Show Notes
When Cam Whitnall saw a video of five lions fighting for survival in war-torn Ukraine, he made a decision that would change his life - and theirs - forever.
In this episode of Wildest Moments, host Ben Fogle speaks with the wildlife photographer, author, presenter and Managing Director of The Big Cat Sanctuary, about his extraordinary childhood growing up in a zoo and how it ultimately led to a dramatic rescue mission that captured hearts around the world.
Joining the conversation is ZSL Curator of Mammals Sarah Forsyth, who offers insight into the unique expertise required to carry out complex wildlife rescues, and the remarkable skills, collaboration and dedication of the people working for wildlife in zoos and conservation organisations around the globe.
Together they explore how encounters with animals can inspire a lifetime of conservation action and offer hope for the future.
It's a powerful story of perseverance, compassion and the human drive to protect wildlife even in the most impossible circumstances.
About Wildest Moments: Hosted by Ben Fogle and created in partnership with Mountain Warehouse, Wildest Moments is a podcast from ZSL (Zoological Society of London) exploring the surprising, emotional and transformative encounters people have had with wildlife. New episodes are released on the third Thursday of every month. Launched as part of ZSL's 200th anniversary, the series celebrates over two centuries of inspiring closer connections between people and the natural world.
Credits
Executive Producers - Rami Tzabar, Jane Gerber and Katie Derham
Senior Producer - Naomi Oiku
Production Supervisor - Mia Xerri Mondragon
Sound Design and Additional Editing - Nada Smiljanić
Sound Engineer - Jon Last
Video Editor - Carla Mercer
Cover Art - Will Rose
ZSL editorial leads: Tina Campanella and Rebecca Blanchard
Recorded at TYX Studios, London.
More from ZSL's Wildest Moments
For Wuikinuxv First Nation councillor and environmental researcher Jennifer Walkus, living alongside grizzly bears is a way of life shaped by respect, knowledge and coexistence.
For Sunday Times bestselling author Chloe Dalton, a chance encounter with a tiny, orphaned leveret on a quiet country lane became a life-changing experience - one that would reshape how she saw the natural world.
For wildlife filmmaker Nigel Marven, seeing an Arabian oryx in the wild was a moment he never thought he'd experience - a species he had only ever seen in books as a child, once declared extinct in the wild.
For actress and Disney's The Lion King alumni Merryl Ansah, stepping into the role of Nala meant embodying one of the most iconic screen lions in history, but she'd never seen one in real life – until the night she spent at London Zoo.
Under starlit skies and glowing bioluminescence, Megan McCubbin found herself face to face with one of the ocean's most misunderstood predators - sharks.