James Fair
Wildlife journalist
James Fair writes about wildlife conservation and broader environmental issues for a wide range of publications, including BBC Wildlife and BBC Countryfile magazines. James started his career as a journalist in the early 1990s, then spent a number of years working on conservation projects in South America, including an ultimately doomed effort to reintroduce an orphaned Andean bear cub into the wild in Bolivia. In 1999, James joined BBC Wildlife as a commissioning editor, while later filling the roles of staff writer, environment editor and keyboard destroyer-in-chief. In 2018, he went freelance, and now takes on a range of news, feature and report writing assignments, and is also the editor of the membership magazine of the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES). In 2019, he published his second book, 100 Great Wildlife Experiences: What to see and where.
Recent articles by James Fair
Scientists fed toads barbaric chemical-shooting beetles. What happened next shocked them
The bombardier beetle has an insane defence mechanism. Here's how they do it
It looks like coral and behaves like coral, but touch it and you’ll get a nasty, burning sting that can last for hours
Fire coral has astounded scientists because of how it grows. Here's why
It has supermodel legs, walks like a camel, hunts like a cat and – bizarrely – loves fruit. Meet one of the weirdest dogs on the planet
James Fair tracks down the enigmatic and strange maned wolf
Tourists witness jaguar fighting puma in Brazilian wetlands
Jaguar-oriented tourism is helping researchers in South America learn more about the behaviour of wild cats.
"They rely on sharp, curved teeth and long claws to slash and tear at their prey with astonishing force..." 10 deadliest national parks in the world
Danger in the world’s national parks comes in many different forms. It can be the wildlife, but there are other aspects that probably need greater consideration.
"Constriction prevents blood from reaching vital organs, including the heart, and that’s why you die…" 5 deadly snakes that can crush and eat people
Being killed and swallowed whole by a snake is the stuff of nightmares, but how likely is it? And what snakes are capable of it?
"By the next day, his body had been entirely dissolved by the heat and acidity…" 10 deadliest national parks in USA
If you're thinking of visiting one of these US national parks, think twice and prepare accordingly - some of them are more dangerous than others.
How many wild dogs are there in the world? Scientists can't even agree…
"Water will evaporate, leaving a dry barren surface - it will become an even hotter version of Venus…" 10 ways Earth – and life on it – could die
T.S. Eliot wrote in his poem The Hollow Men that the world would end “not with a bang but a whimper” – the question is, was he right?
A hazelnut-flavoured contraceptive for grey squirrels? New science offers hope for UK’s dwindling reds
Scientists pin hopes on a new contraceptive and vaccine amid stark warnings that time is running out
Pumas are saving human lives in Washington State. Camera-trap footage reveals how
Pumas change the way deer behave around roadways, leading to fewer collisions with cars, new study finds.
10 sinking islands that could be lost forever…
There are thousands of islands that are threatened by rising sea levels – these are just some of those that could be lost forever
Jaguar experts camera-trapped the Amazon – and discovered a dark secret
Jaguar densities in Brazil's Mamirauá Reserve rank among the highest ever recorded for the species – but that doesn't mean the population is healthy, a new study suggests.
"If stung, one can suffer heart and respiratory failure, lethargy, confusion, agitation… And there's no effective medication." 9 most dangerous, deadliest animals in the Middle East
Here are some animals you really should steer clear of in the Middle East.
Prehistoric aurochs are back from extinction and spreading across Europe. And they could be heading to the UK sometime soon…
Tauros are the closest thing to the extinct aurochs. And they are coming to the UK.
What's the deepest point on Earth that life has been found?
“350,000 are culled each year – it should be more like 750,000.” Rising deer populations are ravaging woodlands in the UK
With rising deer populations destroying woodlands, the UK faces a simple question: why aren’t we eating more of them?
What's the most dangerous animal in Africa? There's a number of deadly contenders but one is responsible for a humongous million human deaths a year
James Fair takes a look at the contenders for Africa's most dangerous animal
"It can reach a height of 55 metres, which would see super-heated water shooting over Nelson’s Column were it situated in London's Trafalgar Square"
Its all-star cast of charismatic megafauna which makes Yellowstone indisputably one of the top wildlife attractions anywhere in the world
Microplastics found in testicles, kidneys, livers, placentas, and even a toddler's poo... how worried should we be?
Are microplastics actually in our brains, and how worried should we be about it?
"Their pincer-like mouth parts inject a venom that paralyses and liquifies their hapless victims." 10 gruesome animals that liquidise their prey before eating
Nature harbours a chilling arsenal of predators that don’t just kill their prey — they dissolve it. These eight grisly creatures turn bodies into broth, transforming their victims into a macabre meal they can simply sip and swallow.
"Swarms can number 800,000 animals, and the stings from just 1,000 can kill a human." 10 deadliest, most feared, swarms on the planet
They move as one, strike without warning and leave chaos in their wake. Discover the world’s deadliest swarms – where sheer numbers turn tiny creatures into unstoppable forces
“I spent five days in hospital after a bite from a monkey you could buy for a child”
A recent law in England aims to tighten standards for keeping primates as pets, but its impact remains uncertain
"Known as the Gateway to Hell, where lurid-coloured acid lakes create an eerie, alien world." 10 barren dead zones where nothing survives...
Dead zones are fascinating, often alien places, where nothing or very little lives
