EPISODE · Jul 7, 2026 · 24 MIN
Our Wild Familiars - DR. DAN WERB on Animals that Live Among Us & Urban Wildlife Conservation - Highlights
from Philosophy, Ideas, Critical Thinking, Ethics & Morality: The Creative Process: Philosophers, Writers, Educators, Creative Thinkers, Spiritual Leaders, Environmentalists & Bioethicists · host Interviewed by Mia Funk
If you live in a city, you’ve probably had that moment in the middle of the night. You hear a scratching in the walls, or you catch the glowing eyes of a raccoon peering out from a dumpster, and for a second, the concrete world feels a lot less 'controlled' than we like to pretend. We’ve been taught to think of cities as 'biological deserts'—places where nature goes to die. But my guest today, Dan Werb, says that’s a myth we tell ourselves to feel safe. Dan is an award-winning epidemiologist and a musician, and in his new book, Our Wild Familiars, he explores the 'synanthropes'—the wild creatures that aren't our pets, but aren't quite strangers either. They are the coyotes, the bats, and even the octopuses that are learning to use our cities as laboratories for their own rapid evolution. He’s also the author of The Invisible Siege and City of Omens.(0:02) The unexpected biodiversity of urban areas and wild familiars(1:18) What is a Synanthrope?(4:15) The Myth of the Biological Desert(8:04) The Ancestral Bond between early humans, ravens, and foxes(9:15) Crows and Grudges(12:42) Stepping Stones in the Concrete(14:20) The Epidemiological Triangle(17:58) The Illusion of AI Connection(19:56) The Museum of MemoryEpisode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast
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What this episode covers
We’ve been taught to think of cities as places where nature goes to die, but the reality is much wilder. In this fascinating conversation on One Planet Podcast, award-winning epidemiologist and author Dan Werb challenges our assumptions about urban life by introducing us to "synanthropes"—the wild animals that have adapted to thrive in human-modified environments. From raccoons picking complex locks in Toronto to giant Pacific octopuses building homes in discarded refrigerators off the coast of Seattle, Dan Werb reveals the hidden biodiversity surrounding us every day. Drawing from his latest book, Our Wild Familiars, Dan Werb explains how urban sprawl, climate change, and even our garbage are pulling species into cities, transforming our concrete jungles into unexpected sites of conservation. He also delves into the deep spiritual connections humans have shared with animals like ravens for millennia, the epidemiological risks of habitat destruction explored in The Invisible Siege, and why engaging with the mystery of an animal’s mind is more profoundly mind-expanding than seeking comfort in digital echo chambers.
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Our Wild Familiars - DR. DAN WERB on Animals that Live Among Us & Urban Wildlife Conservation - Highlights
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