Wild London (2026)

[bunniefuu]

Good evening, sir. Where to?

Richmond, please.

Richmond it is.

Throughout my life,

I've had the good fortune

to travel the world,

witnessing many great

natural spectacles.

But this is the place

to which I've always returned.

A sprawling megacity

may seem no home

for a nature lover like me.

But there is a wild side to London.

My city is surprisingly alive

with all sorts of animals...

..and full of remarkable

natural spectacles.

Even in the centre of town,

animals can not only survive,

but flourish.

Over the years,

I've come to appreciate

what I find on my own doorstep.

So, when it comes to discovering

the wonders of nature,

there really is no place like home.

This is it. Thank you very much.

London.

Nine million people.

2.5 million cars.

And 600 square miles of

concrete, tarmac and steel.

But the city has a

surprisingly rich wildlife.

And my journey begins between

an unassuming row of houses

in north London.

I've come to this

allotment in Tottenham

to meet a notoriously

elusive resident.

It's now around 8.30 in the evening,

and if all goes to plan,

they should show up any minute now.

Oh, here we are.

Hello.

And here's another one. Two.

Even though there are

more wild foxes

in London than almost

any other big city,

it's still a huge thrill to see one

suddenly emerging from the bushes.

Totally wild creature.

Hello.

An encounter like this

feels very special.

But in London,

you're usually far closer to a fox

than you might think.

These cunning creatures are experts

at operating under our radar

through stealth...

..adaptability...

..and an appetite

for almost any food...

..foxes thrive

in surprisingly high densities.

In the open countryside,

there are one or two

per square kilometre.

In London, there can be 30.

So, their biggest challenge

is competition with one another.

This vixen has secured

a prime territory in Tottenham.

With plenty of options for food.

But another female

is sniffing around her patch.

It's the breeding season

and the demand for territories

is intense.

If she's to keep her home,

she'll have to fight.

FOXES SCREECH

These battle cries

may be a familiar sound,

but few of us get to witness

fights as fierce as this.

Neither individual

can afford injury,

so they try to intimidate.

Finally, her rival submits.

The better the territory

a female attains,

the greater will be her success

as a mother.

Even so, she'll need help.

FOX SHOUTS

The call from her mate.

Time to regroup.

In the allotment at the

heart of their territory,

they steal a moment together.

Raising a family in the city

will depend on the strength

of their bond.

In this highly

urbanised environment,

the only animals that flourish

are those who know

how to work the system.

Like most Londoners,

I used to get the tube to work

and there was one animal

that always brightened up my day.

Hammersmith station.

An excellent breakfast spot

for peckish pigeons.

Once this platform

is cleared of food,

it's on to the next station.

And why waste energy flying

when you can travel by tube?

TANNOY: This train

is ready to leave.

Please mind the doors.

Pigeons probably

first hopped onto trains

following trails of crumbs

dropped by commuters.

Getting home is no problem either.

Pigeons use the sun and magnetic

fields to find their way.

In urban areas,

they also use landmarks,

roads, and even train lines.

However, it's the ability

to rub along with us humans

that makes them so good

at navigating London life.

TANNOY: Mind the gap between

the train and the platform.

Pigeons are so streetwise, they can

thrive right in the city centre.

But they're not alone.

Peregrine falcons.

Towering buildings

are a good substitute

for their natural cliff habitat.

They're excellently adapted

to soar amongst London's

concrete canyons.

And there are one million

of their favourite prey.

Peregrines are agile pursuit hunters

and here, they need to be.

Manoeuvring through London's skies

is challenging

and pigeons use it

to their advantage.

But for the world's fastest animal,

there's plenty of opportunity

to make a k*lling in the city.

At Charing Cross Hospital,

these new parents face

a daunting feeding schedule.

Working a relentless relay,

they take turns fetching lunch

and baby-sitting.

Trying to keep up with their chicks'

insatiable appetites.

The chicks need to grow 25 times

bigger before they fledge.

There are now over 50 pairs

of peregrines nesting in London,

from hospitals to factories

by the Thames,

and even here

on the Houses of Parliament.

This pair have nested

among these spires for ten years.

Their latest chicks

are four weeks old

and it's time to check

on their progress.

What a lovely thing.

Yeah, there we are. There we are.

When I first moved to London

in the 1950s,

peregrine falcons were

practically extinct in Britain.

But now they're thriving here

in greater numbers than almost

any other city in the world.

Even so,

chicks like this little one

are still rare and precious,

and the ring that we're putting on

it now will help us follow it

as it seeks its fortune

in the big city.

So now we can recognise

you anywhere.

Yes.

Yes, you.

London's peregrines are now

doing well, thanks to our help.

Meanwhile, others

need no encouragement at all.

Dawn in Harold Hill,

on the eastern edge of the capital.

The scene is set for an invasion.

Fallow deer.

Before the pandemic,

only a few would brave the city.

But when the streets fell quiet,

they came as a herd.

Once they acquired the taste for it,

the habit stuck.

Now, even prized roses aren't safe.

Fallow deer were first introduced

to Britain by the Romans

nearly 2,000 years ago.

And in east London, their

numbers continue to grow.

When the human world wakes,

the herd heads back to the park.

This female is in a hurry.

She has a secret in the woods.

Her fawn is just a few days old.

She hides it among the trees

to keep it safe.

Wolves may no longer

be a threat in London,

but hundreds of thousands

of their relatives can be.

Every year, dogs k*ll fawns

hiding in the undergrowth.

DOGS BARKING

WHISTLING

As the threat gets closer,

the female seems

to abandon her fawn.

But she's trying to draw

attention away from it.

All he needs to do

is stay as still as possible.

Animals must rely

on their basic instincts

to keep their families safe,

even in this modern world.

Back in Tottenham,

the allotment is an excellent place

to meet the female foxes'

growing needs.

Five new mouths to feed.

For now, the cubs

will stay close to the den.

Tucked away from traffic

and other dangers,

London's 40,000 vegetable plots

provide a sanctuary for wildlife

and a good place to raise a family.

A few weeks later and the female

is now fully focused

on securing enough food.

Many people see foxes

just as scavengers...

..but half of everything they eat,

they hunt.

And this can help keep

other urban species in check.

But one pigeon won't feed

the whole family.

The cubs are twice the size.

Full of energy

and hungrier than ever.

Mum is drained.

She's been nursing for weeks.

It's time they relied on solid food.

So Dad takes on cub sitting duties

while Mum heads into town.

Some nights there's a feast

on the streets.

Foxes have small stomachs, so

what they can't eat immediately,

they save for later.

And they use some surprising ways

to store food.

This car's owner

will surely be confused

to find a chicken bone

under the wipers.

It pays to be streetwise

in a city with so many roads,

but not all animals

are able to adapt.

In spring, tens of thousands

of breeding toads

have got to get across roads,

and many don't make it.

They're not the only ones

to be threatened by traffic.

Hedgehog numbers in the UK

have declined dramatically.

A male hedgehog in search of a mate

may have to travel

up to two miles every night.

But when he uses the streets,

he's vulnerable.

Thankfully, there are safer places.

Like this garden in a corner

of Ealing in west London.

I used to have a hedgehog

that lived in my garden

all the time,

but now they're a rare sight.

They're charming creatures,

but not very sociable.

Nonetheless,

urban areas are the one place

where their numbers have stabilised,

and with a little help from us,

there's hope that

they might even increase.

Hedgehogs can eat up to

100g of food in a night.

And that can take quite

a lot of collecting,

but this one has hit the jackpot.

Every evening, the owner

of this garden

provides a feast for them.

He seems to be taking his time.

And just as well.

Tonight he's searching for a mate

and he'll need

all the energy he can find.

I think they're lovely things.

London has more gardens

per square mile

than any other capital city.

But all too often,

there's no way between them.

The mission for a mate

has hit a dead end.

Or has it?

All across London,

garden owners are putting holes

in their fences,

creating hedgehog highways

that allow safe travel

from garden to garden.

His eyesight is poor.

So he follows his nose.

The scent of a female.

Running rings around her

while making strange,

snuffling sounds,

is his way of wooing her.

But she seems

more interested in food.

Spines are great for defence,

but not for intimacy.

As few as 4% of courtships

are successful.

Only time will tell

if this is one of them.

Four million private gardens

create significant natural space,

but they are only one of the reasons

why London is considered

the greenest

major city in the world.

BIRDS SINGING

You hear that?

That's a robin.

And that is a parakeet.

This early in the morning,

the parks and gardens across London

are alive with birdsong.

It's a wonderfully peaceful time.

The opportunity to escape

urban life is important

for all of us who live in cities.

And when it comes

to finding green space,

we in London are particularly lucky.

With over 3,000 parks,

London has been granted

National Park status.

Some of this is down

to King Henry VIII.

The large areas of land he put aside

for hunting still remain today.

St James's Park,

Regent's Park and Hyde Park

are all right in the centre of town,

and each year they're enjoyed

by millions of visitors

and their pets.

So many people feeding the birds

supports particularly

high densities,

and that can lead to conflict.

Coots are fiercely territorial.

Every inch of water is contested.

Their brawls are vicious

and relentless,

and if they extend

into another's patch,

they become a free for all.

For birds more comfortable

in a crowd,

there's plenty of food to go around,

although not everyone is aware

of the pecking order.

This gull isn't after bird seed.

He's after pigeon meat.

A protein rich diet has given him

the glossiest plumage

on the shores of the Serpentine

in Hyde Park.

Regulars steer clear

of this k*ller gull.

They know how to avoid

his stalking stance.

New arrivals, however,

don't read the signs of danger.

This cunning gull even knows how

to dispatch his prey by drowning it.

He can claim two victims a day.

But maybe not this time.

Are the coots trying

to save their fellow bird...

..or are they just looking

for another fight?

A chance to escape...

..if she can just make it to shore.

It's not easy being on the menu

for so many urban predators,

but pigeons are the victims

of their own success.

London's long history of Kings

and Queens plays a huge part

in safeguarding space for wildlife.

From royal parks to

the most regal institution of all...

MUSIC: Zadok the Priest

by Handel

..Buckingham Palace,

official London residence of

the King.

And a number of Queens.

There are four honeybee hives

in the palace grounds,

and royal bees have easy access to

one of the finest rose collections

in the land.

But to make honey fit for a king,

they must venture beyond the

palace walls.

London's gardens offer a greater

diversity of flowering plants

than almost any other city,

and there are far less pesticides

than in intensively farmed rural

areas.

The ideal blend

for making delicious liquid gold.

There is one catch, however.

At the height of summer,

cities can be five degrees

hotter than

the surrounding countryside.

On rare occasions,

these temperatures can cause

nectar to ferment.

A day of foraging turns into

the bee equivalent of a pub crawl.

Is her tongue-like proboscis

hanging out

a sign that she's flying

under the influence?

Studies suggest that bees may even

prefer alcoholic nectar.

When she gets really legless...

..even wings don't help.

The effects wear off eventually,

but it's still three miles back

to the hive as the bee flies.

Research into whether bees get

hangovers has yet to be done.

However, thanks to a huge

diversity of flowers,

London honey is regarded as

some of the finest in the world.

SIREN BLARES IN DISTANCE

Just half a mile east,

back at Parliament,

the peregrine chicks I helped

to ring

are also struggling to get airborne.

Fully grown and a lot less fluffy,

they're preparing to leave the nest.

Fledging is the most difficult

time for urban peregrines,

but with every gust

of wind, they grow in confidence.

In the city,

there are fewer soft landings,

many more places

in which to get stuck.

There is nothing the parents can do.

She has to get out

of this one herself.

CHICK SQUAWKS IN ALARM

She's free of the railings.

No choice now but to make

that first flight.

A safe landing.

But if she's to master the art

of extreme urban flight,

her parents have their work cut out.

Peregrines spend months

teaching their young.

For a few weeks a year,

look up in London

and you might see this flight

school above you.

Adults perform manoeuvres

for the chicks to copy.

For advanced training,

parents first demonstrate the

tricky mid-air food pass...

..then fly by with food,

encouraging youngsters to try

and grab it on the wing.

It's not easy.

But after a lot of trial and

error...

..one chick finally gets it.

The 75 years that I've lived

in London has coincided with

the peregrine's extraordinary

return.

And over that time, far more

unexpected animals

have also made their home here.

Regent's Canal cuts a path across

the city centre.

It's a popular escape from

the busy streets

for walkers and cyclists.

But few are aware of the creatures

above their heads.

Aesculapian snakes are native

to continental Europe.

How they found their way here is

a mystery,

but now around 40 of them live by

the canal.

Shy and harmless to humans,

they actually help to keep

down the numbers of rats and mice.

Even so, anyone scared of snakes

will be pleased to

hear that they're not spreading.

Meanwhile, another new arrival

most definitely is.

These brazen birds are

running riot across the capital.

I still remember the

first time I saw

a parakeet

in my garden some 30 years ago.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

What on earth was an exotic

bird I'd seen on my travels

doing in my London home?

There are many urban legends

as to how parakeets

originally got here.

Some say Jimi Hendrix

released London's first parakeets.

Others believe that they escaped

from

a film set of The African Queen.

More likely is

that they are descended from pets

that escaped into the city.

However, one thing is certain -

life in London clearly suits

them very well indeed.

After foraging around town,

flocks join together to head

back to their roost.

One of the largest gatherings is

in Hither Green Cemetery,

southeast London.

Following set flight paths,

these green squadrons create

the capital's newest

wildlife spectacle.

It's thought that today there

are over 30,000 parakeets

in the skies of London.

With a social nature

and a bold approach,

parakeets have settled into London

life with ease.

And their numbers continue to grow.

Some animals do so well here

they become a bit of a nuisance.

A warmer microclimate

and well-watered gardens

create perfect conditions for

London's most bizarre courtship...

..the leopard slug mating dance.

Slugs are hermaphrodites,

each one is both male and female.

As they dangle from a line of mucus,

both are impregnated.

For such maligned animals,

their copulation

is strangely mesmerising.

But it only leads

to one thing - more slugs.

By the end of summer, there can be

as many as 14,000 slugs

in one London garden.

Gardeners try all sorts of things

to keep them at bay, but the best

solutions come naturally.

A female hedgehog.

And she's brought reinforcements.

Only five weeks old,

her hoglets join her on

foraging trips.

Her mating this season clearly

was successful.

Slugs and snails are

their favourite.

A single hedgehog can

devour several each night.

Males play no part in parenting,

but when it comes to helping

London's hedgehog population,

it's mission accomplished.

Back in Tottenham, the female

fox's next challenge

is to introduce her cubs

to life beyond the allotment.

Mum leads the way.

And her excited cubs follow.

Except for one.

Too scared of the big city,

the more timid cub is left behind.

Long, lonely nights pass.

Finally, hunger and

curiosity get the better of her.

With excellent night vision,

highly sensitive ears

and a keen sense of smell...

..she's well equipped to explore

what this city has to offer.

TRAFFIC DRONES

Just as she begins to find her feet,

it's sensory overload.

CAR HORN BEEPS

The road she's just crossed

is suddenly terrifying.

CAR HORNS HONK

And with good reason.

Cars are the biggest

K*llers of urban foxes.

Finally, a gap in the traffic.

She turns tail back

to quieter roads.

Often it's the most cautious

that are more likely to survive

the journey to independence.

And she's not alone yet.

Her parents will be here to help

for a while...

..as she gains in confidence

and discovers the wonders of

the city.

Some seem to be born

for a life on the streets,

but others depend on us

to create more suitable space.

And where better to start

than with one of London's iconic

landmarks?

The Natural History Museum

in South Kensington.

It's one of my favourite buildings

in London.

Its dinosaurs have inspired

visitors for nearly 150 years.

And in the grounds outside,

the recent addition of a

wildlife pond

is attracting some

prehistoric monsters of its own.

There is good grazing for

tadpoles at the sunlit surface.

If it gets scary up top,

they descend to the depths to hide.

Ancient nymphs have terrorised

the waters of this land

since the time of the dinosaurs.

With such voracious

predators lurking,

only a handful

of tadpoles will survive.

Few will be aware of the carnage

taking place below.

After two years of feasting,

the nymphs leave the water to

begin an incredible transformation.

Emperor dragonflies,

among the largest insects in Europe.

Forget T-rex, dragonflies are

the most efficient predators

to have ever lived.

And far from becoming extinct,

they're thriving

in the Royal Borough

of Kensington and Chelsea.

This little oasis symbolises the

way London's attitude

to its wildlife is beginning

to change.

To the west in Greenford, a

meadow has become a place of hope

for one of

Britain's smallest mammals.

And here it is...

..the harvest mouse.

Welcome to your new home.

There you go.

HE CHUCKLES

It doesn't want to leave.

Harvest mice disappeared

from this part

of London around 40 years ago.

Maybe this one will put that right.

Harvest mice play an important

role in grassland ecology.

They help disperse seeds

and are part

of a complex web of predators

and prey.

Of course, it takes a lot

more than my one mouse

to establish a new population here.

But thankfully, the desire to

bring the natural

world back into our cities

is gaining momentum.

Across London, people young and old

are helping

to reintroduce lost species...

..and restore a more natural balance

to urban areas.

A stone's throw from where I

released the harvest mouse,

London is home to a rewilding

project

with ambitions on

a totally different scale.

The signs of one animal's hard

work are everywhere.

If you're lucky, just before sunset,

you might catch a glimpse of one.

If someone had told me

when I first moved here

that one day I would be watching

wild beavers in London,

I would have thought they were mad.

But there they are, right behind me.

Happily going

about their own business.

Wild beavers disappeared

from Britain about 400 years ago,

but they've been successfully

brought back to this London wetland.

Not only is it a wonderful sight,

their presence is also helping

to reshape the urban environment

for the better.

This beaver family fell a few

trees each year,

and that lets in light

for other plants to grow.

And the dams that these ecosystem

engineers build

help to filter the water.

More plants and cleaner water

attracts more insects,

which in turn feed a community

of animals.

A whole wetland has been brought

back to life.

And it can now retain a

lot more water.

Incredibly, for the first time

in a decade...

..residential areas downstream

have been flood free.

If a few beavers can have such

a positive impact on this corner

of West London,

imagine what else can be achieved

if we let nature back

into our cities.

The way in which London

has changed over my

lifetime reflects the problems

in front of us all.

Making space for nature is one

of the greatest challenges we face.

But I also see how we can all make

a difference...

..no matter how small.

Whether lending wildlife a helping

hand...

..or making our world more welcoming

to nature.

Securing a brighter future

for both animals and us too.

After all, a greener city is a

healthier city.

And the best place to enjoy nature

is close to home.

Standing among these

marvellous trees,

it's hard to believe that I'm

in a capital city.

Richmond Park is one of

my favourite places.

Just minutes from my house,

it's been both a refuge and a source

of inspiration over the years.

I've been coming here ever since

I moved to London over

70 years ago.

Even after all that time and after

all the places I've visited,

I wouldn't

want to live anywhere else.