Stag beetles are Britain’s largest land beetle, with males reaching up to 7.5 centimetres in size. They are also one of the most spectacular looking insects, with a male’s huge mandibles (antler-like jaws) making them easy to spot. Despite their appearance, stag beetles are harmless if left alone, and from mid-to-late-May are more likely to […]
The common pipistrelle bat is a very small species of bat that is native to the British Isles; in fact it is the smallest of the UK’s 18 species. It has a wing span of about 22 to 25 centimetres with an average life span of 4-5 years. It is a species of conservation concern […]
The robin is a familiar site in British gardens throughout the year, especially at Christmas. Males and females look identical, and young birds have no red colouring but are spotted with golden brown. They sing nearly all year round and are aggressively territorial. As well as being resident in gardens, robins also live in woodland, hedgerows […]
Native to mainland Britain, beavers are herbivores who were hunted to extinction in the 16th century for their fur, meat and scent glands. The loss of beavers led to the loss of the mosaic of lakes, meres, mires, tarns and boggy places that they were instrumental in creating, but they have since been re-introduced to Britain over the last […]
The Wildlife Trusts have announced that 2021 will be a record year for beaver releases. Plans developed by the Wildlife Trusts of Dorset, Derbyshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Nottinghamshire and Montgomeryshire will see new beaver families moving into these counties for the first time. Twenty years after they reintroduced the first beavers to Britain, around […]
The Discover Animals team will be popping up on TV today, Thursday 3rd Sept, when we take part in the upcoming Celebrate Group Travel Day, streamed live via YouTube from 2pm-7pm. You can find out more about how animal attractions have been adjusting over the past few months as well as get up to date […]
Great Island Adventure Safaris is based in Antananarivo in Madagascar and offers tailor-made tours to explore the island, still relatively unknown to visitors from the UK and Europe. The company specialises in birding, wildlife watching, trekking and ‘off the beaten track’ wilderness adventures. Fifty National Parks and nature reserves provide ample opportunity for nature discovery […]
The opportunity to visit locations where rewilding projects to bring back native habitats and species are in action is an idea to consider this year. In particular, at Knepp Estate in West Sussex, where the concept of rewilding has been most significantly developed, you can encounter herds of wild ponies, cattle, deer and pigs as they roam […]
Following on from the best-selling An Anthology of Intriguing Animals, author and wildlife journalist Ben Hoare brings us The Wonders of Nature, a beautifully illustrated compendium that, alongside a selection of amazing animals, features plants, rocks, minerals and microorganisms. The hardback book features wonderful designs, photography and imagery to draw children into a world of fascinating facts. […]
The youngest member of the Discover Animals team at two years old had great fun testing out the new ‘Dooballs’ from French brand BabyToLove. The company has specialised in the creation of original and innovative baby products for over 10 years, and the Dooballs aim to stimulate babies and toddlers’ curiosity to catch, manipulate, shake […]
It was a pleasure to review one of HarperCollins recent nature releases, ‘Extraordinary Insects’, by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson. Published on the Mudlark imprint, the book is wonderfully written and packed with facts about how insects keep the world going. The passion and enthusiasm for the topic that Anne has jumps off the page, and really brings […]
The girl who really, really, really loves dinosaurs (Natural History Museum) With its bright colours and simple observations, ‘The girl who really, really loves dinosaurs’ by artist John Hamilton was a hit with my eighteen-month-old, who not only loved spotting the dinosaurs in the book but also the other animals that appear along the way. […]
The Little Book of Safari Animal Sounds by Andrea Pinnington and Caz Buckingham landed on our desks in the Discover Animals office recently and I took it home for my two children (5 and 1) to review! Through this fact-packed guide, readers can discover the unexpected call of the Plains Zebra, feel a chill when listening […]
As part of a recent holiday to the Cotswolds, Discover Animals’ Editorial Director Abbe Bates paid a visit to the Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens in Burford with her family. The 160-acre site is a mix of beautiful landscaped gardens and parkland, animal enclosures, aviaries, insect and reptile houses, farmyard, and adventure playgrounds. Its beginnings […]
Sarah Jeffery from the Discover Animals team recently spent a day exploring Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire with her daughter Caitlin. It had been a few years since the pair last visited, so they were excited to see what was new. ‘Marvellous Monsters’ is a new outdoor exhibition for 2017 and features 20 larger-than-life animatronic […]
On Saturday 28th January, NAUSICAA, the French National Sea Centre, opened its doors again in Boulogne after three busy weeks of annual maintenance carried out by the NAUSICAA team. As soon as the centre re-opened, the topic of sustainable tourism was highlighted in the Mangrove area, through a number of new animals. The latest arrivals […]
‘Safari’ is a Swahili word for ‘to travel’. And because of that etymology, the term is most closely associated with wildlife-spotting journeys in Africa. But it’s possible to head north, to the countries closest to the Arctic Circle, for a snow safari or ‘snowfari’. Explore the winter wildernesses of Scandinavia, Lapland, Iceland and Alaska by […]
A baby giraffe, which was born over Christmas, has ventured outside for the first time at Longleat. The male Rothschild’s giraffe, who has been named Evan in honour of a long-time keeper, was delivered inside the centrally-heated giraffery at the Wiltshire safari park in December. Since then the youngster – believed to be the 122nd […]
Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire is pleased to announce that it has commissioned landscape architect Dominic Cole, best-known for his designs at the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, to create a new vision for the zoo’s landscaping. Although animals are the star attraction for visitors to Twycross Zoo, planting also plays […]
A seal at Living Coasts in Devon has received crucial medical treatment from South Devon veterinary experts. South American fur seal Grace was first given slow-release implants in 2011 to control her immune system, which causes problems with her eyes. These implants were replaced in September 2014 – and now she has had the procedure again. […]
Ambitious plans to transform Lotherton Bird Garden into an exciting new wildlife attraction are set to get underway this month. The spectacular Lotherton Wildlife World will see a number of new animal additions joining the Lotherton family including tapirs, capybaras and a colony of Humboldt penguins. The impressive redevelopment of the historic attraction, which first […]
A family of gigantic pterosaurs have soared into the grounds of West Midland Safari Park in Worcestershire and made it their new home. With a wing span averaging around 11 metres, quetzalcoatlus was the largest animal to have ever taken to the skies. It was so tall, it could have looked a giraffe in the […]
As the seasons change from winter to spring, everything begins to come to life and this is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the UK’s wildlife at its best. With this in mind, TV presenter and ecologist Mike Dilger has partnered with Swarovski Optik, the leading luxury optic specialists, to offer a selection of top tips […]
Photography, music and wildlife experts have joined together their talents to create a breathtaking combination of eye-catching images, evocative music and knowledgeable insight in the form of a unique book entitled Harmony for Elephants. Harmony for Elephants is a newly-released book with an accompanying album of specially written music. This music, donated to the project […]
Blackpool Zoo is marking 45 years of really wild days out with 12 months of super celebrations, which will include the launch of its biggest ever investment – Project Elephant! The award winning attraction, which opened on 6th July 1972, will dedicate each month of the year to different celebrations, from the 100th birthday of […]
