Julian Dorey Podcast #333 – Egypt’s Lost Creatures, Uncontacted “Skull” Tribe & Congo’s “Big Foot” | Forrest Galante

Release Date: September 5, 2025
Guest: Forrest Galante (wildlife biologist, TV host, adventurer)
Host: Julian Dorey

Episode Overview

In this captivating episode, Julian Dorey sits with wildlife biologist, TV host, and adventurer Forrest Galante. Together, they delve into Forrest’s incredible journey from growing up on a Zimbabwean farm that was later seized during political turmoil, to becoming a biologist, accidental reality TV star, and world-renowned “extinct or alive” species rediscoverer. The discussion weaves through wild stories from Africa, tips on wildlife tracking, critiques of the science institution, conservation’s technological future, and extraordinary encounters with uncontacted tribes and controversial animal de-extinction projects.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Forrest’s Origin Story: Zimbabwe, Upheaval, & Wildlife Beginnings

• Childhood on a Zimbabwean farm: Forrest recounts a childhood packed with Zimbabwe’s bush and wildlife, surrounded by leopards, snakes, elephants, and more. His family ran safaris and farmed until forced to flee during land seizures brought on by Mugabe's regime.
• Violence and escape: Forrest describes traumatic events, including gunfights, having to hide in the house during sieges, and eventually fleeing to the US with just $400 and the clothes on their backs.
• Adjusting in America: The family landed in Oakland welfare housing; Forrest struggled with anger and fighting, before eventually moving to the small California town of Cayucas.

Notable Quote:

“I remember seeing my dog run down the driveway as we pulled out to never see her again... I was angry... I was an angry kid.” – Forrest (12:13)

2. Finding Purpose: From California Beaches to UCSB

• Wildlife itch remains: Forrest struggled to find stimulating wildlife in California until he discovered ocean free-diving, connecting with the wild below the surface.
• Academic struggles and a lucky break: Despite poor grades, Forrest got into UCSB’s College of Creative Studies by impressing the entomology dean with his insect knowledge (25:08).
• Meeting Jessica (now wife): A romantic subplot – following Jessica to UCSB, where he studied biology, dove deep into herpetology and fish biology, and ultimately transformed his life.

Notable Quote:

“There are two paths: hands-on with wildlife, or as a biologist. I was hoping to do the former, but it took me some time to figure out how.” – Forrest (29:20)

3. The Science Career Funnel & Breaking the Mold

• Early career: Forrest worked as a biology tech (biotech) – “a high-paid gardener” – on California’s Channel Islands, often counting ants, pulling weeds, and doing underfunded, unglamorous work (37:00).
• Flaws in academia & career progression:
  • The system rewards climbing the admin/lab ladder, taking people out of hands-on work – something Forrest sees as fundamentally broken (31:15).
  • Advocates for “renegade biologists” using digital platforms for education and outreach, arguing they have greater effect than an academic paper read by 200 people.
• Critique of science gatekeeping:
  • Social media can be a powerful tool for global wildlife education, and should be embraced rather than shunned by the “old guard” (33:33).

Notable Quote:

“If you get 10 million views on your TikTok video fiddling with a snake and you’re teaching the audience about that snake, you’ve done so much more than the scientist who published a paper that 200 people are going to read.” – Forrest (33:15)

4. TV Breakthrough: From ‘Naked and Afraid’ to ‘Extinct or Alive’

• Reality TV debut (Naked and Afraid): Forrest’s girlfriend encouraged him to apply; he thrived, jokingly comparing it to a "21 day paid vacation" (40:04). Showrunners worried he wasn’t dramatic enough, but audiences loved it.
• Leveraging media attention: Local news wanted to talk survival, but Forrest used the platform to pitch real wildlife discoveries, like the biggest lobster found in California.
• Pitching his own show: Over years of rejection, Forrest pitched “Extinct or Alive” everywhere until one New York production company took a chance. The show focused on rediscovering species declared extinct, pushing further and harder than the academic norm.

Notable Quotes:

“I created my own TV show... If this is the best they got—fucking bear dating shows?—I can do better!” – Forrest (45:45)
“We found eight species that had been declared extinct.” – Forrest (49:41)

5. High-Stakes Wildlife Rediscoveries

Zanzibar Leopard ([49:42–52:22])

• Method: Developing unorthodox tactics—using meat trees and scent trailing—for attracting rare species to trail cameras.
• Discovery: Captured the first Zanzibar leopard on camera in decades, leading to “chimp-out” style excitement on camera and, later, pushback from skeptical scientists.

Fernandina Island Tortoise ([53:39–61:41])

• Galapagos expedition: Dismissed by establishment scientists, Forrest followed evidence—old bite marks, tracks, and dung—and found the world’s rarest animal, a female Fernandina Island giant tortoise 114 years after the last sighting.
• Controversy: Pushback from other scientists over credit; Forrest dismisses the drama, caring only that the species was found and brought to global attention.
• Personal significance: “[I was] holding in my hand to this day the rarest animal in the world...” – Forrest (59:10)

Other Finds

• Multiple shark species, a primate, caiman in the Amazon, and continual work on lost species in the Amazon, India, and globally.

6. Gut Instinct vs. Scientific Protocols ([65:24–68:41])

• Field expertise: Forrest argues a biologist’s “gut” is an irreplaceable tool, one that AI and technology can't fully supplant.
• Modern techniques: Describes evolving use of drones, thermal cams, and AI for survey—but maintains that human instinct remains crucial for targeting rare finds.

7. Conservation, De-extinction, and Colossal ([68:53–82:12])

• Advising Colossal (de-extinction company): Forrest discusses his advisory role, weighing the risks and rewards of cloning and “resurrecting” extinct species (like woolly mammoths, dire wolves), and the immediate conservation impacts for living species (e.g., cloning red wolves, potential for rhinos).
• Ethical debate: Cautions about unforeseen consequences, but supports “using technology to right humanity’s wrongs,” provided the focus is on repairing human-caused extinctions—not halting natural processes.
• Inspiration from for-profit conservation: Praises business leaders like Ben Lamm and the prospect of making conservation profitable and impactful.

Notable Quotes:

“We’re not trying to stop extinction. That’s natural. What you want to do is stop what human beings have done—speeding it up.” – Forrest (76:44)
“We can save the planet and get rich doing it. Why is that a bad thing?” – Forrest (81:36)

8. Wildlife Crime, Poaching, and Local Nuance ([120:07–126:48])

• Poaching realities: Poaching is a multibillion-dollar criminal enterprise—third-largest globally—and impacts iconic species like rhinos and elephants.
• Economic drivers: Local poverty, lack of options, and foreign demand (especially for “medicine” and status) make fighting poaching complex.
• Moral and systemic struggles: Even if fake rhino horn is developed to flood the market, some buyers only value the “real thing” (124:09).

9. Human-Animal Conflict & Elephant Translocation ([128:13–139:52])

• Massive operation: Forrest led Mozambique’s largest elephant translocation project to prevent conflict and death—describing the harrowing logistics of sedating, moving, and safely releasing herds across hundreds of kilometers.
• Emotional connection: Detailed the extraordinary emotional intelligence of elephants, who remember traumas across generations and can die of grief.

Notable Quotes:

“I just watched elephants go out of a box, and I just sort of started weeping. ... Like, I can’t believe we did that.” (138:59)
“They feel happiness way happier than we’ll ever feel, and sadness way sadder. They can die of a broken heart.” (139:51)

10. Encounters With Uncontacted & Tribal Societies ([176:43–180:29])

• Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and beyond: Forrest shares stories of blending in with tribes that balance traditional and modern life, and a particularly tense encounter stumbling across skull-caves in Papua—the “skull tribe”—and facing down armed warriors.
• Respect for indigenous practices: Expresses admiration for tribes that sustainably manage their limited habitat, while also drawing lines against poaching in protected areas (118:30).

11. Other Wild Stories & Memorable Moments

• Catching giant Amazon anacondas by spring-break student adventure ([100:59–106:27]): Lucky “premonition” from a local guide leads to wrestling a nearly 20-foot snake.
• Snorting monkey-bone powder in Colombia ([110:51–112:30]): Undergoing a spiritual “cleansing” to prove worthiness and avoid danger while searching for caiman.
• Insider tales (59:25): Handling tribal resentment, bartering with former FARC rebels, and realizing the unpredictability and lawlessness of the Amazon and Congo.

12. Inspiration, Motivation, and The Next Generation ([181:04–182:18])

• Forrest credits his grandfather, biologists like Dave Ebert, and even billionaire conservationists like Ben Lamm and Anant Ambani as deep inspirations.
• Reiterates: “Anyone can do it. That’s what I love about this country so much.”

Notable Quotes & Moments With Timestamps

• On TV Survival:
  • “It was like a 21 day paid vacation for me... The producers were like, ‘everyone’s gonna hate you!’” – Forrest (40:04)
• On wildlife media vs. academic papers:
  • “If you get 10 million views on your TikTok video fiddling with a snake... you’ve done so much more than the scientist who published a paper... that 200 people are going to read.” – Forrest (33:15)
• On finding the Fernandina tortoise:
  • “Literally, at that point in time... I was holding in my hand, to this day, the rarest animal in the world.” – Forrest (59:10)
• On de-extinction:
  • “What you want to do is stop what human beings have done—speeding it up... If that technology can be used for that, I think it’s the most wonderful technology.” – Forrest (76:31)
• On elephant translocation:
  • “To save the largest animal... and literally, the bull... I put my hand on him while he was lying there...” – Forrest (138:59)

Important Timestamps

• Zimbabwe, family escape: [04:06–08:53]
• Arrival & struggles in Oakland: [08:53–15:16]
• Schooling, UCSB application, “stick bug” office story: [23:16–26:25]
• Biotech career, flaws in the science system: [29:20–33:31]
• TV journey, Naked & Afraid story: [39:58–44:47]
• Formation of 'Extinct or Alive': [45:45–49:47]
• Rediscovering Zanzibar Leopard: [49:42–52:22]
• Finding Fernandina Island tortoise: [53:39–61:41]
• Gut instinct vs protocols in field biology: [65:24–68:41]
• Colossal, cloning, de-extinction ethics: [68:53–82:12]
• Poaching, conservation challenges: [120:07–126:48]
• Elephant translocation logistics & emotional impact: [128:13–139:52]
• Tribal encounters: 'skull tribe', uncontacted peoples: [178:29–180:29]
• Reflections on inspiration, next generation: [181:04–182:18]

Episode Tone & Style

The episode is conversational, energetic, and speckled with humor, sometimes dark but with sincere awe for wildlife and global diversity. Forrest’s enthusiasm is contagious; Julian matches his passion as an eager listener and thoughtful challenger.

Summary Takeaway

Forrest Galante’s life is an ongoing adventure at the intersection of wild animals, remote environments, institutional science, and mass media. He is both a critic of the conventional scientific establishment and a loyal “bush kid” whose intuition leads to world-changing discoveries. Whether wrestling anacondas, unmasking Congo’s “living dinosaur” legends, or helping shape the future of de-extinction, Forrest is intent on inspiring the next generation – and showing that, with passion and persistence, anyone can change the world.