New species of semi-aquatic cobra described from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

A new species of semi-aquatic cobra, Naja nana sp. nov. has been described from Lake Mai-Ndombe in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The new species, know as the dwarf water cobra is locally abundant and is thought to be endemic to the region. According to the researchers – Marcel Collet and Jean-François Trape […]

Russian wildlife smugglers arrested in Sri Lanka

Three Russian men have been arrested in Sri Lanka for illegally collecting and attempting to smuggle hundreds of endemic species. The three men, identified as Ignatenko Alexander, Riyabo Artem and Kilufuyan Nicolai had rented a car and used an international drivers’ license to travel to multiple sites in the country to collect plant and animal […]

Repurposed drug offers hope to snakebite victims

Every year, venomous snakebite affects more than 2 million people and causes an estimated 138,000 deaths. It is also responsible for two to three times as many permanent disabilities and in 2017 the World Health Organisation finally designated venomous snakebite as a category A neglected tropical disease. Currently the only specific treatment for snakebite is […]

Career advice from Sir David Attenborough

In 2001 I was a fresh faced teenager, totally convinced that by the time I was in my 30s (i.e. now) I would have a successful career working on wildlife documentaries. I knew what I wanted, but I didn’t know how to get there. So, I took pen to paper and asked a man who […]

Species in Focus: Nepenthes ampullaria

Species in Focus is a series of short posts about interesting species I’ve seen with tips on identification and where you can also see them. Today’s Species in focus is a fascinating tropical pitcher plant from South East Asia. Description: Nepenthes ampullaria like many plant species doesn’t really have a common name, although in Pitcher […]

Wolves and giant catfish: the wildlife of Chernobyl

I had wanted to visit the Chernobyl exclusion zone for a number of years, partly because it cried out to the dark tourist in me and partly because it has effectively become a 1000 square mile, accidental nature reserve. Wildlife in the exclusion zone includes wolves, bears, bison, beavers, wild boar, moose and the endangered […]

Herping in a war zone: searching for the Palestine Viper

The West Bank doesn’t rank high on most people’s lists of wildlife destinations but if you can get in (more on that later), it’s certainly an interesting place and home to one of my favourite snakes, the Palestine viper (Daboia palaestinae). This beautiful, heavy-bodied snake is responsible for a large proportion of snake bites in […]

What kit to take for a jungle expedition?

The first time I went on a jungle expedition I packed way too much stuff. I also spent days stressing over what clothes, shoes, socks and underwear to take, so hopefully this list will help you with your kit choices. What you take will be partly determined by how remote and how long you are […]

Man Eating Snakes

There is no doubt that there are several snake species which are large enough to eat a human but how often does it occur? The internet abounds with false stories which make it difficult to separate fact from fiction. Out of the world’s largest snake species, four tend to crop up in the news more […]

A Wild Life funds tiger conservation project

In the last couple of years Sumatra has seen a rise in incidences of human-tiger conflict, despite there being less than 500 tigers left in the wild. Habitat destruction for timber and palm oil production, combined with poaching of tiger prey species for food are thought to be the biggest contributors. In November last year […]