Nature's Secret Service

Final Thoughts and a Field Trip - Season Finale Sep 29, 2026 2937 Join Ed for his final thoughts on this season and for a special field trip into the heart of wolf country - Yellowstone National Park, where you'll get to talk to some wolf watchers.

Audubon and Wolves - Andrew Wilson, JD Sep 22, 2026 1478 Andrew Wilson is an attorney in New Orleans who sits on the board of directors for the Orleans Audubon chapter of the Audubon Society. Why should Audubon care about wolves? Well, wolves aren't the only threatened or endangered species we are trying to recover at the moment and many other species are impacted by what's happening with wolves and the politicization of the Endangered Species Act. Tune

Guilty! - The True Story Behind the Cody Roberts Case (Part 2) Sep 15, 2026 3176 In 2026, Cody Roberts was convicted of felony animal cruelty in Sublette County, Wyoming after he took an injured wolf into a bar and tormented it. Tune in to this episode to hear directly from Clayton Melinkovich, the prosecutor who brought the case. Learn the true facts, what was happening as they prepared for trial, the circumstances that led to a conviction, and the impacts of the outcome. The

The Prosecutor Speaks - The True Story Behind the Cody Roberts Case (Part 1) Sep 8, 2026 3708 Cody Roberts, the man who infamously took an injured wolf into a Daniels, Wyoming bar with its mouth duck taped shut then tormented it for hours before shooting it, was charged in Sublette County Court with animal cruelty by elected County Prosecutor Clayton Melinkovich. Join Ed for his conversation with Melinkovich about the true facts behind the case and his decision to file charges. The truth i

The McKittrick Policy Must Go! - Judy Calman, JD Sep 1, 2026 4025 In 2012, Judy Calman joined an elite team of environmental lawyers who decided they'd had enough of the McKittrick Policy. Hear the story of the most successful attempt to date to attack the policy that runs counter to Congressional intent.

Jail Time! - Special Agent Doug McKenna Aug 25, 2026 4041 Making cases against people who illegally kill Mexican gray wolves has been notoriously difficult but some agents have the grit and tenacity to make something happen. Join Ed for his discussion with former USFWS Special Agent Doug McKenna to hear how Doug actually sent a Mexican gray wolf poacher to jail!As Ed likes to say, "If you commit a federal wildlife crime, a US Fish and Wildlife Service ag

The Mexican Gray Wolf - with Sherry Barrett Aug 18, 2026 3834 Meet the former coordinator of Mexican wolf recovery in Arizona and New Mexico. What's the number one cause of death among Mexican gray wolves? You guessed it -- poaching. This week, we jump into the world of the Mexican gray wolf. A slightly smaller subspecies of Canis lupus, the Mexican gray wolf once roamed throughout the Southwestern United States, into Mexico, and as far north as Colorado. Co

Wolves of the Great Lakes - Special Agent Steve Stoinski Aug 11, 2026 4898 Are the gray wolves in the Great Lakes area any less persecuted than the wolves in western states? Nope. Join Ed in a conversation with Special Agent Steve Stoinski and hear about his investigation of a Wisconsin landowner who took it upon himself to rid his area of wild wolves protected by the Endangered Species Act. Steve also gives us some insight into what happened to the very first wolves tha

Idaho Wolf Wars - Wildlife Officer Tony Latham Aug 4, 2026 3766 Can you kill a wolf in self-defense? One of the very few exceptions to the prohibition against killing endangered or threatened species is self-defense - if you have to kill the animal to save yourself or others. Although wolves have a ferocious reputation in folklore, there are almost no documented cases of wolves attacking human beings. Even when human biologists raid a wolf den to study pups, t

The Wildlife Forensic Crime Lab - Dr. Ed Espinoza Jul 28, 2026 3892 Where do agents turn when they have a case like last week's poison meatball investigation? Well, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Clark Bavin National Forensic Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon, was the first crime lab established in the United States that was totally dedicated to assisting with wildlife crime investigations. A fully accredited crime lab, the FWS Lab provides assistance to federal an

The Poison Meatballs - Special Agent Scott Bragonier Jul 21, 2026 3415 Ed Newcomer tells the incredible story of Special Agent Scott Bragonier's investigation of a expansive crime scene in the wilds of Idaho. What happened at the crime scene? It appears to Agent Bragonier as if someone has tried to poison wild wolves that are protected by the US Endangered Species Act. Join Ed and Sheryl McCollum, the host of the Zone-7 podcast, as they talk about the case and the im

The Omak Wolf - Special Agent Corky Roberts Jul 14, 2026 4605 If you illegally kill an endangered wolf that naturally migrated into the United States but want to keep the pelt, how do you launder it so it appears to be 'legal?' Tune in to this week's episode with former USFWS special agent Corky Roberts to hear about his investigation of a Washington resident who did just that.

Red Wolves, Mexican Grays, and Colorado Wolves - Mike Phillips (Part 2) Jul 7, 2026 3300 Join Ed for part two of our conversation with renowned wolf biologist Mike Phillips. In this week's episode, Mike takes us through the history of red wolf reintroduction in the Southeastern US, Mexican gray wolf reintroduction in the Southwest, and the recent efforts to reintroduce wolves to Colorado. Although Mike is an ardent supporter of wolf reintroduction across the US, he is a realist and sp

Yellowstone Wolves Reborn - Mike Phillips (Part 1) Jun 30, 2026 3787 Join the conversation with Mike Phillips, former head of wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park as he talks with us about wolf reintroduction, wolf biology, the way wolves interact with their environment, and how misplaced anti-wolf sentiments are threatening one of the greatest wildlife recovery success stories in US history.

Jack Booted Thugs - When a Wolf Poaching Investigation turned on the Investigators Jun 23, 2026 4477 What happens when you head out to conduct a wolf poaching investigation and the local sheriff threatens to arrest you? Wolf Number 10 in Montana wasn't the only reintroduced wolf killed in 1995. Wolf Number B13 was released in Idaho in early 1995 and by Spring, it was dead. Shot and killed on a private rancher's property in central Idaho. Special Agents Paul Weyland, Steve Magone, and Tom Riley we

The McKittrick Memo - Elinor Colbourn Jun 16, 2026 3507 Join Ed for his conversation with former federal prosecutor Elinor Colbourn about the infamous McKittrick Policy and its impact on wolf poaching cases. Elinor was a senior federal prosecutor with the US Department of Justice in the Environment and Natural Resources Division where she prosecuted some of the country's most important criminal cases involving environmental law. She was the prosecutor

Wolf 10 and the Lawman: Special Agent Tim Eicher Jun 9, 2026 4430 Wolf Number 10 was the first of the reintroduced wolves in Yellowstone National Park to be illegally shot and killed by a poacher. US Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Tim Eicher was the agent assigned to solve the case. Join Ed and Tim for their conversation about that case and learn how Tim identified a suspect and brought him to justice. Hear, too, how the case was the spark for long-last

The Wolf Guru - Rick McIntyre Jun 2, 2026 4063 In the premiere episode of Season 3, join Ed for his conversation with Rick McIntyre, nicknamed "The Wolf Guru" by the late Jane Goodall. Rick has spent more time observing and documenting wild wolves and their behavior than any other person. He was working as a ranger in Yellowstone National Park when wolves were reintroduced in 1995 and, since then, has recorded more than 100,000 personal sighti

S2E15: Season 2 Finale - The Prosecutors Jan 6, 2026 4609 The number and quality of investigations, arrests, and cases mean nothing without good prosecutors willing to file charges and move forward with trials when necessary. For more than 20 years, the United States Attorney for the Central District of California (Los Angeles) has maintained a unit of prosecutors who are dedicated to handling cases involving environmental crime. Sit down with Ed for his

S2E14: A Night on Patrol Dec 30, 2025 3027 Get ready to go on patrol in Los Angeles with Ed the Fed and Captain Michele Budish of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Get a feel for what it's like to work the front line with a hard charging game warden. Will it be a night of non-stop action and excitement or routine patrol work? You'll find out as you join us for ... A Night on Patrol.CORRECTION: At 14:04 and 15:28 minute

S2E13: AMBUSH! Dec 23, 2025 2246 In 1962, USFWS Agent Vic Blasevic was ambushed by poachers and shot twice at close range. Join Ed and retired Special Agent Jerry Smith as they talk about who Vic was, what he was like, and how he survived those harrowing events on a dark and cold Illinois cornfield.CORRECTION - This episode references the Central Flyway but should have referenced the Mississippi Flyway.

S2E12: The Untouchables Dec 16, 2025 3461 Did you know that the very first federal law enforcement officer to ever conduct undercover work was a US Fish and Wildlife Service officer? It makes sense because the US Fish and Wildlife Service is among the oldest federal law enforcement agencies in the United States. Join Ed and his guest Mark Madison, historian for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, to hear about the earliest Fish and Wildlife

S2E11: Wildlife Officer Jeff Babauta - Gator Country! Dec 9, 2025 4273 Forty years after US Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Marie Palladini took on alligator skin traffickers, Wildlife Officer Jeff Babauta of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was back at it trying to tackle illegal shenanigans associated with the American alligator. In his case, though, Jeff is onto widespread laundering of wild caught alligator eggs and hatchlings, an ill

S2E10: Lt. George Wilson - Operation Red Dawn Dec 2, 2025 3312 Lt. George Wilson spent 36 years working as a law enforcement officer for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and recently retired as the lieutenant overseeing the FWC's statewide investigations unit. Since his retirement, George has been consulting with a private organization known as Exulans (www.exulans.net) that provides training and investigative support to emerging co

S2E9: Captain Dan Brinson - Don't be Shellfish, Ed! Nov 25, 2025 3978 Meet Captain Dan Brinson, previously with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police. Dan was an important influence on Ed, as well as a role model and mentor. Sit in on Ed's wide-ranging conversation with Dan about everything from officer discretion to the role wildlife officers can sometimes play in protecting the public from unseen safety threats. In Ed's opinion, Dan is one of the m

S2E8: Bryan Christy - The Lizard King Nov 18, 2025 4157 Join Ed for his conversation with Bryan Christy as they talk about the world of the reptile trade and reptile trafficking. Christy is the author of The Lizard King, a book that chronicles the origins and history of a reptile supply company known as Strictly Reptiles and its controversial owners Ray and Mike Van Nostrand. Bryan and Ed will talk about the late Charles "Chip" Bepler, a US Fish and Wi

S2E7: Special Agent Walter Duran - Operation Ornery Birds Nov 11, 2025 3565 Birds get tangled up in the world of wildlife crime and wildlife trafficking all the time. Eagles and hawks are killed and persecuted for their parts and because they are predators. Parrots are smuggled north from Latin America. Songbirds are smuggled around the world from Southeast Asia, risking us all to exposure of deadly strains of bird flu. Even migratory birds native to the US fall victim to

S2E6: Lt. Kathy Ponting - That's a Bunch of Abalone! Nov 4, 2025 3914 Lieutenant Kathy Ponting is a legend among game wardens of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (formerly the California Department of Fish and Game). A second-generation warden, Kathy rose to the rank of lieutenant and oversaw the elite Special Operations Unit. Unlike uniformed wardens assigned to patrol work, the wardens in SOU were plain clothes investigators and worked as a cohesive

S2E5: Special Agent Tom Chisdock - I'll have the Ginseng ... and the Drugs! Oct 28, 2025 3553 Plant crimes resurface this week but, this time, in the form of American ginseng! A native plant found throughout the Appalachian Mountains, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and under heavy pressure from unscrupulous commercial collectors. Join Ed and former special agent Tom Chisdock as they discuss the threats to the species, the illegal trade, and Tom's great work exposing a g

S2E4: Confidential Informant! Oct 21, 2025 3565 This is your rare opportunity to hear from a real life confidential informant who worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. It's exceedingly rare to get an inside seat to the world of "CI's" but confidential informant "Pete Paxton" breaks the silence to give you a brief look behind the curtain. Recruited as an informant by Special Agent Newcomer, Paxton worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Servi

S2E3: The Black Mambas! Oct 14, 2025 3102 Join Ed in a conversation with Nkateko Mzimba and Collet Ngobeni, two rangers from the Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit based at the Olifants West Nature Reserve in South Africa. The Black Mambas patrol a 25,000 acre reserve inside the greater Kruger ecosystem that is home to elephants, rhinos, lions, buffalo, and all of the species native to the Southern African bush. Listen as the rangers describ

S2E2: Craig Spencer - Rhinos, Elephants, and Black Mambas Oct 7, 2025 4913 Join Ed for a wide-ranging conversation with Craig Spencer, founder of Trans-Frontier Africa and the Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit in South Africa. This week, we talk about rhino poaching, the rhino horn trade, elephant poaching, the all female anti-poaching unit known as the Black Mambas, and the challenges that go with securing a large, open nature reserve that adjoins Kruger National Park on

S2E1: Wildlife Officer Todd Vandivert - Operation Cody Sep 30, 2025 3715 Join Ed and former Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police Officer Todd Vandivert for the premiere episode of Season 2. Todd will tell us about his long-term undercover operation known as Operation Cody, which exposed widespread trafficking in wildlife species native to the state of Washington.

Bonus Episode - Neverland May 26, 2026 871 What do you do when you receive a complaint that Michael Jackson's private zoo is neglecting its endangered species? You go to see Michael Jackson, that's what!

Bonus Episode - Testifying before Congress Apr 21, 2026 4993 On January 21, 2026, Ed the Fed was invited to testify before Congress at a hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee. This is the official recording of that hearing in its entirety.

Bonus Episode - To Fly or not to Fly Apr 7, 2026 1298 What happens when you have a job to do but you're told you can't do the job because a rule or policy is being strictly interpreted without considering the purpose of the rule? Well, tune in for a fun conversation between Ed the Fed and former special agent Corky Roberts, who worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service as an agent/pilot and who was intimately familiar with the rules of the Departme

S1E13: Season Finale - Two Stories May 27, 2025 4113 Nature's Secret Service host Ed Newcomer appears on the podcast Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum to discuss two cases from his career, including one he's never talked about before in a public forum.

S1E12: Wildlife Officer Savannah Morgan - Plant Ops! May 20, 2025 5674 Former wildlife officer / game warden with the State of California, Savannah Morgan joins Ed to discuss her team's investigation of a South Korean national who masterminded a plant poaching and trafficking operation in Southern California. Ed adds his perspective as a US Fish and Wildlife Service special agent serving overseas at the right time and place to help capture and extradite the notoriou

S1E11: Special Agent Sean Mann - Eagle Poaching Fugitive May 13, 2025 3885 Former special agent Sean Mann joins us to talk about his work investigating an eagle poaching incident in California that led to a subject involved in trafficking eagle parts.

S1E10: Special Agent Erin Dean - Fish, Drugs, and Humans! May 6, 2025 4587 Tune in for my in-person conversation with the awesome and formidable Special Agent Erin Dean as she tells us what it was like to lead and oversee the largest and most populated geographical district in the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, and about her experience investigating a dangerous wildlife trafficker who also dabbled in drug trafficking and human trafficking!Visit

S1E9: Special Agent Steve Stoinski - The Barber Point Grizzly Apr 29, 2025 4790 Join the conversation with Special Agent Steve Stoinski as he guides us through his investigation into the illegal killing of a grizzly bear on the remote Barber Point Road in Wyoming.

S1E8: Special Agent Corky Roberts - Congratulations! It's a Monkey! Apr 22, 2025 4131 Former US Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Corky Roberts talks to us about what it was like to be working in a remote single-agent duty station only to come across a monkey smuggler who used a surprising and ingenious smuggling technique.

S1E7: Wildlife Officer Shawn Karns - Russians! Apr 15, 2025 4911 Former Tennessee state wildlife officer Shawn Karns talks with us about his undercover work that exposed Russian organized criminal groups behind the threat to our native fish stocks, such as the paddlefish. How do you say "Maybe we should kill these guys" in Russian? Tune in to find out. For more information about Shawn's organization, the Wildlife Investigators Training Alliance (WITA), visit ww

S1E6: Special Agent Steve Furrer - The Suisun Marsh Apr 8, 2025 3672 Join the conversation with US Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Steve Furrer as he tells us about the importance and complexity of habitat destruction investigations. Laugh with us as he describes how his prime suspect turned red faced and told him he'd do everything he could to get Steve transferred to a different duty station. Steve's career tenacity and excellent service led to him receiv

S1E5: Special Agent Keith Swindle - Friday Night Lights - Part 2 of 2 Apr 1, 2025 3007 Former US Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Keith Swindle talks about a long-term investigation he conducted in Hawaii involving threatened and endangered sea birds. Keith also provides interesting insight into the importance of sea birds to the Hawaiian Islands and to native Hawaiian culture.

S1E4: Special Agent Keith Swindle - Friday Night Lights - Part 1 of 2 Mar 25, 2025 2939 Former US Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Keith Swindle talks about a long-term investigation he conducted in Hawaii involving threatened and endangered sea birds. Keith also provides interesting insight into the importance of sea birds to the Hawaiian Islands and to native Hawaiian culture.

S1E3: Special Agent Kash Schriefer Mar 18, 2025 2988 Former US Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Kash Schriefer talks about his experience working in the Southeastern United States, the importance of the area to migratory birds, and his efforts to educate as well as apprehend. Kash was the 2013 recipient of the prestigious Guy Bradley Award in recognition of his career accomplishments.

S1E2: Special Agent Marie Palladini - Part 2 of 2 Mar 11, 2025 2131 Marie Palladini served as a special agent for the US Fish and Wildlife Service for 29 years and began her career in the Special Operations Unit (SOU), which conducted long-term, complex, undercover operations. She later served in the Los Angeles field office as a field agent, a training officer, and as the Resident Agent in Charge (RAC) overseeing all law enforcement operations in Southern Califor

S1E1: Special Agent Marie Palladini - Part 1 of 2 Mar 4, 2025 2482 Marie Palladini served as a special agent for the US Fish and Wildlife Service for 29 years and began her career in the Special Operations Unit (SOU), which conducted long-term, complex, undercover operations. She later served in the Los Angeles field office as a field agent, a training officer, and as the Resident Agent in Charge (RAC) overseeing all law enforcement operations in Southern Califor

Bonus Episode - Size Doesn't Matter! Aug 12, 2025 612 In the third of three bonus episodes following Season 1, join us to hear how Marie Palladini faced down a huge and hostile subject.

Bonus Episode - The Almost Shootout Over a Misdemeanor Jul 22, 2025 1887 In our second bonus episode following Season 1, tune in to hear how even a routine investigation of a misdemeanor crime can turn deadly in seconds.

Bonus Episode - The Pregnant Lady and the Car Chase! Jul 1, 2025 388 The first of our bonus episodes following Season 1. Tune in to hear one of the many great side stories that unfold during a typical investigation.

What's It All About? Mar 4, 2025 233 Series trailer.

Episodes

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