Podcast · Video & Audio

Framed by Fables

WE KNOW THESE ANIMALS.
BUT DO THEIR REPS MATCH THE SCIENCE?

Framed By Fables is a comedy podcast hosted by Helen Hong, a wildlife expert, and a special guest. We take the animals we know from beloved characters, cartoons, movies, fables, folklore, idioms, and pop culture, then explore what their familiar reputations have to do with the real animals, their behavior, biology, and surprisingly interesting lives.

Watch & Listen See the Episodes
Wolf in orange jumpsuit — Framed by Fables
6' 5' 4'
Wile E. Coyote and a real coyote

The Show

WE'VE BEEN TELLING
STORIES ABOUT ANIMALS FOREVER.

We’ve spent centuries turning animals into characters, symbols, villains, heroes, sidekicks, omens, and icons. Those stories are part of how we know the animal world. Framed By Fables takes those familiar ideas from pop culture, folklore, fables, movies, history, and idioms and puts them alongside real zoology to see how well our ideas about animals stack up against the science.

Season One

The Episodes

Pig case file art

Episode 1

Pig

Filthy, Greedy Little Piggies

With Eric Bauza
Voice of Porky Pig

Pigs got done dirty and we're finally setting the record straight. From "pigging out" to "filthy pig" to Animal Farm, pigs have been blamed for everything. But are they actually greedy, filthy, or gluttonous?

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Snake case file art

Episode 2

Snake

Snake in the Grass

With Jules Sylvester
Hollywood Snake Wrangler

Are snakes really evil creatures or is everything we've been told about them totally wrong? We unpack the myths, the science, and the pop‑culture portrayals that turned snakes into storytelling's OG villains.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Wolf case file art

Episode 3

Wolf

The Big Bad Wolf

With Melissa Ponzio
Teen Wolf

From fairy tales to horror films, the wolf has been cast as the ultimate villain. But what does science actually say — and who benefits when we believe the myth?

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Birds and Bees case file art

Episode 4

Birds & Bees

Let's Talk About the Birds & the Bees

With Dr. Cara Natterson
Sex Education Expert

We uncover the strange story behind this famous euphemism, explore how birds and bees actually do it, and ask whether the birds and the bees are really the right creatures for the job.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Owl case file art

Episode 5

Owl

Not So Wise After All

With Kirsten Vangsness
Criminal Minds

Are owls really the wise birds of lore or did they just get that reputation from their association with Athena? We dig into what's fact and what's fiction when it comes to these fascinating birds.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Coyote case file art

Episode 6

Coyote

Wile E. vs. Real Coyotes: What's the Science?

With Eric Bauza
Coyote vs. Acme

For many, Wile E. Coyote is the only coyote we know. But how much is he like a real coyote? Helen Hong and wildlife biologist Miguel Ordeñana welcome Looney Tunes voice actor Eric Bauza to explore the cartoon history, the science, and the surprising truth about real coyotes.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Episode 7

Donkey

Who's the Ass: Us or Donkeys?

With Alex Winter
Bill & Ted Franchise

Are donkeys really dumb, stubborn animals, or did Aesop just give them that reputation? From ancient fables to Jackass, we explore the history of the donkey, the truth about donkey intelligence and behavior, and why the joke may be on us.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Episode 8

Rabbit

What We’ve Gotten Right and Wrong About Bunnies

With Candace Frazee & Steve Lubansky
Founders of The Bunny Museum

Helen Hong goes down the rabbit hole with Candace Frazee and Steve Lubansky, founders of The Bunny Museum, and wildlife biologist Miguel Ordeñana to explore the surprisingly strange world of rabbits. We get into the stories, characters, traditions and cultural associations that made rabbits a familiar part of our lives, while also digging into the real animals behind them.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Platforms

Watch & Listen

Available in full video or audio-only — your call.

YouTube
Full video episodes
Spotify
Audio podcast
Apple Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
Audio podcast
TikTok
Clips & highlights
Instagram
Updates & Highlights
Facebook
Updates & Highlights

The Team

Meet the Hosts

Helen Hong

Host

Helen Hong

A fan favorite on NPR's hit Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, Helen Hong also brings her lively hosting style to the NPR celebrity trivia gameshow Go Fact Yourself. Helen's acting credits include roles in A24's If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, and Netflix's Family Switch. She's also had recurring roles on Never Have I Ever, Silicon Valley, and 5 seasons of The Thundermans on Nickelodeon. A breast cancer survivor, Asian-American activist, and frequent dog foster parent, Helen uses her standup comedy skills to raise funds and awareness for her favorite causes. She lives for Topo Chico and mini Snickers.

@funnyhelenhong
Miguel Ordeñana

Animal Expert

Miguel Ordeñana

Miguel Ordeñana is a wildlife biologist and environmental educator at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. He holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies from USC and an M.S. in Ecology from UC Davis. Miguel conducts urban mammal research in LA (including carnivore and bat studies) and was the first scientist to photograph P-22, the legendary mountain lion of Griffith Park. He is a Board Member of the National Wildlife Federation and a passionate advocate for making nature and science accessible to all communities.

@miguel4wildlife
Jo Wimpenny

Animal Expert

Jo Wimpenny

Jo Wimpenny is a nature nerd and author, on a mission to overturn popular myths and misunderstandings about animals and champion the underdogs. She has a PhD in crow problem-solving from Oxford University and is the author of Beauty of the Beasts: Rethinking Nature's Least Loved Animals (Bloomsbury Wildlife, 2026), Aesop's Animals: The Science Behind the Fables (Bloomsbury Sigma, 2021), and co-author of Ten Thousand Birds: Ornithology Since Darwin (2014).

@jowimpenny

Jo's Bookshelf

Buy the Books

Dig deeper into the science behind the fables.

Beauty of the Beasts

Jo Wimpenny

Beauty of the Beasts

Rethinking Nature's Least Loved Animals

Buy on Amazon
Aesop's Animals

Jo Wimpenny

Aesop's Animals

The Science Behind the Fables

Buy on Amazon

Community

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Follow for episode drops, bonus case notes, and animal facts that will change how you see the world.