Eastern Lowland Gorillas: Largest Primates on Earth (200+ Episode AMA)

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Hello everyone.
Welcome back to Relax with

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Animal Facts.
I am Stef Wolfe and today I am

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going to be learning with you
about our furry,

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scaly or possibly even slimy friends.
And in today's case it is definitely

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going to be a furry friend of ours
because we are covering the oh so

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wonderful eastern lowland gorilla.
This, of course, is a very special

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listener episode dedicated to
Maddie who actually requested

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the western lowland gorilla,
but I figured it was close enough.

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A little bit of a preliminary
note here.

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It does seem I'm on the edge of
sickness.

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Hopefully this is as bad as it gets.
So if my voice sounds a little

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bit off,
I am hopefully only a little sick.

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I am definitely not sick enough
to skip out on an adventure.

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And so here we are.
I just want to give a really big

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shout out to those of you who support
the show on Patreon, because of how

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many of you are supporting the show.
There, I am able to take some

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time off of my job to actually
edit the podcast myself again.

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And so a big shout out to all of you
patrons in allowing me to do that.

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But I thank all of you listening
for being a part of this animal

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podcast family.
And it is today in which I will

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be answering many of your
questions about me.

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We have done over 200 episodes.
We did an AMA on episode 100 and

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so I figure, why not do it again?
I will be going over all of your

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questions at the end and so be
tuned in for that.

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If you would like to help support the
show and join that growing patronage

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stuff on Patreon, you can get
access to more exclusive episodes.

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And so I hope to see you there.
A huge shout out also to Jorge

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Vlad for the ambiences used in
today's episode.

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His work is linked in the description
and I encourage you to check him out.

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And now let us begin to wind
down a little bit.

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A really important part of our
adventures are doing a few

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preliminary things in
preparation for them.

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And if this is your first episode,
I welcome you with open arms and

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encourage you to follow along.
And if you are a returning listener.

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You know exactly what I am going
to be asking of you.

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I have three primary
exhortations for you.

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The first is that you put on a
pair of hiking shoes.

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We are certainly going to be needing
those for where we are going today.

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My second exhortation for you is
arguably the most important.

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It is to realize, perhaps,
where you are carrying some tension

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and to do your best to let it go.
For many people, this tension will

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be in the shoulders, the neck,
the head, maybe the arms, regardless

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of where it is, that is the tension.
My exhortation to you is the same.

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Do your best to relax whatever
it is that you are tensing.

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And a helpful image here is that
of jello.

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I always say on this show that
we become jello.

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That is our star object that we
are trying to become.

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Jello is just tense enough to
not become liquid,

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and that's what we're looking for.
If you don't know where you

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carry tension,
there is one exercise that can help.

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Start in your mind from the bottom
of your feet and scan all the

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way up to the top of your head,
relaxing as you go.

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So that might look like the feet
and then the ankles, the calves,

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the quads and the hamstrings and
up and up.

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This helps you to both identify
where you tense a lot and helps

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you to become jello.
That could be a raspberry, a green

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apple, a cherry jello, whatever
color or flavor that you like.

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My final Exhortation to you is that
you give your mind permission to

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wander and journey with me into the
luscious greenery of the Democratic

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Republic of Congo, where the
eastern lowland gorilla resides.

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I can say this with a full heart.
Welcome back everyone. I thank.

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The Gorilla was one of the first
episodes that we ever did,

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but like many other episodes,
we covered only the gorilla.

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Quite a broad category.
There is the eastern and the

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western lowland gorilla.
There's the mountain gorilla.

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The point is that we have still
so many species to get through.

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And if you ask me, getting to
learn more about more gorillas is

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something I'm really signing up for.
This particular gorilla is the

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world's largest primate and
great ape, surpassing all of the

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other gorilla subspecies.
So these are the King Kong's of the

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animal kingdom, which is super cool.
One way we can distinguish

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different individuals in an
eastern lowland gorilla family

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is by looking at their faces.
Individuals are frequently

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distinguished by researchers by
the distinctive folds of skin

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around their nose,
which are called nose prints.

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And so, just like you and me,
are very distinguishable by a

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unique fingerprint.
Gorillas have nose prints.

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They also have fingerprints,
but we are just talking about how

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they are most commonly identified.
And it is a reality that at the

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time of this recording,
there are approximately 6800 eastern

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lowland gorillas alive in the wild.
They are all located in this

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particular area.
They aren't spread across the world,

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but like a few of the other species,
are relegated to a small range

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and aren't so so populous in
their numbers. I think.

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Thankfully for the Congo's local
population, eastern lowland gorillas

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are almost entirely vegetarian.
If they were carnivorous, I would

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be out of there straight away.
But these tremendously big and

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strong animals eat a range of
plants things like herbs, leaves,

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bark, vines, bamboo and fruit.
They are not totally vegetarian

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because they do indulge in insects.
From time to time, this animal

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stands out from the other gorillas.
With its stocky build,

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its huge hands and short muzzle,
the various species of gorilla

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really do look different.
They might look more similar

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when they are younger, but the
adults tend to look different.

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They each sport a beauty in
their own way, and they each are

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incredibly impressive.
What makes them impressive is a

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range of things their size,
their strength, the ability to

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communicate, and tons of other
things that we'll get into here.

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Their intelligence can be
showcased in a number of ways,

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but let's start with tool use.
Tool use is a significant marker

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of an animal's cognition.
There are many tool users in the

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wild.
I'm thinking about maybe how a

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raven can use a stick to get food.
Perhaps an orangutan can use a

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piece of wood to pierce a coconut.
In the case of the eastern lowland

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gorilla, their significant cognitive
ability is showcased in how they

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actually assess the depth of water,
it can sometimes be challenging to

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see just how deep a body of water is.
They aren't particularly adept

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swimmers and so this is
important for them.

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They will take sticks and dip
them into the water to assess

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the water's depth.
That way, they'll know the stream

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is only going to go up to my knees
or to my ankles or whatever it is.

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They'll also use branches to aid
in balance as they are navigating

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through some swampy terrain,
so their tool of choice seems to

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be sticks and branches.
In addition to tool use,

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their cognition is seen in their
memory and problem solving.

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These specific gorillas have an
exceptional memory.

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They're able to recall the
locations of food supplies, social

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interactions, and even human threats.
They're also able to solve

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problems like figuring out how to
get to food that's inaccessible

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or how to navigate rough terrain.
Speaking about intelligence,

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they also have a high emotional
intelligence.

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They can express a wide spectrum
of emotions things like grief,

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joy, empathy, and laughing.
For example, they have been

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observed by researchers supporting
one another following disputes or

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displaying grieving behaviors.
When a member of the group or

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family dies.
And the way that gorillas learn

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a lot is by seeing and copying.
The young gorillas will observe

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the adults, which is essential for
learning their survival skills.

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They have been observed by
researchers doing behaviors like

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nest building and foraging,
all while supervised by the

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group's elder members.
As the age old adage goes,

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monkey see, monkey do.
And despite how trite that phrase may

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sound because of how often it has
been repeated, it is certainly true.

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They have a remarkable ability
to observe, to imitate,

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to learn, and to adapt.
They're also capable of

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recognizing themselves and others,
a very telling mark of intelligence.

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This can be observed through
their reactions to mirrors.

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They have demonstrated the ability
to recognize themselves, showing a

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degree of cognitive sophistication
Comparable to chimps and orangutans.

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Now, I have seen a video in
which some researcher,

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or maybe just individual,
left a mirror in a forest.

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One of the animals to approach
it was a kind of gorilla.

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I'm not sure if it was an eastern
lowland one, but still its first

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reaction was to pound its chest
and to charge its own reflection.

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This, of course, shows that this
particular individual was not

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recognizing himself in the mirror.
But when we speak of certain marks of

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intelligence like self recognition,
memory and problem solving skills,

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these are all things that have to do
with the capacity of the animal.

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It doesn't mean that every single
individual within that species will

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replicate these things, but it means
they are capable of these things.

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The point is,
the eastern lowland gorilla is a

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remarkably sophisticated animal
in terms of their intelligence.

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It also shows in the way they
communicate with one another.

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They'll use a variety of
vocalizations, gestures,

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facial expressions.
It's amazing how much they

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express non-verbally.
Much like us, they recognize and

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respond to different signals,
demonstrating their own ability

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to get the intents and feelings
of other group members.

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That is, they communicate with a
large amount of nuance.

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One of the best ways I've seen these
communication skills on display is

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in play behaviors with gorillas.
You'll see them laugh and have fun.

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Poke fun at each other,
and it's quite wonderful to see.

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They are also capable of
communicating in a non playful way.

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These animals are of course
capable of communicating through

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more violent gestures.
They can charge,

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they can pound their chests.
This is specifically the males

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I'm referring to here.
They can be quite territorial,

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and so they'll use everything on
hand to communicate that the females

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and the young eastern lowland
gorillas are normally silent.

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It is the adult males that will
announce their presence with a series

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of loud hoots and chest beating,
which can be heard for pretty

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long distances.
When they are disturbed,

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the alpha male will produce a
variety of barks, screams and roars.

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I think it is fair to say that when
they are asserting their dominance,

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it can be pretty frightening.
They do a really good job of

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asserting their alpha male position.
Importantly, this animal doesn't fall

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into the category of all show no go.
They can show their strength with the

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beating of their chests, but when
it comes to going that is engaging

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in physical combat of some sort,
they are impressive opponents.

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The first thing to mention is,
of course,

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their incredible physical strength.
They're among the strongest primates,

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being able to lift objects over
ten times their own body weight.

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For example, a male gorilla weighing
around £400 or 180 kilos can

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lift over £4,000 or 1800 kilos.
Again, these numbers are just what

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they're capable of, as far as I know.
I don't think eastern lowland

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gorillas go to the gym trying to
bench 2000 or 3000 or £4,000 on

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a daily basis, but the fact that
their anatomy, their physiology

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is capable of lifting that much
weight is incredible.

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I am unfamiliar with any £200
adult human male that is capable

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of lifting £2,000.
If somebody knows of such an

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individual, please send me the link.
Another aspect of the eastern lowland

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gorillas power is their bite.
Their bite force is around

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£1,300 per square inch.
To make this more understandable,

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this is a higher bite force Worse
than a lion or a great white shark.

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This powerful bite allows them to
crush through tough vegetation,

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including bamboo and tree bark,
which makes up a lot of their diet.

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Their strength is showcased also
in their ability to climb,

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and despite their massive size,
which might fool somebody into

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thinking they're clumsy in the trees,
they have an arm span that

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reaches up to eight feet or 2.4m.
This, equipped with strong arms and

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hands, makes climbing and navigating
their dense forest habitats a breeze.

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They can also use their strength
to fully pull themselves up

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trees in search of food.
What would be awesome is if one

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day researchers were going into
these lowland tropical forests

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and found a group of male eastern
lowland gorillas just doing push

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ups and pull ups, bench pressing,
tree stumps, spotting each other.

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I think upon such a discovery,
I would order an emergency

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evacuation and I don't think they
would let you work into their sets.

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But anyways, another very cool thing
about their physical nature is that

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while it is true that they are not
particularly built for running,

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gorillas for their size possess
a very incredible endurance and

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agility, they can move swiftly
through their environment,

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using both their arms and their
legs to travel on all fours.

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This behavior is known as knuckle
walking, and their massive strength

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contributes to their ability to cover
ground quickly if they have to.

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That is to say, in a one on one race
with an eastern lowland gorilla,

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you'll most certainly lose.
The reason they can move so

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quickly in such a short amount of
time is their muscle composition.

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A high proportion of their muscle
fibers are fast twitch muscle fibers.

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These contribute to an explosive
strength.

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It's designed for short bursts of
powerful movements, advantageous in

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both combat and in foraging, I think.
As far as physical prowess goes,

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the eastern lowland gorilla is
on the upper echelons with

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everything taken together.
Their anatomy, their body

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00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:43,760
composition, specifically how strong
they are is seriously impressive.

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00:20:43,770 --> 00:20:48,210
Just one more reason to consider
them your favorite animal.

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00:20:48,210 --> 00:20:53,520
Over half of the eastern lowland
gorillas leave their birth groups

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between the ages of 15 and 20.
This is around the time that they

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00:20:59,940 --> 00:21:05,040
can have some babies of their own,
and until they establish a

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00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:10,200
female harem, they travel alone
or with other male gorillas.

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The alpha males, the dominant males
of the eastern lowland gorilla,

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usually stay with the group of
females for the rest of their lives.

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This doesn't mean that life is
all sunshine and rainbows.

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Male gorillas frequently engage
in violent struggles for control

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of the females, and one really
interesting thing is that the lowland

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gorilla species from the east,
which we are covering today,

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and the west are unable to reproduce,
they are that distinct.

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The females will typically give
birth after an eight and a half

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00:21:52,780 --> 00:21:57,160
month gestation period,
and the infants for the first three

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years of their lives will sleep
in the same nest as their mom.

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00:22:01,810 --> 00:22:06,640
It takes quite a bit of time for
these animals to develop.

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They have much longer rearing
periods closer to us,

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to orangutans and others.
They need time to see and to do that

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00:22:18,700 --> 00:22:25,540
is to imitate, to learn and to grow.
In total, eastern lowland gorillas

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can live 30 to 40 years in the wild,
while in captivity they can live

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00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:36,250
up to 60.
And for the final fact of the

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episode, we are going to learn
about what their name means or

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00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:45,860
where it comes from.
Our modern usage of the term

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00:22:45,860 --> 00:22:52,220
goes back to 1847.
This name was given by a US

250
00:22:52,220 --> 00:22:56,030
missionary by the name of Thomas
Savage.

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00:22:56,060 --> 00:23:02,090
It harkens back to a Greek word
gorilla, which is the plural of a

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00:23:02,090 --> 00:23:08,840
name given to wild, hairy beings,
and I think it is an apt description

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00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:14,420
to call the eastern lowland
gorilla a wild, hairy being.

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00:23:14,420 --> 00:23:18,830
I'm sure that can be taken in a
derogatory sense,

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00:23:18,830 --> 00:23:23,780
but that's not how I see it.
And I just realized we never

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00:23:23,780 --> 00:23:28,460
covered the scientific name of
the eastern lowland gorilla.

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00:23:28,490 --> 00:23:33,560
So why don't we do that right now?
Better late than never.

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00:23:33,590 --> 00:23:38,510
Their scientific name is Gorilla
Beringei. Graueri.

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00:23:38,540 --> 00:23:46,200
Beringei is a Latinized name in honor
of the German zoologist Carl Akeley.

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00:23:46,290 --> 00:23:52,560
This particular German zoologist
wanted to honor the first European

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00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:57,630
who encountered the mountain
gorilla in the early 20th century.

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00:23:57,630 --> 00:24:02,010
The latter portion of their
scientific name, Graueri,

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00:24:02,010 --> 00:24:07,620
is also a Latinized form,
named after Rudolf Grauer,

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00:24:07,650 --> 00:24:14,550
the Austrian explorer who collected
specimens of this subspecies, and so

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00:24:14,550 --> 00:24:20,520
much of their scientific name is
just dedicated to other researchers.

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00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:26,400
It is only the first term gorilla
which tells us anything about this

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00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:32,190
creature, mostly that they are
big and hairy, which fair enough.

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And before we get into the Q and
A portion, allow me simply to

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00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:42,370
tell you a dad joke.
You guys seem to like them and

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00:24:42,370 --> 00:24:45,700
so I'll keep dishing them.
Check this out.

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00:24:45,700 --> 00:24:51,430
What does a gorilla wear in the
kitchen? An apron.

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00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:56,770
I actually really like that one.
I would like an apron with an

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00:24:56,770 --> 00:25:00,430
ape on it. Does that exist?
I think it has to.

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00:25:00,460 --> 00:25:05,140
Now that your night or your day
has been sufficiently ruined,

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00:25:05,170 --> 00:25:10,750
I can answer some of your questions.
I'm going to get to as many as

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00:25:10,750 --> 00:25:14,290
possible.
I guess there is no time limit.

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00:25:14,290 --> 00:25:20,230
And so I'll answer as many as I can.
I'm first going to start over on

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00:25:20,230 --> 00:25:24,640
Spotify because that's where the
majority of you listen.

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00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:31,510
Bell kicks it off, asking who made
the podcast cover art. It's so nice.

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00:25:31,510 --> 00:25:38,380
I actually got this from an artist
on Fiverr. The At is Hannah Luck.

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00:25:38,380 --> 00:25:45,160
That's H a n. N a. Luck.
Hanna is a really talented artist.

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00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:48,220
Was very professional about
everything.

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00:25:48,220 --> 00:25:51,250
She was really awesome and
accommodating.

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00:25:51,250 --> 00:25:55,750
So if you need something done,
I encourage you to check her out.

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00:25:55,750 --> 00:25:59,050
I'll actually post her Fiverr
profile.

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00:25:59,050 --> 00:26:03,640
In the description, Indigo asks,
what's your favorite episode

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00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:07,300
that you've done?
Honestly, it seems to be the

288
00:26:07,300 --> 00:26:12,130
most recent one every time.
Although I will say there is

289
00:26:12,130 --> 00:26:16,930
something very special about the
first orangutan episode.

290
00:26:16,930 --> 00:26:21,460
Listening to me mumbling and
fumbling, saying um,

291
00:26:21,460 --> 00:26:25,180
every two seconds,
hearing my smoke alarm in the

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00:26:25,180 --> 00:26:30,520
background in the first five seconds.
There's something beautiful about the

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00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:37,210
unpolished, so I'll say orangutan.
Sammy Combs asks, what do you do

294
00:26:37,210 --> 00:26:42,780
for work outside of the podcast.
Also, how did you start the podcast?

295
00:26:42,780 --> 00:26:46,590
I see Sammy, you are putting a
lot of these in one.

296
00:26:46,620 --> 00:26:52,020
Do you plan on doing any other shows,
possibly live shows?

297
00:26:52,020 --> 00:26:56,850
I guess I can spill the beans.
I'm a massage therapist.

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00:26:56,880 --> 00:27:02,910
Why did I start the podcast?
I imagined a place or a medium

299
00:27:02,910 --> 00:27:07,680
by which I could help people
really learn to love nature,

300
00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:13,200
to love animals, and to gain
something in addition to learning.

301
00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:17,460
In this case,
I guess it is sleep and relaxation.

302
00:27:17,490 --> 00:27:21,900
Do I plan on doing any other shows,
possibly live shows?

303
00:27:21,900 --> 00:27:26,910
I have actually thought of doing
something on Twitch before.

304
00:27:26,910 --> 00:27:32,040
Basically a live show where I would
read public domain books for a

305
00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:37,320
couple of hours, be all dressed
up in a suit on a rocking chair,

306
00:27:37,350 --> 00:27:41,970
maybe be commenting on the books
as we go, but honestly,

307
00:27:41,970 --> 00:27:46,680
that hasn't materialized to anything
and I don't think I'll do it.

308
00:27:46,710 --> 00:27:51,150
It was just an idea.
Katie asks I know you've had

309
00:27:51,150 --> 00:27:54,360
interesting podcast setups in
the past.

310
00:27:54,360 --> 00:27:59,550
I'd love to know what your current
living situation is. Do you have an.

311
00:27:59,580 --> 00:28:04,710
I am noticing that everybody
seems to be smashing together

312
00:28:04,710 --> 00:28:10,140
many questions in one.
I think just to stay fair to all the

313
00:28:10,140 --> 00:28:16,050
other questioners, I'm going to,
from this point on, only answer one

314
00:28:16,050 --> 00:28:21,480
of the questions. There are a lot.
And so I think we have to do this.

315
00:28:21,510 --> 00:28:27,180
My interesting setup at the moment
is in a basement apartment and I'm

316
00:28:27,180 --> 00:28:31,980
currently talking into my closet.
I have some foam here.

317
00:28:31,980 --> 00:28:37,110
I have some hanging clothes,
all of it to help absorb sound.

318
00:28:37,110 --> 00:28:42,400
And so I do what I can.
Isla asks if you could live in

319
00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:47,320
any fictional land for a day,
which would you choose and why?

320
00:28:47,350 --> 00:28:53,140
I guess Narnia looks pretty chill.
I'd choose Narnia and I like

321
00:28:53,140 --> 00:28:57,610
C.S. Lewis, so why not?
If you don't know, C.S. Lewis is

322
00:28:57,610 --> 00:29:02,440
the guy that wrote Narnia.
Audrey asks, which animal would you

323
00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:07,180
hate to be and why? Dung beetle.
I don't know if I have to

324
00:29:07,210 --> 00:29:12,250
explain myself.
Simone asks favorite NHL players.

325
00:29:12,250 --> 00:29:16,030
I'm also curious about your
least favorite players.

326
00:29:16,060 --> 00:29:22,090
Of course I am a Canadian.
I am a Leafs fan and so I'm going

327
00:29:22,090 --> 00:29:27,550
to go with my boy Auston Matthews.
And for my least favorite player,

328
00:29:27,580 --> 00:29:31,240
just open up the roster for the
Boston Bruins.

329
00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:35,470
Close your eyes and pick one allele.
Grant asks,

330
00:29:35,470 --> 00:29:40,850
what's your favorite animal,
either the kakapo or the orangutan.

331
00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:46,190
I'm a bit conflicted right now.
Anika also asked what animal I

332
00:29:46,190 --> 00:29:51,170
would least like to be,
so I'll just say dung beetle twice.

333
00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:57,170
Toby asks, would you ever consider
doing a season or something about

334
00:29:57,170 --> 00:30:03,620
extinct animals like dinosaurs?
The answer is yes, and I've actually

335
00:30:03,620 --> 00:30:08,210
posted on Instagram polling you
guys what you would think.

336
00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:13,820
Basically, what I would like to
do is actually introduce extinct

337
00:30:13,820 --> 00:30:19,460
animals onto the official show.
We would have two episodes a week,

338
00:30:19,460 --> 00:30:26,090
one episode extinct, one extant.
I'll leave a poll on Spotify so

339
00:30:26,090 --> 00:30:30,230
you guys can vote.
My thought process was there are

340
00:30:30,230 --> 00:30:35,510
so many animals that aren't around
anymore that can teach us a lot.

341
00:30:35,510 --> 00:30:41,340
So if that sounds interesting to you,
vote on it on Spotify or you can

342
00:30:41,340 --> 00:30:45,810
leave a comment. Qichao Zhang.
I hope I'm saying that right.

343
00:30:45,810 --> 00:30:51,540
Asks can you please do beta fish?
We can definitely do the beta fish,

344
00:30:51,540 --> 00:30:54,630
but we'll have to do the alpha
fish first.

345
00:30:54,630 --> 00:31:00,480
Starfall asks if you had the
opportunity to become any animal

346
00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:04,950
retaining human levels of
consciousness and self-awareness

347
00:31:04,980 --> 00:31:08,730
currently alive,
extinct or fictional?

348
00:31:08,730 --> 00:31:13,230
Would you take the opportunity
and what animal would you choose?

349
00:31:13,230 --> 00:31:18,240
You know what I would do?
I would become a gorilla in a zoo.

350
00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:23,910
I would basically just cause chaos.
Example things of what I would do.

351
00:31:23,940 --> 00:31:28,290
I would start building things.
I would take mud and start

352
00:31:28,290 --> 00:31:33,150
writing on the enclosure.
Things like monkey will be free,

353
00:31:33,180 --> 00:31:39,280
get people all riled up about a real
planet of the apes type situation.

354
00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:44,110
So yes, I would become monkey
and I would become chaos.

355
00:31:44,140 --> 00:31:48,190
Mr. McCready asks,
are you a college student?

356
00:31:48,190 --> 00:31:52,750
I feel like I may have heard
that in an earlier episode.

357
00:31:52,750 --> 00:31:57,580
It would be cool to learn of your
studies and neat little things you

358
00:31:57,580 --> 00:32:03,220
know how to do or are learning about,
besides things related to the show,

359
00:32:03,250 --> 00:32:07,360
I guess.
Well, Mr. McCready, I am a college

360
00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:14,230
student, but I'm a bit older. I'm 27.
I am finishing up my bachelor's

361
00:32:14,230 --> 00:32:19,030
degree right now, and I have
been studying for three months,

362
00:32:19,030 --> 00:32:24,970
but still have nine months left to
go in preparation for the Lsat.

363
00:32:24,970 --> 00:32:29,950
In case you are unfamiliar,
that is the test that one takes

364
00:32:29,950 --> 00:32:34,570
before going to law school.
So I am studying for law school.

365
00:32:34,580 --> 00:32:39,620
Poppy asks, what's one animal
you wish wasn't extinct?

366
00:32:39,620 --> 00:32:45,500
I'd be super basic and just say the
dodo. They seemed pretty chill.

367
00:32:45,530 --> 00:32:51,170
Panzer asks, is there any single
organization or charity you would

368
00:32:51,170 --> 00:32:56,690
recommend to donate to or to support?
Because there's so many different

369
00:32:56,690 --> 00:33:02,450
causes for different animals,
I can't recommend a singular one.

370
00:33:02,450 --> 00:33:08,390
One piece of advice I do have is
to always search up the charity

371
00:33:08,390 --> 00:33:12,740
on a website like Charity watch.
I think it's called.

372
00:33:12,740 --> 00:33:17,570
There are websites that rank
charities based on how much they

373
00:33:17,570 --> 00:33:22,100
actually give.
I obviously dislike charities that

374
00:33:22,100 --> 00:33:27,320
are just ways to line people's
pockets, and so I'd say make sure you

375
00:33:27,320 --> 00:33:31,550
do your research before you donate.
Jacqueline asks,

376
00:33:31,550 --> 00:33:37,440
what's your favorite colored animal.
I'll just say the platypus because

377
00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:42,780
it's one color on the outside,
but another one under UV light.

378
00:33:42,780 --> 00:33:47,130
If you don't know what I'm
talking about, get to googling.

379
00:33:47,130 --> 00:33:52,290
And now I'm gonna answer some of
your questions on Instagram.

380
00:33:52,290 --> 00:33:56,550
Mila asks,
what's your favorite color? Blue.

381
00:33:56,580 --> 00:34:00,660
Now it seems like my voice is
going a little bit,

382
00:34:00,660 --> 00:34:06,300
but hang tight, I hope it gets
better or I hope you can bear it.

383
00:34:06,300 --> 00:34:11,640
I don't know if I'll actually be
able to get to all of these because

384
00:34:11,640 --> 00:34:15,480
my voice is starting to go,
but let's try.

385
00:34:15,510 --> 00:34:20,460
Aphid asks did you ever pretend
to be an animal as a child?

386
00:34:20,460 --> 00:34:24,210
And the answer is yes.
T-Rex all the way.

387
00:34:24,210 --> 00:34:30,210
I was obsessed with dinosaurs
and to some degree I still am.

388
00:34:30,210 --> 00:34:35,800
Dia or Dia asks would you like
to work full time as an animal

389
00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:42,130
researcher? The honest answer is no.
I would work as an animal educator.

390
00:34:42,130 --> 00:34:47,110
I would love to do documentaries
or something. But a researcher?

391
00:34:47,140 --> 00:34:50,650
No,
it's a very important line of work.

392
00:34:50,650 --> 00:34:53,680
I just don't think I'd be cut
out for it.

393
00:34:53,710 --> 00:34:58,750
CC asks do you see working at a
zoo in the future?

394
00:34:58,750 --> 00:35:02,800
I work in healthcare,
but honestly, dream job.

395
00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:06,670
I don't think I'll work at or
for a zoo,

396
00:35:06,670 --> 00:35:13,270
but I can definitely see the appeal.
Scarlett asks your entire life,

397
00:35:13,270 --> 00:35:18,430
please. Oh that's easy.
But Scarlett also asks what my

398
00:35:18,430 --> 00:35:22,600
favorite jello flavor is.
Whatever red is,

399
00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:28,330
I don't know what the taste or the
flavor profile is, but always red.

400
00:35:28,330 --> 00:35:33,580
What animal do you think you're
most like? I'd say the kakapo.

401
00:35:33,700 --> 00:35:38,980
There's actually some aspects of
the kakapo that I really love,

402
00:35:38,980 --> 00:35:45,310
and I find them somewhat relatable,
heavily symbolic, and for a few

403
00:35:45,310 --> 00:35:50,020
reasons I think are awesome.
I'll let you guys figure out the

404
00:35:50,020 --> 00:35:56,200
finer points of why I find them to
be heavily symbolic or let's say,

405
00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:59,800
inspirational.
Speaking of inspiration,

406
00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:04,600
Jules asks, what inspired you to
make this podcast?

407
00:36:04,630 --> 00:36:08,290
I think I've answered what
inspired me to make it.

408
00:36:08,290 --> 00:36:14,110
I wanted a platform by which I
could help people see the wonder in

409
00:36:14,110 --> 00:36:20,230
the world, in animals, in nature,
and using this as a methodology by

410
00:36:20,230 --> 00:36:26,950
which to mine out joy in every bit of
life, even the tough bits in terms

411
00:36:26,950 --> 00:36:32,660
of what inspires me to continue
making it pretty much from day one

412
00:36:32,660 --> 00:36:38,060
of making it. It was you guys.
I still remember the first day I

413
00:36:38,060 --> 00:36:43,790
got any downloads at all.
It was three and then a spike.

414
00:36:43,820 --> 00:36:50,390
I had 18 downloads in one day.
I was thinking, how did anyone

415
00:36:50,390 --> 00:36:56,060
even find this podcast?
And so if any one of the three of

416
00:36:56,060 --> 00:37:02,120
you listening that first downloaded
this show, big props to you guys.

417
00:37:02,150 --> 00:37:06,560
Uh, Ryan asks,
what's the biggest animal you think

418
00:37:06,590 --> 00:37:11,780
you could win a fight against?
That is a very good question.

419
00:37:11,780 --> 00:37:17,150
So I'm looking for the animal that is
the biggest, but wouldn't kill me.

420
00:37:17,150 --> 00:37:21,620
It's an interesting question.
Maybe a capybara,

421
00:37:21,620 --> 00:37:26,120
but who in the world would ever
want to fight a capybara?

422
00:37:26,150 --> 00:37:31,110
I think the capybara is the
scientifically Most cuddly

423
00:37:31,500 --> 00:37:35,460
animal ever.
It is perfectly formed for the

424
00:37:35,460 --> 00:37:39,270
cuddle.
Give me a capybara body pillow,

425
00:37:39,270 --> 00:37:42,180
please.
I think there was a few more,

426
00:37:42,180 --> 00:37:46,980
but my throat really hurts if
I'm being honest and I still

427
00:37:46,980 --> 00:37:51,420
have to close out the show.
And so I'm sure we'll get an

428
00:37:51,420 --> 00:37:55,800
opportunity to do a Q&A again in
the future.

429
00:37:55,830 --> 00:38:01,350
Thank you for all of your questions.
I hope you have learned more about me

430
00:38:01,350 --> 00:38:08,370
and let me say I so enjoy learning
about you guys to your requests,

431
00:38:08,370 --> 00:38:11,940
your messages.
I love hearing from all of you

432
00:38:11,940 --> 00:38:15,930
and it is what has kept me going
for so long.

433
00:38:15,930 --> 00:38:21,810
How the show helps impacts that I
couldn't imagine the show would have.

434
00:38:21,810 --> 00:38:25,590
It makes me very grateful to be
hosting this show,

435
00:38:25,590 --> 00:38:30,940
and to be given the opportunity
to help you sleep and learn.

436
00:38:30,940 --> 00:38:36,580
I'm not going to read a review today.
I think we've gotten to a lot of

437
00:38:36,580 --> 00:38:38,050
things.
And again,

438
00:38:38,050 --> 00:38:42,790
my throat is starting to go.
Just to give you a heads up,

439
00:38:42,790 --> 00:38:49,030
I'm going to be doing a relax with
Animal Facts Pajama Set giveaway.

440
00:38:49,030 --> 00:38:53,830
So look out for that.
I'm just finishing up some of the

441
00:38:53,830 --> 00:38:59,920
more logistical aspects of this,
figuring out exactly how I'll do it.

442
00:38:59,920 --> 00:39:05,530
But I'll be posting something soon
about instructions for how to win.

443
00:39:05,530 --> 00:39:10,180
If you would like to request an
animal, you can do so by sending

444
00:39:10,180 --> 00:39:15,040
a message to relax with animal
facts at gmail.com.

445
00:39:15,040 --> 00:39:20,710
The resources used in this episode
came from fauna, flora.org,

446
00:39:20,710 --> 00:39:28,180
virunga.org and etymonline.com.
A huge shout out to George Floyd

447
00:39:28,180 --> 00:39:31,490
for the ambiences used in
today's episode.

448
00:39:31,490 --> 00:39:36,590
His work is in the description.
What a wonderful animal we have

449
00:39:36,590 --> 00:39:40,880
learned about today,
an animal that is very close to

450
00:39:40,910 --> 00:39:47,360
us as an animal podcast family.
Given that it was one of the first we

451
00:39:47,360 --> 00:39:52,220
learned about, we have come full
circle and it's awesome because

452
00:39:52,220 --> 00:39:58,040
we can do this circle night and
day for another hundred years.

453
00:39:58,040 --> 00:40:01,430
How many more species are there
to learn about?

454
00:40:01,460 --> 00:40:07,430
We're barely on the foothills of
all of the animals, and so keep

455
00:40:07,430 --> 00:40:11,930
requesting. Keep listening.
Make sure to follow the show if

456
00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:16,580
you enjoy it, and I look forward
to the next adventure together

457
00:40:16,580 --> 00:40:19,940
with the next animal. Take care.