BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #11

OURWILDWORLD









Q&A
We solve your
ba ing wildlife
mysteries.


More amazing facts at
discoverwildlife.com










This month’s panel







STUART BLACKMAN LAURIE JACKSON LIZ KALAUGHER MIKE TOMS CHRISTINA HARRISON RICHARD JONES ROBERTO ISOTTI SARAH McPHERSON
Science writer Wildlife tour leader Author of Furry Logic BTO Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Entomologist Photographer and naturalist Q&A editor






REPTILES
How did the leatherback


turtle get its name?




Reaching half a tonne in weight, the leatherback
Aturtle is a giant among reptiles – only a few
species of crocodilian are larger. It is also remarkable
for lacking the bony carapace typical of its relatives.
Its ‘shell’ is in fact a layer of tough, rubbery skin
adorned with thousands of tiny bone plates.
Its scientific name, Dermochelys coriacea,
translates as ‘leathery-skinned turtle’.
Alternative colloquial names include ‘lute
turtle’, which may derive from the seven
ridges along its back, said to evoke the
strings of a lute.
Leatherbacks are also unusual in being
specialist predators of jellyfish. Fleshy,
backward-pointing projections in the
mouth and throat help them to handle
and swallow their slippery
prey. Stuart Blackman














Aurélien Brusini/Hemis/Alamy individual was monitored swimming
The leatherback has the largest
distribution of any turtle. Though
classed as Vulnerable, the species
can be surprisingly hardy: one

through Hurricane Florence.



November 2018 BBC Wildlife 101

OURWILD WORLD




BOTANY
Doplantsuse

camoulage?



Plants usually provide the
Abackground against which animals
camouflage themselves. But there is
a handful of examples that buck the
trend. Perhaps the best known are the
pebble plants, a group of succulents
from southern Africa with bulbous,
fleshy leaves that mimic stones (known
as masquerade camouflage). Others,
such as the seedlings of some campions,
accumulate sand or soil on sticky leaves.
Bu sh mining bees (inset) And variegated leaves may serve to
are easily duped by early break up a plant’s outline, much like
spider orchids, which use a tiger’s stripes. Part of the reason that
the insects to courier pollen.
camouflage is relatively rare among
INVERTEBRATES plants may be that they need to be green
to photosynthesise, so colour change
How is climate change afecting synchrony? comes with a costly downside. SB


Climate change is throwing a spanner though and for the ruse to work, the orchids
A in the works of many plant-animal must flower before the female bees fly. But
partnerships. A good example is the buffish as springs become warmer, the emergence
mining bee – one of the first bees to emerge of the bees and blooming of the orchids are
in spring – and its specialised relationship occurring earlier – and not at equal rates.
with the early spider orchid. Females are increasingly flying before peak
Using their arachnid-like flowers, the flowering, putting pollination at risk.
orchids emit a scent that closely mimics that Loss of synchrony is not restricted to
produced by the female bees. So alluring flowers and pollinators. Seabirds may also
is the aroma that males will make repeated be at risk as their prey alters its breeding
attempts to mate with the deceitful bloom. In patterns due to changing oceanic conditions, Corydalis hemidicentra,
doing so, they dislodge its pollen and deliver leading to mismatches in food abundance here in China, blending in
with surrounding stones.
it to the next orchid. Timing is everything during chick-feeding time. Laurie Jackson







Kelp depends on light ECOLOGY
for photosynthesis,
so usually grows What is an
at a maximum
depth of 40m. urchin barren?

An urchin barren is an area of underwater
Akelp forest that has been over-grazed by
sea urchins – spiny echinoderms that live in
colonies at the base of the plants and munch
avidly on their stems. As keystone predators,
sea otters usually keep urchin populations
in check. Declines in their numbers directly
correlate with increased ‘barrens’. Bee: Getty; orchid: Hector Ruiz Villar/Shutterstock; Corydalis hemidicentra: Yang Niu; seal: Douglas Klug/Getty
Giant kelp is a form of brown macroalgae.
It typically extends from a holdfast on the
seabed to the water surface tens of metres
above, while other species extend a few metres
above – or lie along – the seabed. Kelp’s dense
underwater towers are of huge ecological
importance, offering food and shelter to a vast
range of marine species, as well as absorbing
considerable amounts of CO . Liz Kalaugher
2



102 BBC Wildlife November 2018

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3 questions on
ORNITHOLOGY

What makes a FUNGI

raptor a raptor? HOW MANY FUNGI EXIST?


There are about 144,000 named
The term ‘raptor’, interchangeable species of fungi, but it is estimated
A with ‘bird of prey’, refers to an avian that there may be between 2.2 and
species that hunts other higher vertebrates 3.8 million species in existence. This
(reptiles, birds and mammals). The name means that more than 93 per
is applied to kites, vultures, harriers, cent of fungi are still
hawks, buzzards, falcons and eagles, plus unknown to science.
the secretary bird (owls are not technically In 2017, 2,189 new
raptors). Not all of the species covered by species were
the term are related taxonomically, so in a described, one of
sense ‘raptor’ describes a certain predatory which is the bizarre
lifestyle and the physical characteristics Amphichorda
associated with it – predominantly the guana (right). It was
hooked beak and sharp talons. discovered in a cave
Globally, there are some 350 species of in China and subsists
diurnal raptor, divided into roughly on bat guano.
80 genera within five families and
two sub-families. Particularly
interesting is the way in which TO WHAT EXTENT DO PLANTS
raptor characteristics have AND FUNGI INTERACT?
evolved independently Some 90 per cent of plant species
within different families to are thought to interact with fungi via
produce similar-looking their roots, with each helping the
birds, underlining the other to grow. Mycorrhizal fungi are
importance of these symbiotic and live in the soil and
features for hunting. among plant roots. They exchange
Mike Toms nutrie ts with plants, allowing them
to access increased
quantities of
nitrogen and
phosphorous in the
soil. Making use of
these fungi has Kestrel: Andy Rouse/naturepl.com; fungi: Z.F. Zhang and L. Cai; wheat: Peter Righteous/Alamy; heather: MYN/Niall Benvie/NPL
Kestrels are medium- huge implications
sized falcons and for agricultural
denizens of open productivity and
country. They watch global food security.
for their vole prey
from perches or
while hovering.
CAN FUNGI HELP TO
RESTORE HABITATS?
Yes. Habitats such as heathland,
tundra and boreal forest can be
restored with the assistance of
mycorrhizal fungi. Many are specific
to a plant type. Some are
known to colonise the root
cells of heathers, blueberries
and cranberries, and can
help these heathland
species to become
established, flourish and
be more resilient to
environmental stress.
Christina Harrison

O State of theWorld’s Fungi:
https://bit.ly/2NYMpKr




November 2018

OURWILD WORLD





Shieldbugs – here a
INVERTEBRATES green shieldbug on
oak – probably smell
Why do shieldbugs better than they taste.

smell of marzipan?



Though they assume a heroic heraldic title in
ABritain, shieldbugs are often called stinkbugs
elsewhere in the world because of their striking
scents. Most British species use camouflage coloration
to hide from predators, but should one be picked up
in the beak of a bird, it will release a series of volatile,
low-molecular-weight compounds from glands under
its thorax. The resulting odour may be reminiscent
of an oily almond, yet the taste is bitter and acrid,
prompting the predator to release its catch.
The chemicals are harmless, but can result in
staining. Handling the woundwort shieldbug at a
wildlife event to demonstrate the smell to children left
my palm coloured brown for days. Richard Jones





EUROPEAN MAMMALS
The Explainer
Are black squirrels a separate species?
r and K selection

Black individuals of both the eastern has a recognisably different morphology. It
Agrey (the invasive rodent now well is larger, with more prominent feet and a
established in Britain) and red squirrels are darker back and tail than the black form of
reasonably common. These are not distinct the red squirrel. It also occurs in a different
species, but melanistic forms. However, a habitat, preferring mature pine forests in
study published earlier this year recognises mountainous areas, and its mitochondrial
the Calabrian black squirrel, endemic to DNA displays three distinct markers.
that region of southern Italy and formerly Unfortunately, this newly recognised
considered a subspecies of the red squirrel, species is already under threat. In the
as a separate species, with the scientific limited habitat it occupies, it faces
name Sciurus meridionalis. competition from the invasive variable (or
Researchers from the universities of Rome, Finlayson’s) squirrel Callosciurus finlaysonii,
Insubria, Calabria, Florence and Milan introduced from Southeast Asia, which
discovered that the Calabrian black squirrel damages native Italian trees. Roberto Isotti
Dandelions shed
many seeds and
hope for the best.


Some species produce quality
ofspring; others go for quantity;
the rest sit somewhere in
between. At one extreme,
r-strategists (eg dandelions and
salmon) scatter myriad minute Sh e dbug: Andy Sands/naturepl.com; dandelion: Getty; squirrel: A.Cambone & R.Isotti/Homo ambiens; shrimp: Aflo/naturepl.com
progeny, each of which is unlikely
to survive, on wind and tide. At
the other, K-strategists (whales
and coco-de-mer palms) produce
a few fat eggs, seeds or embryos
and nurture them to maturity.
Ks tend to grow bigger and live
longer than rs and dominate them The Calabrian black squirrel
ecologically. But opportunistic, occurs across some 7,000km 2
of southern Italy. Like its
live-fast-die-young rs are adept at
red cousins, it is arboreal,
colonising fresh ground. SB preferring black pines.



104 BBC Wildlife November 2018

OURWILD WORLD











What
is it?



PSYCHEDELIC SEALIFE

If the whole world smells like fresh
paint to the Queen, for an emperor
shrimp it’s decorated in a garish
colour scheme of fluorescent blobs
and polka dots. Emperor shrimps
have fairly limited horizons, spending
their entire lives pottering about in
commensal relationships with their
chosen hosts. This individual in Japan
has partnered with the colourful sea
slug Ceratosoma trilobatum, ofering
a grooming service in return for the
privilege of feeding on the mollusc’s
faeces. Should the slug decide to take
a swim, the shrimp will wedge itself
into a fleshy fold on the flank of its
host to ride out the journey. SB









































































November 2018 BBC Wildlife 105

OURWILD WORLD



















2



















1







3



















NATIONAL PARKS OF THE WORLD Area: 932km² Annual rainfall: 2,600mm Maximum altitude: 815m



Chitwan Nepal




Whattosee
Gazetted in 1973 in the
1 GREATER ONE- 2 BENGAL TIGER 3 OTHER
lowland Terai region,
HORNED (INDIAN) HIGHLIGHTS
Nepal’s first national park RHINOCEROS Whentogo
is dominated by tropical October to February,
Hunted to the brink The world’s biggest Critically endangered is most comfortable;
and subtropical forests,
of extinction by the cat prowls the sal Bengal floricans wildlife sightings rise
with substantial 1970s, Nepal’s rhinos forests of Chitwan, enjoy elaborate after villagers cut
grassland and wetland have since rallied; hunting chital, courtship displays tall thatch grasses
Chitwan hosts more sambar and barking in the grasslands in late January.
areas (Beeshazar and than 600 – around deer, wild pig and – from March to June. Temperatures soar
surrounding lakes comprise 90 per cent of the amazingly – gaur Gharial crocodiles, from March and the
monsoon (late June–
a Ramsar site). It’s home country’s total rhino (huge wild bovids). also endangered, can September) swells
population. Head Sightings of the be seen along with rivers and cuts roads.
to an alluring array of out on a walking or park’s 100 or so marsh crocodiles in

mammals, more than 520 jeep safari at dawn tigers are scarce the larger rivers. Big GO THERE WITH
•Wildlife Worldwide
bird species and a host of for a good chance but thrilling. mammals include •Naturetrek
of a sighting. the Asian elephant.
amphibians and reptiles. •Lost Earth Illustration by Bex Glover
Adventures
•Wild Frontiers Travel
Spotability LIKELY IF YOU’RE LUCKY POSSIBLE




106 BBC Wildlife November 2018

OURWILD WORLD




WORKING FOR NATURE


FrancesDismore




River and waterways conservation, London





All over the

world, devoted
individuals are

doing their bit by

volunteering
to be involved

with wildlife.
Jill Shearer

meets the leader
of a waterways

clean-up group in

Tottenham,
north London.





Frances Dismore’s
(centre) group has
collected 545 bags of
S Anyone, rubbish from north
London waterways.
anywhere
can improve
U rban north London is not known for its Corporation Epping How you
thriving wildlife populations or flourishing ecosystem. the quality Forest,” Frances says. can help...
Decades-old problems – fly tipping, road runoff, of their local An effectively
industrial pollutants, sewage leaking from inadequate functioning ecosystem Three projects you
plumbing – have contaminated large sections of green space T with a broad diversity can get involved in:
waterway in this densely populated area. In addition, of flora and fauna is the Canal and River Trust
widespread establishment of colonies of floating ultimate aim. “If you Help with litter picking,
pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides – a rapidly don’t have an abundance wildlife surveys,repairs
growing, densely matted aquatic plant now listed and diversity of plants and insects at the bottom of the and painting along
on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act’s food chain you will have no water voles, no fish, no 3,200km of waterways
restrictions on planting) has reduced water oxygen kingfishers or otters,” Frances observes. in England andWales.
to critical levels, threatening fish, amphibians and The Coalition is one of a number of local groups canalrivertrust.org.uk
invertebrates and the creatures that feed on them. supported by Thames21, a charity established to
It could be all too easy to see the problems as conserve and improve London’s waterways, and Inland Waterways
overwhelming, but a motivated community of to educate and empower local communities to get Association
volunteers is beginning to make a difference. Since involved in conservation and river ecology. There Coordinates restoration
setting up the Stonebridge Lock Coalition in 2017, are now 22 such ‘badged groups’ involved in local and funding for local
north Londoner Frances Dismore has led 18 clean-up projects along the capital’s waterways. projects plus workshops
events, with some 218 volunteers contributing 642 The rewards – a kingfisher sighting, a previously and training courses.
work hours. Together they’ve collected 580 bags of unrecorded water-vole population, glimpses of barn waterways.org.uk
rubbish plus a veritable mountain of fly-tipped waste owls, weasels and evidence of the presence of otters –
including two mopeds, five mattresses, 17 lorry tyres make the hard work worthwhile. “There is nothing Water of Leith
and two 55-inch flat-screen TVs from the River Lee extraordinary about our group,” Frances adds. Conservation Trust
Diversion, Lee Navigation and Pymmes Brook. “Anyone, anywhere can protect and increase the Join wildlife surveys
And the group doesn’t just remove rubbish. “We biodiversity of their local green space.” and clean-ups along
have undertaken botanical and mammal surveys, 19km of Edinburgh’s
Charles Best installed nesting and bat boxes, and converted a and protect London’s waterways at thames21.org.uk main river between
one-tonne bag of fly-tipped rubble into a hibernaculum
FIND OUT MORE Learn how you can help clean up
Balerno and Leith.
using native tree logs donated by City of London
waterofleith.org.uk
November 2018 BBC Wildlife 107

OUR WILD WORLD






Your photos Amazing images

taken by our readers

Enter our Your Photos
competition at discoverwildlife.
com/submit-your-photos







Star
photo Peekaboo!

During a diving and photographic trip
to Ishigaki island in Okinawa Prefecture,
southern Japan, I spotted this brightly
coloured bubble-tip anemone (Entacmaea
quadricolor). As I took this picture, a small
clownfish peeped out from the tentacles
as if to say, “Look at me!”.
Reiko Takahashi, Iwate, Japan


















































































108 BBC Wildlife November 2018

OUR WILD WORLD




1Cityslickers
I regularly ride my bike
through Singapore’s
Gardens by the Bay.I’d
been tracking smooth-
coated otters and knew
they came to this grass
patch.I was excited to get
this shot because they
usually avoid humans.
Patrick Ng CheeAnn,
Singapore

2 Thrill of the hunt
On a trip to Zambia, I saw
a male impala strolling
close to a hidden leopard.
Like an explosion, the
big cat jumped on the
antelope, and after a
short fight, released it
when it was dead.
Marie-France Grenouillet,
Saint-Cloud, France

1 3 Cold comfort

I took this photograph
3 at Alexandra Fiord in

Nunavut, Canada.The
Arctic fox was unfazed by
my presence, and I was
ecstatic to see it
confidently strutting
about our camp.
Elise Gallois, Ely, UK


4 Flight of fancy
While on Little Tobago
Island,Tobago, I watched
red-billed tropicbirds by
2 the shore.After a long
wait, I panned one flying
4 5 across the dark clif face

and got the shot I wanted.
Terry Goble,
Shoreham-by-Sea, UK

5 Best foot forward
At the Melghat tiger
reserve, I saw this
gecko (Eublepharis
satpuraensis) hiding
in the rock crevices.
The species was only
discovered in 2014.
Tushar Ambadkar,
Maharashtra, India







STAR PHOTO Our star photo this month wins a pair of The Original Muck Boot Company’s Chore wellington boots,
WINS A PAIR OF worth £115. These reliable boots are lightweight with a breathable air-mesh lining to keep feet cool.
MUCK BOOTS They also have an adjustable waterproof gusset for the perfect fit: muckbootcompany.co.uk



November 2018 BBC Wildlife 109

OURWILD WORLD






Feedback Want to get something

of your chest? This is

the ideal place




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Conservation conlict
Star Misunderstood creatures Mark Carwardine correctly
letter asserts that personalising
I am writing in response to ‘Should I “Well, I hope you killed it”. What was conservation brings in the
Swat a Fly?’ by Helen Pilcher (October the difference between the horse-flies money that is so vital (My
2018). During the hot summer, I swatted and wasp? Nothing really – both are Way of Thinking, September
many horse-flies. They inflicted painful hated and vilified, along with dozens of 2018) and organisations have
bites to me and my horse. Last October, I misunderstood creatures. If they don’t ‘fit’ been capitalising on naming
was stung by a wasp, which had crawled it seems we don’t like them. I have animals for decades. However,
into my nightclothes. When I related noticed over recent years a steady decline conservation is predominantly
the story to friends, their response was: in species we like to loathe, including about resolving conflict, more
crane flies, spiders, flying ants, house generally regarding human

Talking flies, earwigs and herring gulls. I cannot activities. Increasing the cash
point
SHOULD few months ago I did clear plastic pots while I identify them boundary that oscillates wildly depending say what the solution is to this, except flow will boost conservation
a terrible thing I was
on the species context and swelling of
Sometimes a gravid female will lay eggs
the affected body part I don t imagine
and although it may seem ridiculous I feel
tending to my patio
plants barefoot when
who hasn t at some point deliberately
of caterpillars I have raised because their
I disturbed an ants a sense of responsibility Many s the brood there is a BBC Wildlife reader out there
nest under a pot The
mother gave birth in my care
killed a pest of some sort
I SWAT Afeisty invertebrates house it is dutifully caught and relocated onflict like this is unavoidable education. Many years ago, I used to teach but it will not necessarily
If a spider or ladybird is spotted in my
were furious They flung themselves at
(although I continue to beat
my toes sinking their mandibles into my
to the outside world yet I have in the
exposed p nk flesh It hurt A lot As my past flattened flies and massacred myself up about the patio ants)
The word ecology derives from
mosquitoes What double standards are
foot ballooned up red mist clouded my
A FLY? judgement I grabbed the kettle and doused these? I am a hypocrite wrapped in a Cthe Greek word oikos meaning
my attackers with boiling hot water A few
tangled web of contradiction and double
dwelling and our homes and gardens are
seconds later all that remained was a puddle
standards I call myself a wildlife enthusiast
indeed their own little ecosystems These
full of tiny floating bodies but have blood on my hands are created via the interactions that occur a wildlife module at an agricultural college, aid the conflict – instead,
In hindsight I am horrified at my I am not alone however Our attitudes to between the component species
actions I consider myself an animal lover the so called pests we share our spaces with In our human made ecosystems we call
For a wildlife lover it’s and protector of wildlife My pesticide are varied and complex They range from the the shots It s your space to occupy so it s
free garden is full of wildflowers messy
laid back live and let live approach where
up to you to set the rules says scientist
trickydealingwith'pests' corners and insect havens The store where nibbled cabbages are the price paid for happy and gardener Martin Coath of Plymouth including lessons on food chains and the simplifying the argument can
I keep my chicken food is visited regularly wildlife to the vegetable patch vig lantes an University You get to choose what stays
such as wasps, ants and by wood mice Like a scene from Beatr x elite horticulturalist corps that come armed and what goes what l ves and what dies
Some ant species for example can
slugs. Do you live and Potter they climb into the tall bin at night with spray guns and chemical weapons become a genuine problem Their nests
then are too fat and too full to escape In the
There are those who would literally never
let live… or become a morning I simply let them go serenading harm a fly; and those who are prepared to become so engrained and widespread consequences of our actions upon it. I had lead to entrenched views on
them to the tune of Que Sera Sera lynch wasps guilt free because they would and populated that the soil becomes
vegetable patch vigilante? Moths I m kind to as well I have a light have us believe it s either us or them
trap which I put out at night to lure them Like most people I
for a closer look The insects are unharmed am somewhere in the
a proud moment when one of my students both sides, which can lead
By Helen Pilcher and often I carefully transfer them to middle with an ethical
said, “When I left the house this morning, to the exacerbation of the
there was a snail on the path. Usually, I conflict. Short-term gains for
would have trodden on it, but thanks to conservation organisations
your lessons I walked around it!” can lead to long-term pain
Jill Thrower, via email for the species.
Jack Knott, via email
English wildcats
Perseverance pays photography requires plenty of a conservationist, I have seen I was intrigued by the
I have been trying to improve patience, persistence and practice. plenty of projects fail, and very article on reintroducing
my photography with help Happy snapping! often the reason they have failed the wild cat, ‘Should we
from my teacher, who set up a is paradoxically because of too bring back the wildcats of
photography club at school. She Money not enough much money. One of the best Olde England?’ (August
has given me lots of magazines I share Mark Carwardine’s examples is perhaps elephant and 2018). As a conservationist,
to look through to get ideas frustration about the amount tiger conservation: millions have birdwatcher and cat owner, I
and tips on how to improve. of money spent on works been thrown at the problems, am not convinced that England
My mum and dad take me out of art (My Way of Thinking, but the majority of the projects needs more cats. We are already
on weekends so I can capture October 2018). As Mark wrote, have had virtually no long-lasting knee-deep in feral and house
wildlife in different places. human artefacts can and are impact. My experience has been cats that have a marked negative
I took lots of images of red reproducible, whereas natural that relatively small amounts impact on wild bird populations.
squirrels but they were a bit species cannot be. He overlooks of funding, well targeted, with If I could be convinced that
blurry so I tried and tried again. an important issue: money is not long-term sustainability built in we were about to initiate a
This picture (below, right) was the answer to all conservation are far more likely to succeed successful catch-neuter-rehome/
captured at Loch Lomond Bird of problems. In over 50 years as than grandiose mega-projects. I euthanise programme to tackle
Prey Centre, Balloch, Scotland. If agree we need more the feral cat problem, I might
you keep trying you can achieve money, but I also be persuaded.
what you are aiming for. know we need better, John Humphreys, via email
Emily (age 10), via email more sustainable
conservation projects, Human population
Picture editor Tom Gilks replies: with measurable It’s heartening to hear of
Thanks for sharing your lovely and demonstrable conservation successes and
images. It’s always great to hear outcomes. feel all is not lost (Cloud Nine,
from young wildlife photographers. John Burton, August 2018). But we must
As you’ve demonstrated, wildlife A ten-year-old reader CEO World Land Trust not ignore the root cause of
snapped this golden eagle
at a bird of prey centre.
110 BBC Wildlife November 2018

OURWILD WORLD




problems in the natural world, TALES FROM THE BUSH
and that is ever-increasing
human numbers. If we
keep taking land or raiding Ifyou'retrackingsharks,
its resources, there will be
nowhere left for wildlife. We
are the only species with the keep a look out for crocs
means of controlling our own Have a wild
tale to tell? If so,
numbers. While the idea of please email a brief
dictating to a couple how many MarinebiologistMelissaCristinaMárquezwentsearching synopsis to
children they may have is for one predator – but had a scary encounter with another. jo.price@
repugnant, I believe changes immediate.co.uk
in culture (such as removing
patriarchal attitudes), access to
education and better funding
for contraception would help.
Susan Francis, Malvern


Standing up for birds
I read ‘Flying Feathers’ by
Tessa Boase (September
2018) with real interest and I
am sure that there are many
women members of the RSPB,
myself included, who would
cherish proper recognition
of its women founders. The
article highlighted yet again Too close for comfort:
the deadly jaws of an
the institutionalised misogyny American crocodile got
that existed between and after a grip on diver Melissa.
both world wars in the
UK. The activist
women who e were in S it to hit the big carnivore and
organised against the Jardines Imadesure pry my leg out from its jaws.
the slaughter of de la Reina tokeepmyleg There were no rocks in the
birds for the hat Warchipelago stilltoprevent mangroves, so I began hitting
trade were off the south coast of Cuba, my microphone button,
operating within looking for the mysterious thecrocfrom hoping someone would hear
a very restricted ‘Reina’ – a giant hammerhead bitingharder me. There was no reply. I
environment that locals said had been made sure to keep my leg still
and it is to their spotted around the area. or rolling. T to prevent the crocodile from
credit that they stood Interested to see if ‘Reina’ was biting harder or, worse, rolling
RSPB hero
up against significant Etta Lemon. indeed just one large female – possibly taking my leg off.
commercial interest and or in fact many different sharks, I decided to Just as I was racking my mind to think
prevalent fashion. They head into the mangroves at night to see if we what else I could do, the croc let me go. Once
should be lauded for that. could come across one hunting. free from its jaws, I filled my scuba vest
Etta Lemon: Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy; crocodile: Claudio Contreras/naturepl.com
It is good that Etta Lemon’s Once in the water we were treated (buoyancy control device) with air and shot
portrait is hanging in RSPB to sightings of big sharks – silkies and up to the surface. Fortunately, I didn’t suffer
headquarters: she deserves it. Caribbean reefs – but no hammerheads. from the bends despite this hasty ascent. As
Vivienne Walker, via email However, we did encounter a 3m-long soon as my head was above water, I pulled
American crocodile. After we’d taken a few off my mask and said: “I’ve been bit.”
photos and some video footage it disappeared My team dragged me out of the water and
CORRECTION The setaceous Hebrew character
moth (p10, Wild Month, September 2018) was incorrectly into the darkness and we decided to end the ripped open my suit: the croc had inflicted
illustrated with a photo of a Hebrew character moth.
dive. My microphone had been acting up, three deep puncture wounds. More painful
so I wasn’t able to speak to my colleagues than the bite was the cleaning process; we
QUIZ ANSWERS (see p91)
underwater. My dive buddy motioned that were in the middle of nowhere, so they used a
TheWildWords are: 1B, 2A, 3A, 4C, 5A, 6C
he was heading up to the surface and, not mix of bleach and water with a high-pressure
COMPETITION WINNERS wanting to get hit in the face by his fins, I hose. After a few touch-and-go nights and a
Summer lucky dip giveaway: G Mills,G Hitchen,K Kelly,S Lodge,
C Mcilquham,S Rees,E Chapman,E Boylan,STrivedy,O Futter,J waited a few seconds before my own ascent. hospital trip, I went home to Australia – with a
Kirk,TMetcalfe,E Hedditch,LFisher,YWilkinson,J Hood,S Frith, Suddenly I felt a hard pressure on my left wicked scar and the most dramatic story.
K French,LClyma,B Davies,G Baird,S McQuire,N Giddings,E calf – and then I was dragged into the murk.
Mcgregor,K Lloyd; Hedgehog book and kit giveaway:AO’Neill
(winner);J Lloyd,K Sydney,S Critchley,H Lane,ASterry For a few seconds I clawed at the sand in MELISSA CRISTINA MÁRQUEZ
(runners-up); Canon competition: LLove (wins a pair of hope of grabbing a rock or something else to is a shark conservationist and marine
binoculars); D Cunnane (runner-up wins a camera).
keep me from being dragged away, or to use biologist. See finsunited.co.nz

November 2018 BBC Wildlife 111

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kk Emperor penguins: family album of a dynasty


kk Join the great owl gathering in snowy Serbia Jul–Dec 17
total 32,195
kk Can humour contribute to conservation?


kk We explore the deer-culling debate

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November 2018 BBC Wildlife 113

VIEWPOINT






WILDLIFE CHAMPION




GORDON BUCHANAN







In our series about people with a passion for a species, we ask ilm-maker

Gordon Buchanan why he has chosen to champion the African elephant.










When did you first become certain animals in captivity is not
interested in elephants? too problematic. If a tarantula or a
The African elephant is one of the most snake, for example, has shelter, along
recognisable animals on the planet, but with a food supply, no predators and
it wasn’t until I made the mini-series access to veterinary care, then its life
Elephant Family & Me in 2016 that I’d expectancy can be much longer than
really focused on them. With a lot of the in the wild. But an elephant’s life
predators I’ve filmed, their behaviour span, once it’s in captivity, becomes
is mainly about finding enough food considerably shorter. Elephants
to survive, whereas the relationships need to be able to roam around;
elephants have with one another and they’re intelligent and have complex
the love and care they show each other emotional needs, too. I don’t like to
are really quite remarkable. Once you see elephants in captivity.
start to get to know these giants, it’s
impossible not to fall for them. Do you feel there is hope for
S The love and the future of elephants?

What is so special about care elephants I do. More is being done now than
the elephant? ever before to tackle the problem of
They live together in matriarchal show each the ivory trade, and there is generally
groups, which are generally very other is more understanding about the way
harmonious, and communicate elephants live and their needs. But we
information that has been passed and they excavate really quite all need to take responsibility for the
down the generations for thousands water holes that remarkable. T fact that we share our planet with
of years in ways that we don’t really other species rely other species. We need to really think
understand. They hear through their on. In areas where about the things we buy and have in
feet and can communicate with other elephants have been our homes – where they come from
herds that are several miles away. hunted out, there is a huge knock- and how they are produced and reach
They also play a very important role in on effect on other species. us, as well as the effect this has on
the ecosystem – many trees and plants environments and habitats around
depend on them for seed dispersal Aside from ivory poaching, the world. Jill Shearer
what are the challenges?
Elephants need large territories to GORDON BUCHANAN is touring the UK from 5 to
roam around and these are hugely 22 November with his Animal Families and Me talk,
which is about his 25-year career in film-making.
impacted by human activity. Towns
and villages that sprung up,
say, 20 years ago may be on a The expert view
route that elephants only need
to use once every 50 years. An “Elephants are the largest land
older elephant may remember mammals and are vital to the survival
a place where they found water of ecosystems. They require vast
under certain conditions, and the areas of land to live, which means
herd finds itself walking through a they are increasingly competing for resources
settlement that wasn’t there the last with humans. Along with the thirst for ivory, this
time they used that route. is driving the species to extinction. Halting the
ivory trade and empowering rural communities to Elephants: Andy Rouse/naturepl.com
Do zoos and wildlife parks coexist with wildlife will secure a brighter future.”
have any role to play? Dr Kate Evans is founder and director of
This is a difficult one. Keeping Elephants for Africa


November 2018

Capture the beautiful wilderness of Slovenia
















































































Imagine spending time in a photographer's paradise, hunting photos in peaceful, pristine
natural surroundings. Joined by an experienced local guide, you patiently wait for your next

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capercaillie or black grouse in the mountainous Koroška region or rare birds such as the hoopoe,

European bee-eater, little bittern, common moorhen or black-winged stilt in the lagoons of
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You smile as you remember the exquisite homemade food and pleasant dreams in your

comfortable accommodation.

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