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Available for over a year

In the final episode of A Carnival of Animals, best-selling author Katherine Rundell turns her attention to the most complex and contradictory creature of all: the human. She begins with a stark truth - the idea that the Earth is ours to use as we please is a dangerous lie, one that has driven a 70% decline in global wildlife populations over the past fifty years. More than a million species now face extinction, and the consequences of human action are accelerating. But this is not just a story of loss. It’s also a call to action. Humans are capable of astonishing ingenuity and compassion, and the tools for change are already in our hands. From divesting from fossil fuels to reimagining how we live and consume, the episode urges us to begin today. To end, Katherine Rundell tells the ancient story of the Sibylline books - a tale of warnings ignored until it was almost too late, based on the version told by the late Douglas Adams. It’s a parable for our time, and a reminder that while no one can save everything, everyone can save something. Written and presented by Katherine Rundell Produced for Â鶹Éç Audio in Bristol by Natalie Donovan