Delve into topical issues in zoology, conservation and the environment, from saving species and protecting the planet, to finding out about the animals living across the globe, including in London's own river Thames. Learn more about the science behind the conservation work being done by ZSL and others, in this podcast from ZSL's Institute of Zoology. Hosted previously by Dr Monni Böhm and Ellie Darbey, and now by Harriet McAra.
ZSL Wild Science Podcast
Claim This Podcastby Zoological Society of London
5.0(29 reviews)
58 episodes
Updated Bi-weekly
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇬🇧
57
Podcast Authority
BetaFairBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality59
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YouTube85
Engagement51
Podcast Overview
Delve into topical issues in zoology, conservation and the environment, from saving species and protecting the planet, to finding out about the animals living across the globe, including in London's own river Thames. Learn more about the science behind the conservation work being done by ZSL and others, in this podcast from ZSL's Institute of Zoology. Hosted previously by Dr Monni Böhm and Ellie Darbey, and now by Harriet McAra.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
2/1/2018
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57
Podcast Authority
BetaFairBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality59
Social0
YouTube85
Engagement51
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Recent Episodes
June 14, 2026
ZSL #052 World Swallowtail Day 2026: Celebrating and Saving Iconic Butterflies
<p>Happy World Swallowtail Day to our listeners! 🦋</p> <p>To mark this special day and celebrate these incredible insects, we catch up with Sophie Ledger, Red List Research Associate and Manager at ZSL's Institute of Zoology, and Dr Mark Collins, President of the Swallowtail and Birdwing Butterfly Trust, to explore the ecology, adaptations and challenges of this remarkable family of butterflies, and hear about the work being done to protect and conserve them. Whether you're a lifelong lepidopterist, or simply enjoy watching a butterfly in flight, we hope you enjoy this episode.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Overview</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>00:11</strong> Harriet McAra, Host of Wild Science, Episode introduction<br /> <strong>01:19 </strong> Sophie Ledger, Red List Research Associate and Manager at ZSL's Institute of Zoology gives an overview of the swallowtail butterfly family, the threats they currently face, and the wonderful (and sometimes weird) adaptations they have evolved to increase their chances of survival<br /> <strong>13:29 </strong> Sophie and Harriet discuss the work of the IUCN Butterfly and Moth Specialist Group and what comes next for swallowtail populations<br /> <strong>22:44</strong> Dr Mark Collins, President of the Swallowtail and Butterfly Birdwing Trust, discusses the work of the Trust both further afield in Malaysia and Bhutan, and closer to home in Norfolk, UK<br /> <strong>38:05</strong> Thank you and outro</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Resources</strong></p> <ul> <li class="MsoNormal">If there's a topic you'd like to hear on a future podcast, or if you'd like to share your thoughts, email the ZSL Wild Science Podcast at: <a href= "mailto:wild.science@zsl.org">wild.science@zsl.org</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal">Check out our science and conservation work at: <a href= "http://www.zsl.org/Science">www.zsl.org/Science</a> or <a href="http://www.zsl.org/conservation">www.zsl.org/conservation</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal">Sophie Ledger: <a href= "https://www.zsl.org/about-zsl/our-people/sophie-ledger">https://www.zsl.org/about-zsl/our-people/sophie-ledger</a> </li> <li class="MsoNormal">Collins, N. M., & Morris, M. G. (1985). Threatened swallowtail butterflies of the world: the IUCN Red Data Book. IUCN. Available for download from: <a href= "https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/6844">https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/6844</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal">IUCN SSC Butterfly and Moth Specialist Group: <a href= "https://iucn.org/our-union/commissions/group/iucn-ssc-butterfly-and-moth-specialist-group"> https://iucn.org/our-union/commissions/group/iucn-ssc-butterfly-and-moth-specialist-group</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal">IUCN Red List of Threatened Species assessment overview <a href= "https://www.iucnredlist.org/assessment/process">https://www.iucnredlist.org/assessment/process</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal">Genital photoreceptors have crucial role in oviposition for females and copulation for males (sees with its genitals). References: <ul> <li class="MsoNormal">Kentaro Arikawa, Hindsight of Butterflies: The Papilio butterfly has light sensitivity in the genitalia, which appears to be crucial for reproductive behavior, BioScience, Volume 51, Issue 3, March 2001, Pages 219–225, <a href= "https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0219:HOB]2.0.CO;2">https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0219:HOB]2.0.CO;2</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal">Kentaro Arikawa, Nobuhiro Takagi "Genital Photoreceptors Have Crucial Role in Oviposition in Japanese Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly, Papilio xuthus," Zoological Science, 18(2), 175-179, (1 March 2001)</li> </ul> </li> <li class="MsoNormal">Swallowtail and Birdwing Butterfly Trust: <a href= "https://www.sbbt.org.uk/">https://www.sbbt.org.uk/</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal">Saving Swallowtails Conference: <a href= "https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbsU_zSUBrn7qcbUIxv1vONuqzcOhnHO-&si=mBA8eg-8cwmSu1pS"> https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbsU_zSUBrn7qcbUIxv1vONuqzcOhnHO-&si=mBA8eg-8cwmSu1pS</a> </li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Get in touch </strong></p> <ul> <li class="MsoNormal">Email <a href= "mailto:wild.science@zsl.org">wild.science@zsl.org</a> with your questions, comments, and thoughts for future episodes!</li> <li class="MsoNormal">Find us @ZSLScience on X or @zslofficial.bsky.social on BlueSky and use the hashtag #ZSLWildScience</li> <li class="MsoNormal">Follow us on Facebook @ZSLScienceAndConservation</li> </ul>
April 30, 2026
ZSL #051 From Habitat to Husbandry: Evidence-based animal care
<p>Modern zoos play a critical role in global conservation, but supporting wildlife under human care goes far beyond habitat design. Hear how ZSL's experts use science, behavioural insight and veterinary care to help animals thrive and support species on the brink of extinction. From ensuring penguins can express their natural behaviours, to delivering tailored veterinary care to supports lions' long-term health and welfare, this episode of Wild Science shines a light on the dedication and expertise within ZSL's Evidence-based Animal Care Team and beyond.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Overview</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>00:13</strong> Harriet McAra, Host of Wild Science, Episode introduction<br /> <strong>01:05 </strong> Jim Mackie, Animal Behaviour Management Officer, ZSL A history of animal enrichment in zoos, recorded at London Zoo's Penguin Beach<br /> <strong>06:57 </strong> How zoo animal welfare can contribute to wild species recovery, recorded in the Blackburn Pavilion<br /> <strong>20:16</strong> Training for health checks and veterinary care, recorded in the Land of the Lions<br /> <strong>39:22</strong> Thank you and outro</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Resources</strong></p> <ul> <li class="MsoNormal">If there's a topic you'd like to hear on a future podcast, or if you'd like to share your thoughts, email the ZSL Wild Science Podcast at: <a href= "mailto:wild.science@zsl.org">wild.science@zsl.org</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal">Check out our science and conservation work at: <a href= "http://www.zsl.org/Science">www.zsl.org/Science</a> or <a href="http://www.zsl.org/conservation">www.zsl.org/conservation</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal">Jim Mackie: <a href= "https://www.zsl.org/about-zsl/our-people/jim-mackie">https://www.zsl.org/about-zsl/our-people/jim-mackie</a> </li> <li class="MsoNormal">The Science of Saving Species: <a href= "https://www.zsl.org/news-and-events/events/science-saving-species"> https://www.zsl.org/news-and-events/events/science-saving-species</a> </li> <li class="MsoNormal">Lion feeding enrichment example: <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Hqrweox2UA&t=290">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Hqrweox2UA&t=290</a> </li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Get in touch </strong></p> <ul> <li class="MsoNormal">Email <a href= "mailto:wild.science@zsl.org">wild.science@zsl.org</a> with your questions, comments, and thoughts for future episodes!</li> <li class="MsoNormal">Find us @ZSLScience on X or @zslofficial.bsky.social on BlueSky and use the hashtag #ZSLWildScience</li> <li class="MsoNormal">Follow us on Facebook @ZSLScienceAndConservation</li> </ul>
February 27, 2026
ZSL #050 Mapping Nature's Code
<p>How does our DNA, the tiny building blocks that make every species, and every individual, totally distinct, impact our evolution? In this episode, we learn how we can visualise our DNA, or genome, to allow us to better organise the tree of life, and how learning more about this genetic make-up can provide insights into how a species survives in the face of a changing environment. We head to Cambridge, to ring native UK birds and collect samples of their DNA, and then to the Wellcome Sanger Institute, to see learn how those samples are processed and sequenced as part of a collaborative project aiming to sequence the genomes of all eukaryotes in Britain and Ireland; the Darwin Tree of Life project.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Overview</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>00:11</strong> Harriet McAra, Host of Wild Science, Episode introduction<br /> <strong>01:26 </strong> Bird ringing in Cambridgeshire and Dr Ava Jenkins, Wildlife Veterinarian and Postdoctoral Research Associate, ZSL Institute of Zoology<br /> <strong>03:13 </strong> Professor Mark Blaxter, Head of the Tree of Life Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute<br /> <strong>06:18</strong> Dr Tom Mathers, Senior Computer Biologist, Wellcome Sanger Institute<br /> <strong>12:44 </strong> A word of thanks<br /> <strong>18:44 </strong> A final thought from Mark Blaxter<br /> <strong>22:57</strong> Outro</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Hi-C contact map of the common crane (Grus grus)</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><img src= "https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/114603/HIC_contact_map_-_common_crane.png" alt="HiC contact map - common crane" width="422" height= "418" /></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hi-C contact map showing the common crane genome (https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/articles/10-119/v1) after manual curation. Each block represents a chromosome in order of size from left to right and top to bottom, with dark red cluster in the bottom right hand corner showing unplaced repetitive content.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Resources</strong></p> <ul> <li class="MsoNormal">If there's a topic you'd like to hear on a future podcast, or if you'd like to share your thoughts, email the ZSL Wild Science Podcast at: <a href= "mailto:wild.science@zsl.org">wild.science@zsl.org</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal">Check out our science and conservation work at: <a href= "http://www.zsl.org/Science">www.zsl.org/Science</a> or <a href="http://www.zsl.org/conservation">www.zsl.org/conservation</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal">Darwin Tree of Life project: <a href= "https://www.zsl.org/what-we-do/projects/darwin-tree-life-project">https://www.zsl.org/what-we-do/projects/darwin-tree-life-project</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal">Dr Ava Jenkins: <a href= "https://www.zsl.org/about-zsl/our-people/dr-ava-jenkins">https://www.zsl.org/about-zsl/our-people/dr-ava-jenkins</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal">BTO ringing scheme: <a href= "https://www.bto.org/get-involved/volunteer/projects/bird-ringing-scheme"> https://www.bto.org/get-involved/volunteer/projects/bird-ringing-scheme</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal">Bortoluzzi, C., Wright, C.J., Lee, S., Cousins, T., Genez, T.A.L., Thybert, D., Martin, F.J., Haggerty, L., The Darwin Tree of Life Project Consortium, Blaxter, M., Durbin, R. (2023) Lepidoptera genomics based on 88 chromosomal reference sequences informs population genetic parameters for conservation. Pre-print: <a href= "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.14.536868v1.full.pdf"> https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.14.536868v1.full.pdf</a> </li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Get in touch </strong></p> <ul> <li class="MsoNormal">Email <a href= "mailto:wild.science@zsl.org">wild.science@zsl.org</a> with your questions, comments, and thoughts for future episodes!</li> <li class="MsoNormal">Find us @ZSLScience on X or @zslofficial.bsky.social on BlueSky and use the hashtag #ZSLWildScience</li> <li class="MsoNormal">Follow us on Facebook @ZSLScienceAndConservation</li> </ul>
58 total episodes available
Recent guests on ZSL Wild Science Podcast
Guests from recent episodes — sign up to see every guest that has ever appeared on this show.
David Curnick
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Daniel Montgomery
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Jake Davies
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Bethan Laughlin
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Davi Teles
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Mónica Franco Gutiérrez
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Liliana Patricia Saboyá Acosta
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Georgina Chandler
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Carly Siege
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Thomas Pickford
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