When it comes to protecting the biodiversity of Planet Earth, there is no greater failure than extinction. Thankfully, only a few dozen species have been officially declared extinct by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in the half-century since the passage of the Endangered Species Act.
But, hold on. Aren’t we in the middle of the sixth mass extinction? Shouldn’t the list of extinct species be… way longer? Well, yeah. Maybe.
Producer Taylor Quimby sets out to understand why it’s so difficult to officially declare an animal extinct. Along the way, he compares rare animals to missing socks, finds a way to invoke Lizzo during an investigation of an endangered species of crabgrass, and learns about the disturbing concept of “dark extinctions.”
Editor's Note: This episode was first published in October 2022. Since then, the US Fish and Wildlife Service officially delisted 21 of 23 proposed species due to extinction. The ivory-billed woodpecker was not one of them.
Featuring Sharon Marino, Arne Mooers, Sean O’Brien, Bill Nichols, and Wes Knapp.
Why we get scared (and why we like it)
The curious case of the missing extinctions
The last veterinarians in town
The olive & the pine
Why do we stare at fire and other existential questions
Your Wildest Wildlife Encounters
Yardwork: A bitter melon grows in Boston
Yardwork: Gardening is heavy metal
Yardwork: Lawn and Order
The most successful species on Earth?!
The National Park Service
The first national park
Is climate journalism experiencing a Great Resignation?
Life and Death at a Human Decomposition Facility
Update: Happy the Elephant is Not a Person
Six Foot Turkey: What Jurassic Park Got Wrong (And Right) About Dinosaurs
Et Tu, Brute? The Case for Human Rights for Animals
Frog Sex, Tree Soap, and Other Signs of Spring
After the Avalanche
Call of the Void
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The First 40 Miles: Hiking and Backpacking Podcast
The Dirtbag Diaries
Practical Backpacking™ Podcast
In The Field Camping
Happy Camper Radio