Beastly History
Claim This Podcastby Wild Beast
Podcast Overview
<p>Thrilling tales of people and the wild.</p><br><p>Join journalist and natural history super-fan Michelle Douglass, as we uncover the juiciest, strangest and most gripping true stories from our planet’s past.</p><br><p>From perilous polar expeditions and extreme survival stories to animal myths, legends, and natural history’s heroes, villains and oddballs - each month we dive into one unforgettable true tale, and explore the social history behind it with an expert guest.</p><br><p>The world is brilliantly beastly. Let’s explore. 🐾</p><br><p><strong>Discover more:</strong></p><br><p>Follow Beastly History on Insta</p><br><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastlyhistory/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@beastlyhistory</a></p><br><p>Beastly History on Acast website</p><br><p><a href="https://shows.acast.com/beastly-history" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://shows.acast.com/beastly-history</a></p><br><p>Artwork by Bex Glover</p><br><p>Beastly History is created by Wild Beast Audio Visual Studios, Bristol, UK.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
2/22/2026
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Recent Episodes
May 12, 2026
'Iceberg Right Ahead!' A Titanic Lookout's Story
<p>(Content warning: please be aware this episode includes discussion of suicide). It's 1140pm in the North Atlantic Ocean, April 14 1912, when Titanic lookout Fred Fleet first glimpses a hulking great mass of ice looming out of the darkness. He desperately warns the crew with the famous words "Iceberg! Right Ahead!" But it's already too late. </p><br><p>Many things went wrong in the build up to one of history's most famous disasters and the loss of around 1500 lives. </p><br><p>And in this episode we're focusing on the Titanic story through the point of view of 24-year-old lookout Fred Fleet. </p><br><p>Why didn't Fleet see the iceberg in time? How come crew apparently ignored ice field warnings? And what does the catastrophe tell us about the Edwardian attitude towards the natural world in the name of progress? </p><br><p>Michelle's joined by Titanic expert Paul Lee for an epic Beastly History. </p><br><p><strong>More Beastly: </strong></p><br><p>Follow Beastly History on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastlyhistory/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@beastlyhistory</a></p><br><p><strong>Discover More: </strong></p><br><p>Explore Paul Lee's Titanic research: <a href="https://www.paullee.com/titanic/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.paullee.com/titanic/</a></p><br><p>Read Fred Fleet and others' testimony at the Titanic inquest in 1912: <a href="https://www.titanicinquiry.org/BOTInq/BOTInq15Fleet01.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.titanicinquiry.org/BOTInq/BOTInq15Fleet01.php</a></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
April 1, 2026
Ireland’s Wolf Hunters
<p>Rory Carragh has a deadly reputation. He hunts wolves, and he’s very good at it.</p><br><p>Now he faces his toughest challenge yet. Two large wolves keep taking sheep in a remote mountain village, and the people are getting desperate. These elusive wolves are said to be among the last in County Tyrone. For Carragh, success means reward and status. But failure could cost him everything.</p><br><p>In this episode, we journey back to a time when wolves and humans coexisted across Ireland, before the violent upheaval of the 17th century. Under Oliver Cromwell, forests were destroyed and bounties placed on wolves, pushing them toward extinction.</p><br><p>Join Michelle and expert guest Dr Kieran Hickey to unpack the gripping story of Ireland’s wolf hunters, and the cultural legacy of these lost magnificent beasts.</p><br><p>Discover more:</p><br><p>Check out Dr Kieran Hickey's book Wolves in Ireland:</p><p>https://www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/2013/wolves-in-ireland</p><br><p>Read an account of wolf hunter Rory Carragh's famous case in the Irish Penny Journal:</p><p>https://www.jstor.org/stable/30001398?seq=1</p><br><p>More Beastly: </p><p> </p><p>Follow Beastly History on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastlyhistory/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@beastlyhistory</a> </p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
February 27, 2026
The Hound of the Baskervilles: Dartmoor’s Demon Dogs
<p>It’s 1901. Writer Arthur Conan Doyle is on holiday when he first hears whispers of a chilling local legend - spectral hounds said to tear across the wilds of Dartmoor under cover of darkness.</p><br><p>A tale of an evil squire. A cursed family. And a pack of demonic dogs haunting the moors.</p><br><p>We’re delving into the story of how this eerie West Country folklore inspired one of the greatest gothic thrillers of all time: The Hound of the Baskervilles - and why its creation posed a huge dilemma for Doyle and his most famous character, Sherlock Holmes.</p><br><p>Joining Michelle is dark heritage expert Dr Romany Reagan to dig into folklore, fear, and the beasts that stalk our minds.</p><br><p>Get ready for a spine-tingling first ever episode of Beastly History!</p><br><p><strong>More Beastly: </strong></p><p> </p><p>Follow Beastly History on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastlyhistory/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@beastlyhistory</a> </p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
4 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Beastly History?
<p>Thrilling tales of people and the wild.</p><br><p>Join journalist and natural history super-fan Michelle Douglass, as we uncover the juiciest, strangest and most gripping true stories from our planet’s past.</p><br><p>From perilous polar expeditions and extreme survival stories to animal myths, legends, and natural history’s heroes, villains and oddballs - each month we dive into one unforgettable true tale, and explore the social history behind it with an expert guest.</p><br><p>The world is brilliantly beastly. Let’s explore. 🐾</p><br><p><strong>Discover more:</strong></p><br><p>Follow Beastly History on Insta</p><br><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beastlyhistory/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@beastlyhistory</a></p><br><p>Beastly History on Acast website</p><br><p><a href="https://shows.acast.com/beastly-history" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://shows.acast.com/beastly-history</a></p><br><p>Artwork by Bex Glover</p><br><p>Beastly History is created by Wild Beast Audio Visual Studios, Bristol, UK.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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