Part 4: The Wombat, The Hermit Crab, The Dragonfly, The Elk
Writer Katherine Rundell explores the lives of four endangered animals through stories that connect natural history, science, myth and culture.
Part 4 of these omnibus editions of A Carnival of Animals explores four remarkable species with stories of survival and adaptation. Katherine Rundell introduces the wombat, once adored by Victorian poets and now one of the rarest land mammals. She examines the resourceful hermit crab, from shell-swapping queues to the power of the coconut crab. The dragonfly鈥檚 prehistoric past and changing patterns under climate pressure come next, followed by the elk - North America鈥檚 largest deer - whose recovery shows how conservation can succeed.
Written and presented by Katherine Rundell
Produced for 麻豆社 Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan and Sophie Anton.
Last on
Broadcast
- Thu 20 Nov 2025 13:45麻豆社 Radio 4