BBC Wildlife Magazine

BBC Wildlife Magazine is a celebration of the natural world, featuring all the latest discoveries, news and views on wildlife, conservation and environmental issues. With strong broadcasting links, authoritative journalism and award-winning photography, BBC Wildlife Magazine is essential reading for anyone with a passion for wildlife who wants to understand, experience and enjoy nature more.

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IN FOCUS

WILD MONTH • Flowers are blooming and butterflies and bees are on the wing. Don’t miss August’s wildlife highlights.

Hidden BRITAIN

TOUGH LOVE • The sex life of spiders is a rather kinky affair...

MIKE DILGER’S WILDLIFE WATCHING • In his series of great places to watch wildlife in the UK, the star of BBC One’s The One Show this month heeds the call of canal towpaths, with their rich abundance of plant, animal and aquatic life – from kingfishers to water voles.

CHOICE LOCATIONS

SPECIES TO LOOK OUT FOR

Government plans to ‘rewild’ the sea • New Highly Protected Marine Areas will ban all damaging activities.

Wolves make roads safer • The presence of the top predators reduces road traffic accidents in the USA.

Tasmanian devils ravage little penguin population on tiny island

Zombie frog

IN NUMBERS

Sharks’ loss is whales’ gain

Animals change their accents to fit in • Humans are known to adapt their accent according to social situations, but do animals too?

MARK CARWARDINE • The conservationist discusses the tricky problem faced by New Zealand when it comes to the harm caused by non-native hedgehogs.

Laly Lichtenfeld Co-founder and CEO at African People & Wildlife • A love of big cats and a commitment to empower rural communities led Laly Lichtenfeld to help develop ‘Living Walls’, a project to protect livestock in Tanzania.

THE DAM BUSTERS • Across Europe, hundreds of rivers are blocked by dams, dykes, locks and levees. But a movement is gathering pace to remove these barriers and restore water flow.

Removing Ennerdale Mill Weir • Spanning 50m across the River Ehen in Cumbria, this obsolete weir was a barrier to migratory fish and a threat to local mussel beds. The structure was dismantled in 2018 by the West Cumbria Rivers Trust.

River obstacle terminology explained

The mouse map • The harvest mouse is the smallest and least known of all British rodents, mainly because it is so difficult to find. A five-year citizen science survey in Kent is revealing valuable new information.

Finding a mouse in a haystack

A boost for mice

DUNE BUGS • Corrugated sand spanning some 20km fringes the Sefton Coast in Merseyside. It’s the UK’s largest undeveloped dune system – bustling with rare insects, reptiles and amphibians – and is the focus of a major conservation project.

NOW YOU SEE ME... • Some animals use colour change to blend into the background; for others it is a powerful form of communication. But how exactly do they do it?

Mixed message

3 shades of sly • With colour-shifting ability comes the temptation of dishonesty. Here are three species that have learned to be crafty with colour.

Dressing for the seasons

Putting insects on the menu • Our appetite for meat and dairy is suffocating our planet. Surely it’s time to bring insect-based food to the table?

Protect the protectors • Rangers are nature’s first responders. They risk their lives to protect our planet, yet some don’t even own a pair of...