E33. Nathan Edmondson Warns there is a Ticking Clock to Rhino Extinction

Nathan Edmondson is a writer and President of EDGE, an ambitious counter-poaching and conservation organization devoted to the innovative preservation of African wildlife. They bring new technologies and US special operations tactics and expertise to develop counter-poaching initiatives. Bridget and Nathan discuss media coverage of extinction events, how he became involved in the conservation movement, and why increased cancer rates in south-east Asia have led to an explosion in rhino horn poaching. He explains that there’s a ticking clock on rhino extinction, which is absurd because it’s a solvable problem, how EDGE is involving local communities on the ground, and what you can do to help. Nathan describes bringing African rangers to train in the US for the first time in history, how they were able to see their actions through the eyes of the world and experience people looking at them as heroes. He talks getting the next generation into a conservationist mindset, making animals ambassadors for their species, and tells the story of his most terrifying moment in Africa. You can support EDGE here.