Innholdsfortegnelse for Special 2016 i BBC Wildlife Magazine

There can’t be many of us who haven’t learned a lot of what we know about the natural world from watching the awe-inspiring wildlife documentaries that David Attenborough has been involved in over the past 60-odd years. The skill, patience and dedication of all of the camerapeople and sound recordists, plus the research, planning, writing and organisation of all of the technical experts, scientists and backroom staff, have produced footage that has made TV history, and shown the world what our planet has to offer. And, through it all, the underlying message that David has helped to deliver is how amazing and precious the world around us is, and how we should cherish it. Though he’s turning 90, David Attenborough is by no means done with working yet, and the…

“THE PLUMAGE WEIGHS MUCH MORE THAN THE BIRD’S ENTIRE SKELETON” 15 WOODPIGEON DOWN FEATHER Woodpigeons are among the most unfairly overlooked British birds. ‘Woodies’ are doing well in this country, due largely to recent population increases in urban areas – in most cities they now outnumber feral pigeons, or rock doves. They also benefit from having relatively few natural predators. Peregrine falcons and goshawks are the only birds of prey likely to target them routinely – when they do the result is a conspicuous explosion of feathers on the ground. The woodpigeon’s famously stout appearance and ‘waddly’ deportment are largely down to its plumage, which weighs much more than the bird’s entire skeleton. But the burden is more than justified in terms of performance, with the broad, vaned outer feathers…

“WHEN IT COMES TO CAMPAIGNING, MARK LIKES HARD FACTS MOST OF ALL” Mark Avery A tireless campaigner and prolific blogger, Mark debates some of the UK’s thorniest conservation issues. Fighting for Birds. Not Doing a Little Bit for Birds or Trying Quite Hard Sometimes for Birds, but actually fighting. I like ‘fighting’ and I like people who ‘fight’. I don’t mean fisticuffs, of course, but people standing up for their beliefs with little concern for the odds. I like people who have the courage of their convictions and who want to make the world a better place, for birds, other animals or us. I don’t like fence-sitters – and nor does Mark Avery. As it happens, Mark’s PhD was not on birds, but on the winter behaviour of pipistrelle bats.…

Born Free changed everything. “Elsa the lioness had become an ambassador for her kind,” wrote zoologist Desmond Morris. “She had [also] made people start to query the morality of keeping animals in captivity” Over 20 di erent lions represented Elsa and other lions on set, including cubs sent from Ethiopia by Emperor Haile Selassie and two that had been mascots for the Royal Scots Guards in Nairobi. The camera crew shot scenes from the safety of a cage, but Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers refused body doubles. Through working closely with George Adamson, they were soon walking on their own with the lions, playing football with them at dawn and sharing their lunch. For Virginia and Bill, working with lions was to shape the rest of their lives; they became…

Since making his first programme in 1952, David Attenborough has taken viewers on a journey across the Earth, from the most scorching desert to the deepest ocean. He has introduced us to animals and plants that have never been seen before, and revealed behaviour that we never could have imagined. He has brought to the world’s attention the creatures that are thriving, those that are struggling to survive, and others that may never be seen again. Over the next few pages, we recall some of David’s most iconic moments on television, from the moment he found himself being invited into a troop of mountain gorillas in Rwanda to the huddle of emperor penguins protecting their eggs from the full force of the Antarctic blizzards. David’s natural history series have always…

BRIGHT FUTURE Bioluminescence – the phenomenon by which animals create their own internal light – exists in the land, sky and sea, but technical constraints mean its full magnificence has never been captured on screen. The forthcoming BBC production Light on Earth uses ultra-sensitive cameras and submersibles to capture even the faintest of lights from bioluminescent creatures. The programme will reveal a glowing world that we were previously unable to see, from millipedes living in the soil to the bright belly of the lantern shark. PLANET EARTH II It is 10 years since Planet Earth was first screened. As the first BBC natural history series to be filmed in HD, it was a landmark moment in broadcasting. Planet Earth II, a six-part series, continues the ground-breaking traditions set by its…

"PALM OIL COULD BE THE MOST IMMEDIATE THREAT TO THE GREATEST NUMBER OF SPECIES ON THE PLANET” WHAT IS PALM OIL? Palm oil is a vegetable oil derived from the fruit of a tree called, rather unimaginatively, the oil palm Elaeis guineensis. The species is native to West Africa, but will grow almost anywhere in the tropics. WHAT IS IT USED FOR? It is found in about half of all household products, from processed foods such as biscuits and ice cream to soap and lipstick, though consumers are unaware because most of the time it is listed simply as ‘vegetable oil’. This is changing, thanks to a campaign orchestrated by the Sumatran Orangutan Society. By December 2017 all food products sold in the EU must list palm oil where it’s…

“The fantastic success of Woburn Safari Park’s breeding programme for Rothschild’s gira es is down to replicating their natural social structure,” explains Lindsay Banks. “In the wild gira es form herds according to the availability of space and resources, familiarity and kinship. So we have based our Rothschild’s gira e breeding strategy on this social system. For example, our female gira es are able to form close bonds with maternal relatives – mothers, daughters and siblings – like they would in the wild. Pregnant females remain with the rest of the herd at all times and are left to decide where and how they calve. This results in relaxed, calm gira es; by giving individuals the freedom to make choices, much potential stress and anxiety are reduced. “Calving and breeding…

One of the commonest mistakes is to assume that any bird singing sweetly after dark is a nightingale; it’s much more likely to be a robin. Nocturnal singing by robins appears to be on the increase, perhaps triggered by street and security lighting. Blackbirds and song thrushes also sometimes sing at night. But while both are impressively melodious, neither is a match for the sustained strength and pizzazz of a nightingale, which BBC naturalist Brett Westwood has compared to a “jazz musician, improvising on a theme”. The nightingale’s song is perhaps most easily confused with that of the blackcap. This common warbler sings by day, often in the same scrubby or open wooded habitats as the nightingale, and it also has a rich, bright, loud voice with real vigour. However,…

What was the most exciting location you filmed in? This had to be the Kawah Ijen sulphur volcano in East Java, Indonesia (left), which we filmed to illustrate the elements that make up planet Earth. The air is full of poisonous sulphur dioxide, and the gas is so corrosive that it can burn your eyes and mouth and even dissolve your teeth. Our camera team was positioned right in the heart of what is essentially a boiling cauldron of sulphur, and one of the crew got burned, though not seriously. Were there other mishaps? We also sent a camera team to Iceland to film moonbows – remarkable lunar rainbows created when the light of the moon is reflected and refracted through water droplets or mist. The cameraman on that shoot…

Horizon: Should We Close Our Zoos? TV BBC Two Catch up on iPlayer Zoos are busily rebranding themselves as centres of research, conservation and education, but to what extent do they achieve these aims? For BBC Two’s latest Horizon series, biologist and presenter Liz Bonnin explores why zoos house animals and what they need to do to keep up with modern science. Given our vastly improved knowledge of animal behaviour and the fact that natural-history television is opening up the wildlife world like never before, Liz investigates whether we can justify keeping animals in captivity.…

JOANNA EEDE Joanna is a writer and author on African wildlife, indigenous cultures and wilderness. “It is devastating that since Born Free was filmed, African wild lion numbers have been in freefall,” she says. See p20 JOANNA WIMPENNY Joanna lectures in animal behaviour. She says,“The fables of Aesop have shaped our preconceptions of the animal world. But what does science have to say about these animal characters?” See p52 AMY-JANE BEER BBC Wildlife columnist Amy says, “The seal-monitoring achievements of Sue Sayer and the Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust are nothing short of a revelation.” See p80…

Bugle AJUGA REPTANS Bluish-purple flowers in upright leafy spikes; spreads by runners, forming patches in grassy areas. Nectar is much loved by bumblebees and butterflies. Sweet violet VIOLA ODORATA Flowers usually purple, but also white or lilac. Similar to common dog-violet, which lacks its fragrant perfume and has smooth (not hairy) leaves and stalks. Ground-ivy GLECHOMA HEDERACEA Purple flowers look superficially like bugle, but are on low, creeping stems up to 1m long. Leaves are also rounder and hairier, with a pungent smell.…

Leaving a few ‘weeds’ can turn your garden into a nursery for tiger moth caterpillars. Garden tigers overwinter as small caterpillars bristling with tufts of short hairs, or setae. About one in five will survive the cold to begin feeding up in spring on nettles, docks and a variety of other common ‘weeds’. The caterpillars grow rapidly, and moult to full ‘woolly bear’ glory in late May. The setae, which can irritate human skin, are shed for the last time as each larva prepares for its final dramatic metamorphosis, and then used to reinforce the delicate silky walls of the cocoon from which the equally spectacular adult moth will emerge in July or August. Unfortunately the species is struggling in the UK, and has declined by 92 per cent over…

A parasite has been found to manipulate the behaviour of its chimpanzee hosts, making them morbidly attracted to the odour of their only natural predator. Toxoplasma gondii is a tiny single-celled cat parasite that also infects a range of other mammals and birds as intermediate hosts, forming cysts in their brains and other organs. These hosts must be eaten by a feline if the parasite is to complete its life-cycle. There is good evidence that the parasite aids its own transmission to cats by modifying the behaviour of its intermediate hosts so that they are more likely to be killed by felines. Rodents, for example, take more risks and lose their aversion to cat urine. It’s far from clear, though, whether such changes are really the work of the parasite…

• Natural High Safaris (01747 830950, www.natural highsafaris.com) organises three-night trips to Meru National Park from Nairobi, staying at Elsa’s Kopje Lodge, generally as part of a longer safari. • Exceptional Safaris (01608 638777, www.exceptional-travel.com), Mahlatini (0289 073 6050, www.mahlatini.com) and Yellow Zebra Safaris (0203 199 9423, www.yellowzebrasafaris.com) also visit Meru National Park. • Lion-watching tours elsewhere in Kenya are organised by Africa Travel (0207 843 3500, www.africatravel.com), Cox & Kings (0203 797 1524, www.coxandkings.co.uk), Expert Africa (0208 232 9777, www.expertafrica.com), Naturetrek (01962 733051, www.naturetrek.co.uk), Spencer Scott Safaris (01825 714310, www.spencer scotttravel.com) and Wildlife Worldwide (01962 302086, www.wildlifeworldwide.com).…

“CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL. WE NEED TO WORK COLLECTIVELY TOGETHER AND STOP PROCRASTINATING.”Leonardo DiCaprio calls on the world to wake up as he accepts his best actor Oscar for The Revenant. MONARCHS’ RISE Monarch butterflies have made a partial recovery in their overwintering grounds in Mexico. The area of forest they covered in December 2015 was 4ha, compared with 1.13ha in 2014 and just 0.67ha in 2013 – but researchers warn that the long-term trend is still down. RARE MONKEY FIND A population of one of the world’s 25 most endangered primates has been discovered by Fauna & Flora International in Vietnam. The 500 individuals increase by half the previous estimate of the number of grey-shanked douc monkeys, which are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation as well as hunting.…

My introduction to the natural world was watching my dad shoot pheasants and fishing for mackerel. I learned how Manx shearwaters were called ‘mackerel cocks’, and porpoises ‘herring hogs. I used to be a twitcher, but after staring at a field for three days in pursuit of an upland sandpiper that I never saw, I thought, “There’s got to be more to life than this.” ‘Mothing’ filled the gap. My ‘eureka’ moment came one morning in 2012 when a Stephens’ gem landed in my trap at Murlough National Nature Reserve. I had never seen one before and my legs started shaking. It had come over with Hurricane Sandy from Newfoundland, and it was probably the eighth record for the Western Palearctic. Everything I record at Murlough I put into the…

When Pauline Kidner, founder of the animal-rescue centre Secret World in Somerset, pulled the bodies of four badgers out of a nearby stream, she knew it was important to find out how they had died. The postmortems revealed that they had been shot in the head at very close range. “They must have been trapped first,” she told BBC Wildlife . “That’s the only way you could do that.” But Kidner believes that these animals were not killed as part of the pilot cull that has been taking place in Somerset in an effort to reduce levels of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle. Instead, she says they were illegally persecuted because the perpetrators felt emboldened by the cull that has been sanctioned by the Government. They aren’t…

1 FIRST RESPONSE In autumn and winter most calls to the British Divers Marine Life Rescue seal hotline concern weak or injured pups, but the team also help sick, injured or net-entangled adults. The public should keep their distance and avoid eye contact with the seal – and keep dogs under control. 2 ASSESSMENT A medic assesses the health of the seal, taking their temperature and blood samples where necessary. They can carry out some emergency treatments on site, including rehydration, cleaning any wounds and administering antibiotics. In the worst cases, seals are euthanised on the spot. 3 RESCUE Pups requiring further treatment are bagged and carried off the beach, then transferred to a crate for transport to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary. Sick and injured animals receive individualised treatment in…

IT’S BESTTO HONE YOUR SKILLS BEFORE YOU SET OUT TO FIND RARE SPECIES” Why did you decide to write this book? All of the talks I’ve given over the years have made me realise that lots of people want to know how they can find wildlife and get close enough to photograph it. My book answers both these questions for photographers of all abilities. Which species have you found to be the hardest to photograph? The nightingale – it took me three years to get an image that I was happy with [see the feature on p74]. The male mainly sings from shady scrub when he returns to the UK. However, before his mate arrives he perches a little more out in the open, meaning that you get roughly 10…

OUR EXPERTS STUART BLACKMAN is a science writer who is mildly obsessed with evolution. BEN GARROD is an evolutionary biologist who specialises in both primates and skeletons. SAM HOBSON is a wildlife photographer who regularly contributes to BBC Wildlife . GRAHAM APPLETON is an expert on waders who formerly worked for the BTO. PHIL GATES regularly writes for BBC Wildlife and is a senior lecturer in botany at Durham University. Q BATS Just how much do bats help to control pests? A It has long been assumed that insectivorous bats are good for agriculture, but only recently have their effects been measured directly. Experiments in the USA show that the numbers of corn earworm caterpillars increase by nearly 60 per cent when bats are excluded from corn fields, resulting in…

“MASTERS OF THE SKY, EAGLES RIDE THERMALS AND CLIFFTOP EDDIES WITH BARELY A WINGBEAT” Circling high above a craggy Munro in the Scottish Highlands, a male golden eagle slips into a long dive, regains height, then dives again. At one point the huge raptor rolls from side to side, all part of his dramatic spring courtship. If you’re lucky, you may see the male and female displaying together: pick a fine morning with a sti breeze (better than a still day) and hope. Golden eagles often make headlines for the wrong reasons, such as the 36 Scottish birds killed illegally in 1994–2014, according to an RSPB report. Results are due soon from last year’s fourth national survey, with researchers eager to find out if conservation e orts have boosted numbers…

Rickshaw Travel are a passionate bunch. As well as offering trips across Asia that come with a meaningful twist, when you travel the Rickshaw way you’ll find yourself immersed in the local way of life and experiencing wildlife responsibly. And on that note, isn’t it time to talk about the elephant in the room? Despite the sad truth behind elephant riding in Asia, where cruel practices are often used to break the animals’ spirit, it remains a popular activity amongst travellers. Rickshaw want to change that, and invite you to join the movement. With a dedicated team of Meaningful Travel Warriors focused solely on sustainability, Rickshaw has made it its mission to stand up for elephants by replacing all elephant riding excursions with ethical experiences – a worthy goal as…

SKOMER ISLAND WHERE Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA62 WARDEN Birgitta Büche WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT Spring on this Wildlife Trusts island is a magical time of year because thousands of seabirds are coming back to their breeding sites, including fulmars, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and puffins (right). WHAT YOU CAN SEE Visit to marvel at carpets of beautiful bluebells covering the island, and flowering scurvy grass and sea campion adorning the cliffs. During low tide up to 300 grey seals can be seen basking in the sun on Skomer’s beaches. TOP WILDLIFE SPOT My favourite walk in spring takes me from Old Farm to Bull Hole via the Garland Stone. During the walk I look out for migrant birds, such as golden orioles, nightingales and cuckoos. JOIN ITS EVENT Find out how to…

Dodos may have been cleverer than we thought. CT scans of the brain cases of a dodo and its close relative the Rodrigues solitaire, which is also extinct, reveal that – relative to their large bodies – their brains were on a par with other members of the pigeon family. “I would imagine that their extinction had more to do with them being three-foot [0.9m] flightless birds, trapped on a small island hunted by hungry sailors, than any measure of intelligence or learning,” said Eugenia Gold of the American Museum of Natural History, who led the study. The scans also identified unusually large olfactory bulbs – the region of the brain that processes smell. “Flight navigation relies on visually inspecting the upcoming environment. This could override the expansion of the…

FLAGSHIP SPECIES Conservationists often focus on large, charismatic species such as tigers, bald eagles, pandas, wolves and elephants in order to attract both funding and attention. This risks neglecting less charismatic, perhaps rarer species, but many such flagship species double as umbrella species – their protection benefits other species in their habitat. A survey conducted last year, for example, found that Chinese forests protected for giant pandas hosted high concentrations of other threatened mammals, amphibians and birds. Many species have benefited from panda conservation.…

RARE BRITISH SPIDER CAUGHT ON CAMERA One of our rarest and most elusive creatures has been photographed alive for the first time. The horrid ground weaver, an endemic British spider 2.5mm long, is known from just a few sites in Plymouth. In 2015 its presence halted a housing development in the city. IBERIAN GRASS SNAKE IS A NEW SPECIES The Iberian grass snake, previously considered a subspecies, is found in Spain, Portugal, southern France and North Africa, and is less dependent on water than its familiar cousin. The Biological Journal of the Linnean Society reports that the snake can be recognised by its orange iris. SPACE SURVIVAL Antarctic fungi can survive for at least 18 months in Mars-like conditions created aboard the International Space Station. The journal Astrobiology reports that…

“I’M A VERY URBAN MAN. LONDON IS THE MOST FANTASTIC PLACE IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN SCHOLARSHIP, LEARNING, MUSIC…” Britain’s best-loved broadcaster chuckles, as if he can’t quite believe his luck. “Having fun is not difficult! It’s one of the few talents I have – enjoying myself. So it’s obvious why you do this – you’re having a ball. People say: ‘But you’re so old . Why are you going on working?’ Because I’d pay to go on doing what I’m doing!” Still bright-eyed and floppy-fringed, David Attenborough is as magnetic a presence in the flesh as he is on screen. Ever the storyteller, he peppers his anecdotes with “Crikey!”, “Unbelievable!”, “Amazing!”, “Wonderful!”, constantly shifting in his chair, arms whirring, his boyish enthusiasm and sheer zest for life undimmed. Several times…

ARCTIC WOLVES Survival strategies Staying alive in the icy wilderness of the Arctic requires a combination of special physical attributes and a degree of resourcefulness. With their white coats, Arctic wolves have the advantage of blending in with their snowy surroundings, but their fur is also specially adapted to withstand sub-zero conditions. It comprises two layers – an inner layer that forms a waterproof barrier, and an outer layer that thickens to trap air during the coldest months. The wolves need to retain as much body heat as possible and their small ears and muzzle minimise heat loss. They also have the ability to live o body fat, which means that they can last longer without food than many other species of wolf. With meals in short supply, Arctic wolves…

More than two million birds were illegally killed across the Republic of Cyprus during the autumn of 2015, with some 800,000 of them being taken in the British military sovereign base areas, according to conservationists. The RSPB and BirdLife Cyprus have reported that, while some progress has been made tackling the illegal mist-netting and ‘limesticking’ of songbirds such as blackcaps by organised gangs in the bases, the overall scale of the killing has not diminished. The birds are taken to be served up as a local dish called ambelopoulia. The trade is worth an estimated 15 million a year.…

“WE ARE NOW BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO SECURE THE SPECIES’ FUTURE” FACT FILE JAVAN RHINO RHINOCEROS SONDAICUS HABITAT Lowland tropical, mainly secondary rainforest; likes to be close to water DIET Leaves, shoots and twigs from a variety of plants, particularly those that grow in unshaded, open areas THREATS Habitat loss, poaching and the loss of genetic variability due to its small population LIFESPAN 30–35 years IUCN RED LIST STATUS CRITICALLY ENDANGERED It may be Critically Endangered and the rarest member of its family group, but the Javan rhino is not finished yet. We are now beginning to understand what we must do to improve its habitat, and how we can secure the species’ long-term future. But first, the facts. The official population of the Javan rhino is estimated at…

Inspiring Attenborough: Sir David at 90 TV BBC One Due to air on 8 May In celebration of his 90th (see p31), David Attenborough will be interviewed by Kirsty Young, the presenter of Desert Island Discs, for this one-hour special. Recorded in front of a studio audience of film-makers, conservationists, zoologists and members of the public, the interview will showcase highlights from the naturalist’s seven-decade career. It’s no This Is Your Life retrospective, however, rather a look at the current status of some of the species that David has brought to our screens – such as mountain gorillas, which he encountered for Life on Earth (1979) – and a preview of his forthcoming productions, including Light on Earth and Planet Earth II.…

Hampshire Dormouse Group What does the Hampshire Dormice Group (HDG) do? Hazel – or common – dormice are very rare and vulnerable in the UK, so we help by monitoring populations in Hampshire. In 2014 we also started to attend events to inform the public of the species’ plight. Last year we were awarded funding to help us to set up new monitoring sites. How can volunteers help? We always need volunteers for our autumn nut hunts. You can tell when a nut has been chewed by a dormouse by the shape of the toothmarks, so these are a telltale sign of their presence, enabling us to identify suitable new monitoring sites. The search areas can be quite large, so more people makes the task quicker and more enjoyable. We…

Mortality and morality I noticed with more than a little trepidation the coverline of the April issue of BBC Wildlife: “Immortality: what animals can teach us about life and death”. I assumed that it was going to be yet another article written from the religious or philosophical angle like one or two essays in previous issues, rather than based in science. Thankfully this was not the case, and it was a pertinent and very interesting article, albeit rather too short. The thought of being continually recycled as carbon and other atoms throughout millennia in diverse forms is an amazing prospect. It’s the quality, variety and purpose in life that matter. However, I almost misread “immortality” as “immorality”. I wonder if an essay on what animals can teach us about morality…