1 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,519 Speaker 1: You're listening to Part Time Genius, the production of Kaleidoscope 2 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: and iHeartRadio. Guess what Will? What's that Mango? So today 3 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: we're going to talk about the very particular and particularly 4 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: illegal hobby of egg collecting. 5 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 2: And I'm assuming you don't mean the easter variety. No, 6 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 2: that's pretty above board as far as I know. And 7 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 2: we're not talking about stealing eggs from the grocery store either, 8 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:30,560 Speaker 2: that is also illegal. 9 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 1: Today we're talking about the shadowy world of wild egg thefts. 10 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: In fact, in many places around the world, even possessing 11 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:40,839 Speaker 1: wild bird eggshells, especially if it's from an endangered species 12 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:43,479 Speaker 1: or threatened species, can get you in lots of trouble, 13 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:44,880 Speaker 1: like prison trouble. 14 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 2: You know. It's a world of undercover cops, repelling down 15 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:52,200 Speaker 2: cliff faces, international criminality, and of course how to bring 16 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 2: down an egg from a tree during enemy fire. You 17 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 2: got to know this sort of stuff. But spoiler alert here, 18 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 2: your dentist will not be thrilled. 19 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: It is going to be fun, So let's dive in. 20 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:24,680 Speaker 2: Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and as 21 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 2: always I'm here with my good friend Mangesh Hot Ticket 22 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 2: here and somewhere behind that big booth. He's djaying today Mango, 23 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 2: He's djang a medley of bird songs. I don't know 24 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 2: if you knew he had this mixtape on hand, did you? 25 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:39,959 Speaker 2: I saw he put like bird is the word on 26 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 2: their free Bird, Blackbird, three Little Birds, when Doves Cry. 27 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: You know, there's no shortage of songs. 28 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 2: When you start to see his playlist, you're like, this 29 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 2: actually all makes sense, and. 30 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: There are a lot of bird songs. 31 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 2: There are a lot of bird songs for sure, And 32 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 2: I honestly hadn't thought about how many songs there were 33 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 2: about birds until he made this for us. That's our 34 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 2: super musical and thoughtful producer, Dylan Fake so Will. 35 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: I'm obviously excited to talk about bird tufts with you, 36 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: but I'm curious, like, are you a bird person? Like 37 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: you've had pet rabbits, dogs, but do you like birds? Yeah? 38 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 2: I was actually just talking about this with somebody the 39 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 2: other day because I feel like you get to a 40 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 2: certain age and you're supposed to become a bird person. 41 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 1: Like you've seen those you've seen. 42 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 2: Those bird houses that like all of our parents have 43 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,079 Speaker 2: these days where you actually have a camera in there 44 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:27,799 Speaker 2: and you can watch the bird in there, and I. 45 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:30,119 Speaker 1: Think I'm just not quite to that age yet. 46 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 2: I know that we'll be old when that officially it's 47 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 2: around the corner soon where we'll be excited to watch 48 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:37,799 Speaker 2: birds on a camera, which is I don't know why 49 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 2: that's different than watching them on TV, but I do 50 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 2: think birds are very pretty. I don't like want to 51 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 2: go out of my way and grab a pair of 52 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 2: binoculars to go see them on trips or things. But 53 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 2: I think it's cool that people are into it. How 54 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 2: about you, Yeah, I think it's cool that people who 55 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 2: are into it. 56 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: I mean it's funny, right you see these majestic birds 57 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: and like an eagle and the Pacific Northwest or something, 58 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: and it's like gorgeous to see. And then you know, 59 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: I was getting lunch the other day and I was 60 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,959 Speaker 1: outside and I was at this table and these super 61 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: fat pigeons just started charging towards me, and I kept 62 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: like trying to shake them off and make these like 63 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 1: big motions to get them away, and they just kept 64 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: running and I had to keep moving picnic tables. It 65 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: was like embarrassing. They were so fat and they were fearless. 66 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 2: Man, that sounds actually to usually I'm not afraid of birds, 67 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 2: but that actually sounds pretty scary. But all right, well, 68 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:31,959 Speaker 2: where do you think we should start this episode today? 69 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: Why don't we start with a bit of history, which 70 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: is obviously where we love to start at. Collecting seems 71 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: to have really come around in Victorian England. So we're 72 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: talking mid to late nineteenth century here, and British explorers 73 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: and scientists were traveling the world, oftentimes bringing back artifacts 74 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: from their exploits, and this included things like birds eggs. Now, 75 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 1: at the time, collecting was a way to study the 76 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: natural world, and the collection and study of birds eggs 77 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: is officially known as oology, and back at Victorian times, 78 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: equology was respected and legal. There wasn't real concern about 79 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: any ecological effects from this past time, especially because it 80 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 1: was all being done in the name of science, and 81 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: these guys were really dedicated. There is a story of 82 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: one man, a guy named Charles ben Dyer, and he 83 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: was a German immigrant who served in the US Army 84 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: in the mid eighteen hundreds, and he was so committed 85 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: to his egg collection that once he climbed a tree 86 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 1: to grab a rare egg that he'd spotted. And this 87 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: was during enemy fire. But then he got the egg 88 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: and he had to get down the tree. Oh god, 89 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: so what did he do? He puts the egg in 90 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: his mouth. Would not have been my first thought, like 91 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: I would have put it in a pocket or something, 92 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: But apparently the trick worked. He came down the tree. 93 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: And this is a strange part of the story, and 94 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: I don't entirely get the physics of this, but the 95 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,599 Speaker 1: egg actually got stuck in his mouth. Another guy actually 96 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:53,920 Speaker 1: had to take one of Ben Dyer's teeth out so 97 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 1: he could remove the egg. Isn't that crazy? I mean, yes, 98 00:04:57,760 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: it is crazy. But also how did his friend know 99 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:01,039 Speaker 1: that he had an an egg in his mouth and 100 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: that that was I guess the best way to get 101 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: it out? I have no idea. But also like, I 102 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:09,840 Speaker 1: don't think there are any hobbies that I'd willingly lose 103 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:12,280 Speaker 1: a tooth for, right, Like I used to collect pet 104 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:15,279 Speaker 1: dispensers and magazines, but I'm not trading a tooth for 105 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: one of those. It feels ludicrous anyway, Bird collectors weren't 106 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: just about taking risks and sacrificing teeth. They also happened 107 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: to be meticulous, so they would take notes about where 108 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: each egg clutch was found, the habitat, the environment, and 109 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:31,600 Speaker 1: they'd empty the egg of the embryo and catalog details 110 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: like color and size. And these collections were good and 111 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: important enough that a lot of them ended up in museums, 112 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 1: specifically England's Natural History Museum at Tring. Have you ever 113 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: been to Tring? I have not? No, where is it? 114 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:47,799 Speaker 1: I haven't either. Tring is located about thirty miles outside 115 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: of London on the estate of one Lord Walter Rothschild 116 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 1: now Lord Walter began collecting specimen when he was a 117 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 1: young boy, and by the time he was ten he'd 118 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 1: started his first museum. This was in the backyard garden shed, 119 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: which sounds pretty cute, right, But by the time he 120 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: turned twenty one, his parents realized this was not just 121 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: some childhood phase and so naturally they built him his 122 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: own museum, which is you know, I guess what happens 123 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: to lords who grow up and have odd interests. But 124 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: this museum ends up being called Walter's Zoological Museum, and 125 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 1: eventually this became part of the country's Natural History Museum. Today, 126 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 1: the Tring actually houses the largest zoological collection that was 127 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: accumulated by one person, though it has to be noted 128 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: that Walter, who was better known as Lord Rothschild, actually 129 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: spent most of his time at the museum studying. All 130 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:39,599 Speaker 1: these new species that came in the collections mostly came 131 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:42,160 Speaker 1: from the four hundred people around the world he had 132 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 1: traveling on his behalf. That's an impressive number of people. 133 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:48,160 Speaker 1: That's pretty amazing. And the Tring actually has the largest 134 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 1: bird egg collection in the world, more than two million items. 135 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:53,840 Speaker 1: And one of the things that's really interesting is that 136 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: the Tring collection in particular was crucial to helping scientists 137 00:06:57,400 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: understand the damage that DDT had on birds. 138 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 2: And if I'm not mistaken, DDT was the pesticide that 139 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 2: made eggshells like really. 140 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 1: Frail, right exactly. But you know, scientists didn't know that 141 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: at first. They just saw that raptors like the bald 142 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: eagle and peregrine falcon weren't reproducing, which is obviously a 143 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: huge problem if a species is going to continue to exist. 144 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 1: But because the collection that the Tring was so thorough 145 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: and so detailed, scientists were actually able to compare all 146 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: these contemporary eggs to the older eggs from this collection, 147 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 1: and you know, it existed from well before the time 148 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: of DDT, and they discovered that the contemporary eggshells were 149 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: not only much thinner, but also weaker, and they were 150 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: able to connect this change to the introduction of DDT 151 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 1: into the environment. You know that this of course made 152 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: its way up into the food chain, into bird's diets, 153 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 1: and affected the composition of the female's eggs. In fact, 154 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 1: the pesticide made the shell so brittle that they'd actually 155 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: break under the weight of a parent bird just sitting 156 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: on the egg during incubation. That is wild. But of 157 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: course DDT has been banned since then. Yeah, and some 158 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: egg collectors like to cite this example as a benefit 159 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 1: of their work, like, thanks to them, there was this 160 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: history to be studied and to be learned from. But 161 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: today scientists are still allowed to apply for permits to 162 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: collect eggs for research. But you know, the idea of 163 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 1: this gentleman collector who's just out for his own pleasure, 164 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: you know, that doesn't happen anymore. In fact, it's. 165 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 2: Pretty frowned upon and is basically gone underground. Well, speaking 166 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 2: of that, that's actually where I'm going to take the baton. 167 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 2: But before we do that, why don't we take a 168 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 2: quick break. 169 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Part Time Genius, where we're talking about 170 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:44,480 Speaker 1: egg collectors and this strange world of rare egg theft. 171 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:46,559 Speaker 1: So will you were just about to tell us about 172 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: how egg collecting moves from this genteel hobby for naturalists 173 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: to something a little darker. That's right. 174 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:53,560 Speaker 2: I think it feels like time to go a little 175 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 2: darker here. So this comes from a twenty thirteen New 176 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 2: Yorker article. This was by Julian Rubinsteinde. Toward egg collectors 177 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 2: really starts to change in the nineteen twenties. So the 178 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 2: Royal Society for the Protection for Birds or the RSPB, 179 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 2: they warned that this gentleman collector form of ooology was 180 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 2: threatening the survival of species, which of course made the 181 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:17,559 Speaker 2: egg collectors pretty mad. For example, your friend Lord Walter 182 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 2: Rothschild teamed up with another collector, a guy by the 183 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 2: name of Reverend FCR. Jordaane, and they started their own group, 184 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 2: the British Euological Society, and it was renamed the Jordaane 185 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:31,199 Speaker 2: Society in nineteen forty after Jordayne died. Now its members 186 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 2: were pretty exclusively men, no surprise, they're given the time 187 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 2: and it claimed to be the only organization in England. 188 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 1: Dedicated to egg collecting. 189 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 2: Now, they took their work very seriously and even after 190 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 2: it was illegal, it actually didn't really stop them. 191 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: So when does egg collecting actually start to become illegal? 192 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 2: Well, stealing wild bird eggs has been illegal in the 193 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 2: UK since nineteen fifty four, and then in nineteen eighty 194 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 2: one it was illegal to even possess a protected wild 195 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 2: bird's egg. But as we know, just because there is 196 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 2: a rule, that does mean that everybody follows it, and 197 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:04,599 Speaker 2: that adage seemed to especially apply to members of the 198 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 2: Jordaane Society. The New Yorker goes on to say about 199 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 2: the nineteen nineties, more than half of the society's members 200 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 2: had convictions for egg collecting. 201 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 1: Half of the members. Amazing, it really is. 202 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:17,720 Speaker 2: And there's this one story about a nineteen ninety four 203 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:20,360 Speaker 2: raid where British investigators found out about a meeting that 204 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 2: the Jordaane Society was having at a hotel, so they 205 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 2: went under cover. One of the investigators was a woman, 206 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:28,560 Speaker 2: and she hung out at the hotel bar and she'd 207 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 2: start chatting up its members. And remember this a real 208 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:34,240 Speaker 2: boys club, so apparently just by showing some interest in 209 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 2: their hobby. This agent got at least one collector to 210 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 2: show her photos of birds, nests and other incriminating things. 211 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: So I'm guessing this led to some convictions. Oh, it 212 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: definitely did. 213 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:47,880 Speaker 2: It was enough evidence that the entire meeting was raided 214 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:50,439 Speaker 2: and thanks to the raid, police were able to seize 215 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 2: eleven thousand eggs. Six Jordaane Society members were fined from 216 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 2: this whole raid. It was pretty wild, but. 217 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: I mean, if the Jordan's Society felt like they could 218 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:04,680 Speaker 1: hold meetings at hotels, right, they clearly were that afraid 219 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 1: of the consequences. 220 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:08,680 Speaker 2: No, and the fines didn't seem to be all that effective. 221 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 2: There's a story of this one collector named Colin Watson 222 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 2: who throughout the nineteen eighties and nineties had been fined 223 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:17,560 Speaker 2: almost six thousand pounds, which obviously didn't stop him. He 224 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 2: continued until the day of his death. Literally, he died 225 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 2: after falling from a tree trying to get to a nest. 226 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:25,679 Speaker 2: I think these people were pretty focused on this whole 227 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:26,719 Speaker 2: legg collecting. 228 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,079 Speaker 1: Thing, I know, dying doing what he low. 229 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, And the thing is people are still stealing and 230 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 2: collecting eggs, even as recently as November of twenty twenty four, 231 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 2: a collection of five thousand rare eggs was discovered and 232 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:38,680 Speaker 2: seized in rural England. 233 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 1: So what about this Jordaane Society? Does this still live on? 234 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:45,560 Speaker 2: Well, it hasn't been a recognized charity since two thousand 235 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 2: and one, and also happens to be the same year 236 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 2: the UK changed the law. So now if you're caught 237 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 2: with wild eggs it's more than a fine, you could 238 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 2: potentially serve jail time, which is a much bigger deterrent. 239 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 2: And it's also helped that investigative techniques have gotten more advanced, 240 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:02,200 Speaker 2: like using or veillance cameras near popular collecting routes in 241 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 2: order to be able to track these license plates. And 242 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,440 Speaker 2: that's opposed to putting microphones in trees, which is what 243 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 2: they used to do, just hoping to overhear illegal activity 244 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:11,600 Speaker 2: happening in these trees. 245 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: That is ridiculous. You know what. One other way that 246 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 1: I've read in the Guardian that people have been caught 247 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:21,400 Speaker 1: is quote disgruntled wives who have played second fiddle to 248 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: their husband's obsession over bird eggs for decades. 249 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, there are public informants too, like the New Yorker 250 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:31,160 Speaker 2: article I mentioned also tells the story of how authorities 251 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:33,680 Speaker 2: once caught this other collector. This was back in the 252 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 2: early two thousands, and the collector's brother was in a pub. 253 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:40,360 Speaker 2: Someone there overheard him talking about bird eggs. This good 254 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:42,840 Speaker 2: samaritan then followed the brother out of the pub in 255 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:45,439 Speaker 2: order to take down his license plate number and then 256 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 2: report what he'd heard to authorities. 257 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 1: I can't imagine like overhearing someone talking about bird eggs 258 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: and being like, oh, I should probably report this. That's 259 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 1: kind of amazing. So let's switch tacks a little bit 260 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 1: here and talk about who some of these collectors are. 261 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:00,160 Speaker 2: So I don't know about two bell I'm picturing like 262 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 2: Indiana Jones, but more like Indiana Jones with binoculars and 263 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 2: a field guide. 264 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:07,080 Speaker 1: What about you? I mean, I think they like to 265 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:10,680 Speaker 1: think themselves as like that suave and to be honest, like, 266 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: there definitely are some real physical skills involved. So these 267 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 1: guys are often excellent tree climbers. Often they climb up 268 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 1: like one hundred foot tree trunks sometimes to get to 269 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 1: these rareness. They're also insanely knowledgeable, like they know a 270 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 1: ton about birds and their habitats. But egg collecting isn't 271 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 1: really like a young man's game, right, Yeah. You don't 272 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:30,679 Speaker 1: see like kids into egg collecting in the same way 273 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 1: that you see like older men. And most of these 274 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: people had started taking eggs when they themselves were kids 275 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 1: after World War Two. There's actually this documentary about this 276 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:40,959 Speaker 1: world called Poached, which is really interesting. It came out 277 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 1: in twenty fifteen and it follows some of these collectors now. 278 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 1: According to director Timothy Wheeler, the impulse to collect does 279 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:49,920 Speaker 1: often start with a true childhood love of birds, but 280 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 1: it moors from that pretty quickly into an almost addictive behavior. 281 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 1: One British investigator said that when the police arrived to 282 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: this collector's house and found thirty six hundred eggs, the 283 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 1: guys started crying and said, quote, thank god you've come. 284 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:07,080 Speaker 1: I can't stop. Oh my gosh. These guys are also experts, 285 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 1: and many argue that they aren't hurting the birds because 286 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:13,199 Speaker 1: they're often cracking breeding schedules, and when they do take 287 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: the eggs, they take the entire clutch, and they claim 288 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:17,959 Speaker 1: that this means the bird will lay a whole new 289 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 1: clutch that same season, which you know is sometimes true, 290 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 1: but it's not always the case. For example, birds like 291 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 1: golden eagles and ospreys, they really only lay once a season. 292 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 2: Well, and I know from my reading for this episode 293 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 2: that the extinction of the red back strike in the 294 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:35,240 Speaker 2: nineteen eighties is actually attributed in part to collectors. 295 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: That's right. And while egg thivery is certainly not the 296 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 1: reason why bird species might go endangered, you know, none 297 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 1: of this really helps. There are all sorts of other 298 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:46,239 Speaker 1: conditions that lead to the endangement of birds, from habitat, 299 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: food lass, climate change, you know, overhunting, things like that. 300 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 1: But as you can imagine, these bird collectors aren't really 301 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 1: interested in common birds like you know, like the finch 302 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 1: or the crow or the robin. They want rare bird eggs, 303 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 1: especially if the only way to get them is to 304 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:03,120 Speaker 1: repel down a cliff or climb a really tall tree 305 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:04,240 Speaker 1: or something like that. 306 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:05,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I guess it makes the egg feel 307 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 2: more like a treasure in that case, and a story 308 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:10,720 Speaker 2: or an adventure to be able to tell about exactly. 309 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 1: And one of the most infamous thieves is a guy 310 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:17,760 Speaker 1: the press is dubbed Pablo Excobar, and in many ways 311 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 1: he fits the profile of these Jordaanan Society members, especially 312 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:24,640 Speaker 1: that adventure adrenaline junkie sort of profile we've talked about. 313 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 1: I love this all right, So you got to tell 314 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: me more about Pablo. So his name is actually Jeffrey Lendrum, 315 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 1: and he's a really interesting character. He grew up in 316 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 1: what is now Zimbabwe, and he spent a lot of 317 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 1: time outdoors with his dad, who was also really into birds. Now, 318 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: by the time he was eight, little Jeffrey was known 319 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 1: for his ability to climb trees and rocks and cliff faces, 320 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 1: you know, all the spots where birds' nests are conveniently located. Now, 321 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 1: Jeffrey and his dad were renowned enough that they were 322 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 1: asked to volunteer on surveys and observation studies for different 323 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: birds in the area. So they legitimately knew birds and 324 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 1: I guess, more importantly, how to find these And according 325 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 1: to an article in Outside magazine, Jeffrey and his dad 326 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: would do some pretty skilled and dangerous things to find 327 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 1: these birds, Like they would actually throw claws into trees 328 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 1: as climbing aids. Like it sounds pretty amazing. 329 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,280 Speaker 2: I'm curious, Like, how does this zimbabwe boy scout end 330 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 2: up growing up to be on Autubn's Most Wanted list well. 331 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 1: Over time, it became clear that Jeffrey and his dad 332 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:24,000 Speaker 1: were doing more than just studying the birds. Other volunteers 333 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: started to notice some small lies and inconsistencies that they tell, 334 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 1: especially when talking about fledglings they claimed to have observed. 335 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 1: In nineteen eighty three, when Jeffrey was twenty one, police 336 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: raided their house and found more than eight hundred eggs 337 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 1: as well as these live peregrine falcon eggs, and there 338 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: were also allegations that Jeffrey was selling these live eggs 339 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: on the black market, but none of that was ever proven. 340 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: He's still eight hundred that's a lot of eggs. Yeah, 341 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:52,240 Speaker 1: and both father and son were found guilty of theft 342 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 1: and fraud. They were fined, they were given probation, but 343 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 1: you know, as we've learned, it's not a huge deterrent 344 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 1: for these sort of committed thieves, and so Jeffrey spent 345 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 1: the next couple decades going to super remote places around 346 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:06,679 Speaker 1: the world stealing eggs. We know that he took at 347 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:10,040 Speaker 1: least two trips to northern Quebec to take ger falcon eggs, 348 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:14,120 Speaker 1: which build nests and depressions in Arctic cliff faces. There's 349 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:17,240 Speaker 1: also a terrific book about Jeffrey by the writer Joshua Hammer. 350 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: It's called The Falcon Thief and a lot of this 351 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:23,199 Speaker 1: research comes from that. So Hammer actually spoke to a 352 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:26,399 Speaker 1: former friend of Lendrum's who accompanied him on these Canadian trips, 353 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:29,720 Speaker 1: and this friend said that Lendrum would hire a pilot 354 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:31,920 Speaker 1: and rent a helicopter to get to these nests. 355 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:32,320 Speaker 2: Wow. 356 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: And if anyone asked, their alibi was that they were 357 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: filmmakers with National Geographic. Basically, the pilot would hover next 358 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: to the cliffs and then Lendrom would actually lower himself 359 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: down from the helicopter on a rope mission impossible style 360 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:49,040 Speaker 1: to these nests. That is incredible. Yeah, And this friend 361 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 1: said that over the course of a week they went 362 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 1: to nineteen geerfalcon nests and stole about twelve eggs. Now, Lendrum, 363 00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 1: who is continually denied they stole these eggs, then wrapped 364 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:00,840 Speaker 1: the eggs and socks and put them in his carry 365 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:03,360 Speaker 1: on for the flight to London and then finally Dubai, 366 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:05,919 Speaker 1: where they were likely sold on the black market. But 367 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:09,240 Speaker 1: the next trip, the guys weren't that lucky. This time, 368 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:12,120 Speaker 1: the pilot they hired didn't buy their filmmaker story and 369 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 1: instead he tipped off the authorities and Lendrom and friend 370 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:17,400 Speaker 1: were arrested when eggs and incubators were found in their 371 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:20,840 Speaker 1: hotel room. They were fined just about seven thousand dollars 372 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:21,960 Speaker 1: and then they were set on their way. 373 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:23,920 Speaker 2: I mean again, though, when you talk about these fines, 374 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 2: it still doesn't seem like that much of a fine. 375 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 1: It's not that much of a disincentive because eight years 376 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 1: later he was arrested again, and talk about wild This 377 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:36,520 Speaker 1: is a crazy story. So in May twenty ten, Lenderham 378 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 1: was in the Emirates Executive Loune in the Birmingham, England 379 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:42,400 Speaker 1: Airport and he had a ticket book to South Africa 380 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:47,360 Speaker 1: with importantly a fourteen hour layover in Dubai. Now he's 381 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: in the lounge, he asked to use the shower and 382 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:52,760 Speaker 1: will I don't know about what you normally take the shower, 383 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:55,439 Speaker 1: but Lendrom decided to bring with him a bag and 384 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:58,440 Speaker 1: two small suitcases. I mean, I can't say that's typically 385 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:02,199 Speaker 1: in my shower padding no mine either, And it was 386 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 1: unusual enough that it attracted the attention of one of 387 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:08,119 Speaker 1: the cleaners, who then also noticed that Lendrom spent a 388 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:11,480 Speaker 1: long time in the shower. So when Lendrom left the room, 389 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:14,240 Speaker 1: the cleaner, who was a former mall security guard, went 390 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:17,840 Speaker 1: to check it. And he enters the shower, but instead 391 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 1: of finding I don't know, a suitcase full of bubbabout 392 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:24,159 Speaker 1: salts and a loofa, the shower was completely dry, and 393 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:26,919 Speaker 1: the towels were dry too, and they were folded, I 394 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:30,480 Speaker 1: mean a little suspicious there, So he knew something was off. 395 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:33,120 Speaker 1: He looks under the towels to see if there's anything there. 396 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 1: He looks in the garbage can and there's nothing. But 397 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:39,200 Speaker 1: then he looks in this baby changing area where there 398 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 1: was another plastic garbage bin for diapers, and inside the 399 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 1: bin there there was an egg cardon with one single 400 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 1: egg in it, dyed bright red. 401 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:49,879 Speaker 2: And it kind of reminds me of those old CIA 402 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 2: spy transmitters that were like hitting in doggy dew and 403 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:54,600 Speaker 2: stuff like that. Like, I bet he really thought hiding 404 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,439 Speaker 2: an egg in the diaper garbage was, you know, pretty 405 00:19:57,440 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 2: full proof because who's going to look in there? 406 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, But but the lounge attendant's hunch was right, like 407 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 1: something was clearly up. And what does a red egg 408 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 1: even mean, so in any case, he calls authorities, and 409 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:11,680 Speaker 1: the authorities search Lenderm's luggage, where they find insulated bags, 410 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:14,679 Speaker 1: some camera equipment, a walkie talkie, a bunch of cash, 411 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 1: a thermometer, and two more egg cartons. One of these 412 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:20,360 Speaker 1: cartons is empty and the other one has quail eggs 413 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:23,360 Speaker 1: along with proof of purchase from a supermarket. I mean, 414 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 1: all of this sounds so bizarre, Mango. And then it 415 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:28,359 Speaker 1: gets a little weirder because when the officers actually search 416 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: Lendrom himself, they find fourteen small, multicolored eggs wrapped in 417 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 1: wool socks and taped to his abdomen. So he's basically 418 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:38,640 Speaker 1: caught in the act here. Yeah, so here's a completely 419 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 1: hypothetical situation I'm making up out of nowhere. You're illegally 420 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:45,480 Speaker 1: smuggling live eggs into another country by strapping them to 421 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 1: your body to keep them warm. But then the police 422 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:51,679 Speaker 1: find them, what do you tell them by way of explanation? 423 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:52,879 Speaker 1: I don't know. 424 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:54,400 Speaker 2: In this case, I feel like I'd probably just try 425 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:56,680 Speaker 2: to run, because he's pretty obvious what's going on. 426 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,199 Speaker 1: I mean, that seems like the better option, but him 427 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 1: and said tells the authorities they were duck eggs, and 428 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:05,199 Speaker 1: he was bringing them to his father in Zimbabwe. And 429 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 1: why weren't these colorful eggs and a carton. Well, Lenderham 430 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:11,199 Speaker 1: had a bad back, and with the long flight ahead, 431 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: his physical therapist had told him that strapping something fragile 432 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:16,840 Speaker 1: against his stomach would causes muscles to tense up and 433 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:18,359 Speaker 1: strengthen his lower back. 434 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 2: I don't know, I'm kind of buying that's a really 435 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 2: creative story. 436 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:24,560 Speaker 1: It feels elaborate enough that it must be trued right 437 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:28,159 Speaker 1: At this point, though, airport authorities they don't know a 438 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 1: lot about wild bird eggs, but they do know lender 439 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 1: is lying through his teeth, so they call him the 440 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 1: big Guns. And in this case, the Big Guns means 441 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:39,880 Speaker 1: Britain's National Wildlife Crime Unit. Oh and while they're waiting 442 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:42,200 Speaker 1: for the crime unit to arrive, airport authorities keep the 443 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,240 Speaker 1: eggs warm by storing them on their computer markers. 444 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:48,840 Speaker 2: I mean, there's actually something kind of heartwarming about the 445 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:50,760 Speaker 2: image of a bunch of cops trying to keep these 446 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:51,439 Speaker 2: eggs alive. 447 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:54,280 Speaker 1: I mean, the amazing thing is that it actually worked. 448 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:57,200 Speaker 1: Like twelve of the eggs, which weren't ducks but peregrine 449 00:21:57,240 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 1: falcon eggs hashed a couple of weeks later, and actually 450 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:02,879 Speaker 1: eleven of those birds were able to fledge in the wild, 451 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,359 Speaker 1: so it's kind of a happy ending. Oh what happened 452 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:09,600 Speaker 1: to Lendrom? Well? After more interviews, Lendrom finally admits, okay, 453 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 1: he might have been taking the peregrine falcon eggs from 454 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:15,159 Speaker 1: a cliff in Whales with the intent of hatching and 455 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:17,679 Speaker 1: breeding them in South Africa, but when he thought the 456 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:19,600 Speaker 1: eggs had died, he didn't want them to go to waste, 457 00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 1: so that's why he wrapped them around his body to 458 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:24,480 Speaker 1: keep him intact for the family's egg collection. Yeah collection, 459 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 1: We already know they'd gotten in trouble for Yeah, and 460 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:29,560 Speaker 1: I assume you neglected to mention that he'd been arrested 461 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:32,680 Speaker 1: for this crime in the previous place. But you know, also, 462 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: the peregrine falcon is the highest level of protected bird 463 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:40,440 Speaker 1: species in the UK, so this isn't especially bad. Look anyway, 464 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:44,120 Speaker 1: he has all this expensive contraband that he's taped to himself, 465 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:47,639 Speaker 1: and this actually isn't the only evidence. Authorities also find 466 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:49,679 Speaker 1: in his car in the parking lot that there's an 467 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:53,640 Speaker 1: incubator of ropes carabineers and GPS devices, which is clear 468 00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:56,119 Speaker 1: evidence he knew what he was doing. He would repel 469 00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 1: down the cliff faces to the nest, stealed eggs, put 470 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:01,160 Speaker 1: them insulated bags, and then climb back up. So obviously 471 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:02,240 Speaker 1: he's not a novice. 472 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:05,159 Speaker 2: I mean, it feels dumb to keep all that stuff 473 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:07,679 Speaker 2: so close by, right, Like he clearly didn't think he 474 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:08,440 Speaker 2: was going to get caught. 475 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:11,280 Speaker 1: Definitely not. But one of the other things the authorities 476 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:14,399 Speaker 1: found was actual video footage from his exploits in Quebec, 477 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:17,720 Speaker 1: from when he was hanging from the helicopter. Like Lenderham 478 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:19,680 Speaker 1: tried to deny all this for a while, but there 479 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,359 Speaker 1: was enough evidence that he was arrested, found guilty, and 480 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: that he spent eighteen months in prison. But my question 481 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,720 Speaker 1: is was the cleaner everthing actually he was. The reward 482 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:31,919 Speaker 1: for his eagle eye was a limited edition print of 483 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:34,680 Speaker 1: an avoset, which is a type of bird eye, and 484 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:37,439 Speaker 1: he was presented it by the country's environmental minister. 485 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:42,320 Speaker 2: And this was a print I guess, I mean, I 486 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 2: guess it's a beautiful art print, but I don't think 487 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:46,240 Speaker 2: he was unhappy about it. 488 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 1: But amazingly, our bird smugglers. Story doesn't end there. We 489 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: actually have more on Pablo Xcabar right after this break. 490 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:10,160 Speaker 2: Welcome back to Part Time Genius, where we're talking all 491 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:13,679 Speaker 2: about the highly secretive world of rare egg smuggling. All right, 492 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:15,439 Speaker 2: So Mega, when we left off, you were telling us 493 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 2: how Jeffrey Lenderm was serving time in England after being 494 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 2: caught stealing wild peregrine falcon eggs. So does all that 495 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:24,440 Speaker 2: time behind bars curb his bird obsession? 496 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:30,120 Speaker 1: I mean, will you know that the man is addicted? 497 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:33,720 Speaker 1: In twenty fifteen, he goes down to Patagonia where he 498 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:37,679 Speaker 1: climbs inside volcanoes and repels down cliff faces looking for 499 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:41,119 Speaker 1: raptor nests, which is incredible, and he's caught at the 500 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:46,119 Speaker 1: sau Polo airport with four rare, white chested peregrine falcon eggs. 501 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:49,200 Speaker 1: He's tried, he's found guilty, and he's sendenced to four 502 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:51,879 Speaker 1: and a half years in prison. But plot twist, he 503 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: never serves any time. While he's out on bail a 504 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:57,280 Speaker 1: waiting appeal, he high tails it to Argentina, where he 505 00:24:57,320 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: books a flight to South Africa, where of course he's 506 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:00,320 Speaker 1: a citizen. 507 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:02,600 Speaker 2: And was his scouting put to use, Like was he 508 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,919 Speaker 2: wondering jungles and evading patrols to get to Argentina or what. 509 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:09,160 Speaker 1: That's actually the story he kind of paints for himself. 510 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:12,280 Speaker 1: But his Brazilian lawyer said Lenderham just took a bus. 511 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:16,080 Speaker 1: But since then, his most recent arrest was in London 512 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:18,480 Speaker 1: in twenty eighteen. He was coming from South Africa with 513 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:22,199 Speaker 1: nineteen eggs from endangered birds of prey strapped to his body, 514 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:25,280 Speaker 1: two of which had already hatched. I mean, a. 515 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:27,640 Speaker 2: Squawking baby bird has to be harder to conceal than 516 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:28,640 Speaker 2: a nice quiet egg. 517 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:30,880 Speaker 1: So does he end up serving time for this? Yeah, 518 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 1: he got sentenced to three years in prison, and. 519 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:35,760 Speaker 2: So at this point he's been arrested, he spent time 520 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:39,000 Speaker 2: in jail. He's a fugitive in Brazil. I mean, he 521 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 2: must be on watch list all over the world. He's 522 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 2: got to be making bank for all this risk if 523 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:43,400 Speaker 2: he's doing this right. 524 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:46,639 Speaker 1: It seems likely though the writer Joshua Hammer mentioned that 525 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:49,199 Speaker 1: at least when he visited Lendroham in South Africa in 526 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,119 Speaker 1: twenty seventeen, he really didn't seem to have any of 527 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:55,400 Speaker 1: the trappings of wealth. But there's definitely money in the business. 528 00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:58,000 Speaker 1: For example, it was estimated he could have made around 529 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 1: one hundred thousand pounds for that eighteen hall that got 530 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 1: them arrested. 531 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:03,480 Speaker 2: You know, one of the things I'm always curious about 532 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:07,800 Speaker 2: is is, honestly less who's taking the risk to sell 533 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 2: these things? Because they're making a lot of money, they 534 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:12,320 Speaker 2: made this decision to do this stuff, But I'm always 535 00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:14,520 Speaker 2: wondering who's buying this stuff, Like who in this case, 536 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:15,679 Speaker 2: who's buying these eggs. 537 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:18,480 Speaker 1: Authorities can't say with one hundred percent certainty, but it 538 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 1: seems very likely that the eggs were for ultra wealthy 539 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: buyers in the Middle East, which you know, as we 540 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:26,359 Speaker 1: alluded to before, is notable not only because of the 541 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,600 Speaker 1: money there, but especially because of the long history of falconry. 542 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:32,600 Speaker 1: Like falconry in the Middle East goes back thousands and 543 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:35,520 Speaker 1: thousands of years to the Bedouins, and deserts, as you 544 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:38,640 Speaker 1: can imagine, are really hard places to find food. So 545 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:42,240 Speaker 1: the Bedouins would capture these migrating wild falcons, they'd train 546 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:44,680 Speaker 1: them to help hunt for things like rabbits and other prey, 547 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:46,040 Speaker 1: and that's how they'd feed themselves. 548 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:48,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, it's actually looking at falcons this week, 549 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:50,960 Speaker 2: and it's amazing how good they are at hunting. Like 550 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 2: a falcon sees eight times better than a human, and 551 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:55,960 Speaker 2: it has such a strong beak that it can actually 552 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:58,919 Speaker 2: sever the neck of the animal that it's hunting. And 553 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:02,720 Speaker 2: maybe most important, it is super fast. So on average, 554 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:06,280 Speaker 2: surfalcons fly between fifty and sixty eight miles an hour 555 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:08,359 Speaker 2: and up to one hundred and thirty eight miles an 556 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 2: hour when they're diving. Meanwhile, a peregrine falcon can reach 557 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:13,879 Speaker 2: speeds of up to two hundred and forty miles an 558 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 2: hour while diving. I would have never guessed anywhere near that. 559 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:20,199 Speaker 2: It makes it actually the fastest animal on earth. So 560 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:22,800 Speaker 2: of course, if you're like a falcon meal, you really 561 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:23,720 Speaker 2: don't stand a chance. 562 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:24,840 Speaker 1: No, you really don't. 563 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 2: So falcon hunts are now officially banned across many Middle 564 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:31,800 Speaker 2: Eastern countries, but obviously there's still this very venerated tradition 565 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:35,080 Speaker 2: of training falcons. So in the early two thousands falcon 566 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 2: racing started up, where you know, it's about strength and 567 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:41,840 Speaker 2: speed but not actually hunting. There are very lucrative falcon 568 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 2: races from the UAE to Saudi Arabia where the purse 569 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:48,440 Speaker 2: could be millions and millions of dollars. Falcons, like jur 570 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:51,400 Speaker 2: falcons and peregrins, they're some of the most sought after 571 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:54,960 Speaker 2: birds for these competitions, and there are falcon breeding programs 572 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,640 Speaker 2: in places like the UK and the US and western 573 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:00,359 Speaker 2: Europe where they're allowed to export to the Middle East. 574 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:05,000 Speaker 2: So today female jur falcons might cost between fifty thousand 575 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 2: and one hundred and fifty thousand pounds each, and in 576 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:10,960 Speaker 2: twenty thirteen, a pure white jur falcon was sold to 577 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:14,880 Speaker 2: a buyer and Katar for two hundred and ten thousand pounds, 578 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:17,040 Speaker 2: which of course is quite a status symbol. 579 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:20,800 Speaker 1: That's pretty incredible. And obviously having a winning falcon is 580 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 1: kind of like having a winning thorough bread, right like 581 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:25,639 Speaker 1: it's a huge status symbol like you mentioned. And of 582 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:29,280 Speaker 1: course that's really where Lendrom comes in, because there's a belief, 583 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:32,679 Speaker 1: right or wrong, that wild falcons are stronger and faster 584 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,800 Speaker 1: than the falcon's bread and captivity and because you know, 585 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 1: many governments on the Arabian Peninsula have been the capture 586 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 1: of wild falcons. There's this entire underground market and network 587 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:45,800 Speaker 1: where wild falcon fledglings or chicks might go for three 588 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 1: hundred thousand pounds or even more money. And wild eggs 589 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:51,600 Speaker 1: are a little easier to pass off and get through 590 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:53,800 Speaker 1: customs than a massive bird. Yeah. 591 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 2: I mean the thing is, even if you're a shake 592 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:58,520 Speaker 2: and you have hundreds and hundreds of falcons, there's going 593 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 2: to eventually be in breedings. The wild eggs are also 594 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:03,200 Speaker 2: useful and expanding that gene pool. 595 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:06,880 Speaker 1: So back to London for a second. Lenderm does deny 596 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 1: that he was contributing to this black market. When he 597 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:11,720 Speaker 1: was stopped by customs officials in twenty eighteen, he told 598 00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 1: them he was just rescuing the eggs to save them 599 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:17,479 Speaker 1: from the habitat destruction in South Africa, and he claimed 600 00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:19,520 Speaker 1: he was playing to take the eggs. Who are birds 601 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:22,680 Speaker 1: of Prey center in England at Lendrom. Such a stand 602 00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:25,800 Speaker 1: up guy, but I'm curious where is he now? I 603 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:29,040 Speaker 1: hope his back is better. As far as we could tell, 604 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:31,320 Speaker 1: he hasn't been arrested again, but he is trying to 605 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:33,800 Speaker 1: make himself harder to track. It turns out that in 606 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:37,800 Speaker 1: twenty seventeen he'd officially changed his name to John Smith, 607 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:39,880 Speaker 1: and that dude never gives up. You do have to 608 00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:41,960 Speaker 1: give him that, right. I have a feeling this isn't 609 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 1: the last we've heard of Pablo Xcabar. And on that note, 610 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:46,560 Speaker 1: I think it's not for a fact off. 611 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:52,800 Speaker 2: All right, Sondram was stealing new eggs, but I actually 612 00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 2: want to talk about old eggs for a second. In 613 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:58,800 Speaker 2: twenty fifteen, an intact eggshell from the long extinct elephant 614 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:01,320 Speaker 2: bird was put up for auction at Sotheby's. Now, the 615 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:03,680 Speaker 2: elephant bird when it was around, it weighed more than 616 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 2: one thousand pounds. You see where they got the name 617 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:06,560 Speaker 2: elephant bird. 618 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:07,320 Speaker 1: It's kind of heavy. 619 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:10,560 Speaker 2: So the eggshell is one hundred and fifty times bigger 620 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:13,800 Speaker 2: than a chicken, one hundred and fifty times bigger than 621 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,080 Speaker 2: a chicken's egg. Though it didn't end up selling, the 622 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:20,240 Speaker 2: asking price was between thirty thousand and fifty thousand pounds. 623 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 1: That's amazing, And I have no idea how big one 624 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:26,920 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty times a chinz egg is. I'm picturing 625 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:32,360 Speaker 1: like a house, so personally, I'm saving my pennies for 626 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 1: a great auk egg, which is another extinct bird. Now. 627 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:38,720 Speaker 1: Victorian collectors were especially obsessed with ox in their eggs. 628 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 1: There are thought to be only about seventy five eggshells 629 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:45,880 Speaker 1: left around the world, and twenty twenty three an egg 630 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 1: was auctioned for one hundred thousand pounds. Wow. 631 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:51,560 Speaker 2: All right, Well, a handful of years ago archaeologist in 632 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:55,040 Speaker 2: England came across this basket with four eggs still inside it. Now, 633 00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:57,560 Speaker 2: three of the eggs disintegrated when they were excavating them, 634 00:30:57,600 --> 00:31:00,920 Speaker 2: but they were able to successfully keep one fully intact. 635 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:02,640 Speaker 2: And they took that egg and they sent it to 636 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:05,040 Speaker 2: a lab and it's thought to be a chicken egg 637 00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:09,080 Speaker 2: that's at least seventeen hundred years old. Now, even more 638 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 2: exciting than that, it still has liquid yolk. How wild 639 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:16,240 Speaker 2: is that? That is insane and possibly delicious. 640 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:18,680 Speaker 1: I don't think some ango. We think eggs are expensive now, 641 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:21,320 Speaker 1: but after the California gold Rush started in the late 642 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:24,440 Speaker 1: eighteen forties, eggs were so scarce out west that a 643 00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:26,480 Speaker 1: single chicken egg might go for a dollar in the 644 00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:30,000 Speaker 1: city or three dollars in the mining camps, which is 645 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 1: the equivalent of thirty dollars or ninety dollars today per egg. 646 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:36,520 Speaker 2: That's pretty expensive, But actually it relates to my fact 647 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:39,479 Speaker 2: here and it's about an all American classic known as 648 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:42,520 Speaker 2: the Hangtown Fry. Now. The story goes that one day 649 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:45,520 Speaker 2: in nineteen forty nine, a prospector ran into a saloon 650 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:49,160 Speaker 2: in nearby Hangtown, California. He had just struck it rich, 651 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:51,360 Speaker 2: and so to celebrate, he told the cook that he 652 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 2: wanted quote, the finest and most expensive meal that he 653 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:56,959 Speaker 2: could possibly make him, which at the time was a 654 00:31:56,960 --> 00:32:00,520 Speaker 2: combination of eggs, bacon, and oysters. As far as I 655 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:03,320 Speaker 2: can tell, the Buttercup Diner is the only restaurant in 656 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:06,880 Speaker 2: current day Hangtown that still serves this. They modernized it 657 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 2: slightly by adding cheese on top, but the dish comes 658 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:12,480 Speaker 2: with a warning. It says eat at your own risk 659 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:15,600 Speaker 2: and just as a copyat to that. In twenty eighteen, 660 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:18,080 Speaker 2: the La Times wrote a piece about the Hangtown Fry 661 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:21,200 Speaker 2: where they interviewed the owner of the Buttercup, who called 662 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 2: it quote disgusting. He said, only tourists and people nursing 663 00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:26,719 Speaker 2: hangovers ever order it. 664 00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 1: Do you know what it tastes like? 665 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 2: I found a review from this guy online who says 666 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:33,680 Speaker 2: it was on his bucket list to try, and he said, quote, 667 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:36,880 Speaker 2: it's reminiscent of a plate of liver with scrambled eggs 668 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:42,280 Speaker 2: but chalky and oyster fishy tasting yuck yum. Maybe anyway, 669 00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:44,000 Speaker 2: that was the review, but for whatever it's worth, he 670 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:46,520 Speaker 2: also did add that the more he ate of it, 671 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:48,480 Speaker 2: the quote easier it was to eat. 672 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:52,680 Speaker 1: I don't really understand that thing. Well. I think for 673 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:56,440 Speaker 1: surfacing the world's most luxurious and most disgusting egg dish, 674 00:32:56,520 --> 00:33:00,320 Speaker 1: I think you have to win this one. But that 675 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:02,800 Speaker 1: is it for today's Part Time Genius. We'll be back 676 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:05,200 Speaker 1: with brand new episodes very soon. If you like the show, 677 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:08,240 Speaker 1: remember we're on Instagram at part Time Genius. Be sure 678 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:11,320 Speaker 1: to drop us a line because we love hearing from you. Also, 679 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:13,080 Speaker 1: this week, we have to give a big shout out 680 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:16,120 Speaker 1: to our writer and researcher Marissa Brown, who dug into 681 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:19,600 Speaker 1: the weighty topic of egg thefts for us. Thank you, Marissa, 682 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:22,959 Speaker 1: and from Dylan Gabe, Mary, Will and myself, thank you 683 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:38,400 Speaker 1: so much for listening. Part Time Genius is a production 684 00:33:38,480 --> 00:33:42,200 Speaker 1: of Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio. This show is hosted by Will 685 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:46,520 Speaker 1: Pearson and me Mongish Heatikler and research by our good 686 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:50,840 Speaker 1: pal Mary Philip Sandy. Today's episode was engineered and produced 687 00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:54,160 Speaker 1: by the Wonderful Dylan Fagan, with support from Tyler Klang. 688 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:58,000 Speaker 1: The show is executive produced for iHeart by Katrina Norvel 689 00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:01,200 Speaker 1: and Ali Perry, with social media support from Sasha Gay, 690 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 1: Trustee Dara Potts and Viney Shory. For more podcasts from 691 00:34:05,920 --> 00:34:10,879 Speaker 1: Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 692 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:24,080 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.