A year as a key decision maker in the world of animal rescue showed me just how difficult it is to change mindsets in a highly emotive field. Yet, many of the well-meaning policies rescues employ may actually be doing more harm than good in the

Are Feminists required to be Vegan?

May 22nd, 2022 36m 9s

The inspiration from today's episode came from the 2019 paper: The Milkmaid’s Tale: Veganism, Feminism, and Dystopian Food Futures, by Dr Angela Lee. I was lucky enough to have Dr Lee join me to discuss her work on the systemic nature of food,

What can our kinship with animals tell us about our relationships with other humans?

Nov 14th, 2021 31m 6s

I speak with Maythe Han, a PhD anthropology researcher who has been investigating kinship between humans and their dogs. Despite the project being "a love letter" to her own dog, she has uncovered a dark side to our love for our closest canine

Just how close are we to our Chimpanzee cousins?

Aug 22nd, 2021 32m 7s

As humans, we love to categorize. But what if these categorizations don't really reflect biological relaity? Professor Volker Sommer joins me this week to give us some insight into the history, and the problems with, the taxonomic system, inlcu

Bonus

A special message for my listeners

Aug 1st, 2021 1m 44s

If you want to support this podcast please consider buying me a coffee! (actually your money will 100% go towards dog treats for my very spoiled little gremlin!)www.buymeacoffee.com/animalistic

Can an elephant be legally recognised as a person?

Aug 1st, 2021 34m 39s

Happy, a captive elephant, currently has a petition filed on her behalf for a common law writ of habeas corpus (that is, against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment) in the New York Supreme Court. Those who filed the petition are demanding rec

Why do we use Primates in research?

Jul 18th, 2021 26m 54s

A "behind the scenes" look at the history, and current practices of using primates in laboratory research. Why do we use these animals? What are the problems associated with their use? To help answer these questions I am joined by Janire Castel

Do animals play?

Jun 27th, 2021 28m 19s

Dr Raoul Schwing of the Kea Lab in Austria joins me to talk about one of his favourite topics, play. Do animals play? Why? And what special purpose does play serve in Kea parrots, one of the smartest and most mischievous birds on the planet?

Do animals play?

Jun 20th, 2021 28m 19s

What does a vet and an environmentalist have in common?

Jun 13th, 2021 34m 14s

My guest today is Dr Simon Doherty of Queens University, Belfast. He talks to me about risks of zoonotic diseases, and how the best way to tackle these, and other public health problems is through communication and collaboration across scientif

What is sentience anyway?

May 23rd, 2021 25m 12s

This month, the UK government introduced a Bill to formally recognise animals as sentient beings. But what does this mean? And why is it important? What animals are sentient, and how do we know? To answer (some) of these questions I am joined b

Do fish feel pain?

May 9th, 2021 34m 10s

I am joined by Dr Lynne Sneddon, a fish pain and welfare expert, who explains the research she does on fish pain, her incredible discoveries, and how she is using this research to drive welfare changes for fish everywhere

Is the media brainwashing us?

May 2nd, 2021 30m 59s

Dr. Judith Benz-Schwarzburg, a scholar of human-animal studies at the Messerli Institute, Vienna, joins me to discuss how the media diverts scruitiny from the meat industry, and how advertisers use clever tricks to sooth our conscience and keep

Are pets the new kids?

Apr 25th, 2021 33m 25s

A brief history of animal law and I have the privilage of speaking to Professor David Favre, a law professor at Michigan University. He sets out his idea for a new category under the law that would give additional protection to companion animal

What is it like to be a bat?

Apr 18th, 2021 30m 3s

Evolution has endowed humans and every other living being on earth with a unique set of organs and sensory abilities that allow them to navigate the world. We understand the functions and mechanisms of these attributes better than ever before,

What is an Animal?

Apr 5th, 2021 24m 14s

What is an animal? What is it that sets humans apart from other, non-human animals?

Trailer

Animalistic Intro

Apr 5th, 2021 1m 17s

My name is Katharine Creagh. I studied psychology and human-animal interactions. In this series I will be sharing some of the groundbreaking work by scientists and scholars in the fields of biology, psychology, philosophy and law, in an effort

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