Page 85 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #06

REVIEWS BROADCAST

Q&A WILD an interest in
contentious rural
issues, exploring
Patrick Aryee STREAM the growing
battle between
THE LATEST ON iPLAYER, balaclava’d
What was
NETFLIX AND BEYOND ‘saboteurs’ and
your most
Carson the red-jacketed
memorable was a born
Published in 1962, Silent hunters within
encounter? ecologist.
g
The Komodo Spring has been hailed as their sights.
dragons. These the most influential book of Finally, June and
are the largest, heaviest lizards the 20th century, credited breast cancer at the age of 56. July are hobby months – so
in the world and are isolated with giving first voice to the Staying Stateside, Alaska: A how do you tell this falcon
on a few remote islands in environmental movement, Year in the Wild (My5, until 10 from the very similar kestrel?
Indonesia. They have 60 particularly the effects of October) is a four-part wildlife Watch and learn with BTO
super-sharp, serrated teeth and pesticides such as DDT. treat that takes you through Bird ID – Hobby
it was only discovered relatively American Explorer: Rachel the seasons in this wilderness, & Kestrel
d
recently that their venom is an Carson (Netflix) tells the in company of musk oxen, red (BTOvideo,
(
anti-coagulant. Approaching life story of the writer and squirrels, Arctic foxes (righ , t YouTubee),
one – even on an open sandy biologist (abov behinde humpback whales and, of one of
beach in the early morning this seminal work – her course, bears pouncing on a handy y
o
– gave me goosebumps. We upbringing in local woods, migrating salmon. Closer series of
also captured several dragons her work for the US Fish and to home, the BBC Three five-minnute
h
feasting on water buffalo, Wildlife Service and her early documentary The Hunt: workshops.
which has rarely been filmed. writing career before the book Battle in the Countryside
that made her name – two (BBC iPlayer, until May 2019) The Arctic fox: a
years before her death from might appeal to those with wild Alaskan star.
Which species was most
challenging to find?
The green anaconda in the
Pantanal. It’s the world’s STARTERS
largest snake, so I thought it
5 would be easy to track down. FOR TEN
Carson: A fred E senstaedt/Getty; Arct c fox: Channe and in the water. It took several TV BBC TWO Starts 28 May.
Not so, as it lives both on land
Curious Creatures
days to locate the individual
Catch up on iPlayer.
we filmed, and to access that
Hosted by Kate Humble, the
stretch of water we had to hoist
entertaining wildlife quiz show
our boat and kit up a steep
is back for a second series – and
bank around a waterfall.
this time double the run with
20 episodes. Once again, two
What science did you find
teams go head to head, with
most interesting?
Rescue; Cur ous Creatures: M ghty Product ons; Rache ‘Tuskers’ are African elephants Red Ape: Saving the Orangutan how to survive in the wild. captains Chris Packham and
Rescued orangs go to
‘Forest School’ to learn
Lucy Cooke locking brains and
with extra-long tusks, which
battling through various rounds
are partly a result of their
of wildlife trivia, including Two-
genetic make-up. Tuskers are
HOLDING ON
Toed Sleuth, Is It Bigger Than a
prime targets for poachers, so
Chicken? and the old favourite
?
these genes could be wiped
Whose Poo? Prepare to be
out. It’s interesting science, but
ONLINE Available on BBC iPlayer until 9 June
dazzled by an array of fascinating
also reflects the consequences
natural-history facts.
There are still a few days to catch this excellent film, the fourth
of this tragic conflict.
the documentary recounts the history of the deforestation that
has emptied Borneo of trees since the start of large-scale logging
An ma You freedive with a sperm in the new Natural World series. Heartbreaking yet inspirational,d
whale for the series. Did this
in the 1960s, and the tireless efforts of International Animal
require much training?
Orangutan: A ejo Sabugo/Internat ona first dive after learning the that up to 3,000 of these red apes are intentionally killed every Let battle
Rescue to save and rehabilitate as many orphaned and injured
This was actually was my
orangutans as possible. Shockingly, recent research has revealed
basics in a pool – I took to it
year, and with the global demand for palm oil set to double by
quite quickly. It was the most
2050, the struggle continues. “We’re wiping out our closest
incredible experience of my life.
living relative,” says Paul Ehrlich, president of the Center for
Conservation Biology, “which isn’t very smart for a species that
PATRICK ARYEE is presenter
s
of Big Beasts: Last of the Giants
June 2018 has the gall to call itself Homo sapiens – the ‘wise one.’” commence. BBC Wildlife 85