In the last week, Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire began its annual weigh-in with a host of new arrivals, helping to improve animal care, support conservation breeding programmes and build knowledge of threatened wildlife.

Our latest Books on the Bird Table were Wild Footprints from author Judy Wise, teaching young readers about the importance of the natural world through its diverse footprints, and Wildheart by Bec Manser, an inclusive nature-inspired story celebrating difference and authenticity.

Our videographer, Geoff Moore, reported from around the world, including visiting Vienna Zoo in Austria and experiencing the new Shepherds Huts on The National Trust’s Brownsea Island off the coast of Dorset in the UK while this year’s The Conversation series at St Martin-in-the-Fields on Trafalgar Square in London included an evening with one of the UK’s youngest environmental activists, ‘Birdgirl’ Mya-Rose Craig.

For more wildlife stories and inspiration on how you can help the natural world, visit the Discover Animals website.

Our content picks

Whipsnade Zoo’s new arrivals take part in annual weigh-in

Image credit: ZSL

Following a bumper year for conservation breeding at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, keepers began the mammoth task of taking all of the weights and measurements across the zoo.

From giant giraffes to tiny cheetah cubs, every weight and measurement is recorded to help keepers and veterinarians monitor the health and wellbeing of the animals in their care.

Among those who stepped onto the scales was endangered Asian elephant calf, Anu, born in June 2026 during ZSL’s 200th anniversary year.

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Book on the Bird Table: Wild Footprints

One of our latest Books on the Bird Table was Wild Footprints, published by Scholastic, a debut non-fiction picture book from author Judy Wise, which aims to teach young readers about the importance of the natural world through the curious and diverse footprints left by Earth’s varied wildlife.

As well as fantastic facts about the animals featured, this rhyming book also contains crucial advice on how to look after the world and help to save the planet, highlighting that some footprints are more harmful than others.

Read more here.

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Wonderful wildlife at Vienna Zoo!

The joke often seen on Austrian tourism merchandise is ‘no kangaroos in Austria’. Not strictly true as there are wallabies at the entrance to the city’s zoo in Vienna as Discover Animals’ Geoff Moore finds out in this short film.

The zoo is the oldest in the world still operating and draws in around 2 million visitors each year.

Read more here.

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Stay in new Shepherds Huts on Brownsea Island

In this short film, Discover Animals’ Geoff Moore visits the new Shepherds Huts on The National Trust’s Brownsea Island in Dorset.

The historic campsite at Brownsea Island within Poole Harbour can now offer two Shepherds Huts for a very different camping experience.

The island has a mixture of woodland, heathland and reedbeds plus lakes and a lagoon of international importance for overwintering and summer-nesting birds. It is also famous for red squirrels, sandy beaches and shallow waters on its southern and western shores.

Read more here.

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Book on the Bird Table: Wildheart

Another of our Books on the Bird Table was Wildheart by Daventry-based debut children’s and YA author Bec Manser.

Published on 4th June with Puffin, the book – aimed at readers 8+ – is a nature-inspired, inclusive, magical adventure featuring Wild Magic, Tree-Sprites, Hollow Spirits, unbreakable sisterly bonds and a cute wild boar with plenty of spookiness mixed in.

A proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Bec is passionate about representing queer and diverse characters in children’s and YA literature.

Read more here.

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St Martin-in-the-Fields presents The Conversation: Coming Together to Talk About the World

On Tuesdays at 7pm during spring and summer 2026, The Conversation series at St Martin-in-the-Fields on Trafalgar Square in London explored the themes of social justice and how we write about the world with curiosity, rigour and a sense of wonder.

The series looked at how we can have faith in humane intelligence that searches for knowledge and wisdom rather than news and information, and values a storyteller’s insight and understanding and a form of activism that breaks beyond algorithms and orthodoxies.

It included an evening with one of the UK’s youngest environmental activists, ‘Birdgirl’ Mya-Rose Craig, who raises awareness about biodiversity loss and highlights the inequality and destruction we are inflicting on our fragile planet.

For news on plans for 2027, check here.

Read more here.

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Our most recent story features a new book by author illustrator Vicky Woodgate, The BIG Around-The-World Animal Adventure, while over the last few months, our videographer Geoff Moore has visited the Royal Signals Museum at Blandford to report on the amazing story of Pigeon 2709 and spent time at Loch Ness in Scotland to experience trekking with alpacas.

A collaboration with the RSPB has seen musician, sound artist and composer Alice Boyd release a single, Return of the White-Tailed Eagle, to celebrate 50 years since the successful reintroduction of the species to the UK.

We also brought news of new photobook Birds of the Tropical Andes, by acclaimed bird photographer Owen Deutsch and Michael J. Parr, President of the American Bird Conservancy.

For more wildlife stories and inspiration on how you can help the natural world, visit the Discover Animals website.

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Our content picks

Book on the Bird Table: The BIG Around-The-World Animal Adventure

Our latest Book on the Bird Table is The BIG Around-The-World Animal Adventure by author illustrator Vicky Woodgate, which was published in August by Hodder.

In this feature, she shares how she came up with the idea for the book, which is a hop around the world, fun, fact-packed, search-and-find journey!

Read more here.

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Famous First World War pigeon deserves medal

Geoff Moore reports on the amazing story of Pigeon 2709 from the Royal Signals Museum at Blandford, where a campaign has been launched to posthumously award the heroic bird with the PDSA Dickin Medal for its service during World War One.

During the battle of Passchendaele at 1330 hrs on 3rd October 1917, Pigeon 2709 was despatched to take a signal to brigade HQ back in England from near to the Menin Gate at Ypres. This type of communication at the time was vital to let the generals at HQ know the situation of the battle.

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New track celebrates return of the White-tailed Eagle

Image credit: Caitlin Warren

Musician, sound artist and composer Alice Boyd has released a new single, Return of the White-Tailed Eagle, created in collaboration with the RSPB to mark the 50th anniversary of the successful reintroduction of White-tailed Eagles to the UK.

Our largest bird of prey, the species had previously been driven to extinction due to persecution and habitat loss. You can stream the single across all platforms from here: https://ffm.to/wte.

Read more here.

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Alpaca trekking at Loch Ness

Geoff Moore visits Fiona Cairns to find out more about the walks she offers with her herd of alpacas in Scotland.

When she needed to get her fields grazed after she no longer owned a horse, she decided to turn to alpacas. And this change in animals brought a change in her business life too. Little did Fiona know that these rather cute looking beasts would become more than just four-legged grass mowers.

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New photobook showcases spectacular birdlife of South America

Acclaimed bird photographer Owen Deutsch and Michael J. Parr, President of the American Bird Conservancy, have joined forces to reveal the incredible bird life of one of the world’s most breathtaking birding regions – the Tropical Andes in South America.

Birds of the Tropical Andes, published on 8th July 2025 by Princeton University Press, celebrates the splendour and extraordinary diversity of Andean birds and the habitats they depend on.

Read more here.

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Back in the autumn, our roving videographer, Geoff Moore, reported on Salisbury Cathedral’s first pet service. We also covered news of the Orkney Native Wildlife Project, which is working to protect the island’s endemic species, including the Orkney Vole. Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation launched its first ever Youth Panel, Whipsnade Zoo welcomed a trio of rare Northern African lion cubs and nearly 40 rare species were recorded in the New Forest as part of the Species Survival Fund.

For more wildlife stories and inspiration on how you can help the natural world, visit the Discover Animals website.

Our content picks

Rare species recorded in New Forest restoration project

The Willow Emerald damselfly - a recent colonist in the New Forest.

Nearly 40 rare species have been recorded in the New Forest during a project to restore areas for nature.

The species were identified during surveys undertaken by Wild New Forest last year as part of the Species Survival Fund, which is restoring and creating habitats to halt species decline. The surveys were completed at 10 sites, mostly around the northern and southern fringes of the New Forest National Park.

Read more here.

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Trio of rare lion cubs born at Whipsnade

A trio of rare Northern African lion cubs have been born at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, marking a huge conservation success for the vulnerable subspecies.

Born to three-year-old lioness Winta, and three-year-old dad Malik, the litter of three arrived on 25th November 2024.

Footage captured by the conservation zoo‘s ‘cub cam’ CCTV shows attentive mum Winta being tender with her tiny newborns, carefully cleaning and nuzzling them.

Find out more here.

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Butterfly Conservation launches first ever Youth Panel

Image credit: Felix Littlechild

Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation has launched its first ever Youth Panel, championing its mission to engage more young people with nature.

This groundbreaking initiative brings together 10 passionate young people aged 16-25 from all corners of the UK to help shape the future of butterfly and moth conservation.

Read more here.

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Conservation project fights to protect Orkney Vole

Image credit: Adam Hough

A groundbreaking partnership between the RSPB, NatureScot and Orkney Islands Council, the Orkney Native Wildlife Project (ONWP) is fighting to protect the islands’ rare and increasingly threatened wildlife populations.

A new report published by the RSPB shows that in just four years, the project is delivering on its mission to protect nationally important bird and small mammal communities found on the Orkney Islands including the Orkney Vole.

Read more here.

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The first Salisbury Cathedral pet service

Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire recently held its first service for pets. Discover Animals’ Geoff Moore went along to find out more.

‘All Creatures Great And Small: A Service Of Blessing For Our Pets’ was an informal afternoon service that gave thanks for the joy and companionship that pets bring to our daily lives. All were welcome to come along with their pets or a photograph of their favourite animal.

Find out more here.

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Our roving videographer, Geoff Moore, has been busy travelling the country, visiting a recently-opened cat cafe in Dorset and meeting Sacha Dench, the human swan! We also highlighted the new animated feature film Ozi: Voice of the Forest, produced by Leonardo di Caprio, which shines a light on deforestation and aims to encourage children to become more involved in saving nature. Meanwhile, Whipsnade Zoo welcomed a second baby giraffe and a new documentary following Sir Brian May’s campaign to end badger culling hit BBC iPlayer.

For more wildlife stories and inspiration on how you can help the natural world, visit the Discover Animals website.

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Our content picks

Brian May: The Badgers, the Farmers and Me

A new documentary, Brian May: The Badgers, the Farmers and Me, is now available on BBC iPlayer, charting Sir Brian May’s journey as he looks to explore the different attitudes of farmers and those who – like himself – oppose the culling of badgers in the ongoing battle against bovine tuberculosis (TB).

The film has been four years in the making and represents 12 years of research at a practical level on cattle farms in the UK. The new evidence presented is revolutionary and shocking, and details first-hand through the eyes of farmers themselves, the monumental failure of British authorities to deal with the terrible problem of bovine TB in recent years, and the tragically wasteful resulting slaughter of both cows and badgers.

Read more here.

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New cat cafe opens in the South West

In this short film, Discover Animals’ Geoff Moore meets Lauren Chubb, who has brought two aspects of her life together and recently opened a cat cafe in the South West.

Brought up in a family catering company, Lauren wanted for a long time to open her own establishment while combining her love of cats and she felt that the nearby town of Dorchester in Dorset would be a great choice.

Read more here.

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New Ozi activity sheet encourages children to connect with nature

A new activity sheet for children has been developed following the release of animated family feature film Ozi: Voice of the Forest, which is produced by Academy Award Winner Leonardo di Caprio and Mike Medavoy.

The film encourages young environmentalists to become involved with the fight to protect nature by telling the story of Ozi, an orphan orangutan, and her mission to save her home from deforestation due to palm oil production.

The engaging activity sheet is designed to encourage kids to enjoy the outdoors using a variety of ideas and activities that are both educational and entertaining.

Read more here.

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Giraffe baby boom at Whipsnade

Image credit: ZSL

Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire has welcomed a second endangered reticulated giraffe calf, just a few weeks after the arrival of another.

The baby boy, an important addition to the conservation breeding programme, was born to mum Luna and dad Bashu on Monday 15th July, just three weeks after fellow mum Ijuma had her baby girl. Proving good things come to those who wait, Luna endured a tough eight-hour labour, before delivering her calf at 1am.

Read more here.

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Meet Sacha Dench, the human swan!

In this short film, Discover Animals’ Geoff Moore meets Sacha Dench, sometimes known as the human swan, although she could just as easily be described as the human osprey or vulture!

Sacha’s latest project on vultures follows on from tracing the flight routes of Bewick swans from Northern Russia and ospreys from Scotland to Africa.

The organisation which Sacha is part of – Conservation Without Borders –  is planning research on why vultures are diminishing so rapidly around the world; they are currently the most persecuted bird.

Read more here.

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We visited the New Forest to learn about the ancient art of Pannage using pigs and travelled to Europe’s first cat cafe in Vienna, our Book on the Bird Table was the beautiful Home by Isabelle Simler, we learnt more about the ‘Champion a Tiny Tree’ campaign and Green Tree Badge initiative, and celebrated the birth of a critically endangered western lowland gorilla.

For more wildlife stories and inspiration on how you can help the natural world, visit the Discover Animals website.

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Our pick of Winter content

Visiting Europe’s first cat cafe in Vienna

Discover Animals’ videographer Geoff Moore recently visited Vienna to check out Europe’s first dedicated cat cafe, which opened in 2012.

Just a stone’s throw away from the city’s busy shopping area in Blumenstockgasse, Cafe Neko is owned by Takako Ishimitsu, originally from Nagoya in Japan, who has lived in Vienna for some 20 years and wanted to bring the traditional Japanese cat cafe idea to Europe – Neko means cat in Japanese.

Read more here.

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Earn a Green Tree Badge

Children can start looking for signs of Spring with the Green Tree Badge initiative, which puts trees and nature centre stage for young people, parents, teachers and communities.

It challenges primary school children to go on a fun journey of activities that will encourage scientific curiosity, creativity, and promote responsible citizenship of trees and forestry.

Read more here.

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Critically endangered gorilla born at London Zoo

Image credit: J Kemeys London Zoo

London Zoo has welcomed a critically endangered western lowland gorilla.

The tiny infant was born at the conservation zoo to mum Mjukuu at 9:34am on Wednesday 17th January 2024, following an approximately eight-and-a-half-month-long pregnancy.

The birth of a western lowland gorilla at London Zoo is a real cause for celebration – the subspecies is critically endangered and, as a result of poaching and disease, their wild numbers have declined by more than 60% over the last 25 years.

Read and watch more here.

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‘Champion a Tiny Forest Tree’ campaign highlighted

Image credit: Earthwatch Europe

Nature organisation Earthwatch is highlighting its ‘Champion a Tiny Forest Tree’ campaign as an alternative gifting option.

Whether your favourite tree is an Oak, Hazel, Rowan, Silver Birch, Hawthorn or Elm, for £18 you can pick the species you would like to sponsor in one of over 200 Tiny Forests across the UK.

Read more here.

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Book on the Bird Table: Home

Home by Isabelle Simler, translated by Vineet Lal and published by Quarto, is a beautiful book of reflective poems that look at all sorts of homes made and found in nature.

From the leaf fortress of the weaver ant and the silk apartment of the Madagascan moon moth to the cactus cabin of the elf owl and the bunk bed in the branches of the Sumatran orangutan, young children can discover the fascinating ways in which over 25 of our planet’s creatures make their homes safe and secure.

Read more here.

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The Pannage Pigs of the New Forest

Discover Animals’ Geoff Moore delves into the world of Pannage in this video, where pigs are released into the New Forest in Hampshire to eat the acorns from the many oak trees that grow there.

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There’s been lots of important wildlife news to report on including rescued beagles experiencing their first taste of freedom, the publication of the State of Nature Report 2023, the birth of a baby Cape porcupine at Whipsnade Zoo and the celebration of vital snow leopard conservation by Marwell Zoo.

We’ve also been busy visiting destinations across the UK including Alladale Wilderness Reserve in Scotland and Exmoor in the West Country.

For more wildlife stories and inspiration on how you can help the natural world, visit the Discover Animals website.

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Our pick of Autumn content

Alladale – a new wildlife vision for the Scottish Highlands

Discover Animals’ videographer Geoff Moore travelled to Alladale Wilderness Reserve in Scotland to meet Paul Lister and talk to him about his vision for the site, including his desire to reintroduce wolves to the Scottish Highlands as well as other projects such as releasing red squirrels back into the wild.

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Celebrating 10 years of International Snow Leopard Day

Image credit: The Wildlife Institute, Beijing Forestry University, China

Marwell Zoo celebrated 10 years of International Snow Leopard Day by highlighting its work on initiatives to safeguard snow leopards in China, Kazakhstan and Bhutan as well as transboundary projects working collaboratively across international borders to protect the future of snow leopards.

Known as the ‘Ghost of the Mountains’, snow leopards live amongst the rugged landscapes of Central and South Asia, and their conservation has never been more critical.

In 2013, the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) was set up to bring 12 snow leopard range countries together. The aim of the initiative was to seek agreement to secure the long-term survival of snow leopards and their natural environment, and consequently the natural balance of these mountain ecosystems.

Read more here.

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Baby Cape porcupine born at Whipsnade Zoo 

A tiny baby Cape porcupine was caught on camera tucking into carrots and tomatoes and exploring its new home, as Whipsnade zookeepers shared behind the scenes video of the spiky new addition, which was born at the conservation zoo in Bedfordshire in August.  

As expert foragers and diggers, Cape porcupines are considered ‘ecosystem engineers’, however increasingly they face threats of habitat destruction and hunting.

As well as working to protect threatened species around the world, scientists and conservationists from ZSL, the conservation charity behind Whipsnade Zoo, work with communities to protect and preserve healthy ecosystems. 

Read more here.

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State of Nature Report 2023 published

Leading nature organisations, including The Wildlife Trusts, published the landmark State of Nature 2023 report. It shows that nature is continuing to decline at an alarming rate across the UK – already one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world – and that one in six species is now at risk of being lost from Great Britain.

Read more here.

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Going on an Exmoor Wildlife Safari

In this video, Discover Animals’ Geoff Moore talks to Daphne Brace of Exmoor Wildlife Safaris about spotting red deer, Highland cows and the iconic Exmoor pony - which is allegedly rarer than the giant panda - on a wildlife safari.

He also explores the bird life, which includes white-tailed eagles, red kites, harriers, kestrels, skylarks and green woodpeckers.

Read more here.

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Rescued beagles get first taste of freedom

Image credit: John Nguyen/PA Wire

Beagle Freedom Project UK (BFP UK), a leading global organisation dedicated to rescuing and rehoming animals used in experimental research, successfully freed seven beagles from a testing facility in Europe, marking a significant step towards their mission to end animal testing.

Read more here.

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We visited the Ferne Animal Sanctuary, set up at the start of World War Two, featured a fascinating new release from the Natural History Museum in our Book on the Bird Table slot, and reported on a new wetland habitat being created in Lewes, East Sussex.

We also brought you news of the recently launched Protect Scotland’s Wildlife campaign and looked at where to spot wildlife on the beautiful Isle of Man.

For more wildlife stories and inspiration on how you can help the natural world, visit the Discover Animals website.

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Our pick of August’s content

Discover Ferne, the WW2 animal sanctuary still going strong

Nestling in 72 acres of South Somerset is the Ferne Animal Sanctuary, which only exists because of the Second World War.

It was set up in 1939 by the late Nina, Duchess of Hamilton & Brandon as she realised that with the upcoming war, there was a need to keep animals safe too.

Read more here.

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Book on the Bird Table: Can Jellyfish Live Forever?

Our latest Book on the Bird Table is Can Jellyfish Live Forever? by James Fair and experts from the Natural History Museum in London.

Together, they’ve based the book on the weirdest facts known to the museum, as well as questions that visitors are always desperate to have answered.

Read more here.

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New Lewes wetland habitat takes step forward

A project to create a new wetland habitat in Lewes in East Sussex took a major step forward as diggers broke through a riverbank allowing water from the old channel to rush into the new 6.8-hectare wetland area.

With new footbridges installed and contractors working to create a raised walkway all the way around the wetland, there are huge learning opportunities for local school children, people who just want to enjoy a walk in the countryside and those who want to get closer to nature.

Read more here.

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Protect Scotland’s Wildlife campaign launched

Image credit: Forestry and Land Scotland

Forestry & Land Scotland (FLS) has launched the ‘Protect Scotland’s Wildlife’ campaign, supported by research, to combat the effects of human behaviour on forest ecosystems during the summer months.

While Scotland’s natural areas are a valuable resource and support people’s wellbeing, people visiting Scotland’s forests to watch – and photograph – birds and other wildlife are being encouraged to take simple steps to ensure their hobby doesn’t harm wildlife and the environment in Scotland’s wild places.

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Where to spot wildlife on the Isle of Man

Image credit: Pixabay

Visit Isle of Man is encouraging tourists to come and visit the natural playground in the middle of the Irish sea, to spot some of the UK’s natural wonders including rare birds and wildlife.

The island, which is reachable by ferry or plane in as little as 30 minutes from the UK and Ireland, is the world’s only nation to be entirely marked as a UNESCO Biosphere, boasting unique flora and fauna. Home to an incredible array of species, the island has even been named the British Isles’ very own Galapagos.

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We also featured news of the first critically endangered orangutan to be born at Blackpool Zoo for two decades, and discovered the revamped Butterfly House at Blenheim Palace, which is helping to highlight this year’s Big Butterfly Count.

For more wildlife stories and inspiration on how you can help the natural world, visit the Discover Animals website.

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Our pick of July’s content

Spread your wings to Blenheim’s Butterfly House

Image credit: Pete Seaward

Inspired by Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count, which runs until 6th August, Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire is reminding visitors about its revamped Butterfly House this summer. The ever-popular attraction has undergone a huge transformation over the last six months, making it a fun-filled visit for the whole family.

Alongside new technology to help monitor temperature, humidity and butterfly hatch rates, the Butterfly House has recently welcomed 38 new species of tropical butterflies including ‘Red Lacewing’, ‘Emerald Peacock’ and the amazing ‘Blue Wave’.

Read more here.

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Critically endangered orangutan born at Blackpool Zoo

Blackpool Zoo has welcomed its first critically endangered Bornean orangutan baby for more than two decades after first-time mother Jingga gave birth in June.

Visitors can now see the infant, which keepers have confirmed as male, in the orangutan house, which reopened on 1^stJuly following a short period of closure to allow mother and son to bond.

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Enjoy nature on Finland’s phone-free tourist island this summer

Image credit: Annika Ruohonen

Those travelling to the island of Ulko-Tammio in Finland will be asked to keep their phones in their pockets this summer. The aim is to encourage holidaymakers to switch off their smart devices, take a break from social media and enjoy nature. Ulko-Tammio is believed to be the world’s first phone-free tourist island.

The Eastern Gulf of Finland boasts rugged islands, lush swimming spots and charming coastal villages, all characterised by nature, peace and the Baltic Sea. It also features a 30-nautical-mile-wide national park, where the island of Ulko-Tammio is located.

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Young people urged to protect seas and shores in National Marine Week

Image credit: Alexander Mustard 2020Vision

From honeycomb worms to solar powered sea slugs, this summer’s National Marine Week from The Wildlife Trusts will shine a light on some of the lesser-known creatures and plants found in UK seas.

The annual seaside celebration aims to inspire a new generation of marine conservationists and volunteers through rock pool rambles, snorkel trails, beach cleans and other events around the British Isles that help nature. It takes place until 6^th August 2023 – spanning a fortnight due to varying tidal conditions around the UK.

UK seas are home to over 330 species of fish, 28 cetaceans, seagrasses, seaweeds and living reefs. The marine environment is also under huge pressure from damaging fishing practices, development at sea and pollution from farming, sewage and plastic.

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Volunteers lead successful North Wales ospreys project

A team at Llyn Brenig, a Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water-owned visitor attraction in the heart of North Wales, has been working hard for the last 10 years to provide a suitable nesting site for ospreys, to help boost their numbers. Ospreys are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Conservation Act 1981 and in 2022, two chicks (named Olwen and Gelert) were reared and fledged successfully.

A volunteer group monitors the live webcam feeds from the osprey nest and nearby perch. Their contributions are a vital part of the security measures undertaken at the site. They also contribute to sharing key moments of the breeding season with the osprey-cam’s many viewers.

Welsh Water is unique in the water industry as it is owned on behalf of customers. Since 2001, it has been owned by Glas Cymru, which was formed in April 2001 for the sole purpose of acquiring and owning Welsh Water. It does not have shareholders, and any financial surpluses are reinvested in the business for the benefit of customers.

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Our pick of June’s content

Livestock to mimic wild ancestors at Dorset’s super NNR

Three years on from the ‘knitting together’ of 3,400 hectares of priority habitat to create the UK’s first-ever ‘super’ National Nature Reserve (NNR) on the Purbeck Heaths in Dorset, where the BBC filmed Springwatch this year, the National Trust is working with reserve partners on an ambitious project to create a 1,370-hectare open ‘savannah’ for free-ranging, grazing animals as it would have been thousands of years ago. Discover Animals’ videographer Geoff Moore went to find out more and meet the Purbeck pigs.

Read more here.

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Race against time to discover ocean life prompts launch of Ocean Census

Image courtesy of The Nippon Foundation/ Nekton/Ocean Census

The largest programme in history to discover life in our ocean was unveiled earlier this year – Ocean Census – with the ambitious target of finding at least 100,000 new marine species in the first decade.

Knowledge gathered will revolutionise our understanding of life on Earth and how to protect the ocean – the environment responsible for much of the air we breathe, regulating our climate, and a vital food source for billions.

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First ever reintroduction of rare hazel dormice into the National Forest

Image credit: National Trust Images & James Beck

Thirty-eight rare hazel dormice have been reintroduced into the heart of the National Forest by wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), the National Trust and partners, in an attempt to save this endangered species from extinction in the UK.

The golden-coated, bright-eyed dormice were released into a large, secluded woodland on the Calke Abbey estate in Derbyshire, cared for by the National Trust, as part of ongoing conservation efforts to return hazel dormice to areas where the tiny mammals are locally extinct.

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Critically endangered tamarin triplets make Marwell debut!

Marwell Zoo in Hampshire has welcomed a set of incredibly rare cotton-top tamarin triplets.

The Critically Endangered infants were born to first time parents, Gurt and Mico, on 6th May and keepers say they are doing well. Both mother, Gurt, and father, Mico, can be seen taking turns carrying the youngsters, who cling to the fur on their parents’ back and stomach areas.

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This month, we featured koala keepers from Longleat as they revisited Southern Australia to find out how wildlife there is recovering from its devastating bushfires, a selection of children’s nature book releases from expert authors, London Zoo’s Spring Family Festival and Whipsnade Zoo’s Top Trumps event, and the new Rainforest Realm at Stratford Butterfly Farm.

For more wildlife stories, visit the Discover Animals website.

Our pick of May’s content

Children's nature book May round-up

Our latest collection of children's nature book releases including:

💚 Super Birds! by Annabel Marriott
💚 Boomy the Bittern by Pam Earnshaw
💚 The Goblin Pages by Jamie Ivey  

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Longleat koala keepers return to see Australian bushfire recovery

Koala keepers from Wiltshire wildlife attraction Longleat have returned to Australia to see how wildlife is recovering following the devastating bushfires.

In 2020, two koala keepers travelled to Cleland Wildlife Park to help with the aftermath of their fires. Three years on, keepers Jon Ovens and James Dennis have made the trip back to South Australia to see how the recovery programme is progressing and to visit some of the conservation projects Longleat is supporting.

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Top Trumps heads to Whipsnade Zoo

Image credit: Whipsnade Zoo

Have you got what it takes to win the Whipsnade Zoo Top Trumps crown? This May half term and beyond, families are invited to the conservation zoo to play the wildest game of giant Top Trumps yet.  

From Saturday 27th May to Sunday 2nd July, children can face-off against the conservation zoo in the ultimate game of Top Trumps. Discover which animals eat the most, run the fastest or live the longest.

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Spring Family Festival at London Zoo

Image credit: London Zoo

From Saturday 27th May to Sunday 4th June, visitors to the world famous London Zoo can enjoy creative arts and crafts and fascinating animal talks in the spring sunshine, before leaping into an interactive animal game show and more on a nature-filled day out this May half term at the Spring Family Festival.

Read more here.

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New Rainforest Realm at Stratford Butterfly Farm

Visitors to Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm in Warwickshire can now enjoy a new ‘Rainforest Realm’ exhibition, officially opened by owner Clive Farrell.

The new display features a Spectacled Caiman named Kenny along with other animals that originate from the rainforests of Central America. At the heart of the exhibition is a replicated ‘cenote’, complete with a water cascade and a deep and shallow pool.

The Butterfly Farm opened to the public in 1985 and has since welcomed over four million visitors. In 1991 Clive, and his partner Ray Harberd, created the Fallen Stones Butterfly Farm in Southern Belize, named after the nearby site of ancient Maya ruins, Lubaantun – the place of the fallen stones.

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You’ll notice our newsletter looks a little different this month. That’s because we’ve moved to Substack so that we can reach a wider audience and personalise our content more effectively for our community. Here’s a little reminder of what we are all about:

Who we are

Discover Animals began as a small online project as part of a bigger travel publisher’s portfolio. When the pandemic hit and the publisher went under, I felt it was important to save it from extinction. So I now run the website (www.discoveranimals.co.uk) on my own with a small team of contributors as a space to write and report on news from conservation organisations, zoological societies, wildlife experts, nature writers, animal attractions, climate educators and more.

Why now?

My team and I are passionate about wildlife and connecting people with the natural world. We feel that now, more than ever, it is crucial for conservation efforts and an awareness of the climate crisis to be at the forefront of our content to encourage action and awareness on how to preserve our planet for future generations.

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Join us as we build a regular monthly newsletter featuring the best of our web content and to stay up to date with what is happening in the world of wildlife - a world that we are all a part of.

Our pick of April’s content

Act now to Save Our Wild Isles!

As the last episode of the new Wild Isles series, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, aired this month, a reminder that the National Trust, RSPB and WWF are urging everyone in society to come together to halt the destruction of UK nature and take urgent action in their Save Our Wild Isles campaign.

Millions of people from all walks of life discovered the wonder but also the fragility of UK nature through the series and now, three of the UK’s largest conservation charities, with 324 years of combined experience and 8.5 million combined members, are using their collective voice to call on all sectors of society across the UK to act.

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Book on the Bird Table: Wilder Journeys

Our latest Book on the Bird Table is Wilder Journeys: True Stories of Nature, Adventure and Connection, edited by Laurie King and Miriam Lancewood.

Published by Watkins, the book taps into the growing need to reconnect with nature and become more at one with the land and planet we are all a part of.

The collection features international true life stories and poems from adventurers, nature lovers and nomads. Driven by dissatisfaction with their environments, the authors featured here have chosen to break free from the shackles of society and go on extreme journeys to connect to the essence of their animal nature.

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Exploring the bird and sea life of Lizard Point

Discover Animals’ videographer Geoff Moore visits the most southerly point in the UK, Lizard Point, home to colonies of seals and the much rarer to spot chough, Cornwall’s national bird.

There are several sites around the rugged coastline and harbours of Lizard Point where you can see seals either swimming or resting up on the remote beaches. Grey and common seals can be spotted checking out some of the harbours at quieter periods. Being inquisitive and playful, they can at times come closer to humans than is really safe for them, especially if dogs are around.

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