Mark Carwardine
Zoologist, activist, author and presenter
Mark Carwardine is a zoologist, an environmental activist, an award-winning and bestselling author, a TV and radio presenter, a widely published wildlife photographer, a wildlife tour operator, and a magazine columnist. He presented the weekly half-hour programme Nature (and many other radio programmes) on BBC Radio 4 and co-presented the BBC TV series Last Chance to See, with actor and comedian Stephen Fry. He has written more than 50 books and has been writing a provocative monthly conservation column in BBC Wildlife magazine for nearly 20 years. He was selected as one of The World’s 40 Most Influential Nature Photographers in Outdoor Photography Magazine, was Chairman of the Judging Panel of the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition for seven years and presented and produced a 10-part wildlife photography series for BBC Wildlife on YouTube.
Recent articles by Mark Carwardine
Opinion: “Stupid eco-nutters and clowns – why are environmentalists treated with such little respect?”
Environmentalists are often given a bad name, says Mark Carwardine. But why?
Opinion: “Why should wildlife lose to businesses underpinned by criminal activity?” Mark Carwardine on driven grouse shooting
Mark Carwardine takes a look at driven grouse shooting in the UK.
Opinion: “Why are we always so nervous?” Why the lynx should be returned to Scotland, explains Mark Carwardine
Despite many years of campaigning, people are still against lynx reintroduction in Scotland. But why, asks Mark Carwardine.
Opinion: “Europe seems hellbent on creating the most hostile environment for bears.” Why can't Europeans live with predators?
Mark Carwardine on the rising tide of hostility towards Europe's largest predators.
Opinion: “Hunts up and down the country will be sticking two fingers up at the law”. Mark Carwardine on the UK’s fox hunts
It's been over 20 years since The Hunting Act banned hunting wild mammals in England and Wales – but evidence suggests that fox hunting never stopped.
Opinion: 'So much for protecting Arctic wildlife' – new Norwegian cruise restrictions are hypocritical, says Mark Carwardine
In a bid to curb overtourism, the Norwegian government has announced new regulations. But as Mark Carwardine says, they miss an important point
Opinion: "It's illegal to kill most songbirds in the EU, but the legislation is hardly worth the paper it's written on... It’s scandalous on every level"
It’s utterly ridiculous that EU funds spent on expensive bird conservation programmes in some countries are completely wasted because the very same birds are later killed, illegally, in other countries, says Mark Carwardine.
Opinion: “This appalling brutality and cruelty is blatantly in contravention of Iceland’s own Animal Welfare Act”, says Mark Carwardine
What I find truly disgraceful and indefensible is that, in 2024, we are still talking about declaring quotas for whalers, says Mark Carwardine
Opinion: Orangutans to be given as gifts to countries that buy large quantities of palm oil in a move that defies logic, says Mark Carwardine
The Malaysian government has announced it will give orangutans to its trading partners such as the EU, the USA and China, in return for buying large amounts pf palm oil
Opinion: “Any environmental campaigner who does protest risks imprisonment,” says Mark Carwardine, after UK toughens up its protest laws
Two new laws give British authorities nearly total discretion as to which protests and marches should be subject to restrictions says Mark Carwardine
Why are killer whales attacking boats?
Why would killer whales attack yachts in 21st-century Europe? is it revenge? Mark Carwardine takes a look at the evidence
Opinion: "Supergluing your face to the road doesn’t make the rest of the country care more about climate change"
Does direct action still have a place in the fight for climate change when the most urgent conservation battles are being fought in boardrooms?
Opinion: Cat-killing competition aimed at schoolchildren scrapped after backlash
You might expect it from the hunting, shooting and fishing fraternity in the American Midwest. But you wouldn’t expect it in New Zealand says Mark Carwardine
The Sixth Extinction: what it is, what is causing it - and how many species we are losing
'We are in the middle of a sixth mass extinction,' says Mark Carwardine, 'but what makes this one different is that we are to blame'. Here he explains more
Alien species: What they are and why alien species are such a threat
Mark Carwardine demystifies the issues surrounding alien species.
Japanese company is selling whale meat from vending machines
In a desperate last-ditch attempt to revive flagging demand for whale meat, Japan’s only offshore whaling company has started selling it from vending machines
Opinion: Rhino poaching has halved. So why aren't we dancing in the streets?
There may be some good news for rhinos, says Mark Carwardine, but while demand remains for their horns, they will never be safe
Opinion: Why China is the source of the disastrous avian flu (bird flu) outbreak
Chinese intensive poultry farming is responsible for the current global outbreak of avian flu (bird flu) – the worst ever known
Opinion: We must end human-rights violations carried out in the name of conservation
Conservationist Mark Carwardine says we need to include indigenous people in global conservation efforts and acknowledge that they are an intrinsic part of nature
Opinion: De-extinction is not the solution to the extinction crisis, says Mark Carwardine
The thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, officially became extinct in 1936, but now scientists want to bring it back from the dead. Is de-extinction actually bad news for the conservation?
Opinion: We need to learn to live alongside dangerous animals
Human-animal conflict isn't a new issue, but we need to be sympathetic in our approach to the conservation of animals that may pose a threat to humans
Coral reefs guide: what is coral and coral bleaching, and species to spot
Dive into the watery world of coral reefs and discover how they are formed, why they’re so important, and what coral bleaching is.
Opinion: Hare coursing is a serious problem in many rural areas
There are now tougher punishments for those caught chasing brown hares with dogs, but, as Mark Carwardine explains, that doesn't mean an end to the barbaric practice of hare coursing
Opinion: We may yet be a step closer to a permanent end to Icelandic whaling
Iceland resumed whaling in June 2022 after a four-year lull. Despite the news, Mark Carwardine reports that Icelanders are progressively changing their minds – in favour of whales.