When the Beasts Come Marching In

We human beings think we run the world, that we’ve got things under control. Then an animal shows up, and things don’t go as planned. This week, seals, wolves, and a moose drop in and show us who isn't boss. Prologue: Ira visits an 83-year-old man named Dick Paterniti who’s been waging a long and lonely war against a woodpecker. (5 minutes) Beaching and Moaning: Even when an animal is not a pest, not chewing up homes or spreading disease or biting average citizens, even when it is universally loved, it can still wreak havoc when it arrives in our world. James Spring has this example from a community of harbor seals in La Jolla, California, near San Diego. (28 minutes) Hungry like a USDA Contract Employee: Back in the day, generally when a wild animal showed up, we’d just kill it. Take this press release the federal government put out nearly a hundred years ago. They hired a trapper to take out the most successful animal outlaw that the range country ever knew. Read by actor Michael Chernus. (8 minutes) Weeknight at Bernie's: In Anchorage, many people take pride in being able to co-exist side-by-side with wild animals. Jon Mooallem has the story of one animal that became a resident of the city in a way that few non-humans ever do. Jon’s latest book is "This is Chance!” (14 minutes)