Animal Around Us Report Podcast

For National Black Cat Day 2026, Animal Around Us Report Podcast examines a year of research and reporting on black cat adoption, online first impressions and the realities of finding suitable homes.

New studies from the United States and Australia explore how people judge cats in adoption photographs. But perceived adoptability is different from a completed adoption—and rising shelter-wide adoption numbers cannot establish whether black cats are finding homes more readily.

This episode brings together the research, shelter pressures and individual rescue stories to examine:

• What 2026 photograph studies reveal about coat colo...

National Black Cat Day is marked on 27 October—but how did it begin, and why did its early dates change?

In this episode of the Animal Around Us Report Podcast, we trace the British campaign launched by Cats Protection in 2011 to draw attention to cats waiting for homes. Original announcements reveal how Black Cat Awareness Day became National Black Cat Day, with several early editions held on different October dates.

The discussion connects that history with the adoption question behind the celebration: how can greater visibility help people recognise an individual cat’s need...

What did the University of Washington infant macaque study actually find—and what remains unresolved about its scientific value and the animals’ welfare?

In this episode of Animal Around Us Report Podcast, we examine the domoic-acid research programme brought back into public view by footage released in October 2026. The experiments belonged to an earlier programme conducted from 2014 to 2020, investigating whether prenatal exposure to a marine toxin could affect infant development and memory.

The discussion connects the study design, published findings and welfare questions, helping listeners understand how the scientific results relate to the wide...

Turners Beach whale burial and the evidence behind shark concerns

Why was a sperm whale buried near Turners Beach, Tasmania, and what does research actually tell us about the concerns that followed?

In this episode of Animal Around Us Report Podcast, we examine the reported response to the stranding, the explanation given for the burial location and the scientific evidence relevant to questions about sharks and swimming.

The whale was reported on October 21, 2026, its death was confirmed the following day, and its remains were buried on October 23. Residents raised concerns about the location...

For International Gibbon Day 2026, Animal Around Us Report Podcast examines a year of evidence on the conservation of Asia’s small apes, from encouraging population reports to the continuing pressures of fragmented forests, trafficking and fire.

The discussion connects research, institutional records and independent reporting to explain what the findings mean for gibbons and the people sharing their landscapes. It distinguishes population estimates, preliminary survey results and longer-term studies, and examines what would demonstrate lasting recovery.

In this episode:

• Hainan gibbon population reports and new genomic research into a longer recovery.

International Gibbon Day is observed on October 24. Its documented history begins in 2015, within the Year of the Gibbon campaign led by the IUCN specialist network’s Section on Small Apes.

In this episode of Animal Around Us Report Podcast, we trace how contemporary announcements and later conservation records connect that campaign with a recurring international observance. The discussion brings the timeline together, explains the people and institutions behind it, and considers how public attention connects with work in the forests where gibbons live.

In this episode:

• The 2015 Year of the Gibbon and...

For International Snow Leopard Day 2026, what does a year of evidence reveal about the future of this elusive mountain cat?

New population assessments, research on herders’ livelihoods and conservation initiatives have expanded what we know. But better knowledge does not automatically mean that wild populations are recovering.

In this episode of Animal Around Us Report Podcast, we connect the findings with the practical decisions facing researchers, conservation teams and mountain communities. Follow the evidence behind the numbers—and the questions that announcements alone cannot answer.

WHAT WE EXPLORE

• Population assess...

International Snow Leopard Day began with a conservation agreement in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, more than a decade before its recognition by the United Nations.

In this episode of Animal Around Us Report, we trace the initiative that brought twelve snow leopard range countries together, established October 23 as an annual observance, and eventually reached the UN General Assembly.

Three dates explain the journey:

• October 23, 2013: the twelve range countries adopt the Bishkek Declaration, establishing the annual date.

• October 2014: contemporary records document the first annual observance.

• December 12, 2024: the UN General Assembly adopts...

Why are cats entering RSPCA care faster than they can be rehomed—and what do the figures actually tell us?

In this episode of Animal Around Us Report Podcast, we explore the shelter-capacity crisis across England and Wales, based on reporting and analysis published by the AAU Editorial Team.

RSPCA figures reported by The Guardian show that cat intake at the charity’s national centres increased by 44.5% between 2021 and 2025. But national centres, private boarding providers, foster homes and independent local branches cover different populations. Understanding those distinctions is essential to understanding the...