Photo © India Hodder
Lizzie Daly, PhD is a Welsh wildlife biologist, broadcaster, filmmaker and conservationist. She has a PhD in animal movement, and her healthy curiosity for the natural world has led her to conduct research and make wildlife films all over the world. Lizzie has worked as a presenter on Cbeebies, BBC One, National Geographic and Animal Planet. Her book, Life in the Wild, is out on September 5th.
How did it all begin?
My family have always been outdoorsy and loved nature. Whether it’s exploring the Welsh coastline or on family weekend away sleeping under the stars, I was lucky to have a family that introduced me to the outdoors very early on. They then encouraged me and my passion for elephants from the age of 6... and I haven’t looked back.
Why do you love animals?
What’s not to love? There is so much about the animal kingdom that makes me beyond excited. Whether it’s wonderful adaptations, mighty migrations, dazzling colours or displays of attraction. The biodiversity that we have on this planet is just breathtaking and better still there is still so much we still have to discover!
How did you become an animal expert?
I studied animal behaviour and have built up a career as an animal movement biologist. Now I’m studying a PhD which involves putting tags on animals and studying how they move in a variety of environments. Outside of my studies though, I would enjoy my time in the outdoors. I have fond memories of long hikes with my dad.
What advice do you have for kids who love animals and wish to study them?
If you love animals then being a biologist might just be the perfect job for you… and actually, you can start right now. By observing your surroundings, writing down interesting calls, smells, shapes and behaviours – a few years of this and you very quickly can become a good naturalist. My advice to anyone who wants to study wildlife is to follow your real passions and don’t be afraid to try a few things. What’s cool about the natural world is that there are lots of opportunities for you to get involved – and hey, sometimes that doesn’t even take you down the academic route, and that’s okay! You could be a conservation officer, work in policy, become a marine mammal expert or a tropical ecologist. You could be in the field every day or in the lab. Science is very rewarding and it’s a really wonderful career.
What is your favourite animal?
That’s easy, African elephants. Ever since I was 6 I wanted to study and learn more about elephants. They’re social, highly intelligent and have some very funny behaviours.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever seen an animal do?
My favourite encounter was on a dive at Wolf Rock in Australia. As we descended to 30m along the edge of a pinnacle we approach over 30 of these dark blobs in the water. It was an aggregation of Grey Nurse sharks all swimming together around this pinnacle. A lot of them were pregnant females, slowly swimming to conserve energy. We swam right next to them for about an hour – it was very cool!
What’s your favourite thing about your job?
My favourite thing about my job is that no matter what species we’re filming or where we are there is always something new and exciting to learn. Whether it’s new technology that’s helping us better understand a species or documenting blue whales feeding for the first time. There is yet to be a time where I come back from the field and don’t feel totally in awe and humbled by the natural world.
What is the rarest animal you’ve ever seen?
Over the years I’ve seen some pretty rare animals around the world but one of the standout species in the UK was filming the ladybird spider. This is one of the rarest spiders in the UK with only just 1000 left in the wild. The males have this beautiful ladybird like pattern on their back and the females are velvety blue. Just beautiful!
What can we do to help endangered animals?
There’s actually a lot that you can do, starting with getting involved!
If there a species or organisation that you really love why not help out as a volunteer or you could fundraise for them by doing a fun challenge. Why not think about your day to day habits too. Recycling, reusing and avoiding palm oil or farmed fish, like salmon, can really help in the long term. Finally – be a nature hero. Tell your friends and family about the species that you want to protect and they may want to protect them too. The more people who care, the more we can work together to protect our species.
What is your top wildlife-spotting tip?
My top tip would be to be patient and take notice. You’d be surprised what you can see if you slow down your movements and stay as quiet as possible. This will help you blend into your environment and if you’re really good at it you may even get a close encounter. Some of my favourite moments in the wild have been when the wildlife doesn’t even know you’re there – it can be magical!