:36

In this episode Herre de Bondt discusses Singapore’s metropolitan macaques and how they use the city and its waste as a valuable resource that is not only important for their survival but contributes to the design of the city. Recorded: 15 May 2024. Featured: Purity and Danger by Mary Douglas Catastrophic extinctions follow deforestation in Singapo…

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Bonus: Exploring Dog Cognition with Alexandra Horowitz 1:15:33

9M ago1:15:33

1:15:33

Claudia talks to scientist and author, Alexandra Horowitz about dogs’ cognition. They discuss everything from dogs’ sense of smell and capacity to play to how anthropomorphisms sometimes skew human understandings of what dogs are doing. Date Recorded: 15 August 2024 Alexandra Horowitz heads the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College, where she also t…

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S4E5: Entangled Sea Turtles 16:47

9M ago16:47

16:47

When it comes to talking about waste and its impacts on animals it is hard to not think about plastic. In this episode, Herre de Bondt tells us how sea turtles have been entangled with the politics of plastic. Recorded: 27 November 2023. Featured: Dave the Diver Sea Turtle with straw in nostril Credits: Claudia Hirtenfelder, executive producer and …

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Bonus: Kindred Creatures with Monica Murphy and Bill Wasik 1:17:55

9M ago1:17:55

1:17:55

Monica Murphy and Bill Wasik join Claudia on the show to talk about their recent book Our Kindred Creatures. They discuss how the late 19th century was a time of immense change for Americans and their relationships with animals became increasingly contradictory. Date Recorded: 15 July 2024 Bill Wasik is the editorial director of The New York Times …

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S4E4 - Engineering Fiddler Crabs 13:13

9M ago13:13

13:13

Fiddler crabs, with their one giant claw, are considered ecosystem engineers in mangrove environments. Herre de Bondt gives us a glimpse into the world of these incredible crustaceans. Recorded: 27 November 2023. Featured: Fiddler Crabs by Jochen Zeil et al. Burrow-Morphological Characters of the Fiddler Crab and Ecological Correlates in a Lagoonal…

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S4E3 - Pre-Emptive House Finches 14:29

9M ago14:29

14:29

House finches in Mexico City use discarded cigarette butts in the lining of their nests to fend of parasites, Herre de Bondt tells us more abut this interesting behaviour and some of its potentially worrisome impacts. Recorded: 30 October 2023. Featured: All that breathes Lively Cities by Maan Barua. Killer Cities by Nigel Thrift. An experimental d…

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Bonus: Animals in Media 2:01:40

10M ago2:01:40

2:01:40

Bonus: Animals in Media Together with Arukah Animal International, The Animal Turn co-hosted a panel discussion focused on "Animals in Media". Using a video about animalized hierarchies in contagion films as a prompt, Claire Parkinson, Susan McHugh, and Tobias Linné engaged in an open-ended about media, representation, power, and activism. Date Rec…

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S4E2 - Composting Worms 17:13

10M ago17:13

17:13

Wormeries are becoming increasingly popular in cities so in this episode Herre de Bondt considers a creature at the center of this trend, worms, and how their lives are entwined with practices of composting. Recorded: 2 October 2023. Featured: Vermicomposting makes your garden grow on Homegrown Earthworms are more important than pandas (if you want…

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S4E1: Stringed Pigeons 18:31

10M ago18:31

18:31

Herre de Bondt joins the show as a co-host of Season 4 of the Animal Highlight to discuss the intricate relationships of animals and waste. He kicks off the season looking at pigeons considering how urban waste impacts them, particularly their feet. Recorded: 21 September 2023. Featured: Unseen City by Nathanael Johnson. Urban pigeons losing toes d…

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S3E10: Transgressive Jellyfish 16:53

10M ago16:53

16:53

In this highlight Amanda talks about jellyfish and the many ways in which they are thought to be transgressive potential threats to biosecurity. Amanda reminds us to try and thinking sensitively about creatures who seem vastly different to us and to also be amazed by the feats they can accomplish. This content was originally aired in Season 5 of Th…

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S3E9 - Imperiled Pangolins 14:44

11M ago14:44

14:44

In this animal highlight Amanda talks about pangolins, one of the most trafficked animals in the world. She speaks about some of her concerns with One health flattening complexities before talking a bit about Stevie, a pangolin saved in South Africa. This content was originally aired in Season 5 of The Animal Turn Podcast. Featured: Nicole Shukin, …

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Bonus: The Salmon People Podcast with Sandra Bartlett 1:03:06

11M ago1:03:06

1:03:06

Award-winning journalist Sandra Bartlett joins us to uncover the unsettling realities of fish farming in British Columbia with her impactful podcast, "The Salmon People." We discuss some of the social and environmental controversies surrounding salmon farming in Canada including the interconnections between wild and farmed salmon in the region, how…

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S3E8: Harmed Bears 15:41

11M ago15:41

15:41

In this episode Amanda unpacks how brown bears in Ukraine and grizzly bears in Canada have been impacted by conflict and war. This content was originally aired in Season 5 of The Animal Turn Podcast. Featured: Bear by Robert E. Bieder How are endangered bears escaping the Russian invasion of Ukraine? By Ben Anthony on Euro News. Ukraine War: Situat…

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Bonus: Creativity with Carol Gigliotti 1:15:25

11M ago1:15:25

1:15:25

Using Carol Gigliotti’s book “The Creative Lives of Animals” as a backdrop, this episode explores animals and the creative process. From the artistic intricacies of humpback whales' bubble-net feeding to the sophisticated communication skills of prairie dogs, Carol guides us through a world where animals demonstrate remarkable creativity, highlight…

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S3E7: Navigating Salmon 16:29

11M ago16:29

16:29

Salmon are increasingly intensively farmed and implicated in biosecurity concerns, but they are also animals with amazing biological and social worlds who can achieve incredible feats pf strength and navigation. This content was originally aired in Season 5 of The Animal Turn Podcast. Featured: Politics of Domestication with Chi Mao Wang on The Ani…

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S3E6: Lily and Lizzie 13:08

12M ago13:08

13:08

Amanda Bunten-Wahlberg considers the Lily and Lizzie, two pigs who were rescued from Smithfield farms and subsequently caught in the middle of a biosecurity drama. This content was originally aired in Season 5 of The Animal Turn Podcast. Featured: Animal Farm Activism with Camille Labchuk on The Animal Turn. Luvin Arms Sanctuary The Whole Hog: Expl…

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Bonus: Veterinary Ethics and Animal Welfare with Sean Wensley 1:17:39

12M ago1:17:39

1:17:39

Using his book Through a Vet’s Eyes as a backdrop, Claudia talks to Sean Wensley about veterinary ethics and animal welfare. They discuss some of Sean’s experiences as a vet as well as some of the challenges vets face in representing animals’ interests. Date Recorded: 20 February 2024 Sean Wensley is Senior Veterinarian for Animal Welfare and Profe…

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S3E5: Resourceful, Respectable Rats 15:19

12M ago15:19

15:19

In this animal highlight Amanda talks about one of the most tested on animals in the world, rats. She discusses how rats have been used in labs and the standardization of their experiences. She contrasts that with the rich lifeworlds of rats who live freely and in multispecies communities. This content was originally aired in Season 5 of The Animal…

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S6EB: Problematization with Claudia Hirtenfelder 1:13:42

12M ago1:13:42

1:13:42

Over the years Claudia has mentioned her PhD research and journey, in this episode Catherine Oliver takes over as host and interviews Claudia about her research. They dwell on the concept of problematization and why it is important for thinking politically about urban animals. Date Recorded: 3 October 2023 Claudia (Towne) Hirtenfelder is an animal …

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S3E4: Masterful Mosquitos 14:52

1y ago14:52

14:52

In this episode Amanda Bunten-Walberg gives details into the diversity of mosquito worlds, meals, and physiologies. She focuses on mosquitos who rely on blood to live, unpacking some of the strategies and tactics they use to secure a meal. This content was originally aired in Season 5 of The Animal Turn Podcast. Featured: Epidemiological Dividual w…

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S3E3: Manifold Crabs 13:01

1y ago13:01

13:01

Amanda Bunten-Walberg tells us about the incredible diversity of crabs as well as some of their social and physiological characteristics. She focuses on the Green Crab, a species whose adaptability has often also meant they are labelled as invasive. This content was originally aired in Season 5 of The Animal Turn Podcast. Featured: Feral and Invasi…

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S3E2: Flying Foxes 12:55

1y ago12:55

12:55

In this episode Amanda Bunten-Walberg tells Claudia all about bats, animals who have historically been persecuted as threats to biosecurity. Hoping to challenge this reductive way of understanding bats, Amanda talks about flying foxes, large fruit bats, noting how incredibly social and relatable they are. This content was originally aired in Season…

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S3E1: Textured Turkeys 15:02

1y ago15:02

15:02

Amanda Bunten-Walberg joins Claudia to discuss animals and biosecurity. In the first episode of the season she talks about turkeys, animals who are often implicated in biosecurity threats but who – when given the opportunity – live richly textured lives. This content was originally aired in Season 5 of The Animal Turn Podcast. Featured: Sonic Speci…

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S2E10: Seismic Elephants 10:21

1y ago10:21

10:21

Hannah Hunter unpacks the seismic and infrasonic communication of elephants who produce and listen to sounds beyond human ranges. This season is all about “Animals and Sound” and was extracted from Season 4 of The Animal Turn Podcast. Featured: Grad Review with Bailey Hilgren and Hannah Hunter on The Animal Turn. Silent Thunder: in the presence of …

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S2E9: Sonic Spiders 11:26

1y ago11:26

11:26

In this this episode Hannah Hunter discusses how orb weaver spiders and ogre faced spiders make use of impressive sonic strategies to hunt. This season is all about “Animals and Sound” and was extracted from Season 4 of The Animal Turn Podcast. Featured: Time in the Field with Denise Herzing on The Animal Turn. Outsourced hearing in an orb-weaving …

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S2E8: Aural Butterflies 11:14

1y ago11:14

11:14

In this this episode Hannah Hunter unpacks some cool detail about butterflies sonic communication. This season is all about “Animals and Sound” and was extracted from Season 4 of The Animal Turn Podcast. Featured: Sonic Specimen with Rachel Mundy on The Animal Turn. Sound Production and Hearing the Blue Cracker Butterfly by Jayne Yack et al. Bat Co…

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S2E7: Powerful Pistol Shrimp 7:47

1y ago7:47

7:47

In this this episode Hannah Hunter tells us about pistol shrimps, one of the loudest and most powerful animals in the ocean. This season is all about “Animals and Sound” and was extracted from Season 4 of The Animal Turn Podcast. Featured: S4E07: Republic of Noise with Jeremy Gordon on The Animal Turn. The Noisiest Guys on the Planet by Jana Winder…

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S2E6: Deciphering Dolphins 8:16

1y ago8:16

8:16

In this this episode we talk about dolphins, some of the sounds they make, and their sophisticated means of communication. This season Hannah Hunter joins Claudia as the co-host of The Animal Highlight, teaching us all about “Animals and Sound.” This season was extracted from Season 4 of The Animal Turn Podcast. Featured: S4E05: Voice with Eva Meij…

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S2E5: Amplified Coyotes 10:42

1+ y ago10:42

10:42

In this this episode we talk about coyotes. Also known as song dogs and tricksters, coyotes have impressive vocal repertoires. This season Hannah Hunter joins Claudia as the co-host of The Animal Highlight, teaching us all about “Animals and Sound.” This season was extracted from Season 4 of The Animal Turn Podcast. Featured: S4E05: Animal Music wi…