Charles and Jon talk to legendary mammal guide Sid Francis from his home in Sichuan.

Sid runs through a career as geographically diverse as it is professionally. After studying agriculture in the UK he worked as - among other things - a shepherd in the Falkland Islands shepherd and a school teacher in Denmark before moving to China and becoming a wildlife guide.

We talk about how much China - and the public's interest in wildlife there - has changed over the past few years.

Sid describes the current mammalwatching scene in Sichuan and Qinghai Provinces, both packed with a set of mouthwatering mammals.

And in a world exclusive we learn that mammalwatchers are almost 'normal' ... at least compared to some birders!

For more information visit www.mammalwatching.com/podcast

Notes: You can contact Sid at chengduuk@hotmail.com or through his website https://sichuanbirding.cloudaccess.net/.

There are dozens or reports from Sichuan and Qinghai on mammalwatching's China page https://www.mammalwatching.com/gd_place/china/

Charles and Jon spoke about their trip to Sax-Zim Bog: a report is here.

There are several reviews of thermal scopes at the bottom of the mammalwatching gear page.

Cover art: Sid Francis.

Dr Charles Foley is a mammalwatcher and biologist who, together with his wife Lara, spent 30 years studying elephants in Tanzania. They now run the Tanzania Conservation Research Program at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

Jon Hall set up mammalwatching.com in 2005. Genetically Welsh, spiritually Australian, currently in New York City. He has looked for mammals in over 110 countries.

In the first episode of 2025 Charles and Jon talk about their December 2024 trip to Ethiopia's Somali Region and Djibouti. From Dik-diks to Dibatags we discuss some of the rare mammals we encountered along with spectacular species like the poison-covered Crested Rat.

We describe the agony of arriving in a camp that looked like the set from a slasher movie, to the ecstasy of taking what appear to be the first ever photos there of a live Abyssinian Genet.

And we reveal how we faced up to one of our darkest fears: dinner in a Djibouti seafood restaurant.

For more information visit www.mammalwatching.com/podcast

Notes: Our trip report from the Somali Region is here. The Djibouti report will be available soon on Djibouti page.

Cover art: Crested Rat, Jon Hall

Dr Charles Foley is a mammalwatcher and biologist who, together with his wife Lara, spent 30 years studying elephants in Tanzania. They now run the Tanzania Conservation Research Program at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

Jon Hall set up mammalwatching.com in 2005. Genetically Welsh, spiritually Australian, currently in New York City. He has looked for mammals in over 110 countries.

In the last podcast episode of 2024, Charles and Jon talk to Marcelo Gavensky from his home in Buenos Aires. Marcelo is director of Birds Argentina, a tour company that recently expanded into running mammalwatching safaris.

Marcelo talks about the varied career that led him to establish his tour company. He describes some of his favourite encounters and his work to find a reliable method to see the rare Franciscana or La Plata River Dolphin. We also discuss Argentina's massive mammalwatching potential. The country is home to 14 species of cats, 13 species of armadillos and - for the rodent enthusiasts - 44 species of tuco-tuco!

For more information visit www.mammalwatching.com/podcast

Notes: Mammalwatching has several reports of trips that Marcelo has run including Jon's 2023 trip around Buenos Aries province.

Cover art: Franciscanas, Jonathan Ben Simon

Dr Charles Foley is a mammalwatcher and biologist who, together with his wife Lara, spent 30 years studying elephants in Tanzania. They now run the Tanzania Conservation Research Program at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

Jon Hall set up mammalwatching.com in 2005. Genetically Welsh, spiritually Australian, currently in New York City. He has looked for mammals in over 110 countries.