On September 8th, National Geographic will debut a new documentary series, Animal Genius, that will share new animal behavior discoveries. During the recent D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, the series host Liz Bonnin was a panelist for the Queens of S.T.E.A.M. and shared an adorable clip from the upcoming show featuring meerkats first steps out of the burrow. But her remarkable story of Matabele ants in Africa who operate a triage scenario in the aftermath of a termite attack had the audience in rapt attention. She explained the dynamics of ants seemingly evaluating which members of their colony could be treated so they could be carried back to the nest where an ant applied saliva aided the recovery.
The Queens of S.T.E.A.M. panel was hosted by the director of the QUEENS episode “Savannah Queens” Faith Musembi. Additional panelists were Dr. Michelle LaRue, Candace Fields and Liz Bonnin who shared their experiences as documentarians within the animal world and the paths that took them into a field that has typically featured men.
(l-r) Faith Musembi, Michelle LaRue, Candace Fields, Liz Bonnin
Dr. Michelle LaRue’s primary area of exploration has been the colder regions using satellite imagery. She shared the amazing fact that, due to penguin guano (poop), they can see Emperor Penguin colonies from space. She found her way to the field through a professor whose descriptions of the job captured her attention and became a mentor to her. When asked for advice on women looking to enter the field, she encouraged them to accept opportunities even if they don’t fit your dream perfectly.
Throughout their discussions, the panelists encouraged attendees to remain open and adaptable. Liz Bonnin encouraged anyone who loves the natural world to bring it into their current space. While Candace Fields encouraged women looking to enter the field to “Be yourself. Your path is the right path for you,” saying she wouldn’t change the circuitous route that took her from neuroscience to shark conservationist.
Growing up in the Caribbean, Fields shared her concern about the future health of the shark population, particularly the Oceanic Whitetip – for both the species and its role in its home area’s economic health. She talked about the challenge as a voice on behalf of sharks. Among this year’s SharkFest presentations was the multi-part series Shark Attack 360, a scientific evaluation of shark attacks. Fields spoke about the challenge of convincing people that sharks aren’t just swimming mouths and how she hoped the program helped better educate the public on best behaviors for safety when entering sharks’ habitats. An interesting reality of climate change is longer periods of warmer weather meaning people spend more time in the water providing more opportunities for shark encounters and shaping the view that sharks are more aggressive.
Throughout the hour, panelists particularly came to life as they shared their encounters within the natural world with Candace Fields recounting an incredible and completely unexpected encounter with a whale shark, and Liz Bonnin describing a deep sea adventure where most of the creatures they encountered were unknown and previously unseen. Each story reminded us how much we still have to learn about the natural world and its inhabitants.
Animal Genius premieres September 8th at 10/9c on National Geographic, streaming the next day on Hulu. QUEENS currently available.