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July 27, 2025 29 mins

Welcome back to Part 2 of a fascinating kōrero with science journalist and author Bethany Brookshire. This one gets a smidge more controversial...

We talk about the animals we hate because they’re successful (looking at you, pigeons), the cultural weirdness of how we define pets vs pests, and how control - or our lack of it - shapes our relationship with the natural world.

Plus, there's a story involving Burmese pythons and a pair of trousers (you’ve been warned) and yes, we talk about cats in Aotearoa.

In this episode we cover:

  • The rise and fall of the humble pigeon - and why we hate them now
  • Cats and conservation in New Zealand (yes, it’s a problem)
  • Pets vs pests - what’s really the difference?
  • Why “invasive species” is more about us than the animals
  • The real reason we hate common animals
  • Empathy, ethics, and ice cream trucks on every corner
  • And the man who hiked pantless through the Everglades with snakes in his trousers


For more about Bethany find her via her website

And don’t forget to head to our Instagram for a chance to win her book Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains


You can get involved with the podcast online too of course.

Find our full podcast via the website here: ⁠https://www.nowthatwhatsicall.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallgreen⁠

You can follow me on socials on the below accounts.

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/⁠

Tiktok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwest⁠

Linkedin: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/⁠

For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: ⁠https://incrediballs.com/⁠

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