Table of contents for March 2017 in BBC Wildlife Magazine (2024)

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BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017Welcome...There was a lot of excitement in the BBC Wildlife office when we heard from Shetland-based naturalist and tour guide Brydon Thomason about the recent amazing encounters he and his colleagues Richard Shucksmith and Peter Hunter had with five humpback whales off the Scottish coast. We were close to our press deadline, with a lot of pages finished, but when we saw the superb pictures and read the account we had to pull out all the stops to make space and share the story (p46). The fact that the trio’s encounter later resulted in a first for Britain made it all the more thrilling. The second exciting event to occur in the preparation of this month’s issue was the arrival of the Blogger of the Year Award results from our…2 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017UK HIGHLIGHTS• SPARROWHAWK DISPLAY FLIGHTS These stealthy hunters usually keep a low profile, sticking close to cover as they stalk their feathered prey. But in early spring sparrowhawks engage in aerial acrobatics above newly selected nesting territories. To assert their claim to the area, birds soar and wheel overhead on outstretched wings, then swoop and climb again before ending the show with a spectacularly steep dive. These rollercoaster displays are performed by both sexes, but being 25 per cent larger than the males, females are more visible, and are often mistaken by eager birders for goshawks. TOP TIP Spot displaying raptors by scanning the skies above woodland on still, sunny afternoons. • BLACKTHORN SPRING SNOW When blackthorn bursts into life at the beginning of March, turning whole hedges white with blossom,…3 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017RSPB COOMBES VALLEYNATURE RESERVE SPOTLIGHT WHERE Leek, Staffordshire, ST13 7EU WARDEN Paul Bennett WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT Visit RSPB Coombes Valley to experience spectacular views from our viewpoints across a beautiful frosty wooded landscape. WHAT YOU CAN SEE March is an excellent time of year to spot large flocks of fieldfares and redwings, and if you’re lucky you may hear a lesser spotted woodpecker. The reserve is also home to willow tit* that regularly visit our feeding stations – the Red Listed species is declining fast in the UK. TOP WILDLIFE SPOT In 2016 we opened a new walkway on the reserve. It’s a fantastic feeling being whisked up into the canopy on a bouncy rope bridge – my children love it! JOIN ITS EVENT Join us on 5 March for a…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017IF ONLY THEY COULD TALK...It’s something of a tragedy that we cannot converse with our primate cousins. With so much in common, there would surely be plenty to talk about. It has long been pondered why our closest relatives are incapable of speech. And, according to new research, one fashionable possibility can now be ruled out. There are two broad explanations to account for non-human primates’ lack of conversational skills. One is that their vocal tracts cannot form the variety of sounds required. The other is that their brains and nervous systems are not wired up to control the sounds. The new study analyses the anatomy of the vocal tracts of rhesus macaques and finds that their larynx, vocal chords, mouth and tongue should be quite capable of producing the range of vowel and…2 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017NEW SPECIESSPOTLIGHTCRATERA AUREOMACULATA WHAT IS IT? Named after its resplendent gold (aureus) and spotted (maculate) markings, this is one of three new species of terrestrial flatworm described from Brazil. It is 55mm long, active at night among leaf litter and probably hunts other invertebrates. WHERE IS IT? All three species were found in southern Brazil’s Araucaria forests, which are dominated by trees similar to the familiar monkey puzzle. The forests are considered a hotspot of flatworm diversity and many species are thought to await discovery. SOURCE: ZooKeys LINK: http://bit.ly/2jbUIQk…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017SKY FULL OF INVERTEBRATESBiologists have recorded a staggering volume of insect life in the skies above Britain. The 10-year study, which used radar to track insect movements at heights above 150m, reveals that about 3.5 trillion insects fly over southern England each year. That’s nearly eight times the biomass of the 30 million songbirds that migrate between the UK and Africa. Numbers peak in spring and autumn, when the prevailing direction of travel also corresponds with that of migrant songbirds. “It’s basically a seasonal migratory event that results in a redistribution of the population,” Jason Chapman of Rothamsted Research in Hertfordshire told BBC Wildlife . “Our work shows there are hundreds, if not thousands, of migratory insect species we didn’t know about. “It’s as if we’d just discovered that our songbirds are migrants.…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017YORKSHIRE’S NATURE TRIANGLEA JAUNT AROUND THE YORKSHIRE NATURE TRIANGLE MAY YIELD AVOCETS, OTTERS, PUFFINS, MARSH HARRIERS AND – AT SPURN POINT – THOUSANDS OF MIGRANT SONGBIRDS. “So,” I asked Andrew Mason, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s heritage officer for Spurn Point, not quite having to shout to make myself heard over the 25-knot wind, “what’s it like to work at the end of the world?” “Bloody good fun,” he replied with a grin. End of the world might seem like an exaggeration, but Spurn Point is like nowhere I’ve ever been before. Heading south through East Yorkshire, the land is squished and squeezed by the North Sea on one side and the Humber River on the other until you reach this bizarre spit of land that juts some 5km into the river like the…9 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017LEND ME YOUR earsWhen I was a teenager, I was fortunate to learn the songs and calls of many of our British birds, as I was asked to take on the Common Birds Census for Edgbaston Park in Birmingham. For some years our school natural history society had been running the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) survey on the adjoining nature reserve, only a mile or so from the city centre. As a school club set up by, among others, renowned birder, conservationist and TV personality Bill Oddie, it relied on new generations of surveyors to keep the annual scheme running, and I was the latest in a long line. When I was learning about that first census from my predecessor, I found some of the calls confusing. Interestingly, these calls turned out…9 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017Close encounterThe year 2016 was remarkable for British great whale records, including a blue whale photographed just outside UK waters, and the sad stranding of several sperm whales on North Sea coasts. But perhaps the most exciting place to be was Shetland, where orcas spent much of the summer a stone’s throw offshore and social media ensured everyone knew exactly where to look. Then, in November, humpback whales were reported in the north-east of the archipelago. Local naturalists Richard Shucksmith and Brydon Thomason knew they had to react quickly. “Humpback sightings in Shetland have increased recently, but usually they’re just passing through, so you have to take your chance to see them,” says Brydon. This time, however, the whales stuck around, with up to five using the area. The unprecedented frequency…7 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017FAST-TRACKING TO EXTINCTIONThe global wild population of the world’s fastest land animal may be as low as 7,000 individuals, new research has concluded. Scientists have called for more “landscape-level efforts” to protect cheetahs because they are more vulnerable to going extinct than previously realised. Dr Sarah Durant – speaking to BBC Wildlife from the West African state of Benin where she is working on a joint ZSL/ Panthera project to establish how many cheetahs there are in the W-Arli-Pendjari ecosystem in the north of the country – said the species posed unique problems for conservationists. “Because they need such large tracts of habitat – much more than lions, for example – their survival depends on their existence outside as well as inside protected areas,” Durant said. “Serengeti National Park alone supports a…2 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017CONSERVATION briefingFRENCH WOLVES A pair of wolves has been living in the Rambouillet Forest, southwest of Paris, for at least a year, according to the French group Alliance avec les loups (Alliance with wolves). The alliance’s Manoël Atman said another wolf was living in the Essonne department, south of the capital. “WOW, 25° BELOW, RECORD COLD SPELL. GLOBAL WARMING, ANYONE?” New US president Donald Trump tweeted this in February 2015. Reports suggest he wants to drop out of the Paris Agreement on limiting emissions of greenhouse gases. LEOPARD ALARM Camera-trap footage taken in China’s Tibetan Plateau region has shown both snow leopards and leopards in the same area, the first time this is known to have happened. Scientists say climate change could push the tree line higher and lead to the…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017CONSERVATION INSIGHT MARINE IGUANA“AN OIL SPILL OFF SANTA FE IN 2001 CAUSED A 60 PER CENT CRASH IN MARINE IGUANA NUMBERS.” The predation of just-hatched marine iguanas by racer snakes as seen on Planet Earth II may have been dramatic and heart-wrenching on screen, but it probably has little impact on the species as a whole. The world’s only sea-going lizards, marine iguanas are endemic to the Galápagos Islands and found on all 13 of the major islands, with the largest numbers on Fernandina and Isabela. In 2004, scientists made “very rough estimates” for the populations of these islands as 120,000 and 40,000 respectively. Other islands have substantially smaller populations – San Cristóbal, for example, has fewer than 400. While there are natural limits on population due to the availability of the red…2 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017RELEASING MRS TIGGYWINKLE• ALWAYS TRY to return a hedgehog to where it was found unless there are obvious reasons not to do so. • PUT OUT half a tin of meaty dog or cat food each night until no longer taken. • TRY AND KEEP the food out of reach of your local cat population – one way to do this is to place the food in a feeding dish underneath a paving slab supported by two bricks (so a hog can get at it, but a cat can’t). • GIVE YOUR hedgehog a hibernation and sleeping place – you can buy these in garden centres or build your own. • PUT IT in a shady, sheltered spot facing away from the worst of the weather (in a shrubbery works well). If…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017KING OF SNAKESThe dark king cobra crawled over wet, speckled tree roots. A 60cm-long Malabar pit viper made a break for it, but it was too late. The much larger, 3m-long snake caught up in an instant and grabbed it. Struggling to escape, the viper plunged its long retractable fangs into the cobra, which let go and sat as if stunned, getting drenched in the torrential rain. Without losing a moment, the viper made good its escape. It swam across a forest stream and lay still, blending among the tree roots. As long as the pit viper didn’t move, the king cobra couldn’t spot it. The dazed predator stared blankly and he didn’t flick his tongue. The pit viper had won a rare reprieve from this famed snake-eater – the world’s longest…10 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017Nigel Hicks“THE REGION IS SOMETHING OF A WILDLIFE RESERVOIR.” What’s special about the south-west? For a remarkably small area, it has a hugely varied environment. Unlike most of England, population and industrial pressures in the south-west are relatively light, so there is still a significant amount of open space. And the region did not suffer the same level of environmental damage as the rest of the country during the 1960s–80s, so it’s something of a wildlife reservoir. Which part are you most fond of? The ‘toe’ of land between Penzance and Land’s End. I grew up here and the rugged remoteness still appeals. Can you suggest three unmissable locations? First, the Isles of Scilly. The quality of the light, the colours of the water and the curves of the sandy bays…2 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017DINOS CENTRE STAGESo You Think You Know About Dinosaurs? LIVE SHOW Various UK venues in February and March Kids love dinosaurs – in fact we all love dinosaurs. And now palaeontologist, TV presenter and BBC Wildlife contributor Ben Garrod, who graced our screens alongside Sir David in Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur, is appearing on stage in theatres countrywide to present a new, interactive dinosaur show. The production is aimed at families, with audience participation high on the agenda – Ben will be inviting people in the audience to shout out what they know, and to challenge him with their own questions. His talks will be illustrated with footage from the BBC Two series Planet Dinosaur, which aired in 2011, as well as images from his own digs. “We have all at…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017Cuba1 HAWKSBILL TURTLE Cayo Largo del Sur Hawksbills arrive at Cayo Largo to lay their eggs between April and September. There is a turtle conservation project here whereby eggs are taken and hatched, giving hatchlings a better chance of survival when they are released. 2 ANTILLEAN MANATEE Humedal Río Máximo-Cagüey The same species (but separate subspecies) to that found in Florida, the Antillean manatee does well in this protected area of mangroves and swamp evergreen forests. 3 BEE HUMMINGBIRD Guanahacabibes Peninsula You can’t visit Cuba and not see the world’s smallest bird. The bee hummingbird weighs in at about 2g, which is less than a sugar lump. 4 CUBAN PARAKEET Finca La Belén, Camagüey South of the town of Najasa, on poor roads, Finca La Belén is both a working…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017YOUR FEEDBACKEMAIL US wildlifeletters@immediate.co.uk FIND US ON FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/wildlifemagazine FOLLOW US ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/WildlifeMag WRITE TO US BBC Wildlife , Tower House, Fairfax Street, Bristol BS1 3BN An end to trophy hunting I would like to thank Stuart Blackman for his story (Discoveries, December 2016) on the trophy hunting of lions in Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania, and for bringing the subject to people’s attention. I’d like to strongly recommend that people read Craig Packer’s book Lions in the Balance, which is all about this issue. It strongly reiterates Stuart Blackman’s contention that the model really must change! Ron Silver, via email Secrets of the stone I saw this stone on Donegal Bay beach. What could the fossil be? Pep, via email Natural History Museum curator, Jan Freedman…4 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017YOUR PHOTOS1 TO JUMP OR NOT TO JUMP I was searching for jumping spiders and insects by a stream near the village of Anaikatti, Tamil Nadu, India, when I spotted this golden-backed frog on a rock. I used a wide-angle lens to photograph the amphibian in its environment, and was delighted to capture the still creature beside the babbling water. Karthikeyan Shanmugasundaram, Kerala, India 2 BIG TUSKER After foraging in local farmland, this colossal 47-year-old elephant bull called Tim returned to Amboseli National Park, Kenya. I was able to capture this shot in March by hiding several GoPro cameras and triggering them remotely from a distance. I was humbled by the presence of this magnificent animal. Michael Fell, Michigan, US 3 PENSIVE PRIMATE While I was observing the Kanyantale chimpanzee community…2 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017North AmericaIn some parts of Alaska, the sockeye salmon is easily the most important component of a brown bear’s diet, contributing to between 60–80 per cent of its annual nutritional intake. But since the salmon are only ‘running’ for three months of the years, the bears must make the most of the opportunity when it comes along. ‘Carpe diem’, as the phrase goes – or ‘Carpe salmo’, perhaps. The need to gorge while the going is good means a dominant male can catch up to 30 fish a day at Brook Falls, in Katmai National Park, helping to add up to 180kg of body weight – that’s nearly three average-sized humans – to help see him through his winter hibernation. While this spectacle is taking place on many of Alaska’s rivers,…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017South AmericaAs Galápagos species go, the Galápagos sealion isn’t special. It’s not endemic (they also live off the coast of Ecuador), and there are many other members of the islands’ fauna that have carved out more extraordinary niches – the marine iguana springs to mind, as does the giant tortoise. But while the Galápagos are famous as the crucible that helped Charles Darwin form his theory of evolution, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have some fun while you’re there. It’s not all work, work, work. After a hard day contemplating how land iguanas adapted to a marine lifestyle and a diet of algae, nothing beats donning your mask and diving into the Pacific Ocean for some playtime. Sealions do know how to play, and as long as you give them ample…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017THE SMALL CRUISE SHIP COLLECTIONAt The Small Cruise Ship Collection, we only do small ship cruises. Our smallest ‘ship’ carries just 8 people; the largest around 250. Most carry 40–100 passengers, and this has many advantages. Nooks and crannies. Small ships can reach the parts larger ships cannot. Whether this is a bay full of penguins in Antarctica, a small village in Papua New Guinea, a pristine reef in Fiji or a known Polar bear haunt, larger ships can’t access these nooks. More personable. On a small ship, you will get to know the passengers, the captain and crew. It is strange, but true, that it is much easier to meet people when there are fewer of them! Rules and regulations. On cruises to Antarctica no more than 100 passengers can go ashore. If…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017EXPERIENCE THAILAND WITH MEANINGVisit the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai – an elephant rehabilitation centre funded by Save Elephant Foundation, a local project supported by Rickshaw. You’ll learn all about Asian elephants, how to contribute to their ethical treatment and even prepare them a tasty lunch. Explore Khao Sok National Park and stay at an eco-lodge built by the local community. The lodge employs people from the area to run the accommodation and has trained guides to run tours throughout the park, giving you an insight into this beautiful area from a local’s perspective. The lodge was built as a sustainable property; recycling, reusing and reducing their impact on the environment. The park is also home to a handful of exotic species, including gibbons, clouded leopards, tapirs and elephants. Immerse yourself in…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017ContributorsNICK BAKER Naturalist and TV presenter Nick is thrilled by life’s minutiae. In his new column he discusses barnacles. “Never is the excitement as great as when the surprises are close to home,” he says. See p11 GRAHAM APPLETON Writer Graham shares the joy of recapturing the sound of birdsong with his new hearing aids. He says, “The full richness of a robin’s song immediately brought a smile to my face.” See p30 HELEN PILCHER Helen had her preconceptions about earthworms smashed after spending time with a worm expert.“They’re not boring and brown,” she says.“Earthworms are the unsung superheroes of the animal kingdom.” See p38…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017ALSO LOOKOUT FOR…BOMB SITES A small species of the Bombus genus, early bumblebees have distinctive ginger tails and one or two yellow bands around their shaggy-haired bodies. Those seen in gardens this month are queens foraging or prospecting for suitable nest-sites – compost heaps and old birds’ nests may be used. OLD YELLER The brimstone is the longest lived of our native butterflies and can survive for up to 11 months. Adults on the wing in March emerged last August then hibernated through the winter. Bright, sulphur-yellow males (females are paler) are often seen flitting along roadside verges from now until June. SIGNATURE SONG They might be beaten back to Britain by sand martins or wheatears, but chiffchaffs are the first of our spring arrivals to sing. Their eponymous, two-tone chime is…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017MARCH WILDLIFE EVENTS1 Mar ADULT SHORESEARCH Join Yorkshire Wildlife Trust staff at 11am to search for weird and wonderful rockpool creatures, including anemones, fish and crabs in this adult only event. Tickets cost £5 (non-member) or £3 (member). Booking is essential. http://bit.ly/2gE6Qbd 10-19 Mar BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK This year British Science Week (BSW) has a penguin theme. You can get involved by annotating images of penguins for a citizen science project called Penguin Watch. The data you collect will help improve our understanding of these birds. http://bit.ly/1UbxYz3 25 Mar WWF EARTH HOUR Now in its tenth year, this annual World Wildlife Fund event takes place across at least 178 countries and territories. To take part you need to turn off your lights for an hour at 8.30pm to show…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017BLADE RUNNERSA new study in the Baltic Sea shows that offshore windfarms are dangerously attractive to migrating raptors. Little is known about the risk of bird collisions with turbine blades. Many seabirds don’t fly high enough to be threatened, but others – gannets, for example – are more vulnerable. There is also concern for soaring migrants such as raptors and storks, which tend to island-hop across large expanses of water. Are they similarly drawn to windfarms? Using radar to track raptors migrating between Denmark and Germany, biologists led by Henrik Skov, senior ecologist at Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI) in Denmark, have shown that they are inclined to alter their flightpaths towards the turbines. Skov told BBC Wildlife that there are three options for mitigating the collision risk. “Deter the raptors when…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017The EXPLAINERNEOTENY Most juvenile animals aren’t simply miniature adults. Rarely is this more obvious than among amphibians – think of a tadpole and a frog. Sometimes, though, youthful characteristics are retained into adulthood. In the axolotl, an aquatic Mexican salamander, adults are essentially sexually mature tadpoles. Neoteny can also be seen in flightless female glow worms, which are much like their larvae. Humans’ large heads may be a neotenous development to make space for our big brains.…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017WILDLIFE UPDATESDEEP TROUBLE A Hawaiian octopus discovered last year (BBC Wildlife, May 2016) has very particular habitat requirements. According to Current Biology, it attaches its eggs to sponges that grow only on mineral nodules, which are attractive to mining companies. TAILS OF THE UNEXPECTED Defence against predators may not be the chief reason that lizards drop their tails. Animal Ecology reports that, for two species of Mediterranean gecko, tail-loss rates are highest among dense populations on islands with no predators, suggesting it has more to do with aggressive disputes between rivals. AMBER ALERT Evidence for feathered dinosaurs doesn’t get much firmer than a tail preserved in amber with fine primitive feathers. The 99-million-year-old fossil from Myanmar is described in Current Biology. POISON OR PANACEA? A hormone in platypus venom could be…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017HOW TO EXPLORE THE YORKSHIRE TRIANGLESPURN NNR AND SPURN BIRD OBSERVATORY The best times of year to go to Spurn are April/May and September/ October for migrant songbirds, and over the winter for Brent geese and shelducks. Autumn 2016 was notable for impressive numbers of redwings, song thrushes, firecrests and red-breasted flycatchers. www.spurnbird observatory.co.uk; www.ywt.org.uk/ reserves/spurn-nature-reserve. Spurn Migration Festival takes place on 8–10 September 2017. http://spurnmigfest.com NORTH CAVE WETLANDS Avocets arrive at North Cave to breed in early March, other waders such as ringed plovers and lapwings in March or early April and common terns in April or early May. Some 300 pairs of sand martins breed at the reserve. Teal, wigeon, gadwalls and shovelers arrive for the winter in late autumn. www.northcavewetlands.com TOPHILL LOW NATURE RESERVE More than 1,000 wigeon and 700 teal overwinter…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017in FOCUS SPECIAL DELIVERYRed squirrels – like their grey relatives – don’t hibernate, though they’re less active in harsh weather. These are tough animals – you can see them foraging even when snow is falling thick and fast. They also give birth well before winter loosens its grip. The first kittens of the year usually arrive in February or March, safe inside their mother’s drey. From below, you might mistake a red squirrel drey for the nest of a magpie or crow. But instead of being an open platform, the drey is broadly spherical with a domed, rain-shedding roof. The external structure is a skilfully constructed scaffold of sticks, woven with thinner twigs, packed with leaves to keep out wind and rain. Breeding dreys are about 30cm across and typically close to the…2 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017CENTURION ORCA SUCCUMBSThe issue of how long an orca lives has been highlighted by the deaths of two individuals. The deaths of two orcas, or killer whales, has cast a spotlight on separate aspects of this species' place in the world. First came the news in late December 2016 that Granny or J2 – who was estimated to be 105 years old – had not been seen since mid-October, and was presumed to be dead. Granny’s longevity is one reason her death made headlines, but there was another – she was part of the Southern resident group that lives off the west coast of North America. These killer whales have been studied since 1976, but scientists fear they are in irreversible decline. “Dwindling salmon stocks and shipping threaten the survival of this…2 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017TIDAL QUESTIONSTidal lagoons contribute energy but what impact do they have on birds and fish? Are tidal lagoons a threat to the UK’s marine wildlife – and fish such as salmon and sea trout, and wildfowl especially? A review has concluded they can make a cost-effective contribution to our electricity supply, alongside other renewable technologies. There are plans for a lagoon in Swansea, and the Severn Estuary has long been promoted as a potential location, too. But the Severn’s mudflats support some 85,000 waterfowl over the winter, as well as migrating salmon and sea trout. Referring to the government-commissioned Hendry Review on tidal lagoons, The Wildlife Trusts said that recommendations for a high-level of monitoring of environmental impacts should be heeded. “We are also pleased the report recommends a pause between…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017Mark Carwardine’s AT A GLANCE... FISHERIES BYCATCH“BYCATCH IS ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS CONSERVATION PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD TODAY › ONE DESCRIBED BY MANY EXPERTS AS THE ‘BIGGIE’.” WHAT IS FISHERIES BYCATCH? It is the term used for the staggering number of animals caught incidentally during fishing operations around the world – animals that fishermen usually do not want, cannot sell, or are not allowed to keep. They are simply thrown back over the side, dead or dying. Bycatch is one of the most serious conservation problems in the world today – one that many experts describe as the ‘biggie’. WHY DOES IT HAPPEN? Many fishing techniques are shockingly indiscriminate and few can target a single species without catching other species by mistake. So wherever there is fishing, there is bycatch. Thousands of miles of highly…3 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW: WHO COMES IN TO VALE AND WHYVale Wildlife Hospital took in 4,535 casualties in 2016, including 79 species of wild bird (and quite a few domestic ones), 27 species of mammal (including the odd domestic cat or dog), 9 species of reptile (most of them non-native and probably escaped pets such as a royal python), three species of amphibian and a goldfish. HEDGEHOG Number admitted: 1,014 Primary reason: Most hedgehogs brought into Vale come in during the autumn and winter and are juveniles from the year’s second litter that are underweight to cope with the coldest part of the year. Hedgehogs represent 22 per cent of all admissions to the hospital. WILD BOAR Number admitted: 5 Primary reason: Luckily for staff at Vale Wildlife, all the wild boar that were brought in were piglets and not…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017What lies beneathALEX MUSTARD is an award-winning underwater photographer and co-author of Secrets of the Sea: A Journey into the Heart of the Oceans (Bloomsbury, £22.99). www.amustard.com…3 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017IN SEARCH OF PARADISE“BIRDS OF PARADISE ARE THE HOLY GRAIL. I’VE ALWAYS YEARNED TO SEE THEM.” Birds of Paradise: The Ultimate Quest TV BBC Two Catch up on iPlayer In 2004, BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner was reporting from Saudi Arabia when he was shot by Al-Qaeda terrorists and left for dead. He escaped with his life, but never regained the use of his legs. To describe him as ‘confined’ to a wheelchair is to use the word in its loosest sense. This is a man whose sense of adventure did not leave him when his ability to walk did. He skis, quad-bikes and snorkels, and continues to travel extensively, even venturing into Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains – carried by former poachers on a rattan stretcher – to see mountain gorillas. Now, Frank is…2 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017WILD WATERSDown the Mighty River with Steve Backshall TV BBC Two Due to air late February, see Radio Times for details Also heading to New Guinea this month is Steve Backshall, the popular presenter who has inspired thousands of children to take an interest in wildlife. No stranger to adventure, the unstoppable naturalist is now taking on the Beliem River in Papua (the Indonesian half of the New Guinea), putting into practice the kayaking skills he has been honing since the age of 12. No one has attempted to travel this remote river from source to sea before – take one look at the jagged limestone rocks towering either side and the swirling, thundering currents, and it’s blindingly obvious why. Predictably, the river proves unpaddleable at many a bend, and the…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017HOW CAN I HELP...What does FoTF do? We work in partnership with the Forestry Commission to help everyone access and enjoy Thetford Forest, which straddles north Suffolk and south Norfolk. What sort of work do your volunteers get involved with? Our volunteers look after Lynford Arboretum, check walking trails, meet and greet, undertake archaeological research and carry out conservation tasks. How does their work directly help wildlife? In various ways! Just some of our recent conservation tasks have included constructing and maintaining bird and bat boxes, improving habitat through clearance work, carrying out local pool-frog reintroductions, building a toad fence at a road crossing point, caring for our Goshawk Trail and making tern rafts. How much time do you request from volunteers? People can give as much time as they wish. The usual…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017CAMERA CLOSE SHAVEI thoroughly enjoyed reading the article on favourite wildlife TV moments in the January 2017 issue, and noticed that you asked us to recall our favourite moment, so here we go! The TV moment that has always stood out for me was during the Walking with Lions documentary, filmed by husband and wife team Lynne and Phil Richardson in Zimbabwe. There is one particular scene that I can recall very clearly. It’s when they started filming a herd of elephants, which began to give warning signs that they weren’t happy with the camera crew being so close. The crew decided to move out of sight, leaving one camera in place. One of the elephants then started to run towards the camera. You can see it charging at full speed, not…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017A WILD WORLD OF RIPPING YARNSAN UNUSUAL LOOKING PUPPY RESCUED FROM THE COLD BY ALASTAIR IS NOT WHAT IT APPEARS TO BE. I WAS SUITABLY EMBARRASSED, HAVING BEEN A COUNTRY BOY ALL MY LIFE, I THOUGHT I WOULD BE STRIPPED OF MY NATURALIST STATUS. WHO? PROF ALASTAIR DRIVER is one of the UK’s leading conservationists and recently retired as the head of the Environment Agency’s biodiversity team. WHAT? A MYSTERY ORPHAN WHERE? BERKSHIRE One of the many joys of being the local “bloke wot does nature ‘n’ that” is that you get phone calls out of the blue when people have found weird and wonderful creatures, or signs of wildlife, in the village and want to know more. My most recent call came from the former chairman of our Parish Council who had stumbled…3 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017South-east Asia“There’s one looking straight at me,” remarks Stephen Fry in the 2009 series Last Chance to See that he co-presented with BBC Wildlife columnist Mark Carwardine, “and I have to say, it’s one of the most malevolent expressions I’ve ever seen on any living thing.” Malevolent or not, Komodo dragons are the largest member of the monitor lizard family, occasionally reaching a length of 3m and weighing up to 90kg. Historians speculate that Chinese traders, travelling to the Lesser Sunda Islands in the 2nd century, came across these fearsome beasts and returned home with stories that exacerbated, or even inspired, dragon mythology. Some maps, it is said, are inscribed with the legend, “Here be dragons”. They are certainly fearsome beasts, possessing huge claws that can disembowel a horse, a thick…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017AfricaThere are other great migrations in Africa. In Botswana, thousands of plains zebras travel 1,000km – the longest terrestrial journey of any mammal on the continent – from the floodplains of the Chobe River to the Nxai Pan and back again every year, while in South Sudan, some 1.2m or more antelopes, including 800,000 white-eared kob, form herds 80km long and 50km wide. But still, the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti and Masai Mara is the spectacle with which all others must bear comparison. While the sheer numbers – often cited at about 1.5m animals in total – are mind-boggling, and the grisly challenge of the Mara and Grumeti river crossings exhilarating, it is perhaps the migration’s never-ending circularity that gives it the greatest resonance. The synchronised calving of the…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017EXPERTS IN AFRICAOur fascinating planet harbours an incredible array of landscapes and ecosystems, which, in turn, are home to a remarkable diversity of life. In terms of iconic species and memorable encounters, Africa must be the stand-out continent. There is so much more to this magical region than the traditional safari on the plains – there are fascinating and contrasting wildlife experiences to be had right across Africa. Wildlife Worldwide’s experts have travelled far and wide in search of some of the very best natural encounters, expanding their unrivalled knowledge year-on-year. Whether you are looking to experience the natural wonder of the wildebeest migration, incredible encounters with big cats on the rolling plains of the Masai Mara or the Serengeti, witness the vast numbers of straw-coloured fruit bats in Zambia’s Kasanka National…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017ST HELENA ISLANDSituated in the heart of the South Atlantic Ocean, this small British Overseas Territory may be one of the remotest places on Earth, but it is also one of the most extraordinary places you can visit. Its unique character and unspoiled beauty lies in contrasting and spectacular scenery, a rich cultural heritage and an environment extremely rich in biodiversity. Follow in the footsteps of explorers such as Charles Darwin, Edmund Halley and Captain James Cook in discovering St Helena’s fascinating range of plant and animal life. The island is home to over one thousand species, of which more than 400 are endemic, including the Wirebird. Clear, warm waters, 18th century wrecks and fascinating marine life, including almost 50 species only found in St Helena’s waters, make the island an irresistible…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017EuropeIf you’ve ever wondered where the northern gannet gets its scientific name Morus bassanus , then a visit to Bass Rock should put an end to your contemplation. Bassanus … Bass Rock – yes, the bird gets its name from this volcanic plug squatting in the outer edges of the Firth of Forth. Some 75,000 pairs breed and raise their chicks here, almost a fifth of the global population, and the sight of even 10 of them hanging in the air, those lovely emulsion-white feathers gently tousled by the wind, before the inevitable, stomach-churning plunge, is enough to melt even the hardest of hearts. Then add this to the mix: gannets are a wildlife success story. Numbers in the UK have increased by a third in a decade and on…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017Indian subcontinentIn 1973, the American author Peter Matthiessen accompanied the great field biologist George Schaller on his study of blue sheep in Nepal, and later wrote the travel classic The Snow Leopard, even though he never laid eyes on one during the two-month trip. Thanks in part to the book, but also their elusive nature, snow leopards became a byword for something as mythological and cryptic as the yeti – despite the fact that they were real. How things change. The advance of digital technology has led to the development of cheap, easy-to-use remote cameras, and they have not only helped scientists uncover details of their once-mysterious lives but also made it far easier to see them in the flesh, because we know much more about where and how they live.…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017AustralasiaWhale sharks can be identified by a tool originally developed by NASA to chart the night sky. But instead of mapping stars, the algorithm analyses the pattern of spots on their flanks and topsides and compares them to other sharks in a database. Getting into the water with one, then, could be likened to taking a dip with a living galaxy. And while that might be stretching things a little, with its gaping mouth, strangely flattened head, the ridges along its side and the dense pattern of spots set against an inky-black background, a whale shark could legitimately be described as being out of this world. At up to 12m long it is the largest fish on Earth. Of course, there is nothing to fear from these sharks, because despite…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017The Far EastIt is probably true, as the Jigokudani Yaen-koen ‘wild snow monkey park’ website says, that there are many notable aspects of the lives of these Japanese macaques, other than the fact that they bathe in thermal springs. But, really, it’s difficult to imagine what. This is the place where – in 1963 – a young female macaque called Mukubili first went into one of the springs to retrieve some soya beans, and found the 43-C temperature of the water was preferable to the sub-zero one of the chilly mountain air. The practice soon spread, first to younger monkeys, then to all those in the area, and since then the monkeys have featured in dozens of natural history documentaries and been snapped by thousands of professional wildlife and enthusiastic amateur photographers.…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017BLOWING IN THE WIND“TWO BUD-LIKE, RED FEMALE FLOWERS AWAIT THE ARRIVAL OF THIS GOLDEN RAIN.” Glowing with a stirring of early spring sunshine, hazel catkins dance on the breeze and shower sparks of pollen into the sky. At the same moment, two bud-like female flowers, their vivid red tufts visible in the top-centre of Valter Binotto’s award-winning image, await the arrival of this life-generating golden rain. Hazel is monoecious, meaning both male and female flowers are found on the same plant, although pollen must be transferred between different trees for fertilisation to take place. The male catkins, or inflorescences, hang like clusters of catatonic caterpillars from mid-February (or earlier in more sheltered, lowland areas), appearing ahead of leaves, so the wind can disperse the millions of microscopic pollen grains more easily. Recent research…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017Hidden BRITANACORN BARNACLE Have you ever considered barnacles other than when one skins your knees or makes you dance painfully, barefoot across intertidal rocks? These little crustaceans get ignored by most of us. If we see them at all, they’re out of the water and closed up – a small, mysterious capsule of calcium that gives away few clues as to what actually lives inside. Within each tiny turret is an intertidal survival specialist able to tough out the harshest of conditions, by trapping a bubble of seawater in its fortress of perfectly interconnecting plates when the tide retreats. Superficially, a barnacle looks like a limpet; many mistakenly think that they are molluscs. But look closely at barnacles underwater and you’ll see something that no mollusc has: jointed legs. Next time…3 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017SPEAKERS’ CORNERWHAT The Wildlife of Devon WHEN 7.30pm on Monday 27 March WHERE West Charleton Village Hall, Devon Local naturalist John Walters will be revealing in this talk the amazing variety of wildlife found on moorlands and along coastlines in Devon through field sketches, photographs and video clips. The illustrator was interviewed during an episode of BBC One’s The One Show, which featured the rufous grasshopper. He will be sharing his knowledge of this species and others during the evening. “The rufous grasshopper is quite rare locally, and has a beautiful courtship display,” he says. Kingsbridge Natural History Society members can attend for free and tickets cost £3 for non-members. John illustrated The Wildlife of Dartmoor by Norman Baldock. For more information on his talk visit: http://bit.ly/2kmXMxg…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017DEEP, DARK SECRETGiant manta rays are usually portrayed gliding elegantly through sunbeams filtering through shimmering surface waters. But new research shows they have a deeper, darker side, too. Very little is known about the diet of these huge fish, which can reach 7m across. To find out, biologists have taken tissue samples from free-swimming mantas off the coast of Ecuador, using a biopsy punch mounted on a hand-spear. An animal’s tissues contain chemical signatures derived from its prey, allowing the biologists to estimate that surface plankton comprised only 27 per cent of their diet. The rest was from the mesopelagic zone at depths of 200-1000m. “The mesopelagic zone is the next frontier for open ocean fisheries,” write the scientists. “It is concerning that we still do not fully understand the reliance on…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017DO NOT FEED THE DOLPHINSConditioning dolphins to humans is an effective way for people to encounter a wild cetacean up close, but it’s not so good for the dolphins, according to new research. Drawing on more than 45 years-worth of data from Sarasota Bay in Florida, biologists have found that bottlenose dolphins conditioned with offerings of food are more likely to be injured in human interactions – boat collisions, for example, or entanglement with fishing gear – compared with unconditioned animals. Fredrik Christiansen of Australia’s Murdoch University told BBC Wildlife: “I cannot see any benefits from the animals’ perspective in being provisioned, apart from short-term energetic gains. However these are not likely to be substantial enough, or even needed, to enhance survival and/or reproduction.” The proportion of conditioned dolphins in Sarasota Bay has nearly…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017COLIN PACKHAM“NOW, THOUGH, HE HAD A NEW CHALLENGE: TO EMBRACE ZOOLOGY.” I remember a series of Sunday mornings collecting food for my lizards. I remember sitting on the collapsed carcass of a Dutched elm, watching him peel back the bark and scrabble to squeeze spiders into a jam jar. Shirt, no tie – it was Sunday after all – but still with that trademark sense of purpose, of focus, of a job worth doing… and doing well. My pause was brief – I didn’t want to be caught slacking. I never feared his frowns, nor feared him, but I knew if I didn’t strive to succeed, to fumble more ‘bugs’ into my jar, then when they were measured I’d be found wanting. (He still got twice as many spiders as me.)…3 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017An adventure that means somethingWe humans are a lucky bunch really. Not only do we live on a planet that’s bursting with beauty, grace and variety, we do so in a time when we’re blessed with the ability to hop on a plane, get out there and see it for ourselves. That freedom comes with incredible benefits, but it also demands responsibility. You see, there’s more than one way to travel. In recent years more people than ever are making the effort to make ethical travel decisions. Responsible, meaningful travel needs to be sought out, but when it’s done properly it has the capacity to enrich the communities it touches just as much as those who are travelling. That’s where Rickshaw Travel comes in. For almost a decade, the meaningful travel specialist has been…2 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017The WORM whispererWE WALK OVER THEM YET FEW OF US HAVE PAUSED TO CONSIDER THEIR BEAUTY OR THEIR VALUE. On a clear, crisp afternoon the sun casts dappled shadows on the leafy wildlife garden outside London’s Natural History Museum where Emma Sherlock is heading for the compost heap. She lifts the lid and peers underneath, then beams. “There they are,” she says. Sure enough, glistening against a background of dark, decaying plant matter are the writhing bodies of not one, but several, earthworms. She teases one from its warm, peaty bed and lays it neatly across the palm of her hand. A couple of inches long, the earthworm’s stripy, segmented body has the hue of a well-aged Merlot. When she nudges it gently, it squirms then, unexpectedly, oozes a small blob of…11 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017MEET THE WINNERS OF OUR BLOGGER AWARDSTalented bloggers in the UK and around the world have been busy exploring wildlife habitats on their doorsteps and further afield over the past year. They have been sharing their exciting nature experiences and discoveries with a passionate online community via the BBC Wildlife Local Patch Reporters Forum. Our expert panel of judges had the wonderful task of reading through blog posts that are rich in variety, admiring wildlife photography and watching footage of amazing animal behaviour. To see the full list of winning entries visit www.discoverwildlife.com/news/ blogger-awards-2016 THE JUDGES LIANNE DE MELLO is public relations and communications officer for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, and leads on media campaigns. MELISSA HARRISON is a novelist and nature writer. She is also the editor of four anthologies of…4 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017DOGFISH LIVER REMEDYResearch suggesting an amino acid – known as squalamine – extracted from the livers of dogfish can be used to treat Parkinson’s disease should act as an incentive to protect them, according to the Shark Trust’s director of conservation Ali Hood. “Dogfish only mature after 20 years or so and have pregnancies lasting 24 months," Hood said. "Certain species are under significant pressure in some regions, and this scientific breakthrough is yet another reason why these remarkable sharks should be handled with care." Shark liver oil has been used over the centuries in streetlights, to lubricate machinery and in cosmetics, Hood added.…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017BEYOND THE headlinesA RECENT ITEM ON COUNTRYFILE SUGGESTED THERE IS GROWING PRESSURE FROM ANGLERS TO CULL OTTERS, BUT DR DANIEL ALLEN OF THE UK WILD OTTER TRUST DISAGREES . Are otters a problem for freshwater fisheries? Predation can eat into the profits of those with vested interests in fish, but measures can be taken to prevent otters from taking stock from still-water fisheries. What measures? A physical barrier that otters cannot climb over, pass through or under is the most effective deterrent for managed stillwater fisheries and fish farms. Otter-proof fencing specifications have become standardised as part of Natural England licensing conditions. Otter-feeding (‘sacrificial’) ponds can also be effective. Is there pressure from anglers to cull otters that become a problem? There is no pressure for an otter…2 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017CARING FOR WILD CRITTERS“THE BRITISH PUBLIC TAKES 31,000 HEDGEHOGS TO VET PRACTICES TO BE TREATED EVERY YEAR.” Coming back from a night out several years ago, Toni Blythe saw a hedgehog trying to burrow under her garden fence. “I gave it a helping hand,” she told BBC Wildlife, and since that day, she’s become a regular hedgehog activist and advocate. For a couple of years now, Toni has been putting out food for the wild hogs in the garden of her semi-rural home between Leeds and York and, in the past few months, she’s rescued five young hedgehogs. One was discovered by her partner in the local park, the others she found at the bottom of the garden. “We found the first one and it was really underweight – just over 200g, and…6 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017WHY DID THE DIPPER DIP?IN DIPPER-MEETS-DIPPER SITUATIONS,THE DIP IS A SHOW OF STRENGTH,A KIND OF‘LOOK HOW MANY BENCH PRESSES I CAN DO’. IT DRAWS THE OPPOSITE SEXAND WARNS OFF A RIVAL. Looking into the maelstrom of an upland stream, our eyes go white-water rafting over the rapids and our ears are overwhelmed by a roaring, hissing torrent. Even though our senses are drowned, our attention is grabbed by a diminutive figure on its little boulder of a stage – a bob, a curtsey, the up and down flash of a white-breasted bird, a wren-like co*ck of the tail. Britain has its share of tail-wagging, head-flicking birds, but nothing dips quite like a dipper. Each dip is accompanied by a blink of its eye, the white-feathered eyelid winking like an indicator light. We can’t help…10 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017NATURE’S DECEPTORSThe Cuckoo: The Uninvited Guest Oldrich Mikulica et al Wild Nature Press £24.99 It isn’t often, even in these days of increasingly breathtaking photography, that a bird book comes along and leaves you speechless with admiration. For its outstanding images, text and overall design, this ‘uninvited guest’ is more than welcome. The photos, all taken by Oldrich Mikulica over several years, are of superb artistry and quality, and provide us with an intimate series of glimpses into the endlessly fascinating world of the common cuckoo. Researchers have discovered a great deal about the species’ biology, but photographers, thanks to their unrivalled patience, often see and capture things overlooked or rarely seen by others. The images here – of the birds themselves, and their eggs, chicks and food – are presented…3 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017Frank GardnerWhen did you first learn about birds of paradise? I was eight years old. I had a set of playing cards with the birds on the back. I asked my mother if they actually existed, and she said “yes, in Papua New Guinea”. From that day I’ve always wanted to go there. How tough was the whole experience? I was pretty uncomfortable a lot of the time. It was hot and humid, and the food was appalling. It was also muddy, which made it difficult for me to get around. But I got to see this extraordinary, remote part of the world and witness tribal practices that few have seen. The Niowra performed a welcome-back ceremony for Benedict, and their costumes and displays were amazing. Did you get a sense…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017Q & AOUR EXPERTS STUART BLACKMAN is a science writer who is mildly obsessed with evolution. KATE JONES is an ecologist and former chair of the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT). BEN GARROD is an evolutionary biologist who specialises in both primates and skeletons. MIKE TOMS is an author and associate director at the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). SARAH MCPHERSON edits the monthly Q&A pages. Send her your questions. Q BIOLOGY How do burrowing desert animals not inhale sand? A There’s plenty of air in the tiny spaces between grains of sand; the problem for sand-burrowing animals is how to get that air into their lungs while keeping the sand out. Narrow nostrils help, but other clever adaptations are also needed. The Colorado Desert fringe-toed lizard, for instance, is equipped with a…7 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017INSIDE THE IMAGETHE PHOTOGRAPHER ALEX HYDE Alex specialises in the smaller organisms that are so often overlooked. He is based in the Peak District National Park and runs tours and workshops on macro photography. “On one particularly wet July day in the Lake District, I embarked on a macro mission. I avoided the hills to seek out small subjects in a boggy area carpeted in sphagnum moss. It can be hard to visualise how a macro image might appear when you’re towering over your subjects, so I put on my waterproof trousers and got down for a closer look. I nearly missed this round-leaved sundew, which stood just a couple of centimetres high. LETHAL LEAVES This is one of Britain’s botanical wonders. Its bright colours and bizarre form make it look positively…3 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017WelcomeCasting my eye over our selection for this year’s travel supplement, one thing struck me about what links most of our top choices – water. Wild animals love water. Some, like whale sharks (Australia), literally can’t live without it, while others, such as sealions (South America) and gannets (Europe), are entirely dependent on the sea for their food. But for the salmon-fishing bears of Alaska (North America) or Japanese macaques (The Far East), the relationship is more subtle. As for the Serengeti’s wildebeest (Africa), crossing the Mara River is a considerable source of danger. But all of these make for unforgettable wildlife experiences.…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?Whether you’re hiking in Nepal or along the Pennine Way, or gazing out across an African plain, you will want a crystal clear view of the majestic scenery and diverse wildlife you encounter. CL Pocket 8x25 – SMALL outside, BIG inside With a Swarovski CL Pocket binocular you get excellent optics in a watertight, compact design that folds up to fit in your pocket. Perfect to take along on a walking holiday, or even just a stroll in the local park. EL 8x32 – Exceptional, crystal clear optics The Swarovski EL 32 binocular is the one to take on your safari, jungle or whale watching adventure. It is light, watertight and compact, yet gives you the ability to count the spots on a leopard, almost feel the hide of a…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017STEPPES TRAVEL WILDLIFE GROUP TOURSOur objective will always be to show you the highlight of a country, but we also like to take you off the beaten track to see the lesser-known, but equally interesting, places not frequented by large numbers of tourists. Our wildlife group tours (formerly Steppes Discovery) have been receiving plaudits now for more than 15 years, from both our clients and conservation partners alike – for example, our Durrell Wildlife Conservation in India, or our Gorillas and Community Conservation in collaboration with Fauna and Flora International in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and our Orangutan Conservation Tour in partnership with the Orangutan Foundation in Indonesian Borneo. Seeing wildlife in its natural habitat is an inspiring and uplifting experience. It is a privilege. Steppes Wildlife Group Tours has three…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017FAST PASS TO ANTARCTICACarving time out of your life and routine for an Antarctic cruise can be an undertaking. It can take weeks – even a month or more – to reach the 7th continent. Even then, you’ll have quite the trip in store – sailing the legendary Drake Passage. While crossing the Drake Passage by sea is a rite of passage for many visiting Antarctica, the time savings that a Fly/Cruise experience affords versus a traditional polar cruise, is critically important to others. In addition to shaving four days off your trip, it is a civilized way to travel to this wild, untamed place, without compromising any of the adventure. Starting your day in a beautiful hotel in a modern city, with all of the conveniences that entails, and cruising across the…1 min

BBC Wildlife Magazine|March 2017AntarcticaEmperor penguins are not like other penguins. They’re not like other birds. They are not quite like most other living things on the planet. Most animals reproduce just as the weather is beginning to warm up in the springtime in order to give their offspring the best possible chance of survival. It’s a pretty standard template that’s evolved over millions of years and it mostly works. Emperor penguins, however, do it the other way round. They lay their eggs in the howling gales and extreme sub-zero temperatures of an Antarctic winter. The female immediately sets off on a fairly lengthy fishing expedition, while the male keeps the egg, and later the chick, warm until she returns to take over childcare duties. The reason for this topsy-turvy approach is because once…2 min