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
"DNA results showed the presence of either a leopard or jaguar..." 9 big cats that supposedly roam the UK, including the very real Cumbrian panther
We take a look at the big cats - both real and legend – that have roamed the wilds of the UK
Brits are going crazy for pet snakes. And it’s getting out of hand
The reptile pet trade is thriving, but demands are increasing for tighter regulatory controls
"To a hungry, ravenous bear, a human is just a Goretex-clad, vertical seal..." World's 7 most dangerous, deadliest mammals for humans
What are the most dangerous mammals in the world? James Fair takes a look at the contenders... and includes some unlikely ones
10 shocking ways Planet Earth has changed since David Attenborough's birth, 100 years ago...
Between 1926 and 2026 the Earth has almost changed beyond recognition...
“As if I’m in the real Yellowstone.” These epic, secret mountains are teeming with predators
Deep within Romania’s Făgăraș Mountains, a vast, untouched forest of ancient woodland teems with wildlife. Could this be the Yellowstone of Europe?
Which species are named after Sir David Attenborough? And how many of them are there?
Sir David Attenborough has over 50 species named after him, ranging from a prehistoric marine reptile to a native British flower only found in the Brecon Beacons of South Wales.
"1,000 people die every year from snake bites." 10 deadliest countries for wildlife – including the one where Gustave the 'man-eating' croc lurks
If any of these countries are on your bucket list, make sure you take extra care with your travel plans.
Nearly as big as Wales, hotter than 50°C – Inside the inhospitable and rugged Death Valley, where not everyone gets out alive - yet inconceivably wildlife thrives
Welcome to one of the harshest, hottest most inhospitable places on Earth
“An entire colony of breeding penguins disappeared.” Bird flu is out of control – now it’s reached the Antarctic
The spread of avian flu to Southern Ocean islands is an alarming sign that the virus is out of control
A tiny mollusc helped bring down the Spanish Armada. Here's how
Wood-eating shipworms played an important role in the huge losses suffered by the Spanish Armada in 1588.
Thylacine paintings discovered in Australian cave less than 1,000 years old, say scientists. Here's why that's a big deal
The carnivorous marsupial is widely thought to have gone extinct on mainland Australia about 3,000 years ago. Artworks found recently in Northern Territory suggests otherwise.
"Notoriously cruel methods are involved in training elephants be ridden." 10 cruellest and most barbaric animal attractions on the planet...
Cruelty to wild animals may not always be initially obvious, but it can take many forms. Here are just some of the ways they are used for profit
"3-metre worm with a lunging set of jaws that lies half-submerged in the seabed. This truly is the stuff of nightmares." 10 deadliest ambush predators on the planet
These ambush predators are happy to play the waiting game when it comes to hunting – but it doesn't mean they're any less deadly
It’s the size of the Serengeti, hotter than Hades with deadly acid-filed lakes – and is called the Gateway to Hell. This is the closest to another planet you can get
A blistering, otherworldly expanse in northeastern Ethiopia, the Danakil Depression is one of the hottest and most inhospitable places on Earth.
It's the lowest place on Earth, the size of Seoul, 10 times saltier than the ocean – AND it's dying. One day soon it might not be here...
A vast, otherworldly lake where salt-laden waters buoy swimmers and barren shores stretch into desert, the Dead Sea has long captivated travellers and scientists alike
It's an unforgiving, harsh, remote arid landscape the size of Texas that receives just a few millimetres of rain a year - yet remarkably some wild animals live here...
Harsh, remote and hauntingly beautiful, the Empty Quarter stretches across the Arabian Peninsula in a vast, shifting expanse of dunes and silence
The females who don't need males to reproduce: Discover 10 amazing animals that can have virgin births, from dragons to birds of prey
Believe it or not there are a number of animals from birds to lizards - capable of having virgin births. Here are 10
“They felt they’d been deceived.” Was Yellowstone’s celebrated wolf reintroduction all it’s cracked up to be?
It’s over 30 years since wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone but the pay-off for the park is disputed
“At first, we were puzzled.” Scientists track 69 ravens through Yellowstone – and make remarkable discovery
The researchers wanted to find out exactly how ravens find wolf kills in the US national park.
7 most incredible places on the planet to see Africa's Big 5
Planning a safari of a lifetime? We go in search of the best places to see Africa's Big Five
Scientists tracked 6 ‘ghosts of the desert’ through the Saudi Arabian wilderness. This is what they found
Sand cats leave no tracks. To find out more about these elusive felines, researchers fitted half a dozen of them with GPS collars.
It has huge ears and can run twice as fast as Usain Bolt - meet the amazing hare returning to Saudi Arabia's northwestern desert
20 Arabian hares have been moved to the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve as part of a project to restore populations in the area.
"They’d have a very hard time indeed building things with their flippers" – Which animal would dominate the world if humans went extinct?
Could any animals also replace humans if we when extinct? James Fair investigates...
“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?
