Stay ConnectedThe Wild with Chris Morgan is a celebration of the natural world and the people devoted to wild places and incredible species. In each episode, host and ecologist Chris Morgan brings you face to face with some of the most extraordinary creatures and explores how they are finding unique and inspiring ways to adapt and thrive.
Copyright: © 2026 KUOW News and Information
A cougar biologist with Washington state once received a complaint. An old lady called him up and said, “There’s a cougar in my backyard.” And the biologist responded, “Well, that’s funny because I got a call this morning from a cougar. He told me there’s an old lady in his front yard!”
Our backyards are getting bigger. And the cougar’s front yard is getting smaller. This episode, we search out some of these big cats to understand the impact cougars and humans have on each other.
You can help us continue to create this special immersive storytelling by joining THE WILD Patreon community at www.patreon.com/chrismorganwildlife or donating at kuow.org/donate/thewild. Thank you.
As always, there are some great photographs and clips from our journey on Instagram @thewildpod and @chrismorganwildlife.
THE WILD is a production of KUOW, Chris Morgan Wildlife, and the NPR Network. This episode was produced by Matt Martin and edited by Jim Gates. The Wild is hosted, produced and written by Chris Morgan. Fact checking by Apryle Craig. Our theme music is by Michael Parker.
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChrisMorganWildlife
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It is safe to say that Americans love their cars. The mythology of the open road speaks to us all, calling us for adventure. But American wildlife might have something else to say about that. One million animals are killed on roads every day but the problem with our transportation system goes beyond roadkill.
Environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb says practically everything in the natural world is influenced by all these miles of gravel and tarmac. His latest book is “Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of our Planet.”
Enjoy this fascinating conversation with an author who traveled the world for answers about roads. Those roads take us to stories about cougars, butterflies, deer, and of course bears.
You can help us continue to create this special immersive storytelling by joining THE WILD Patreon community at www.patreon.com/chrismorganwildlife or donating at kuow.org/donate/thewild. Thank you.
THE WILD is a production of KUOW, Chris Morgan Wildlife, and the NPR Network. This episode was produced by Matt Martin and edited by Jim Gates. The Wild is hosted, produced and written by Chris Morgan. Fact checking by Apryle Craig. Our theme music is by Michael Parker.
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChrisMorganWildlife
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Discover why scientists are chopping down redwood trees… to save them.
Redwood National and State Parks are home to some of the tallest trees on Earth, coast redwoods. These ancient California forests support hundreds of different species, and store more carbon than any other forest on the planet. But in the last century, 95% of them were cut down by loggers.
Now, scientists are trying to find ways to bring old growth redwoods back and they've discovered a surprising strategy... cutting them down actually helps them grow.
Chris heads to Redwood National and State Parks to learn about this new restoration effort and why saving the coast redwood trees will help countless other species in and around this national park. Plus Chris gets to climb a redwood, and learns about the relationship the Yurok have with this towering species.
This season of THE WILD is about the incredible biodiversity in our national parks: from the tallest trees on the planet to the driest deserts and everything in between. And it’s about the people working in and around our national parks to protect the natural world, while we still can.
You can help us continue to create this special immersive storytelling by joining THE WILD Patreon community at www.patreon.com/chrismorganwildlife or donating at kuow.org/donate/thewild. Thank you.
As always, there are some great photographs and clips from our journey through the national parks on Instagram @thewildpod and @chrismorganwildlife.
THE WILD is a production of KUOW, Chris Morgan Wildlife, and the NPR Network. This episode was produced by Lucy Soucek and edited by Jim Gates. The Wild is hosted, produced and written by Chris Morgan. Fact checking by Apryle Craig. Our theme music is by Michael Parker.
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChrisMorganWildlife
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This season's going to be a little different...we're headed to our national parks.
We've got eight special episodes recorded on location in America’s national parks: stories about their biodiversity, their complex histories, and how they are protecting nature. We'll explore all sorts of different ecosystems, from the tallest trees on the planet to the hottest place on earth.
Plus we've got more surprises for you including fun conversations where I try to keep up with the sharpest minds in wildlife conservation, and fresh releases of some of your favorite WILD episodes from our archives.
New episodes of THE WILD come out starting on May 28th.
You can help us continue to create this special immersive storytelling by joining THE WILD Patreon community at www.patreon.com/chrismorganwildlife or donating at kuow.org/donate/thewild. Thank you.
THE WILD is a production of KUOW in Seattle in partnership with Chris Morgan Wildlife and Wildlife Media. It is produced by Matt Martin and Lucy Soucek, and edited by Jim Gates. It is hosted, produced and written by Chris Morgan. Fact checking by Apryle Craig. Our theme music is by Michael Parker.
Follow us on Instagram (@thewildpod) and (@chrismorganwildlife) for more adventures and behind the scenes action!
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChrisMorganWildlife
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If you’ve been a longtime listener of THE WILD then you know that I’ve been a champion of bringing back grizzly bears to the North Cascades of Washington here in the mountains near where I live. On April 25, 2024 that dream has taken a massive step towards becoming reality. The National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service have announced that they will be restoring the grizzly population that called this place home for thousands of years. They were a key part of this ecosystem before they were basically eliminated by humans, so this is their chance to roam these mountains again. The plan is to bring 3-7 grizzly bears in per year for a few years to reach an initial population of twenty-five bears. It’s a big milestone.
How we got here is a long and fascinating story. Which is why I wanted to share an episode that we did for THE WILD back in 2019. The 'Ghost Bears' of Washington. I hope it’ll give you a little more understanding about grizzlies, the rollercoaster ride it’s been here in the North Cascades, and what it will mean to have them back. Hope you enjoy!
And if you want to learn more about grizzlies here are links to two short films on the topic that we made a few years ago that have been really popular. Including one about an incredible translocated grizzly bear named Irene!
THE WILD is a production of KUOW in Seattle in partnership with Chris Morgan Wildlife and Wildlife Media. It is produced by Matt Martin and Lucy Soucek, and edited by Jim Gates. It is hosted, produced and written by Chris Morgan. Fact checking by Apryle Craig. Our theme music is by Michael Parker.
Follow us on Instagram (@thewildpod) for more adventures and behind the scenes action!
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChrisMorganWildlife
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this special one hour of THE WILD with Chris Morgan, I'll explore natural silence, and how being quiet out in the natural world and having places to do that can be pretty transformative. I'll also spend time in the trees with a forest therapist and talk to author Florence Williams about the healing powers of nature and I’ll go searching for the one of the quietest places in the world in Olympic National Park.
THE WILD is a production of KUOW in Seattle in partnership with Chris Morgan Wildlife and Wildlife Media. It is produced by Lucy Soucek and Matt Martin, and edited by Jim Gates. This special episode was produced by Brandi Fullwood. It is hosted, produced and written by Chris Morgan. Fact checking by Apryle Craig. Our theme music is by Michael Parker.
Follow us on Instagram (@thewildpod) for more adventures and behind the scenes action!
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChrisMorganWildlife
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this one-hour special of THE WILD with Chris Morgan, Chris explores the mighty beaver and its role in reshaping our landscapes and entire ecosystems. Then we plunge into the waters along the pacific coast to follow a sea lion’s journey from California all the way up the Columbia River in search of salmon, in what has become a controversial story of survival between two protected species.
THE WILD is a production of KUOW in Seattle in partnership with Chris Morgan Wildlife and Wildlife Media. It is produced by Lucy Soucek and Matt Martin, and edited by Jim Gates. This special episode was produced by Brandi Fullwood. It is hosted, produced and written by Chris Morgan. Fact checking by Apryle Craig. Our theme music is by Michael Parker.
Follow us on Instagram (@thewildpod) for more adventures and behind the scenes action!
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChrisMorganWildlife
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this one-hour special of THE WILD with Chris Morgan, Chris shares tips on how to stay safe in the wild and explores the psychology of animals with author Richard Louv.
THE WILD is a production of KUOW in Seattle in partnership with Chris Morgan Wildlife and Wildlife Media. It is produced by Lucy Soucek and Matt Martin, and edited by Jim Gates. This special episode was produced by Brandi Fullwood. It is hosted, produced and written by Chris Morgan. Fact checking by Apryle Craig. Our theme music is by Michael Parker.
Follow us on Instagram (@thewildpod) for more adventures and behind the scenes action!
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChrisMorganWildlife
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is a special one-hour special of THE WILD with Chris Morgan featuring favorite episodes like the first time Chris caught a grizzly bear.
In Part One of this episode Chris recounts catching a grizzly bear while conducting research in the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies. In the second part of the show, Chris shares the history of grizzlies in the North Cascades and how they became known as ghost bears.
THE WILD is a production of KUOW in Seattle in partnership with Chris Morgan Wildlife and Wildlife Media. It is produced by Lucy Soucek and Matt Martin, and edited by Jim Gates. This special episode was produced by Brandi Fullwood. It is hosted, produced and written by Chris Morgan. Fact checking by Apryle Craig. Our theme music is by Michael Parker.
Follow us on Instagram (@thewildpod) for more adventures and behind the scenes action!
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChrisMorganWildlife
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We learn about calorie counting for polar bears and what the future could look like for the Hudson Bay polar bear population.
We’re back in the helicopter with polar bear researchers Dr. Nick Lunn and Dave McGeachy, searching for mother bears with cubs.
This is springtime over the huge, frigid landscape. Mother bears are waking up after eight months of fasting and heading out to the sea ice of Hudson Bay.
Looking across this hostile environment - nothing but ice and biting cold wind - really makes you think about what it takes for these bears to survive. And how they’ve evolved for these conditions.
And now, during the springtime, the name of the game is seals. Eat as much as you can before the ice goes away. Especially if you’re a mother with new cubs. They each dug a maternal den in the fall, gave birth in December, nursed their cubs, and are now coming out very hungry.
In this last episode of Season 5, we’ll look at the challenges that polar bears mothers and cubs face in the spring. There is a whole list of dangers before we even get to climate change and loss of sea ice. And we’ll explore how the ever growing season of summer is a threat to the survival of this population around western Hudson Bay in the Canadian north.
Check out part 2 of the behind the scenes footage of our Churchill journey.
Follow us on Instagram @thewildpod and @chrismorganwildlife
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/ChrisMorganWildlife
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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