4.2.14: Exotic Pets, NH Bats, Handwritten Bible & Humaira Awais Shahid

Today on Word of Mouth, lions and tigers and bears - in cages. We're delving into the exotic pets debate. Then, on to a truly wild animal, but one whose population is dwindling. In the second half of the show, we hear from a man who spent seven years - yes, seven - transcribing the entire King James Bible by hand. Finally, Virginia sits down with Humaira Awais Shahid, journalist and human rights activist fighting for women's rights in Pakistan.

Listen to the whole show and click Read more for individual segments.

Exotic Pets Debate

• From kangaroos bred in captivity to trained tigers, exotic pets come from all walks of wildlife…and ownership of wild animals is increasingly becoming a hot debate.  Exotic pet owners defend their right to care for critters from venomous snakes to angry chimps. Animal rights advocates meanwhile, are doing what they can to stop the purchase of exotic pets and place current ones into safe, accredited sanctuaries.  Both camps appear to share a love of wild animals. Joining us is Lauren Slater who wrote about the exotic animal ownership debate for National Geographic.
• More on exotic pets right here.
• Even the non-exotic pets are unique. We want to hear the strange sounds you pets make - here's how to share.

New Hampshire's Bat Population

• New Hampshire is home to eight species of bats, and of those eight, three migrate south for the winter and five hibernate to survive. April is the month for bats to emerge from hibernation, but a fatal syndrome has been decimating the population for years. NHPR’s Sam Evans Brown brings us this story.

Handwritten Bible

• Phillip Patterson of Philmont, New York, spent 7 years transcribing, by hand, the entirety of the King James Bible.

Humaira Awais Shahid

• Virginia spoke with journalist and human rights activist Humaira Awais Shahid. She shares her story of fighting for women’s rights in Pakistan, and advocates for Islam as a positive, even progressive transformative force in the Middle East. She wrote Devotion and Defiance: My Journey in Love, Faith and Politics with Kelly Horan.