BBC Wildlife - May 2024

In this issue

Where to see fabulous dancing flamingos
Mike Dilger heads to lagoons and lakes to see these bright pink birds strut their stuff.

Thailand’s incredible fishing cats
Scientists are studying how these rare felines are adapting to shrimp farms encroaching on their wetland habitat.

Arctic roll

The Arctic tern is the ultimate distance migrant, flying pole to pole every year

1 min

Reefs on TV

This one-off BBC special on coral is a must-see

1 min

Huge rewilding paradise planned for South Africa

The 100,000ha Loskop Dam Nature Reserve project hopes to bring back lost species

1 min

Songbird slaughter in Cyprus

Last autumn, almost half a million birds were trapped and killed by gangs on the Mediterranean island

1 min

'Stars' are helping repair ruined reefs

Scientists are using steel webs to regrow coral reefs in Indonesia - with impressive results

1 min

New life for our rivers

Europe's dams are being removed at record-breaking speed - freeing rivers and restoring healthy habitats

1 min

The importance of child's play

Chimpanzee mothers prioritise playtime with their offspring, even when food is scarce

1 min

FEMALE OF THE SPECIES

Love is a battlefield for damselflies in distress

2 mins

TWIST AND SHOUT

Get ready for a dazzling show as courting birds show off their groovy moves and fabulous colours

2 mins

THE ONLY WAY IS UP

A South American frog whose young erupt from the mother's back

2 mins

THE PUFFARAZZI

Every summer, an epic survey of Iceland's puffins takes place - and two photographers decided to lend a helping hand

7 mins

NIGHT PROWL

As shrimp farms encroach on fishing cat habitat in Thailand, scientists are learning how these felines are adapting to a changing world

3 mins

Wild words

Spending time observing and writing about the natural world can be transformational

7 mins

CRACK DOWN

As the new Amazon drama Poacher hits our screens, we take a look at the fight to end ivory poaching in India

9 mins

LANDLORD OF THE WILD

The humble aardvark is seldom praised for its work digging out homes for other animals

7 mins

Are there any plants in Antarctica?

CONTINENTS DON'T COME ANY MORE inhospitable than Antarctica, where life must contend with the longest, darkest, coldest winters and a year-round blanket of snow and ice.

1 min

What is the lotus effect?

WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF WATCHING the clock on the wall of a dentist's waiting room, you can always pass a bit of time with a rummage through the bowl of fragrant botanical wonders next to the leaflets about expensive cosmetic work.

2 mins

Why are walruses so chubby?

AS A GENERAL RULE, TERRESTRIAL mammals are furry, while aquatic ones are fat. It doesn't work across the board: sea otters rarely leave the water but have the densest fur of any mammal.

2 mins

How do parrots learn to swear?

THERE ARE FEW THINGS AS GLORIOUSLY entertaining as the effing and blinding of a potty-mouthed parrot.

1 min

Slime: protector, lubricant and glue

GOO, GUNGE, GUNK... WHILE THERE are many names for the stuff that makes things slippery or sticky, slime isn't a single material but a label for a variety of substances with similar physical properties. Those qualities are desirable to many living things, which is why slime is made by such a wide range of organisms.

2 mins

ALL YOU EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT THE Shoebill

THIS PREHISTORIC-LOOKING BIRD IS affectionately known by some as 'king of the marshes' as it is huge (up to 1.5m tall with a 2.4m wingspan) and resides in the freshwater marshes and swamps of East Africa.

3 mins

Flightless birds

Our pick of 10 curious birds that have lost the ability to fly

2 mins

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BBC Wildlife Magazine Description:

BBC Wildlife Magazine is a monthly magazine about wildlife, operated and published by Immediate Media Company. It was launched in January 1963 as Animals Magazine, edited by filmmaker Armand Denis.

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