Episode 19: John Newby & Chad

Charles and Jon talk to the legendary John Newby about his 50 years in Chad and Niger working to save some of the rarest antelopes in the world. This is a fascinating story, which begins in the 1970s when John recalls seeing vast herds of Oryx, Addax and Dama Gazelle in the Sahara. Yet 15 years later these species had reached the edge of extinction. A warning on how quickly things can change. But this is also a story of hope and of nature's resilience when it is is given a chance: thanks to the work of John and his colleagues at Sahara Conservation these iconic antelope - the "children of Chad" - are living wild there once again.Here is the YouTube trailer.For more information visit www.mammalwatching.com/podcastNotes: Read more here about the work of Sahara Conservation. Jon's trip report to Chad in 2023 is here.Cover art: John Newby at work.Dr Charles Foley is a mammalwatcher and biologist who, together with his wife Lara, spent 30 years studying elephants in Tanzania. They now run the Tanzania Conservation Research Program at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.Jon Hall set up mammalwatching.com in 2005. Genetically Welsh, spiritually Australian, currently in New York City. He has looked for mammals in over 100 countries.