Occasionally, I jettison the chief component of the “Talking Animals” format–a long form interview with a single guest–to give voice to a broader array of animal organizations and leaders, concerned animal advocates, and others who simply care about animals. 
That’s what happened today, when I invited listeners to call in (or email) and briefly serve 
as the show’s guest, eliciting an array of responses. Including from Melanie Bowles, founder of Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary, who noted the nearly 35-year history of the facility (now based in Lincolnton, GA), and touches on her work as an author, including the books Liberty Biscuit and Little Pearl…after I read a news account of an 88-year-old man in Collier County, FL—and his dog—who were both apparently killed by a black bear, reportedly the first fatal mauling in Florida’s history, a handful of listeners commented on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s, or FWC’s, proposed bear hunt (https://myfwc.com/hunting/bear/), including the 
opportunity for residents to offer their viewpoints on the hunt on May 21-22 in Ocala, when the FWC meets there at the College of Central Florida, The Ewers Century Center, Klein Conference Center, Building 40, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala, FL 34474. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. each day and is open to the public. https://myfwc.com/news/all-news/comm-meeting-525/…Suzanne emailed with a 
fervent plea for people to volunteer to foster cats for Saint Francis Society Animal Rescue (https://stfrancisrescue.org/#/rescue-ui/volunteer) as a crucial way to assist the organization’s efforts (including TNVR at feral colonies) to mitigate Tampa’s humongous feline population…Bob in Melbourne phoned in to mention that he read that the EPA is relaxing its rules, so that some animals listed under the Endangered Species Act will no longer be afforded the same protection they once were…a caller from Michigan (a regular listener, as it turns out) pointed out his state holds a bear hunt, though this one happens annually and on a much larger scale: He said the Michigan hunt results in about 2000 dead bears annually. (Also, I noticed later, the state publishes a 50-page bear hunting guide.). As another measure of the Michigan bear hunt functioning as a major enterprise, the caller added that there are laws against harassing hunters…
COMEDY CORNER: Eddie Izzard’s “Talk To The Animals” (https://www.eddieizzard.com/en)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Norma Tanega’s “Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.
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