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 […]

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 […]

Chasing Ghosts: searching for the Malayan tiger

“Wake up! And be quiet” hissed our guide. “Tiger!” I quietly climbed barefoot off the makeshift wooden platform I had been sleeping on and grabbed my torch. Unseen insects hummed and droned as I cast a feeble light over the undergrowth. Nick, our guide, whispered to me that he had seen the eyes of a […]

Searching for reptiles in Bali

Bali has a rich diversity of reptiles and amphibians so I teamed up with Bali Reptile Rescue to look for species I have never seen before. Bali Reptile Rescue as its name suggests removes problematic snakes from people’s properties and relocates them to safer areas. I met up with Agus Putra in Ubud and from […]

Species in Focus: Sunda Island Pit Viper

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. Identification: The Sunda Island Pit Viper (Trimeresurus insularis) looks a lot like many of the other green pit vipers that are found across Asia and shares its range with the […]