BBC Radio 4 LW

The Extinction Tapes

The Extinction Tapes: Steller's Sea Cow

Steller's Sea Cow

BBC Radio 4 - The Extinction Tapes, Steller's Sea Cow

Rob Newman tells stories of the species we've lost forever, and our role in their demise

Rob Newman tells the story of the extinction of Steller's Sea Cow. Hungry urchins, struggling sea-otters, and a cruel fur-trade all had a role in the demise of this gentle giant

Rob Newman tell the story of a species we've lost forever, and explores our role in their extinction.

Steller's Sea Cow was a gentle giant of the Bering Sea, a nine-meter long relative of the Dugong and the Manatee. This is a story of swaying forests of kelp; insatiable urchins covering the sea-floor; families of sea-otters, displaced by hunting, and a growing fur-trade which threatened them all. When a delicate ecosystem gets thrown out of balance, the effects can be far-reaching, and devastating.

Produced in Bristol by Emily Knight

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