Mammals

British mammals

There are over 100 mammals found in and around the British Isles, which are a mix of native and non-native species.

Roe deer

Roe deer guide: what they eat, how big they are and how to age a roe deer by their antlers

Bioacoustic monitoring can be used to study bats. © Joe McDonald/Getty

Bats guide: species facts, what they eat, and whether they really are as blind as a – well – bat

A proboscis monkey swimming

Can all primates swim?

Polecat. © Anne Newton

European polecat guide: species facts, how to identify, and the threats they face

Wood mouse and blackberries by Roy Rimmer (3)

Wood mouse guide: how to identify, diet and habitat

Eurasian beaver with reeds in mouth in Estonia. © Sven Zacek/Getty

Eurasian beaver guide: how to identify, why they became extinct in the UK, and where they’ve been reintroduced

A water vole sitting on the edge of a pipe in Kent, England, UK. © Mark Bridger/Getty

European water vole guide: identification, diet and habitat

Badger at entrance to a sett/Credit: Getty Images

European badger guide: habitat, diet and where to see

Red squirrels in a woodland near Ambleside, Lake District, UK. © Matt Staniek

Red squirrel guide: where they’re found, what they eat, and the threats they face

Big cats

The big cat group typically covers the five species in the Panthera genus: tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard and snow leopard. Find out more about these beautiful cats with our guides.

Two young lion cubs. © Jochen Van de Perre/Getty

Big cat guide: how to identify each species and where to see

A female Bengal tiger with cubs at the edge of a pool in Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India. © James Warwick/Getty Images

Tiger guide: species facts, how they hunt and where to see in the wild

Adult jaguar on the edge of a river in the rainforest

Jaguar guide: how to identify, where to see and conservation

Lioness with two cubs. © Santanu Nandy/Getty

Lion guide: species facts and where they live in the wild

Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) standing regally on a snowy hillside

Snow leopard guide: habitat, diet and conservation

Meet The Scientist

Conserving snow leopards in Mongolia

Great apes

The group known as great apes include gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos.

Mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) silverback, Rwanda

Gorilla guide: where they live, diet, and conservation

Wild Sumatran orangutan hanging on liana and looking at camera

Orangutan guide: species facts, diet and best places to see

An extreme closeup portrait of the alpha male chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), Kibale Forest National Park, Uganda. © Marc Guitard/Getty

Chimpanzee guide: where they live, what they eat, and how they use tools and weapons

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Bears

Polar bear with twin cubs, in Hudson Bay, Manitoba, Canada. © Johnny Johnson/Getty

Polar bear guide: where they’re found, what they eat, and why they’re threatened

Polar bear walking on sea ice in the Arctic. © Vlad Silver/Getty

Separating fact from fiction: polar bears and climate change

Portrait of a polar bear in Wapusk National Park, Canada

Stunning photos of polar bear families in Canada

(7) Mothers Protection - Kyle Moore

A year in the life of European brown bears

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10 spirit bear facts you need to know

Pandas squeeze down a slide at Bifengxia. Although this behaviour may look cute, the structures serve a purpose by providing enrichment, stimulation and exercise for the growing cubs. © Suzi Eszterhas

Conserving giant pandas in China

Black bear in high ferns and vegetation

Discover amazing facts about black bears in America

ary the sun bear very happy on Matt Hunt’s lap.

Behind the Scenes: filming Bears about the House

Wesley Larson 2

Meet The Scientist

Monitoring polar bear dens in the Arctic

Giraffe

A giraffe mother grooming her calf in Serengeti/Credit: Getty Images

Giraffe guide: species facts, lifespan and habitat

Masai giraffes in Amboseli National Park, Kenya.

Giraffe numbers increasing, but numbers are still low warns charity

Rothschild’s giraffes may now be reclassified as a subspecies of one of the four main giraffe species. © BFF

Giraffes are not one species, but four, according to a new study

Cheetah

Cheetah (Panthera Pardus Pardus) in grass, Kalahari, Botswana

Cheetah guide: how fast can they run and other species facts

Cheetah on a termite mound, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya (Acinonyx jubatus)

Alarmingly low numbers spell trouble for the cheetah

Cheetah cubs in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. © Andy Howe/Remembering Cheetahs

Remembering Cheetahs

Rhino

Way Kambas National Park, Lampung Province, southern Sumatra, Indonesia
Critically endangered / threatened species - fewer than 200 left
Captive - Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary within the park (Way Kambas National Park, Lampung Province, southern Sumatra,

Everything you need to know about Sumatran rhinos

Rhino in boma in Akagera National Park. © Scott Ramsay/African Parks

Successful translocation of rhinos to Rwanda

Black Rhino with calf

Rhino guide: how to identify, where to see and why they’re endangered

Elephant

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Elephant guide: where do they live, what do they eat and how to identify them

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Why African elephants are becoming hybrids

Tusker elephants have tusks weighing more than 45kg. There are thought to be only 21 tuskers left in east, central and southern Africa. © David Cayless/Getty

Famous elephant killed by poachers

The sun sets in a pink-orange sky behind four silhouetted elephants down by the waterside, creating a mirror image of the beasts on the water.

Remembering Elephants

The family of African forest elephants in Ziama Forest, Guinea. © Fauna & Flora International/Centre Forestier N’Zérékoré

New family of Critically Endangered forest elephants spotted, including three babies

African savanna elephants in Buffalo Springs National Reserve, Northern Kenya. © Robbie Labanowski/Save the Elephants

African elephants now listed as Endangered and Critically Endangered

More animals facts