Feb.

BBC Wildlife No. 02 Vol. 42

THE COVER Our cover this month features a raccoon, photographed in Germany by David Hup from the Netherlands. “I was drawn to this one because of its striking high-contrast fur,” he says. “Each raccoon’s distinct facial markings, akin to bandit masks, are as unique as their personalities.” David used a NIKON Z6, 200mm, 1/160th, f3.2, ISO1000.

Every month, only in BBC Wildlife

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Rare monk seals photographed in the Med

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NICK BAKER

“It is on the chunky side for a rove beetle; a strange, lumpy, hairy and mottled insect” P.34

GILLIAN BURKE

“For our ancestors, survival depended on being tuned into the wild world and interpreting its signals” P.1 5

MARK CARWARDINE

Unfortunately, we’re unable to feature a column from Mark this month, but look out for him in a future issue

LUCY COOKE

“Female capuchins brazenly pester the alpha male by performing a so-called sex dance” P.25

BBC WILDLIFE February 2024 6

MIKE DILGER

The naturalist follows the epic annual life cycle of the North American monarch butterfly P.30