The Rhino Hunter

Radiolab

WNYC Studios

Natural Sciences, History, Documentary, Science, Society & Culture

4.6 • 44.5K Ratings

🗓️ 27 May 2021

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Back in 2014, Corey Knowlton paid $350,000 for a hunting trip to Namibia to shoot and kill an endangered species. He’s a professional hunter, who guides hunts all around the world, so going to Africa would be nothing new. The target on the other hand would be. And so too, he quickly found, would be the attention. This episode, producer Simon Adler follows Corey as he dodges death threats and prepares to pull the trigger. Along the way we stop to talk with Namibian hunters and government officials, American activists, and someone who's been here before - Kenya’s former Director of Wildlife, Richard Leakey. All the while, we try to uncover what conservation really means in the 21st century. Reported & produced by Simon Adler with production help from Matthew Kielty. Special thanks to Chris Weaver, Ian Wallace, Mark Barrow, the Lindstrom family, and everyone at the Aru Game Lodge in Namibia. Thanks also to Sarah Fogel, Ray Crow, Barbara Clucus, and Diogo Veríssimo. Support Radiolab by becoming a member today at Radiolab.org/donate.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	So should I start us?
0:02.1	Mm-hmm.
0:23.5	Okay. Go for it. Three, two, one. Hey, I'm Simon Adler. This is Radio Lab. I'm Anna McKeown. This is Radio Lab. Well, okay, Annie, we both find ourselves in different countries talking to one another. And you've brought me here because you're picking this week's rerun. That's all I know. That's right. Yes. Okay. So my pick is one of your episodes, Simon. What an honor. Okay. So the reason I picked this is because
0:30.4	the moment I met you, this episode had just come out that early, early morning, probably at 4 a.m.
0:37.3	Yeah. And it was my first day at the office and I'd just come morning, probably at 4 a.m. Yeah.
0:38.2	And it was my first day at the office, and I'd just come at the elevator.
0:40.9	I was really nervous, and there was Simon Adler's desk, and it was empty.
0:44.7	Where Simon Adler, well, he was up very, very late, making this amazing episode that you can go now listen to.
0:51.6	And then a few hours later, you came in you just like just sort of emanated this peace
0:56.5	and calm and pride because you had just made this episode called the Rhino Hunter.
1:03.5	And you remember that.
1:04.6	Okay.
1:05.1	This is now.
1:05.8	Yes.
1:06.2	Okay.
1:06.7	I don't remember the calm, but I, and I don't remember.
1:29.5	I remember. I remember. Didn't we sit on a bench your first day? I sort of recall that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But like, why, why, beyond that bench, why, why did you pick this? Well, okay, I mean, the reason. Just to flatter me, was it just to flatter me? Well, I think that the reason why, I mean, I love this episode for so many reasons.
1:36.8	But I think one in particular is just the way it totally like breaks your brain in half.
1:38.2	Do you know what I mean?
1:44.7	Like, you kind of walk into it thinking like, all right, I think this way about this thing.
1:46.9	And then, and then you kind of listen.
1:48.6	And then about halfway through, you're like, oh, wait.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from WNYC Studios, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of WNYC Studios and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.