Extinction Event

There’s a good chance you’ve never seen an American Chestnut Tree. That’s because they’re functionally extinct. 4 million of these giants were wiped out in a span of just 40 years! We haven’t seen numbers like that since the Passenger Pigeon episode. Or maybe the Rocky Mountain Locust episode. Or maybe another episode I’m forgetting. Tune in to find out what the heck happened. Leave us a voice mes...

The Christmas Island Pipistrelle was a small bat that would see its life on the cozy tropical island it called home get utterly wrecked and overrun by a nightmarish group of vacationers…that never leave. Check out the Christmas Island archives. They’re cool! https://christmasislandarchives.com/ Leave us a voice message at: speakpipe.com/extinctionevent Or drop us a line at extinctionpod@gmail.com...

It’s the black-footed ferret episode. Finally! This week we uncover how North America’s only native ferret species skittered right up to the very brink of extinction, until an unlikely hero walked them right back from that terrible ledge. You can find the “wanted” posters we talk about here: blackfootedferret.org/conservation-history Fanmail: Extinctionpod at gmail dot com Send us Fan Mail

On this week’s episode we delve into the odor abundant world of the Martinique muskrat and find out why things get too hot to handle for this stowaway turned island-dweller.  Send us Fan Mail

We’re baaaack! Season 7 behbeh. On this episode, the life, death, and aftermath of pop culture's beloved Harambe. Get ready to get deep into the crime scene for this western lowland gorilla. And since this is a show about extinction we’ll also talk about how gorillas are going extinct in the wild, but also how some are doing alright, actually. Let’s do this! Drop us a note at ExtinctionPod at...

Prized for its hunting prowess and beautiful fur, the Indian cheetah served as a hunting companion and pet to Indian rulers for thousands of years. Despite being the world’s fastest land animal, speed alone won’t be enough for this big cat to outrace extinction. The usual culprits are at play in this week’s episode, but tune in for some interesting info about the famous ruler, Akbar The Great, and...

This nearly blind river dolphin that relied almost exclusively on sonar, entered a living hell when motorized boats, along with a host of other messed up stuff, started taking over its home, the Yangtze River system. Though not official, the 20 million year reign of the “goddess of the Yangtze” is likely over. Dive in to this weeks episode as Jack & Melissa have an honest conversation about th...

Get ready for an epic battle of survival in the heart of Guatemala! The Atitlán Grebe, also known as the “poc” by local Maya, is facing off against some killer big mouth bass! After these vicious predators were airdropped into the lake, the brave Lake Atitlán birds must team up with an American grad student to wage war against the unwelcome fish. It’s a fierce battle for survival. Not just for the...

Welcome to the magical world of fungus. From the spooky to the trippy, it’s all things fungi on this week’s episode. We talk about fungus outbreaks following extinction events, the cordyceps fungus on The Last Of Us and a bunch of other random stuff.  Topic recommendations? Send 'em to: extinctionpod@gmail.com Send us Fan Mail

Extinction Event moonlights as a true crime podcast in this cross-genre special episode. It’s nature-meets-murder mystery as we delve into the unsolved disappearance of the famous mountain lion known as P22 (Puma 22). Join our under qualified and overly speculative detective squad as we explore the mysterious circumstances surrounding the killing of Los Angeles’s beloved big cat, and with the help...

The Camel Corps was an elite team of Arabian camels used by the American army. These hardy creatures were all set to replace horses and burros as the country’s top beasts of burden, until the entire camel corps quickly went extinct.  Leave us a note here: extinctionpod@gmail.com Send us Fan Mail

This vibrant blue invertebrate and San Francisco resident that fell victim to the city's development. We’re talking streetcars, sand dunes and sayonara for this beautiful insect on this episode of Extinction Event. Send us Fan Mail

Killer Whales AKA orcas. They’re not going extinct in the wild, but as captive performers in theme parks and aquariums around the world, that’s another story. Learn all about famous whales like Keiko (Free Willy) and Tilikum. Plus, find out what living in captivity does to a killer whale and learn why they’re going extinct in captivity. Send us Fan Mail

Admired for their strength and size, our fascination with these bears was endless, until we ended them entirely. Get ready for some mild gore and extreme talent with our star apex predator this week, the California Grizzly Bear.  Send us Fan Mail

Many believe this stunning bird is already gone. And while it could be declared extinct in the United States in the next couple months, continued sightings would call any official ruling into question.  Send us Fan Mail

This funky building in London housed an indoor zoo on the second floor. All kinds of exotic animals were on display here, including the now extinct Formosan Clouded Leopard.  Send us Fan Mail

**TASMANIAN TIGER UPDATE!! Stay tuned to the end for a special thylacine announcement!** The much anticipated frog & toad episode is finally here! Golden toads, poison dart frogs, gastric brooding frogs. You want ‘em and we got ‘em! Jump on in for a long, wild, amphibious ride.  Leave us a message at: speakpipe.com/extinctionevent   Send us Fan Mail

*Warning: graphic descriptions involving a man-eating tiger.* We’re switching things up this week. For the first time ever Jack tells Melissa a story! In his debut man-eaters series, Jack surprises our regular host with a cunning tale about a Bengal tigress that killed over 400 people.  Leave us a message at: speakpipe.com/extinctionevent Send us Fan Mail

**Stay tuned after the rhino story for a special Man of the Hole update!** Plus rhinos and their flashy horns! Do they hold magical powers? Will they cure a hangover? The answer is no and no, but that won’t stop humans from hunting down every last one of them until we know for sure.  Leave us a message at: speakpipe.com/extinctionevent More extinct stuff on TikTok @extinctioneventpod ©2022 Peglegd...

One super smart wolf in New Mexico protects his pack from hunters and evades the pesky Ernest Thompson Seton. Leave us a message at: speakpipe.com/extinctionevent   More extinct stuff on TikTok @extinctioneventpod ©2022 Extinction Event  ©2022 PegLegDeer Send us Fan Mail

Strong and extra stripey, these island dwelling tigers were surprisingly resilient in the face of rapid human expansion.  Leave us a message at: speakpipe.com/extinctionevent More extinct stuff on TikTok @extinctioneventpod Send us Fan Mail

We’re turning the tables this episode and delving into de-extinction! Find out how Trakr, the famous german shepherd who found the last 9/11 survivor, got a second chance at heroism through dog cloning. Leave us a message at: speakpipe.com/extinctionevent More extinct stuff on TikTok @extinctioneventpod Credits: Discovery Hit by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 li...

Marveling at Australian megafauna. Featuring Megalania, the biggest terrestrial lizard of all time. WARNING: We brutally mispronounce many things and try to grapple with the metric system in this episode. Leave us a message at: speakpipe.com/extinctionevent More extinct stuff on TikTok @extinctioneventpod Send us Fan Mail

The story of Cher Ami and other wartime carrier pigeon heroes. This once widely used form of communication is now extinct. Leave us a message at: speakpipe.com/extinctionevent   More extinct stuff on TikTok @extinctioneventpod ©2022 Extinction Event, PegLegDeer Send us Fan Mail

Silphium was a highly prized herb in ancient times. Used in the kitchen and the bedroom, this mysterious plant was a must have for Mediterranean cultures. Then one day it disappeared without a trace. Visit speakpipe.com/extinctionevent to leave us a message about this weeks topic or anything on your mind. This weeks question: Should the pigeon replace the bald eagle as the national bird? Or tell u...