Wild Lives

What emotions have you felt when you’re in the natural world? We hear a lot about how nature calms us, gives us joy and hope, but what about other feelings, such as grief, anger or shame? In this episode, we talk with self-confessed nature nerd Lucy Lapwing, who explores these complex emotional responses to nature in her new book, Love Is A Toad (Blink Publishing, March 2026). Our conversation explored many subjects, including how nature writing helped Lucy fight cancer in her early 20s, and how gazing into the eyes of a slug made her head swim. You can follow Lucy’s adventures on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/lucy_lapwing/ Photo: Lucy Lapwing And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: ⁠https://www.discoverwildlife.com/ BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What are crabs – and what are they for? What can they teach us about ecosystems? And what exactly have they got to do with the 1926 general strike? These questions – and more – are all answered by the brilliantly informative and irreverent Crab Museum in Margate, Kent. Opened in 2021 by brothers Ned and Bertie Suesat-Williams and their friend Chase Coley, it's a witty celebration of crustaceans that also has serious things to say about biodiversity, climate change and politics. Ned and Bertie are hugely enthusiastic advocates for both the museum and the wider natural world, as we discovered when we caught up with them for this far-reaching chat. So far-reaching, in fact, that we even get on to the evolution of bums (but you'll have to stay to the end for that). You can find out more about the Crab Museum at ⁠crabmuseum.org⁠, and you can follow the museum's team on Instagram at ⁠instagram.com/crabmuseum/⁠ Photo: Sam Bush To get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: https://www.discoverwildlife.com/ BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was presented by Oliver Hurley, hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever since he was shot in the back by bandits in a Guatemalan forest, Stuart Butchart has been exploring the natural world in a wheelchair, which is every bit as hard as it sounds. But Stuart’s positive approach is inspiring. Today, Stuart is chief scientist at BirdLife International, the world's largest partnership of nature conservation organisations, where he heads up a team that, among other things, identifies bird species around the world most in danger of extinction. We chat with Stuart about his love of nature, the accident that changed his life, and the obstacles that limit access to natural spaces for wheelchair users – and how to improve that situation. You can find out more about the work Stuart and his team do by visiting: ⁠https://www.birdlife.org/⁠ Photo: Annelisa Grigg And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: ⁠https://www.discoverwildlife.com/⁠ BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you think you’ve ever been to the middle of nowhere, think again. In this episode, we take a journey deep into the Amazon rainforest, to one of the most remote parts of the jungle where we met Indigenous wildlife guide, Alejandro Aguilar. This conversation took place on board a boat in Peru, and along the way we learn what it’s like to have been born and raised in the jungle. We follow Alejandro’s incredible life story, which saw him leave his village as a small child and become part of a government project in Lima, eventually returning to the Amazon as an adult. Alejandro has an extraordinary understanding of and connection with nature, and what we can learn from him is hard to put a value on. Oh, and just for good measure, he has a very amusing story about a group of Germans in the jungle. But that’s for later. If you enjoyed this episode, you can read more of Paul’s adventures on the Aqua Nera at ⁠https://www.discoverwildlife.com/holidays-days-out/south-america/amazon-wildlife-river-cruise⁠ You can find out more about Amazon river tours on the Aqua Nera at ⁠aquaexpeditions.com⁠ and on travel in Peru by visiting ⁠peru.travel⁠ Photo: Paul McGuinness And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: ⁠https://www.discoverwildlife.com⁠ BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For most people, the thought of watching a magnificent wild animal being eaten alive right in front of them would be the stuff of nightmares, but it’s all in a day’s work for our guest, the celebrated Scottish wildlife filmmaker Gordon Buchanan. Fresh from filming the latest series of the BBC’s Big Cats 24/7, Gordon discusses what it’s actually like to sit in a safari vehicle for endless hours in the scorching sun, waiting for something to happen. He looks back at his childhood on a council estate outside of Glasgow, and reflects on the difficulties of maintaining a work/life balance while filming away from home for months at a time. Gordon’s live tour show, Lions and Tigers and Bears, covers 30 dates in England and Scotland from January through March 2026. Get your tickets at ⁠gordon-buchanan.co.uk⁠ The new series of Big Cats 24/7 will be on BBC Two in February 2026. In the meantime, many of Gordon’s films are available to watch online – search under his name on the BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Apple TV, National Geographic, or whichever services you use. Photo: Gordon Buchanan And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: ⁠https://www.discoverwildlife.com⁠ BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’ve ever imagined what the world would have looked like before it was cut up for agriculture and urban life, you could do worse than to look at the work being done by rewilders, like Nick Viney. For this episode, we took a road trip to meet Nick Viney, the creative force behind Rewilding Coombeshead, 400 acres of former farmland in southwest England that is being reclaimed by nature. Wild cats, beavers and buffalo act as ecosystem engineers, with countless species flooding back to the site. And listen out for a delightful cameo from the noisy white storks! You can follow Rewilding Coombeshead on Instagram here: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/rewildingcoombeshead/⁠ and find out more about their work, and how to visit, at their website: ⁠https://rewildingcoombeshead.co.uk/ Photo: ⁠groundswellag.com⁠ And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: https://www.discoverwildlife.com BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was presented by Danny Graham, hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many of us dream of close encounters with wild animals, but Bertie Gregory has made this a reality through his stunning films for National Geographic. As well as winning a stack of awards for his photography and filmmaking, Bertie is a National Geographic Explorer – which, as we discovered, is as cool as it sounds. Bertie is passionate about sharing his love of nature, as we found out when we caught up with him ahead of his latest movie – Dolphins Up Close, which is available to watch now on Disney+ You can follow Bertie on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/bertiegregory/ Photo: Jeff Hester/National Geographic And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: https://www.discoverwildlife.com BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was presented by Sophie Ellis, hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever wondered how to repair a coral reef? Or even if it’s possible? Well you’re not alone. And that’s why we visited Mote Marine Laboratories at Islamorada, in the Florida Keys. We know that our coral reefs are in trouble. But the good news is that there is hope for these vital ecosystems. We spoke to scientists whose ground-breaking work is helping to regrow the world’s third largest coral reef in a fraction of the time that nature would usually manage, armed with a hammer and a bag of nails. You can follow Mote’s work on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/mote_lab/ Photo: Gareth Jones And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: https://www.discoverwildlife.com BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How much difference can one person make? As this week’s guest proves, the answer is quite a lot, if you truly devote yourself to what you believe in. Rahima Njaidi is a Tanzanian conservationist who pioneers community-led conservation, while championing gender equality and land rights. We talked with Rahima about these complex issues, and how her direct approach is changing people’s lives on a huge scale, while also saving some of the most vital forests in Africa. You can find out more about the Tusk Awards at their website: https://www.tuskawards.com/ Photo: Fortemus Films for Tusk And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: https://www.discoverwildlife.com BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Look up! You never know what you might see. Our cities have become quite literal urban jungles, as more and more wildlife is drawn to thrive in the increasingly sprawling megapolis. In order to get a grip on what wildlife to watch out for in the city, we turned to BBC Wildlife columnist David Lindo – aka the Urban Birder – to find out how a boy from Wembley forged a career in nature. For David, as for many people in our inner cities, there were many obstacles to overcome in his quest to immerse himself in nature. We discuss these, as well as past lives and enjoy a lesson in why you should always watch where you put your hands in a forest! You can follow David on Instagram here: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/theurbanbirder⁠/ Photo: Ashley Boone And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: ⁠https://www.discoverwildlife.com⁠ BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever looked at a fly seemingly trying but failing to find its way out of an open window and wondered why it can’t figure it out? Well, if so, then you’re not alone! To unravel the mystery and learn why it’s time we changed how we think about flies, we went to the Natural History Museum in London to meet Dr Erica McAlister, Principal Curator of Diptera and Siphonaptera – that's flies and fleas. Flies are probably the wild animal that you see more than any other. And yet how much do you know about them? Erica takes us on a tour behind the scenes at the museum, and along the way, shares her passion for these marvellous creatures. Trust us, you’ll never think of flies in the same way again. You can follow Erica on Instagram here: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ericamcalister⁠/ Photo: Paul McGuinness And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: ⁠https://www.discoverwildlife.com⁠ BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever wondered how a blind person might interact with nature? After losing his sight gradually from the age of eight, Lawrence Gunther was functionally blind by his twenties. Despite this, he continued to forge a life in nature, living for a while with Inuits, where he learned so much from them about how we can thrive to the mutual benefit of both ourselves and our environment. Today, Lawrence is North America’s only blind conservationist – a professional angler, writer, podcaster and filmmaker. In a broad-reaching conversation, we discuss sustainability, attitudes to disability, and learn about an incredible new photographic system that allows blind and partially sighted people to engage with photography in a whole new way. Watch the video of Brent Stirton introducing Lawrence to the new Canon photography for blind people here: ⁠https://www.canon.co.uk/view/brent-stirton-lawrence-gunther⁠ You can listen to Lawrence's podcast – Outdoors With Lawrence Gunther – and learn more via his website: ⁠https://lawrencegunther.com⁠ ⁠⁠Photo: Canon And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: ⁠https://www.discoverwildlife.com⁠ BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wild Lives is the podcast from BBC Wildlife Magazine that gets you closer to the people who dedicate their lives to the natural world. We meet inspirational people across the globe – from the depths of the Amazon jungle to London’s Natural History Museum – and find out why they have contributed so much to nature. From scientists, guides and conservationists, to writers, photographers and passionate hobbyists, we share their stories, challenges, and triumphs as they live and work alongside wildlife every day. Join us for honest conversations, inspiring journeys, and a behind-the-scenes look at what it really means to be part of the wild. Whether you’re a nature lover or simply curious, Wild Lives offers a warm, personal window into the human side of wildlife. BBC Wildlife Magazine is the world’s longest-running and most-popular nature publication. Wild Lives is hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs. Follow now wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices