
It's round and furry, has a huge tube-like mouth sticking out of its face – and it sucks the life out of bee grubs
Meet the extraordinary bee-fly – one of nature's greatest mimics.

“It’s a kind of Tinder for big cats.” Cheetahs were dying out in Africa, so conservationists tried something new
The cheetah is back – thanks to a smart release project that now sees populations flourishing in South Africa and beyond

“There’s danger in this urban paradise.” Huge carnivorous lizards stalk this popular city park alongside humans
The world’s second largest lizard has made this Indonesian park their home – alongside humans

A 'vampire' deer, the grumpiest cat, a bearded vulture – meet Mongolia's strangest animals
Cazenove+loyd's private expeditions can help you see the world's most elusive creatures

When this WWII seaplane was discovered by a fisherman in 1994, dazzling animals were found hiding in the wreck
The Jake seaplane rests in shallow water off the coast of Palau in the western Pacific Ocean. How it got there is a mystery

“Like being in the middle of a snow globe.” Thousands of noisy white birds are flooding into Pennsylvania, Missouri and Maryland
A whiteout of wings and a riotous racket signal the departure, or arrival, of these beautiful birds

"It appears as one of the ugliest animals in the book The Ugly Five and doesn't look a million miles away from a turkey" – 12 weirdest birds of prey on the planet
They are fast and dangerous but these birds of prey are also supremely weird. Here's 12 of the oddest hunters of the sky

"A memory that will live with me forever." Extraordinary white whale image wins World Nature Photographer of the Year
The incredible winning image was taken by Jono Allen in the Vava’u, Tonga – an area where many humpback whales migrate

In 2015, great white sharks vanished from Australia's Neptune Islands. Experts are still trying to work out why
Many researchers thought the two-month absence was caused by the predation of a white shark by a group of orcas. Now a new study suggests there may be other reasons for their disappearance.

As darkness fell, snorkellers in the Maldives filmed this giant engulfing its prey
Whale sharks are the biggest fish on the planet but they feed on tiny plankton.

Birds

It spans 2.7km, borders two countries and can be seen from space – and is home to one of the most daring animals on Earth
South America's Iguazu Falls is the world's largest waterfall system. Yet, despite its imposing size, a devoted bird flies through its crashing cascades to raise its young.

“Millions have been released.” Hawaii’s beautiful birds are dying. But scientists have a controversial plan to save them
Endemic birds on Hawaii are being wiped out by avian malaria, but is GM technology the answer?

“They’re like giant airships crossing the city.” This monumental gathering may be the world’s most incredible natural spectacle
In Brighton, tens of thousands of starlings gather to form incredible murmurations

A rapidly melting ‘Doomsday Glacier’ and a monstrous deep-sea fish: 6 of nature’s doomsday signals that could warn of the end of the world
Whether these signs are rooted in science (like the Doomsday Glacier) or simply popular myth, they have been associated with the end of the world – or at least life as we know it

It’s the fastest animal on Earth and ruthlessly kills prey in mid-air – and it’s taking over London’s skyscrapers
The fastest animal on Earth is proliferating
among the skyscrapers of central London

From coral reefs to songbirds, the natural world is losing its colour. Here’s why scientists are worried
Colour is far more than beauty – it's a powerful indicator of ecosystem health. And the planet is losing its hues
How to identify wildlife

Red squirrel vs grey squirrel: Think you know how they differ? Think again as the differences between these two squirrels will surprise you
We take a look at how the red squirrel differs to its American grey cousin

Brown rat or water vole: How to tell the difference between these two lookalike-rodents
When all you've seen is a flash of brown fur, it can be hard to know whether it was a water vole or rat. Though the two species tend to live in different habitats, there are areas where they overlap, potentially leading to cases of mistaken identity. So how do you tell rats and water voles apart?

Mink or otter? What's the difference between these two slippery, semiaquatic lookalikes?
How do you tell the difference between otters and mink?

LRPs, PG Tips and Jizz: Cracking the secret language of birders
You’re sitting in a hide and overhear other birders talking. The conversation ranges from ‘LRPs’ and ‘roosting Leos’ and you scratch your chin as you try to decipher their code – welcome to the world of birding jargon.

It's the fastest animal in the world and its deadly claws can catch prey mid-air: Meet one of the world's most incredible birds of prey
Peregrines are the ultimate urban predator. Learn all about them, including how to spot them ‘stooping’ to catch prey

Save 30% when you subscribe to BBC Wildlife Magazine, plus receive Simon Barnes’ latest release, Spring is the Only Season
Save 30% when you subscribe to BBC Wildlife Magazine, plus receive Simon Barnes’ latest release, Spring is the Only Season
Plants

It’s longer than a blue whale, is thousands of years old and drinks fog – meet this weird ‘living fossil’
This living fossil (having unchanged for more than 200 million years) can survive some of the harshest conditions on Earth

Plants play techno, chimps drum and one creature uses its minuscule penis as a bow – why music isn’t just for humans
It’s not just the hills that are alive with the sound of music – ponds and oceans thrum with tunes, too

It’s taller than Big Ben, can live for thousands of years and even regenerates after an entire forest burns down
Did you know the tallest tree species in the world can grow to more than 100 metres? Learn all about them

Does a tree know it's being eaten?
Can a tree protect itself if being eaten?
