WILDEST DREAMS

This was a major new series for the BBC airing through the late summer and early autumn of 2009.
I was lucky enough to be chosen to present this programme which represented a collaboration between the wonderful Natural History Department at the BBC and it’s dynamic Entertainment Department. It was a difficult programme to pull off but it certainly found it’s feet during production and grew as the series went on getting both a substantial rating and journalistic acclaim. We also managed to find a quite extra-ordinary young woman in Anna Forrester who is flourishing within the Department having worked on Autumn watch, a forthcoming Africa series and is now planning a trip to Borneo.
I would also like to take this opportunity to answer a few questions about the series that have come my way and thank the crew who worked ridiculous hours in very trying conditions to bring back the best programme possible.

Firstly, what was I doing there and why was I chosen.

Well firstly before I was a presenter I was a runner, researcher, producer and director and so I hope bring a little production expertise to the task rather than just turning up and saying the words I’m given.
I have been to Africa many times with Comic Relief and Sport Relief and have developed some understanding of African Culture and how things are done. I also presented Mission Africa where we lived in the Kenyan bush for seven weeks to build Eco lodges and a wildlife reserve in Samburu country.
During this time I was lucky to learn a lot of the skills needed in tracking and conserving wildlife from experts like my wonderful friend Ken Hames, Will Travers of Born Free, Ian Craig and his amazing team at the wonderfully successful Lewa and the various rangers we encountered.
I have also been a lifelong fan of wildlife programme making and had the honour of making a wonderful film on Orangutans, Palm Oil plantations and Bornean deforestation with John Miller who is responsible for Steve Backshaw’s terrific Deadly Sixty series.
I was not in the least phased by sleeping rough for nine weeks and with the help of acclaimed Natural History Producer James Honeybourne mentored our aspiring film makers through their trials and tribulations. It was our job to see them safely into their tents every evening and check the camp for animals and any other dangers at first light.
James and I camped with them for all but a few nights over the nine weeks with one of us there at all times. We evacuated them when our camp was flooded in the Kalahari, nursed them when our camp was destroyed by a dust devil in Tsavo and kept them from harm when tracking or dealing with dangerous animals, insects and spiders. I’m pleased to say it was our medical team of Bob and Dai that dealt with the more personal hygiene and health issues.
Very little of all this made it into the final film, there just wasn’t time to explain it all and it was our contestants and the wildlife that were the stars of the show, so I understand why I am asked the question but I hope this explains a little why I was given the job.

We are working on another one at the moment

We were in Africa for nine weeks in total. Starting in Botswana in the Okovanga delta with 9 hopefuls who all wanted to prove they had what it takes to join the unit. A few thanks to those we've met along the way. Dr Kate Evans whose work with Elephants has recently been recognized with an award which I picked up on her behalf at the House of Lords. Thanks to Sally-Anne, Roger, Toni, M.A.P. Brookes, OB and Coppa in Botswana - wow, what a place and what amazing animal encounters.
Then we moved on to Wouterat Tswalu in the South African Kalahari with Gus and his team, getting that close to Rhino and Lion on foot is an extra-ordinary honour and buzz!!! It was here we camped in a dried up river bed and suffered the heaviest rains that part of the Kalahari had seen in twenty years. In the middle of the night the rains returned and washed half our camp away. I shall always remember stoping out of my tent at three in the morning amoungst lightening strikes every two seconds to check if our competitors were still alive!!!
Next we went to a camp up near Sabi where Tian Boshoff and his team looked after us in the mountains. Big thanks to Alistair Rickman and Grant Harris for not letting me fall off the mountain. Thanks also to the wonderful Dani Gavender 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.
We were off then to the wonderful Drakensburg Mountains - if you're into your birds I can think of nowhere better to spend time exploring. We was lucky and honoured to spend time with the wonderful Professor Piper who was both knowledgeable and a real gentleman. He brought so much to our programme, understood what we were trying to do and embraced it.
We were all shocked to hear of his untimely death so soon after we had filmed with him. Our condolences still, one year on to his wonderful and gracious family who took us into their home.

From there we travelled to Zanzibar to swim with Dolphins and Whale sharks. Anyone who has swum with Whale sharks as I have in Ningaloo in north western Australia will tell you what an emotional experience it is and again I would like to extend my gratitude to the underwater crew of the Natural History Unit and especially my new friend Didier. Jacques Cousteau’s diver for years, Didier is fearless, fantastique and brings a gallic charm to any shoot. I look forward to sharing a glass of red with him again soon.
From the seawater we headed to Kenya to the youngest mountain range in the world and Mzima Springs in Tsavo West. Here we encountered what could only be described as a genuine natural disaster. The surrounding land had been over grazed by cattle that really should not have been on the reserve. The rains had failed and as a result the hippo in the springs were on death’s door through starvation. In truth, the numbers were down from a healthy population of eighty to one hundered down to sixty- and at least eight died whilst we were there.
It was here that we met the film makers Mark Deeble and Vicky Stone who have won numerous awards for their beautiful documentaries. Our camp was also hit by a dust devil like a small Tornado that ripped our camp to shreds while we were filming!
The NHU is there to observe what is happening in the natural world not influence it. As a result they quite rightly could not intervene to help the Hippo. I on the other hand took a slightly different view. If the problem had been created by humans bringing cattle onto the land then I as a human could try and do something about it as it was not a wholly natural occurrence. My intervention was as a member of the public NOT as an employee of the BBC. I put up some money and with donations from a very upset crew and with the assistance and contacts and funds of my friend Will Travers and friends at Lewa were able to organize the delivery of hay and alfalfa to the hippo to keep them going until the rains came… which they did briefly before failing again.
Sadly, the last time I heard, and despite everyone’s best efforts the Hippo number now just six! However the rains have finally come and the land is green again and there is just a chance that the six will be able, with the help of a little translocation of other small groups of survivors, start a colony again. It is a strange thing but Hippo keep the springs alive.. If they die, the spring dies and will remain inert and that would be a tragedy. Mzima Springs is a wonder of the world and I would hope future generations will have a chance to enjoy it as we did.

Next stop was Lewa in Kenya. This Garden of Eden north of Nairobi has a wonderful record on building numbers of endangered species. Their work with Rhino is rightly acclaimed as is their Grevy Zebra and cat work. Elephant and Giraffe abound and their work on Satellite reserves like Sarrara and Sera is a real tribute to Ian Craig, Michael, the wonderful Parkinsons who have moved on to new challenges and the great team who daily protect and care for these majestic animals. Close encounters with Leopard, charging tuskers and Cheetahs were unforgettable.

Finally we made it to the Masai Mara for our finale and the big cat encounters. Jonathon Scott joined our team and to sit alongside him by the camp fire or in a jeep and listen to him talk with such depth of knowledge and love for the subjects of his life’s work is awe inspiring. I had close encounters with snake and Leopard in the night and an early morning encounter and sprint round a tree with a hippo who are not nearly as friendly as they are made out to be in children’s books!
The Masai were dignified, impressive and welcoming. And I shall always remember being told by one fearless warrior that all cattle belong to them – even the ones in Britain – because the great God N’Gai put the Masai on earth to look after the cattle – so game, set and match it would seem.

A special thanks to Clare Pizey and Fiona Pitcher who worked so well together and made the departments mesh – and to Spencer for not killing me with a mushroom. It was an extra-ordinary adventure that was almost too big to get into the films and we learnt a lot which we hope to put into a bigger better second series. Keep your eye out if you think this life is for you as we will be looking for contestants but be warned – its not for the faint hearted.