In 2016, Chris Bell, a ranger with New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, was the sole human inhabitant of a small island off the west coast of the country, called Mana Island. He was there to take care of the island’s fragile and recovering ecosystem, including a colony of Australasian Gannets at the top of a high cliff overlooking the sea. But there was one catch. All but one of these striking seabirds were fake, made of concrete and paint. 
This week on Radiolab, producer Annie McEwen tells us a love story about a rogue bird and what happens when the things we want for animals clash with what they seem to choose for themselves. 
Special thanks to Melody Thomas and Kirsten Johnstone from Popsock Media, the New Zealand-based podcast company. Thanks also to Mathias Kom and Ariel Sharratt from The Burning Hell and Steven Lambke at You’ve Changed Records. 
Visit Friends of Mana Island at <a href="https://manaisland.org.nz/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://manaisland.org.nz/</a> to learn more about conservation efforts on Mana Island.
EPISODE CREDITS:
 Reported by - Annie McEwen
 Produced by - Annie McEwen
 with mixing help from - Jeremy Bloom
 Fact-checking by - Diane A. Kelly
 and Edited by - Alex Neason
EPISODE CITATIONS:
Videos - 
There are many Nigel-inspired songs and poems, find links to a few of them below:
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6ZSsZUJIkw" rel="noopener noreferrer">See Nigel with his concrete mate</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/kZZC9erwauCD" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://zpr.io/kZZC9erwauCD</a>)</li>
 <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST4BCEu88po&list=RDST4BCEu88po&start_radio=1" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nigel the Gannet</a> song video by <a href="http://theburninghell.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Burning Hell</a> (<a href="http://theburninghell.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">theburninghell.com</a>)</li>
 <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qlr-18aluLM&list=RDQlr-18aluLM&start_radio=1" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nigel [w/ score]</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/t47J6VkqAXLj" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://zpr.io/t47J6VkqAXLj</a>) by Angus Davison</li>
 <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdKvIqQ-3pg&list=RDvdKvIqQ-3pg&start_radio=1" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nigel the Lonely Seabird</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/4gSSv5MX8xTa" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://zpr.io/4gSSv5MX8xTa</a>) by Daniel Henderson</li>
 <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8BQn5UDWvo&list=RDb8BQn5UDWvo&start_radio=1" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nigel</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/FuLupaZG42sn" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://zpr.io/FuLupaZG42sn</a>) by Avem</li>
 <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx_Qvr3nIvA&list=RDTx_Qvr3nIvA&start_radio=1" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nigel No Mates</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/hckrSSdBXKE9" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://zpr.io/hckrSSdBXKE9</a> ) by Dainius Kučinskas</li>
 <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9E-hcOBZc0&list=RDK9E-hcOBZc0&start_radio=1" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nigel Gannet</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/kddxySdXqd3C" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://zpr.io/kddxySdXqd3C</a>) by Fred Pilcher</li>
 <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwDT-Er3vTE" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nigel</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/88HdTWRSd2UF" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://zpr.io/88HdTWRSd2UF</a>) an Experimental Animated Short Film About a Lonely Gannet</li>
</ul>
Literature - 
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://manaisland.org.nz/the-story-of-nigel-the-lonely-gannet-on-mana-island/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Poetry inspired by Nigel the Gannet</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/xBiW9usvAkpy" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://zpr.io/xBiW9usvAkpy</a>)
  </li>
</ul>
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