The stars of Dynasties, Sir David Attenborough's new series – and how to see them
Observing wildlife in natural habitats has spawned a worldwide eco-tourism industry, and with generations of animal families growing up in the public eye, it’s no wonder certain characters have become international stars.
Anthropomorphism, though, is a risky business, as Sir David Attenborough, the authoritative voice of BBC’s new five-part wildlife epic Dynasties, points out.
“Animals do have a lot of human characteristics – particularly primates,” reasons the 92-year old, who’s been introducing viewers to the natural world for the past 65 years. “It’s unjustifiable anthropomorphism that’s the danger. You have to be very careful when you’re writing a script; you have to be absolutely sure there’s evidence that what you’re saying is absolutely correct.”
By spending nearly two years with individuals from five famous species, the Natural History Unit’s filmmakers have crafted an intricate profile of their subjects, creating an intimacy never achieved in wildlife documentaries before.
Shifting away from the fast-paced, sequence-led approach of previous series, the BBC took a risk with in-depth narratives focussing on characters at a critical point in their lives. Shots linger a little longer, gazes are held at closer range, pulling you further into the animals’ wild world.
Both Attenborough and Executive Producer Mike Gunton feel it’s a gamble that paid off.
“The power of family is something we never really get the chance to describe because it’s quite complicated and long story,” says Gunton.
More time allowed directors to capture smaller details and little moments; they got to know their characters and in certain cases could even predict what they might do next.
But underpinning all these stories is an important subtext: the challenges animals face not only within their species, but from us.
“From the South Pole to West Africa, the common concern and worry is space,” says Attenborough, although he admits there’s no easy solution.
“The big factor that’s unspoken is the acceptance that they are under pressure. But it’s a very difficult thing to deal with – you’re talking about men, women and children. They need space too. So how do you solve this? People living alongside tigers have a very tough time and they have to be very strongly convinced that tigers have a right to live.”
While he doesn’t expect Dynasties to emulate Blue Planet II in influencing government policies, he does hope a “show and tell” strategy will make people more aware of a problem that’s affecting wildlife worldwide.
“It’s about raising people’s passion, belief and desire to recognise that animals have a right to some sort of space too.”
That’s not anthropomorphism; just a fact of life.
Below we’ve outlined how to maximise your chances of meeting the cast of Dynasties.
Dynasties starts on BBC One tonight at 8.30pm.
Episode one: Chimpanzees in Senegal
Our closest living relatives, chimpanzees exhibit unmistakably human characteristics – particularly when they walk on two feet.
“The chimps we were filming move more bipedally, because the grass is so high,” says producer and director Rosie Thomas. “They almost look like people dressed up in suits.”
Studied by scientist Jill Pruetz for 20 years, this troop of western chimpanzees in southeast Senegal inhabit a mosaic of forest and savannah and spend more time in open areas. The protagonist in a story of complex primate politics is David, an alpha male with a piercing gaze, whose three-year tenure is under threat from a male-heavy troop fuelled by hormones and aggression.
“David goes through a number of trials and tribulations to hold onto his status and position, and emotionally following him on that journey was tough. He suffered some bad moments,” says Thomas.
The physical demands of filming were equally challenging, with the team starting days at 3.30am, often ploughing through dense undergrowth swarming with stinging insects. David was also keen to flex his might.
“On the first day of any shoot, he’d do a massive display or a buttress drum about a metre away from you, and then he’d strut on off. He was just letting us know he’s still in charge.”
But no amount of chest-beating can quell threats facing western chimpanzees, who were upgraded to critically endangered during filming. “The sub-species has declined by 80% in the last 25 years,” laments Thomas, who identifies habitat loss as the main factor, exacerbated by a growing mining industry.
Meet the stars
It’s not possible to visit the chimps in Senegal, but Steppes offer a 10-day chimpanzee safari in Tanzania’s Mahale National Park from ￡7,295pp, excluding flights. Visit steppestravel.com.
Episode two: Emperor penguins in Antarctica
Suffering unrelenting winds and hostile conditions, emperor penguins have one of the toughest breeding cycles of any bird. Hoping to capture every stage of that eight-month process, director Will Lawson and two cameramen travelled to Atka Bay, home to a healthy colony of 11,000 breeding pairs.
“They have to operate as a colony to survive,” explains Lawson. “Independently they wouldn’t make it.”
At times, the temperature – with wind chill factor – dropped to minus 62, polar-proofed kit froze, and the crew suffered early stages of frostbite. But consistently entertaining, the penguins kept them amused.
“A lot of those birds may never have seen people before. They’d shuffle along on their bellies, quite stealthily. Then there’d be a crunching sound and an adult emperor penguin would be looking at you. The chicks would also check us out then rush away when they lost their bottle, which was really cute and entertaining.”
The team captured several filming firsts – including a segment guaranteed to amaze and amuse. When the birds first returned, cameraman Lindsay McCrae was convinced he could see a pair with an egg – much earlier than the team had calculated. But once the cameras started rolling, the female lifted her brood pouch to reveal “a perfect emperor penguin egg-shaped snowball”.
“They were practising,” says Lawson. “It was a lovely, precious piece of behaviour.”
Meet the stars
Natural World Safaris offer an 8-day Emperor Penguins & The South Pole Safari visiting Atka Bay from ￡57,895pp, excluding international flights. Departs November – December. Visit naturalworldsafaris.
Episode three: Lions in Kenya
Stars of BBC series Big Cat Diary, the Masai Mara’s Marsh pride have featured on TV screens for the past 20 years and are commonly seen on game drives through the National Reserve. But no-one has filmed them for as many consecutive months, allowing individual characters to really shine.
Producer Simon Blakeney arrived at a pivotal point when two adult males had abandoned the pride, leaving lioness Charm to take control. “Lions are often portrayed as dominant predators, but we wanted to share the reality of how vulnerable they are in the wild,” he says.
Some behaviour was particularly surprising. In one scene, Charm’s son Tatu punches above his weight by picking a fight he can never win. “He jumped on the back of a hippo and was surfing along on the riverside,” chuckles Blakeney.
In another equally ill-advised move, his cousin Red takes on a pack of 30 hyenas. “It was amazing to see the resilience on both sides. He’d pick one up, shake it and throw it several feet away, and it would get straight back up and run at him.”
There were also some intensely emotional moments. During filming in 2015, members of the pride were poisoned in a retaliation killing, highlighting the complex, ongoing issues of human wildlife conflict in Africa. “They are in massive trouble,” says Simon. “In a decade or two, there could be no lions left in the wild.”
Meet the stars
Exodus offer a nine-day Photographic Safari to the Masai Mara from ￡4,949pp, including flights. Departs January 9, 2019. Visit exodus.co.uk.
Episode four: Painted wolves in Zimbabwe
A diverse landscape of floodplain, riverine forest and escarpment cliffs, Mana Pools provided Nick Lyon with the “stunningly beautiful” backdrop he needed to keep audiences gripped for a full hour. With territories anchored to the Zambezi river, which can be accessed by road, it’s also one of the best places to see wild dog – or painted wolf - a species numbered at just 6600 in the wild.
A population of 100-120 roam the area, but Lyon was interested in two pack’s led by aging matriarch Tait and her daughter Blacktip, and the potential of a takeover for dominance.
“We got some crazy interactions we could never have scripted,” says Lyon, who has co-authored a scientific paper as a result. “About six months into filming, Blacktip’s pack started hunting baboons.” The unusual behaviour was an intelligent response to a “dry season death trap” when Mana Pools is pockmarked with elephant footprints baked solid. “Think about sprinting at 70km per hour chasing an impala – they were picking up injuries all the time.”
While shooting 320 hours of footage, Lyon admits he “vomited and cried”, and he hopes to show that far from being “horrible killers”, painted wolves have a tender side.
“Towards the end of Tait’s life, I don’t think she hunted at all. The pack had total respect for this weak, old but incredibly smart matriarch. I’ve never met a predator that cares for their family more.”
Meet the stars
Wildlife Worldwide offer a 9-day Wild Dogs & Elephants Photography tour based at Vundu Camp, where the crew stayed, from ￡7,545pp, excluding flights. Departs October 10, 2019. Visit wildlifeworldwide.com.
Episode five: Tigers in India
Local guides working in the Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh have been following tigers most of their lives, and careful monitoring keeps sightings of the 80-strong population reliably high. When adult tigress Raj Behra fell pregnant, director Theo Webb had an opportunity to tell the story of an endangered species raising her cubs in a changing world.
“She’s under pressure from all sides,” he says. “Bandhavgarh is a really successful park, but unfortunately they’ve run out of space. There’s nowhere for the tigers to go because they’re surrounded by humanity.”
In the 45-degree heat of the day, Webb admits tigers mostly retreat to the shade and sleep. But he warns: “They can do anything at any time.”
On one occasion, Raj Behra made a surprising midday pursuit. “We knew she was sitting in a meadow, but my attention wavered when a peacock started to display. Suddenly, she ran out of the thick grass and chased the peacock. That’s an amazing moment in the film.”
Even more remarkable is the footage of mother and cubs in their den, a scenario rarely filmed and certainly not in so much detail. Webb’s team used a 5metre-high tripod and remote camera with a zoom lens, operated by a “joystick”.
“To witness tender moments when those cubs are no longer than your forearm and they’re with a huge cat – it’s extraordinary.”
Meet the stars
Naturetrek offer a 9-day escorted India – Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve tour from ￡2,295 including flights. Departs October 26, 2019. Visit naturetrek.co.uk.