Hello and welcome to the Wildlife Diaries!
My name is Margarita, and I am a Russian-born wanderer currently settled in Australia.
My background is in wildlife conservation, my current PhD research is about peoples’ relationships with wild cats, and my passion is all things travel. One of my favourite pastimes is masterminding trips and researching new destinations, especially if wild cats or Renaissance art are involved!
A few years ago, I set myself on an ambitious quest to see all species of wild cats in their natural habitat. That’s 40 instances of sheer luck of being in the right place at the right time. In the last decade or so, I managed to see 21 species, so I have a long and exciting journey ahead of me.
Until recently, most of my travel was focused on nature destinations. But after spending a month in Spain on fieldwork with the Iberian lynx, I fell under the spell of Europe’s old-world charm and the Wildlife Diaries morphed into a nature-cultural theme.
If you are wondering what Renaissance Europe has to do with wild cats, check out my post on Renaissance Cats in Florence.
When I am not busy with PhD work or travel, I turn to travel writing. Here are some of my favourite stories about my most memorable adventures.
- Devils made me do it – The Australian, Sydney
- Beeline to the Feline – Sunday Telegraph, Sydney
- Days of the Jaguar – The Australian, Sydney
- Looking for the World’s Most Elusive Wild Cats in Borneo & other stories- Matador Network
- The Woman on a Mission to see all the World’s Wild Cats – Unearth women, US
- The Trip: Borneo wildcat safari – Sun-Herald, Sydney
- Wild Nights in Borneo – Sunday Telegraph, Sydney
The Wildlife Diaries is a collection of travel and wildlife guides and European itineraries designed to help you plan your own adventure.
Follow me on my quest to see the world’s most epic wildlife and jaw-dropping art, and if you have any questions about any of the destinations, don’t think twice, leave a comment!
Memberships
I am a Digital Publisher member of the Australia Society of Travel Writers (ASTW).
Awards
I am thrilled to be awarded second place in the Top 10 Wildlife Travel Blogs to Follow in 2019 by Feedspot.
