CONTENTS
FEATURES
32 News:theAmazonon re
Brazil’sforestablaze
42 Photostory:emperor
penguins COVERSTORY
Delveintotheicyworld of this
iconicspecies
54 13 birdsofChristmasCOVERSTORY
Werevealthefolklorebehindour
festivefeatheredfavourites
62 Thebigsleep COVERSTORY
Whichspecieshibernatein winter
andhowdoesit work?
70 Abookatbedtime COVERSTORY
Animalsaresynonymouswith
children’sliterature– wetakea look
at the reasons they’re so appealing
OURWILD
WORLD
91 Athome
NaturalhistoryTV,booksandmore.
Plus,a special Christmas gift guide
97 Puzzles
98 Yourphotos
100 Feedback
Your letters and Tales from the Bush
REGULARS
6 Infocus
To p ia n dr e dI r i s hl o r d
80 Behindtheimage
Octopusand crabs
82 Q&A
Cana fishholditsbreath,anddo
insectsshowsignsofaging?
114 Wildlifechampion
AuthorandTVpresenterLucyCooke
revealsherenthusiasm for pygmy
three-toed sloths
WILDMONTH
10 Sevenspeciestospot
WhattolookforinDecember
16 MikeDilger’s wildlife
watching
Findoutwhatwildlifeaboundsinour
urbanparksandgreenspaces
21 NickBaker’shiddenBritain
KingAlfred’s cakes fungus
23 News
Reportonmanagingmoorlandfor
gameandwildlifeconservation
25 Conservationreport
Clifdennonpareilmoth
27 MarkCarwardine
Theconservationistdiscusses
globalbiodiversity
28 Meetthescientist
Savinga speciesofnocturnal,
flightlessparrotinNewZealand
29 Truthor ction?
Are raccoons about to invade Britain?
December 2019 BBC Wildlife 5
74 Discoveringwhales
MarkCarwardinerevealsthelatest
cetaceanspeciestohavesprung to
light over the past 25 years
Thepeople
behind our stories
December 2019
CHAESTRATHIE
Theimportanceofwildlifeinliterature
aimedatyoungerreadersisalltoo
clearforaward-winningchildren’s
authorChae.“Alongwithcuddlytoys
andfamilypets,booksareoftena
child’sfirstintroductiontowildlife,”
he says. See p
NIKIRUST
EnvironmentalsocialscientistNiki
takesa detailedlookatthisyear’sfires
intheAmazonrainforest.“Thefiresnot
onlya ectedwildlifeintheareabutthe
indigenouspeopleswholivethere,”
she says. See p
JODIECRANE
Helpingtosavea Critically
EndangeredbirdinNewZealandisall
ina day’sworkforseniorrangerJodie.
“Thoughkakapoconservationhas
comea longway,therearestillmassive
challenges.” she says. See p
MARKCARWARDINE
ConservationistMarkexplainsthe
sciencebehinduncoveringlittle-
knowncetaceanspecies.“Inrecent
years,thenewdiscoverieshavebeen
nothingshortofremarkable,”
he says. See p