Why Ancient Stories Might Be More Scientific Than Modern Belief

Episode Description 🐾

In this powerful Part 2 conversation, Trisha McCagh and guest Deepak Shimkhada explore the deep spiritual symbolism of animals in Hindu philosophy, including divine animal companions, Kundalini energy, Edgar Cayce’s awakening, and the idea that all beings carry divine intelligence.

The episode then shifts into a lively and eye-opening “Animal News” segment where Trisha and Dana Saidi challenge fear-based perceptions of spiders and cockroaches, revealing their extraordinary intelligence, ecological importance, resilience, and surprising beauty in nature’s design.

Together, these conversations invite us to rethink how we view animals, energy, consciousness, and our connection to all living beings.

Episode Highlights 🐶

• The power of words, intention, and consciousness on living systems
• The story of plants responding to positive vs negative speech
• Hindu mythology and animals as divine “vehicles” of the gods
• The symbolic meaning of Kundalini energy and serpent wisdom
• Edgar Cayce’s psychic awakening and possible Kundalini activation
• Why animals are considered sacred companions in Hindu tradition
• Spiders as essential ecosystem protectors and natural pest controllers
• Cockroaches as ancient survivors with extraordinary adaptability
• Reframing fear-based beliefs about “creepy” animals
• Animal communication insights revealing intelligence and emotion in all species

Key Takeaways 🐾

• Energy, words, and intention may influence living beings in profound ways
• In Hindu philosophy, animals are not separate from divinity but expressions of it
• Many animals carry symbolic “vehicles” representing personality, purpose, and cosmic energy
• Fear of animals is often culturally learned rather than biologically based
• Spiders play a crucial ecological role in maintaining balance in homes and gardens
• Cockroaches are among the most resilient organisms on Earth and are deeply misunderstood
• Every creature, regardless of size or appearance, contributes to the ecosystem
• Shifting perception from fear to respect can transform how we coexist with nature

⏱️ Episode Chapters 🐾
00:00 – Welcome & introduction to Part 2
00:16 – Plants, words, and the power of vibration
01:56 – Responsibility of intention toward all beings
02:56 – Animals and the concept of heaven
05:10 – Divine animal “vehicles” in Hindu mythology
06:45 – Symbolism of animals and spiritual energy
08:20 – Kundalini energy and serpent symbolism
10:40 – Edgar Cayce and spiritual awakening through energy points
12:41 – Rats, Ganesha, and wisdom through story
20:00 – Children, consciousness & shaping future perception
21:11 – Teaching duality: light, dark, pleasure, pain
24:30 – Where to find Deepak Shimkhada’s books
25:11 – Closing reflections

25:40 – Animal News begins: shifting fear of spiders
26:00 – Spider facts, ecology, and misunderstood behaviour
33:00 – Cockroaches: ancient survivors of Earth
41:00 – Cockroach intelligence, resilience & adaptation
48:00 – Reframing fear and ecological respect

🐾 Animal News
This episode’s Animal News explores two of the most misunderstood creatures on Earth—spiders and cockroaches.

Spiders are revealed as vital ecosystem engineers, controlling insect populations, supporting pollination stability, and reducing the need for pesticides. They even provide environmental indicators, signaling ecological imbalance when their populations decline.

Cockroaches, often feared, are shown to be ancient survivors dating back over 300 million years. They can survive extreme conditions, regenerate limbs, withstand radiation, and adapt to nearly any environment. Far from being “dirty pests,” they play important ecological roles and demonstrate extraordinary resilience and intelligence.

This segment challenges listeners to reconsider fear-based conditioning and recognise the essential roles these creatures play in Earth’s living system.

👤 About the Guest
Deepak Shimkhada – Scholar, author, and cultural philosopher specialising in Hindu mythology, symbolism, and spiritual traditions. He shares insights into divine animal symbolism, Kundalini energy, and the philosophical understanding of consciousness across species.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Deepak-Shimkhada/author/B09J9ZD3B7?ref_=pe_1724030_132998060&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

🎧 Listen, Share & Stay Connected
If this episode resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review. Your support helps spread awareness that all animals—no matter how small, feared, or misunderstood—have a voice and a place in the world.

Remember: The animals are always talking… if we’re willing to listen.

Hashtags
#AnimalTalkPodcast #TrishaMcCagh #AnimalCommunication #Spirituality #HinduMythology #Kundalini #SacredAnimals #Spiders #Cockroaches #Consciousness #NatureWisdom #DeepakShimkhada #AnimalAwareness #EcoWisdom #AllBeingsMatter

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:02

Welcome back to the Animal Talk Podcast. In part two of our conversation with Deepak Shinkada, we start talking about the incredible importance of animals to Hindu gods, Kundalini energy, Edgar Casey, and how he got his mystical powers. So let's welcome back Deepak.

SPEAKER_00 0:19

I think you are probably uh uh familiar with um the Japanese scientists and the Imotos, you know, the water uh in experimentation. And also some uh high schools, you know, some kids bought two exactly two plants and put them in the side by side in a in a in a classroom. And they were instructed uh to the plant on the left, you would curse as you as you enter. And to the plant to your right, you will say lovely things, you know, I love you, how beautiful you are, and all that. Without even giving water, without even giving any uh any any food, simply the words, you know, will will suffice. And after a week, it has been observed that the that the the plant to your left uh where you curse the plant, it really had a poor result, uh wilting and dying and getting a yellow color, so you eventually it died out. Whereas the plant to the right is still uh glow and it's uh green leaves and all that. So you can see the power of words, you know that does so much you know harm or or goodness, so we can see you know how we relate uh to animals. See, we're talking about just the plants. So what happens to an animal? It's the same.

SPEAKER_02 1:42

And not only that, let's go a step further and say what are we doing to each other with our words and our intention? What sort of person are you going to become? What are you going to create? And this is what we're creating. So, in itself, is showing you all along the way that we have to be very careful and we need to honor everyone, our neighbour, our animals. We need to put a lot of positivity out there for sure. So it's so clear, really, to you and I. Right, right. It would be lovely if the whole world saw it as clearly, or perhaps it's just hard to get people to put it into action. Right. That might be the the the difficult thing, perhaps. Now I wanted to get on to another subject as well. A lot of Western religions and and maybe there's even more out there that aren't Western, but that animals don't go to heaven. And this has upset a lot of people, Deepak, because especially in my world, because I'm an animal communicator, so a lot of my followers or a lot of people around me, you know, they love animals and they don't like the fact that, well, I go to heaven, so why aren't the animals won't they be there when I get there? So this is quite disturbing for them. What do you think about that?

SPEAKER_00 2:59

Well, yeah, animals are as human as anyone else, because they have you know equal rights, because they are, after all, they are the creatures of God, right? If you want to talk about God and the uh creatures, uh but if you just take out the the word God, uh, because God lives in in in in in every creature, right? We already proved that according to all these stories. And then again the story that ants were found uh in Indra's heaven, right? And then especially one uh very good example of a dog um uh in in heaven, when um Yudhistir being a being a good king, so he went to heaven, and then he had a dog, a companion, so he took along uh his dog, and at the gate, so he was stopped. And then of course I will not go without my dog, you know, either. You allow both of us, otherwise I'm going to stay back, you know. Um and and then finally God Brahma himself appeared and then recognized there is there is a space for all creatures, all animals. If a dog can go, and any other animal can go, I suppose, right?

SPEAKER_02 4:20

Well, if you look at if you look at animals, they're some of the purest forms of beings on this planet. They don't have judgment of you, they are unconditional. The love and the feeling and the support and the comfort that animals give, well, you know, it's sort of non-discriminating, but you're saying, you know, that's better than a lot of people, how they act and and how they are. Why would they not be in heaven if people go there? I mean, it's it's a kind of a common sense thing as well, just knowing the purity of them, that Brahma or God or uh what anybody wants to call that life force, why would why would that not be entered into the most amazing place in the universe when they're so pure and they and they're just giving, giving, giving. It doesn't make sense in any other way. So I'm sure luckily we're hearing it from you as well, but I'm sure there'd be a lot of relieved people out there because it's a question that gets asked a lot.

SPEAKER_00 5:20

Another important thing to consider is that all gods in Hinduism have an animal that they're paired with an animal as their companion, as their what you call a vehicle. You know, when it's a companion, you know, you know, he its job is to carry the god, you know, either on its back or whatever, you know, so it's supposed to fly, supposed to ride, uh, all that, whatever service it provides. So for example, Shiva has a bull as his vehicle on which he rides, and then Brahma has a swan on which he sits, and then the swan flies. The animals are given or pair based on their own personality, what type of god it is, so it matches the master's personality. Similarly, the gods also have given uh an animal as his or her vehicle, uh though now goddess Durga, who goddess Durga is the goddess warrior, like Athena is a warrior type. So, warrior type, you cannot go to the war, to the battlefield riding on a swan. Right? You have to have some ferocious animal that can jump, that can, you know, attack. Okay, very ferocious. So she has a lion or tiger.

SPEAKER_02 6:48

So this is so this is like the symbolism that comes with you, depending on what you're like. And this vehicle helps you achieve what you've come down to to achieve.

SPEAKER_00 6:58

Like a lot of it's an energy, right? It's a driving force, energy. And um similarly, um Saraswati has uh uh again swan, uh, and then someone has a peacock, someone has an eagle. Now Vishnu has an eagle because he's a solar god, you know, that he's up in the heavens, so eagle flies, so you know, then he can soar through the sky. Um and the god of death has a water buffalo, he's on the grounded, someone has a dog animal, uh, so you know, someone has a horse. So, you know, all these animals are paired, that means they belong to heaven because the god if God lives in heaven, this they should also live in heaven, right? So it is pretty clear. So they have a space in heaven, all these animals. So, D Pak, how do you find out what animal is your vehicle? My my animal, I don't know. I have not I think I thought about that. Maybe I saw it. I I I love dogs and Well, I you know, I'm with you on that.

SPEAKER_02 8:04

I love all animals. Love dogs, love cats, love birds, horses, you know, I love all of them. I've talked to a lot of people, and just because you are afraid of an animal or you don't like an animal, it's not a reflection of their value. For instance, snakes come up, you know, people freak out, especially in Australia, about snakes. If they see a snake and they're evil and they're gonna bite you and they're gonna kill you, and you know, things like that. I mean, people have heard about the kondelini energy, you know, rising, the sexual power, and snakes and serpents come up there. In Hinduism, what's the representation of a snake?

SPEAKER_00 8:42

Snake has a wonderful representation of energy, it's a source of energy. Snakes, you know, they make their underground as their home, and they they lie there this power called kundalini power, energy, and also they're able to shed their skin. So that symbolizes the transformation of life in a second life. You know, you shed a skin, and then of course you have another life. So regeneration of life. So it has a lot of symbolism, and because of that uh it is considered uh holy. There are two types of, you know, one is a mythological snake called Naga. Uh Naga has ability to to transform into from from from animal to to human beings, that they are shape shifters, right? Because they can change shape uh from any anything, you know, from original um snake to human beings or any other forms. So they have that ability. Uh so because of that they're considered very potent, very sacred. And then of course you have the the other snake, the the garden variety, the snake that we find uh you know on the ground or any place else, they are the venomous snakes. So um so in Hindu mythology all snakes are considered form of Naga. So uh because of that energy, and that the energy is thought to be uh in a in a spiral form, coiled up. You know, the snake usually remains coiled up with his hood buried, and when it is disturbed, then it of course raises his hood, and then you know it starts going up. And then similarly, your energy also rises in that fashion. This is simply seen as a metaphor, you know, like a rising. So the energy when you arouse at the base of your spine, that's where it is located. And my article that deals with um uh you know Ed Edgar Casey's um uh what is called psychic powers, and then I mean they have talked about you know what wonderful he he was, he did this, he did that, but no one has been able to define or tell, you know, how did he harness that that psychic powers. And then once I read his his biography, that clicked right there, you know, oh my god, that's what what happened, and then it's he says that you know while he was playing in a you know in a school, you know, uh in a in a in a football ground some some you know in a school and he was hit by the ball uh at his caucus, you know, at the tail end of his spine. You know what? That's exactly where the kundalini uh sits, you know, rests. That's the that's the location of kundalini, the muladhara. Okay, once it is aroused, then then you can take the you know the kundalini, the chakra by chakra, you know, first, second, third, fourth, and then finally, you know, the seventh chakra. A lot of you know, people do a lot of uh meditation, a lot of practice to arouse that kundalini, but in Casey's case, it accidentally happened to him. You know, he it he was hit at a point, you know, unwittingly he his kundalini was just aroused, and then when he went home, he said, he says, I felt funny when I was hit at my tail end. And then you know, somehow you know he became clairvoyant.

SPEAKER_02 12:24

And there's also animals like the rat, and there's rat temples around Asia as well, but the rat to most, especially Western society, is ooh, vermin, disease, disgusting, scream, the whole works. What is it in Hindu mythology?

SPEAKER_00 12:43

Well, I think the rat has a lot of good functions without which, you know, our thing of many of our medicines would not have been invented, would not have been discovered. We share so much DNA with them in in terms of uh uh human existence. It has contributed so much to to humanity to understand, you know, diseases, to understand our our you know life cycles. And the rat is the vehicle of Ganesha. Ganesha is another Hindu god, elephant-headed god, and he's a chubby guy. Contradiction is that you know when you are obese, a lot of you know uh physical activities are limited. Before to compensate your limitations, your body limitations, you are given a vehicle that is so quick, that is so fast. You know? Can you can you catch a mouse? Can you catch a rat? Yeah, so quick.

SPEAKER_02 13:40

And also thinks very quickly. When I was teaching at certain facilities and we wanted to communicate with animal, I always chose an animal that was always high significance. Everyone thought, well, I'm at this center, I have to simply talk to, say, say, a crocodile. But we have a little marsupial mouse here in Australia called a Dunnart. And I would choose a Dunnart for the students to speak to as well. And it was really interesting. They came back after they had been out speaking to these animals, and they went, You're not going to believe this, but the Dunart had so much to say. So they'd expect the crocodile to have a lot to say because of its size and its, you know, it its grandeur. But this little Dunart had a lot to say, and it was it was very interesting because one of the things that the Dunnart was concerned about was that in its enclosure in the nocturnal house, it was actually right next door. It had just glass between it, but it was right next door to a predator. And it felt very unnerved about the situation it was in and was showing the students. So it was so interesting that they were so fascinated, and I thought, ah, my job is done. They've realized how much intelligence and interest is in a dunart, that we don't just put a dunart over there and it's insignificant because of its size. So that was a very beautiful, uh beautiful thing for me. Uh because I know that even in in Hindu mythology, the crocodile does have a high significance, but also in Egyptian times, uh this this because and so it should. Every animal should. Right. But it's just interesting how it's viewed, and of course, probably in American over here in Australia, you know, crocodiles and alligators are feared by a lot of people because of their size. I just think it's a shame that we have such opinions on animals, but I think if we think about it, we also have opinion of opinions of each other. It's a it's a direct reflection on how society's become.

SPEAKER_00 15:41

I c if I can share one history very similar to Donart and you talked about. Okay, the mouse or the or you know the rat has a very similar kind of um advice that it gives, the the wisdom that it provides uh to his lord, his uh master Ganesha. Okay, as you know, Ganesha is obese and he cannot perform um a lot of physical activities. And uh he has his brother, uh the Shiva and Parvati have two sons, uh Ganesha and Kumar. Kumar is the god of um war. He's very athletic, he's very handsome, nice and tall and slim, you know, w work out. Uh so after all, he's the god of war. He has to be in a good, good physical fitness, good shape. Whereas his brother Ganesha is obese, you know, and then he's uh sits always at home and he likes to eat a lot of sweets, dessert. And again, that shows, you know, if you eat a lot of desserts, that's what happens, you get a potbelly and all that. So a lot of you know um a lesson to be learned from all these stories. And then then one day they were playing and Shiva and Parvati were sitting up there in uh in Unkailash Mountain, and then Shiva out of you know uh what do you call uh fun to have you know uh his two sons do something, is well uh if d if two of you can circle the earth three times and then faster than one, then you know I will give you a prize. Okay? And the moment he heard the the Kumara heard that, so he has a peacock as his p vehicle, so he uh rode on the peacock and just he flew away, you know, and as he was circling, like a superman, right? And then Ganesa here is totally baffled, you know, he's so sad and he's kind of you know kind of crying almost, uh, you know, defeated already, you know, because how can I circle? I can barely walk, uh forget about circling the earth three times and and beating my you know, brother Kumar, right? And then when Rat saw his master, you know, um crying, so he came to him, you know, uh Ganesh, do not be despaired. You know, I know that is what your brother does, but you also have a capability, you have a wisdom, right? Use your force. Back to historical wars. Luke, use your force. Use your use your brain power. You have that, you have not lost it, you have lost your physical power. So why don't you they're sitting uh on a kind of pedestal, Shivan Parvati, and then go around them three times, like, and then then after circling three times, which you can do, all right, and then then stand before them and then tell them, uh, father and mother, for me, you are the universe. You are the earth. I have circled you three times. For me, I don't have to go and circle the earth. So you are you are the universe for me. And see what happens. You know, like you know, when I get um a cup from my daughter, you know, when she was in the kindergarten, you know, you you are the the best father. Ever.

SPEAKER_02 19:26

Ever. You've written a lot of books. You also have written children's books. Yes. Now, I want to ask you something about that before but you know, before we finish, because I've developed a children's program because my vision is that the world does need some changing. We've gone off in a little bit of the wrong direction. Yes. And it starts with children because from zero to seven, they're in theta brain and they understand that's that's where their whole um belief system comes from, their software in their brain, so to speak. Then they go to school and they are influenced by whoever's teaching or whatever the curriculum is. So I wanted to start connecting children back with nature, animals, themselves, reflection, to get balanced, to see the world in a different perspective and the part that they could play and to connect them back because once you're connected with an animal or nature, you want to save it, you want to preserve it. I believe that through doing this, future generations will actually not only get a balance and, you know, you know, be kinder to, but they're going to become kinder individuals. They're going to become more with planet Earth. They're also hopefully going to move a little bit away from technology, come back to the reality and the silence of self and within themselves. What were you hoping? Thank you. What were you hoping to do with your children's books?

SPEAKER_00 20:54

What were you hoping to achieve? Basically providing some education to them, you know, so I have some moral lessons at the end. One story is based on a real uh incident. My granddaughter, who is now uh fifteen, uh, when she was, I think, you know, four years old, we had a sudden um the power outages. Uh power went out, the whole house was dark, we didn't know, you know, where to find this flashlight. So we're in a stumbling, and then you know, she um the scared and then you know, held her mommy, mommy, mommy, where are you? And all that, you know, how the kids get get get scared, and then then she bumped her elbow on on a table and she was crying and all that. So, based on that, so I wrote about uh the story um uh night and day. What are the advantages, what are the disadvantages? You know, I mean night is as as equal, I mean as valid as a day without night, you know, we will, you know, we'll lose this, this, this, this. So it you know, it is a necessary part of Life, like you know, every coin has two sides or whatever. So, you know, then I wrote this story um based on that uh incident. So t teaching that, you know, do not consider night as bad as something bad. And then she said exactly in a in her sentence, right, Mommy, I don't like dark. It is evil, it is bad. So based on that, I said, no, it's not evil, it's not bad, it is a necessary part of life, you know, without which, you know, we then you know if there's no evil, then how would you know uh what goodness is, right? Because we are comparing goodness against based on evil, right? So, you know, we we need both of both of them. There has to be something to compare, otherwise, you know, I mean there will be no value of light, the light on 24 hours a day, you know.

SPEAKER_02 22:53

So again, you're you're showing them contrast, you're showing them a different way to perceive things, not the way perhaps it has been perceived by somebody else on this planet, but to look at each individual thing and see the goodness in it and the reason for it. Right. Not necessarily I'm just going to shun that because I've been told that it's bad or or whatever else. And which is also a beautiful thing. It's it's like educating children back to the to the concepts, you know, back to the other.

SPEAKER_00 23:26

Yes, exactly. You know, without pain, there there's no s idea of pleasure. If there's pleasure all the time, then how would you know the value of pleasure?

SPEAKER_02 23:35

Right? How could you get excited about something because you it would all be it would all be more of the same.

SPEAKER_00 23:40

It's a given, you know, like a granted, you know. I mean, I've been granted like, you know, the pleasure all the time, so it has no value. No exactly it has no value at all. Why would I strive for getting pleasure? Because uh you you you don't know the value of pleasure.

SPEAKER_02 23:58

It's learning the value of many things, deep. Right. Right value.

SPEAKER_00 24:01

Yes. So where can we find your books? Oh, they're all on in on the internet, uh especially on Amazon. Amazon sell to them. So they're all in there. Because people might want to find you.

SPEAKER_02 24:13

So we will put a link uh down the bottom in the show notes for for your books in on Amazon. It's been an absolute privilege and an honor to have you on the show. I could talk to you for hours. It's been so inspiring to me. Just learnt today so many things I didn't know, but I also learnt that we have a lot in common and our beliefs and perceptions are indeed very much grounded in the same truth. So I'm very grateful for that, and thank you so much for coming on the show and being with us. You're welcome. Anytime. Thank you. Thank you so much, DPAC, for sharing your wisdom, your depth, and your heart with us today. What a gift to be reminded that ancient knowledge still speaks, especially when we slow down, listen, and honour the life around us.

SPEAKER_01 24:59

Standing in the Sarangeti Plains in northern Tanzania, it's the annual migration of 1.5 million wildebeest, wildebeest to the right, wildebeest to the left, and a few dozens heroes. A great place to see, but bad place to stand, as is Podcast Unknown Land. You can help us out with that by taking a tiny moment to press the subscribe download or follow button so we can have as many followers as there are ouch. But up next, what does the animal think?

SPEAKER_02 25:41

What does the animal think? You might think they like it, do they really? Hey dog lovers, ever come home from a muddy walk, a rainy park adventure, or a splash at the beach only to be greeted by wet paws on the floor, soggy towels everywhere, and that unmistakable damp dog smell lingering in your car or home. We've all been there. The fun ends, but the mess follows you inside. That's why I want to introduce a real game changer for dogs, the Rough and Tumble classic dog drying coat from Rough and Tumble Dog Coats, the drying coat that actually dries your dog fast and without the fuss. It's made with a double layer of natural cotton toweling that actively wicks moisture away from your dog's coat. That means no endless towel rubbing, no cold, damp dog still shaking water everywhere, and no wet car seats on the drive home. You slip it on, fasten it with the easy velcro closures and let it do the work while your dog stays warm and comfortable. And what's lovely is that your dog doesn't even realise they're being dried at first. They just experience it as a cozy, calming layer after being out in the elements. It turns that usually chaotic post-walk moment into something much more relaxed for everyone. Plus, these coats are genuinely comfortable and cozy, and they're available in sizes for all breeds. Big dog, small dog, short coats, long coats. Everyone gets the dry and warm treatment they deserve. And it's not just about drying coats. Rough and Tumble also offers cooling coats for warmer days, drying mitts to get those paws, ears, and tummies just right, and stylish practical accessories designed to make everyday life with your dog easier. All created with quality, durability, and real dog owner practicality in mind. Now Dana knows all about this because she uses a rough and tumble classic drying coat on her dog Diego. She can't believe the difference it makes. Let's have a chat to Donna and Diego.

SPEAKER_04 27:46

Oh, let me tell you where I begin. I was trying to find something easy to be able to wash and dry my dog. Now, as you know, Husky Fur, double coat, absolute nightmare to dry off. Takes forever, takes days. Okay. He goes to weekly hydrotherapy. So every single week after we finish it, I'd have to take like three or four towels and dry them off. And it would take forever and it forever. And he'd still be wet. And I'd have to wait at least a day to make sure he's fully dry. So then I came across this coat. Physio actually remended, recommended it. So this coat, the way it's designed, it's got this terry cloth inside it. But when you put it over his whole body, you get him to wear it for eight hours, and by the end of it, he's dry. Now I was a bit skeptical because I'm like, listen, he's a husky. Water's, you know, stuck to them like there's nobody's business. So I tried it. At the end of the day, I pulled it off him and he was fully dry, like down to the root. And I was just like, this is amazing. Everyone needs this. Anyone who's got this kind of coat on their dog needs it. And I've used it every time ever since, and I no regrets whatsoever. Best thing ever.

SPEAKER_02 28:56

Okay. And from your perspective, yes, this drying coat is incredible. But as an animal communicator that you are, Donna, we need to know does Diego have that sentiment? Does he feel that way about the coat? So you've obviously had a communication with him or a conversation with him. So what what did he tell you about this coat?

SPEAKER_04 29:22

Well, the funny thing is he doesn't love it as much as I do to start with, but he does put up with it. And he said to me, he's happy to wear it if it means I will stop fussing over trying to dry him off. And so the first time he put it on, uh I gave him some time, ignored him, and he was pretty happy with it. He found it quite cozy. He actually found it quite comfortable. He slept in it, you know, outside, inside. Um, and he was all right with it. But at the end of it, he goes, I don't want to be made a fool of with this coat on. Doesn't want to look like all the other little dogs out there with a little coat on, walking around. So he's actually happy to have it at home, but that's it.

SPEAKER_02 30:03

And look, because I know Diego, uh I just want to reiterate, you know, I had a connection with him, and he's saying to me, it's not the most uh regal coat you've ever seen. Now it's practical, it's brilliant, as we know, uh, and and that's in itself amazing. Mind you, uh, he even though he doesn't think it looks too regal and it doesn't give him that masterful approach. But what's really interesting about it, he said that while he's drying, so as the uh coat is absorbing the water in hot weather, he said it's actually very cooling. Oh, it's so good to know. So he's actually quite enjoying that part. So you know what? It's so great to hear from their perspective. But I am so happy that you have finally found something that I think is going to save you a lot of time. But I'm also happy for Diego because this is a lot better for him because he doesn't like your fussing, Donna. And he he said you you go pretty hard at it when you when you are drying him off. So I I think this coat works for both of you, really. So I'm very happy for you. So thank you so much for your insights and thank you, Diego, for yours. Approved by Donna, and most importantly, Diego. So next time you come in from the park, the bush, or the beach, make wet dog hassles a thing of the past. Head to Rough Tumble Dog Coats and explore their range because your best friend truly deserved the best care. Stay dry, stay happy with Rough and Tumble. Visit Rough Tumble Dogcoats.com today. Next up, Animal News with Trisha and Donna. Hi Donna, today is a very interesting topic. Now, I just want to say that we're going to be talking about two particular animals today that most people might go, ooh, creepy, right? Oh, you're kidding me, and that's the reason why I'm doing it. Right? Because I'm going to be talking today, and I've brought my facts and figures with me too, by the way, about spiders and cockroaches. Yes, you heard me. Spiders and cockroaches. Now, the first thing I want to say is that it's not just for women out there who go, Oh my god, I can't do it, I can't do it, it's awful. It's not because I've seen a lot of scaredy men around spiders, right? And I'm telling you, apart from wearing a dress, it looks very similar, right? So I just want to say I want to talk about these two creatures today because, hmm, let's see if we can have a tiny little shift towards, hmm, lovely. We probably won't get any wonderfuls, but we could get, okay, I'll have another look at things. Let's see what we can do. And we'll have a bit of a chat about these. Now, I first of all want to talk about spiders. All right. So let's do some interesting facts about spiders that perhaps you didn't know and why we need them in our lives, right? Because even in animal communication, we always get people to start connecting with animals that they either find scary or they really just dislike. Because every animal has its benefits. It's a bit like people, you know. We don't, it's like everyone is a different shape, size, and we classify some people as models, and we classify some people as, well, not models. And, you know, we start to have all this judgment. Well, animals get judged too, and we want to see if we can kind of soften the judgment. Now, I've got a really interesting one for the spiders, Dan. I just want you to run this past you. They have 48 knees. Oh, amazing. Yeah, it is. And I know that I'm going to disappoint you now because the scientists really don't know why.

SPEAKER_03 34:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:05

Right? So because I just felt this urge for you to say, why? Anyway, you do the math. There's eight legs and work out how many knees per leg. Anyway, all right, because there's 48 of them. Because uh spiders don't have the ability to stretch out their legs, they have a bent leg. Just saying. All right. Some spiders consume their own web so they can restock their supply. I mean, how resilient is that and how resourceful? I mean, seriously. Now, um, I I wouldn't suggest that. Well, I I don't know how we'd restock on our food. I don't even want to go there, do you? Like, oh no, that that's that's bringing up really, really nasty thoughts, darn it. I I think I'm just gonna bypass that. Next, next, okay. Um there was a study performed in San Paolo uh to help people get over arachnophobia by looking at spider-like objects because I've known people, they they reckon there's quite a good success rate, and I don't know, maybe it's sort of like a desensitizing, but I know some people. I knew one girl, it was a friend of mine, she couldn't even open a book and see a picture of a spider. She would scream and run.

SPEAKER_03 35:21

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 35:23

I'm just saying, is that not a bit irrational? I'm just you know, let's just put that out there. We have to wonder why you know what the spiders have said to me, Donna, when we've, you know, people have screamed and run off. They turn around and say, Have you looked at your size and my size? I mean they're they're as dumbfounded as as we are, right? They they're dumbfounded as to why these huge humans scream and run away. Do you think the spider looks behind them and thinks, geez, what did they see? What did they see, right? Because we'd have to wonder that. Seriously. Now, also, um oh, well, look. They say, How many spiders don't you see? And there was a study done in Sussex in England, and I don't want to scare anybody because there was like 5.5 million spiders per hectare. Oh, oh my goodness. So, you know what? Your garden's a minefield, but they keep to themselves and they haven't killed you yet, so why the hell are you afraid of them? That's what I say, if there's 5.5 million spiders out there. Now, not all spiders use webs, so don't even blame them. Oh, they're so messy and they're so annoying because there's webs everywhere. Well, not all of them use webs, all right? So there's another fact for you. I'm really putting in here for the spiders. They also eat a lot of disease-carrying organisms, so they keep disease levels down. They're actually your secret allies in the garden because they keep insect numbers down that destroy your garden. If you think you've got problems out there now, if it wasn't for those spiders, man, you might as well just give it up. Give it up, have a barren land out in the backyard, just be barren as, because those spiders are keeping your garden alive. I'm really getting to the stage where I think we need to do a little honoring here and say, hey, next time I pass a spider, hey, thank you. Thanks a lot. Because you've also saved me a lot of pesticide um liquids and sprays because you're keeping down the very insects that a lot of people spray. Now, I personally don't, neither do you, do you, Donna?

SPEAKER_04 37:34

No, I don't either.

SPEAKER_02 37:35

We don't spray insects or anything else because we believe everything is entitled to live, and you planted your house there on their land, just saying, just saying. Right? So my house is on their land, so I'm sharing it with them. I've come to a few arrangements, but I'm still sharing it. And nothing gets killed. Not even in the house, it gets taken outside, and there's a way to do that safely. Now, they protect pollinators. Now, we all know how important bees and butterflies and all these things are that transfer all the pollination and get food and flowers and all the important things. We know about that. Well, these guys are doing that by keeping their predators down. Okay, we we're getting into some serious spider territory now. We're getting into some serious, serious areas that we might need to get down our knees and sort of give the little bit of a um, you know, bowing to the spider because honestly, they're doing some amazing things. Now, they're also an important snack for other animals that we also need in our yard. You know, lizards and things. I mean, that keeps them alive. They've got to eat something, frogs, you know, if we can get frogs. And we know you have frogs, Donna, because we've seen them. Yeah. Right. Now, so spiders are very important for them out there. Um, they also that oh, they they give you the signs. Now, if there's a big drop in spider numbers in your backyard, hey, big things are coming. Like the overuse of insecticides and pesticides and pollution. Because if your area is not good for spiders, you really need to go, hey, something big's happening, and I need to know about it. Now, they also keep the insect population down on the inside of your house to keep your house healthier so you're not overrun by the bugs you don't like. Oh, yeah, see a few spiders on the wall. Oh, yeah, oh, gotta kill it, gotta get it out. Well, if it wasn't for them, you'd be overrun by mosquitoes and other things. So, how about we don't kill everything now? How about we just put it outside very calmly, peaceably, and say thank you, because otherwise I would be bitten terribly in my sleep. Maybe because you've put all the spiders out or you've killed them is the reason you are getting bitten by all these other insects. Right now, they're helpers, protectors, and quiet contributors to the home and garden. And also, I'd like to bring up that they also have amazing adaptations. We've talked about some before, Donna. But the Peruvian spider is so smart that it can replicate itself from web and dead insects and a bit of grass and a bit of leaf. It can replicate itself so much that its predators think it's the actual spider and attack that spider, while the spider sits in wait of bigger and better food sources, honestly. So they're very, very smart individuals. So what do you think, Donna? Because I know that you're not particularly terrified of spiders.

SPEAKER_04 40:47

Well, I think like everyone else, I grew up terrified of spiders. And then once I started communicating with the whole, with all the animal world, I did confront and speak with spiders to find out why I was so afraid. And constantly I was always hit back with the same question. Why we should be afraid of you? Why are you afraid of us? And the more that I conversated with them and the more that I treated them like beings, the less afraid that I became of them. And they've become some really incredible beings that live around my home. They look after the insects, like you say. They also look after all the mosquito population, because you know I can't handle that either. And they're just they're not there to hurt anyone. They intentionally are not looking for you at all. So why? Why do we have this fixation on trying to get them out of the house straight away? We hear these myths, you know, that they're gonna come and sleep on you. I mean, look, in all honesty, we look like a giant compared to them. We're not food. So why would they come and sleep on your face in the middle of the night? I think too many movies have given us these nightmares. I don't think that's the case at all. Um, and I've learned to embrace them and to be so excited when I see them. I see them especially at night. I see beautiful little red-backed spiders that are creating their orbs and they're on a mission. They're walking around. Little white tails. Whitetails are not by any means aggressive, they're so shy, and you just feel for them immediately. And so you want to obviously protect your animals. We get that. We always want to make sure nothing happens to them if they should be bitten, but that doesn't mean you don't have to kill them, right?

SPEAKER_02 42:18

Yeah. Look, absolutely. I think that it's just become a thing that, oh, you know, not only in movies, but the way we were brought up and and all of that. But you know, when you sit there and you sit there logically, it just doesn't make sense. Now, I've really got a great conversation going with my spiders. Now, I just want to let everybody know that because I talk to my spiders and I'm very, very careful of them and I put them outsized, and also if I'm going to clean my patio, I tell them to run for the hills in three days' time. Because the high high pressure cleaner is coming out and I don't want to hurt anyone. And nearly all of them clear out because they know what it means once a year or twice a year. And the other ones that don't, I help out, right? So because I have this relationship with them, I was talking to a neighbor the other day and I said, Oh man, there are so many spiders uh out, you know. Late and she went, What do you mean? And I went, Oh, there's my my yard's just full of spiders. She goes, We've hardly got any. Wow. So guess what? They've all come to my yard. In fact, it looks like the Adams family. I'm just saying, but that's okay. That's okay because we just have to share. And I've said to them, this little patio area is mine. The rest of the backyard you can have, but this is mine. And we've come to an arrangement and it's all okay. So I think we just have to get a little bit of um common sense going. Now, the other thing is what other animal I call it, what other animal freaks people out more than spiders? Cockroaches. Cockroaches. Go figure. Okay, let's talk about cockroaches. I'm going to tell you all about cockroaches because again, it's another way of can we persuade you to think a bit differently about them, right? They're very, very clever insects. Now, they date back 300 million years ago. They've just they have survived so many extinctions we're talking about since the dinosaurs. The dinosaurs didn't even make it, but the cockroaches made it. I'm just amazing. If that's not major resilience, I I don't know what is. What can we learn from them? Everything. I know everything. They can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes underwater. So if you think you're going to try to drown them, forget it. It's not happening. All right? Because I know there are people listening out there that have tried. Now, they can run up to three Ks an hour, three kilometers. Or if you want to say miles, that's fine, but they can run up to three kilometers an hour. That's pretty fast for an insect. And they can run on four legs or two, equally as fast. Just saying. Now, they are also omnivores. They're not strictly carnivores. They will have whatever's in their park. Now, they can eat anything, including glue, soap, and even other cockroaches. That may not persuade you, but if you've spilt any glue or you've got some sticky soap lying around, they're going to clean it up for you. Just saying. Now, the some species of cockroaches can reproduce without mating. That's why there's an abundance of cockroaches. All right. Just saying, you're never going to have a shortage of cockroaches. Mmm. Okay, just putting it out there. So the average lifespan of a cockroach is only one year. So give it a great year. It's only a year. A year goes past so quickly. I mean, seriously. Now, cockroaches, oh, okay, this is a fun fact. We're just going to put this fun fact out there that cockroaches can live without their heads up to a week because their brain is scattered throughout its body. Okay, set it. It's out there. All right, so if you try to cut its head off, it's still going to last a week. I'm I I'm just putting it out there because I know from speaking to people the lengths they've gone to to get rid of cockroaches. Now, they can withstand radiation levels up to 15 times higher than us. They can regenerate lost limbs in case they're around predators, and they can survive in temperatures raising from uh from freezing to 120 degrees. So even looking at that, they can do stuff we can't. I'm just saying, they can do amazing stuff that we can't. But a story I want to tell you is that I don't know whether you know this, Donna, but I've actually went halfway through a zoology degree in addition to my dentistry. And I I I was in a lab and we had to get a petri dish, and we got a had a live cockroach. It was just sitting there, it didn't try to get away, and the reason it didn't was because we put bicarb on it. So we put some bicarb on this uh cockroach, uh it was either bicarb or talcum powder, but some white sticky powder and it got on the cockroach, and that cockroach in the whole class, which lasted three hours, this cockroach spent three hours meticulously cleaning its body, meticulously going down each antenna, meticulously going over its legs. It took three hours to get that cockroach squeaky clean. Wow. So what I'm saying is for those who think cockroaches are dirty, you're very wrong. They didn't move out of the Petri dish, which was open. There was nothing keeping it from moving, is because it was not moving anywhere until it was squeaky clean. It wanted to be pristine. Now, I don't know whether I've won the vote or not. I am definitely hoping that there's some people out there that now are thinking very kindly towards cockroaches. How about you, Donna?

SPEAKER_04 48:24

Oh, I hope that there's more out there that have warmed up to the idea of cockroaches. The most ancient and most resilient creature, like if you really did put us on a par with each other, just ignore size for a moment. How could you not have respect for such a creature that could outlive you, that can survive beyond anything you could, and still be scared of it? It's such a tiny little thing. The stealth that these creatures have is so incredible. And in fact, there is so much more that people are doing with them now. So there's actually a German startup company called Swarm Biotectics, and they're working with the Madagascar hissing cockroach to fit them with these tiny little backpacks with a camera, a microphone, and a radar on there to help use them as little radar detectors in any sort of scenario, whether it's out in rural or out in the wild, to be able to use them for all sorts of applications. And they're finding that they're able to not only pick it all up, but they also remember their tracks. So if a cockroach like that can do that, how can you have such a fear and such a, I guess, a lower look or a lower opinion of such an incredible creature?

SPEAKER_02 49:36

So I guess we're not in Madagascar, but we're obviously not going to see a cockroach with a backpack in Australia, right? But imagine seeing this cockroach with a little backpack and you can hear beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, and it's got a little remote. Yep. And it's collecting data because they are smart enough for that. Like seriously. I've never been afraid of cockroaches, and I've had them on my hands, I've had them walking. I know everybody's cringing out there. That they've been walking up my arm. Um, I just don't have a problem with them. And sometimes you pick up a saucepan lead and they're on there, and I go, really? Come on, out you go, and so on. And some of the time the cockroaches have said to me, Oh, thank you for putting me outside. I lost my way, I ended up in here. And then they couldn't find their way out.

SPEAKER_03 50:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:22

So think about that. You might have a lot of cockroaches in your house that don't want to be in there. They want to be outside, but their adult, their mother, or their father or their or one who's like can do both, um, actually had babies in your house because they couldn't get out. And now that's why there's all those babies in there. So why don't you just casually put them outside and uh and let them be out there? Because honestly, there's a reason why cockroaches are on the planet. They are there, they're part of the ecosystem. They're not this uh creepy added extra that just somebody thought would be funny if they were around. They're actually part of everything and everything is in a correct placement. I mean, surely you guys have watched a David Attenborough special because even David Attenborough would think cockroaches are special and they have many benefits. So I don't know. I hope we've convinced you today, even to a minor degree, that spiders and cockroaches are very, very valuable animals on this planet. And as always, thank you for tuning in to Animal Talk. Don't forget to follow, share, and join us next time. And remember, the animals are always talking if we're willing to listen.