“Absolutely fascinating to hear stories from the men and women who are protecting species that are at risk…including plants. Even more interesting to see how illegal smuggling of endangered species is often tied to other crimes. Also the humor in these stories is top notch”

Join Ed and wildlife officer Todd Vandivert, formerly of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police, talk about Operation Cody, Todd's investigation into widespread trafficking in wildlife species native to the state of Washington.

Be in the room when Ed reunites with his old friend Craig Spencer, founder of the Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit and the NGO Transfrontier Africa. Craig has a long history of combating wildlife crimes in Southern Africa. Craig and Ed discuss everything from rhino horn trafficking, to elephant ivory trafficking, to engagement with local communities and wildlife conservation education.

Join Ed in a conversation with Nkateko Mzimba and Collet Ngobeni, two rangers from the Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit based at the Olifants West Nature Reserve in South Africa. The Black Mambas patrol a 25,000 acre reserve inside the greater Kruger ecosystem that is home to elephants, rhinos, lions, buffalo, and all of the species native to the Southern African bush. Listen as the rangers describe their duties and some of their adventures and close calls protecting the important wildlife that is often under threat from commercial poachers and wildlife traffickers.

We've talked about confidential informants before. Now, you get to meet one! Pete Paxton is the best C.I. I worked with while I was a special agent. He's professional, cool as a cucumber, and very good at what he does. This is your chance to sit down with Ed and Pete Paxton to talk about what it's like to be an informant and how they interact with sworn law enforcement officers.

Plant crimes resurface this week but, this time, in the form of American ginseng! A native plant found throughout the Appalachian Mountains, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and under heavy pressure from unscrupulous commercial collectors. Join Ed and former special agent Tom Chisdock as they discuss the threats to the species, the illegal trade, and Tom's great work exposing a ginseng trafficker who also sold opioids straight from the same store that served tourists coming and going from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The abalone: A marine snail found off the coast of California and in just a handful of other places around the world. With populations crashing due to global warming, the species isn't helped by unscrupulous poachers who illegally collect abalone in commercial quantities to be sold to Asian buyers. Lieutenant Kathy Ponting is a legendary former game warden with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife who led their elite Special Operations Unit (SOU) for many years. Her plain clothes team was skilled at conducting undercover work and earned a solid reputation as one of the best surveillance teams among all of the law enforcement agencies operating in California.

Former US Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Walter Duran joins us from his home in Miami to discuss his role in Operation Ornery Birds. The underground world of wildlife trafficking sometimes takes strange twists and turns and doesn't always involve exotic species from far away lands. Many wildlife species native to the United States find their way into the illegal wildlife trade. Every year, our native songbirds are trapped and sold into the exotic pet trade. This week, you're at the table to hear Walter describe how bird traffickers trap and sell wild birds native to the U.S. and why they do it. The answers will shock you. All migratory birds in the United States are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (17 USC 703) and it is a felony to sell or offer to sell, or take (capture or kill) with the intent to sell, any migratory bird or their parts.