Creature Meets Culture

Debbie brings Haley another bird episode because she's the best friend around! Did you know that the eagle wasn't legally made the national bird until 2024? We didn't know! And after the eagle was first put on that great seal that we still see all over the place today, the eagles themselves had a pretty terrible time of it thanks to the powerful insecticide, DDT. But this is a happy ep...

Debbie brings Haley a birrrd episode! And not just any bird episode, we’re talking about the guy who wrote the very first book on Ornithology (the study of birds)! Frederick II (1194-1250) was the ruler of a whole lot of countries, not to mention the Holy Roman Emperor, and he dedicated a lot of his power and resources to make the study of birds more scientific and reliable. Come join us for a dee...

Debbie and Savanna are here for the incredible story of Winter the Dolphin. A baby dolphin was found tangled in a crab trap and was rescued by a fisherman who came over to see what was going on. Sea World Institute brought her to Clearwater Marine Aquarium west of Tampa, Florida where her lengthy rehabilitation began. In the process of her rehab, she lost her tail and her adapted way of swimming p...

Debbie and Savanna overcome every technical issue under the sun to bring you this epic story of the initial packs of wolves reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995. Within these first packs lived a runt named Wolf 8, who grew up to mate with a widowed alpha female with 8 pups. Wolf 8 proved himself to be an exceptional alpha, protecting his young, providing for them, and yet exercising compassion and...

Savanna, Haley, and Debbie are here for Orion, the Rottweiler who set the Guinness World Record for the most amount of people rescued by a dog in 24 hours. During the deadliest mudslide in history (also a world record), the people of Vargas State, Venezuela, were in a state of desperate crisis. Orion, a beloved family dog, was left behind his family who were rescued by helicopter. The exact motive...

Debbie and Savanna bring you the story of Koko the gorilla. Many of us have heard of Koko. Maybe you've seen the videos of Robin Williams laughing with Koko, or maybe you've seen one where a barefoot Mr. Rogers is cuddling with her. Her knowledge of sign language and perceived ability to communicate broke barriers of what we previously believed a gorilla could do. But as the story unfolded...

It's a Haley episode! And not just that...it's a Haley episode AND a bird episode! So you're not going to want to miss this one. We're talking about the famous Jackie and Shaow, the two bald eagles whose nest in Big Bear is livestreamed 24/7 most months of the year. Their yearly clutches capture the heart of hundreds of thousands around the world and there's a good reason why....

Haley and Debbie are here to tell you the history behind the "canary in a coal mine" saying and there are tiny american flags, canary-sized oxygen cages, and lots of giggles. Let's Connect! instagram: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: Dig episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/canary-in-a-coal-mine-literally/id1271238763?i=1000561501023 Show notes:...

Haley and Debbie sit down for a story that inspired lots of tangents, opinions, and deep thoughts and reflections! In 1989, a military surveillence system picked up a whale call at a frequency never heard before. With a call at a frequency of 52 hertz, the whale earned its name and decades of fame to go along with it. When researchers studied and shared the story of this whale, thousands of people...

Haley and Debbie are here for an episode that has been in the works since the inception of this podcast...The U.S. Navy's Dolphin program! Currently based out of Point Loma, San Diego, these dolphins have trained as couriers, as well as mine and enemy detectors. A large amount of the scientific research we have on bottlenose dolphins was also donw within this program, previously located at Point M...

Savanna and Debbie are here for the Kentucky Derby, unfortunately without their own hats for the occasion. Savanna lives in Lousiville so she's bringing us the history and traditions of America's most famous horse race. We're talking about the traditions, the hats (of course) and the names and wins that stand out the most. Let's be friends! creaturemeetscultures@gmail.com instagram...

Savanna and Debbie bring you the story of Morris Frank, Dorothy Eustis, and a German Shepherd named Buddy. When dog trainer and breeder Dorthy Eustis writes an enthusiastic article for The Saturday Evening Post about seeing guide dogs lead the blind in Germany, Morris Frank's life is changed. Morris subsequently became the handler to a very unique guide dog, Buddy, who would convince an entire...

Haley tells Savanna and Debbie all about emus and they're pretty weird. But also so fascinating. There was an actual war declared and executed in Australia in 1932 and *spoiler* THE EMUS WON. It's wild and crazy and leads to a great conversation about practical (and actually helpful) solutions to human-wildlife conflict. Follow us on insta @creaturemeetsculture Sources: https://www.atlasob...

Haley and Debbie are back with part 2 of Sonora Webster Carver and her incredible diving horses. This story just keeps getting wilder. Come join us as we are in true awe of these animals and this woman. Buy Sonora's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Five-Brave-Horses/dp/1891396722 Join our book club!!! https://fable.co/club/cmc-book-club-with-debbie-442046716793

Haley and Debbie learn about the truly wild and astonishing world of horse diving. In the late 1800s, "Doc" Carver created a an act where a diver waited for a horse to gallop up a ramp to a dving board. The diver would then jump on the horse (bareback!) and together they would dive the full 40 feet into a pool below. Initally part of a Wild West show and then it's own incredible circ...

We're in person, people! and we're ALL TOGETHER! Savanna brings us the story of Sargeant Subby, who was a mascot pup during WWI and an all around hero. You're not going to want to miss this story of a dog who not only brought people together, but rescues them, fought with them, and also makes it so we have another story that is not the most depressing thing you've heard all week! S...

Savanna and Debbie learn about the roots of the most beloved honey-loving bear there is. The name of Winnie the Pooh comes from a very real black bear. When veterinarian Harry Colebourn was on his way to Quebec to serve in WWI, he rescued a black bear cub he ran into at the train station. Colebourn's brigade welcomed the bear as a mascot. But when the troop was taken to the frontlines, Winnie...

Hey everyone! It's Savanna's FIRST episode, and unsurprisingly, it's a dog rescue story. Debbie and Savanna talk about the story of Ethan, a dog left to die outside the Kentucky Humane Society. Rehabilitated and living with his forever family, Ethan isn't just a gentle giant. He influences radical change as a law in his name holds animal abusers accountable for their actions. Let&#...

Savanna and Debbie are tired but they showed up for this horse who showed up for so many during the Korean War. Originally named Achimhae (Flame of the Morning), Reckless was purchased from a young South Korean man desperate to buy his sister a necessary prosthetic leg as a result of a war-related injury. Flame was named Reckless and carried countless artillery shells through the battlefield to th...

Savanna and Debbie are here for a wholesome story of love and respect between a man an a penguin. In 2011, 71 year João Pereira de Souza found a Magellanic penguin on the beach, covered in oil and close to death. He cleaned the oil from his feathers, nursed him back to health, and named him Dindim. After about a week, João released him into the water, expecting that to be the end of it. But it was...

Haley and Debbie (and Debbie's cat, Roy) are talking about homing pigeons trained by the military in WWII (and WWI too). The programs spanned decades and are full of fascinating tales of expertise, bravery, and heroism. But today we're focusing on G.I. Joe, a homing pigeon trained by American troops at Fort Monmouth. In Italy in 1943, GI Joe carried a message so important it is believed to...

Haley and Debbie recorded this episode about Groundhog Day on Groundhog Day. We talk a lot about guys in top hats, Groundhog Day being very odd and very intense, and we really want to give some credit to Marcy. Debbie has a new bucket list item to see Groundhog Day's festival in Punxsatawney and we really go into depth about the Inner Circle because we know all about it. We also know about the...

Debbie and Savanna are together to talk all about Pelorous Jack. For nearly 24 years, a Risso's dolphin appeared in the treacherous waters of Cook Strait, New Zealand, approaching ships and guiding them safely towards French Pass. Pelorous Jack became a celebrity in his own time—passengers booked voyages just to see him, newspapers covered his appearances, and sailors considered him good luck....

We have our VERY FIRST expert on the show...because you know it's not us. Debbie is joined by Breanna Zwick, an educator who travelled around Canada studying the connection between dairy and beef farmer's mental health and their cattle's welfare. It's SO INTERESTING because Breanna has done the research, she's seen this up close and has a lot of wisdom to share. She shares the...

Iiiiiit's a rescue story! Debbie and Savanna talk about the largest marine mammal rescue in history that Debbie found out about it because her father-in-law played a role in it! When a week-old gray whale calf washed ashore in Marina del Rey in 1997, veterinarians gave her almost no chance of survival. But a team at SeaWorld decided to try anyway—attempting something never done before. This is...