As a thank you to Normani for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Give Kids The World Village. This non-profit resort located in Florida, provides cost-free getaways to critically ill children and their families. To learn more about this organization, please check out their website: https://www.gktw.org/
Izzy Hirji wears many hats—wildlife vet, world traveller, photographer, conservationist, vegan, and television celebrity! He joins Anitha to share his incredible adventures as he follows his hero, Dr. Jane Goodall, in making the world a better place for all beings.
Izzy begins the episode by talking about his childhood fear of dogs and how he not only overcame that fear, but now travels the world, treating all kinds of wild animals.
A fabulous episode for kids and adults, alike—packed full of beautiful, touching and often funny stories about the life of a wildlife vet.
As a thank you to Izzy for sharing his story, Anitha donated to Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary. This sanctuary provides healing and recovery for primates who have been rescued from laboratories, roadside zoos and other terrible circumstances. In addition to all the amazing and kind things Dr. Izzy is involved with, he also makes time to donate his veterinary skills to treat and care for these residents.
Like many people, the pandemic inspired Monique Monelle and her husband to take up a new hobby during lockdown. But their new ‘hobby’ was wonderfully unusual. They were inspired to rescue ex-battery hens.
Monique talks about what it was like when the hens first arrived, how she and her husband take care of them when they’re not feeling well, and how she fell in love with their unique personalities.
Animal lovers and anyone interested in starting their own rescue will love this heartwarming episode.
To follow Monique and her growing number of rescue animals, check out their website and Instagram account:
As a thank you to Monique for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Fresh Start For Hens. This organization is run completely by volunteers who rehome ex-commercial hens into pet homes, like Monique’s, throughout England and Wales.
Anitha is thrilled to celebrate the 50th episode of the podcast with Lauren Saville, the manager for the Roots & Shoots program at the Jane Goodall Institute Canada.
The goals of the Roots and Shoots program and this podcast are very similar—empowering and supporting youth who are making a positive difference for animals, people and the environment.
Lauren talks about how this program has grown since it was started by Dr. Goodall back in 1991 in Tanzania.
Photo credit: JGI CanadaPhoto credit: JGI Canada
Lauren also shares how schools, communities and individual students can apply to be a part of the Roots and Shoots program and qualify for a grant.
As a thank you to Lauren for coming on the podcast, Anitha donated to the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada.
Twenty-one-year-old, Emily Redford from Ontario, Canada joins Anitha to talk about her experience caring for animals in different parts of the world.
Emily has travelled to India, Hyderbad, Egypt, Panama and Greece to volunteer with local animal rescues.
Though she is not ‘officially’ trained in animal health care, Emily is totally hands-on and assists with before and after surgery care, sedating animals and monitoring them during surgical procedures, and of course offering comfort to the animals.
Emily shares both the best and difficult parts of volunteering in these places.
As a thank you to Emily for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Animal Warriors Conservation Society. This is one of the groups Emily volunteered with while she was in India. This NGO helps animals through conservation, rescuing injured wildlife, and raising awareness about animal-related issues within communities.
Seventeen-year-old, Nikita Dhawan is on a mission to free Shankar, a lone African Elephant, from the Delhi Zoo.
Shankar was only two years old when he was taken from his family and deposited into the Delhi Zoo. Now, 26 years old, Shankar has endured endless years of isolation and being chained for 17 hours a day.
Nikita is determined to end Shankar’s suffering by having him live at a sanctuary in South Africa. Though she has obtained funding from The Aspinall Foundation to finance this trip from New Delhi to South Africa, other hurdles are still in the way. Nikita talks about next steps to attain her goal to help Shankar.
A story of perseverance and dedication to helping animals.
If you’d like to support Nikita’s goal to free Shankar from the Delhi Zoo, please sign this petition. https://chng.it/4wfxGb2vBW
As a thank you to Nikita for sharing her story, Anitha donated to The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. They are one of Africa’s oldest wildlife charities and a leading conservation organization. They are known as the first and most successful elephant orphan rescue and rehabilitation program in the world. To learn more about The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, click here: https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/
Dr. Vivek Basu fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian— and what an incredible veterinarian he has become. Vivek donates a lot of his time and skills to help animals of all sizes, near and far.
In addition to talking about what it’s like to treat many different animals—dogs, cats, racehorses, rescued primates and wildlife, we also explore difficult subjects like trophy hunting and the difference between zoos and sanctuaries.
As a thank you for sharing his story, Anitha donated to Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary, one of the sanctuaries where Vivek donates his veterinary skills. This sanctuary provides healing and recovery from trauma for primates who have been rescued from laboratories, roadside zoos and other terrible circumstances.
Anitha Rao-Robinson 