Sophie Ellis
Sophie is the content creator for discoverwildlife.com and its sister title countryfile.com. She manages the Q+A section of BBC Wildlife and covers the latest natural history TV and film releases.
Recent articles by Sophie Ellis
The deadliest animal you could encounter in a national park probably isn’t a bone-crushing, 300kg apex predator – it’s something much more surprising
Researchers analysed the most common animals involved in aggressive human-wildlife encounters – and discovered something unexpected
It looks like a spider and moves like a spider, but this is no spider – instead it's an evolutionary nightmare. Watch the deadly reptile killer in action
A flycatcher thinks it's found a spider for lunch – but all is not what it seems...
It looks like a pinecone and is the most trafficked mammal in the world – now scientists have just found a new species
New DNA analysis could help conserve this endangered mammal
"Within minutes, the asteroid created a 1.5 km curtain of rock that collapsed into the North Sea, creating a tsunami taller than Big Ben"
Did a huge asteroid really strike the North Sea millions of years ago?
BBC launches new wildlife video podcast as part of the Watches expansion
Naturewatch will begin this autumn, highlighting the best of British wildlife each week
6 dangerous, deadly fish you'll never see – UNTIL it's too late... "Their danger predominantly lies in their ability to totally disguise themselves on the seabed"
Nature is full of oddballs – including these peculiar-looking fish that have adapted to their environments
It’s the same size as the city of Amsterdam, has breathtaking waterfalls and contains venomous snakes
Plitvice Lakes National Park is the largest and oldest national park in Croatia
It’s the size of Texas, stores 70 billion tonnes of carbon and deadly predators roam its harsh, remote landscape
The West Siberian Lowland is the world’s largest high-latitude wetland and contains the biggest peatland
Puffins vs hedgehogs: The 18 animals that could feature on UK banknotes – and the public can now vote
The Bank of England has released a shortlist of creatures that could feature on the next round of banknotes
Masturbation in birds is “healthy, natural and widespread”, say scientists
The research challenges the widely-held belief that stress and captivity encourages the behaviour
A rare and mysterious creature has just been detected in a remote Kenyan forest. Here’s why experts are so excited
One of Africa’s rarest creatures is caught on a trail camera – hundreds of kilometres from where it was expected to be
Siberia’s ‘Gateway to Hell’ is getting bigger. And it’s spewing out prehistoric animals
Known by some as the ‘Gateway to Hell’, the Batagay crater in Siberia is the world’s largest megaslump
This Italian island is home to an active volcano – and a horde of wild goats
Living in the shadow of an active volcano is nerve-wracking – but the residents of Stromboli face another challenge
Against all odds, a student “accidentally discovered” a new species – and it’s smaller than a grain of rice
Thecacera sesame is a species of sea slug found in Taiwanese waters
“It’s blue!” Deep-sea scientists discover exciting new species in the Galápagos
Microeledone galapagensis, a tiny blue octopus, is new to science
Scientists dosed aggressive fish with hallucinogenic drugs – and discovered something interesting
The psychoactive compound in ‘magic mushrooms’ may reduce aggressive behaviour in a species of fish
A hippo is dying of thirst in Botswana. But a pride of lions guards the water hole
In footage for the BBC TV series Natural World, David Attenborough narrates an encounter between a pride of lions and a lone hippo
It was forged by fiery underwater explosions. Today, it’s a “natural laboratory” for researchers and tourists are banned
Surtsey was formed by volcanic eruptions in the 1960s – and has been legally protected ever since
“Never-before-seen animal behaviour, new locations, new science.” Watch first clip of David Attenborough narrating “blockbuster” BBC series
The third instalment of the David Attenborough-narrated series will air on the BBC this year
“One of the most vibrant and biodiverse places in Northern Ireland.” BBC’s Springwatch is back – with a new live location for 2026
BBC Two's Springwatch will return with a new live location this year – here's everything you need to know
It was sealed off for 5 million years, breathes and has a Chandelier Ballroom filled with 6 metre long crystals
Lechuguilla Cave, in New Mexico, is full of rare and spectacular geological formations
Teeth “too big” for TV and his most feared animal: 15 facts you (probably) didn’t know about David Attenborough
David Attenborough is known for his incredible natural history documentaries – but here are some facts you might not know about the legendary broadcaster
“Piranha can strip a fish to the bone in minutes.” Watch David Attenborough-narrated footage of a brutal feeding frenzy
In a clip from Planet Earth, a shoal of red-bellied piranhas make light work of an injured dorado
There’s a mysterious lake in India that’s filled with perfectly circular floating islands. And it’s home to one of the longest snakes on Earth
In India, you’ll find the only floating national park on Earth – and people live on it
