Brand new BBC1 show 'Wildest Dreams'
Nick left for Africa in February for nearly nine weeks of filming. The new show, 'Wildest Dreams' (formerly To the Ends of the Earth), is an extraordinary insight into the difficulties in making Wildlife Documentaries. The series begins on 22nd July 2009 at 7.30pm on BBC 1.
"Just to let you know I've spent the last nine weeks workingin Africa for a spectacular new series for BBC One called Wildest Dreams. It's an extraordinary insight into the difficulties in making the wildlife programmes that the Natural History Unit do so well. It follows the trials and tribulations of 9 hopefuls who all want to prove they have what it takes to join the unit. Can't say too much at the moment but just a few thanks to those we've met along the way. Thanks to Sally-Anne, Roger, Toni, M.A.P. Brooks, OB and Copper in Botswana - wow, what a place and what amazing animal encounters. Also Gus and his team, especially Wouter at Tswalu, don't think I'll ever get that close to a Rhino or Lion on foot again!!! Probably just as well. To Tiann Boshoff and his team in the mountains and a big thanks to Alistair Rickman and Grant Harris for not letting me fall off the mountain. Thanks to the wonderful Danny Govender who was the most wonderful company and I'll never forget the Hippos on the 12th water hazard and the warthog on the 14th fairway at Kruger. And can I recommend to you all the wonderful Drakensberg Mountains - if you're into your birds I can think of nowhere better to spend time exploring.
Next stop was Zanzibar for a sea life extravaganza where I met the amazing Didier Noirot. He spent twelve years making undersea films with Jacques Cousteau and was enormous fun to be around. There is a feature film out this summer called ‘Oceans’. It’s a predominantly French production and features alot of Didier’s work. It is simply stunning. He was good enough to show me some rushes of an encounter with Whales dancing like slow motion dolphins that will take your breath away. It’s so good I thought it mightbe CGI but no, it’s Didier who is both brilliant and wonderfully and exaggeratedly French. From Zanzibar to Tsavo West in Kenya and the amazing Mzima Springs. Here I had the honour and privilege to meet Vicky Stone and Mark Deeble, two of the nicest people I’ve ever met and wonderful wildlife filmmakers. I must recommend you to ‘Mzima Haunt of the Riverhorse’, the most extraordinary hippo film.
While we were there the hippo came under extreme danger of disappearing from the springs, possibly for ever. Encroachment of livestock onto there serve from the tribal people outside the boundaries of the wildlife reserve meant there was not enough grazing for the hippo. They each need up to forty kilos of vegetation, mostly grass, a night to survive. Now this is a difficult area for a few reasons. Firstly as I was filming with the natural history unit it is policy not to intervene in wildlife crisis. Secondly it’s politically quite sensitive. The reserves rely on good relations with local tribes to exist and under drought conditions the pressure on herders to find grazing will often compete in many areas around Africa with wildlife needs. It’s also worth noting that in many countries, where wealth is measured in your cattle numbers, successful individuals will have two bank accounts. One in a bank, the other in the form of cattle. So, many cattle in the countryside are owned by successful people in the city who are having them grazed and cared for by others. This is my own very simple overview of the problem and those wishing to find out more might want to contact Born Free. <http://www.bornfree.org.uk/<http://www.bornfree.org.uk/> >
The result of the problem was plain to see. The hippos were dying of starvation. There are normally between 65 and 80 hippo in the springs. Eight died in ten days whilst we were there and we could find no more than forty in total. They were thin, bony and so exhausted they did not have the strength to leave the water to feed. Those that did collapsed and died on the banks.
After discussions with Vicky and Mark I spoke to Daniel Woodley, Senior Warden of Tsavo West National Park and he agreed that as the problem was man made because of the encroachment of up to half a million cattle in Tsavo, we could step in to help. I contacted my very good friend Will Travers at Born Free who was able to get things moving and tiptoe through the political side with his usual sure footed-ness. David Sheldrick of the Wildlife Trust stepped in to oversee things from Nairobi. A thousand pounds was donated by me for emergency feed and transport, Born Free put two thousand dollars in and my wonderful friends Dai Jones and Shaun Taylor from Exmed, our medical team in Africa, put in £500.
I was also able to chat to old work connections in Lewa Richard Mollerand Charlie Wheeler about the problem and they donated 500 bales of hay and Lucerne (a kind of alfalfa) to the hippo.
Due to everyone’s efforts, the hippo survived the six weeks until the rain arrived and the two extra weeks until the grass could grow. They were also strong enough to survive the colder temperatures when the rain finally fell, which as a final irony would have done for them in their otherwise starved condition.
Thanks to everyone involved in this extraordinary rescue and preservation of a true wonder of the world. If you get a chance to visit Mzima Springs I’d truly recommend it or want to help Born Free <http://www.bornfree.org.uk/ <http://www.bornfree.org.uk/> > who do this kind of work all over the world. Will and his organisation do make amassive difference for endangered and abused animals worldwide and I generally bow to his greater knowledge. What I like most about him is that he and I don’t agree on everything to do with wildlife preservation but it doesn’t matter. I say we agree to disagree – he says I’m work in progress.
One last thing, we were hit by what was called a dust devil in Tsavo. It’s generally like a mini Tornado and not too dangerous… but not always. They can be quite destructive – as you’ll see if you watch the show. My shin still has a scar weeks on and a crew member still bearing the bruises of being picked up and thrown by it. Luckily, Clare (the BBC exec) and I dived out of our tent just in time although Vicky Stone was a little concussed by a flying table.
All in all Tsavo was pretty dramatic all round.
Next came Lewa where our guides were the fantastic John Palmeri and Mike Ndtosho. Was strange for me to be back in the place where I had such a dramatic accident three years ago. Three operations later and I was fighting fit and pleased to be in my favourite place in Africa. The concentration of wildlife is amazing. Also a chance for me to visit Elvis. Three years ago I met the little tiny male Black rhino when he was about the size of a Labrador. He was living in the garden of my friends the Parkinsons. When I met him this time he’s about a ton of rhino with a one foot horn and about five feet high at the shoulder. Despite this I was able to get close enough to stroke the young feller on the nose. Not something you get to do everyday with these magnificent but skittish and potentially very dangerous animals. Lewa was Leopards and Cheetahs, Grevy Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Rhino, an extra ordinary encounter for James, Jeremy our cameraman and myself on foot with elephant. Two males came to shoo us away. And amazing lions. You gotta see this show. Thanks again for Richard Moller and his team including the wonderful Charlie Wheeler for showing us around and keeping us safe.
Final stop the Masai Mara. A place here people are told to stay in the vehicles because of the number of lion in the area. There place where we camped in the open – so close to the marsh pride we could hear them roaring. In amongst the buffalo and the elephant. Where the hippo left the river and came to chomp grass around our tents each night. Where coming face to face with a Leopard in camp is nothing unusual. Where youdon’t notice you’ve stepped over a puff adder until the local Masai point it out and take it away for you. Where being chased around a tree by a hippo is a standard hazard of being up first to make breakfast. Man thanks to Jonathan Scott who was fantastic company and who taught me so much about Lions. Thanks to Harrison, my Masai friend who taught me so much about the Masai culture, their intertwined existence with lion – almostsymbiotic, certainly one of mutual respect. Trust me, the lion know whata Masai looks like and gives them a wide berth. And thank you again to Harrison for bringing me the haunting sound of Africa. I will try to get a mpeg here for you at some stage of Harrison singing about lions standing with his cattle.
The Masai believe the great God Ungai put them on earth to look after all cattle. Therefore they own all cattle – including the ones here in the UK. So if you see a small but very tough looking man wearing red and carrying a spear walking off with your herd in Somerset or Yorkshire, don’t be too harsh. He thinks he’s allowed.
The crew I worked with were amazing. Martyn in his hammock, Spencer and the mushroom, Angus er Angus, um er Yep Angus, the ultimately patient Jeremy, Ashark, Hitesh, who has won awards you know, Ash, who fell in love and married an Alaskan in a fairy tale – no seriously he did. Pete, the puppy slayer and is still foaming at the mouth. Shirley, not a girlie, actually Mark, sunstroke centre forward Simon, David the human limpit and the amazing Richard. (seventy two mics and radios today please) Shanna, who kept me sane, Eireann and Charlie who made me laugh, Jack who will one day be DG and Andy Milk and Dan Minimilk who should be worshipped for their inventiveness, ingenuity and ability to find a cocktail anywhere. Thanks also to James Honeybourne. Well done mate. A star is born. It was a rocky ride at times but we worked it out and now consider you a real mate. What an amazing experience and I’m never going camping again. There are more but realise I’m droning on.
Just one last thought.
I had the pleasure – no, we, the BBC had the pleasure of meeting one of life’s great individuals whilst in South Africa. The kind of person that reassures you that there are people who can be both eccentric and wise, learned and fun, funny and kind. Such a man was Professor Piper. We spent just five days with the Prof and were lucky enough to be invited to his home and meet his wife and mother in law. He taught us so much, verbally fenced with me, joined in the joke and brought real insight and wisdom to our little adventure. The professor slots in as one of the great people it has been my honour to meet in this extraordinary life I get to lead. The professor died unexpectedly the week after our visit and the world is a poorer place for his passing. My condolences to his family. All of us on the BBC crew were deeply saddened by the news. He was a truly wonderful and unique man.
Look out for this one in July this year, it's gonna be a belter.
Nick"