Good gravy, it's Thanksgiving already! We have everything you need for Turkey Thursday. Entertain your family with jokes, facts, and riddles. Maybe your uncles start arguing about politics. Quick -- you need to intervene! We've got you! Teach them to sing Freres Jacques! Nothing stops grown-up bickering better than singing a round. And we check in with a real live turkey just like we did last year. But this year we ask the question on everyone's mind. The elephant in the room. The question no turkey wants to hear. We risk life and limb to get answers up close and personal in the turkey pen. That's the kind of commitment we have to our listeners. We then hear a special report from Crow Agency Elementary in Montana to mark Native American Heritage Month. And we hear about yummy Thanksgiving food from students in Monticello, Georgia. As if that wasn't enough, we warm the cockles of your heart with the sweetest moments from this year's grandparent stories. Maybe YOUR grandparents will be inspired to record an interview with YOU to air on Wild Interest! Hint hint! Happy Thanksgiving y'all!!!

Timestamps for this episode are available below. Parents: visit our website to help your kids contribute jokes or favorite sounds, or to send us a message: www.wildinterest.com/submissions

0:00 - Episode 18 Intro
1:43 - Best of Grandparent Stories: Angelica and Nonno Luigi from Ep. 9 Animal Talk: Part One
4:20 - Best of Grandparent Stories: Lily and Grandpa Mike from Ep. 10 Music Makers (Side A)
8:19 - Fun Turkey Facts
12:08 - Joke Time
12:58 - Talking Names for Native American Heritage Month at Crow Agency Elementary in Montana
16:04 - Best of Grandparent Stories: Evan and Grampy Lolo from Ep. 10, Christmas Special
18:44 - Facts to Share at Thanksgiving
20:51 - Talking Thanksgiving at Jasper County Middle School
22:12 - Best of Grandparent Stories: Malia and Grandma from Ep. 10 Music Makers (Side A)
25:04 - Chef’s Favorite Sound
26:01- Call for Submissions
26:26 - Best of Grandparent Stories: Hannah and Grandma from Ep. 11 The Senses
29:04 - Triple Riddle Clues
30:00 - Best of Grandparent Stories: Nora, Tom, and Grandpa Vincas from Ep. 12 Miracle on Ice
33:10 - Makin’ Gravy
35:45 - Best of Grandparent Stories: Anjali and Doda Carmen from Ep. 13 Philippine Independence Day
37:43 - Best of Grandparent Stories: Lucas and Abuela Eileen from Ep. 14 Music Makers (Side B)
41:17 - Family Time: Singing a Round - Frère Jacques
43:38 - Best of Grandparent Stories: Dean and Papa Artie from Ep. 17 Animal Talk: Paw Two
46:09 - Brand New Interview With a Turkey
48:26 - Triple Riddle Answers
49:46 - Conclusion
50:20 - Show Credits
50:31 - Preview of Episode 19
50:52 - Bloopers

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People use language to express themselves, but do you ever wonder how other animals communicate with each other? If they don’t speak like us, how do they convey information? In our first Animal Talk episode we learned about the complex ways animals communicate, and how some species even have their own languages and dialects. In “Paw 2” we find out even more about the amazing world of animal talk, and about the science behind linguistic development in animals. Evan interviews Dr. Irene Pepperberg, research professor at Boston University in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences about her groundbreaking work with Alex the African Grey Parrot. Dr. Pepperberg worked with Alex for 30 years and taught him over 100 English words. Not only was Alex able to communicate with humans, he even asked what color he was when looking at himself in the mirror, becoming the first known non-human to ask a question! Nichole goes beneath the waves with Dr. Aude Pacini from the Marine Mammal Research Program at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology. Dr. Pacini records whale and dolphin song with sophisticated underwater microphones. She was part of an expedition where the world-class cellist Yo Yo Ma played music for whales from the deck of a famous Hawaiian canoe! Evan takes us down to North Georgia with Project Chimps, a chimpanzee sanctuary where over 90 retired lab chimps roam freely on six protected acres of forest. Our hosts are also joined by the very human creator of the Brooklyn Folk Festival, Eli Smith, who plays some banjo for us and talks about the upcoming festival this November 7-9. This episode is jam-packed, but don’t worry, we still found room for favorites like Cryptid Corner, Grandparent Stories, jokes and more. Let’s get wild!

Listen now and have a whale of a time - this episode's a hoot!

Parents: visit our website to help your kids contribute jokes or favorite sounds, or to send us a message.

Timestamps for this episode are available below.

00:00 - Episode 17 Intro
01:36 - Dr. Irene Pepperberg & Alex, the African Grey Parrot
14:03 - Joke Time
14:57 - Cryptid Corner: The Wow! Signal
20:09 - Riddle Clue
20:31 - Deep Listening with Dr. Aude Pacini
27:48 - Favorite Sound
28:35 - Call for Submissions
29:02 - Eli Smith & the 2025 Brooklyn Folk Festival
34:44 - Going Ape at Project Chimps with Caregivers Lauren and Tawnya
44:31 - Grandparent Stories: Papa Artie
48:22 - Riddle Answer
49:00 - Preview of Episode 18
49:13 - Credits
49:45 - Bloopers

The background music in our interview with Dr. Aude Pacini features audio of live performances by Hawaiian musicians Gary Haleamau and Ledward Kaapana, as retrieved from the Library of Congress.

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Hey Wildlings! Do you ever wonder about things that go “bump” in the night? Do you love ghost stories? What about murky mysteries of the supernatural?

In this episode we’ll tickle all your scary bones with a marvelous mashup of Halloween fun! You’ll find out just where Halloween traditions like pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating come from as Nichole and Evan trace the holiday all the way back to its ancient roots. You’ll learn of a peculiar American hometown custom of telling jokes if you want to get your sweet reward. We’ll teach you some spooky jokes, too — just in case you need one or two to get your hands on that sweet candy!

If you love cryptids, you’re in for a treat, not a trick! Evan presents a who’s who of the weirdest, wackiest, and most hotly contested unverifiable creatures out there. Is Bigfoot bashful, brave or boring? Was that a smudge on the windshield, or the mythological Mothman? Do you believe in the Yeti yet or is the idea abominable? Are you a foe of UFOs or a friend to the little grey men? Can you cope with the Jackalope?? Get your candy out, sit back, and get ready for our haunted, hilarious Halloween episode. Let’s get wild!

Listen now and discover the spookiest creatures around!

Parents: visit our website to help your kids contribute jokes or favorite sounds, or to send us a message.

Timestamps for this episode are available below.

00:00 - Episode 16 Intro
01:19 - Spooky in St. Louis
05:58 - Joke Time: Halloween Edition
06:49 - Coming Up with Costume Ideas at Crow Agency Elementary
08:13 - Bigfoot (from Ep.1 "Beneath the Surface")
13:15 - The Yeti (from Ep. 10 "Music Makers (Side A)")
15:51 - Haunted Halloween History
17:29 - UAPs (from Ep. 3 "UFO Tofu")
22:03 - Area 51 (from Ep.7 "Good Vibrations")
25:34 - Monoliths (from Ep. 4 "Wild and Wonderful")
28:59 - The Jackalope (from Ep. 5 "Folks like Us")
30:57 - Jack O'Lanterns
31:39 - Dover Demon (from Ep. 6 "Tracking")
34:00 - The Loveland Frogman (from Ep. 8 "Dirt")
36:57 - Mothman (from Ep. 2 "Beneath the Surface")
39:37 - Evan's Top Secret Cryptid Corner
43:49 - Conclusion
44:37 - Preview of Ep. 17
45:31 - Credits
45:54 - Bloopers

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