How many geese?

A nebulous concept

Much like the sun setting on a seaside town, season 8 draws to a close with the raucous cries of seagulls as we take on a newspaper article that set out to find Britain's hardest gulls. It wouldn't be How many geese? though if we didn't meander to Melbourne or detour to Darwin, and true to form our friends down under have their own tales to tell of tackling seaside seagull shenanigans in trying to keep snacks on the shoreline safe*. 

That's not all, as Roddy fights a bird so obscure that not only was Jack unaware of it....but it might not even exist at all! 

We learn about a photographer who truly went above and beyond the call of duty with MPB, and BOS UK keep us up to date on orangutan shenanigans as we check in on the show's swinging son Bumi. 

Lastly, a magnificently crafted listener question sees us assemble a team of earth's finest to defend the world from planetary attack - with none other than a certain pygmy superstar being called upon to unite the team. 

Need more geese? Our Patreon is up and running - come join the flock for extra episodes and your chance to appear on the show! https://www.patreon.com/howmanygeese 

In need of camera gear? You can check out our show sponsors MPB Here http://www.mpb.com/ 

To learn more about the work BOS UK do to save orangutans, and adopt your very own, head over to https://bos-uk.org/bumi-geese/ 

 

(*DMs are open on the Instagram page for whoever can get more alliteration in a show description for us)

 

A magnificent but inaccurate history

I can guarantee to you listeners that the start of this week's episode is going to leave you completely baffled as to where it's going, as Roddy embarks on an exploration of what on earth dry cleaners are and the sorcery that goes along with their dark arts. But, stick with us, and we promise it eventually finds its way back to the nature vibe as we explore the world of cleaning behaviour in the animal kingdom. (see what he did there?)

 

If that wasn't enough then there's also photography tales from the deep from a man who spent 24 hours underwater to take a picture of some mating fish whilst trying to avoid getting eaten by sharks, there's casting an animal Napoleon for which species would be the best at conquering Europe and we have one of our Patreon friends along for today's fight segment - as Roddy is joined by Ann to throwdown with the super serpent that is: the Anaconda. 

 

In need of camera gear? You can check out our show sponsors MPB here http://www.mpb.com/ 

To learn more about the work BOS UK do to save orangutans, and adopt your very own, head over to https://bos-uk.org/bumi-geese/ 

Need more geese? Our Patreon is up and running - come join the flock for extra episode and your chance to appear on the show! https://www.patreon.com/howmanygeese 

That is literally nature

How many geese? has seen its fair share of drugged up animals - from the Hollywood sensation that is cocaine bear, through to Pablo Escobar's cocaine hippos - but in this episode we're here to see the effects of things slightly more "over the counter" as Jack takes us through the impact of excess anti-depressants on the environment. If you've ever wondered about the internet claiming "they're turning the frigging frogs gay", this ones for you!

Also in this episode, Roddy fights a the red triangle slug, Jack recaps a drunken moose and the pair discuss which animal would make the best hitman...

In need of camera gear? You can check out our show sponsors MPB here http://www.mpb.com/ 

To learn more about the work BOS UK do to save orangutans, and adopt your very own, head over to https://bos-uk.org/bumi-geese/ 

Need more geese? Our Patreon is up and running - come join the flock for extra episode and your chance to appear on the show! https://www.patreon.com/howmanygeese 

Geese on Tour: The Savannahs of Norfolk

Cast your minds back Goose fans and you may well remember an episode entitled "Hot bear summer", where our own Roddy Shaw went on a mission to prove that Antelope were animals worth our attention and shouldn't just be consigned to being eaten by a big cat on a David Attenborough show. The conclusion of his mission was that they were indeed incredibly dull, and so proclaimed them one of the most boring animals on the planet.  

 

Well, fast forward to today's episode and Jack has brought him to the Watatunga Wildlife Reserve to meet someone who will show him the error of his ways. We sit down with operations manager Molly Ruder who tells us all about one of the most fascinating zoos/safari parks/reserves/we-don't-really-know-what-it-is in the country...

 

Massive thanks to Molly and the team at Watatunga, you can check them out here: www.watatunga.co.uk

In need of camera gear? You can check out our show sponsors MPB here http://www.mpb.com/ 

To learn more about the work BOS UK do to save orangutans, and adopt your very own, head over to https://bos-uk.org/bumi-geese/ 

Need more geese? Our Patreon is up and running - come join the flock for extra episode and your chance to appear on the show! https://www.patreon.com/howmanygeese 

Key nose speakers

We've accidentally curated an episode laden with slime as we talk all things deep sea and mucus!

Following last week's chat that went to the roof of the world in search of how yak's can live so high, we've done a full 180 and are going deep, deep DEEP down in the sea to understand why life there is just so difficult and hear about some of the crazily named fish that call the ocean depths home. 

Sticking with the (genuinely accidental) theme, Roddy fights a lungfish, Jack recaps what it takes to photograph a coelacanth in the MPB segment and we possibly bite off more than we can chew in trying to work out which animal has the snottiest nose...

It's not all slime and sea though - as we stick firmly to dry land in checking in on our adoptive son Bumi the orangutan courtesy of BOS UK

In need of camera gear? You can check out our show sponsors MPB here http://www.mpb.com/ 

To learn more about the work BOS UK do to save orangutans, and adopt your very own, head over to https://bos-uk.org/bumi-geese/ 

Need more geese? Our Patreon is up and running - come join the flock for extra episode and your chance to appear on the show! https://www.patreon.com/howmanygeese 

Yak attack

HMG gets high as this episode sees us heading into the mountains to meet one of the maddest animals you've all heard of but never given a thought to - Yaks. 

Today's episode also sees us invite our first listener on the show! Patreon member Beth joins Roddy in battle against the world's wildlife as she steps into the ring in a tag team bout against the Greater Hedgehog Tenrec.

And if all that wasn't enough, then we've got drunken Mountain Gorillas, a misbehaving Orangutan and a debate to decide which bear is best... 

 

In need of camera gear? You can check out our show sponsors MPB here https://www.mpb.com/ 

To learn about the work BOS UK do to save Orangutans, and adopt your very own, head over to https://bos-uk.org/bumi-geese/

Need more geese? Our Patreon is up and running - come join the flock for extra episodes and your chance to appear on the show! https://www.patreon.com/howmanygeese 

I shall speak largely of mice

For the past seven seasons, How many geese? has flourished atop the twin foundations of whimsy and shenanigans. Well, Jack has decided that season eight is when that comes crashing to a halt - as he blasts through our whimsical bedrock and holds a mirror up to us all to have us question what makes a society... and can utopias exist? He does this, in true Goose fashion, through the medium of some research on rodents in the 20th century. You will never look at an influencer the same again once you've heard what he's uncovered...

It's not just existential philosophy though (hooray!) as we also consider what animals deserve hands and Roddy's arena challenger is sent in by someone who perhaps knows too much...

In need of camera gear? You can check out our show sponsors MPB here https://www.mpb.com/ 

To learn about the work BOS UK do to save Orangutans, and adopt your very own, head over to https://bos-uk.org/bumi-geese/

Need more geese? Our Patreon is up and running - come join the flock for extra episodes and your chance to appear on the show! https://www.patreon.com/howmanygeese 

Orangutan Jungle School

We're back! A new season is dawning in Gooseland as we kick off series 8 with a banger. We stumble across lots of awesome people in making this show, and when we heard the stories that one of them had to tell, we knew we needed to get him on the show. Enter Ben Callison - CEO of Borneo Orangutan Survival UK, builder of hurricane proof tiger enclosures and carer of one-armed Kangaroo boxers. We sit down with him to learn about how his career unfolded and sending Orangutans to school is helping to return them to the jungle. 

 

To check out the work of BOSUK, hit the link here: www.borneoorangutansurvival.org 

 

Our Patreon is up and running which you can sign up to here- with 3 special episodes available for subscribers to listen to and a new one every month! 

The Worst Bird in the World

It's the second part of our live Global Birdfair specials and we're coming out swinging as we try to answer the ultimate question - what is the worst bird in the world?  

But we couldn't hope to answer such a question alone, so we've called in the expert when it comes to cretinous creatures and are joined by our pal Alice Vassallo off "Asshole Animals with Alice".

There's 16 species up for discussion, but only one will be left spitting feathers when we present it with the trophy for being atrocious... 

Make sure to check out Asshole Animals with Alice by clicking here!

You can find more info on the Global Birdfair at www.globalbirdfair.org

Our Patreon is up and running which you can sign up to here- with 3 special episodes available for subscribers to listen to and a new one every month! 

Geese on Tour: Drum & Bird

How Many Geese has been on the road again listener, this time pitching up at the UK’s biggest nature festival – Global Birdfair!

For this episode, we’re bringing you two chats we had with some very cool people.

Up first is naturalist, TV presenter and time traveller – the legendary Nigel Marven. He’s been sprayed in the eyes by spitting cobras, he’s free-dived with Great White Sharks and, most impressively of all, he’s tracked down some of the most fearsome creatures from prehistory. We sit down with Nigel to hear all about how he became the British Steve Irwin and his adventures across the planet, and through time…

The second part of our Birdfair bonanza sees us sit down with Axel and Ario Driolo, a pair of brothers who have been on an extraordinary journey following the migration routes of birds that move from Africa to Europe each year. Along the way they have been living out of their 4x4s as they capture the sights and sounds of Germany, Spain, Senegal, Morocco and others to turn into amazing virtual reality experiences to connect local people to the wonders of the birds on their doorstep.

 

A big thank you to Global Birdfair for having us – you can find more details about them here: www.globalbirdfair.org

Nigel Marven: www.nigelmarven.com

Sounding Wild: www.soundingwild.com

 

Our Patreon is up and running which you can sign up to here- with 2 special episodes already available for subscribers to listen to and a Birdfair special coming soon!