Wildlife - Geographical Magazine

Fire salamanders are a routinely traded species across much of Europe

Wildlife

Wild salamanders under threat from Bsal, a fungal infection

Oct 20, 2020

Written by Jacob Dykes

Scientists are racing to prevent a deadly disease that kills salamanders from reaching the crucial populations of the USA

Wildlife

Dossier: the silent chorus – declines in the bird world

Oct 14, 2020

Written by Mark Rowe

Birds are a much-loved component of the natural world, serenading us each morning and filling the skies with life. Yet, like many animals, birds are in decline and it isn’t just the rare, flagship species that are in trouble

Wildlife

China's Belt and Road Initiative threatens already fragmented tiger habitats

Sep 21, 2020

Written by Jacob Dykes

Since 2006, tiger habitats have shrunk by more than 40 per cent due to forest encroachment. Now, China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is set to become the largest human development project in industry. But what impact will the new…

Sun sets over the Gorongosa National Park

Wildlife

Back from the brink: rewilding restores wildlife of Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

Aug 19, 2020

Written by Jacob Dykes

Left denuded and depleted of wildlife following a decades-long civil war, the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique has reinvigorated its biodiversity through a trophic rewilding programme

Wildlife

Hen harriers are dying on the UK’s grouse moors, conservationists argue it’s time for change

Aug 17, 2020

Written by Mark Rowe

Can the UK find a way to protect vulnerable birds of prey on its grouse moors?

Officials in Guangzhou, China, destroy confiscated ivory stocks. Ivory is commonly trafficked internationally, but border officials are often unable to confirm the identity of a given product. Ivory, rhino horn and other wildlife products can slip through the cracks

Wildlife

DNA sequencing device could rapidly detect illegal wildlife products

Jul 17, 2020

Written by Jacob Dykes

A portable DNA assay could revolutionise the way border officials examine suspected wildlife products, and the methods conservationists use to identify wildlife samples in the field

In Brazil, a jaguar comes down to the water. Strong swimmers, jaguars are often found near water and prefer tropical rainforest and swampland habitats

Wildlife

Fangs and skin: Illegal wildlife trade endangers Latin America’s jaguars

Jul 02, 2020

Written by Jacob Dykes

Increasing reports of seized jaguar fangs and skin suggest that demand for jaguar parts has grown in the past decade, particularly in China. As relations between Latin America and Asia strengthen, criminologists and conservationists are concerned that a formal market…

Wildlife

The show can’t go on: the fight for an EU-wide ban on wild animals in circuses

Jun 22, 2020

Written by Jacob Dykes

Four ex-circus lions discovered in France are due to be re-housed at Born Free, invigorating the call for EU-wide ban on wild animals in circuses

Wildlife

How a blind black rhino became an ambassador for his species

Jun 02, 2020

Written by Jacob Dykes

In the Eastern Cape of South Africa, Munu – a blind black rhino – has become an ambassador for his species, opening the world’s eyes to the critical conservation philosophy that ‘every rhino matters’

Wildlife

Dossier: hunting and human-wildlife conflict

May 22, 2020

Written by Mark Rowe

Hunting is a topic that attracts polarised viewpoints. But as Mark Rowe demonstrates, when it comes to limiting human-wildlife conflict and to wider conservation measures, it’s not always so simple

Wildlife

The pros and cons of a four-footed fire prevention squad

May 16, 2020

Written by Dawn Starin

From the US to the Mediterranean, herds of goats are used to rid the earth of grasses and shrubs that could be a fire hazard – but should this practice be encouraged?

Wildlife

In pictures: meet the 2020 Whitley Award winners

May 14, 2020

Written by Geographical

Meet the 2020 Whitley Award winners

Wildlife

Naturally charismatic - 'flagship' species have distinct roles in their ecosystems

May 12, 2020

Written by Jacob Dykes

Protecting the most famous members of the animal kingdom may be the right move, and not just because they attract more funding

Wildlife

Return of the bison - The Făgăraș Mountains of Romania will be graced by a long-lost relic

May 01, 2020

Written by Jacob Dykes

The return of bison to Romania’s mountains could boost the region’s biodiversity and invigorate rural economies through eco-tourism

Wildlife

Coronavirus: the death of tourism threatens wildlife in Africa and India’s parks

Apr 30, 2020

Written by Julian Matthews and Katie Burton

Loss of tourism revenue is having a worrying impact on nature reserves and parks across Africa and India. The lives of animals, and the livelihoods of rangers and guides, are under threat

Wildlife

Coronavirus: should we be afraid of bats?

Apr 22, 2020

Written by Katie Burton

The notion that the Covid-19 pandemic all began because one person in China ate a bat is a prevalent one, but conservationists are fighting back against misleading claims

Wildlife

Long-distance leviathans: New study suggests whales migrate to regulate their skin health

Apr 15, 2020

Written by Jacob Dykes

A new decade-spanning study, in which the longest migration of any killer whale was recorded, has developed a theory that the ocean giants return to warmer waters to regulate the health of their skin.