Week in wildlife: a flying teddy, a fishy shipwreck and a globe-trotting sea slug

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  • Round robin … a small insectivorous passerine sings in Dunsden, UK. Robins sing primarily to defend their territory, acting as a “war cry” or “invisible fence” to warn other male robins to stay away, and to attract a mate, signalling to females that the territory is taken and suitable for breeding

    A Eurasian robin singing in Dunsden, UK. Robins sing primarily to defend their territory, acting as a “war cry” or “invisible fence” to warn other male robins to stay away, and to attract a mate, signalling to females that the territory is taken and suitable for breeding. They sing year-round, though the song is richer in the spring, and they are one of the first birds to start singing at dawn and often the last to stop at night
  • A male red deer roars during the rutting season in the wildlife and hiking park in Silz, western Germany

    A male red deer roars during the rutting season in the wildlife and hiking park in Silz near Landau, Germany. The rutting season of the red deer begins in September and ends in the middle of October
  • The Christmas Island Flying Fox, Australia. Scientists fear the flying fox could be one cyclone away from extinction. The Christmas Island flying fox numbers have declined and the endangered species is left without recovery plan. The flying fox has important role in pollination and seed dispersal on the island
  • About 400 Asian water monitor lizards live in Lumphini park in Bangkok, Thailand. As the urban lizard population explodes, people are complaining that the reptiles intrude upon popular fishing spots, raid livestock and even crawl into homes. Some joggers in the park welcome them, however, using them as low hurdles in their training routines

     lizards intruding upon popular fishing spots, raiding livestock, and even crawling into people’s homes.
  • A toucan waits to be checked over by veterinarians and forensic police experts in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian police arrested 45 people and rescued hundreds of exotic animals in their biggest ever operation against wildlife traffickers

    A toucan is seen inside a cage before a checkup by Brazilian veterinarians and forensic police experts in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian police arrested 45 people and rescued hundreds of exotic animals in the biggest ever operation against wildlife traffickers in the world’s most biodiverse nation. Over a thousand officers took part in the bust across Rio de Janeiro and other states, which was the largest operation in Brazil’s history to combat the trafficking of wild animals, weapons, and ammunition,
  • Cheers! Two male chimpanzees eat the fruit of the Guinea plum tree at Taï National Park in the Ivory Coast. A study has found chimpanzees’ enthusiasm for guzzling ripe fruit puts their ethanol intake at about 14g daily – the equivalent of a half pint of beer

    Cheer! Two male chimpanzees eat the plum-like fruit of the evergreen Parinari excelsa tree at Tai National Park in the Ivory Coast. A study has found chimpanzees’ enthusiasm for guzzling ripe fruit puts their ethanol intake at about 14g per day, the equivalent of a half pint of beer a day
  • Vets tend to an injured eagle at a bird hospital in the old quarters of Delhi, India

    Vets tend to an injured eagle at a bird hospital in the old quarters of Delhi, India
  • Fish swim around the underwater remains of the British cargo ship SS Thistlegorm, which was sunk by German aircraft in 1941 after being deployed to transport military supplies from England to Egypt during the second world war. The wreck, which is near Sharm El-Sheikh, is one of the Red Sea’s most popular diving spots, with armoured vehicles, torpedoes, Jeeps, rifles and Norton motorcycles on view

    Fish swim round the underwater remains of the British cargo ship ‘Thistlegorm,’ which was sunk by German aircraft in 1941 after being deployed to transport military supplies from England to Egypt during World War II, in Egypt. The wreck, situated about 40km west of Sharm El-Sheikh, stands as one of the Red Sea’s most popular diving spots. Armored vehicles, torpedoes, jeeps, rifles and Norton motorcycles designed for desert use, along with wagons lying in the dark waters, reveal traces of history while serving as a habitat for diverse marine life
  • A ladybird makes a meal of aphids in a garden in England, UK. Gardeners preparing for autumn are likely to encounter a surge of ladybirds, thanks to the warm spring and summer temperatures that significantly increased aphid populations – their primary food source

    A ladybird feeding on aphids in a garden in England, UK. Gardeners preparing for autumn are likely to encounter a surge of ladybirds seeking shelter among foliage and debris. This abundance follows a bumper year for the beneficial insects, attributed to the warm spring and summer temperatures that significantly increased aphid populations – their primary food source. Warmer conditions accelerate the aphids’ development and reproductive cycles, leading to more generations and, consequently, a greater food supply for ladybirds
  • This baby howler monkey, called Domingo, is being treated at the International Animal Rescue Centre in Costa Rica. He has electrical burns on his hands and feet which came from climbing on uninsulated cables. The centre is campaigning to get the Costa Rican government to insulate power cables

    A baby Howler is called Domingo who was taken to the International Animal Rescue (IAR) in Costa Rica where he has burns on his hands and feet from electrocution on uninsulated power cables. Domingo is now being cared for by the centre in Costa Rica. IAR are campaigning to get the Costa Rican government to insulate power cables
  • A postman butterfly perches on a flower at the Osher Rainforest of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, US

    A postman butterfly perches on a flower at the Osher Rainforest of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, US
  • A green june beetle crawls on the trail at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, US

    A green June beetle crawls on the trail at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, US
  • A herd of buffaloes sit in the Indus River, with the residential buildings of Sukkur, Pakistan, in the background. Monsoon rains have caused the river to overflow

    A herd of buffaloes sit in the overflowing Indus River, with the residential buildings of Sukkur in the background, as floodwater passes by following monsoon rains and rising levels of the Indus River in Rohri, near Sukkur, Sindh province, Pakistan
  • A vet feeds pigeons in order to catch them and take them to be sterilised, at Plaza de Bolívar in Bogotá, Colombia. The local government are trying to bring down the pigeon population to improve hygiene and reduce disease

    A vet feeds rock doves or common pigeons (Columba livia) to catch them and take them to be sterilized, at Plaza Bolivar in Bogota, Colombia. The local government implemented a pigeon sterilization campaign to reduce overpopulation, prevent diseases, and ensure responsible management of this species in urban environments
  • Macaws fly past a family on a scooter during a training session in a field in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia

    Macaws fly past a family on a scooter during a training session in a field in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia
  • A newly hatched sea turtle makes its way into the sea after leaving a conservation centre in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia. Conservationists released about 400 turtle hatchlings on 15 September

    A newly hatched sea turtle makes its way into the sea after leaving a conservation center in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia. Conservationist released around 400 turtle hatchlings on 15 September. The sea turtle conservation efforts in Kuta have been conducted since 2002 to protect sea turtles
  • In sea slug news: a “groundbreaking” discovery has been made, with the nudibranch Spurilla neapolitana, typically found in much warmer climates, turning up in Cornwall. The colourful sea slug usually lives the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and along the western Atlantic. Until now, its most northerly sighting was in Brest, France

    A ‘groundbreaking’ sea slug discovery has been made, in a UK first. The nudibranch Spurilla neapolitana, typically found in much warmer climates, has been discovered in Cornwall. The colourful sea slug is a usual resident in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and along the western Atlantic. Until now, its most northerly sighting was in Brest, France, in August 2025
  • Seagulls fly over as a net from a trawler is hauled up during a sardine fishing campaign, off the Baie de Somme of northern France

    Seagulls fly over as a net from the trawler Nicolas-Jeremy, which practices pair trawling in tandem with the Notre Dame de Boulogne trawler, is hauled up during a sardine fishing campaign, off the Baie de Somme of northern France
  • A lesser goldfinch bathes in a garden fountain in Placentia, US

    A lesser goldfinch bathes in a garden fountain in Placentia, US
  • A spotted lanternfly swims through Chesapeake Bay at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, US. Its beautiful colouring belies the fact that it is considered a pest: it feeds on a wide variety of crops, particularly grapes, stone fruits and walnuts, causing agricultural damage and leaving behind a sugary substance that promotes sooty mould growth

    A Spotted Lanternfly swims through the Chesapeake Bay at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, US. A pest that feed on a wide variety of plants, particularly grapes, stone fruits, and walnuts, causing agricultural damage and leaving behind a sugary substance that promotes sooty mold growth
  • Flamingos at a bird sanctuary near the Sariyar Dam in Turkey

    Flamingos at the Bird Sanctuary near the Sariyar Dam in the Cayirhan township of Ankara’s Nallihan district, Turkey. Birds that spend the summer months here migrate south in the winter
  • A black darter dragonfly resting on a reed in Somerset, UK. The black darter is Britain’s smallest species of dragonfly. The elusive insects often thrive in moorland, spending their days darting around bog pools and drainage ditches

    A black darter dragonfly resting on a reed while silhouetted by a late summer sunset in Somerset, UK. The black darter is Britain’s smallest species of dragonfly. The elusive insects often thrive in moorland, preferring to spend their days darting around bog pools and drainage ditches
  • An egret takes flight beside a body of water in Banda Aceh, Indonesia

    An egret takes flight beside a body of water in Banda Aceh, Indonesia
  • A baby western lowland gorilla named Zeytin eats a peanut at the Polonezköy zoo in Istanbul, Turkey. The gorilla was rescued from smugglers at Istanbul Airport in December, and is preparing to return home after months of medical care and rehabilitation. Zeytin will soon be sent back home to Nigeria before potentially being released into the wild

    A baby Western lowland gorilla named Zeytin, eats a peanut at the Polenezkoy Zoo in Istanbul, Turkey. The gorilla was rescued from smugglers at Istanbul Airport in December, and is preparing to return home after months of medical care and rehabilitation. Zeytin will soon be sent back to Nigeria where it was being illegally transported from to Thailand, before potential release into the wild
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