Talking Apes

Borneo is facing a devastating fire crisis, threatening forests, wildlife and communities across the island. In this special, urgent episode of Talking Apes, we welcome back Dr. Susan Cheyne of Borneo Nature Foundation to help us understand what is happening, why these fires are so difficult to stop, and what is at stake.

These are not ordinary forest fires. In Borneo's tropical peatlands, fires can burn deep underground, travel unseen and re-emerge far from where they began. The consequences reach far beyond the flames, affecting orangutans, gibbons, local communities, human health and the global climate. Susan explains...

For our Season 5 finale, Talking Apes marks World Chimpanzee Day with one of the most fitting guests imaginable.

Dr. Deus Mjungu is Director of the Jane Goodall Institute's Gombe Stream Research Centre in Tanzania, home to the world's longest-running study of wild chimpanzees. Having begun his career there as a young research assistant in 2002, Deus now leads the very research programme founded by Dr. Jane Goodall more than sixty years ago.

In this fascinating conversation, Gerry and Deus explore what decades of continuous research have taught us about chimpanzee behaviour, family life, personalities and conservation...

This week on Talking Apes, Gerry Ellis is joined by one of the world's leading gibbon experts, Dr. Susan Cheyne. After nearly three decades working in the rainforests of Borneo, Susan has dedicated her career to studying these remarkable yet often overlooked apes.

Often called the "forgotten apes," gibbons are extraordinary animals. They are masters of movement, capable of swinging effortlessly through the forest canopy, and their haunting songs echo across the rainforest each morning. In this fascinating conversation, Susan explains why gibbons deserve far more attention, what they can teach...

This episode explores aspects of primate behavior, including non-reproductive sexual behaviors, from a scientific and evolutionary perspective. Some listeners may find parts of the discussion sensitive.

This week on Talking Apes, Gerry Ellis is joined by evolutionary biologist Dr Matilda Brindle for one of our most fascinating, funny, and unexpectedly revealing conversations yet.

From kissing to masturbation, Neanderthals to bonobos, Matilda takes us deep into the evolutionary roots of behaviours many of us assume are uniquely human. Her research asks bold questions: Why do we kiss? Did our ancestors kiss too...

Welcome to our Earth Day 2026 Special. 

What happens when cutting-edge technology meets community-led conservation? In this episode of Talking Apes, Gerry Ellis sits down with Dr. Lilian Pintea, Vice President of Conservation Science at the Jane Goodall Institute, to explore how data, people, and innovation are reshaping the future of conservation.

From satellite imagery and AI to village-led land-use planning, Lilian shares how his work in Tanzania revealed a stark reality: while protected forests were recovering, chimpanzee habitats beyond park boundaries were rapidly disappearing. That discovery helped spark a powerful shift toward conservation that works w...

Environmental storytelling has never been more important. In this episode of Talking Apes, Gerry Ellis sits down with journalist and podcast host Mike DiGirolamo, the voice behind Mongabay’s flagship podcast, The Mongabay Newscast.

Mike spends his days speaking with scientists, conservationists, and investigative reporters working on the frontlines of climate change, biodiversity loss, and global conservation. In this fascinating conversation, he shares what it is like to sit on the other side of the microphone, and how storytelling, journalism, and long-form interviews can help audiences understand some of the most urgent environmental challenges facing ou...

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 with primatologist Katie Slocombe to explore the fascinating world of chimpanzee communication and what it reveals about the evolution of language itself.

Katie has spent decades studying how chimpanzees communicate in both wild and captive settings. From food calls and alarm signals to complex vocal combinations and gestures, chimpanzee communication is far richer and more nuanced than many people realize. In this conversation, Katie explains how scientists investigate the building blocks...

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 conservation intersect. Our guest is primate portrait artist Robin Huffman, who left a career in New York City interior design to become a full-time sanctuary volunteer and internationally recognized wildlife artist.

Robin first arrived at Ape Action Africa in 2007 after raising funds, taking French lessons, and stepping far outside her comfort zone to care for orphaned primates. What began as volunteer work repairing sanctuary signs unexpectedly ev...

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 Ariel Rogers, Executive Director of Friends of Bonobos, and evolutionary anthropologist Dr. Brian Hare to explore the remarkable social world of bonobos and why their survival matters now more than ever.

From decades of research at Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the day-to-day realities of running a frontline conservation organization...

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 Ellis sits down with Dr. Carol Ward - Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences at the University of Missouri - to explore the origins of humanity and our ape relatives.

From fossil digs in Kenya to 3D-scanning ancient bones, Carol reveals how every discovery adds another piece to the incredible puzzle of our evolution. Why did we stand up? What did climate change have to do with it? And how do new te...

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 Ellis sits down with Dr. Carol Ward - Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences at the University of Missouri - to explore the origins of humanity and our ape relatives.

From fossil digs in Kenya to 3D-scanning ancient bones, Carol reveals how every discovery adds another piece to the incredible puzzle of our evolution. Why did we stand up? What did climate change have to do with it? And how do new te...

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 evolution through the female body. Cat brings her signature blend of science, storytelling, and humor to Talking Apes, guiding us through the missing pieces in our evolutionary story and the surprising role that female biology plays in shaping everything from mammal reproduction to primate societies.

In this episode, we explore how scientific blind spots took hold, why female behavior and anatomy were overlooked for so long, and what happens...

Paleoanthropologist Dr. Matt Tocheri joins host Gerry Ellis to explore the remarkable discovery of Homo floresiensis — the so-called Flores “Hobbit” of Indonesia. What does this small-bodied, small-brained human tell us about our own evolutionary story?

In this episode of Talking Apes, host Gerry Ellis is joined by paleoanthropologist Dr. Matt Tocheri, one of the world’s leading experts on Homo floresiensis—the small-bodied, small-brained human species nicknamed “the Hobbit.” Discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores, in 2003, this astonishing find continues to reshape what we know about human evolution. Dr. Tocheri shares the sto...

This World Gorilla Day, Talking Apes kicks off Season 5 with a fascinating guest: behavioral ecologist and evolutionary biologist Robin Morrison.

Robin has worked with both mountain and western lowland gorillas, giving her a rare perspective on how these species live, love, and organize their social worlds. From group size to subtle bonds between males and females, she reveals the quiet but powerful ways gorillas build their societies and why those connections matter for conservation.

In our conversation, we dive into the evolution of social systems, what gorilla families can teach us about our...

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 bonobo life echo deeper truths about who we are. As a biological anthropologist and co-director of the Ngogo Chimpanzee Project, Rachna’s research focuses on the social bonds that shape us across the lifespan - from infant cuddles to adolescent rebellion and elder respect.

We explore the fascinating mentor bonds between young and older chimps, the powerful role of adolescence as a second window of resilience, and what bonobo gr...

What does a Congolese rainforest childhood reveal about the roots of human cooperation? In this captivating episode of Talking Apes, we sit down with Dr. Gul Deniz Salali, evolutionary anthropologist at University College London, to explore her groundbreaking research with the BaYaka people of the Congo Basin. Dr. Salali shares intimate insights into how BaYaka children learn through play, observation, and social bonds—offering profound lessons on community, learning, and what it means to grow up human.

Drawing on years of fieldwork, Dr. Salali unpacks how small-scale societies help illuminate our ev...

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 experts on the evolution of speech and language! 

Dr. Lameira has spent years deep in the rainforests of Borneo, decoding the vocal mysteries of orangutans. His groundbreaking research challenges long-held beliefs about what separates us from our primate cousins. Can great apes control their voices more than we thought? Do they have the ability to “talk” in ways we've never realized? And what if the roots of language go back fur...

Hanging with Our Ancestors: Luke Fannin on Climbing, Evolution & Ape Locomotion

Ever wondered why kids instinctively love monkey bars? Or why apes move so deliberately in the trees? In this episode of Talking Apes, biological anthropologist Luke Fannin takes us on a journey through the evolution of climbing, exploring how primates, from ancient hominins to modern chimps, have adapted to life in the canopy.

Luke breaks down the surprising biomechanics of climbing up vs. climbing down, revealing why descending may have played a bigger role in human evolution than we ever imagined. We’ll...

                                The Amazing People Behind Jane Goodall 

What does it take to lead one of the most iconic conservation organizations in the world? In this episode of Talking Apes, we sit down with Anna Rathmann, Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute USA, to find out. With a background spanning international conservation, business, and storytelling, Anna brings a refreshing perspective on what it means to carry forward Jane Goodall’s legacy—and build on it for the future.

From her work with National Geographic to directing the Great Plains Conservation Foundation, Anna’s career has been all a...

Earth Month Special: A Deep Dive into Global Conservation with Sean Southey 

“This is our global education moment. This is the time to champion. This is the time to be noisy. This is the time to dream.”

What if we told you there’s a conservation powerhouse that’s been quietly shaping environmental policies, protecting endangered species, and inspiring global action for over 75 years—but most people have never heard of it? In this Earth Month special of Talking Apes,  Gerry sits down with Sean Southey, CEO of the Canadian W...