Filming the wildlife of London requires an intrepid, agile presenter, willing to lie on damp grass after dark to encounter hedgehogs, scale heights to hold a peregrine falcon chick, and stake out a Tottenham allotment to get within touching distance of wary wild foxes.
Step forward Sir David Attenborough,who spent his 100th summer seeking out the hidden nature of his home city for an unusually personal and intimate BBC documentary.
Wild London,which will be broadcast on BBC One on New Year’s day,features 99-year-old Attenborough in front of the cameras more than in any of his recent natural history blockbusters as he demonstrates he has lost none of his affectionate rapport with wild creatures.
He gently cups a tiny, jumpy harvest mouse in his hand before releasing it into a meadow in west London, admires beavers making their home in Ealing, and watches, enraptured, as young foxes gambol around his deckchair at dusk in north London.
“He’s a 99-year-old man but I would say he’s still one of the easiest TV presenters to work with,” saeid the director Joe Loncraine. “He’s incredibly professional. He gets the job done quickly.”
Attenborough with a harvest mouse in a meadow in west London. Photograph: Joe Loncraine/BBC/Passion Planet Ltd
According to Loncraine, the film-making team ruled out certain ideas for “pieces to camera” on account of Attenborough’s age but then discovered that their presenter was more than willing to try them.
“We’d have these ideas and think, ‘OK – can’t do that’ and then discover he was up for it and it was really great.I’ve worked with presenters in their 30s who would moan about that. He’s fantastic.”
In the documentary, Attenborough takes viewers to one of his favorite buildings, the Natural History Museum, to find emperor dragonflies, and also visiting parliament for peregrines and the ancient oaks of Richmond Park.
But it is the new iterations of the “two-shot” – where Attenborough is pictured interacting with foxes, hedgehogs, harvest mice, peregr
David Attenborough’s Latest Documentary Highlights Urban Wildlife and the Importance of Nature
A new documentary featuring Sir David Attenborough showcases the surprising resurgence of wildlife in urban environments, with a particular focus on the return of beavers to London. The film emphasizes the crucial connection between human well-being and access to nature, even within cities.
The documentary revisits Attenborough’s long career observing the natural world, beginning with his early work documenting the plight of the Canadian beaver in the 1950s. As reported by The Guardian,Attenborough expressed his astonishment at witnessing Eurasian beavers thriving in London’s Ealing and Enfield wetlands after their reintroduction to fenced areas. [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/28/david-attenborough-wild-beavers-london-documentary-nature-cities]
In a segment filmed on location, Attenborough remarked, “If someone had told me when I first moved here that one day I would be watching wild beavers in London, I would’ve thought they were mad but there they are, right behind me, going about their own business.” This observation underscores a central theme of the documentary: the potential for wildlife to flourish even in densely populated areas.
The film’s director, Lucy Loncraine, explained that Attenborough was adamant about conveying a clear message.”The importance of appreciating nature wherever it is and making space for nature in urban environments [was] key for him,” Loncraine stated. The documentary aims to demonstrate the benefits of urban green spaces and advocate for their protection and expansion. [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/28/david-attenborough-wild-beavers-london-documentary-nature-cities]
The documentary also features a personal reflection from Attenborough on the significance of Richmond Park in his life. Richmond Park, a National Nature reserve, provides a haven for wildlife within the London borough of Richmond upon Thames. [https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/richmond-park]
While speculation about this being Attenborough’s final presenting role continues, Loncraine dismisses the idea. “People have been asking that question for at least 10 years,” she said. “Anyone who makes the bet that this is his last would be foolish. I have no idea – but hopefully not.”
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