The Dark Truth Behind Exotic Pets

Gopher tortoises are among the oldest living creatures on Earth, having stubbornly survived for some 60 million years. But they’ve suffered steep declines over the past century, including in places like Florida, where their homes are vanishing in real time. In this episode, cohost Mike Stark joins the Center’s Florida and Caribbean director Elise Bennett in a search of gopher tortoise burrows and a few answers about what the future holds for these lovable, slow-moving residents of south Florida. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

Ever wondered what an extinct ivory-billed woodpecker sounded like? Or what a rare California condor sounds like now? As bird populations have declined, and some species have disappeared, it’s gotten a lot more difficult to hear the songs of our avian friends. In this episode cohost Mike Stark talks with Mike Webster, emeritus director of the Macaulay Library at the famed Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It’s the world’s largest and oldest archive of wildlife recordings, including the sounds of more than 10,000 bird species. Tune in and hear the calls of several extinct birds and a few that are now on the road to recovery. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

This summer the Trump administration’s project to build two parallel, 30-foot border walls through some of the most ecologically sensitive areas of the borderlands reached the tiny ghost town of Lochiel, in Arizona’s San Rafael Valley. Contractors arrived in late July and ripped apart three ancient cottonwood trees. Before the bulldozers could reach the last standing tree, activists climbed high into branches. In this episode we head into the field to explore how activists are reviving a protest tactic to protect what’s still standing. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

Every year the United States imports about 90 million live animals to sell as pets, everything from frogs and fish to spiders, birds, and lizards. And of those, about some 30% are taken directly out of the wild and shipped to the United States for sale. It goes the other way too: The United States is a major exporter of wildlife for the pet trade, especially wild turtles. In this episode cohost Mike Stark talks with Center scientist Dianne Dubois about her months-long investigation into how the wildlife pet trade is driving species declines around the world. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

Southern Arizona's San Rafael Valley is one of the last remaining places where jaguars from northern Mexico can travel into their native range in United States. But that pathway is closing. The Trump administration is blasting through mountains and across grasslands to build a new border wall through this remote and wild landscape. In the newest episode of the Center for Biological Diversity's Sounds Wild podcast, cohost Vanessa Barchfield travels with Southwest Conservation Advocate Russ McSpadden to document the destruction and discuss what it means for the dream of restoring a breeding population of jaguars to their rightful home in southern Arizona. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

Florida manatees have had a rough go of it these past few years. Leaking septic systems, fertilizer runoff, and other pollution have choked off seagrass supplies, leaving manatees with less food to eat. In some cases they’re starving to death. Meanwhile, boat strikes and a burgeoning tourism industry are pushing them closer to the brink. In the newest episode of our Sounds Wild podcast, cohost Mike Stark travels to Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge to talk with the Center’s Elise Bennett about what the future holds for these gentle giants of the sea. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

Joshua trees have stood watch over the Mojave Desert for millions of years. But now they face existential threats as climate change, wildfires, and development propel them toward an uncertain future. In this episode Vanessa Barchfield and Conservation Director Brendan Cummings head to Joshua Tree National Park to explore what's happening on ground and why some populations may not survive — at least not without help. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

Florida panthers, once widespread throughout the Southeast, are now one of America’s most endangered big cats. Federal officials released a recovery plan nearly 20 years ago but panthers have since lost more than 30,000 acres of habitat, mostly due to development. Meanwhile vehicle collisions remain a leading cause of death. In the newest episode of our Sounds Wild podcast, cohost Mike Stark travels into Florida panther country with Center senior Jason Totoui for an on-the-ground look at the challenges facing these iconic cats. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

A century ago, gray wolves roamed much of California, Oregon and Washington, playing a vital role in these wild landscapes. Urbanization, ranching and government extermination programs wiped them out. But wolves have been making an epic return on the West Coast. In the last 2025 episode of our Sounds Wild podcast, host Vanessa Barchfield talks with the Center’s Amaroq Weiss about how wolves made their comeback and what the future looks like for this iconic species. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

When it comes to wildlife trade, pangolins hold a dubious distinction: They’re the most trafficked mammal in the world, often sold for their meat or for medicinal purposes. But for these exceedingly cute animals — the only mammals with scales — the tide may finally be turning. In the newest episode of our Sounds Wild podcast, host Mike Stark talks with Sarah Uhlemann, director of the Center’s International program, about what makes pangolins so unique and how their fate became so entangled with wildlife trade around the world, including in the United States. Episode credits: Produced, edited and mixed by Mike Stark and Vanessa Barchfield Artwork by Izzi Stein Music by Up Rabbit Mountain The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.8 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.