dr dru 4rth r // MAGZUS.CLUB // by Derek Kolush

TREE BUMBLEBEES THE INTREPID INSECTS CREATING A BUZZ IN BRITAIN

WILDLIFE ARTIST OF THE YE AR

AND THE W IN N E R IS .. .

June 2021 | Vol. 39 No. 07

MEET THE

NEW BIG FIVE REVEALED: THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE SPECIES TO SHOOT – WITH A CAMERA

kk GILLIAN BURKE on why oceans matter kk The secret chatter of DOLPHINS kk SEA GRASS: the forgotten ecosystem P LUS

THE WEIRD SCIENCE OF OCTOPUS SLEEP

BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II SWAROVSKI OPTIK SUPPLIER OF BINOCULARS

NL PURE 32 ONE WITH NATURE SEE THE UNSEEN

The sea of life... hat’s your favourite animal? It’s not the first time you’ve heard that question, and most of us have a stock answer at the ready. Mine, since you ask, is the polar bear. Of course, it’s of little importance to anybody but me which I choose, but that’s not the case for our cover star this issue, and the other species recently voted as the New Big 5 (p40). This new global initiative uses a popularity contest to raise awareness of the plight not just of the world’s top megafauna, but also that of the countless species that rely on this iconic quintet to maintain their ecosystems.

Paul McGuinness Editor

Cover: Gorilla by Marcus Westberg/New Big 5; green turtle: Shane Gross; This page: Gurcharan Roopra/New Big 5

Elsewhere this issue, we’re making a splash about World Oceans Day on 8th June. Having grown up in North Devon, I’ve always felt a great affinity with the ocean, but have never managed to express the importance of the deep blue quite so beautifully as Gillian Burke does this issue (p54). We’ve bucket-loads more oceansrelated content dotted throughout the issue – look out for the blue ‘Oceans Special’ circle. For all of us, it’s vital that we cherish the oceans – after all, where would we be without them?

Which species make up the New Big 5? (p40)

Q facebook.com/wildlifemagazine Q twitter.com/WildlifeMag Q instagram.com/bbcwildlifemagazine Q bit.ly/bbcwildlifeyoutube Q discoverwildlife.com

June 2021

neil.lloyd@immediate.co.uk; 0117 300 8276 Q Subscriptions bbcwildlife@buysubscriptions.com; 03330 162 121 Q Editorial enquiries wildlifemagazine@immediate.co.uk; Q Syndication emma.brunt@immediate.co.uk; 0117 300 8979

BBC Wildlife

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The people behind our stories

June 2021

CONTENTS 68 The secret chatter of dolphins

WILD MONTH 12

These mammals have come up with a cryptic form of conversation COVER STORY

Seven species to spot

74 Wildlife Artist of the Year

What to look out for in June

Mike Dilger highlights the wildlife to be found in our mossier, boggier woods

The parasite that lives in mining bees

COVER STORY

The highlights from this year’s David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation awards

Wet woodland

23 Nick Baker’s hidden Britain

OUR WILD WORLD

24 News Scientists speculate whether octopuses are able to dream like us

28 Truth or fiction?

29 Mark Carwardine The conservationist examines China’s animal welfare track record

30 Meet the scientist Anouk Spelt on what she learnt by studying the habits of urban gulls

96 Feedback Your letters and Tales from the Bush

99 Puzzles

REGULARS 6

In focus

80 Behind the image Escaping the wildfires in California

COVER STORY

Amidst widespread pollinator decline, we investigate the newcomer bee that’s bucking the trend in Britain

40 New Big 5

Natural history TV, books and more

COVER STORY

An exciting initiative is underway: a contest to discover the top megafauna to photograph – not hunt

54 Gillian Burke on oceans

84 Q&A What is the difference between a turtle and a tortoise? And how do fish walk?

MAX WHITTAKER Photojournalist Max shares his experience witnessing deer fleeing California’s wildfires. “I was following firefighters when they suddenly appeared,” he says. See p80

106 Samuel West The actor and bird-lover tells us why he became dotty about dippers

COVER STORY

The Springwatch presenter shares how she has loved the sea since childhood – and why it deserves our respect

58 Photo story: Sea grass Dive into the world’s oceans and discover the species that depend on this wonder plant

�� June 2021

GILLIAN BURKE The Springwatch presenter shares her views on the importance of our oceans to the future of the planet. “I know I have contributed to the problem. Like so many of us, I am desperately trying to be part of the solution as well.” See p54

Great hammerhead sharks, Coleman’s shrimps and green sea turtles

FEATURES 32 Tree bumblebees

90 At home 94 Your photos

Will we be seeing genetically modified squirrels in the near future?

CAROLYN COWAN The writer and ecologist finds out why the British tree bumblebee boom is good news. “They pose no threat to native UK bumblebees by competing for nesting spaces or food resources,” she says. See p32

SAMUEL WEST The actor and star of Channel 5’s All Creatures Great and Small shares his passion for dippers. “They curtsey from a rock, then throw themselves into the water like romantic poets after a bad breakup,” he says. See p106

BBC Wildlife

Andy Murch/naturepl.com

IN FOCUS | Hammer home Thanks to the nearby Gulf Stream, the waters around South Bimini Island in the Bahamas team with all manner – and size – of sea life, and anglers come to land tuna, marlin and swordfish among other giants. The Bahamas is a shark sanctuary where you’ll find several species, including the lemon, nurse and great hammerhead shark, pictured. The largest of the hammerheads and endangered worldwide, they can grow up to 20 feet long. They feed on other sharks and frequent these waters from December to March.

Birgitte Wilms/Minden/naturepl.com

IN FOCUS | Sticking together Coleman’s shrimp are native to the seas around Indonesia and Australia and were first described in 1975. Here it is shown in its usual habitat: camouflaged on a fire urchin, also known as a toxic sea urchin. These striking shrimps are usually found in pairs, the larger one being the female. Their urchin home offers them protection once they’ve cleared an area of spines on which to perch. Growing up to 2cm long, they feed on plankton and algae.

Tui De Roy/ naturepl.com

IN FOCUS | Island life Cape Douglas on Fernandina Island is the perfect place for spotting some of the fascinating species unique to the Galápagos. The world’s only sea-going lizard, the marine iguana, has a blunter snout than its land-living counterpart and a nasal gland to excrete excess salt. The Galápagos penguin is the only species found north of the equator. They lay their eggs in caves or holes found in the volcanic rock of the island and hunt for small fish and crustaceans in the coastal waters. Green sea turtles are the most abundant sea turtles in the Galápagos Islands. Here they come in two morphotypes exclusive to the area: the black and the yellow.

WILDMONTH Our countryside is being energised by the longer, warmer summer days. What will you spy in June? By Laurie Jackson

1 | PINE MARTEN

Here’s looking at you kit reintroduction to the Forest of Dean beginning in 2019, and Scottish populations spreading south. Although considered woodland specialists, pine martens have shown themselves to be adaptable as they reclaim their former haunts. As the kits explore their mothers’ extensive territory, this is a great time to find their distinctive coiled scat (droppings), often deposited in prominent locations. Pine martens’ diet includes small mammals such as bank voles, along with insects and birds, and their fondness for autumn berries often turns their scat purple.

FIND OUT MORE Read about the conservation efforts of Back from the Brink: naturebftb.co.uk Plus, see our pine marten guide from the Vincent Wildlife Trust: discoverwildlife.com/pine-martens

Danny Green

Young pine martens, or kits, are making their first forays from dens deep in tree cavities this month. Once one of our commonest mammals, second only to weasels in their abundance, pine marten populations plummeted between the 16th and 19th centuries. The semiarboreal mustelid was hit by woodland fragmentation and the popularity of their pelts (valued both for warmth and fashion), swiftly followed by their persecution as vermin. With a bounty on their heads, pine martens were pushed into pockets of the Highlands, and the uplands of Wales and northern England, and were close to extinction by the early 20th century. Thankfully their fortunes are now changing. Between 2015 and 2017, pine martens were translocated from Scotland to mid-Wales, with a

WILD JUNE 2 | COMMON TOAD

Toads on the move Toads spend most of their time away from water, hunting invertebrates under the cover of night. Their annual pilgrimages to ancestral breeding ponds during February are well known, but perhaps overlooked is the reverse migration of toadlets that begins in June. After four months feeding on algae, detritus and small invertebrates, the tadpoles have transformed, growing back and then front legs, and reabsorbing their tails. The tiny army assembles and, following rain, wave after wave of them emerge from ponds. Their size makes them vulnerable, so watch your step!

FIND OUT MORE Read about amphibians of the British Isles: discoverwildlife.com/british-amphibians

3 | MEADOW GRASSHOPPER

Sounds of summer Grasslands are filling with the short, rattling song of the meadow grasshopper this month, with chorus lines formed by groups of males vying for the attention of the females. Meadow grasshoppers are one of our most widespread species and also one of the first to reach adulthood, following a series of incremental nymph stages, known as instars. The early hatching of meadow grasshopper eggs can be triggered by warm spring temperatures, and

climate change may lead to premature emergence becoming more common. Although meadow grasshoppers are usually green, they are one of several species that can produce vivid pink individuals, a phenomenon known as erythrism.

FIND OUT MORE Grasshopper recording scheme: orthoptera.org.uk

Toad: David Tipling; grasshopper: Jason Steel; owl: Simon Roy

WILD JUNE

4 | LITTLE OWL

Owl acrobatics Little owl chicks are becoming restless in June, and soon move from peering out of their nests to standing on adjacent branches or ‘branching’. While they may not have mastered flight, the owlets readily clamber around vegetation as they pester their parents for food with rasping pleas. The nimble youngsters climb using their sharp talons, flapping their wings to gain momentum, and can even haul themselves back up tree trunks should they fall to the ground. Adults can be seen perched on fence posts watching for a potential meal of invertebrates, small mammals or birds. If something catches its eye, this compact predator will swoop down and pounce, and may even pursue prey on foot.

FIND OUT MORE How to protect the species: littleowlproject.uk See our guide: discoverwildlife.com/little-owl-facts

WILD JUNE

6 | MOONWORT

The mystical fern Sharp eyes may spot the unusuallooking moonwort this month. Unlike many other ferns, it prefers growing in the open and is typically found in meadows, quarries and open woodland, with its stronghold in northern and western Britain. Ferns don’t flower. Instead they produce spores, which in moonwort are held in clusters of sporangia protruding above its fanshaped leaves (or pinnae). Below ground, it busily trades nutrients and sugars with fungi, and may not produce leaves for several years. This may explain its appearance in folklore, and why it is credited with mystical powers.

FIND OUT MORE 5 | HEATH TIGER BEETLE

British wild plants: plantlife.org.uk/uk

Stalking the heath Warm June days are perfect for spotting Britain’s largest tiger beetle as it prowls its heathland home. It’s a fitting name for these formidable predators. The bronzecoloured adults chase invertebrate prey, catching them in their large jaws, while the larvae dig burrows in the sandy soil, ready to ambush anything that strays too close. Heath tiger beetles have seen a dramatic decline in numbers in

recent decades, with changes to their heathland habitat and a poor ability to disperse leaving a small scattering of them across Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex. Adults can be spotted dashing over open ground and will often fly in short bursts when disturbed.

FIND OUT MORE Saving rare UK species: species recoverytrust.org.uk/the-species

7 | NIGHT-FLOWERING CATCHFLY

Smell of success

Beetle & moonwort: Bob Gibbons; night-flowering catchfly: Robin Chittenden

This understated member of the pink family is coming into flower this month, but to appreciate it at its best you need to venture out at night when its petals unfurl, unleashing their strong fragrance. The scent of night-flowering catchfly is irresistible to moths, which are drawn in to pollinate them. As an annual, this catchfly is found along arable field margins and other disturbed ground – particularly on calcareous soils – and often grows in large populations. The stem of night-flowering catchfly is lined with sticky glands, which makes it an unappealing meal for herbivores.

FIND OUT MORE Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland: bsbi.org 16

BBC Wildlife

June 2021

N E W B B C W I L D L I F E YO U T U B E S E R I ES

PHOTOGRAPHY

MASTERCLASS with Mark Carwardine NEW! FREE!

This new online video series is for everyone who loves wildlife photography – beginners and experts alike. Packed with practical tips and tricks and fresh ideas, plus interviews with top wildlife photographers around the world, it is inspiring and informative.

Mark Carwardine

O Expert advice to use out in the field O Tips on using equipment for the best shots O Behind the scenes with the professionals O Advice on where and when to go

discoverwildlife.com/ photography-masterclass

MIKE DILGER’S

WILDLIFE WATCHING IN WET WOODLAND

In his series of great places to watch wildlife in the UK, the star of BBC One’s The One Show this month dons his boots to enjoy boggy and mossy woodlands filled with willow tits, myriad insects and even the odd otter.

eterring all but the most determined of naturalists, wet woodlands have to be some of the wildest and yet most natural of all our British woodlands. Characterised by tussocky sedges and a tall herb layer, which combine to conceal swampy pools harbouring partly submerged fallen trunks, this secretive and sometimes forbidding habitat will certainly reward those venturing off the beaten track. Scattered across the UK, wet woodland is dominated by trees able to thrive in either poorly drained or seasonally flooded soils, such as the various willows, birch and alder. This habitat can also be encountered anywhere from floodplains, fens and bogs, to hillside flushes and even peaty hollows.

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BBC Wildlife

Rarely covering expansive areas, it more frequently forms a mosaic with other habitats, such as drier woodland. Here, the boundary between these different forest types can either be sharp or gradual – it depends on the site’s specific hydrological conditions and how the surrounding land is managed. Wet woodland has a long, grand tradition in Britain, having colonised

open areas following the last glacial retreat about 12,000 years ago. However, it can also be a relatively ephemeral habitat, as the very presence of trees can eventually cause a gradual drying out of the soil, ultimately leading to the woodland’s colonisation by species less tolerant of waterlogged conditions, such as ash and oak. But at those locations where bog mosses proliferate, these bryophytes will often cooperate to impede tree growth. The tussle for supremacy between moss and trees means that the natural succession of either is halted in its tracks. Also, a lack of nutrients, as seen in many Scottish bogs, can result in the Scot’s pines and birches becoming stunted. And with the trees in such a weakened state, this may again result in the status quo being maintained, June 2021

WILD JUNE

C ockw se from top eft: Adam Burton/roberthard ng/A amy; Andrew Park nson/naturep .com; Kev n Freeborn/A amy; N co van Kappe / Bu ten-Bee d/A amy; Pau Hobson/FLPA; Coatsey/A amy

Clockwise from top left: wet woodlands are underrated but beautiful habitats; spot male siskins by their black crowns; trees grow more sparsely when competing with bog mosses; a water shrew reveals its paler underside; coralroot orchids have flowers but gather most of their energy from their roots; look out for willow tits.

as neither dry woodland nor wetland are able to gain the upper hand.

Wet, wet, wet Any forested areas on floodplains are perhaps the most dynamic of all wet woodlands, as they may be forced to respond quite dramatically after big flood events, or more gradually while following the meandering course of the river. Frequently found on flat, fertile land, most of these woodlands would have been earmarked for agricultural production during the early land clearances and so only pockets remain today in places such as the New Forest and northern Scotland. While admittedly containing relatively few specialised species, wet woodlands’ June 2021

BBC Wildlife

WILD JUNE

humidity and abundance of dead and rotting wood can make it attractive to a range of birds. Willow tits, for example, are frequently encountered in this habitat, due to their predilection for excavating nestholes from rotten wood, while siskin and redpoll will also find the alder catkins and birch seed hard to resist. And while oaks undeniably support the highest number of associated invertebrates, the very fact

Willow tits are frequently encountered due to their predilection for excavating nestholes from rotten wood.

that willow and birch are second and third on this ‘useful tree’ list means that wet woodlands can be home to a surprisingly diverse suite of moths and other insects. Mammals also have representation here, with otters using wet woodland for cover and breeding sites, while water shrews can be spotted in those areas with least pollution and disturbance. It’s worth mentioning too that this habitat can be created by beavers, which will quickly transform most dry woodlands into a vibrant waterscape. A final note: when accessing wet woodland, best stick to the established trails or boardwalks, which should be positioned for you to enjoy the very best this habitat has to offer.

C H O IC E LO CATI O N S 1

1 Spey Bay on the Moray Firth coast has some exceptional wet woodland along the banks of the lower reaches of the Spey River, which are best accessed by walking south along the Speyside Way from the visitor centre to the viaduct.

S P EC I ES TO LO OK OU T FO R Willow tit No larger than a blue tit, a combination of a black cap and pale cheeks should eliminate every other species, other than marsh tit. The best way, in fact, to separate these two very similar relatives is by call. Willow tits have unfortunately been in decline for over 30 years, with the lack of dead wood and the drying out of wet woodlands the probable primary causes for the bird’s disappearance.

Siskin Dinkier than greenfinches, siskins are attractive finches with a distinctively forked tail and a streaky yellow-green body. Despite preferring to breed in coniferous forests, the food on offer in wet woodland sites, particularly in northern and western Britain, is a considerable draw for these lively birds.

This bicoloured shrew often has a silvery appearance when under

BBC Wildlife

2 Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, has a mosaic of woodland and heath and some fine wet woodland, particularly if you follow the route between the Punchbowl car park and the stepping stones.

3 New Forest in Hampshire holds the Lymington River, upstream of Brockenhurst, which divides into three streams: the Highland, Ober and Fletchers Waters – all have stretches of high quality wet woodland. the water’s surface due to the fur’s ability to trap a layer of air. The head is also armed with sensitive bristles for detecting prey. Aquatic insect larvae, molluscs and crustaceans will also be subdued quickly by the shrew’s venomous saliva.

Yellow iris By far our commonest iris, there can surely be no mistaking the green sword-like leaves shooting up to over a metre from the thick basal rhizomes, and branched stems adorned with rich yellow blooms. Flowering from

June onwards, this species is widespread across the UK in any damp area, such as along the margins of watercourses, and is also a mainstay in the herb layer of both fens and wet woodlands.

Coralroot orchid Reaching no higher than 20cm, this much understated orchid is undoubtedly one of the stars of wet pine and birch woods in the Scottish Highlands, and so called as its root resembles a tiny fragment of coral reef. It is happiest emerging from sphagnum moss.

4 Hoveton Great Broad in Norfolk is accessible only by boat, with the swamp alder carr floating on unstable mud and peat from medieval peat workings.

5 Morden Bog is a National Nature Reserve in Dorset, composed of a diverse range of habitats, with the old-growth bog woodland located in the centre of the valley mire.

Don’t go without taking a wildflower guide to get to grips with that rich herb layer, such as The Wild Flower Key by Francis Rose, or Harrap’s Wild Flowers by Simon Harrap.

June 2021

Iris: Graham Prentice/Alamy

Water shrew

The cheery looking yellow iris is also called the flag iris.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Land of plenty Jordans farmers don’t just pride themselves on growing great oats, they also provide a habitat for some of the countryside’s most treasured wildlife

THE WORLD IS better when it’s bursting with nature. That’s why every single one of Jordans Cereals’ 31 British oat farmers produces oats in a sustainable way – they even dedicate at least 10% of their land to wildlife, as part of the Jordans Farm Partnership (JFP). So far, the JFP has preserved an area the size of Oxford (that’s around 45km2) to benefit all creatures great and small, including endangered farmland birds and owls, brown hares, dormice, freshwater fish and butterflies. Here are just some of the animals you’ll find on Jordans farms…

FARMLAND BIRDS

BARN OWLS

The arable fields at Ralph Parker’s Highfield Farm, Cambridgeshire, are a key habitat for many farmland birds, including corn bunting, lapwing and grey partridge. As part of the JFP, Ralph works to give them a helping hand. Rather than sowing all his crops in autumn, he instead sows around a third of his crops in the spring. This means the stubble left from the previous crop provides a cover for wildlife and a vital area of foraging ground for farmland birds in the winter months too.

Andy Bosen can list close to 100 bird species on his land in Norfolk. Barn owls sadly disappeared from Westwood Farm for five years, but Andy was elated to discover they had not only returned but had also bred successfully. Winters can be tough for farmland birds, so he’s made changes to help them survive. For instance, alongside the oats he grows for Jordans, he also sows a three-hectare field with a special seed mix including red millet, sunflowers and kale. After flowering, the seedheads provide a vital food source for the birds over the winter months.

BARBASTELLE BATS The barbastelle is one of the UK’s rarest bat species, with an estimated population of around 5,000 individuals. The 90-strong colony found on Fergus Lyon’s Hertfordshire farm accounts for a third of the county’s total, with grassland hedges and field margins playing a significant role in creating an insect-rich habitat. Upon their most recent visit, the Herts and Middlesex Bat Group, with help from the Wildlife Trusts, recorded an incredible 12 different roost sites.

COMMON LIZARDS Along with a marked increase in overwintering birds, thirdgeneration farmer Guy Tucker has also seen the emergence of grass snakes and common lizards at Greenhall Farm, Herts. To help his reptile residents feel at home, he’s increased the amount of dead wood on the ground where possible:“If we have wood that’s unusable as firewood, rather than burning it, we’ll cut it up fairly small and pile into heaps of timber, which provides a hibernation place for lizards.”

Find out more about what Jordans does to protect nature at JORDANSCEREALS.CO.UK

WILD JUNE

The female Stylops melittae lives inside mining bees.

Hidden

N f you want to find an animal that is odd with a host of strange adaptations and a convoluted and complex lifestyle to match, then you can’t go far wrong with a parasite. Parasites are masters of subterfuge that have evolved highly specialised tricks and adaptations to outwit their hosts. The parasite known as Stylops melittae takes this weirdness to a whole new level. Stylops belongs to a group of insects called the twisted wings, or Strepsiptera, of which there are about 17 species in the UK – all just as weird as each other. But what exactly are they? These furtive members of our fauna are so odd that science hasn’t yet fully committed to their description. One thing is for sure: they are insects. The minuscule male – only a few millimetres long – has enough recognisable insect traits to be convincing – six legs, three body sections, antennae and compound eyes. The same cannot be said of the female, who lives her entire life inside another insect: a mining bee. She never leaves her bee host and, as a consequence of this, has done

I ustrat ons by Peter Dav d Scott/The Art Agency

NICK BAKER Reveals a fascinating world of wildlife that we often overlook.

away with legs, wings and eyes altogether, and barely has a mouth or antennae. She is, in effect, just a big bag of eggs. The only part of her that is visible (just!) is her head and the top of her body, which poke out between the segments of her host bee’s abdomen. It is visible as an odd, scale-like protrusion, and gives little away of the sac-like abdomen that fills the back end of the bee. While she doesn’t seem to do much other than hijack the bee’s body DID YOU and absorb all the KNOW? nutrients she needs, The name Strepsiptera she’s not entirely means twisted wing and is thought to come from lazy in love. She the way they contort helps the male out by when specimens emitting a pheromone dry out. from her brood canal – an orifice that opens in the back of her neck. This potent perfume brings him in FLIGHT OF FANCY fizzing. The only obvious issue This parasite’s wings are stranger than fiction. is how he does his business The adult male Stylops, on the of a heavily folded, over-sized – especially since she doesn’t face of it, is the most normalsuperhero cape. They sit behind have any genitals... looking stage in the life-cycle, a couple of organs a bit like It turns out, as if things aren’t though scrutinise joysticks called halteres – flies bizarre enough already, that him a little closer also have these – which her internal arrangement isn’t and things get are modified wings used standard either and neither a bit squiffy. like flight-stabilising is their very brief (a matter of His flying gyroscopes. Flies have seconds) love life. Stylops go in apparatus is a their halteres in place for the somewhat kinky act of pair of strange of the hind wings, our traumatic insemination. The wings with the Stylops has them the appearance other way around. male is armed with a kind of

June 2021

STYLOPS MELITTAE

penis/tin-opener hybrid, which is stabbed into the female’s neck. He pumps his sperm into her body cavity through the wound. Here, it fertilises the eggs that are free-floating around in her bloodstream. The weirdness, however, is not yet over and the life-cycle takes an even more gruesome turn. The fertilised eggs, between 4,000 and 7,000 of them, drift though her bloodstream and hatch into larvae that effectively eat her from the inside out. When matricide is complete, they escape from the canal in the back of her neck. Remember, this is all going on inside a bee. Their goal now is to get off the ride and into a flower, to then transfer to another bee. The larva’s hairy body, grippy legs and adhesive organs all help in the process of hanging onto the new bee’s body. When a suitable host has been latched onto, they produce a substance that weakens its cuticle, softening it enough to gain access. Then they crawl inside and start to grow and mature, ready to start the process all over again – males emerging through the bee’s body, the females staying put. NICK BAKER is a naturalist, author and TV presenter.

BBC Wildlife

WILDNEWS

By SIMON BIRCH, STUART BLACKMAN, ANDREW GRIFFITHS and CATHERINE SMALLEY

K E E P I N G YO U U P TO DAT E W I T H T H E B I G N AT U R E STO R I E S

Andrey Nekrasov/Alamy

Sleep is a well-studied behaviour in mammals and birds, but little is known about the slumbers of octopus.

BBC Wildlife

June 2021

MARINE

Secrets of the sleeping cephalopods Scientists have discovered that octopuses and other cephalopods have alternating sleep states – and perhaps even dream – like us.

t’s difficult enough to know what’s going on inside the head of a fellow human, let alone a member of a different species – especially one that doesn’t even have a backbone. But new research on the brain function of sleeping octopuses reveals striking similarities with ourselves and raises the tantalising possibility that they dream like we do, too. It’s no secret that cephalopods – octopus,

It’s hard not to wonder whether a twitching, colour-changing sleeping octopus is dreaming.

cuttlefish and squid – are remarkably intelligent by molluscan standards and are a match even for many a vertebrate. “They have quite special learning abilities, including spatial and social learning, as well as problem-solving capabilities,” says Sidarta Ribeiro, who led the research at Brazil’s Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte. And it turns out that those very learning abilities may be linked to a mode of sleeping that is uncannily similar to our own. Ribeiro’s team have found that octopuses, just like us, exhibit two phases of sleep – one ‘quiet’ and one ‘active’. During the active phases, which occur in bursts of about 40 seconds, they twitch their muscles, move their eyes and change the texture and colour of their skin (see video link below). Ribeiro says it’s well established that, in mammals, alternation between quiet and active sleep enables the consolidation of memories. “It is tempting to speculate that similar mechanisms are at play in the octopus,” he says. Quiet and active sleep “may reflect the evolutionary pressure to process a heavy load of newly acquired memories in need of integration across distant brain regions”. It’s hard not to wonder whether a twitching, colourchanging, sleeping octopus is experiencing something akin to a dream. “It is not possible to affirm that,” says Ribeiro, “but our results suggest that during active sleep, the octopus experiences a state analogous to REM [Rapid Eye Movement] sleep, which is the state when humans dream the most.” An octopus generally changes colour for camouflage, but when sleeping it bears little relationship to the surroundings, says Ribeiro: “We can infer that the colour changes result from brain activity that is independent of the external stimuli.” Stuart Blackman

FIND OUT MORE iScience bit.ly/3hjIdDd Video of a sleeping octopus: bit.ly/3faEIw8

June 2021

BBC Wildlife

WILD NEWS

Juniper and pinyon trees in the USA. Below: when undisturbed, Californian shrub jays will eat and bury the seeds of pinyon trees (bottom right).

Top to bottom: Mike Cavaroc/Alamy; Tim Zurowski/Minden/FLPA; Jim Kidd/Alamy

D ID YO U K N OW ? The noise of a gas-well compressor has been described as sounding like a jet plane circling over your house for 24 hours a day.

ECOLOGY

Noise pollution harmful to tree growth Loud industrial noise causes long-term damage to trees and plants by disrupting animal behaviour, study finds. ock and roll ain’t noise pollution” sang rock band AC/DC, but they might want to reconsider their lyrics after a study by Californian scientists has shown that noise can cause long-term harm to natural plant communities. The study centered on a region of New Mexico where gas wells operate in an area dominated by pinyon pine, juniper and sagebrush shrubland. Test areas were sampled twice over a 12-year period and sites exposed to the continuous noise of gas well compressors had less tree seedling recruitment than those which enjoyed the ‘sound of silence’. Pinyon seedlings, for example, were four times more abundant on quieter plots. What’s more, sites where the noise had stopped were still shown to have suffered long-lasting effects to plants. Researchers think that this is due to seed dispersers and pollinators, such as

“R

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birds, bats, other mammals and insects, being disturbed by the noise, and that some are slow to return to the sites even after the noise has stopped. Pinyon pines, for instance, rely on corvids such as jays for dispersal, and corvids demonstrate the ability of memory, perhaps avoiding the previously noisy sites. The findings could have implications for better understanding of how wildlife fares when it gets caught in the sounds of urban expansion. “The compressor noise is similar to traffic noise in that it tends to be low pitched,” says Jennifer Phillips, assistant professor at Texas A&M University San Antonio, who conducted the research. “So I do think areas that have any type of noise pollution could see similar trends if seed dispersers or pollinating animals are discouraged from the area because of noise levels.” Andrew Griffiths

FIND OUT MORE Proceedings of the Royal Society B: bit.ly/3hiOC1s

June 2021

NEW BIG FIVE

“As a keystone species, lions are important for the health of an ecosystem.”

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June 2021

WILD NEWS One of our largest raptors, there are fewer than 2,500 pairs of cinereous vultures in Europe.

BIRDS

Rare European vulture killed by livestock drug

cinereous vulture in Spain has become the first European vulture to have been killed by diclofenac, the controversial livestock drug that has wiped out millions of vultures across much of the Indian subcontinent. Conservationists are now deeply concerned that the drug could decimate vultures in Europe, the only continent where numbers are recovering. “The evidence found in Spain sadly confirms what we have been warning about for almost a decade. Vultures are already dying from veterinary diclofenac poisoning and this could already be affecting their population trends,” said Ivan Ramírez from BirdLife Europe. Following the discovery that diclofenac is extremely toxic to vultures, conservationists successfully achieved a ban on its use across southern Asia.

However, despite the known catastrophic impact of diclofenac on vultures, its use has been approved by both the European Union and Spain, which is home to about 90 per cent of the European vulture population. BirdLife International, along with other wildlife organisations,

is urgently calling on the EU to ban the use of the drug. Ivan Ramírez added that: “It is absurd to keep insisting on licensing a drug that kills threatened species when there are plenty of other safe and cheap alternatives in Europe.” Simon Birch

FIND OUT MORE BirdLife International: birdlife.org

TRUTH OR FICTION?

Britain’s grey squirrels to be genetically modified

THE UK HAS something of a love-hate relationship with grey squirrels. While many of us love their athletic arboreal antics and cute-furry-mammalishness, we also blame them – not without reason – for the spectacular decline of our beloved native red squirrels. An upshot of this tension is that we are more willing to turn a blind eye to the lethal

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BBC Wildlife

We’ve all heard of GM crops, but what about GM rodents?

June 2021

Vulture: Winfried Wisniewski/Minden/FLPA; squirrel: Zen Rial/Getty

Is this a real solution to controlling the controversial critter?

control of greys (albeit with little success) than we are for nearly any other mammal. But what if we were to genetically modify the problem away rather than trap, shoot or poison it? Because new research published in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that it’s now possible to insert genes into individual squirrels that will spread rapidly through the population via males to render females infertile. The research team at the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute suggest that it may be “a humane, efficient and cost-effective method of control”. Still, just because it can be done, it doesn’t follow that it will or even should. It remains just a technical possibility and has not yet been tested on live squirrels. Similar techniques have been deployed to suppress malarial mosquitoes, but in terms of public opinion, squirrels may prove to be a whole different animal. Stuart Blackman

WILD OPINION

MY WAY OF THINKING

MARK CARWARDINE The conservationist discusses China’s attitudes towards animal welfare and invites your thoughts on the subject.

shocking new hotel has opened its doors in the north-eastern province of Heilongjiang, in China. Billed as the world’s first ‘polar bear hotel’, it offers guests a round-the-clock view of two captive polar bears from the comfort of their rooms. The bears live in an indoor ‘dungeon’ in the centre of the hotel, in what would normally be the foyer. Under harsh warm lights, they pace back and forth – showing clear signs of distress – amid fake rocks and icicles. It’s nothing less than a 21st century bear pit. But far from receiving a frosty reception – which would undoubtedly be the case in a more enlightened part of the world – it opened to full bookings from Chinese guests. Keeping a couple of hapless polar bears in a hotel doesn’t come close to the countless animal atrocities happening across China every day. But it is symptomatic. Chinese attitudes towards animals and their welfare are dreadful. In my experience, many Chinese people simply do not understand that animals feel pain, suffer from stress and experience fear. As part of my work I’ve seen unimaginable animal cruelty in many parts of the world – from the slaughtering of pilot whales in the Faroe Islands to seal clubbing in Canada – but I’ve witnessed more intrinsic brutality towards animals in China than everywhere else put together. Animal cruelty is abundant and widespread in everyday life in the world’s most populous country. It’s rife in traditional medicine, which uses bear bile, tiger bone, pangolin scales and a host of other wildlife products. It’s rife

STR/AFP/Getty

June 2021

S I feel more

in food production – not least, some 14 million dogs and cats are slaughtered inhumanely for their meat every year. It’s rife in zoos, circuses and theme parks, too. China has no national law against the mistreatment of animals. Chinese conservationists and environmental lawyers have been working on the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act since 2007, but it remains a work in progress. Even so, there are signs of change. First, China has a robust and rapidly growing animal welfare and conservation movement, with more than 200 registered wildlife NGOs (some state-sponsored) and countless new animal rescue centres. Second, recently affluent city-dwellers have a new-found love of pet dogs (Beijing now has five-star pet-friendly hotels and many restaurants provide bowls of water) and this seems to be stirring a

optimistic than ever before that there is light at the end of the tunnel. T

Guests enjoying China’s new ‘polar bear hotel’.

more compassionate attitude towards animals. Third, young people in China have a better understanding of animal welfare; these ‘little emperors’ and ‘little empresses’, as they are known, are the epicentre of Chinese life and their parents and grandparents genuinely listen to their points of view. Even the National People’s Congress is beginning to view animal cruelty as a source of international shame. Indeed, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs recently declared that dogs should be considered companions rather than ‘livestock’. Eating wildlife was banned last year (albeit in response to the coronavirus pandemic) and even the state broadcaster, China Central Television, has spoken out passionately against animal abuse. Many years ago, I inspected a zoo that provided visitors with stones to throw at two malnourished and bleeding lions chained to the railings; another released a live donkey into a tiger enclosure as entertainment for the cheering crowd. Nowadays, that kind of abhorrence would trigger an uproar on Chinese social media. China may be years behind the rest of the world and there is still huge resistance to appropriate animal welfare laws. A new polar bear hotel is still considered de rigueur, for goodness sake. But I feel more optimistic than ever before that there is light at the end of the tunnel. MARK CARWARDINE is a frustrated and frank conservationist. WHAT DO YOU THINK? If you want to support Mark in his views or shoot him down in flames, email wildlifeletters@immediate.co.uk

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WILD NEWS

MEET THE SCIENTIST

Anouk Spelt Behavioural ecologist Anouk Spelt’s work with urban-nesting gulls in Bristol has important implications for how to manage interactions with wildlife in our cities. niversity aerospace engineering departments aren’t the traditional home of behavioural ecologists. Yet that is exactly where Anouk Spelt found herself when she began her PhD in urbannesting gull populations at the University of Bristol. The Bio-Inspired Flight Lab investigates animal flight with a view to developing new technologies, particularly around unmanned drones. Urban gulls are studied, alongside insects and

Bristol’s urban gull population has soared over the past 40 years. Below: A GPS tracker fitted to a bird.

they fly like that’.”

those locations and was delighted by what she saw. They appeared to be adapting their foraging to coincide with human timetables, frequenting school playgrounds around breaktime and agricultural land at ploughing time. Spelt is keen to continue this work, studying how urban gulls have come to adapt their foraging behaviour, perhaps alongside other urban-dwelling species such as foxes and crows, which have shown similar flexibility. “It’s not only gulls that are able to do this,” she says. “I’ve got a keen interest in urban ecology and how we, in cities, live with the nature we have.” FIND OUT Such a project could have MORE important implications for city planning, Spelt believes, enabling International the creation of urban environments Journal of where people and animals can Avian Science: live together harmoniously. She’s onlinelibrary. passionate about the potential for wiley.com/ education to raise public awareness doi/10.1111/ around the amazing animals in ibi.12892# our midst. “With urbanisation Gulls’ habitat use: nature.com/ increasing, there won’t be that articles/s41598- much nature left at some point. So we need to figure out a way we can 019-46890-6 live together.” Jo Caird

S I’ve got a keen interest in

urban ecology and how we, in cities, live with the

June 2021

Anouk Spelt

behaviour and habitat use of these gulls, sought to explore the factors behind this population surge. With the help of urban gull specialist Peter Rock, Spelt fitted 12 gulls with GPS-tracking devices that collect almost real-time data on their movements. “We saw straightaway that the gulls would go to specific places multiple times the same week, or every day. That’s when we decided to go to these places to figure out what they’re doing there,” she says. Cue a series of visits to locations in and around Bristol, from school playgrounds to farmland and landfill sites. Spelt wasn’t able to find the specific birds she was tracking, but was able to observe the behaviour of other gulls at

PHOTO STORY SEAGRASS

Shane struggled to keep up with this portly marine mammal over the seagrass beds off Marsa Alam, Egypt. “They may look slow, but dugongs are fast swimmers!” he recalls. “Fortunately, they slow down when they’re grazing.” This Vulnerable species feeds almost exclusively on seagrass, eating up to 40kg daily.

LEFT A delicate seagrass flower blooms off Flores, Indonesia. There are some 72 species of the world’s only marine flowering plants; at least 22 of these are in decline, with perhaps 30 per cent of known seagrass areas lost since the late 19th century. Given the global importance of seagrass meadows – for carbon storage, biodiversity, food, water quality and more – it’s vital that these habitats are protected and, as is increasingly happening in the UK and elsewhere, restored.

SHANE GROSS is an award-winning Canadian marine conservation photojournalist. shanegross.com 66

BBC Wildlife

June 2021

NEWS FEATURE

HITTING THE

BIG TIME Phil Savoie/naturepl.com

New bee on the block: distinctive looking and widespread – you might spot a tree bumblebee in a garden near you.

BBC Wildlife

ACOUSTIC CRYPSIS

a highly focused sound beam, which is then emitted towards the dolphin’s object of interest. Echoes that bounce off the object in question are received through the dolphin’s lower jaw, which contains complex fatty structures. These sound waves are then transmitted to the middle and inner ear via a continuous body of fat. Nerves connect from the inner ear directly to the brain, where the sound is translated into an image. Echolocation works in a similar way to ultrasound. Dolphins can explore their environment in three dimensions with an incredible degree of accuracy. Bottlenose dolphins, for instance, can identify an object as small as a golf ball from a distance equivalent to the length of a football field.

See inside

Low-frequency clicks and whistles put dolphins on the radar of eavesdropping orcas. 70

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Top left: adult Commerson's dolphins. Above: orcas are an apex ocean predator. Top right: bottlenose dolphins have a sociable nature.

receiver. It’s a whole new language, with such tiny differences in pitch and volume that can be misinterpreted when a dolphin is too far from its buddy. NBHF clicks are highly directional – they travel in the direction that the dolphin’s head is pointing, like a focused laser beam. But as high-frequency clicks suffer from increased sound absorption in the water, they also weaken quickly. Members of the same dolphin group thus need to be close together (less than 1km apart) and facing the sender in order to detect the signals. So foraging and interaction across vast areas is much more challenging. Scientists have now discovered that certain species are adapting even further to compensate for these social disadvantages.

Sound barriers Bioacoustics researchers have been analysing clicks and frequencies for decades. Clicks are usually emitted in a series, known as a ‘click-train’, and at different tempos, resulting in a plethora of sounds from squeals to growls. Of particular interest with NBHF species are two types of click-trains that occur in rapid succession: these are the buzz and the burst pulse. Both have noticeably short inter-click intervals (ICIs) – the duration June 2021

Left to right: Michael Nolan/robertharding/Alamy; Pascal Kobeh/naturepl.com; Chase Dekker/Getty; illustration by Peter Scott

But dolphin biosonar has evolved to go beyond mere identification: the cetaceans are able to ‘see’ what’s inside an object as well. When a dolphin echolocates on a seal, for example, it is able to visualise muscle tissue, bone, fishing hooks – even subtle features such as scar tissue. Sophisticated biosonar does have one downside, though: it’s a rather noisy affair. The low-frequency clicks and whistles used to communicate with fellow pod members across several kilometres, for instance, is helpful for communicating, but it also puts the group on the radar of eavesdropping orcas – an apex ocean predator whose prey species regularly includes other dolphins and whales. Some species have come up with a novel way to get around the problem. They

have, independently, evolved to produce narrowband high-frequency (NBHF) echolocation signals with a strikingly similar waveform and frequency of about 125kHz. Because orcas can’t hear anything above 100kHz, these highly adaptive NBHF species can potentially avoid predation by keeping their chatter out of earshot. This strategy is termed ‘acoustic crypsis’. Changing the frequency of their clicks, does, however, come with significant disadvantages. The signal repertoire (the number of sound variations they can use) and complexity of the communication between pod members becomes extremely limited. Certain sounds, such as whistling – which is like giving a shout-out to orcas across the swells – disappear entirely. This has a tremendous effect on social interactions, because signals vary only slightly and can become confusing for the

NEWS FEATURE

Spot the difference m How to tell a tree bumblebee fro s. cie other common spe

TREE BUMBLEBEE Bombus hypnorum

Ginger-brown thorax; black abdomen and head; white tail.

RED-TAILED BUMBLEBEE Bombus lapidarius

Black thorax; black abdomen and head; ginger-brown tail.

WHITE-TAILED BUMBLEBEE Bombus lucorum

Two yellow stripes on a black body; black head; white tail.

COMMON CARDER BUMBLEBEE Bombus pascuorum

Ginger-brown body all over; later in the season their abdomen gets darker.

future,” says University of Plymouth’s Vanessa Huml, lead author of the study. By modelling colonisation scenarios, the researchers revealed that bees arrived in the UK from mainland Europe via several routes, ranging from the south to the north-east of England. Conservationists welcome the news that the UK tree bumblebee population is genetically healthy. “The genetic underpinning of populations is important for conservation,” says Richard Comont, science manager for the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. “It is good to know that they don’t have that timebomb of inbreeding going on and that they are likely to continue doing well without any need for help.”

Novel nesters Tree bumblebees are aptly named for their habit of nesting high above ground, traditionally in tree cavities. But now, you are as likely to find them nesting in vacant bird boxes or in the eaves of houses. They have even been known to brazenly take up home in fluff-filled tumble-drier vents. In contrast, other UK bumblebee species prefer to hole-up underground or in tussocky vegetation.

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Unusual nesting habits and an affinity to urban environments might be behind the tree bumblebee’s success in the UK. Experts think that these unusual nesting habits and an affinity to urban environments might be behind the tree bumblebee’s extraordinary success in the UK. “They are colonising what you might call an empty niche,” says Mark Brown, professor of evolutionary ecology and conservation at Royal Holloway, University of London. “We don’t have any other bumblebee species that nest in the same way that they do.” The tree bumblebee’s spread through the UK has gone hand-in-hand with several decades of frenzied urban expansion. As humans have created new suitable nesting habitats, the bees have graciously moved in. This ability to thrive in built-up settings

also offsets factors causing many other bumblebees to decline. For example, the loss of rural hay meadows does not affect tree bumblebees. “Tree bumblebees are generalist foragers, so that means that they can take advantage of human-modified landscapes that have a broad diversity of floral resources in them,” says Brown. In early spring, queens may seek nectar and pollen from willow catkins, crocuses and daffodils in parks and gardens; later in the year, worker bees favour soft fruits including raspberries and brambles in allotments and hedgerows. While many bumblebee species emerge from hibernation at fixed times of the year, the tree bumblebee’s opportunistic

June 2021

NEWS FEATURE

Gaining ground Many other invertebrate species are claiming new territories, both UK species that are expanding their native ranges, and European species making it here from the continent. Here are four examples:

Willow emerald damselfly Chalcolestes viridis A mainland European species first recorded in the UK in 2007 and now found in Suffolk, Norfolk, and breeding in Essex and Kent. It spends much of its time in willow or alder trees over waterbodies.

Clifden nonpareil moth

The resourceful tree bumblebee will make its home in old birds’ nests (left) and bird boxes (above), as well as holes in trees. Right: an eclectic taste in flowers is of benefit when living in the UK’s more urban areas.

Catocala fraxini One of the largest and most spectacular moths native to the UK, the resident population became extinct in the early 1960s. Since 2007 it has recolonised from mainland Europe and is once again breeding here.

Clockwise from top right: Steve Simons/Alamy; David Kjaer/NPL; Andy Sands/NPL; Zena Elea/Alamy; Chris Shields/NPL; John Waters/NPL; fotolincs/Alamy; Stephen Dalton/NPL

Roesel’s bush cricket habits afford it the flexibility to cope with fluctuating weather patterns. Tree bumblebee queens can simply wait out cold snaps in early spring and they are among the first to emerge in warmer years, taking full and uncontested advantage of plentiful available resources. Furthermore, unlike most UK bumblebees, tree bumblebee queens produce two generations a year, so their numbers ramp up quickly. Another quirk of the tree bumblebee is its resistance to a parasitic nematode, Sphaerularia bombi, that occurs naturally in UK queen bumblebees, curtailing its host’s breeding cycle and hindering population growth. “The parasite hits most species really hard, but the tree bumblebee has a ‘get out of jail’ card,” says Brown.

Flower power While the tree bumblebee’s success is good news all round – it lives happily alongside people, causes no harm to native species and helps to pollinate plants – our other bumblebees are struggling.

June 2021

Of the UK’s 24 bumblebee species, one-third are now conservation priority species due to large-scale declines, according to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Many declines are driven by shifting land use and agricultural intensification – since 1940, we have lost 98 per cent of UK flower meadows. “The big problem is loss of habitat, loss of flowers,” says Comont from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. “Particularly at either end of the season, in early spring and late summer.” Restoring flower-rich habitats is thus a clear priority. With about 70 per cent of the UK’s land area occupied by farmland, policies that incentivise flower-friendly farming practices will go a long way toward solving the plight of the bumblebee. But everybody can make a difference. “We just need to plant more flowers all the way through the bumblebee flight season [March– October],” says Comont. “If everyone does a little bit, that is when we will start to see results.”

Metrioptera roeselii A UK native species that has recently expanded its range. Once found only on the south-east coast of England, it is moving northwards in England and Wales, helped by corridors of roadside rough grassland and scrub.

Comma butterfly Polygonia c-album Another UK native species, once restricted to the south of England, but warming temperatures have allowed this butterfly to spread northwards and it is now found as far north as Aberdeenshire.

CAROLYN COWAN is a writer, ecologist and photographer. carolyncowanmedia.com

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NEW BIG FIVE

Lions: Graeme Green/New Big 5; tiger: Vladimir Cech Jr/ New Big 5; gorilla: Nelis Wolmarans/New Big 5; elephant: Karabo Lebronpeter Moilwa/New Big 5; polar bear: Marco Gaiotti/New Big 5

Clockwise from top left: baby gorilla, Rwanda; Bengal tiger, India; lion brothers, Kenya; polar bear in the Arctic Ocean with sea ice at its minimum; African elephant, Botswana.

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NEW BIG FIVE

“Elephants' great size means that even a footprint is a micro-habitat for frogs.”

BBC Wildlife

June 2021

NEW

BIG

NEW BIG FIVE

NUMBER 1

ELEPHANTS C H AM PI ON ED BY DR PAULA KAHUMBU CEO and founder of Wildlife Direct lephants and their relatives have occupied nearly all habitats on earth. They’re ‘ecosystem engineers’. An ongoing study by Princeton University at Mpala Ranch in Kenya reveals that excluding elephants from the environment has a significant impact on vegetation across all rainfall zones. The science confirms the stories of local people who’ve always recognized that elephants change and engineer landscapes by bulldozing vegetation, creating pathways for other creatures, including livestock. Their great size means that even a footprint is a micro-habitat for frogs. Some trees won’t germinate unless their fruit passes through the gut of an elephant. Since they migrate over huge distances, trailing dung piles as they go, elephants also play a key role in dispersing seeds. Elephants modify habitats and play a keystone role in the ecology of nearly all African habitats: smashing trees, digging holes, pulling grass. They create diversity. The relationship between humans and elephants may go back to our very

E Main: David Lloyd/New Big 5; inset: Thomas D. Mangelsen/New Big 5

Left: elephants are vital 'ecosystem engineers' and local cultures and people have always recognised their importance.

June 2021

Above: four African elephant calves play alongside an egret in the soft grass of Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya.

beginnings. The exceptional hearing and olfactory senses of elephants allows them to live in dry environments like the Namib Desert and Mali, where they can find water up to 20km away. This talent has been exploited by people who will follow elephants with their livestock, drinking at wells dug by elephants and feeding on seeds from trees shaken by browsing elephants.

Slipping status Despite their popularity, elephants are in grave danger. This year, the IUCN announced that the African forest elephant is Critically Endangered, slipping rapidly towards extinction, and the African savanna elephant has Endangered status. The demand for ivory has triggered a catastrophic slaughter across Africa, threatening economies, livelihoods and ageold cultural connections to elephants. Losing elephants has crushed the hearts of children, corrupted governments, depleted the biodiversity of vast regions and deprived millions in Africa of their cultural connection to elephants, as well as the economic benefits from tourism, where elephants are one of the most important attractions. Another major threat to elephants is loss of habitat. With development, agriculture and climate change, elephants are losing their homes. Like the ivory traffickers, international criminal cartels are responsible, though few people seem to want to go to war against development banks, avocado godfathers and agricultural cartels stealing space from elephants through shadowy deals. The sad reality is that the economic value of crops often out-competes the value of intact healthy ecosystems and cultural connections to nature. To save elephants, we must make this a global issue. It’s not about Kenya or Africa; it’s about our failure to save the world’s largest land animal, a keystone species upon which so many others depend. Losing elephants would mean we lose an ancient relationship with a species that we evolved with, one that we haven’t yet even begun to fully comprehend.

FIND OUT MORE wildlifedirect.org BBC Wildlife

NEW BIG FIVE

“Arctic sea ice plays an important role in our climate; it acts as the Earth’s air conditioner.”

BBC Wildlife

June 2021

NEW

BIG

NEW BIG FIVE

NUMBER 2

POLAR BEARS CH A M P IO N ED BY KRISTA WRIGHT executive director, Polar Bears International he first time I saw a polar bear was in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, overlooking Western Hudson Bay. I spotted the bear standing along the coast. He sauntered over to the tundra buggy and sat just a few metres away, nose in the air, looking right up at us. That experience inspired and forever changed me. Polar bears are keenly intelligent and endlessly fascinating to photograph and watch. The fact that such a giant bear can make a living on top of a frozen ocean is fascinating to me. Many people think of frozen landscapes as empty, but polar bears are a reminder that these frozen landscapes are teeming with life. Polar bears are unlike any other bear on earth in that the frozen ocean is literally essential to their survival. Sea ice forms the base of the Arctic food chain. Tiny channels in the ice filter light, creating an environment where algae grows, which feeds what some in the science community call ‘little squiggly

T Main: Anette Mossbacher/New Big 5; inset: Daisy Gilardini/New Big 5

Left: a polar bear is dwarfed by the Nordenskiöld Glacier, Svalbard, Norway. The species depends on large expanses of sea ice to survive.

June 2021

Above: a polar bear cub in Wapusk National Park, Churchill, Canada. Cubs will stay with their mothers for about two years.

creatures’. These in turn feed the fish, which feed the blubber-rich seals and whales, which feed the polar bears. As the top predator, polar bears are an indicator species. Impacts on polar bears will consequently almost certainly mean that all other species that depend on Arctic sea ice are being impacted as well. Yet many of these species live under the ice where it’s almost impossible to study them.

Arctic sea ice The greatest threat to polar bears is sea ice loss due to climate warming. Polar bears need sea ice to travel, hunt, mate and sometimes den. But Arctic sea ice has been declining at a rate of 13 per cent per decade relative to the 1981-2010 average. Changes in the sea ice impact the economy, health and ways of life in northern communities. People around the world rely on sea ice. Arctic sea ice plays an important role in our climate: it acts as the Earth’s air conditioner. Ice covering the ocean in the Northern Hemisphere helps regulate ocean temperatures and ocean currents, keeping our planet at a stable temperature. Climate warming is not just about polar bears – it’s about people too. If we don’t act swiftly to address climate warming, polar bears will be the least of our concerns, as climate impacts will threaten our most basic needs for survival, such as clean air, clean water and food availability. But if we use the tools and resources available to us, and meet the goals set during the Paris Agreement to keep global temperature rise below 2˚C, we can ensure polar bears remain in most of their current range indefinitely. If we vote with the climate in mind and let leaders know we support those who commit to moving away from using fossil fuels for energy and instead switch to renewable energy sources, we can all make a difference. The challenges polar bears face are challenges we all face. If we work together, we can protect our shared future and ensure polar bears roam the Arctic in generations to come.

FIND OUT MORE polarbearsinternational.org BBC Wildlife

NEW BIG FIVE

“The tiger holds most of us in its thrall, whether culturally or spiritually.”

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June 2021

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TIGERS CH A M P IO N ED BY VIVEK MENON founder & executive director of Wildlife Trust of India/senior advisor to IFAW igers are the kings and queens of Asian forests. Everything about the tiger is majestic. It’s a keystone species of temperate and tropical forests from the Russian Far East to India and even up to the island of Sumatra. It’s also a flagship species for the conservation of these habitats and all other life that exists in them. The fact that it’s a solitary animal that roams vast tracts of land, and is so difficult to see through most of its range, adds to its mystique. The saying that ‘a tiger sees you 1,000 times for every time you see it’ is part of Indian jungle folklore. The tiger is not only the national animal of India but it holds most of us in its thrall, whether culturally or spiritually – the tiger is the vehicle of a pre-eminent deity. Unfortunately, tigers number fewer than 4,000 globally. Despite global conservation efforts, poaching for its body parts has taken a heavy toll on an animal already threatened by forest loss and degradation, by the fall in its prey numbers, due to hunting, and

T Main: Steve Winter/New Big 5; inset: Vladimir Cech Jr/New Big 5

Left: an intimate view of a tiger and its young in Bandhavgarh National Park, central India.

June 2021

by human-animal conflict. Tiger habitats in places like Sumatra are rapidly disappearing, while low prey numbers in the Russian Far East remain a major threat. If tigers become extinct, the world would lose one of its most charismatic faunal ambassadors. Its loss would also impact the entire ecosystems in which they live. Being an apex predator, the number of prey – largely deer, such as the chital (spotted deer) and sambhar, whose population tigers keep down – would go up, and that would negatively impact the grasslands and woodlands. But without this flagship species, political will for the preservation of its habitats would become less urgent, which would be bad news for the many species living there. We could see the loss of many Asian forests for human greed were it not for the presence of tigers. I’m so happy to see tigers in the New Big 5. A world without tigers for the future generation to feast its eyes on would be a bleak world.

FIND OUT MORE wti.org.in; ifaw.org

Right: a lone Bengal tiger walking through Ranthambore National Park, northern India.

BBC Wildlife

NEW BIG FIVE

“As a keystone species, lions are important for the health of an ecosystem.”

BBC Wildlife

June 2021

NEW

BIG

NEW BIG FIVE

NUMBER 4

LIONS C H AM PI ON ED BY DR SHIVANI BHALLA founder and executive director of Ewaso Lions Main: Marsel van Oosten/New Big 5; inset: Jacques van der Westhuizen/Ewaso Lions

’ve been seeing lions since I was a child going on camping safaris around Kenya with my parents. I still have the photos. Those large prides I used to see as a child are now disappearing. Africa’s lions have disappeared from 92 per cent of their historical range and it’s estimated that there are between 20,000 and 30,000 lions remaining across the continent. I’m so excited that lions are in the New Big 5 because they need all the attention they can get. Lions are facing numerous threats. They’re struggling to find sufficient space. With more development and more pressures on the environment, lions are moving in areas that once used to be safe but are now full of challenges. Climate change has meant

degraded landscapes don’t recover as fast, so both livestock and wildlife are in search of grass that’s less available. Often when lions are looking for wild prey, they come into contact with local communities and livestock. Livestock that’s not looked after well often becomes prey for lions. Understandably, the livestock owners feel anger and resentment, as their livestock is their livelihood. At times, lions are killed in retaliation. In some places, bushmeat snaring is also a serious threat, where snares are laid out for meat. This not only depletes lions’ prey but often lions get caught in snares too. Lions are a keystone species, a top predator. They’re extremely important for the health of an ecosystem. They play an essential role in ensuring there’s a balance and in maintaining healthy prey populations. Without lions, herbivore population numbers, such as antelope, zebra and warthogs, wouldn’t be controlled and that could lead to an entire ecosystem collapsing.

Cultural shift

Left: a family of lions takes the opportunity to quench their thirst in the lush and grassy Okavengo Delta, Botswana.

June 2021

Above: on the search for lion pawprints, which if you look closely can just be seen in the sandy soil (bottom left).

The loss of culture in some communities is another emerging threat. Many communities, such as the Samburu and Maasai, have always lived alongside lions. But pressures on them to change their pastoral way of life removes that cultural connection. Lions are then only looked at as a commodity. If we can address the loss of culture, we can still have hope of continued coexistence with lions across Africa. To survive, lions need vast amounts of space, with varied biodiversity to maintain the habitats and prey they depend on. With 60 per cent of their range in Africa lying outside of protected areas, lions need us. They need our cultures, tolerance, innovation and courage to ensure they have space to roam in human-occupied landscapes. And we need them. Lions are icons of what it means to be wild. The lion inspires people to do greater, be greater. For Kenyans, lions are on our coat of arms and we invoke their spirit every day. Lions mean more than we know. We can’t let them disappear.

FIND OUT MORE ewasolions.org BBC Wildlife

NEW BIG FIVE

“Gorillas are the gardeners of Africa’s immense rainforests.”

BBC Wildlife

June 2021

NEW

BIG

NEW BIG FIVE

NUMBER 5

GORILLAS CH A M P IO N ED BY DR. TARA STOINSKI president, CEO and chief scientific officer, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund ’m absolutely delighted that gorillas are part of the New Big 5. Gorillas are incredible animals – intelligent, caring, majestic. They share more than 98 per cent of their DNA with humans. Like us, gorillas have friends and enemies, and enjoy good meals and naps in the sun. They form relationships that last for decades and risk their lives defending their families. Gorillas care for their most vulnerable and grieve their dead. Despite our close genetic ties, gorillas are one of the planet’s at-risk species. When Dian Fossey began her groundbreaking research in the 1960s, there were a few hundred mountain gorillas left. In fact, she predicted they’d be extinct by 2000. Instead, decades of conservation action in Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo has resulted in an all-to-rare success story: mountain gorilla numbers are increasing. But with just over 1,000 remaining, this success is fragile. They remain a conservation-dependent species. Their cousins, the Grauer’s gorillas, are facing a dire future. They’re only found in DR Congo. The majority live outside of national parks, with no formal protection. In the past 25 years, their numbers have plummeted by about 80 per cent, primarily a result of poaching. Fortunately, local communities are working to secure ownership over their lands and protect these globally important forests and biodiversity. The international community

I Main: Sandesh Kadur/New Big 5; inset: Marcus Westberg/New Big 5

Left: the Critically Endangered eastern gorilla in Volcanoes National Park in north-west Rwanda.

Below: a social group of gorillas spend time together amidst the verdant rainforest habitat.

needs to support the Congolese people’s efforts, which may be our biggest hope in preventing further forest loss and ensuring a future for Grauer’s gorillas. Gorillas are the gardeners of Africa’s immense rainforests. Their daily activities – foraging, nest building, roaming – keep the forest intact by spreading seeds, clearing vegetation and producing fertilizer. Healthy forests are essential for the thousands of other species that live there, including chimpanzees, forest elephants, leopards and golden monkeys, so protecting gorilla habitats means protecting other species as well. We also need these forests to remain healthy and biodiverse because our own survival depends on it. The Congo basin houses the second-largest tropical rainforest on the planet and is one of our best natural defences against climate change. If we can save gorillas and their incredibly biodiverse forest home, we may just save ourselves too.

FIND OUT MORE gorillafund.org

The journey continues… The New Big 5 project has worked with wildlife charities around the world, such as the Jane Goodall Institute, Conservation International, WildAid, Greenpeace, Strong Roots Congo and Save Pangolins, to produce articles on the New Big 5 website. There are also interviews, podcasts and photo galleries featuring photographers (including Brent Stirton, Shaaz Jung, Daisy Gilardini, Steve Winter, Usha Harish and Marina Cano) and conservationists (such as Jane Goodall, Carlos Nobre and Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka), plus a free educational fun pack to download for children. According to Jamie Joseph, founder of Saving the Wild, the New Big 5 is “a powerful platform to bring like-minded people together and create a wave of change”. O Visit newbig5.com to get involved.

GRAEME GREEN is a British photographer and journalist with a passion for wildlife and conservation. BBC Wildlife

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AZORES: A SAFE HAVEN FOR NATURE LOVERS Portugal’s mid-Atlantic archipelago is a wildlife-lover’s dream – nine verdant islands offering the ideal destination for a safe and sustainable holiday among marine giants.

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volcanic beauty of these nine Atlantic islands, 1,500km west of mainland Portugal, is evident at first glance – verdant slopes carpeted with vineyards and tea plantations, striped with waterfalls, studded with volcanic crater lakes, and fringed by black-sand beaches. But scratch – or, rather, dive beneath – the surface and you’ll discover the real riches. Perched on the ‘Azores Triple Junction’ at the convergence of three continental plates, the ocean floor plunges steeply just offshore, where cold, nutrient-rich currents from the north meet the warm Gulf Stream. It’s a recipe for a seafood feast attracting a cast of hungry giants: whales.

A WHALE OF A TIME

Facing page: Lagoa das Sete Cidades is a showstopping natural attraction of the Azores. Clockwise from top right: sperm whales are resident here all year round; Cory’s shearwaters breed on the islands of Pico and Corvo; bottlenose dolphins are frequently spotted carving up the water; the Azores bullfinch is endemic to São Miguel; 800km of trails are waiting to be explored.

With some 25 species of cetacean found around the Azores, the archipelago is among the world’s best whalewatching destinations. Star of the show is a year-round resident, the sperm whale; the planet’s largest toothed predator hunts giant squid at depths reaching 1,000m. Visit late summer to encounter mothers and calves. Join a whalewatching tour from Pico, directed by an expert vigia (spotter), to meet these torpedoshaped leviathans, plus dolphin species including common, bottlenose, striped, Risso’s and, in late spring and summer, Atlantic spotted. The biggest behemoths also arrive in late spring: blue, fin and sei whales en route to summer feeding sites off Iceland and eastern Greenland. Their return migrations pass through in September and October, when you

Discover the archipelago’s wild wonders and plan your visit at:

might spot humpback, northern bottlenose and Sowerby’s beaked whales, too.

ADVENTURE, CULTURE, CUISINE Away from the water, each of the nine islands – easternmost São Miguel and Santa Maria, central Faial, Pico, São Jorge, Graciosa and Terceira, and far-flung Flores and Corvo – has its own attractions. Azaleas dazzle in summer, and you can admire the archipelago’s 60 endemic plant species in Faial’s botanical gardens. Birders seek the Vulnerable Azores bullfinch on São Miguel, as well as breeding colonies of Cory’s shearwater on Pico and Corvo. These are islands of adventure, with ample opportunities for cycling, climbing, horseriding, paddleboarding, kayaking and surfing. No trip to the Azores would be complete without a visit to the spectacular Lagoa das Sete Cidades (Lake of Seven Cities) on São Miguel, voted one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Portugal, and more than 80 signposted hiking trails span over 800km, including five multi-day ‘Grand Routes’ and the ascent of Mt Pico – at 2,351m, Portugal’s loftiest summit. At the end of the day, refuel with Azores specialities, including seafood and creamy cheeses, pineapples and bananas, Pico’s renowned wines and tea from Europe’s oldest plantation. Thanks to stringent hygiene and covid security measures – the Azores was considered by European Best Destinations as one of the safest holiday locations for 2021 – the archipelago offers a safe, uncrowded destination, ready to welcome wildlife-lovers with confidence.

All images: Alamy; bullfinch: VisitAzores

THE AZORES won the geographical lottery. The

Talking point

Gillian doing what she enjoys most – venturing into the underwater world that we now know has been keeping Earth’s climate stable.

THE SEA OF

LIFE

As we celebrate United Nations World Ocean Day on 8 June, our knowledge of the power and fragility of our oceans still has a long way to go. By Gillian Burke

“

Josh Tarr

can see the sea!” my brother and I would shout out in unison as we crested the hill at Mariakani, one of the coastal settlements overlooking the port of Mombasa, where the East African coast meets the Indian Ocean. It was that first glimpse of the sea that marked the end of a long journey, and the start of our family holiday. The journey began in Nairobi, and always before dawn. Our cherry-red Datsun 120Y would be loaded up with bags and sandwiches, headlights on, engine running and my dad, drawing on the first of many cigarettes, would wait impatiently for his bleary-eyed brood to get ready. This was the early 80s. Kenya, with its post-colonial borders shaping a new national identity, was a young country and we were a young family on a trip to the seaside. The draw was the Indian Ocean. I can still remember how the smell and feel of the air changed as we left the highaltitude city of Nairobi, with its cool, dry atmosphere giving way to the dusty, hot savannah air that, in turn, slowly became warm, humid and salty as we made our gradual descent to the coast. What I didn’t know then, which I do now, is that on that journey my senses were

June 2021

the geosphere, as it reacts with limestone awakened to an ancient and invisible dance. sediments on the seafloor, as well as Powered by the sun, this is a molecular becoming incorporated into the biosphere exchange where energy, minerals, nutrients in the bodies of plants and animals. and water are perpetually cycled between the ocean, land, air and all living things. Known respectively as the hydrosphere, ll this works, among other geosphere, atmosphere and biosphere, things, to regulate the the reality is these realms have no real temperature of the Earth boundaries and, in the past 30 years or so, and, since the start of the scientists studying this ‘dance’ have come Industrial Revolution, the to view the Earth as a single system, in ocean has been a buffer that has slowed which the ocean plays a major part. down sharp rises in global temperatures. Earth is, in fact, an ocean planet. More These would otherwise have been felt than two-thirds of its surface is covered by much sooner with the advent of burning ocean, but it does not dominate by sheer fossil fuels (the first prediction of global volume alone; the physics, chemistry and warming was made as early as 1843, by biology of the stuff create a superb and the German naturalist Alexander von intricate system that is dynamic and fluid, Humboldt). The higher heat capacity of yet holds everything in balance to make life water, compared to the air, has meant on Earth possible. that the ocean has absorbed 93 per cent One of its important functions is of human-induced warming so far. to store the heat that arrives On this count alone, I want to from the sun, which is then drop to my knees in humility, distributed around the gratitude and reverence to this globe. The ocean is also immense force of nature. vital for soaking up the Clearly my inner animist is 8PM TUESDAYS TO FRIDAYS carbon dioxide from the alive and well. Then again, UNTIL 11TH JUNE atmosphere, absorbing it even without this knowledge, into the hydrosphere where I have always felt the pull of it is eventually locked away in the ocean.

BBC Wildlife

Talking point

As a child, I couldn’t bear having to wait until my folks had unloaded the car and stocked up our holiday rental with food. This was all mindlessly boring business getting in the way of that first plunge into the Indian Ocean. As far as I was concerned, only then had we truly arrived. From that point on, I would spend the whole day in the water, except when I had to eat and wait one excruciatingly long hour for my food ‘to go down’ (cue lots of eye-rolling). But the second I was given the go-ahead, I was back in the water. I had the most rudimentary of masks but it was a prized possession because this was my ticket to an underwater world of wonder. But, I have to confess, I wasn’t an entirely fearless explorer. I mostly hovered over clear patches of sand, whose only features were rows and rows of wave-sculpted ridges. Oblivious to the ospreys and terns flying overhead, my eyes were trained down below, always on the lookout for chani, the dreaded sea urchin Astropyga radiata. Its reputation for piercing venomous spines and painful wounds gave me every reason to be wary and in awe of the sea all at the same time. Thankfully, the urchins’ inky black spines made them easy to spot against the powderwhite sand, so that is where I would remain, diving again and again, deeper and deeper, holding my breath for longer and longer each time. I loved being underwater and the feeling of weightlessness, but most of all, I just loved the way this world washed out the sound of the one above. I still do. ver the years, fear has given way to fascination and, whether I’m scuba diving, snorkelling, or simply swimming in the sea, getting into the water always feels like a homecoming to me. For the past 10 years, I have made my home in Cornwall and gone are the days when I would stick to the clear and monotone sandy seabed. With so much to explore, I head straight to the rocky reefs and kelp forests with their colourful wrasse, maybe catching a lucky glimpse of the beautifully camouflaged smallspotted catshark gliding among the gently swaying fronds. Time spent in the sea reminds me how to stay playful in my adult life. Even though I am far from my childhood home and family, to my mind, the ocean is what connects me to those roots. Astonishingly, this might not be as fanciful as it sounds.

BBC Wildlife

From ecologists to oceanographers, scientists are coming to understand the idea that everything is connected, as it seems that everywhere we look, a world of synergies and partnerships is being revealed. We find them in our bodies, now known to have more bacterial cells than human cells. We find them in forests, where trees share information and resources. And we most certainly find them in our oceans. To try to model the full complexity and interconnectedness of the oceans, researchers have had to join forces to explore the reality that the biology, geology, chemistry and physics of the ocean are all intimately linked. This study of the connectedness of everything has the more

pragmatic name of ‘biogeochemistry’. My closet hippy is delighted to learn that this multi-disciplinary approach has enabled huge strides in our understanding of ocean systems and how they are connected. Perhaps the most important breakthrough has been the discovery of a single, unbroken current that threads its way, like a ribbon of water, connecting all of the world’s oceans. It is a journey that is thought to take 2,000 years to complete, as a stream of dense, cold, saline water flows through the deep ocean. It follows a meandering but distinct path that links the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean basins, gently stirring and cooling these water bodies as it goes. The cold, saline, deep current is matched with warm surface

“The reality is that the biology, geology, chemistry and physics of the ocean are all intimately linked.” June 2021

G an: N na Constab e; catshark: Scot and: The B g P cture/NPL; g obe: M kke Juu Jensen/Sc ence Photo L brary

Left: Gillian now lives in Cornwall and loves exploring nearby rocky reefs and kelp forests. Above: the smallspotted catshark lives in UK waters

currents such as the southerly Agulhas Current, which runs the length of Africa’s south-east coast and, of course, the Gulf Stream that famously (and mercifully) keeps Western Europe and the British Isles warmer than their northerly latitudes would have otherwise allowed. ut all that is changing. Climatologists have been keeping a close eye on a region of ocean known as the ‘cold blob’, located in the open waters of the North Atlantic. Roughly in line with the southernmost point of Greenland, this is the region where the cold, deep, saline current begins its bimillennial journey. But as the Greenland ice sheet melt accelerates, fresh water pooling in this region threatens to stall the ocean system of currents. This is thought to be one of a number of global climate tipping points. Another

B June 2021

near the seabed. Its egg cases or ‘mermaid’s purses’ often wash up on our beaches. Below: the location of the ‘cold blob’ in the North Atlantic.

climate prediction appears to be coming true, as data published earlier this year confirms that there has been a consistent and marked slowing of the current known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation that drives this part of the ocean current system, which holds the climate in its present configuration. The first official report about the threat of human-induced climate change was presented to the US government in 1965 (a whole decade before I was born) and it’s taken 50 years of arguing to get to an agreed plan, which we know as the Paris Agreement of 2015. We’re still not even close to being out of the woods. This year’s Earth Day in April did see governments step up their targets and ambitions, but the cold blob is a quiet yet ominous reminder that Earth systems have run out of ‘patience’ and capacity to keep things in balance. As I look back on my life so far, from those

duck-diving days in the Indian Ocean to my life now in Cornwall, I know I have contributed to the problem. I also know that, like so many of us, I am desperately trying to be part of the solution as well. We can all do our bit but, if we’re going for the biggest gains per unit effort, we need the handful of fossil fuel companies (according to the Climate 100 Index, just three companies emit three times more carbon into the atmosphere each year than all UK households combined) to do their bit. So, on this month’s World Ocean Day on 8 June, let’s engender a sense of wonder for what we can rightly call our global ocean, but reflect on how to foster a legal and political system that recognises the oneness of the ocean and the Earth as a whole, because we now know that there is scientific merit in allowing ourselves to think this way.

GILLIAN BURKE presents Springwatch on BBC Two. @gillians_voice on Instagram.

FIND OUT MORE Follow Springwatch at facebook.com/ BBCSpringwatch. For more on World Ocean Day, see: worldoceanday.org WANT TO COMMENT? How can we do our bit to save the world’s oceans? Tell us what you think by emailing us at wildlifeletters@immediate.co.uk BBC Wildlife

A vegetarian shark? Not quite – but the bonnethead, which Shane photographed with a remote camera in the Florida Keys, is the only shark known to be omnivorous, ingesting and digesting seagrass while feeding on crabs. This small hammerhead species, typically under 1m long, is notoriously shy. “I spent nine long days waiting,” recalls Shane, “and captured only this one frame.”

Whispering Photo story

Fringing coastlines around the world, seagrass meadows are vital habitats, hothouses of biodiversity and important carbon sinks – but they’re being lost at an alarming rate. Photographer Shane Gross Words by Paul Bloomfield

PHOTO STORY SEAGRASS

ABOVE Seagrass dominates the diet of green turtles in many regions; this large adult was using its serrated beak to graze meadows off Egypt’s Red Sea coast. An adult turtle devours about 2kg daily, so the loss of the habitat – at a rate of perhaps seven per cent annually worldwide – has a devastating impact on populations of this endangered reptile.

BBC Wildlife

June 2021

PHOTO STORY SEAGRASS

ABOVE Seagrass provides an important habitat for both predators – including this lionfish hunting off the north of Sulawesi, Indonesia – and prey. A single hectare can support 80,000 fish, as well as tens of millions of invertebrates: crustaceans such as crabs and shrimps, plus sponges, urchins and anemones, and molluscs including octopus, squid and clams.

LEFT Sunlight shining through a part-cleaned blade of seagrass in The Bahamas shows how sediment kicked up by passing ferries can settle on the seabed, smothering coral and coating the leaves of marine plants, limiting photosynthesis.

June 2021

BBC Wildlife

ABOVE A banded sea krait scours a marine meadow in Sulawesi, Indonesia, for eels and small fish. “I watched this venomous snake hunt for 30 minutes, repeatedly burying its head into the seagrass bed and pulling out hidden prey,” recalls Shane.

LEFT Colonies of tiny bryozoans thrive on seagrass blades. Shane photographed these round, white Patinella radiata and chains of Electra posidoniae (so named because it grows almost exclusively on Neptune seagrass, Posidonia oceanica) while snorkelling off the Mediterranean coast of Spain. 62

BBC Wildlife

June 2021

PHOTO STORY SEAGRASS BELOW A colony of Neptune grass in the Mediterranean may be the oldest living organism on Earth. The 15km-wide meadow off Formentera, in Spain’s Balearic archipelago, was established up to 200,000 years ago. This clonal plant species is also among the slowest growing, making it highly vulnerable to threats such as coastal development, pollution and fishing damage.

LEFT A mother and her son collect sea urchins and seagrass fruits on the south-eastern shore of Bali, Indonesia. Millions of people, particularly in developing nations, rely on seagrasses for nutrition. As well as the many food species inhabiting the meadows, these habitats also provide nurseries for juvenile fish including cod, so are critical for fisheries.

June 2021

BBC Wildlife

PHOTO STORY SEAGRASS

RIGHT Propeller scars disfigure shallow seagrass beds in the Florida Keys, a result of careless boating. Propellers can uproot seagrass and inflict long-term damage to meadows, causing erosion and major declines in the habitat.

BELOW An American crocodile lies in wait for its prey – fish and large rodents called hutia – among the coastal mangroves and seagrasses of Cuba’s Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen) Marine Protected Area. This shy reptile is just one of many species that rely on both mangroves and seagrasses, from small grazing animals to top predators.

BBC Wildlife

June 2021

PHOTO STORY SEAGRASS

A schoolmaster snapper among mangroves and turtle grass off The Bahamas. Seagrass meadows cover around 0.1 per cent of the ocean’s floor, but store perhaps 10 per cent of its carbon, often for thousands of years. Yet if seagrass conservation is vital, so is protecting coral reefs and mangroves: the three habitats, all important carbon sinks, rely on each other in order to function in a healthy manner.

June 2021

BBC Wildlife

PHOTO STORY SEAGRASS

SHANE GROSS is an award-winning Canadian marine conservation photojournalist. shanegross.com 66

BBC Wildlife

June 2021

BA (Hons)

Wildlife Media Using creativity, technical skills and natural history knowledge, our BA (Hons) Wildlife Media students create compelling wildlife stories through media, communicating conservation messages and making positive change. Are you interested in combining your passion for wildlife, nature and the environment with photography and filmmaking techniques, combining fieldcraft with lens craft? You can view the work of our creative community of graduating students in our online 2021 degree show uocdegreeshow.uk

uocwildlifemedia

uocwildlife

cumbria.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduate/wildlife-media/

By Michelle Meyer

Flip Nicklin/Minden/NPL

The underwater world can be a dark and murky place, so many creatures rely on sound to survive. But some species are adapting their acoustic calling cards in exciting new ways. n oceans around the world, marine animals are making quite a noise. It’s long been known that cetaceans such as whales and dolphins use sound to locate food, to navigate and to communicate, but new research is revealing fascinating other uses for this underwater orchestra – from evading predators to ‘whispering’ to their young. The science of locating objects by sound is known as echolocation (or biosonar). Many species, including toothed whales and dolphins, bats, swiftlets, oilbirds and shrews, use the behaviour to ‘picture’ their

environment via sound. Echolocating animals emit calls, locating and identifying objects through the returning echoes. It’s a highly specialised system that can be used for navigation, foraging and hunting. Whales and dolphins echolocate by throwing out beams of high-frequency clicks in the direction they are facing, much like sonar on a submarine. (Frequency relates to how high or low a sound is. For example, the beat of a bass drum and a rumble of thunder are low-frequency sounds; a piercing whistle and a child’s squeal are high-frequency sounds.)

These clicks are created by passing air through the skull, specifically through the bony nares (nostrils) and across the phonic lips (structures that project into the nasal passage). When air passes through the phonic lips, the surrounding tissue vibrates, producing the sound (see box on p71). In dolphins, the clicks are then reflected by a concave bone and air sac in the cranium. The sound is fine-tuned by a large fatty organ in the head, known as the melon, situated in front of the blowhole. This organ acts as an acoustic ‘lens’ that further enhances the clicks into

ACOUSTIC CRYPSIS

See inside

Low-frequency clicks and whistles put dolphins on the radar of eavesdropping orcas. 70

BBC Wildlife

Top left: adult Commerson's dolphins. Above: orcas are an apex ocean predator. Top right: bottlenose dolphins have a sociable nature.

Left to right: Michael Nolan/robertharding/Alamy; Pascal Kobeh/naturepl.com; Chase Dekker/Getty; illustration by Peter Scott

ACOUSTIC CRYSPIS

BLOWHOLE PHONIC LIPS POSTERIOR BURSA

SWIM BLADDER (PRODUCES THE MAIN ECHO)

AIR SACS

AIR SAC

OUTGOING SOUND WAVES

ANTERIOR BURSA MELON

BRAIN

RETURNING ECHO INNER EAR PAN BONE

MAXILLA MANDIBULAR NERVE

FAT-FILLED CASTING IN LOWER JAW

ACOUSTIC WINDOW (SOUND-CONDUCTING TISSUE)

of the pause between each click. A buzz occurs when clicks are repeated with increasing speed, and the ICIs shorten. It ultimately forms a continual buzzing sound and is often heard when dolphins hunt. “When dolphins find a potential prey item, they tend to increase the rate of clicks so they can hone in on it. In these cases, echolocation turns into a foraging buzz – where clicks are produced at very fast rates,” says Tess Gridley, founder of the African Bioacoustics Community and codirector of Sea Search. June 2021

What is bioacoustics? This field of cross-disciplinary science studies sound production and reception by living organisms, particularly when related to communication. The findings provide insight into how animals adapt their acoustic mechanisms to their environment and evolve accordingly.

A burst-pulse has a more consistent click rate of more than 600 clicks per second and is most commonly used when dolphins are engaged in socialising behaviour. These rapid clicks are not only emitted at a fast rate, but are decoded just as quickly by the receiver. Burst-pulses are also heard during courtship, aggression and aerial displays (leaping, backflipping and tail slapping). It appears that the rate of burst-pulses reflects the degree of heightened emotion in the signalling dolphin.

So how on earth do experts study these different sounds? It’s not as if you can just hop in the water and join the conversation. Funnily enough, though, scientists do just that. For starters, they use an underwater microphone (known as a hydrophone) to make recordings while observing the dolphins’ behaviour. They start to link specific click frequencies to behaviour above and below the water. To explore the click language even further, scientists play back different sounds to the dolphins and watch their response. BBC Wildlife

ACOUSTIC CRYPSIS

Breaking the mould Dolphins are certainly intelligent animals, and there’s one species in particular that is raising its game. The Heaviside’s dolphin is tiny (less than 1.7m) and endemic to the west coast of southern Africa, between Cape Point and southern Angola. Most

NBHF species occur in small groups, but this gregarious little cetacean prefers slightly larger groups and displays more socialising behaviour. What it lacks in size, this dolphin makes up for in ingenuity. It has managed to find a way to employ acoustic crypsis around orcas, while maintaining advanced levels of social interaction. Its sophistication means it has found itself the centre of extensive research by Gridley’s team. The researchers have discovered that, despite sharing their environment with orcas, Heaviside’s dolphins produce both short-range, highly directional NBHF clicks above 100kHz, and the lower frequency

The research team dives with the cetaceans and listens in on their deep underwater chatter. 72

BBC Wildlife

Top left: Heaviside's dolphins use a dual-click strategy. Above left: a pod of bottlenose dolphins. Above right: orcas in hunting mode.

broadband signals that can easily be heard by predators. This ‘dual-click’ strategy allows the species to engage in social interactions over a greater area, across a wide range of noise levels. For dispersed individuals that have broken away from the pod, it’s a game-changer. They can avoid being an orca’s lunch while still having the option of sending an SOS to their friends. Though the Heaviside’s dolphins increase their active space by using lower frequency broadband signals, it is still far less than they could achieve by using whistles, which travel further and are heard more easily. But the dual-click strategy compensates for the loss. These two signals are a compromise between masking their signals while foraging, and retaining the ability to communicate over long distances when necessary. Essentially, this species is having its acoustic cake and eating it. The lower frequency signals are occasionally in the form of slow click-trains, but are mostly modified burst-pulses. The energy of these pulses starts an octave lower than signals reported for other NBHF June 2021

Heaviside: Todd Pusser/NPL; pod: Joost van Uffelen/Getty; orca: C & M Fallows/NPL; illustratin by Martin Camm/Carwardine/NPL

Research teams even dive with the cetaceans and listen in on their deep underwater chatter. They tag the animals with acoustic recording devices that are attached with sticky suction cups, which release after a few hours. These provide detailed information on calls that are related to diving and foraging.

ACOUSTIC CRYPSIS

Species that use acoustic crypsis At least 13 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises use this technique. Here are a few interesting examples.

1 Pygmy sperm whale

Pygmy sperm whales get their groove on with NBHF signals, but add in some colour as well. They eject an ink-like liquid to deter predators, much like squid and octopuses do. It’s a very nifty adaptation.

La Plata dolphin

Harbour porpoise

Blainville’s beaked whale

The endangered La Plata dolphin lives in rivers, which are often noisy, murky and turbulent. Despite this, they still manage to communicate in small social groups by using exceptionally high-frequency calls.

species, at approximately 50kHz – well within orca eavesdropping range. (As a comparison, humans can only detect sound at frequencies lower than 20kHz.) The Heaviside’s dolphins appear to produce fewer burst-pulses in larger groups and switch to alternative communication, such as touch or visual cues, with nearby individuals. They also choose burst-pulses when specific click repetition rates and signal amplitude are required. This could convey important contextual information related to aggression or mating, and intimate communication such as contact calls between mothers and calves. Although Heaviside’s dolphins relax the limitations of acoustic crypsis to increase their range of communication with burstpulse signals (up to five-fold in comparison to standard NBHF signals), they still choose to remain under the orca radar when navigating and foraging. Ongoing research shows that Heaviside’s dolphins are not the only NBHF species that use lower-frequency communication signals. Neonatal porpoises, for example, June 2021

produce pulsed signals at an extremely low frequency (only 1 to 3kHz) just after birth. They progress to exclusively producing NBHF clicks between 4 and 20 days of age. This may be useful for mother-calf cohesion and distinct communication. Lowfrequency whistle sounds (4 to 16kHz) have similarly been recorded between mother and calf pairs of Commerson’s dolphins. NBHF species, while strategically keeping their voices low around killer whales, still place their highest priority on social interaction. As for orcas, they are also finding clever ways to adapt when it comes to bioacoustics and not being overheard. When hunting other marine mammals, they stay silent and approach their prey in stealth mode. Only after they have consumed their meal, will they pick up their chatter and call excitedly to one another in a free celebration of sound. MICHELLE MEYER works as a freelance marine science journalist and is based in South Africa.

Harbour porpoises around the world may look different to their dolphin kin, but when it comes to their songs, they are very similar. They have evolved almost identical frequency adaptations, despite being on opposite sides of the globe.

Blainville’s beaked whales remain silent when they are a few hundred metres below the surface and only become audible at great depth. This could be a strategy to reduce detection by orcas, which generally don’t dive deep. BBC Wildlife

WILDLIFE ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2021

BBC Wildlife

June 2021

WILDLIFE ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2021

WINNING ARTS AND MINDS Enjoy stunning works from this year’s David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Artist of the Year competition, in association with BBC Wildlife Magazine. hen BBC Wildlife Magazine teamed up with the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) to support its internationally renowned annual competition and exhibition, we knew the standard was going to be high. In the end, there were a whopping 2,307 entries from artists in 70 different countries. The winners, runnersup and highly commended have now been chosen and we have a selection for you over the next few pages. Since launching in 2008, the annual event has attracted more than 12,500 entries and generated more than £1.2m in sales. Finalists shortlisted are invited to exhibit and sell their artworks as part of an annual exhibition, with 50 per cent of the proceeds from all sales supporting the vital conservation work of DSWF. It also plays an integral role in helping to maintain David Shepherd’s legacy of ‘The Art of Survival’ – a concept on which DSWF was founded. Using the power of art to celebrate wildlife, support awareness and raise vital funds for species protection is at the heart of DSWF. In these challenging times, DSWF is bringing Wildlife Artist of the Year 2021 to the global stage through an interactive virtual gallery. You will be able to enjoy the breathtaking beauty of wildlife art, from your own home, through the DSWF immersive 3D gallery space from 25 May.

ORCAS, BLACKFISH SOUND DARREN REES Overall Winner | Medium: Acrylic

JUDGE’S COMMENT: “This remarkable painting by Darren, as always, captures the atmosphere and scale of the environment he paints. The gentleness of the orcas swimming by such a spectacular backdrop reminds us of the beauty of our planet and how vitally important both land and ocean are to our very survival.” Melanie Shepherd June 2021

BBC Wildlife

FLY BY STELLA MAYS Overall Runner--Up | Medium: Pastel on board

JUDGE’S COMMENT: “Stella Mays is a master of pastel painting. This picture reinforces her immense skill, and the execution of the subject and the setting speaks clearly for itself. This is not only a superb composition overall, but every square inch is a joy to behold. Look closely at the criss-crossing pastel marks, absorb the colours and the energy, and you realise that you are in the presence of a consummate artist.” Hazel Soan

BBC WILDLIFE EDITOR’S CHOICE

BANQUISE PASCAL CHESNEAU BBC Wildlife Editor’s Choice | Medium: Sculpture made from shaped, welded metal

JUDGE’S COMMENT: “A beautiful and skilful work that demands attention, celebrating its subject while provoking a powerful reaction to the reality of their plight. The longer I gazed through the gaps where the bear should have been, the more I was struck by a brutal vision of these mighty animals disappearing from our frozen north.” Paul McGuinness 76

BBC Wildlife

June 2021

WILDLIFE ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2021

BLUE SQUADRON NICK ONEILL Into the Blue Winner | Medium: Acrylic and high-gloss resin on aluminium

JUDGE’S COMMENT: “A hugely effective image and such a spontaneous and technically perfect artwork. Once again, Oneill proves his expertise in his use of mixed medium and originality.” Mandy Shepherd

FATHER & SON SZILVIA MATE Animal Behaviour Winner | Medium: Graphite and coloured pencil

JUDGE’S COMMENTS: “This brilliant drawing by Szilvia of chimps captures the very gentle anthropomorphic relationship between the two animals. It is an extremely accomplished piece of artwork.” Melanie Shepherd “There is such immense feeling of love exuding from this magnificent drawing of our close relatives.” Gary Hodges June 2021

BBC Wildlife

WHO INVITED HIM? SHANNON REYNOLDS Urban Wildlife Winner | Medium: Oil on panel

JUDGE’S COMMENT: “This exceedingly pleasing painting exudes charm, light and wit, and turns a mundane streetlamp and its ordinary visitors into celebrities. Conservationists might not put pigeons at the top of their list, but this successful rendition reminds us that every creature is valuable and that humans and wildlife can live alongside each other successfully.” Hazel Soan

KEEPING UP APPEARANCES EMMA SWIFT Highly Commended | Medium: Oil on canvas

JUDGE’S COMMENT: “This painting took my, and many of the other judges’, breath away. It’s rich and vibrant, powerful and soft. You can feel the texture and patterns in the painting, which takes an already stunning muse and makes it painterly in the most wonderful of ways! If this piece could get a highly, highly commended, it would have!” Georgina Lamb

HOPE FARNOUSH MANSOURPOUR Highly Commended | Medium: Graphite and charcoal

JUDGE’S COMMENT: “Everything about this piece is beautiful; the execution, the placement, the use of white space – even down to the delicate blade of grass coming out of the rhino’s mouth. This is an artist who has clearly studied this species and managed to capture every wonderful nook and cranny, fold of skin and flake of horn in incredible and mesmerising detail. I am drawn in to looking deeper every time at every pencil mark and line.” Georgina Lamb

WILDLIFE ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2021

5TH POSITION GUY COMBES Earth’s Wild Beauty Winner | Medium: Oil and acrylic on canvas

JUDGE’S COMMENT: “This work is wonderful, interweaving colours and designs into the subject matter of showing animal behaviour. The reaching neck and body lead the eye up and down the painting, willing the subject on to get that delicious, tasty morsel at the top.” Jamie Rountree

Now over to you... BBC WILDLIFE MAGAZINE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD BBC Wildlife Magazine’s editor Paul McGuinness has selected his Editor’s Choice Award (see p76). But now it’s your turn. Go to discoverwildlife.com/bbcwildlife-peoples-choice and you can vote in the inaugural BBC Wildlife Magazine People’s Choice Award 2021. There are over 260 artworks to choose from in this year’s virtual exhibition, so you can immerse yourself in the artworks before deciding on your favourite piece. O Voting closes midnight Tuesday 29 June with the winner announced shortly after.

FIND OUT MORE Visit the virtual exhibition: davidshepherd.org/events/ wildlife-artist-of-the-year-exhibition June 2021

Behind the image

Fighting fire with fire By MAX WHITTAKER

2020

Max braved massive firestorms to document the efforts of firefighters in California – and witnessed nature’s response to the flames.

small herd of deer flees a wildfire in California last summer – as such animals have done for countless millennia, escaping seasonal blazes that sweep through dry brush and forest. This time, though, they’re joined by a curious figure setting light to the grass. “I was following firefighters when the deer suddenly appeared,” recalls Max. “I had barely time to capture a few frames before they ran off.” Last year, California was hit by the most severe wildfire season on record. Nearly 10,000 fires scorched over 17,000km2, destroying thousands of buildings and killing over 30 people. “Wildfires are the classic struggle of man versus nature,” says Max.

MAX WHITTAKER is a photojournalist based in California, focusing on social and environmental issues. primecollective.com/ max-whittaker

Bolts from the blue In mid-August, lighting strikes ignited hundreds of fires in northern California. By the evening of 19 August, a large, complex fire was threatening homes in Fairfield, north-east of San Francisco. This firefighter was burning a hillside there: “There’s no better way to quickly clear an area of flammable vegetation, deprive a fire of fuel and halt its advance,” says Max. For these animals – probably Columbian black-tailed deer, found along North America’s western coast – this was the signal to bolt. They’re used to such blazes; a slow-moving fire that burns deadfall, brush and smaller trees is easy to avoid and creates a better habitat for wildlife. But a fast, winddriven fire can incinerate a forest and burn animals before they can escape. Max, though, had to deal with being rather less nimble. “The unpredictability of fires is what makes them so dangerous. Always having a clear exit route, along with proper gear and knowing how to use it, is essential.”

S There’s no better way to quickly clear an area of flammable vegetation, deprive a fire of fuel and halt its advance. T

Paul Bloomfield 80

BBC Wildlife

June 2021

BBC Wildlife

E+OE Prices subject to change. Goods subject to availability

Hawksbill turtle: Alex Mustard/naturepl.com; nettle: Alex Hyde/naturepl.com

This month’s panel

ST UA RT B L AC K M A N

E L L E N H U SA I N

L AU R I E J AC K S O N

RICHARD JONES

ALEX MORSS

H E L E N P I LC H E R

K AT E R I S E LY

H E L E N S CA L E S

L EO M A W I L L I A M S

Science writer

Wildlife film maker

Wildlife tour leader

Entomologist

Ecologist

Science writer

Ornithologist

Marine biologist

Science writer

We solve your wildlife mysteries. Email your questions to wildquestions@immediate.co.uk More amazing facts at discoverwildlife.com

BOTANY

Why are some plants hairy? lant hairs, also called trichomes, are like a smart botanical equivalent of mini, multiOuch! The hairs of talented octopus arms wielding stinging nettles snap an armoury of secret chemical off easily in the skin, and physical weapons and shields. causing irritation. These living cells read and respond to their environment. Their various uses mean they may be branched, star-shaped, straight, barbed, curly, sticky or poisonous gland-tipped – or even umbrella-like, as in the incredible treedwelling bromeliads whose tiny trichomes

BBC Wildlife

open when it’s dry to reduce evaporation and close during rain to absorb water. Those on roots help draw up minerals and water, while hooked stem, fruit and leaf hairs disperse seeds on passing animals. Some help capture prey in carnivorous sundews, others deter the tiniest and largest insect grazers with physical barriers and protect against strong light, cold, wind and water loss. The nettle family’s needle-like hairs are hollow and loaded with toxic histamine, serotonin and formic acid capable of causing pain, itching and inflammation when a fragile silica tip pierces skin. Alex Morss

June 2021

Q&A

The hawksbill turtle is mainly found in tropical waters, often around coral reefs. It feeds on sponges, sea anemones and jellyfish using its beakshaped mouth as a tool.

MARINE BIOLOGY

What is the difference between a tortoise and a turtle? ortoises are actually turtles. Numbers are somewhat contested but the tortoise family, Testudinidae, includes 65 species belonging to 18 genera. This is just one of 11 families in the turtle order, encompassing 365 species. But what makes a turtle a turtle and a tortoise a tortoise is not always turtle-y clear. While British English speakers call landdwelling turtles tortoises and ocean-dwellers turtles, Americans use the term turtle more prevalently, including

June 2021

for some land animals. All turtles have a body encased in a hard, bony shell made up of plates, but while water-based turtles tend to be streamlined with flattened flippers, the land-dwelling tortoises usually have more domed shells and stockier ‘elephantine’ legs. Tortoises are not good swimmers, but sometimes enter water to drink or bathe. They have a largely vegetarian diet, whereas turtles are mainly omnivorous with marine species eating jellyfish. Both lay their eggs on land. Ellen Husain

BBC Wildlife

Q&A

Mudskippers can ‘skip’ thanks to modified pectoral fins. Some spend days on land.

ARACHNIDS

Spiders can regrow legs, why can’t I? ody growth in spiders (indeed in all arthropods) happens by jettisoning the tough outer shell while a new skin grows beneath. This is completely new growth from a new batch of embryonic stem cells. The regrown leg may look slimmer or smaller, and it may take two or three moults to regrow a fully functional new leg. In humans, stem cells become pre-determined during body growth at the embryo stage, and are only found in adults in places like the bone marrow (to generate new blood cells) and the gonads (to create sperm and eggs). They also occur in the skin’s epithelium layer, and although humans cannot grow a new limb, scar formation is still pretty amazing and, in some cases, life saving. Richard Jones

MARINE BIOLOGY

How do fish walk? everal species of fish have been seen ‘walking’ along the seabed in a variety of different styles. Aided by buoyancy, bottom-dwelling frogfish use their pectoral fins to shuffle after prey, while epaulette sharks also use their pelvic fins to haul themselves between rockpools. In fresh water, lungfish walk on long, fleshy fins, but on land this turns into more of a belly crawl. Mudskippers also venture onto land. Their pectoral fins have a joint-like bend that, with their tails, allows

them to spring across muddy estuaries. These all follow a rather loose definition of walking, but deep in the Thai rainforest, cave angel fish do things differently. They are one of the very few fish to have a bone connection between their pelvic fins and spine which, combined with strong muscles, allows them to walk through caves and even up waterfalls in a fashion similar to a newt. Laurie Jackson

Pull the other one: wolf spiders really can regrow legs.

ENTOMOLOGY The painted lady butterfly migrates to North Africa from the UK to hibernate.

BBC Wildlife

Do migratory insects go back to the same wintering areas?

June 2021

Mudskipper: Jhon Images/Getty; ground wolf-spider: Alex Hyde/naturepl.com; painted lady: Ashley Cooper/Getty; macaque: Dav d Parker/Getty; ow : Dave Bevan/naturep .com (capt ve); b ue t t: Fr edhe m Adam/ImageBroker/Getty

ong-lived birds and other vertebrates can migrate to their wintering areas many times over their lives, like us jetting off on holiday. In contrast, insect migrations often take place over several generations, equivalent to humans journeying several light years. Nevertheless, by following simple northsouth directions at appropriate times of year, butterflies such as painted ladies probably end up back in roughly the same areas as their great-grandparents came from. One of the few insects to travel to specific wintering grounds is the monarch butterfly, found in North America. Individuals famously congregate and hibernate in a small area of central Mexico. There are few insects that fly strongly enough to direct themselves to specific areas, and it’s likely that only a small number of butterflies and moths, and perhaps dragonflies, are able to choose their wintering areas so precisely. Kate Risely

BEHAVIOUR In studies, long-tailed macaques seemed to understand the concept of trade.

Is trade unique to humans? T

rade is fundamental to our way of life, but may not be unique to us. There is evidence to suggest that our closest animal relatives – monkeys and apes – also exchange valuable commodities: for example, grooming for alliance, or sex for food. In experiments, several primate species have also successfully used tokens to request food. Laboratory settings can only reveal so much, however. A recent study of Balinese long-tailed macaques provides compelling evidence of spontaneously arising trade in wild animals. These monkeys steal valuable, but inedible, items from humans (mobile phones, glasses, cameras) only returning them in exchange for food. The monkeys also seem to grasp that some items are worth more, holding onto the most valuable steals until presented with the very best foodstuffs – maximising their payoff. This may be the first known example of such an economic system in wild animals and could help us understand the origins of our own monetary systems. Leoma Williams

3 questions on

Birds and predators

WHY DO BIRDS ‘MOB’ MUCH LARGER PREDATORS?

Smaller birds will harass predators, such as owls, to drive them away from an area. Sometimes they work alone, but often their calls attract other birds. It’s thought they do this to make themselves a nuisance, and to signal to the predator that they have been spotted. However, there is also evidence that the smaller birds hope to alert an even bigger bird of prey to scare the predator away.

June 2021

Blue tits have a warning call. Below: tawny owls are often mobbed.

HOW DO THEY GET OTHER SPECIES TO HELP?

A predator is clearly perceived as a risk to all the smaller birds nearby, and a small mixed flock of different species will often work together to create a hostile environment. Species within the tit family have a common language to call for aid: a two-part call consisting of a general warning call of high, piercing notes to say ‘there’s a predator here’, followed by a series of buzzing notes that mean ‘come and help me’.

IS IT RISKY FOR THEM?

Occasionally birds of prey turn their weapons on the smaller birds, harassing them, but, surprisingly, this rarely happens. Normally, predatory birds either ignore the commotion going on around them, or calmly move on to a quieter location. Most birds of prey and owls are not adapted to hunt on alert, agile birds in flight. They would have no chance of catching any of the smaller birds buzzing around them – and it appears that the mobbing birds are well aware of this. Kate Risely

BBC Wildlife

Q&A MARINE BIOLOGY

Do squid have language?

a dozen repeated ‘phrases’ – such as dark stripes along a squid’s arms or dark eyes combined with a pale body. These seemed to help coordinate the hunt and stopped squid from bumping into each other as they chased lanternfish. The squids’ skin is also bioluminescent, so their messages glow in the dark. The phrases have yet to be translated, but one could mean ‘Oi! That fish is mine!’. Helen Scales

The Humboldt squid is thought to communicate using changing patterns on its skin.

The Explainer Attenborosaurus conybeari was a plesiosaur that lived on the Dorset coast.

Amphisbaenian

The curious worm lizard: neither nowt nor summat.

Also known as worm lizards, amphisbaenians are a group of blind, legless, burrowing creatures, which are neither worms nor lizards. Although they are uncannily similar to earthworms in terms of size and their ringed, cylindrical bodies, and to slowworms, these sharp-toothed subterranean predators belong to a distinct group of reptiles found mainly in Africa and the Americas. Their relationship to other reptiles is mysterious – there’s even an enduring theory that they are more closely related to the ancestor of mammals. Stuart Blackman

BBC Wildlife

BIOLOGY

How can I get a species named after me?

bout 20,000 new animal species are identified every year. These include a handful of mammals, hundreds of amphibians and many thousands of invertebrates. Their names are chosen by the scientists who identify them. ‘Self-titles’ are deemed narcissistic, so sometimes the animals are named after their characteristics or the place where they were discovered. Other times, it’s a chance to honour icons. David Attenborough, for example, has multiple species named after him, including: a dragonfly, Acisoma

attenboroughi; a snail, Attenborougharion rubicundus; and even a plesiosaur, Attenborosaurus conybeari. Scaptia beyonceae, named after the bootylicious singer, is a rare species of Australian horse fly with dense golden hairs. The beetle Agra schwarzeneggeri has a buff physique, while the flatworm Baicalellia daftpunka was named after the electronic music duo who famously wore helmets during live performances. The flatworm also sports a helmet-shaped structure – on the end of its penis. Helen Pilcher June 2021

Squ d: Franco Banfi/naturep .com; worm zard: Jose B. Ru z/naturep .com; S r Dav d: Danny Mart nda e/Getty; Attenborosaurus ustrt on: Nobu Tamura/W k ped a/Creat ve Commons; ooper moth: Pau Bertner/M nden/naturep .com

ike their cephalopod cousins, the cuttlefish and octopuses, squid have skin packed with pigment-filled cells called chromatophores. These receive instructions from nerves to expand and contract thereby revealing and hiding their colour, rapidly adjusting the skin’s appearance. The resulting kaleidoscopic trickery is useful for camouflage, but squid may also use particular patterns to communicate. Recently, scientists pored over film of packs of human-sized Humboldt squid hunting in the deep, dark waters of the twilight zone. They identified more than

Q&A

What is it? LOOPER CATERPILLAR It’s a dangerous time of year for caterpillars. A single nestful of blue tit chicks will happily get through 1,000 in a day. But this particular caterpillar is less likely to be spotted than most. It’s a member of the geometrid moth family, which has a song – Inchworm – written about it. The larvae have a characteristic gait and legs only at their front and rear ends – perfect for mimicking twigs, and many geometrids do just that. But with its disguise completed with faux bark textures and lichen encrustations, this inchworm has gone the extra mile. SB

OUR WILD WORLD

At home

Bring a little extra wildlife into your life with the best of this month’s TV, books, podcasts, streaming and much more.

The Springwatch team are reunited Wonderful wildlife, four brilliant presenters, and silly puns can only mean one thing – Springwatch is back! SPRINGWATCH BBC TWO, 25 MAY – 11 JUNE

It’s been an unprecedented year for all of us, and for the Springwatch team, that meant adapting to new ways of filming and presenting in order to bring us the wildlife programme we so love and cherish. This year, Michaela is finally able to rejoin the presenting team and the programme is aiming to look forwards, with an overarching theme of ‘A Vision for the Future’ as they reveal the wildlife stories of spring. Chris and Michaela will be based at Wild Ken Hill, a rewilding and regenerative agriculture project in west Norfolk with wetlands, farmland and woodland, and home to some newly introduced beavers. Gillian will be presenting from WWT Castle Espie, Northern Ireland’s only marine

TV choice

nature reserve, where she’ll be diving into the waters to discover some of the thousands of species there. Up in the Highlands of Scotland, Iolo will be at Alladale Wilderness Reserve, from where he’ll be reporting on iconic Scottish species, including wildcats, pine martens and mountain hares. As usual, there will be plenty of live wildlife cameras on the go, and pre-recorded films featuring nature lovers, cultural stories, species and landscapes from around the UK. And following their previous successes, the Mindful Moments films will return – 90 seconds of beautiful nature to absorb and savour. It’s time to sit back and relax, and enjoy the best spring wildlife our country has to offer. Megan Shersby

OUR WILD WORLD Goshawk: Pål Hermansen/Nature PL; presenters: BBC

The ancient woodlands of Wild Ken Hill are home to beautiful and fearsome predators such as the goshawk. Below left: the Springwatch team.

OUR WILD WORLD BOOK

Fluffy grey seal pups are born on Skomer’s beaches.

Skomer Island

Grey seal: Mike Alexander

BY MIKE ALEXANDER, Y LOLFA, £29.99

Having visited Skomer many times and having fallen in love with its birds and its success as a bird haven, Mike Alexander has written a book that allows you to immerse yourself in all that Skomer Island has to offer. There is so much to learn about the seals, flora and fauna, and the conservation work that the island proudly shows off. Despite being filled to the brim with facts and figures, this book is beautifully written in a way that allows you to step into the pages and truly live through the different eras and areas on the Welsh island. The pictures that fill the book are also an absolute delight – particularly the early years of Skomer photography. For anyone that loves Skomer, or is dreaming of a visit, this book is a great read. Dan Rouse Ornithologist and presenter

WI LD STRE A M RADIO Between the Ears In A Nightingales’ Map of Berlin, the city is celebrated as a refuge for these summer visitors. BBC Radio 3, 6 June ONLINE SERIES My Place on Earth Presenter and film-maker Hannah Stitfall meets wildlife enthusiasts around the world in this BBC Earth Facebook series. bit.ly/my-place-on-earth DOCUMENTARY Climate Change: Ade on the Frontline Ade Adepitan sees the damage that climate change is causing, and finds out how we can fight it. BBC iPlayer

BBC Wildlife

BOOK

Finding the Mother Tree

A Natural History of Insects in 100 Limericks

BY SUZANNE SIMARD, ALLEN LANE, £20

In this extraordinary book about underground tree communication and the ‘wood wide web’, Simard shows us how powerful storytelling can be in our discussions about the natural world. She takes us through her academic career in the forests of Canada and North America, working on tree plantations and eventually discovering that trees coordinate themselves through a network of mycorrhizal fungi that heals, feeds and sustains the entire forest. This is a simple yet captivating story of a woman who follows her intuition, views compassion as a strength, and dares to see the world differently.

In this book – a lyrical snapshot of some of the insects found on this planet – Jones’s inner child is in charge judging by the silliness of the poems. But the adult is present, providing unusual facts to help us learn more about these megastars and why insects are worthy of conserving. The limericks are illustrated by the clever-but-simple line drawings of his son, whose playful style mimics that of the poems, and the overall result is an informative book on insects interwoven with some utterly nonsensical rhymes.

Tiffany Francis-Baker Writer and artist

Erica McAlister Entomologist

BY RICHARD JONES, ILLUSTRATED BY CALVIN URE-JONES, PELAGIC PUBLISHING, £9.99

June 2021

OUR WILD WORLD HOMEWARE

Cork Mats LIGA, £23 FOR A SET OF 4 PLACEMATS

These stylish and beautiful placemats and coasters also happen to be ecofriendly and made of cork from Portugal. The cork oak trees are only harvested every nine years, so that the trees are not harmed, and the forests provide a home to wildlife. Printed in Cornwall, the mats come in a range of grey or white prints, including crabs, sunflowers and stars. LIGA also creates a variety of other tempting cork and sustainably sourced products, such as clocks, yoga blocks, and eco-dishcloths. Megan Shersby Turn to p99 for a chance to win a Wildflowers collection gift set from LIGA, including cork mats, worth £48.95.

Earth’s Incredible Oceans BY JESS FRENCH, ILLUSTRATED BY CLAIRE MCELFATRICK, DK, £14.99

Cork continues to absorb CO even as a placemat.

O N OUR WEBS ITE DELICIOUS DESSERT Author Daisy Oakley shares a recipe for making elderflower fritters from her book: discoverwildlife.com/ elderflower-fritters BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS Naturalist and presenter Brett Westwood shares 10 orchid species to look out for in June, and their key identifying features, in our illustrated guide: discoverwildlife.com/ identify-orchids GIFTS FOR DAD Read our reviews of wildlife-themed gifts for nature lovers and be inspired for Father’s Day later this month: discoverwildlife.com/gift-ideas

June 2021

A sign of a really informative children’s book is when the parents learn something new too; in this book, the caption ‘Moon jellyfish can get younger as well as older’ had this parent searching the web for further reading. Earth’s Incredible Oceans is attractively laid out, each page filled with an ocean scene packed with a mix of photographs, illustrations and short,

7- to 9-year-olds will enjoy the easy-toread and fascinating captions, but the engaging illustrations will draw in children of all ages, so it also works as a picture book for younger children. In our family, it prompted discussions on such absorbing topics as ‘Do starfish die if they freeze in a brinicle?’ and ‘What happens if you dig down beneath the seabed?’. The book covers animals, habitats, ocean geography and ecological concepts such as food-webs, making it a genuinely educational resource. Kate Risely Ornithologist MORE CHILDREN’S NATURE BOOKS

BOOK

Swifts and Us

Beak, Tooth and Claw

BY SARAH GIBSON, WILLIAM COLLINS, £16.99

BY MARY COLWELL, WILLIAM COLLINS, £16.99

Common swifts long ago gave up tree-nesting, apart from in northern forests, instead making their homes in the cracks and crevices of ours. It was a radical shift that left the – increasingly uncommon – swifts vulnerable to modernisation. In this book, Gibson meets some of the self-taught, swift-loving heroes whose mission is to bring back these mercurial creatures, such as Judith Wakeham in Cambridgeshire, who worked out how to rehabilitate swift chicks (once thought to be impossible). Gibson explores the birds’ amazing lifestyle, and travels to southern Spain to see all five European swift species. Apart from a workaday chapter on swifts of the world, her book brims with swiftian love and lore.

There are few more fraught topics then the status of Britain’s larger predators. Here conservation, tradition, economics and passion collide, and most parties feel compelled to ‘pick a side’. But much as conservationists rail against persecution of species and mismanagement of certain habitats, ground truths are far from simple. It takes immense courage to be a voice of calm in the midst of this, and once again Colwell has stepped up to the mark. There is much to learn from this book, which covers the species at the centre of the storm – corvids, badgers, foxes, raptors and seals. Before reading, it’s worth remembering that you don’t have to agree with someone to try and understand their position.

Ben Hoare BBC Wildlife editorial consultant

Amy-Jane Beer Nature writer

BBC Wildlife

OUR WILD WORLD

Your photos

Amazing images taken by our readers Enter our Your Photos competition at discoverwildlife. com/submit-your-photos

Feathered friend I encountered this beautiful bird on my daily walk with my rescue dog called Bertie Cheesecake. The little robin posed for me on the bush and was happy to model. Robins are my favourite bird and definitely a sign that my lovely nan is watching out for us from above. Karen Nicholson, Epsom

Star photo

ENTER TO WIN A PAIR OF ARIAT® WALKING BOOTS This month, our star photo wins a pair of Skyline Summit GTX® boots from Ariat®, worth £170. The boots are part of the Country Collection – an extension of the company’s passion for the outdoors, combining fashionable style with Ariat® technologies. Made with performance and all-day comfort in mind, these boots are ready to take on any challenge. ariat.com 94

BBC Wildlife

4 June 2021

OUR WILD WORLD 1 Playful pod I was on an expedition cruise to New Zealand and our group was exploring Doubtful Sound when a pod of bottlenose dolphins appeared and proceeded to play in the bow wave of the boat for the best part of an hour. John Maddox, Truro

2 Eye of the elephant This image was taken in Zambia on a safari with my brother. Prior to the holiday he had challenged me to take a close-up photograph of an elephant's eye. On the first night, I was fortunate enough to capture this. Hayley King, Cambridge

3 Shedding skin I felt extremely lucky to encounter this freshly emerged ladybird on a grass stalk during one of my frequent solo bug hunts. It is a rare occasion to see such an event, where three of the four stages of the beetle's life-cycle are visible at the same time. Kirk Mason, Derbyshire

4 Biggest fan It is thought that the colours on the male fanthroated lizard are there for a reason – to express different signals. During the breeding season, they flaunt their ‘gular appendage’ to attract females and to drive other males away. Chandrashekhar Shirur, Karnataka, India

5 Mushroom marvel

5 June 2021

On another photographic fungi quest in my local, autumnal woodland, I came across three common bonnet stems growing out of a rotting beech tree. I like the contrast against the still suprisingly green leaves. Michael Blacknell, Bishopstoke BBC Wildlife

OUR WILD WORLD

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Give the hogs a home I read Hugh Warwick’s article on hedgehogs (Helping hedgehogs, spring 2021) with interest as I have a lot to do with them in my own way. A few years ago, I found a hedgehog and five hoglets in one of my hoggy boxes in late October, and knew survive the winter. I took them into the babies from the mother and put her out to hibernate. After their Bill's hedgehog weight reached homes and Bill about 700g, I with a hedgehog. took them to my local vet and she then microchipped them. I put them out in the garage to hibernate, and in the spring let them all go. Since then I have

Helping orangutans

the Wild on the IUCN Red List. The article found no space for this scientific assessment, using vague terms like "any time soon" to suggest the ‘palm oil campaigners’ (whose views were not reported in the piece) are wrong and we mustn’t blame palm oil. The article omitted to say that the main conservationist quoted, Erik Meijaard, has been paid for work for an oil palm company, and chairs the IUCN Oil Palm Task Force. He may well be entirely correct, but the article seemed to be selective. Paul Seligman, Cardiff James Fair replies: These are fair points, but I wonder how many people understand the technical

terms. The article set out clearly how many orangutans are left and what their rate of decline is, which I decided was more helpful. Erik Meijaard has worked with the palm oil industry to reduce its impacts, but there was no room to go into the pros and cons of this. I enjoy James Fair’s articles as they ask difficult questions about conservation problems, and his orangutan feature was no exception. The research on the impact of palm oil versus hunting was eye-opening. The solution offered of making direct payments to farmers not to kill apes sits uneasily with me. What happens when the money runs out, or if the non-governmental organisation moves on to more trendy projects? This is neither

The abandoned nest containing the mini egg.

sustainable nor ethical. Anand Chandrasekhar, Bern, Switzerland

A real-life mini egg There is an abandoned blackbird nest in my garden. I was surprised to see that it contained one very undersized egg alongside the normal ones. There seemed to be a direct correlation between the size and darkness of the eggs. They get darker as they get smaller, as though the brown pigment is added at the beginning of the egg production process. Alan Dixon, via email Charles Deeming replies: Bird eggs normally contain yolk and albumen surrounded by a hard shell. The small egg was certainly built around a very small yolk released prematurely from the ovary, but it still stimulated the bird’s oviduct to deposit some albumen and shell around it. The browner colour may reflect more deposition of the protoporphyrin IX pigment, normally spread more widely on the eggshell.

Threat to the Red Sea I was shocked to read about FSO Safer and by the international inertia surrounding this sad story (My way of thinking, April 2021). I, and no doubt many other concerned June 2021

Hedgehog homes and hedgehog: Bill Rouse; bird eggs: Alan Dixon

I wonder whether James Fair’s article on orangutans (The $80 million question, April 2021) isn’t unduly optimistic, particularly in its upbeat final paragraph, which read: “Neither Bornean nor Sumatran orangutans are going extinct at any time soon.” All three orangutan species are Critically Endangered, the last category before Extinct in

had two of them return and I use my scanner to check them. Last year, I found one in the garden during the day. He weighed around 490g, so I took him in but could not take him to the Forth Hedgehog Hospital as it was outside my district and it was during a Covid lockdown. He now weighs 1.1kg and is just coming out of hibernation in the garage, so I will let him go when the weather is better. I built three homes and a feeding station for the hedgehogs and these are used regularly in the summer and sometimes for hibernating. The only thing I would like to do is to be able to administer life-saving drugs to them, but I suppose that’s out of the question. I will do what I can to protect them in any way I can. The hoggy boxes are made of 18mm ply with a maze entrance and the middle one is a feeding station. Bill Rouse, Midlothian

OUR WILD WORLD environmentalists, were simply unaware of this situation. It is not that one does not care, but poor communications have not informed the wider world opinion. We have had stories like this in the past where nothing positive has developed. It shows that the UN does not have much power to intervene. Perhaps when oil lubricates Saudi Arabia’s coastline she will cease fighting a war with Yemen and clean up this mess. Norman Marshall, Llandudno Junction

TALES FROM THE BUSH

Planning of the apes Safari guide James Nguya was intrigued to observe teamwork tactics among a troop of hungry baboons.

Have a wild tale to tell? Email a brief synopsis to catherine.smalley@ immediate.co.uk

Tackling sewage

Existing as equals I read Noël Sweeney’s article with great enthusiasm (Animals’ charter, spring 2021). I totally agree that animals should be given rights. I think they need protection from humans, as we tend to exploit them at every opportunity and cause appalling suffering along the way. I wish we could exist without this notion that we are somehow superior and can do whatever we wish with other beings’ lives. Bring on the animal charter! Acaycia Lewis, Nottingham CORRECTIONS Spring issue: Bird's nests, p46: chaffinches' nest lining is 6 10mm, not 6 10cm thick. Islands at the edge of the world, p74: the bird pictured is an Arctic skua. QUIZ ANSWERS (see p99) 1A, 2A, 3B, 4C, 5C, 6B

June 2021

Power in numbers: these olive baboons ran rings around the gazelle defending its fawn.

Tõnis Plaan

I agree with Linda Batsleer (Feedback, April 2021) that the problem is greater than asking people not to use wet wipes, but there are also things that every water company can do to alleviate their impact on the environment. Sewage works have various stages of treatment – the first being the most important. Preliminary treatment or inlet works, if working and maintained properly, will remove grit and items such as sanitary waste and wet wipes. By looking after these works, the environmental impact is reduced and with less detritus passing downstream to affect the pumps, pipes, valves and other machinery, operating costs also reduce. Dave Cowan, Warrington

ne morning, I was leading a game drive at Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya, when we came across a small herd of Thomson’s gazelles grazing and nearby a troop of 50-60 olive baboons foraging, some on the ground and others in the trees. We watched as a group of the baboons left their troop, ran towards a patch of grass where a young gazelle fawn had been hiding and quickly set about preying on it. Swiftly, the mother gazelle moved in to defend her offspring, driving the baboons off – some up a yellow fever tree, the remainder up a monkey thorn – before returning to the now lifeless fawn. She then patrolled the area to ensure none came to feed on her young. Initially, the two groups of baboons stayed up in their respective trees. However, they soon seemed to devise a strategy of accessing their prey by taking advantage of having been split into two groups and also the distance between the trees (about 10 metres). One group would start climbing down, thus drawing the attention of the mother gazelle who would come chasing them back up. This would act as a distraction, during which time the other group would quickly climb down and head for the prey. The routine happened

repeatedly and each time the baboons would make sure they bit off a part of their prey before quickly jumping back up the trees. Finally, the baboons succeeded in taking the remains of their fawn prey safely up into the trees. The mother gazelle stood there for some time before dejectedly walking away to rejoin the herd. A while later, the baboons clambered down and ran off to rejoin their troop. Through apparent group intelligence, the baboons succeeded in planning and executing a collaborative strategy that allowed them to access the prey without risking injury. By contrast, the lack of cooperation among the Thomson’s gazelles suggests that being in a herd does not benefit a fawn. Predators that attack fawns, such as baboons, are not a threat to adult gazelles and so their approach does not trigger antipredator behaviour among the adults that could forewarn a mother in good time. In this case, the lone mother bore the sole responsibility for protecting her young and fighting off predators.

S The group ran

towards the young gazelle and quickly set about preying on it.T

JAMES NGUYA is head guide at Mtana Safaris Ltd and has over 20 years’ experience working with wildlife. BBC Wildlife

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OUR WILD WORLD

PUZZLES

Win a prize with our crossword, and test your wildlife knowledge.

Answers in our August 2021 issue

Wild quiz

ACROSS: 6 Ham Wall, 7 apium, 9 bush, 10 tawny eagle, 11 seabirds, 13 instar, 15 sora, 17 mould, 18 pads, 19 weasel, 20 kinkajou, 23 crested tit, 26 whin, 27 hover, 28 anemone.

Getty Images

SPRING ANSWERS

1) What is the German word for chiffchaff? A zilpzarp B sipsap C tjiftjaf

DOWN: 1 amphibians,

2 garter, 3 slow, 4 ladybird, 5 lima, 6 house, 8 mallard, 12 skunk, 14 sappanwood, 16 on earth, 17 mulberry, 21 nutmeg, 22 olive, 24 save, 25 teal.

SPRING WINNER R Sirotinina, Cambridgeshire ACROSS 1 Phoebe ___, legendary birder from the USA (10) 6 Stalk (4) 10 Raptor that might be marsh or Montagu’s (7) 11 Birds noted for their colonies at Bass Rock and Bempton Cliffs (7) 12 Leafy, edible annual plant (7) 13 Hard outer skin of a fruit (7) 14 Glossy leaved tree with catkins, Salix pentandra (3,6) 16 ___ bloom, rapid increase in populations of certain aquatic organisms (5) 17 Spore-bearing fungus cell (5) 20 Fennec (6,3) 23 Long-jawed fish that can breathe air (7) 24 Fish-eating birds of prey (7) 26 Long South American river, home

to a highly endangered crocodile species (7) 27 Pebbly shore habitat, favoured by many waders (7) 28 Another name for a white-tailed eagle (4) 29 Large salamander species (10) DOWN 1 Semi-arid African region, important to migratory birds (5) 2 Colony of white-plumed, heron-like waders (7) 3 Changes that trigger responses in organisms (7) 4 ___ shark, predatory fish, Ginglymostoma cirratum (5) 5 Birds of prey that might be spotted, greyish or barred (5,4) 7 Sea cucumber (7) 8 Flowering woodland plant of North

America (4,5) 9 Country of south-west Africa, home to 14 endemic bird species (6) 14 Migratory waterfowl that may be taiga or tundra (4,5) 15 ___ pine, a North American conifer (9) 18 ___ crow, a black-plumaged corvid (7) 19 ___ cinnamon, an evergreen tree of Vietnam (6) 21 Snake, lizard or crocodile, for example (7) 22 Grew feathers (7) 24 Ring ___, blackbird-like migratory songbird (5) 25 Long, sharp upper beak of a billfish (5)

2) What is the largest national park in the UK? A Cairngorms B Snowdonia C Lake District

3) The scientific name of which bird means ‘cave dweller’? A nightjar B wren C tawny owl

4) A tasselled wobbegong is a species of… A fungi B lizard C shark

5) Glass, yellow and silver refer to the life stages of… A jellyfish B slugs C eels

6) What age is the oldest known albatross? A 40 B 70 C 80

Crossword compiled by RICHARD SMYTH, quiz set by CATHERINE SMALLEY

Find out the answers on p97

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WILDLIFE CHAMPION

SAMUEL WEST In our series about people with a passion for a species, we ask actor Samuel West why he can’t get enough of the dipper. Interview by Catherine Smalley

Why have you chosen to champion the dipper?

declining in Britain, but not as badly as most other birds.

It’s a brilliantly odd bird, in habitat, behaviour and appearance. Like a huge, stocky, neckless wren with a white bib; in a country house murder mystery, the dipper plays the butler. They curtsey from a rock in the middle of a fast stream, then throw themselves into the water like romantic poets after a bad breakup. I love both their vibe and resourcefulness.

How did you become interested in birdwatching?

Can you describe your first encounter with a dipper?

S In winter,

My dipper encounter in Hathersage was part of a regular drive to clear my head from a stressful job (as artistic director of the Crucible, Sheffield). Walking in Derbyshire became my early-morning thing when I couldn’t sleep. Now me and my partner, playwright Laura Wade, take our two young daughters out whenever we can.

they hunt by swimming or walking along the bottom of the stream.T

conditions: even in winter they hunt by swimming or walking along the bottom of the stream, turning stones and looking for caddis fly larvae underneath.

Why are they given the name dipper?

Where can we find dippers in the UK?

They’ve been called lots of things, such as water ouzel, or water colly in Ireland. But dipper suits their bobbing and their underwater adventures. They’re built to thrive in harsh

They live by rushing, shallow, upland streams so if you don’t go looking for them there, you’d be forgiven for thinking them a rarity. You can spot them in north and west Britain. We see them regularly in the Yorkshire Dales when we’re filming All Creatures Great and Small. A favourite rock will be streaked with white droppings, so that’s a good place to start looking. The call is pitched high to cut through the noise of the water; they also have a burbling song.

Do they face any threats? Stream acidification is shrinking the

when renovating or painting. They’re

Where do you normally go to birdwatch? Depends how long we’ve got. With an hour, the patch at New River Walk, Islington; with four, Rainham Marshes; and with a whole day, North Norfolk – along the A149, the birding Silk Road.

Which species are top of your birding wish list? In the UK: Ross’s gull, icterine warbler, gyrfalcon, Leach’s storm petrel, Daurian shrike. World: almost any rainforest species. We’re saving South America until the kids have left home. SAMUEL WEST is an actor and plays Siegfried Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small on Channel 5. The second season is due to air at the end of this year.

The expert view The world’s five dipper species are among the most extraordinary of all songbirds in being adapted uniquely to swim, dive and feed on river insects or small fishes. Their UK fortunes are mixed. Slow decline along formerly clean hill streams contrasts with their rise along urban rivers over recent decades. This brings exposure to new problems, such as microplastics and other chemicals. Steve Ormerod, professor of ecology at Cardiff School of Biosciences

June 2021

Samuel West: Matt Squire/Playground Television UK Ltd; dipper: Andy Rouse/2020VISION/NPL

Easily. I remember, remember the 5th of November 2006 in Hathersage, Derbyshire. I looked over the bridge that crosses the Derwent there, heard the high ‘zik’ call and then saw it flash low over the water and come to rest on a favourite rock. It was joined by another and I watched them diving, swimming and feeding for about 20 minutes.

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