WIN

A COPY OF THE
OUR PLANET
BOOK
See page 30
THE MAGAZINE FOR WWF MEMBERS SUMMER 2019

CLIMATE CRISIS
How you’re helping walruses and other Arctic
wildlife cope with a rapidly changing world

INFRARED APES BE KIND TO BEES

Why we’re testing incredible We can’t live without
star-spotting technology bees, so here’s how
to help protect orangutans to give them a hand
 CONTENTS
“WE’RE FACING A MANMADE TOGETHER, WE DID IT!
A round-up of all you’ve helped
4 INTERVIEW: HUW CORDEY 24
We chat to the Our Planet

DISASTER OF GLOBAL SCALE, OUR

us achieve in recent months producer about making the
groundbreaking Jungles episode
WWF IN ACTION 6
Environment news, including MAKE A BUZZ ABOUT BEES 26

GREATEST THREAT IN THOUSANDS

your best Earth Hour yet! Pollinators are essential to our
survival, but they’re in trouble.
It’s time to get the world talking about the home we all
ARCTIC TIPPING POINT 10 Wildlife gardener Kate Bradbury

OF YEARS: CLIMATE CHANGE”

share, before it’s too late. That’s why we partnered with The Arctic is in crisis, and its explains how we can all do our bit
Netflix to create the stunning new series Our Planet. most iconic wildlife is struggling to give them a boost
Each programme showcases different habitats to adapt. Paul Bloomfield
experiencing change – including the Great Barrier Reef
in Australia – and explores what steps we must all take explains how you’re helping GIVEAWAYS 30
to protect them. Climate change is causing horrific coral to safeguard its future Win your choice of fun and funky

SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH, WWF AMBASSADOR

bleaching and damaging this vital reef system, the biggest animal jewellery from our new
living structure on the planet. It’s a stark reminder that our
actions in the next 20 years will determine the future for all
BIG PICTURE 18 Tatty Devine range, a copy of
life on Earth. Find out more at ourplanet.com An extraordinary behind-the- Our Planet and other great prizes
scenes moment with Our Planet
producer Sophie Lanfear – CROSSWORD 31
and her new friend Solve our crossword and you
could win a copy of The Snow
STARS AND ORANGUTANS 20 Leopard Project
How clever stargazing technology
is illuminating the secret life of NOTES FROM THE FIELD 31
orangutans, thanks to you. Our Planet producer Hugh
By Barney Jeffries Pearson reveals his highlights
from the High Seas episode

MEET THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS

TOM ARNBOM SERGE WICH KATE
is WWF’s senior is a biologist BRADBURY
adviser on the and professor is an award-
Arctic, based in at Liverpool winning author
Stockholm. He first worked John Moores University. and journalist, specialising
in the Arctic 45 years ago, He’s been working with

CLIMATE EMERGENCY
in wildlife gardening. She
and has seen the impact of WWF in Sabah to trial a says: “Our beleaguered
climate change first-hand. new method of counting bees need our gardens
He says: “It’s not the same orangutans. He says: now more than ever. If you
COVER: © ALAMY. CONTENTS: © OLIVER SCHOLEY / SILVERBACK FILMS /NETFLIX | © SARAH CUTTLE

Arctic I saw in the 1970s. “I wasn’t sure infrared create the right habitats,
Climate change is wreaking havoc on our planet, And what happens in the would work, but it’s been you’ll be surprised at how
threatening all life as we know it. If we fail to act on Arctic doesn’t stay there.” extremely successful.” quickly wildlife turns up.”
climate change, one in six species faces extinction.
Across the globe, we’re uncovering devastating new
evidence that wildlife cannot cope with our warming GET IN TOUCH MEET THE ACTION TEAM
world. Shrinking sea ice is forcing tens of thousands of Editor Jessie-May Murphy
wwf.org.uk/contact editor@wwf.org.uk
walruses ashore, with deadly consequences (see page
Editorial assistant Emma Collacott
10). Animals and people are having to adapt or move in 01483 426333 Loyalty marketing manager Ruth Simms
order to survive. Rising temperatures are causing insect WWF-UK Living Planet Centre, Loyalty marketing executive Jo Trinick
populations to crash. And precious coral reefs are Rufford House, Brewery Road,
Senior editor Guy Jowett
being destroyed by mass bleaching events. Woking, Surrey GU21 4LL
For Immediate Media Co.
Thanks to your membership, we’re working hard to Consultant editor Sophie Stafford
protect wildlife, forests and ocean habitats from the FOLLOW US Art editor Nicole Mooney
worst effects of climate change. It’s possible to prevent the Account manager Kirsten Coleman
wwf.org.uk/facebook
widespread loss of nature and harm to human lives that Design director Will Slater
climate devastation will bring, but we need to act quickly. wwf.org.uk/twitter Editorial director Dan Linstead

We’re calling on the UK government to take wwf.org.uk/pinterest THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS

urgent action to tackle the crisis and end the UK’s wwf.org.uk/news Amy Anderson, Tom Arnbom, Paul
contribution to climate change. Find out more at Bloomfield, Kate Bradbury, Huw Cordey,
wwf.org.uk/youtube
Barney Jeffries, Melanie Lancaster, Nicola
wwf.org.uk/actiononclimate wwf.org.uk/instagram Loweth, Hugh Pearson, Serge Wich

Produced in association with Immediate Media Co. www.imcontent.co.uk

2 | Action Summer 2019

 THANK YOU TOGETHER, WE DID IT!

TOGETHER, WE DID IT!

“IF WE DAMAGE THE NATURAL WORLD,
WE DAMAGE OURSELVES. WE HAVE THE
POWER AND THE KNOWLEDGE TO LIVE
IN HARMONY WITH NATURE”
Thanks to your membership, we can help SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH, WWF AMBASSADOR

protect wildlife and wild places. Here

are some of the great things supporters DID YOU
KNOW?
Timing of the kri
ll fishery activit y
peninsula coinci in the
des with the hump
whale foraging sea back
like you have helped achieve son – November
to July Humpback whales
may consume 1–1.5

2
tonnes of krill every day
1 KENYA 6 ANTARCTICA during the foraging
season

YOU’RE SUPPORTING A VITAL LION CENSUS YOU’RE HELPING PRESERVE

Thanks to you, Kenya’s first-ever national lion census is
under way, helping to protect one of Africa’s most iconic
4 HUMPBACK WHALE FEEDING GROUNDS
Thanks to your support, we’ve been unravelling the mystery of
species. Globally, lions are in decline. It’s believed that
5 exactly where humpback whales feed on krill. Satellite tracking
1

337
as few as 20,000 remain in the wild, their populations has identified the western Antarctic peninsula as a feeding
having declined by over 40% in the last three generations.
But lion numbers are notoriously difficult to estimate, so
3 hotspot for these gargantuan gastronomers, and highlighted
the need for increased protection in the area. Our new report
their predicament may be even worse than feared.

© DUKE UNIVERSITY MARINE ROBOTICS AND REMOTE SENSING

Whales of the Antarctic Peninsula, in partnership with the
With your support, we’re funding a new, robust method University of California Santa Cruz, reveals that humpbacks rely

LAB. RESEARCH CONDUCTED UNDER PERMIT BY NOAA.

of counting Kenya’s lions, which involves taking close-up, heavily on the peninsula. “Tracking data from over 60 satellite
high-resolution photos of individual lions and their whisker tags shows that the whales forage, rest and travel between
spot patterns. These patterns are as unique to the lion as our feeding spots here,” explains Dr Ari Friedlaender, who led the
fingerprints are to us, and they’ll help us accurately estimate The number of elephants moved research. “Feeding without disturbance is critical to store up the
and monitor lion numbers to make sure our conservation off the tracks in Rajaji Tiger energy to sustain them on their long migration to their tropical
efforts are based on the best possible science. Following a
6 Reserve by night patrols since breeding grounds.” Like the humpbacks, the krill fishery follows
© GETTY

successful trial, the method is being rolled out across Kenya. the seasonal movement of krill close to shore, placing them in
To find out more, visit wwf.org.uk/lions July 2018. On average, about three
direct competition with the whales and increasing the risk of
accidents were averted each week disturbance and ship strikes. We’re fighting for a network of
© GETTY

marine protected areas to help safeguard these gentle giants.

2 BULGARIA 3 JAVA

YOU HELPED SAVE AN ANCIENT BALKAN FOREST YOU HELPED 4 INDIA 5 UGANDA
PROVIDE RELIEF
YOU HELPED SAVE ELEPHANTS’ LIVES YOU HELPED PROTECT MOUNTAIN GORILLAS
Together, we saved Pirin National Park,
a World Heritage site, from illegal
construction and plans to allow more
IN A CRISIS You’re supporting our work to protect India’s endangered Asian Thanks to you, we’re testing new technology to help protect

© GETTY
logging. Bulgaria’s flagship park is a With your support, we elephants from collisions with trains. The country’s expanding Uganda’s mountain gorillas. We’re working through
beautiful place of limestone mountains, provided emergency rail network is putting pressure on elephant populations already the International Gorilla Conservation Programme
glacial lakes and old-growth pine forests supplies to the victims under threat. So we’re trialling an early warning system that will (IGCP) and with communities neighbouring Bwindi
harbouring bears and wolves. Recently, of the tsunami that hit Java and South Sumatra last year. detect elephants on tracks in Rajaji Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand Impenetrable National Park to help reduce conflict
the Bulgarian government proposed a new This tragic event killed over 400 people and made more than – one of the places where with gorillas and other wildlife. Wild animals
management plan for the park that would 10,000 homeless. Several villages within the areas surrounding a lot of collisions occur. A can raid crops and endanger local people’s
have opened 48% of it up to industrial- Ujung Kulon National Park, where we work, were affected. We network of solar-powered livelihoods, and for mountain gorillas
scale logging and the construction of new helped with search and rescue efforts and set up four relief seismic sensors buried it can increase the risk of catching
skiing facilities in the Bansko resort. With distribution points to provide blankets, food, water and medical beside the tracks will human diseases. So we’re working
the help of over 125,000 people from 150 supplies. We also assisted park staff to assess the impact of the detect the vibrations with volunteer community Human
countries – including many WWF members tsunami on the 68 Javan rhinos living in the national park, caused by elephant and Gorilla (HuGo) conflict resolution
– who signed our global petition, we took the only place in the world this critically endangered species footsteps, and send an groups to pilot a new app that sends
the government to court. In a revolutionary is found. Fortunately, none were harmed. We’re urging the alert so that prompt real-time incident reports and automates
ruling, the court overturned the controversial Indonesian government to move forward with plans to establish action can be taken to analysis of data. It will provide data
© GETTY
© GETTY

plans, setting an important precedent for an additional population of Javan rhinos outside of the park to minimise the number of that’s up to date, to support management
nature conservation in Bulgaria. safeguard these precious survivors. elephants hit by trains. decisions and conservation efforts.
 WWF IN ACTION WWF IN ACTION

YOUR PROMISE NEWS IN BRIEF

How we’ve been fighting for wildlife and our world

TO THE PLANET Krill are tiny,
shrimp-like
crustaceans

More than 36,000

© NATUREPL.COM / INGO ARNDT / WWF

people have made
pledges to protect I’LL RESTORE
the planet NATURE WHERE I LIVE
Support wildlife in your garden
or local community
by sowing wildflower
patches or providing
shelter. KRILL CONCERN AS ICY WATERS WARM
A new study we supported has found that
fewer young krill are surviving to adulthood
I’LL PLAN A HOLIDAY around Antarctica as ocean temperatures

CLOSER TO HOME rise. Krill are a critical food source for fish,
penguins and whales, and the Scotia Sea
Flying is a significant part of in the Southern Ocean is home to the
most people’s climate change largest concentrations. But over the past
footprint. Could you holiday 40 years, an increasingly unfavourable
closer to home, or travel climate has led to fewer young replenishing
by train? the population, and the krill’s distribution
is contracting south. In future, the wildlife
that depends on krill may face more intense

I’LL CHANGE competition with each other – and with krill

fisheries – for this vital food source.
THE WAY I EAT NEWS IN NUMBERS

50
Food is a major cause of
deforestation and wildlife loss.
Try to reduce the amount of
meat you eat and avoid
food waste.

EARTH HOUR SPARKS ACTION TO RESTORE NATURE I’LL REDUCE

THE PLASTIC I BUY From algae to yam bean roots, we’re
Make better choices every day, championing 50 foods for healthier people
Earth Hour 2019 focused the world’s Rail Bridge and the Kelpies joined others Emmerdale joined the fun, with ‘Corrie’
attention on the loss of nature – and in a visual display of their commitment. tweeting an #EarthHourSelfie, while from using refillable water and a healthier planet. Our new report
we couldn’t have done it without you It was inspiring to see Earth Hour Emmerdale shared a video clip on Twitter. bottles and coffee cups, to Future 50 Foods, in partnership with Knorr,
On Saturday 30 March at 8.30pm, motivating more people than ever to take Together, we demonstrated just how buying loose fruit aims to inspire people to adopt a more
individuals, businesses and cities in 188 personal action to protect the planet. powerful Earth Hour can be. More and and veg. diverse diet. It identifies ingredients that
countries and territories worldwide joined Hashtags including #EarthHour and more people are calling for institutional taste good, are nutritious and are kinder to
us to speak up for nature and inspire urgent #Connect2Earth trended in 26 countries. change to tackle the climate crisis, and global our planet. Visit wwf.org.uk/futurefoods
I’LL MAKE

8
action for the environment. As Earth Thousands of individuals pledged their movements such as Earth Hour provide a

MY OWN PLEDGE
Hour rolled around the globe, thousands support, challenging world leaders to push the clear message to our leaders that people want
of landmarks switched off their lights in preservation of nature up the global agenda. change to halt the loss of nature – and they Eight million tonnes of plastic is
solidarity for our planet. Our incredible partners also made this want it now. From Germany to Morocco to Think up a big change you dumped in our oceans every year.
In London, hundreds of landmarks went Earth Hour one of the best. London’s Indonesia, people spoke up on issues such can make to your lifestyle From our local beaches to the
dark for the hour, including Carnaby Street, Carnaby Street redesigned its iconic arch to as sustainable lifestyles, plastic-free oceans, that will have a positive
remote Arctic, plastic pollution is
© LAUREN SIMMONDS / WWF-UK

the Shard and Tower Bridge. A thrilling feature some of our most endangered wildlife water conservation and deforestation. impact on our planet.
choking our seas. So far, thousands
countdown to Earth Hour drew huge crowds as a reminder of why we need to make a Earth Hour’s greatest strength is the power
at Piccadilly Circus. In Wales, the Head 4 Arts change this year. Meanwhile, GoodGym of people − and with your support, we can of amazing supporters around
event at Parc Penallta welcomed hundreds organised around 70 events that gave inspire even more people to take action. the world have signed our petition calling
for urgent action at the UN – including an
of people by filling a field with magical communities the chance to do their bit As young influencer Greta Thunberg tweeted: There’s still time to make your pledge today immediate agreement which will stop the
giant animal lanterns. In Scotland, iconic for their local environment. “Earth Hour is every hour of every day.”
landmarks including Edinburgh Castle, Forth This year, ITV’s Coronation Street and Find out more at wwf.org.uk/earthhour at wwf.org.uk/voicefortheplanet leakage of plastics into the oceans.

6 | Action Summer 2019 Action Summer 2019 | 7

WWF IN ACTION WWF IN ACTION
NEWS IN BRIEF
SCIENTISTS SOUND A CALL FOR NATURE The fallen log seen
in this image is one
traditionally used by
We’re backing an urgent call for “To fulfil our basic needs we rely on a poachers to set metal
snares to capture snow
global action to halt the decline in complex web of processes, powered by the leopards for their pelts.
nature, as a major new report by millions of plants and animals with which But this family is safe.
international scientists reveals that we share our planet. But biodiversity is
more than a million species are at declining at an unprecedented rate,” says
risk of extinction Rebecca Shaw, a WWF chief scientist.
In May, the Intergovernmental “We need to inspire the world to act
Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem in 2020. Governments, businesses,
© NICK KINDON / WWF-UK

Services (IPBES) launched a landmark financial institutions and civil society

report on the state of nature. The Global must commit to halting the loss of
Assessment report provides compelling nature and set it on the path to recovery.
scientific evidence of the role biodiversity Nature needs to be high up on global
and natural assets play in our economies policymakers’ agendas.”

SNOW LEOPARDS
and businesses, and demonstrates the To coincide with the IPBES report, we
WASTESHARK COMBATS MARINE PLASTIC connection between climate change also initiated the ‘Call4Nature’, an open

RECLAIM THE WILD

and loss of biodiversity. It aims to make letter calling on world leaders to act now
As part of our efforts to improve the health of
governments fully aware of the risks of to save our planet. Renowned scientists,
our oceans, WWF and Sky Ocean Rescue have
nature loss for the future development of wildlife experts and public figures came
launched the UK’s first WasteShark. In March,
societies and economies, and reinforces together to sign it, including Dr Jane A remarkable image caught on
the autonomous marine robot began roaming
the urgent need for action to reduce our Goodall, Chris Packham, Julia Bradbury, a remote camera offers new
Ilfracombe harbour, in north Devon, which is
impact on our planet’s survival systems. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and WWF- hope for the future of snow
home to a rich variety of wildlife, including grey
The IPBES report comes at a critical UK’s CEO Tanya Steele. leopards in Russia
seals. WasteShark swims around capturing up
time, when the devastating impacts of We also released a Call4Nature photo The image shows a female
to 60kg of waste at a time, including plastics
climate change are pushing the planet series featuring some of the world’s top snow leopard known to experts
and pollutants. The plastic is then recycled.
to its brink. Last year, our Living Planet wildlife photographers. The images, as Yunchi, with her two cubs,
By removing waste as it enters the harbour,
Report valued the services nature which illustrate some of nature’s biggest exploring an area that was once
WasteShark prevents it from being washed
provides for humanity at around US$125 challenges, are a powerful reminder of riddled with hundreds of poachers’
out to sea, where it threatens marine wildlife.
trillion a year, and revealed that wildlife the need to create a New Deal for People snares. It was captured on one of
Watch the film at wwf.org.uk/wasteshark
populations had plummeted globally by and Nature in 2020 – a global action plan our remote cameras in the Argut

HUNTING FOR GHOST GEAR

60% since 1970. This catastrophic decline to tackle climate change and the loss of river valley in Russia’s Altai-Sayan

© WWF-DENMARK
in biodiversity is undermining nature’s nature. See for yourself at ecoregion, a landscape of high
ability to sustain life as we know it. wwf.org.uk/call4naturenow mountains that offers a last refuge

40%
We’re helping to retrieve and recycle lethal for this rare feline.
plastic fishing nets from Greenland’s Historically, snow leopards
waters, and to set better standards for were poached out here. Now,
MORE THAN 40% OF AMPHIBIAN more sustainable Arctic fisheries the Argut valley is well protected
SPECIES, ALMOST 33% OF CORALS, We’re supporting a project tackling a deadly through patrolling and monitoring
SHARKS AND RAYS, AND OVER threat to marine life in the spectacular World activities, allowing this family to
33% OF MARINE MAMMALS Heritage site of Disko Bay, west Greenland. In the roam freely and safely. And, slowly,
numbers are rising once more.
ARE THREATENED
dark depths beneath the bay’s imposing icebergs
lie an overwhelming number of ghost fishing nets. In 2013, WWF teams in Russia
© WWF-BRAZIL

These lost and discarded plastic nets and long helped establish Sailugemsky
lines continue to be a lethal trap to birds, fish and National Park and began
marine mammals, such as seals, even after they’ve supporting anti-poaching patrols
been discarded. Indeed, a new study has shown throughout the Argut region.
NEW RESEARCH ON ‘JAGUAR ISLAND’ that a year after a gill net is lost it can still catch They also began outreach and
Our camera traps are helping to reveal the nearly a fifth as many fish as an actively managed So in October, we began cleaning up Greenland’s education programmes. In 2014,
secret world of jaguars on mysterious Maraca net. That’s bad news for fish populations, and the fishing grounds. We collected and sustainably they invited six ex-poachers to
Island, an uninhabited and largely unexplored wildlife and people that depend on them. disposed of ghost fishing nets, helping to save the become snow leopard guardians
tropical island lying 5km off the coast of Brazil. The abandoned polymer ropes and fishing gear lives of countless animals. But we’re not stopping and helped them understand how
Maraca contains around 60,000 hectares of also add a significant amount of plastic pollution there. Our goal is to stop fishing gear from being the cats were worth more alive.
rainforest and is home to magnificent jaguars. to the ocean. They leach microplastic fibres into lost or tossed in the first place. So we’re fighting Each reformed poacher now
© SIMON LORENZ / WWF-HONG KONG

But how they got there is still unclear. To find the water, and these enter the food chain when to make sure that all gear can be traced back to its protects his own area where one
out more, we placed camera traps around the they’re ingested by organisms such as fish. owner, that refundable deposits on fishing gear or two snow leopards roam. They
island. As you can see from the picture above, A recent study found that microplastics are now encourage its return, and that insurance incentives monitor the cats using camera
they’re already producing excellent results. found everywhere in Arctic waters, and seabirds encourage safe gear disposal. We’re also helping traps. Together, they’re helping
Coastal marine ecosystems

© WWF-RUSSIA
Next, we hope to collar individual jaguars in show some of the most
are suffering. In several Arctic areas, over 70% of to develop tools, such as sonar reflectors, that local people to see snow leopards
order to track their movements. We’ll let rapid ongoing declines northern fulmars were found to have plastic in will make lost gear easier to find. as a treasure they want to protect.
you know what we discover. their stomachs. Find out more wwf.org.uk/ghostnets

8 | Action Summer 2019 Action Summer 2019 | 9

ARCTIC TIPPING POINT PROTECTING THE ARCTIC

PACIFIC WALRUS
CHUKOTKA PENINSULA, RUSSIA

H
ow much does a walrus weigh? A big male can

CLIMATE
reach more than 1.5 tonnes. And, at around 3.6m
long, they really are pretty huge. But how much
does a walrus smell? That’s a more important point
than you might imagine – particularly if you live in
a village where 40,000 of them have hauled themselves out
of the sea and into the schoolyard. The answer is, perhaps
unsurprisingly, not good. “They smell like hell,” smiles
Tom Arnbom, WWF’s senior adviser for the Arctic.
It’s not a hypothetical question for the residents of
Vankarem and Ryrkaypiy, small settlements on the

CHANGE
Chukotka Peninsula in far-eastern Arctic Russia. And it
became a problem in summer 2007, when the sea ice edge
lay a record distance (around 1,200km) away from the
Chukotka coast. Indeed, the extent of sea ice across the
Arctic that year was the lowest on record: in September
2007 it dropped to 4.13 million sq km – 38% below the
1979-2000 average.
Pacific walruses like to rest on floating sea ice, diving
down to eat mussels and clams on the seabed. But if ice is
sparse they rest on land, congregating in huge haul-outs

SURVIVORS
often numbering tens of thousands, as it was in Chukotka
in 2007. An estimated 20,000–30,000 walruses hauled
out near Vankarem (which, according to some, means
‘tusk people’, referring to the indigenous population’s
reliance on walrus hunting). Meanwhile, 200km to
the north-west, an intimidating 40,000–50,000
individuals congregated in the schoolyard at Ryrkaypiy,
a settlement of around 1,000 people. Suddenly, around
70,000 walruses were thronging in places that had never
experienced such huge haul-outs in living memory.

A CRUSH OF WALRUSES
“That caused problems, especially in Ryrkaypiy,” recalls
Tom. “There was a lot of noise, there was a bad smell
and when people started taking pictures it caused
stampedes.” When startled, walruses dash for the
The Arctic is warming rapidly. But thanks ocean – and young calves are easily crushed by huge,
to you, we’re working to tackle the climate panicking males. “More than 650 individuals died in the
schoolyards,” says Tom, “and there were more deaths
In the Arctic, the minimum level of
crisis and protect the region’s iconic wildlife sea ice is declining by around 13% each
decade. When the sea ice recedes over
near Vankarem. Overall, probably more than 2,000
individuals died, mainly young ones.”
the deep ocean basin, walruses must
either continue to ‘haul out’ on the sea ice
The smell of dead walrus wasn’t just a superficial
with little access to food, or abandon the sensory problem for these communities. “The people
ice and move to coastal areas where they realised that polar bears would arrive in winter and be
can rest on land. Haul-outs containing

© GETTY
thousands of walruses have become attracted to the walrus carcasses in the settlements,”
increasingly common during low ice years explains Tom. “So to keep both the people and the

10 | Action Summer 2019 Action Summer 2019 | 11

ARCTIC TIPPING POINT PROTECTING THE ARCTIC
During low sea ice years, remaining on

POLAR BEAR
the floes means Pacific walruses have
further to swim back to shallower waters
to find food, since the sea bed is too deep
for them to reach. As a result, females
are in poorer condition. Calves are also SVALBARD, ARCTIC NORWAY
more likely to become separated from
their mothers in the deep water
In the future, some polar bears may and, though polar bears are great
continue to take advantage of retreating swimmers, it has a huge impact on their
sea ice where walrus haul-outs offer easy energy requirements. In some areas of
pickings. Tom has seen places where the Arctic, the body condition of the bears
there’s no sea ice near the coast during is poorer, they produce fewer cubs, and
summer. “Every walrus haul-out has a juvenile survival rates have fallen.
polar bear nearby. One pup per month “The impact of climate change on the
is enough food for a bear – pups are Arctic is complex and varies from place to
fat! As sea ice shrinks, some polar bear place,” she adds. “The same species living
populations will lose access to one food in different regions will respond differently
source – seals – but gain another because to these effects. The lives of polar bears,
of the changes in walrus behaviour.” bowheads, narwhals and other Arctic
Overall, though, climate change is species are so intimately tied to the sea
a disaster for polar bears. In western ice that if their home continues to change
Svalbard, coastal ice has retreated at this rate, they won’t be able to adapt
dramatically, which impacts both humans quickly enough to survive.”
and bears. “Just 25 years ago, you could It’s vital we monitor the big picture
travel by skidoo along the coast to reach to ensure the ecosystem and all the
settlements in a few hours,” explains Tom. species within it are protected. As well

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF THE

“Now it takes several days to cover the as research and conservation advocacy,
same distance, because there’s no ice.” we’re working to reduce conflict between
This affects Svalbard’s polar bears too, people and polar bears, a problem that’s

ARCTIC HAS INCREASED BY MORE THAN

Melanie explains. “There’s data covering increasing as bears are forced to spend
multiple generations of bears that can more time on land searching for food.
pinpoint where one female now has to With your support, we’re working across
swim in an area where her grandmother Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Russia,

2.3°C SINCE THE 1970S, AND CONTINUES

was able to walk over the ice. In just two supporting patrols and other strategies to
generations, it has completely changed keep humans and polar bears safe.

TO INCREASE BY 0.6°C PER DECADE

polar bears safe, we gave funds to local dangerous stampedes. population on Svalbard – a Norwegian studies to determine whether Atlantic and
communities to cover the fuel and labour Climate change is disproportionately archipelago in the Arctic Ocean – seems Pacific populations are mingling in the
required to drag the walrus carcasses away affecting the Arctic and its inhabitants to be growing, in part because of hunting Laptev Sea. We’ve also been supporting
and stack them up to keep bears away from – walruses, humans and other species. restrictions but possibly also because less research into behaviour and numbers at
villages. The smell was incredible!” The average temperature of the Arctic has sea ice means easier access to their feeding haul-outs in western and eastern Russia,
Disappearing sea ice
The problem with shrinking sea ice isn’t increased by more than 2.3°C since the areas around islands. looking at how walruses are affected by forces polar bears to
going away – and neither are the walruses, 1970s, and continues to increase by 0.6°C So it’s not just one story for all species shipping. Maritime traffic throughout the burn huge amounts
of energy walking or
which have kept returning to the Chukotka per decade. The retreating sea ice is just one across the Arctic, but a mixture. Melanie region is growing as channels become swimming long distances
coast. “Polar bears have learned this,” result. Changing conditions are affecting Lancaster, WWF’s Arctic species specialist, increasingly free from ice, and we want to to reach the remaining
reports Tom, “and they’ve started visiting animal migrations, vegetation ranges, even explains: “There’s a lot of uncertainty for determine the minimum distance shipping ice in order to hunt

areas in summer that they used to only the fat content of marine prey species – and scientists and conservationists in this lanes need to be from haul-outs to avoid
migrate through in winter, to feed on the these effects are not the same everywhere. area, so it’s important we continue with causing stress to the walruses.
walruses. The bears may not even have to For example, the impact on the Atlantic monitoring and research, as well as

WORKING FOR WALRUSES

hunt – they can just eat the carcasses of walruses, mostly around Greenland and moving quickly on policy.”
walruses killed in stampedes.” eastern Arctic Canada, has been minimal With your help we’re supporting and
Across the Chukchi Sea to the east, compared with their Pacific cousins. undertaking a range of work on walruses Climate change remains by far the
too, summer colonies of more than Atlantic walruses tend to hang out on across the Arctic. In Russia, we’ve helped greatest threat to walruses. Find out
10,000 walruses now gather at Point Lay islands and coastlines because their shallow fund a report gathering data from different more about how you’re helping to

© ALAMY
in Alaska almost every year. Here, people feeding grounds are closer to the shore, so sources on the status of walruses across protect these Arctic giants at
are kept away from the haul-outs to prevent they aren’t reliant on sea ice. Indeed, the the Arctic region, and supported DNA wwf.org.uk/walrus

12 | Action Summer 2019 Action Summer 2019 | 13

XXX
Climate change threaten
s
the nomadic culture and

“TODAY, ALMOST
well-being of reindeer-
herding communities
in Arctic Russia and
Scandinavia

ALL OF THE REINDEER CARIBOU/REINDEER

POPULATIONS IN THE SWEDEN AND CANADA
If too little ice is a problem in the Arctic Ocean, on

CANADIAN ARCTIC ARE IN

Snow cover was good land there’s another headache: too much ice. Or,
during the 2018–19 winter, more accurately, ice in the wrong place – and it’s
and biologists counted having a huge impact on reindeer. “Local herders say

DECLINE, AND SOME ARE

109 birthing females
that climate change is affecting their herds,” explains
Tom. “There’s more winter rain, which penetrates
the snow and forms a sheet of ice covering the lichen

IN FREEFALL, DECLINING
that are the reindeer’s main winter food. They can’t
even smell the lichen, let alone reach it to eat it, so
they simply don’t know where to go to find food.”

SAIMAA RINGED SEAL

BY AS MUCH AS 95%”
In Sweden, the livelihoods and cultural traditions
of Sámi people are inextricably linked to the
reindeer. They’ve migrated with the herds for
FINLAND centuries. Now, though, lakes and rivers don’t always
“One aspect of climate change that’s not talked about so freeze in autumn, so the Sámi must move through
much is snow,” remarks Tom. “Snow cover is decreasing forests, which takes longer. And in hot summers,
more rapidly than sea ice in some areas, and that’s a as last year, the reindeer migrate higher into the
ticking time bomb – we don’t know exactly what it’s mountains to find snowfields where they can evade
going to mean. Snow is not one thing, it’s hundreds of biting insects. Females have longer treks down to
things. Its loss creates challenges for many different valleys to feed at night, when insects are less active;
plant, insect and mammal species.” as a result, some of their calves may weigh less.
One animal affected by an absence of snow is the These are problems the Sámi have never faced
Saimaa ringed seal, an endangered pinniped found before. They’re very concerned. Tom explains:
only in the Saimaa lake system in south-east Finland. “They say, ‘We need to find a new way of reindeer
Numbers declined as a result of hunting, falling from herding, because if it dies, our culture will die –
perhaps 1,000 at the start of the 20th century to fewer and it will never come back.’”
than 120 in the 1980s. After we established a seal The reindeer’s North American cousins, the
conservation programme in 1979, the population began barren-ground caribou of Arctic Canada, are also
to recover. But then it hit another stumbling block: snow suffering as ice masks the lichen. This is just one of
– or, rather, a lack of it. many issues affecting the subspecies, which has
Female Saimaa ringed seals give birth and nurse their experienced calamitous population declines. It’s also
pups in dens in snowbanks, which provide protection. been hit by changes in the composition of vegetation
Warmer winters result in poor snow conditions, and on feeding grounds caused by a warming climate.
if there’s insufficient snow to make dens, the pups are Some herds, which once numbered in the hundreds
exposed to predators and disturbance by humans. of thousands, have declined by over 95%.
It may also increase mortality risk and hamper growth. Barren-ground caribou are also sensitive to
To compensate, in recent winters, WWF volunteers industrial development – mining and its associated
have scraped snow and ice from the surface of the frozen infrastructure – on their migration routes and calving
lake to make artificial snowbanks in which the seals can grounds. This is increasing as marine transportation
den. The results have been encouraging. In 2017, the becomes more feasible due to longer open water
volunteers built 286 snow dens, and 74 pups were born. periods in the Arctic caused by climate change.
Indeed, between 2014 and 2017, they’ve constructed “The eastern Canadian Arctic is where most

© BRYAN AND CHERRY ALEXANDER / NATUREPL.COM

nearly 800 artificial snow banks, where 190 pups have caribou give birth,” says Melanie. “All of the females
in a herd give birth at virtually the same time. So it’s

© GETTY | © JUHA TASKINEN / WWF-FINLAND

been born. Over that period, half of all Saimaa ringed
seal pups were born safe inside human-made dens. vital they get to their calving grounds at the right
Thanks to these efforts, and work to reduce fishing time, and that they’re not disturbed there, or it’ll
bycatch, seal numbers have risen to an estimated 392. have a huge impact on the herd. A lot of our work
But what will happen if the lake fails to freeze, or there’s Climate change is affecting
at WWF focuses on protecting the caribou’s calving
no snow for volunteers to make dens? With your help, weather patterns and grounds and migration routes from being affected
we’re supporting the University of Eastern Finland’s vegetation in the Arctic, by roads, industry, noise and other threats. By doing
causing the population of wild
research into seal conservation and monitoring, and caribou to decline by nearly this, we’re giving the species the best chance of
how dens can be created in years with no snow or ice. 50% in the last two decades coping with rapid climate change.”

14 | Action Summer 2019 Action Summer 2019 | 15

CLIMATE CHANGE SURVIVORS The Arctic fox faces many threats from
climate change. Its sea ice and tundra PROTECTING THE ARCTIC
habitat is shrinking, its lemming prey
is less abundant, and competition with

CLIMATE CHANGE
red foxes is increasing

BOWHEAD WHALE
ARCTIC OCEAN VERSUS THE ARCTIC
The bowhead whale is the jazz crooner some journey times by an estimated 40% bowhead migration routes and numbers, Shrinking sea ice is not the only sign
of the cetacean world. “Bowheads compared with routes via the Suez or particularly around eastern Canada and of climate change in the Arctic. Other
have complex songs that change all the Panama Canal. As a result, shipping traffic western Greenland, and in the critically far-reaching – and surprising – threats
time, which they use to find mates,” is expected to quadruple here by 2025! endangered population between east affect landscapes, animals and people
says Melanie. This analogy reveals a big Ship noise and bowhead calls are both Greenland and Svalbard. And we’re
problem facing this huge denizen of the low frequency, so the potential disruption working on minimising the impact of
Arctic Ocean, whose vocalisations are to whale communication is worrying. industry and shipping on these huge,
increasingly drowned out by a different Industrial noise can also cause hearing charismatic creatures. “We’re advocating
kind of underwater orchestra – propeller
sounds from increased shipping, seismic
loss, inflict physiological stress, make it
difficult for mothers to find their young,
for a more precautionary principle to be
applied to the Arctic,” asserts Melanie.
ARCTIC LAKES ARE DISAPPEARING
Since 1970, more than 400 tundra
booms from more oil and gas exploration, and even scare off their fish prey. “It’s particularly important for long- ponds have vanished in Greenland
and the clash of construction as new Over 70,000 supporters signed our lived, slow-reproducing species such as due to advancing plant cover, thawing
infrastructure is built. campaign pushing for effective regulation the bowhead. It can take, not years, but permafrost and evaporation.
“This soundscape is unique,” explains
Melanie. “Noise travels at a shallower
of underwater noise in Arctic waters and
to create sound sanctuaries to safeguard
centuries for a population to recover.”
These problems are only getting ARCTIC FOX
depth in the cold Arctic water, and ice marine mammals. worse. Scientists estimate that summer SCANDINAVIA AND FINLAND DISEASES SPREAD
blankets the ocean from wave and wind The bowhead’s distinctive appearance sea ice could be virtually gone by the Arctic warming allows
action for much of the year. So it’s a much hints at another growing problem. “Like 2030s. “If we protect an area of old- An Arctic fox in winter is a heart-warming affecting these rodent cycles, reducing prey diseases to spread. The
quieter place than most of the world’s narwhals and belugas, the bowhead has a growth forest from destruction, species sight – if you can locate one! Its gorgeous availability for Arctic foxes, which won’t muskox lungworm is
oceans. We think the marine wildlife of small dorsal ridge instead of a big fin. This such as orangutans will benefit,” says thick fur turns white in autumn, providing breed when rodent numbers are low. rapidly expanding its
range north and east,
the Arctic is less accustomed to noise enables it to swim under ice floes where it Melanie. “But in the Arctic, it’s different. excellent camouflage against the snow. We’re taking action in Scandinavia to help
probably due to
than in other regions, and cetaceans are skims food from shallow water,” explains We can protect an area – but if climate But there’s another reason why spotting one Arctic fox numbers recover, providing dog warmer conditions.
particularly sensitive.” Some bowheads, Melanie. “Orcas have tall dorsal fins, so change continues unchecked and sea is a rare treat in Scandinavia and Finland: pellets at dens year round – not enough to
which can live for up 200 years, were born they aren’t suited to hunting amid the ice vanishes, it’s no good. Sea ice is as there are very few left. make them breed, but sufficient to increase
NATIVE PLANTS
ARE LOST
in an era before motorised vessels. floes. But as the sea ice retreats, the killer fundamental to a bowhead as trees are Intensive hunting in the 19th century survival rates in winter so that when a
Today, the Arctic Ocean is noisier than whales are able to move further north, to an orangutan – and it will disappear decimated these populations. Locally lemming or vole surge happens, they can
ever as retreating ice unlocks previously hunting narwhal and bowhead whales.” unless we take action to mitigate extinct in Finland by the early 1980s, the take advantage. We’re also putting out trails If snow cover only lasts
inaccessible shipping lanes, reducing We’re supporting research on climate change impacts today.” Arctic fox was saved from a similar fate in of food between core areas to encourage for shorter periods and
summers become longer,
Sweden by a hunting ban in 1928. Even so, them to spread to new locations. And we’re
plants from the south
by 1980 just 30 Arctic foxes survived here. protecting Arctic fox dens to ensure they can gain a foothold and
Temperatures in the Arctic fox’s tundra have safe places to raise their cubs. outcompete native
habitat have risen by 1°C in the past century. Thanks in part to this work, Arctic fox Arctic-adapted plants.
As a result, the treeline is advancing north numbers have increased in Sweden and
and the tundra is receding. This has opened Norway to about 300, some of which are
the door to red foxes, which are twice the spilling over into Finland. “We’re hoping
size of their cousins and which kill or chase for a lemming peak in Scandinavia this
away Arctic foxes from their dens. summer,” says Tom, “so Arctic fox numbers
Whereas Arctic foxes near the coast have
access to fairly consistent food sources
should rise by 50 to 100. When we reach
about 2,000 Arctic foxes, the population will
HUMAN COMMUNITIES AT RISK
As sea ice that protected coasts from
such as seabirds, those on the tundra are be able to take the bumps and our work here storm surges vanishes, land is lost to
largely reliant on lemmings and voles, will be done. Sadly, there’s not much we can the waves, while thawing permafrost
populations of which boom and plummet in do about the retreating tundra – except keep causes damage to buildings and roads.
regular cycles. Climate change seems to be working to combat climate change.”

HELP US PROTECT THE ARCTIC TODAY

The Arctic region is facing a climate emergency. £10 could help pay for a blood and decision makers to push for
Through our Arctic programme, we’re working to sample from a polar bear to action to tackle climate change
combat the urgent threat of climate change, save assess its health
wildlife and support communities. Your membership £200 could help pay for tags to
works in many ways, from supporting patrols to £70 could help pay for a polar monitor marine mammals, such
monitor polar bears and walruses, to providing bear patroller for a day, to keep as bowhead whales and walruses
essential kit for field teams. You’re also enabling us people and bears safe
to discover more about species that depend on sea If you’d like to do even more,
Listen to a bowhead’s song ice, and helping to persuade governments to tackle £100 could support our you can donate today at
and find out how the underwater the underlying causes driving climate change. advocacy with governments wwf.org.uk/arcticaction

© GETTY
soundscape of the Arctic Ocean is
changing at wwf.org.uk/arcticnoise

16 | Action Summer 2019 Action Summer 2019 | 17

 THE BIG PICTURE

MAKING NEW FRIENDS

From deserts to the frozen Arctic wilderness, the
production team behind Netflix series Our Planet travelled
the globe to capture its most compelling conservation
stories. But it wasn’t always as glamorous as it sounds...
“For the Frozen Worlds episode, I was working in Russia with
a WWF scientist, Anatoly Kochnev, and an all-male crew.
So it wasn’t ideal to discover that our accommodation was
essentially a large garden shed,” chuckles Sophie Lanfear,
producer-director for Silverback Films, who made the
spellbinding series.
“There were seven of us sleeping in one room,” she explains.
“We each had our own shelf, with four on each wall, and we had
to get into bed in a certain order. Fortunately, it only became a
problem if you needed to pee in the middle of the night!”
The hut was surrounded by thousands of Pacific walruses,
day and night. “It was sad,” sighs Sophie. “We wanted the Frozen
Worlds episode to highlight the importance of sea ice for the
animals that depend on it – and for the planet. In Russia, the sea
ice has retreated so far north that this beach is the only place
close to their feeding grounds that the walruses can rest. So
now they all haul out at this one location and that’s dangerous

© JAMIE MCPHERSON / SILVERBACK FILMS / NETFLIX

for the calves, which can get crushed if the herd panics.”
Every now and then, the walruses would become curious
about their new neighbours and stick their heads through
the hut’s open door. “I kept very still so as not to startle this
individual. It was a beautiful, intimate and slightly melancholy
moment to share with an animal that’s struggling to survive
in a changing Arctic.”
Find out more and explore at ourplanet.com

18 | Action Summer 2019 Action Summer 2019 | 19

PROTECTING THREATENED SPECIES ORANGUTANS

ORANGUTANS AND
ASTROPHYSICS
Orangutans face a precarious future.
So with your help, we supported a
groundbreaking survey – using drones
and special star-spotting thermal
technology – that will help us protect
these precious apes

T
he work of primatologists and astrophysicists rarely overlaps.
But when Serge Wich, from Liverpool John Moores University
(LJMU), got talking to his neighbour and colleague Steve
Longmore, they discovered that studying apes and analysing
stars have more in common than you might think.
“A couple of years ago, I started using infrared cameras to monitor
wildlife,” explains Serge. “I quickly accumulated hours and hours of
video data, but I just don’t have the time to go through it all. One day I
was moaning about this on the train, when Steve offered to help.” Serge
thought his friend was volunteering his time to review the footage – but
Steve had something else in mind. Finding orangutans in the rainforest,
it turns out, isn’t so different from detecting the light from far-flung
galaxies in the vastness of space. And Steve and his colleagues at the
Astrophysics Research Institute at LJMU had been doing that for years.

WHY DATA MATTERS

Here at WWF, we know that successful conservation depends on
having good data. We need to monitor critically endangered orangutan
populations to see if our conservation efforts are working.
Serge agrees: “Does protecting an area as a national park have an
impact? Can well-managed logging concessions help maintain a stable
orangutan population? How effective is our work to educate and reduce
hunting? We can only answer those questions if we know the areas the
orangutans are using, and how many of them there are left.”
The most common way to monitor orangutan populations is by
counting their nests. “Like all great apes, orangutans make nests out of

WORDS BY BARNEY JEFFRIES; IMAGE © ANUP SHAH / NATURE PL

branches, high in the treetops, every night and sometimes during the
day. Here, they can sleep, comfortable and protected from predators.
From those nests, we can estimate the number of orangutans,” says
Serge. Usually finding nests involves walking in straight lines through
Borneo’s orangutans are the forest looking out for nests in the canopy – a long and laborious
facing a crisis. Poaching
and destruction of the process. Thanks to your support, we’ve been able to carry out helicopter
rainforest has driven them surveys, which allow us to cover larger areas in a shorter time. But this
to the edge of extinction. is expensive, and flying low over the forest canopy can be risky.
But by embracing
innovative approaches
To make matters more complicated, counting nests – which may
to monitoring wildlife, not necessarily be in use – provides only an imprecise estimate of
we can help protect them orangutan numbers, with room for error. “When the numbers are not
for generations to come
exact, it can be difficult to determine whether a population is growing,
stable or declining,” says Serge. “And, of course, that’s exactly what

20 | Action Summer 2019 Action Summer 2019 | 21

PROTECTING THREATENED SPECIES ORANGUTANS

SPOT THE HEAT

“ORANGUTANS SIGNATURE
ARE MUCH EASIER It’s not just orangutans that
show up on infrared images.
An orangutan in its nest

TO SPOT BEFORE
Borneo is home to
incredible wildlife. Along
with orangutans, the

THE SUN RISES”

Kinabatangan test site is
home to at least 10 other
primates, as well as the
island’s unique pygmy
elephants.
“For this trial, we focused
up at the on the orangutans,” says
Serge and the astro- ecolog y team gaze
orangutans in
drone as it sets out on a mission to find Serge. “But while we were Pygmy elephants
lly improve
their nests. This technology could radica
g to target flying the drones around, we
the accuracy of monitoring efforts, helpin
conservation work and inform land-u
se decisions realised that we could also
pick up the thermal signature
of other animals – proboscis
monkeys, macaques,
elephants.
“It’s our hope that we can
At the end of a long day foraging, develop this technique to
orangutans build a safe and help protect other threatened
comfortable nest in the forest canopy
mammals in Sabah and other
to sleep in. This is the best time to
try to count them to inform our places around the world in
Macaques
conservation efforts the future.”

But astrophysicists have been using to your support, and in particular to our renowned for its orangutans, but the easier to spot before the sun rises and begins “We hope you’re as excited as we are,”
them to detect the infrared signals amazing orangutan adopters, we were able population has fallen dramatically – from to warm up the forest again. As a result, we’re says WWF’s Asia regional manager Nicola
from stars and galaxies for much to see whether UAVs with thermal cameras more than 4,000 in the 1960s to only around all early risers now!” Loweth. “This could make a big difference to
longer. What we’re doing is applying really could be an effective way to monitor 800 today. As in other parts of Borneo Another strategy was to fly the UAV over a this precious ape’s future prospects, enabling
the techniques they’ve developed over orangutans and other threatened animals. and Sumatra, deforestation – particularly large area in a grid pattern, then try to locate us to help conserve and connect their most
many decades to identify orangutans.” We also used the opportunity to refine the conversion to oil palm plantations – is the and identify animals in the footage using the important habitats.”
we need to know. So we have to find a way With the right hardware and software, it’s system to allow for the effects of weather, main cause of their decline. astrophysicists’ algorithms. The specially And what works for orangutans can work
to minimise the amount of error in order to possible to identify the unique thermal profile humidity and other environmental factors. As evening approached, our teams on developed software accounts for vegetation for other threatened species too. Looking
identify population trends accurately.” or ‘heat signature’ of different species, and to We chose two sites for the trials. The the ground would head out into the forest blocking body heat, so animals can still be towards the furthest reaches of the universe
Recently, technological innovations have teach computers to recognise them. In theory, first, Sepilok, is a rehabilitation area where and follow individual orangutans. Once the detected even when they’re partly concealed may just have given us a new way of seeing
begun opening up ways to improve precision we should be able to fly a UAV equipped with a orangutans are habituated to the presence orangutans had made a comfy nest out of by trees or leaves. When an orangutan life here on Earth.
and reduce the workload and expense thermal imaging camera over the forest, then of humans, meaning they’re relatively easy branches and bedded down for the night, was detected, the ground team would be

HOW YOU CAN HELP

involved in wildlife monitoring. Unmanned run the footage through a program that will to find and follow. The second site, alongside the team would note down the nest’s GPS despatched to the location to check for the
aerial vehicles (UAVs) – better known as automatically detect orangutans and other the Kinabatangan coordinates. Then we’d fly the drone over that individual or a recently vacated fresh nest.
drones – equipped with digital cameras offer species it recognises. This works for galaxies river, is location – as the sun set that night, and again
an efficient way to cover large areas, and are billions of light years away, at any rate. globally the next day around sunrise – to see if it EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS In the last 20 years, forest destruction
and hunting have halved orangutan
less expensive and more environmentally could successfully detect the sleepy apes. In both cases, the system proved extremely
friendly than using helicopters and THE APPLIANCE OF SCIENCE “During the day, the temperature of a effective. “When we started this trial, I wasn’t
numbers. You’re already helping to fund
our pioneering use of new technology
conducting ground surveys. Conservationists Having developed the method in zoos, Serge, hot and humid forest is similar to the body sure how well it would work,” admits Serge.
to monitor these incredible animals.

© ALAMY | © GETTY | © SCUBAZOO / WWF-UK

are also increasingly using infrared thermal Steve and the LJMU astro-ecology team were temperature of wild animals. So you can’t “The tropics are hot and humid, so we weren’t
Watch the footage from our infrared

© LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY

imaging cameras, which capture information keen to try it out in the field. And because detect them that well,” explains Serge. positive the heat signal of an orangutan in a
cameras at wwf.org.uk/infrared
invisible to the naked eye. And this is where we’re always on the lookout for innovative “During the evening, the forest cools down, nest would be visible on the drone images.
the astrophysicists come in. ways to protect endangered animals, such as and the heat difference becomes greater, so Fortunately, it is. The results were even better But if you’d like to do more to help
“Like all mammals, orangutans produce orangutans, a partnership was formed. it gets easier to detect warm-bodied wildlife. than I expected.” protect Asia’s only great apes – before
heat to maintain their body temperature. Last year, we worked with LJMU “The morning is the best time to look for There’s still work to be done to refine the it’s too late – adopting an orangutan
By using infrared cameras, we can detect and Hutan Kinabatangan Orangutan orangutans, because the forest has cooled system and reduce the costs, but this new can help preserve the rainforest and
that heat,” explains Serge. “In recent years, Conservation Programme to test the down a lot over night, and the animals’ technology has the potential to radically promote sustainable palm oil. Adopt
infrared cameras have become increasingly technology in the Malaysian state of heat causes them to glow brightly on improve the accuracy and efficiency of today at wwf.org.uk/orangutan
popular as a way to monitor wildlife. Sabah on the island of Borneo. Thanks the infrared images. They’re much monitoring orangutan populations.

22 | Action Summer 2019 Action Summer 2019 | 23

 OUR PLANET INTERVIEW
On New Britain Island
in Papua New Guinea,
where the Our Planet
team filmed, virgin
rainforest had been
recently cleared and
the land prepared to
plant a monoculture
of palm oil trees

Huw Cordey is the producer of the Jungles

episode of Our Planet. We asked him about filming
challenges, conservation and choices...
How is Our Planet different? swamp in Suaq Belimbing, Sumatra. The water was
We wanted to create a series that would reach a massive up to our shins or even our knees for 12 hours a day.
global audience and not just celebrate the natural We were carrying really expensive camera equipment,
world, but show in depth the challenges it’s facing but we couldn’t see the hazards waiting to trip us up
today. We’re approaching a tipping point when those beneath the surface. There was also a plant called
changes are going to affect us all – our food supply, our ‘ringus’ whose fallen fruits turned the water toxic,
air, our quality of life. We need to change our view of creating a nasty skin infection a bit like a poison ivy.
nature, from a ‘luxury’ to a necessity for life to continue Our poor cameraman’s legs were red raw for days!
as we know it. The future of our planet is in our hands.
We must all start thinking hard about how our choices Were there any film-making firsts?
affect nature. The next 20 years will be critical. We Our aim was to show the orangutans using tools –
have the power to save our world, but we must act now. a behaviour never documented for TV before. This
population is the only one in the world that uses tools,
What’s special about the Jungles episode? which they fashion out of bits of stick and use to winkle
It explores the greatest and most important rainforests out insects and beetle grubs from the tree bark. We
in the world and introduces their unique cast of knew it would be hard to film this behaviour, because
characters. Jungles are by far the most diverse habitat the orangutans live in the tree tops, blocked from view
on the planet. They represent only about 7% of the by dense foliage. We were thrilled when we succeeded.
world’s land area, yet they are home to almost 50%

JUNGLES
of its species. They are also crucial to all life on Earth How were drones used in the filming?

Time to save our

because they drive the water cycle and remove carbon Our Planet is the first big, blue-chip natural history
from the atmosphere. In this episode, we wanted to series that has used drones for filming. In the past,
convey their huge importance and need for protection. we would’ve had to use a helicopter, but drones can
fly much lower and give a more intimate aerial view.
How did you choose what to film? For example, we deployed drones to show the impact
The great thing about jungles is that we still don’t know oil palm is having on the orangutan’s home. We found
that much about them, so there are always new species a place where virgin rainforest was butted right up
and stories to share. Years ago, I captured the first-ever against an oil palm plantation. The footage reveals
footage of a displaying male western parotia – a bird of the stark contrast between the incredibly diverse and
paradise – for Planet Earth. Technology has advanced a pristine rainforest, and the relatively lifeless oil palm
lot in the past 15 years, so I wanted to film the parotia’s monoculture. It’s a poignant moment in the film, and
dance again, using new, smaller remote cameras. one of my favourite drone shots in the whole episode.

© HUW CORDEY / SILVERBACK FILMS / NETFLIX

Located high above the action, they enabled us to show
a fresh perspective on the male’s performance – the
female’s point of view – which gives much more insight.
PROTECTING TROPICAL FORESTS
Safeguarding forests and their magnificent
wildlife has been at the heart of our work for half
What filming challenges did you face?
a century. With your support, and through our
When you’re making a programme about jungles,
collaboration on Our Planet, we’re also helping to
almost every shoot is challenging. They’re difficult
highlight the urgent need to stabilise our climate.
places to film in, because the wildlife is hard to spot
Find out how to save our jungles at wwf.org.uk/
– you hear everything, but see nothing. The greatest
savejungles and discover more at ourplanet.com
challenge on this shoot was filming orangutans in a

24 | Action Summer
Spring 2018
2019 Action Summer 2019 | 25
GROW FOR YOUR WORLD PROTECTING POLLINATORS

GIVING
We cannot live without bees, but in the
UK they’re being pushed to the brink.
So this summer let’s make every garden

BEES A
an oasis for pollinators, says wildlife
gardener Kate Bradbury

I
magine living in a desert with barely any food, water or shelter. That’s
what much of the British countryside is like for wild pollinators today.
Our bees, butterflies, moths, hoverflies, wasps and pollinating beetles
are in trouble. Over the past 50 years, they’ve experienced staggering

LIFELINE
declines. About 23 species have become extinct since 1850, and the
ranges of many other species have shrunk until they are surviving only
in small isolated patches of suitable habitat.
The threats our pollinators face are many and varied. Habitat loss,
fragmentation and degradation are key factors driving bee declines.
A staggering 97% of all flower-rich grasslands in England – an area
the size of Wales – has been lost since the 1930s. Modern farming
practices, including the use of pesticides and grubbing out hedgerows,
environmental pollution, climate change, non-native invasive species,
diseases and pests have also had an impact.
As well as being widely loved, bees play a vital role as pollinators. In
addition to wildflowers and trees, bees and other insects help to pollinate
our food crops. It’s estimated these pollination services are worth £600
million to the UK’s crops every year – and, of course, they do this free of
charge. A third of the food we eat relies on bees for pollination and they
are essential for our survival. We all need bees – and they need our help.
Pollinators such as bees are
in decline and struggling
because of habitat loss. This is PUTTING NATURE FIRST
due to increased urbanisation Thanks to you, we’re shining a light on the plight of these precious
and industry, agricultural
pollinators and highlighting the loss of wildlife across the UK. It’s a
intensification, heavy use of
pesticides and herbicides, and the sad fact that we live in one of the most nature-depleted countries in the
loss of wildflower meadows world. But right now we have a real opportunity to change this, so we’re

THE SHOCKING TRUTH

fighting for better protection for UK species. “The government is currently
making big decisions about how it will manage nature in England,”

90% 1 IN 3 40–70% 24% 17

explains WWF’s science adviser Lucy Young. “As new environmental
policies are being negotiated, we’re pushing for legally-binding targets to
restore habitats for bees and other wildlife and a strong watchdog to hold

WORDS BY KATE BRADBURY; IMAGE © GETTY

governments to account.”
We’re also supporting BugLife to call for the creation of ‘B-Lines’
through the new Environment Bill being introduced to Parliament.
These are a series of flower-rich ‘insect pathways’ running through our
Almost 90% of the One in three mouthfuls Experts predict 40-70% According to the A new report by WWF countryside and towns that will link together the best of our existing
world’s wild plants of food we eat only exists of pollinators could go IUCN Red List, as and BugLife found that 17 wildlife areas to benefit pollinators and people. By creating and restoring
depend on pollinators, because of pollinators. extinct if action is not taken many as 24% of species of bees have been at least 150,000 hectares of flower-rich habitat across the UK, we hope to
provide a long-term solution to help our bees recover.
along with 75% of Bees pollinate crops from to enable them to move Europe’s bumblebee lost from the east of England You can restore nature on your own patch, whether you have a large
leading global crops tomatoes to strawberries through the landscape species are threatened wwf.org.uk/bees garden or a windowbox, and do your bit to give struggling species such
as bees a huge helping hand. Turn over for our top tips to get started...

26 | Action Summer 2019 Action Summer 2019 | 27

GROW FOR YOUR WORLD PROTECTING POLLINATORS

PLANTING FOR POLLINATORS

SEVEN WAYS YOU CAN 4
Avoid using pesticides. The use of
neonicotinoids has been partially The creation of a network of flower-rich habitats across the
banned, but these chemicals are

HELP POLLINATORS
UK is vital for pollinators and our own future food security.
still used in horticulture, including Together, our gardens take up more space than all of the UK’s
bug sprays. Some plants purchased from nature reserves put together. So by growing a mix of flowering
garden centres contain neonicotinoids, so plants, we can all help our pollinators find enough food.

1
choose carefully where you buy plants. You Pollinators need a range of different flowers to feed from.
can also make your own natural spray out While most common species of bee are generalist feeders,
Grow flowers from March to of neem oil, which contains 50 insecticides. meaning they’re not fussy about the blooms they visit, others
November, longer if possible
have more specific requirements. The bilberry bumblebee,
(especially if you live in the south).
for example, feeds almost exclusively on the flowers of its
Start the year with bulbs such as
namesake plant. Other bees are closely associated with

5
crocuses, snowdrops and aconites,
dandelions, white deadnettle and red clover – plants generally
and end it with winter-flowering
Buy organic food, which is grown regarded as weeds. All we have to do to help is to resist the
clematis and honeysuckle.
without synthetic fertilisers and urge to pull up these unloved flowers and allow them a little
pesticides, so pollinators can space in our gardens to bloom. Wildflowers such as scabious,
feed without being exposed knapweed, bird’s foot trefoil and ox-eye daisy support a range

2
to harmful chemicals. What’s more, of pollinators, but garden cultivars can be just as valuable.
organic farms tend to be more nature Another thing the wildlife-friendly gardener should
Grow a wide range of plants consider is the shape of a pollinator’s mouthparts, as this
friendly, so you’re not only supporting
with different-shaped flowers. determines the type of flowers it can visit. Bees, butterflies
bees but whole ecosystems.
Grow daisy-like blooms such as and moths suck nectar through a straw-like proboscis.
marguerite and chamomile, tubular The length of this tube varies with each species – that of the
flowers such as honeysuckle honeybee is quite short, while in some bumblebees, moths
and foxglove, bowl-shaped blooms

6
and butterflies it can be impressively long.
such as cranesbill and poppies, and flat, Species with elongated tongues will visit blooms with deep
plate-like fennel and Verbena bonariensis. Make bees and other
beneficial minibeasts flower tubes, such as honeysuckle, foxglove and red clover.
more welcome in your Those with a shorter proboscis are restricted to bowl-shaped
garden by providing an flowers such as cranesbill, and flat, daisy-type blooms, such

3
insect hotel. Include lengths of as ox-eye daisy, fennel and white clover, which allow them
bamboo, twigs and stems, grass to access the nectar easily. Hoverflies have a sponge-like
Select single bloom over double- proboscis they use to dab flowers to absorb the nectar and
bloom flowers. Some varieties seed heads, pine cones, leaves
and lichen and remember to pollen. They also require flat blooms, which enable them
of dahlias and roses, for example, to rest on the flower while feeding. Planting a wide variety
have extra petals. But they’re like a clean it out every year in winter.
of flowers that will bloom for as long as possible is key to
closed shop for pollinators, which can’t supporting the greatest number of pollinators on your patch.
reach their pollen and nectar. It’s also important to cater for the complete life cycle of

7
different pollinators. While adults consume pollen and nectar,
If your garden is buzzing with bees their larvae may have different needs. The caterpillars of
and other insects, why not share your butterflies and moths eat leaves, while the larvae of most

© GETTY | © GARDENERS’ WORLD

photos and top tips for creating a hoverflies munch on aphids. Herbaceous plants such as
Kate is passionate about wildlife- nettles, bird’s foot trefoil, cuckoo flower and honesty feed the
wildlife-friendly patch with us? Simply
friendly gardening. She says: “Even
share on Instagram or Twitter with the caterpillars of many common butterflies, while shrubs and
the tinest urban space can be rewilded
and transformed into a haven for our hashtag #GrowForYourWorld and tag @ trees such as hawthorn, buckthorn, silver birch and oak can
most important insects” wwf_uk We can’t wait to be inspired! support the life cycles of huge numbers of moths. By growing
just one or two additional caterpillar foodplants in your
garden, you can make a huge difference to pollinators.

SIX GARDENER’S FRIENDS TO SPOT

BUFF-TAILED BUMBLEBEE ELEPHANT HAWKMOTH RED MASON BEE SMALL TORTOISESHELL MINT MOTH MARMALADE HOVERFLY
Bombus terrestris Deilephila elpenor Osmia bicornis BUTTERFLY Pyrausta aurata Episyrphus balteatus
A common bumblebee, Nocturnal, this large A solitary bee covered in Aglais urticae A tiny, purple-brown A common hoverfly with
with a dark-yellow pink and brown moth dense, gingery hair. Females A beautiful, common but moth with yellow an orange body and
band on the thorax and feeds on honeysuckle often nest in bee hotels, declining butterfly with markings. Breeds on black, ‘moustache’-like
abdomen. The large and other tubular laying eggs singly in ‘cells’ orange, yellow, blue and mints, such as lavender, bars. It feeds on a variety
queen has a distinctive flowers. It is attracted of mud, which they stock black markings. Adults mint and catmint. Adults of flowers but favours
buff tail. Nests in colonies to light. The caterpillar with pollen. In autumn, the feed on a range of nectar- rest on the foodplants umbellifers such as fennel,
of up to 300 in old mouse has distinctive larvae pupate in the nest rich flowers, and their during the day, and flutter and daisy-type blooms.
holes and beneath sheds. markings resembling until the following spring. caterpillars feed on nettles. if you disturb them. Flies Its larvae eat aphids. Flies
Flies February to August. an elephant. Flies March to June. Flies March to October. April to September. March to November.

28 | Action Summer 2019 Action Summer 2019 | 29

 COMPETITIONS NOTES FROM THE FIELD

DIVINE JEWELLERY CROSSWORD

In a boat off the
Costa Rican coastline,
Hugh Pearson works
with an underwater
We’re giving two lucky winners their Solve our crossword and you could cameraman to film

choice of three fabulous animal-inspired win a copy of The Snow Leopard Project, spinner dolphins for
the High Seas episode
pieces of jewellery by Tatty Devine published by PublicAffairs, worth £20.99 of Our Planet

Born in 1999 in the heart of east London, today

Tatty Devine’s original, handmade jewellery has a cult
following. So we’re delighted they’re collaborating with us on
15 covetable pieces of statement jewellery that capture the
spirit of some of the world’s most iconic wildlife. Prowling
leopards, swinging orangutans and striding elephants are all

WIN!
lovingly brought to life in Tatty Devine’s fun and distinctive
style – in brooches and necklaces.
This exclusive collection is created from infinitely recyclable

TATTY DEVINE
acrylic and designed to last a lifetime, with repairs to well-
loved pieces provided by a team of 18 ladies in Tatty Devine’s BEHIND THE SCENES ON OUR PLANET
JEWELLERY Kent studio. So not only do they look good, they also do good.
The Coastal Seas episode of Our Planet explores the super-

OF YOUR CHOICE
Two lucky winners will have their choice of jewellery from a abundance of life in the waters around our coasts. Coastal seas
leopard brooch, a panda necklace or an elephant necklace, make up only 10% of the surface of the ocean, but support 90% of all

© TATTY DEVINE
worth £35-£45 each. To be in with a chance of winning, marine life. The aim of this episode was to explore why oceans are
simply follow the instructions below and mark your entry important, why we need them and how we can protect them.
‘Tatty Devine Competition’. One of my favourite shoots was the sea otters in Monterey Bay,
California. Sea otters are arguably the cutest animals in the ocean,
but they’re also vitally important. They’re the guardians of their kelp
forest home, because they help to keep numbers of kelp-munching

OUR PLANET BOOK

sea urchins in check. If allowed to increase, urchins would literally
eat the whole kelp forest.
Sea otters are easy to film above water, and we were able to get
WWF Action summer 2019 crossword complied by Aleric Linden
nice shots of them rolling up in the kelp to sleep and eating sea
We’re giving away three copies urchins using their bellies as tables. But filming them beneath the
After solving the crossword, take each letter from the shaded
of Our Planet, the must-have surface is difficult because they don’t like people being in the water
squares (going from left to right and top to bottom) to spell out
photo book that accompanies the prize word. To be in with a chance to win, just send a postcard
with them. Fortunately, cameraman Doug Anderson was able to
the Netflix series with the prize word to the address on page 30, or email it to
establish a respectful relationship with a dog otter. Doug began
snorkelling with him, getting closer and closer until he was allowed
competition@wwf.org.uk. The closing date is Friday 19 July.
With a foreword by WWF ambassador Sir David Attenborough, to dive with him. Then we got amazing shots of the otter swimming
this is the stunning photographic companion to Our Planet, Clues Across 4 Ocean creature – second-largest sinuously through the kelp, hunting sea urchins.
the groundbreaking Netflix series. Every page takes you on a 1 Natural gas or coal, eg a big living mammal on the planet (3,5)
spectacular journey around the globe’s richest ecosystems, with contributor to global warming 5 A metric measure of water (5)
6 A lake that was once frozen (7)
IN THE NIGHT OCEAN
stunning visuals of nature’s most intriguing animals in action and when burned (6,4) One of the key sequences we wanted to film for Coastal Seas was
7 The accidental escape of oil and 11 Huge lake on the border of Peru
environmental change on a scale that must be seen to be believed. and Bolivia high up in the Andes (8) a shark feeding-frenzy at night. We travelled to a small island
water etc from pipelines (7)
Revealing the most amazing sights on Earth in unprecedented 8 _ Pole, point located in the middle 12 Rainforest-rich Asian country, in French Polynesia, which is one of the few places where shark

STUNNING PHOTO PRINT

ways, this book is at the forefront of a global movement to work of the Arctic Ocean (5) part of which is on the island of populations are still abundant, thanks to legal protection. The crew
together to protect our world. To enter, follow the instructions 9 The young of bears or tigers (4) Borneo (8)
got amazing footage of hundreds of grey reef sharks and whitetip
10 Walking routes, nature trails etc (5) 13 The world’s fastest land mammal
below and mark your entry ‘Our Planet Competition’. (7) sharks hunting at night. We wanted to highlight how important
14 The polar bear’s home – most
16 Because of CO2 emissions, our sharks are to the marine environment. They help keep the whole
We’re giving away a gorgeous photographic northern region of the Earth (6)
naturally alkaline oceans are system in balance. But humans have ruthlessly exploited them.
15 How corals turn white because of
canvas print of your choice, courtesy of becoming increasingly what? (6)

HOW TO ENTER ACTION GIVEAWAYS

warmer seas (6) More than 100 million sharks are killed every year, mostly for their
Nature Picture Library 18 Dark sticky substance obtained 17 Great Russian river – Europe’s
fins. As a result, most shark populations have declined by 90%. By
from tar distillation (5) longest (5)
Are you passionate about penguins, devoted to dolphins or in 20 A north African or Arabian river taking out so many sharks, we’re causing real damage to the ocean.
Send an email with your name, address and phone 19 This furry Arctic creature is one of
love with lions? Now is your chance to grace your home with a the Arctic wolf’s main prey (4) bed, usually dry (4) Our coastal seas have been pushed to the brink of collapse.
number, along with Tatty Devine Competition, NPL Photo A third of fish populations are in decline. But it’s not too late – we
stunning photographic canvas print of your favourite species. In 21 Plant life (5)
Competition or Our Planet Competition in the subject line, to 22 A notably salty lake – lowest point can restore them to full health. To protect them, we need to establish
this exclusive competition for WWF members, one lucky winner Spring 2019 answers
competition@wwf.org.uk on the Earth’s surface (4,3) marine protected areas, where commercial fishing is not allowed.
can take their pick from thousands of beautiful professional 23 The frozen continent (10) Prize Word: TIDAL
wildlife photos at natureplprints.com. You’ll receive an impressive Alternatively, post your entry to Action Mag, WWF-UK, Living Across 1. Big-leaf 6. Melt 8. Shelf ice Fish spawn here and overspill to populate the surrounding area,
90 x 60cm canvas, worth £160. To enter, follow the instructions Planet Centre, Rufford House, Brewery Road, Woking, Clues Down 10. Leak 11. Wildlife 13. Eiders
14. Desert 17. Bushmeat 19. Burn
where fisherfolk see their harvests increase. If given a chance, our

© JUSTIN MAGUIRE
on the right and mark your entry ‘NPL Photo Competition’. Surrey GU21 4LL. Only one competition per entry please. 1 Australian sea turtle (8) 21. Polluted 22. Kelp 23. Craters oceans can recover their true glory amazingly quickly.
2 Robert, well-known polar and Down 2. Iceland 3. Lift 4. Arctic
Please include the Media ID number of your chosen image –
it can be found below the picture at natureplprints.com.
Closing date: Friday 19 July. For terms and conditions,
visit wwf.org.uk/compterms
Antarctic explorer (4)
3 A large frozen mass, often polar
5. Tepui 7. Threatened 8. Silverback
9. Adder 12. Crime 15. Equator
16. Vapour 18. Seals 20. Flat
Hugh
(3,3) Hugh Pearson Silverback Films producer & director Our Planet

30 | Action Summer 2019 Action Summer 2019 | 31

 THEIR FUTURE
OUR PLANET

• ACTION • SUMMER 2019 • ISSUE #42

YOUR LEGACY
Our planet is extraordinary
and we’re fighting to keep
it that way. To find out how
a gift in your will can leave
a lasting legacy, please
email our legacy supporter
manager Maria Dyson:
maria@wwf.org.uk

© GETTY

IN YOUR NEXT ISSUE

PROTECTING KENYA’S LIONS + IN SEARCH OF JAGUARS
WWF.ORG.UK

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