Mooney Goes Wild

Meerkats are highly social and inquisitive mammals hailing from southernmost Africa that just so happen to have an endearingly human-like appearance that many of us find extremely cute. You might think you already know a lot about them, but as Derek, Jim, Eric and Niall discuss on tonight’s programme, there is more to Meerkats than meets the eye...

On Jan. 2nd, we broadcast a special edition of Mooney Goes Wild from Harper's Island Wetlands Nature Reserve in County Cork, where Derek, Jim Wilson, Niall Hatch and Decland Murphy took a close-up look at the remarkable world of wintering wetland birds. It was filmed by Donal Glackin, and you can watch it here https://tinyurl.com/4uza4h65.

The Natural History Museum in Dublin, known fondly as the 'Dead Zoo', is currently closed for refurbishment works. So where have the animals and exhibits gone? Reporter Terry Flanagan met with curator Emma Murphy to find out...

Dr. Megan Power from UCD joins us to tell us about her research on Greater Horseshoe Bats, and whether it's better for bats to breed earlier or later in life...

Listener Fionnuala contacted us about the possibility of woodpeckers in Naas, doing damage to a cherry blossom tree in her garden. And why is it that woodpeckers don't sustain head damage when drumming? Niall, Eanna and Richard explain...

Derek, Richard, Niall and Eanna are joined by Sweden-based Irish journalist Philip O'Connor to chat about edible road salt, wild animals in traffic and the Great Moose Migration! For more, see rte.ie/mooney.

After a recent report of a grey seal in Dublin’s River Liffey, listener Barry McCarthy shared evidence of seals hauling themselves over the Islandbridge weir. He even filmed it with his kids. Éanna returns to discuss Barry’s observations and how well seals move on land...

While filming in Ljubljana recently, Derek discovered a project boosting urban biodiversity: 56 bus shelters have been greened with native, drought-resistant plants. Led by the University of Ljubljana with city partners, the initiative supports insects and wildlife. Derek spoke to project lead Dr Blanka Ravnjak...

Over 20 years ago, German nurse Carsten Krieger moved to Ireland and became captivated by bogs near his home. After decades researching and photographing peatlands, he wrote 'Ten Thousand Years Deep: The Story of Ireland’s Peatlands'. Michele Browne met him at Griston Bog, Co. Limerick...

Ireland holds some of the world’s oldest and rarest animal fossils. Terry Flanagan and Prof. Maria McNamara explored fossils in Clonmel’s courthouse and told us about the Great Irish Fossil Hunt. Listeners responded, including Barbara Doyle, who found urban fossils in St Peter’s Church, Phibsborough, in Dublin...

Most European bats eat insects, but one hunts birds. Researchers led by Aarhus University found the Greater Noctule catching small songbirds mid-air. Tagged bats revealed a three-minute chase of a night-flying robin, which was caught, dismembered and eaten, as Niall Hatch explains...

A book at Christmas is a moment of calm, so we're encouraging you (and your small ones!) to take a break from the screens, and relax into a book all about the natural world. We have asked our regular contributors to pick a book that they think might be of interest to you, or your nearest and dearest... For all details, see rte.ie/mooney