Sir David Attenborough’s BBC crew broke their own rule by stepping in to rescue suffering animals.
The 97-year-old broadcaster is back on the BBC with an eight-part series Planet Earth III, which was filmed over a whopping five years across the globe. You can check out the trailer here:
Speaking ahead of its release later this month, Sir David said: “In this new series of Planet Earth we travel to the most astonishing wild places, see mysterious creatures, witness rare, spectacular wonders, and reveal breath-taking animal dramas.
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“The natural world continues to surprise us, but since Darwin’s time it has changed beyond recognition, being transformed by a powerful force – us.
“We will see how animals are adapting in extraordinary ways, to survive the new challenges they face. At this crucial time in our history, we must now look at the world through a new lens.”
Now, fans of Sir David’s work will most likely know that no matter how brutal nature can get - and it can be pretty bloody grim - he and his team don’t interfere with wildlife.
However, Matt Brandon, series producer of the new documentary series recently revealed to the Sunday Times that they broke this rule during filming, so they could help animals that had been caught up in man-made dangers such as fishing nets and plastic pollution.
He shared: “What we’re seeing now is that many of the things that our crews are witnessing around the world are no longer natural.”
Producer, and director of two episodes, Nick Easton added: “The context in which we’re working is changing.
“Not intervening in a hunt or saving an animal that might become food for another animal — that still applies as far as I’m concerned. And often that is what we’re filming: it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. But so often now we’re coming across animals that are suffering as a result of unnatural factors.”
Scenes in the upcoming series are set to show the crew readily helping out to rescue stricken sea lions being freed from nets and heat-exposed turtles being given a helping hand out to sea.
In an interview with the BBC, Brandon opened up about the new series.
“We do not shy away from the impact that humanity has had on the natural world,” he said.
“This impact has been felt across every ecosystem and by the countless creatures that we share this planet with – some scientists are calling this the Anthropocene.
Many animals simply cannot keep up with the pace of change, while others are adapting to this new wild in extraordinary ways.”
Planet Earth III will begin on BBC One on Sunday 22 October.
Topics: TV and Film, BBC, David Attenborough, Animals
Claire Reid