Talking Apes
Episodes
What Are Chimpanzees Saying? | Chimp Communication and the Origins of Language with Dr. Katie Slocombe
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How did human language evolve and what can our closest relatives teach us about its origins? In this episode of Talking Apes, Gerry Ellis sits down wi...
Painting Primates from the Heart of Africa with Robin Huffman | Episode 77
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Talking Apes, we record on site in the rainforests of Cameroon at Ape Action Africa’s Mefou Sanctuary, where art and primate conservati...
BONOBOS: More Than Just Sex - with Ariel Rogers & Dr. Brian Hare | Episode 76
14 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Bonobos may be our closest living relatives, but we still have so much to learn about and from them. In this episode of Talking Apes, we sit down with...
Why Humans Walk Upright with Dr. Carol Ward | Episode 75
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered how we became the upright, big-brained, tool-wielding species we are today? In this fascinating episode of Talking Apes, Gerry ...
Why Humans Walk Upright with Dr. Carol Ward | Episode 75
17 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered how we became the upright, big-brained, tool-wielding species we are today? In this fascinating episode of Talking Apes, Gerry ...
The Truth About Female Evolution with EVE Author Cat Bohannon | Episode 74
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for a lively, curiosity-filled deep dive with author and researcher Cat Bohannon, whose award-winning book Eve reframes 200 million years of e...
Uncovering the Hobbit Mystery: What Homo floresiensis Reveals About Us with Dr Matt Tocheri | Episode 73
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Paleoanthropologist Dr. Matt Tocheri joins host Gerry Ellis to explore the remarkable discovery of Homo floresiensis — the so-called Flores “Hobbi...
Inside the Society of Gorillas: World Gorilla Day 2025 with Dr. Robin Morrison | Episode 72
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This World Gorilla Day, Talking Apes kicks off Season 5 with a fascinating guest: behavioral ecologist and evolutionary biologist Robin Morrison.Robin...
World Chimpanzee Day with Dr Rachna Reddy | Episode 71
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Talking Apes, we follow Dr. Rachna Reddy into the the African rainforest, where the laughter of chimps and the quiet rhythms of bon...
What BaYaka Children Can Teach About Being Human with Dr Deniz Salali | Episode 70
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does a Congolese rainforest childhood reveal about the roots of human cooperation? In this captivating episode of Talking Apes, we sit down with ...
Talking Apes, Yes, All Apes! with Dr. Adriano Lameira | Episode 69
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are we really the only "talking apes"? Get ready for a mind-blowing episode with Dr. Adriano Reis E Lameira, one of the world’s leading ...
The Climbing Secret Behind Monkey Bars with Luke Fannin | Episode 68
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hanging with Our Ancestors: Luke Fannin on Climbing, Evolution & Ape LocomotionEver wondered why kids instinctively love monkey bars? Or why apes ...
Happy EARTH DAY! With Jane Goodall Institute's Anna Rathmann | Episode 67
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Amazing People Behind Jane Goodall What does it take to lead one of the most iconic conservation ...
IUCN’s Role in Saving Our Planet with Sean Southey | Episode 66
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Earth Month Special: A Deep Dive into Global Conservation with Sean Southey “This is our global education moment. This is the time to champion. Thi...
Southeast Asia’s Secret Monkeys with Dr. Andie Ang | Episode 65
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Talking Apes, we’re joined by Dr. Andie Ang, a primatologist dedicated to the conservation of Southeast Asia’s elusive and enda...
Tracing Our Footsteps Through Time with Jeremy DeSilva | Episode 64
02 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bipedalism - How Walking Made Us Human with Jeremy DeSilva“The history of our lineage is filled with multiple species coexisting—this moment, with...
Celebrating Three Decades of Roots & Shoots with Mary Ford | Episode 63
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Talking Apes, we sit down with Mary Ford, Senior Director of Roots & Shoots USA, the Jane Goodall Institute’s global youth pr...
Yikes! Chimps Eating Bat Poop? With Disease Detective Dr. Tony Goldberg | Episode 62
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why are chimpanzees in Uganda scooping up bat guano and eating it? This strange behavior, captured on trail cameras and observed over 800 times in a s...
Voices from the Ape House with Beth Armstrong | Episode 61
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Talking Apes, we’re entering the personal world of gorillas and a remarkable woman who has dedicated her life to their stories: Beth Ar...
Growing Up Chimp with Dr. Kris Sabbi | Episode 60
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Growing Up Chimp: Lessons on Life, Leadership, and the Mystery of PubertyWhat does it really mean to grow up? For chimpanzees, our closest living rela...
Orangutans Using Wild Medicines with Dr Isabelle Laumer | Episode 59
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have observed a male orangutan, Rakus, using plants as medicine—a first-ever recording of a wild animal se...
The Chimps of Gombe with Dr. Elizabeth Lonsdorf | Episode 58
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Generations at Gombe: Elizabeth Lonsdorf on Chimpanzee Mothers, Babies, and the Power of Long-Term StudyIn this episode of Talking Apes we’re joined...
Gorilla Doctors! World Gorilla Day Special with Kirsten Gilardi | Episode 57
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4 Premiere: World Gorilla Day Special Episode! 🦍We’re thrilled to launch Season 4 of Talking Apes with a special release in celebration of...
Chimps of the Fiery Savanna with Dr Jill Pruetz - World Chimpanzee Day 2024 | Episode 56
14 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Amidst the harsh terrain and frequent fires of Senegal's savanna landscape lives a community of remarkable chimps. What makes them different from...
30 Years Living with Chimps, with John Mitani | Episode 55
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about the secrets of ape society with Dr John MitaniJoin us for the second time on Talking Apes with John Mitani, a renowned primatologist with ...
Teasing Tactics: Ape Play and Pranks with Dr Isabelle Laumer | Episode 54
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Playful Teasing in Great Apes with Isabelle Laumer Did you know that great apes engage in playful teasing, much like human children?Join us for anothe...
Stories of Survival and Struggle with Journalist Jeremy Hance | Episode 53
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for this episode of Talking Apes featuring Jeremy Hance, a distinguished environmental journalist renowned for his unwavering commitment to bi...
Make Travel Meaningful: Earth Day Special with NatHab's Ben Bressler | Episode 52
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Does connecting to a planet require seeing it? And at what cost to the environment, the wildlife, and people?Join us for an Earth Day special on Tal...
Empathy and Sympathy in Conservation with Dr Kathayoon Khalil | Episode 51
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Greetings, troop! Welcome back to Talking Apes Season 3. We're kicking off 2024 with a thought-provoking episode featuring Kathayoon Khalil, cons...
Ancient Us: The Evolutionary Journey of Apes with Dr Sergio Almécija | Episode 50
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Evolution - Who are we, where did we begin? The evolution of us and apes like us - gorillas, chimps, bonobos, and orangutans - likely began long befor...
'Sincerely, a Black Primatologist' with Thomas Wilson | Episode 49
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Beyond Biology: Primate Pelage, Racism, and Academic TriumphsColour and pattern of hair and skin play a powerful role in how primates interpret and in...
The Mystery of the Leopard-Eating Bili-Apes with Cleve Hicks & Toni Romani | Episode 48
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's episode of Talking Apes Podcast, we're joined by two extraordinary scientists, Dr Cleve Hicks and Toni Romani, as they lead u...
What Does It Mean To Be A Human Ape? With Dr Briana Pobiner | Episode 47
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Unraveling the Meaty Mysteries of Human Evolution with Dr. Briana PobinerThis week on Talking Apes we journey back in time to explore our ancestral ...
Saving the Congo's Last Giants with GRACE's Dr Katie Fawcett | Episode 46
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A World Gorilla Day Special Exploring the Fate of the Colossal Grauer's GorillasSituated on the eastern edge of the expansive Congo Basin in the ...
CHIMP EMPIRE: The Making of, with Diana Kanweri Behind the Scenes | Episode 45
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Diana Kanweri closes not only our special Making of Chimp Empire series, but Season 2 of Talking Apes. The talented Ugandan chimpanzee field guide and...
CHIMP EMPIRE: The Making of, with Primatologist John Mitani Behind the Scenes | Episode 44
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
‘When I arrived at Ngogo, it didn’t take me long to figure out this place was unusual.’ For the second installment of our Making of Chimp Empir...
CHIMP EMPIRE: The Making of, with Director of Photography Ben Sadd Behind The Scenes | Episode 43
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
‘Chimpanzees are just incredibly special animals and I think what makes them so unique is their individuality. It’s such a privilege to be able to...
CHIMP EMPIRE: The Making of, with Director James Reed Behind the Scenes | Episode 42
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
‘We didn’t decide what we wanted the story to be. We wanted the chimps to tell their story, and document that with the highest level of authentici...
Primates, Parasites, and Podcasting with PrimateCast Host Andrew MacIntosh | Episode 41
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In recent years, podcasts have emerged as an innovative and accessible medium for science education. With their ability to engage, inform, and enterta...
Apes and Monkeys Are Being Tortured on Social Media - Let’s End This, with SMACC's Nicola O'Brien | Episode 40
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Held captive as pets, dressed in human clothes, forced to perform tricks, and in some cases, even brutally tortured and killed. These are just some of...
How Human Apes Learned to Talk with Dr Gillian Forrester | Episode 39
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Did tool-use lead to talking? Dr. Gilly Forrester’s groundbreaking research has contributed significantly to our understanding of the evolution of l...
Your Phone is Killing Great Apes, with Eco-Cell's Eric Ronay | Episode 38
16 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Gadget Recycler-Ape Lover. This is how Eric Ronay signs off on all his emails. From his warehouse in Louisville, Kentucky, Eric works diligently to ...
Gorilla Ecotourism with Praveen Moman | Episode 37
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mountain gorilla tourism owes its legacy to one man - Praveen Moman. A visionary conservationist and entrepreneur, Praveen is also called the father...
The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus with David Quammen - Part 2 | Episode 35
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"Viruses are the dark angels of evolution, terrific and terrible, without which, the immense biological diversity gracing our planet would collap...
Walking with Gorillas, with Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka | Episode 36
12 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is a vet, conservationist, and founder of Conservation through Public Health. Join us this week on Talking Apes where she ...
ZOONOSIS IN THE SPOTLIGHT with Disease Detective Dr Tony Goldberg | Episode 35
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
IN THE SPOTLIGHT is a quarterly feature where we revisit past Talking Apes episodes that focus on highly critical issues. For our March 2023 instalmen...
Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic with David Quammen - Part 1 | Episode 34
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"Twelve years ago I heard a phrase that changed my life. I was sitting at a campfire in central Africa and heard, 'thirteen dead gorillas&ap...
All Creatures Great and Small with Pangolin Podcast Host Jack Baker | Episode 33
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're going HOST TO HOST as Gerry is joined by fellow wildlife podcaster Jack Baker.Jack is creator and host of Pangolin: The Conserv...
Saving Half the Planet with Carl Safina | Episode 32
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carl Safina is an American ecologist and author. He writes about our relationship with the natural world and the other beings that share it.‘In my w...
Illuminating the Dark World of Animal Exploitation with Jo-Anne McArthur | Episode 31
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jo-Anne McArthur is a multiple award winning photojournalist who has spent over two decades travelling the world to document and bring to light the di...
Behind the Mic of Talking Apes with Host Gerry Ellis | Episode 30
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Great apes — gorillas, chimps, orangutans and bonobos — have been Talking Apes host Gerry Ellis's life long passion. Discover where it starte...
The Tiny Gorilla Who Changed My Life Forever, With Rachel Hogan | Episode 29
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At 22 years old, Rachel Hogan never dreamed that a three month volunteering trip to Africa would result in her becoming the director of one of the wor...
Primate Portraits with Photographer Anne Berry | Episode 28
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Primate portraits from some of the most unlikely habitats — tiny, century-old, forgotten places. BEHIND GLASS by Anne Berry is an intimate very pers...
ORANGUTANS IN THE SPOTLIGHT with Veterinarian Nigel Hicks
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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Into the Dja with Conservation Scientist Nikki Tagg | Episode 27
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the western edge of the vast Congo basin lies one of the world's most remote rainforests - the Dja. It is one of the last strongholds of a ric...
Rockstars of the Rainforest with Dr Cat Hobaiter | Episode 26
22 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We often hear about how we humans are 98% chimpanzee. In fact, biologically, humans are more closely related to chimpanzees than chimps are to gorilla...
Saving Great Apes Beyond Sanctuary Walls with PASA Director Kelly O'Meara | Episode 25
08 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Decades of losing. Losing forest habitat, losing primate populations, and losing in our efforts to educate politicians, the public, and policy-makers....
Stopping Illegal Chimp Trafficking with PASA's Iris Ho | Episode 24
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When an entire family of chimpanzees is slaughtered for bushmeat, the baby chimps are captured live and sold into the multi-billion dollar global wild...
Gorillas and Forest Elephants with Conservationist Ian Redmond Part 2 | Episode 23
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mountain Gorillas and forest elephants highlight our launch of Talking Apes Season 2 with conservationist and naturalist Ian Redmond. Over his three-d...
Gorillas and Forest Elephants with Conservationist Ian Redmond Part 1 | Episode 23
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mountain Gorillas and forest elephants highlight our launch of Talking Apes Season 2 with conservationist and naturalist Ian Redmond. Over his three-d...
Baby Animals & Big Impact with Wildlife Photographer Suzi Eszterhas | Episode 22
03 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The touching and beautiful photography of Suzi Eszterhas is a reminder that every photograph has the potential to say something powerful, poignant and...
Cheetahs and Chimps with Wildlife Vet Dr Karina Flores | Episode 21
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for another live Talking Apes with Dr. Karina Flores to dive into her experience as a wildlife veterinarian. With wild patients as varied as A...
Talking Chimps in Sierra Leone with Tacugama's Bala Amarasekaran | Episode 20
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"I wasn't thinking about saving chimps, we were just trying to help this little guy" Over 100 rescued chimpanzees and 27 years later Ba...
Conservation Drones and AI with Serge Wich | Episode 19
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Drones employed in conservation, wildlife, ecology science have gained marked popularity in recent years as they become more accessible to the masses....
World Gorilla Day with Dr Tara Stoinski of the Dian Fossey Fund | Episode 18
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Can saving one species once on the brink of vanishing in the mist show us the way out of the extinction darkness? Joining us to celebrate World Gorill...
Monkeys in America: Pet Primates with Dr Liz Tyson of Born Free USA | Episode 17
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Every now and then, headlines pop up about a monkey on the loose, tiktok videos of pet monkeys go viral, occasionally even celebrities will get their ...
Orangutan Veterinary Care with OVAID's Nigel Hicks | Episode 16
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Life as a wildlife veterinarian is a tough and demanding job. For Wild Orangutan veterinarians, that task is often made trickier through the lack of b...
Great Ape Hearts - Ours and Theirs with Dr Rob Shave | Episode 15
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We all know that chimps, gorillas, orangutans, and bonobos are our closest genetic cousins, but what does that mean from a physiological standpoint? ...
A Search for Orangutan Survival with Leif Cocks | Episode 14
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Love, empathy, privilege — those aren’t words you generally hear floating up out of the trenches of conservation battles. Leif Cocks believes — ...
Cooking and our Closest Cousins with Dr Richard Wrangham | Episode 13
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Were we formed by fire? Celebrating World Chimpanzee Day, July 14th, we gather around the evolutionary fireplace with Dr. Richard Wrangham, professor ...
Apes are 'Just Like Us' with Dr Rick Quinn | Episode 12
29 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Few people can claim to have seen the four non-human great apes in their wild habitat, but for Dr. Rick Quinn, not only has he ventured far and wide t...
Saving the Last Great Apes with Ofir Drori | Episode 11
15 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What's a baby chimp worth? A sack of pangolin scales, kilos upon kilos of elephant and rhino ivory, an orphaned baby chimp, for Ofir Drori and hi...
The Conservation Story with Michelle Nijhuis | Episode 10
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Conservation is often focused on the future: safeguarding a tomorrow for the flora and fauna to secure strong biodiversity and a safe planet for our c...
A Future for African Apes with Gregg Tully | Episode 9
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The bushmeat industry, the illegal pet trade, rampant habitat loss, and much more. All of these combined would wipe out ape and monkey populations acr...
Orangutan Care with Ape Specialist Colleen Reed | Episode 8
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Talking Apes, we chat with Colleen Reed, with the Oregon Zoo and Orangutan Outreach to discuss some of her favorite moments and les...
Risk & Reward: Conservation Psychology with Dr Aleah Bowie | Episode 7
20 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For nearly 200 years the thinking around conservation has been evolving.But has it evolved fast enough to effectively connect us to the world around u...
No Grumpy Old Men in the World of Chimps with Dr Alexandra Rosati | Episode 6
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Alexandra Rosati is an assistant professor of psychology and anthropology at the University of Michigan. There Alex leads the cognitive evolution ...
Emerging Infectious Diseases with Disease Detective Dr Tony Goldberg | Episode 5
26 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Virodiversity explores the world of emerging infectious disease and zoonosis with disease detective Dr. Tony Goldberg, a professor of pathobiologica...
Gorillas in the Greenery with Dr. Martha Robbins | Episode 4
06 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered what field research is really like? Dr. Martha Robbins has logged countless hours in Gabon, Uganda, and beyond observing (and a...
Orangutan Outreach with Richard Zimmerman | Episode 3
05 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us see the issues facing apes today and wonder what can we do to help? This is exactly what Richard Zimmerman felt when he first saw orangutan...
Conservation and Ape Migration with Ian Redmond OBE | Episode 2
05 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We cross the border, whip out our passports for a stamp, and are on our merry way without a second thought. What many of us don’t consider is how ch...
Bonobos and Survival of the Friendliest with Dr Brian Hare | Episode 1
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have our ape cousins - the bonobos - gotten it right? Is being friendly a better survival strategy than terrorizing your neighbor? Did we misunderstan...