Can AI Save Tigers? with Dr. Jeremy S. Dertien
Release Date: 12/11/2023
Rescuing Rabbits with Amy's Bunny Barn
Defender Radio and The Switch
We’re releasing this episode in time for International Rabbit Day – a celebration of our favourite floppy-eared lagomorphs. While rabbits do make wonderful companions, they are frequently released or dumped in the wild – and with an exceptionally quick gestation period, that can lead to a lot of domestic rabbits in the wild, really fast. Fortunately, there are incredible people who are working to find homes for rabbits and prevent the need for dumping – like Amy McLaughin of on Vancouver Island. A vet assistant, past SPCA worker, and passionate advocate for rabbits, Amy is providing...
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Speak at Humane Canada’s Summit for Animals with Natalia Hanson
Defender Radio and The Switch
Finding community is an important part of being an advocate – and in a post pandemic world, that can be a struggle. Fortunately, opportunities like bring together hundreds of likeminded people, sharing resources, ideas, and finding hope together. The is taking place in Montreal, Quebec on April 27, 28 and 29 – and there’s still time to submit a proposal to present yourself! To learn more about the Summit, the range of subjects that will be presented upon, and what kind of proposal is perfect, Humane Canada’s Natalia Hanson joins Defender Radio. SHOW NOTES Episode art photo by...
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The Ursa Project with Katie Graves
Defender Radio and The Switch
Hundreds of black bears are killed in British Columbia every year; often, the issue leading to government agents killing bears is attractants such as unsecure garbage that bears may want to explore or eat. While there is much to be said and debated about this situation, one thing is clear: communities need solutions. And that’s where the comes in. Founded in Nelson, BC, in 2022, the was created by concerned citizens who wanted to see the bears of their community protected, not killed simply for looking for food. To date, the non-profit has made inroads in getting new waste management...
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Signs of Life with Sarah Cox
Defender Radio and The Switch
More than 5,000 wild species are at risk of extinction in Canada right now – it’s an overwhelming, staggering number, and it begs the question: what are we doing about it? Environmental journalist Sarah Cox explores this question with hope and curiosity in her new book, Signs of Life: Field Notes from the Frontlines of Extinction. Featuring interviews and experiences with advocates, researchers, Indigenous peoples, and even the Canadian military, Sarah explores several species at risk of extinction in Signs of Life, and what’s being done by different people to make an impact. Signs of...
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Tales of the Urban Wild with Dr. Tiffany Yap and Meital Smith
Defender Radio and The Switch
What’s the world like for a Puma in California? What would they encounter, and what would they make of the humans acting strangely in the landscape? Scientist and artist put together what they think that may look like in the incredible , now available from Reverberation Books. Dr. Yap, a conservation scientist, wrote the story of the puma named C-8 by local scientists who explores the world around him; Meital Smith, a multidisciplinary artist, developed the incredible artwork that pulls together the graphic novel into a poignant, evocative read. To share more about the motivation behind...
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Bears in our Backyards with Paul Johnson
Defender Radio and The Switch
Black bears in British Columbia face an impossible reality: find new places to live, without being near people, while we continue to remove habitat and ecological connectivity from the landscape. It’s a struggle that journalist and documentarian wanted to profile – in hopes of making a change. , is Johnson’s latest full-length documentary, and features extensive footage of black bears in British Columbia, along with interviews from experts, advocates, and government officials. The documentary is poignant, and shows the precarious situation we’ve created for black bears – and how our...
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Nakoda's Story with John E. Marriott
Defender Radio and The Switch
Nakoda was a grizzly bear who lived in Yoho National Park. She was a well-known bear, having been tracked by Parks Canada as Bear 178, and popular with photographers and tourists who caught a glimpse of her famous blonde-white fur. Tragically, on the evening of June 6, 2024, Nakoda was near the park, and was later found dead. This came only 12 hours after Nakoda’s two cubs were also struck and killed on the highway. Nakoda isn’t the first grizzly to die due to the railways and highways that flow through and around national park sites; but John Marriott and the team at hope she may be the...
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Beyond Animal Control with Jennifer Toussaint
Defender Radio and The Switch
Mustachioed dog-nappers chasing animated pooches around the city may be what’s in some of our heads when it comes to animal control, but the important front-line officers in our communities go well beyond that trope. In Arlington, Virginia, the community knows they can rely on the to help, whether it’s support for expensive veterinary procedures, getting an injured raccoon into care, or working with citizens to ensure that everyone’s dignity and welfare are considered. Chief of Animal Control and Senior Director of Community Resources joins Defender Radio to discuss how considering an...
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California's Room to Roam Act with Dr. Tiffany Yap
Defender Radio and The Switch
Room to roam for wildlife is essential to their health, particularly as they face increasing pressures related to development and the climate crisis. But many communities aren’t planned with wildlife in mind – or ecological connectivity between neighbourhoods and boundaries. The California state assembly has passed the , which compels local governments to work with each other and state agencies to ensure resilient, sustainable ecosystems are connected to protect wildlife, the environment, and human health. To share more about this exciting legislation, the impact it may have, and why...
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Perceptions of Urban Coyotes in Ontario with Nicole Murphy + Dr. Stephanie Rutherford
Defender Radio and The Switch
Traditional media has long portrayed coyotes in a negative light – and you don’t have to take my word for it. Nicole Murphy, a student at Peterborough’s Trent University took on the issue of how coyotes are perceived by undertaking a three-part project: she ran an analysis of media reporting on coyotes across the Greater Toronto Area, surveyed staff, faculty and students at Trent University to get their perceptions, and setup trail cameras around the campus to learn and showcase how coyotes are already coexisting with people. The paper, titled Perceptions of Urban Coyotes in Ontario: The...
info_outlineTigers are at risk of extinction around the globe. But in India, hard fought conservation has seen the population double since 2006. While this is fantastic news, it does create new challenges to face: such as how to manage poachers, and negative encounters between tigers and animals kept as livestock, and the people who live in the tigers’ range.
Artificial intelligence, matched with innovative trail camera technology may be the answer to not only protecting tigers in India, but other large carnivores around the world.
Published in the October 2023 edition of BioScience, 'Mitigating human-wildlife conflict and monitoring endangered tigers using a real-time camera-based alert system' outlines how the new tech (TrailGuard AI by Nightjar) works, and what implications it may have beyond tigers in India. Lead author of this paper Dr. Jeremy S. Dertien joins Defender Radio to share more about his experience working with AI and tigers, how we can see the solution be used in larger context, and what ethical issues need to be considered.
SHOW NOTES:
Photo of tigress in India by Dr. Jeremy S. Dertien
Dr. Jeremy S. Dertien's website: https://www.conservationdertien.com/
BioScience study: https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/73/10/748/7261057
OneEarth coverage: https://www.oneearth.org/breakthrough-monitoring-technology-to-save-the-worlds-tigers/
TIME magazine calls TrailGuard AI one of the best inventions of 2023: https://time.com/collection/best-inventions-2023/6327141/trailguard-ai/
NGO Resolve and TrailGuard AI: https://www.resolve.ngo/trailguard.htm
Want to suggest topics for Defender Radio? Reach out to us at [email protected], by visiting DefenderRadio.com or engaging host Michael Howie on social media via Instagram (www.instagram.com/howiemichael) or Facebook (www.Facebook.com/DefenderRadio).
Defender Radio is produced by The Fur-Bearers (www.TheFurBearers.com), a charitable non-partisan organization whose mandate is to advocate on behalf of fur-bearing animals in the wild and in confinement, promote coexistence solutions in communities and protect the habitats of fur-bearing animals across Canada. You can follow The Fur-Bearers on Instagram (www.instagram.com/furbearers), Twitter (www.twitter.com/furbearers) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FurFree).