Wild Lives

If you think you’ve ever been to the middle of nowhere, think again. In this episode, we take a journey deep into the Amazon rainforest, to one of the most remote parts of the jungle where we met Indigenous wildlife guide, Alejandro Aguilar.

This conversation took place on board a boat in Peru, and along the way we learn what it’s like to have been born and raised in the jungle. We follow Alejandro’s incredible life story, which saw him leave his village as a small child and become part of a government project in Lima, eventually returning to the Amazon as an adult.

Alejandro has an extraordinary understanding of and connection with nature, and what we can learn from him is hard to put a value on.

Oh, and just for good measure, he has a very amusing story about a group of Germans in the jungle. But that’s for later.

If you enjoyed this episode, you can read more of Paul’s adventures on the Aqua Nera at ⁠https://www.discoverwildlife.com/holidays-days-out/south-america/amazon-wildlife-river-cruise⁠

You can find out more about Amazon river tours on the Aqua Nera at ⁠aquaexpeditions.com⁠ and on travel in Peru by visiting ⁠peru.travel⁠

Photo: Paul McGuinness

And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: ⁠https://www.discoverwildlife.com⁠

BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For most people, the thought of watching a magnificent wild animal being eaten alive right in front of them would be the stuff of nightmares, but it’s all in a day’s work for our guest, the celebrated Scottish wildlife filmmaker Gordon Buchanan.

Fresh from filming the latest series of the BBC’s Big Cats 24/7, Gordon discusses what it’s actually like to sit in a safari vehicle for endless hours in the scorching sun, waiting for something to happen. He looks back at his childhood on a council estate outside of Glasgow, and reflects on the difficulties of maintaining a work/life balance while filming away from home for months at a time.

Gordon’s live tour show, Lions and Tigers and Bears, covers 30 dates in England and Scotland from January through March 2026. Get your tickets at ⁠gordon-buchanan.co.uk⁠

The new series of Big Cats 24/7 will be on BBC Two in February 2026. In the meantime, many of Gordon’s films are available to watch online – search under his name on the BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Apple TV, National Geographic, or whichever services you use.

Photo: Gordon Buchanan

And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: ⁠https://www.discoverwildlife.com⁠

BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’ve ever imagined what the world would have looked like before it was cut up for agriculture and urban life, you could do worse than to look at the work being done by rewilders, like Nick Viney.

For this episode, we took a road trip to meet Nick Viney, the creative force behind Rewilding Coombeshead, 400 acres of former farmland in southwest England that is being reclaimed by nature. Wild cats, beavers and buffalo act as ecosystem engineers, with countless species flooding back to the site. And listen out for a delightful cameo from the noisy white storks!

You can follow Rewilding Coombeshead on Instagram here: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/rewildingcoombeshead/⁠ and find out more about their work, and how to visit, at their website: ⁠https://rewildingcoombeshead.co.uk/

Photo: ⁠groundswellag.com⁠

And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: https://www.discoverwildlife.com

BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was presented by Danny Graham, hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many of us dream of close encounters with wild animals, but Bertie Gregory has made this a reality through his stunning films for National Geographic.

As well as winning a stack of awards for his photography and filmmaking, Bertie is a National Geographic Explorer – which, as we discovered, is as cool as it sounds.

Bertie is passionate about sharing his love of nature, as we found out when we caught up with him ahead of his latest movie – Dolphins Up Close, which is available to watch now on Disney+

You can follow Bertie on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/bertiegregory/

Photo: Jeff Hester/National Geographic

And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: https://www.discoverwildlife.com

BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was presented by Sophie Ellis, hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever wondered how to repair a coral reef? Or even if it’s possible? Well you’re not alone. And that’s why we visited Mote Marine Laboratories at Islamorada, in the Florida Keys.

We know that our coral reefs are in trouble. But the good news is that there is hope for these vital ecosystems.

We spoke to scientists whose ground-breaking work is helping to regrow the world’s third largest coral reef in a fraction of the time that nature would usually manage, armed with a hammer and a bag of nails.

You can follow Mote’s work on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/mote_lab/

Photo: Gareth Jones

And to get more great content from BBC Wildlife, visit our website: https://www.discoverwildlife.com

BBC Wildlife is the world’s longest-running and most popular nature magazine. This episode was hosted by Paul McGuinness and produced by Lewis Dobbs.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices