family leave week: two curated SIF bonus shows about bison
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This episode of Secretly Incredibly Fascinating is a curated double-bonus show celebrating 'Family Leave Week' with hosts Alex and Katie, who are both expecting babies. The episode features two previously released SIF bonus episodes, now made freely available to all listeners. The first segment dives into the life of William Temple Hornaday, a 19th-century taxidermist and early conservationist whose work at the Smithsonian and later the Bronx Zoo helped lay the foundation for bison preservation, despite his deeply problematic views and actions, including participating in the display of a human being in a zoo. The second segment explores the dual meanings of 'Catalina'—both the island off the coast of Southern California and a historical figure, Catalina of Motril, a servant to Catherine of Aragon who miraculously survived the political and personal turmoil of Henry VIII’s court, eventually returning to Spain and living a free life. The episode blends humor, historical depth, and thoughtful reflection on conservation, colonialism, and the unexpected legacies of names and species.
William Temple Hornaday was a pivotal but deeply contradictory figure in early American conservation—both a taxidermist who helped save the bison and a man whose views reflected the worst of Gilded Age colonialism.
Catalina Island in California hosts a herd of bison introduced for film shoots in the 1920s, now a subject of ongoing conservation debate due to their ecological impact.
Catalina of Motril, a servant to Catherine of Aragon, survived the dangerous political trial over Henry VIII’s divorce by refusing to testify, and went on to live a free and normal life—making her one of the few 'happy' stories in Tudor history.
Names carry histories: 'Catalina' is a Spanish variant of 'Catherine' with deep roots in both place and person, reflecting layers of colonial renaming and cultural erasure.
Conservation efforts often begin with exploitation—Hornaday’s taxidermy work led to the creation of living zoos, which eventually became tools for species preservation.
…and 1 more takeaway available in PodZeus
Maximum Fun Drive Announcement
A brief plug for the Maximum Fun Drive 2026, encouraging listeners to donate before May 2nd to access exclusive content and support the show.
Family Leave Week Intro
Alex and Katie introduce the episode as part of their 'Family Leave Week' series, joking about their impending parenthood and imagining their babies as Pokémon battling each other.
Bison Emoji Mini-Series & Bonus Episodes
The hosts announce the release of two curated bonus episodes about bison—SIF 139 and SIF 184—making them freely available to all listeners, not just members.
William Temple Hornaday: Taxidermist & Conservationist
“He was such a professional taxidermist. He was like, what if I branch out? And that's how we got the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.”
The Contradictions of Hornaday
“He's nursing an orphan deer with a bottle of milk and then the other hand, he's writing a tirade against the Jews.”
“He's nursing an orphan deer with a bottle of milk and then the other hand, he's writing a tirade against the Jews.”
“She just got to have such a normal outcome in a way nobody else does in that whole era of history.”
“He was such a professional taxidermist. He was like, what if I branch out? And that's how we got the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.”
Hosts
Guests
William Temple Hornaday
person
Katie
person
Catalina of Motril
person
Alex
person
Catalina Island
place
Catalina
other
Henry VIII
person
Secretly Incredibly Fascinating
media
Max Fun
organization
Catherine of Aragon
person
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