S4 E1: Expedition to Sulawesi
Description
In the Season 4 opener to the mammalwatching podcast, Charles and Jon talk about their September 2025 expedition to Sulawesi.
We give a blow by blow – and mammal by mammal – account of a remarkable two week trip that recorded over 80 mammal species. Our story is interspersed with interviews from the field with Carlos Bocos, the trip leader; bat guru Prof Juliana Senawi; and the other participants (Stuart Chapman, Nick Cox, János Oláh, Martin Royle and Ian Thompson). We also include a conversation witth Ating Solihin from Sulawesi’s Malenge Island about his role in bringing back the Togean Babirusa from the brink of extinction.
Highlights include:
- Explaining why the initial excitement of seeing species that were likely new to science quickly turned to frustration.
- Hearing why giving a seven year old a mammal book might just dictate the rest of their life.
- Advice for others planning to visit Sulawesi, including the importance of bringing your own sleeping mats and never wearing flip flops into a bat cave!
Notes
The trip report from our expedition to Sulawesi should be available here by the end of 2025.
Cover art: Togean Babirusa, Carlos Bocos