Dmae records a friend giving two cats a bath during flea season some years ago. When it aired on NPR in the late 80s, cats across America cried out in sympathy....all set to the tune of "Talk to the Animals" from Dr. Doolittle. This piece is a how "not" to instruction on the unpopular art of bathing cats. No animals were harmed in the making of this piece. But it is still cringe-worthy....

A vintage montage meditating on the worth, or worthlessness, of the legless reptile. Civilized and primitive man collide...in discussing the snake, the human is revealed. (NOTE TO STATIONS: Be sure to frame this piece as "vintage," produced in the 1980s. While the content holds up fine, you need to note the fact that this story was made about 20 years old, so that you don't unintentionally mislead your listeners into thinking these are contemporary voices.)

Greg Auger's life was forever changed when he met the bat researching legend Don Griffin. This is the story of the two men, a pond, and what happens when their bats begin to disappear.

Public radio stations may adapt the podcast for broadcast, either by framing it as a podcast or re-editing the top and bottom of the pieces. The targeted audience for the podcast is tweens in science classes, but the material is of interest to all audiences. 

A mysterious 52 Hz signal was heard in the North Pacific in the late 1980's. It had the characteristics of a whale call, but it was a higher frequency than what is typical for baleen whales. After years of detecting the signal on hydrophone recordings, scientists have still never seen the whale and are unsure whether it's a hybrid species or a blue or fin whale that has a problem with its sound production. The whale has often been referred to as "The World's Lonliest Whale," because people think that other whales couldn't understand it's unique call. Learn more about the 52 Hz whale, underwater communication, whale tracking, and why this whale may not be as lonely as previously assumed.

(A 15-min. version is available here.) 

Does the mane really make the lion? Certainly, luxurious locks are the feature that sets Panthera leo apart from the other large cats. But surprisingly, not all male lions have manes. And back in the early Pleistocene, manes covered more of the lion than just the head.

Ari Daniel Shapiro speaks with archivist Connie Rinaldo of the Biodiversity Heritage Library and Harvard University and curator of mammals Bruce Patterson of Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History to learn about the diversity of lions in the distant past and the challenges they face in the present.

Produced for the PRX Global Story Project, Bartolo's Honey is a narrated, sound-rich piece that illustrates the ancient, and rapidly disappearing, Mayan art of beekeeping. The story incorporates lots of ambient sound, active tape, and music from the region.
With news from Mexico dominated by violence, stories like Bartolo's Honey shine a light on the country's multifaceted and all-too- often misunderstood culture. 

They eat roadkill. They urinate on themselves. When frightened, they vomit. Forget sweet calls or melodic songs; the only sounds these birds are likely to utter are grunts or a rasping hiss. With their bald, red heads and feathers fit for funeral attire, turkey vultures would probably place last in an avian beauty contest. Do you ever find yourself wishing we had a more charming harbinger of spring?

After Texas Horned Lizards were found to be living at Tinker Air Force base, government biologists and private researchers began to study the animal.  Ray Moody, John Krupovage and Vic Bogosian are three of the people who help protect the species of concern on the base.  They manage the lizards' habitat, track their movements and advise base officials on how to limit base activities' impact on the habitat. Piece by Jordan Nelson of KOSU in Stillwater, Okla.

If you air this piece, please include a back announce saying "This piece originally aired on the World Vision Report." or "This piece came to us from the World Vision Report."

What's the best way to capture a tiger? Carefully! That's sure true for scientist Ullas Karanth of the Wildlife Conservation Society. He's carefully capturing tiger images. Tiger populations are shrinking fast. In fact, three of the world's eight tiger subspecies have vanished in just 60 years. The reason? Poaching and habitat loss from human encroachment...

Rebecca Lee has lived with a brain injury since shortly after birth.  In the womb her umbilical cord was wrapped three times around her neck.  As she recovered on a heart-lung machine she had multiple strokes and bleeding occurred in her brain. Throughout her life many people have helped her with the resulting physical and cognitive challenges - she sees many specialists and doctors.  But what helps her most isn't a person at all - it's her horse, Mabel.