Winterwatch: Chris Packham hands over to Megan McCubbin
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Megan McCubbin, who is the nature-loving step-daughter of Chris Packham, spoke candidly about her love of animals and the need to protect our wildlife in an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk. The Springwatch presenter revealed that, while she had a tough time at school due to her dyslexia, it was a streak of tigers that saved her from giving up her goal of working with animals.
Megan, who has recently teamed up with Lovat Parks, spoke about the wonders of wildlife and why it can really benefit us all to connect with our “wild side”.
The documentarian knows a thing or two about that, as she has grown up with a myriad of diverse creatures all around her.
Her most unusual animal friends, however, are the four tigers that managed to persuade her not to give up on her dreams of studying zoology.
Confirming that she had “no fear” when it came to the wild animals, Megan opened up about the difficult time she had at school.
Megan explained: “I’m quite severely dyslexic, and I’ve always struggled learning science in the conventional way.
“So much that – when I was at school – I had some difficult experiences there and teachers didn’t really understand what to do with me.
“I didn’t necessarily appear to be the brightest, but that wasn’t actually the case; it was just the fact that I learned differently from everyone else.
“Over time, I’ve kind of had to challenge myself to overcome – not overcome because you can’t overcome dyslexia – but you learn to work with it and use it to your advantage.”
Megan desperately wanted to work with animals, but felt like her performance in science classes indicated she might not be cut out for the Bsc in Zoology she would one day go on to obtain.
“It got to a point where I was questioning myself on whether I could really be a scientist and do a science degree,” she admitted.
“And that’s when I met these four tigers who live at the wildlife sanctuary on the Isle of Wight.”
Megan spent much of her childhood growing up in and around the Isle of Wight Zoo, which specialises in the rescue and rehabilitation of ex-circus and pet trade animals.
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The experience changed her life, sparking a life-long passion for animal rights campaigning and which has inspired her TV career. This was evident in a 2017 documentary, Undercover Tourist: Inside the Illegal Bear Bile Market.
The tigers Megan mentioned were hand-reared by Chris’ longtime partner, Charlotte Corney, who introduced her to the big cats.
“I met them when we were a similar age, so I felt like I was essentially going through my teenage years with them,” Megan reflected.
“So I would spend my summers and weekends with them and, because they were hand-reared, it meant that I could have a very close personal relationship with them.
“I was lucky that I got really close to these animals, and they absolutely meant the world to me.
Megan then revealed: “It was largely because of them that I really thought to myself, ‘Right. I know what I want. I want to protect their counterparts in the wild.’
“So they really inspired me to do science with dyslexia and pushed me to really learn how to help them, I suppose. They were pretty instrumental, those four cats, for me.”
Since then, Megan has been working with animals all over the world, and even made her Springwatch debut with stepdad Chris in 2020.
She has also teamed up with Lovat Parks to reveal the ‘Big 5’ animals that can be spotted on our very own isles this summer in places like Cornwall, Norfolk and the New Forest.
A report for the project by Professor Andrea Mechelli has shown getting back to nature can significantly reduce feelings of loneliness, and developing mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
In light of this, Megan is encouraging people to enjoy the stunning wildlife the UK has to offer for their own “physical and mental wellbeing”, as she unveils her unique list of breathtaking animals local to the British Isles.
Megan McCubbin has identified the UK’s ‘Big 5’ summer wildlife wonders in collaboration with Lovat Parks, the UK’s first B-Corp certified holiday park, encouraging the nation to connect with their wild side this summer and explore the rich diversity of nature in the UK. Visit www.lovatparks.com/thebig5 for more info and to download Megan’s Map along with top tips for responsible wildlife spotting.
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