Dynasties

[Cleoriff]

Has anyone been watching this marvellous BBC nature programme hosted by the one and only Sir David Attenborough?

It is a follow on from Planet Earth 1 and 11.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06mybwy

It's a one hour programme over 5 episodes.

Five extraordinary animals, battling rivals and the forces of nature for the future of their families.

If you love wildlife you will enjoy this.

It's emotional, brutal and often heartwarming to watch.

Beautiful stunning photography, which we have all come to expect with all Attenborough programmes

Also ends with Sir David telling us how long each episode took to film. Nearly 3 years for the chimpanzee episode. It shows you the camera men and women and their struggles to get the perfect shot.

The final words are from the great man himself. Talking about the loss of the environment for these animals. With the chimps it's due to gold mining in Senegal. The numbers of chimpanzees in this region has been decimated to 200.

If you love David Attenborough, wildlife and care for the environment, this is a must watch series...

[jonsie]

All his programmes are beautifully shot and narrated though a big shout for the team, it's certainly not a one man show.

Such a shame how the human race has messed up it's planet.

[Cleoriff]

I have just finished watching the Emperor Penguin Dynasty.

Oh My God is all I can say about that.

Unbelievable how they survive in -60c blizzards , whilst holding their eggs off the ice.

Tragic to see so many eggs dropped and frozen, or chicks hatched, dropped and dead.

Then there was the scene where a number of female penguins slipped into a ravine, holding their chicks and the struggle to get out.

The only time I have seen the team of cameramen get involved. They never normally interfere with nature. Though this time they dug a 'road of steps' into the ravine allowing the penguins to climb out to safety.

Not a dry eye in this household!!

Absoluely superb.

I will watch the lions tomorrow....

[EmilieT]

I absolutely love Planet Earth and all the programmes Sir David Attenborough has done before @Cleoriff, yet I had no idea there was a new documentary series out! Thanks for sharing this, I'll definitely catch up on Dynasties over my long weekend ahead 

[Cleoriff]

Well worth it @EmilieT

Some real heart stopping moments in every episode.

[EmilieT]

Really loved the episode on penguins I found the little behind the scenes after the episodes really interesting as well, I'd gladly watch more of that if they released more footage and interviews of what it was like to prepare and record them!

[Cleoriff]

It was Lions last week @EmilieT which I found quite upsetting. It focused on the Marsh Pride Lions of the Masai Mara. I followed these In Big Cat Diaries on BBC many years ago.

Tragic to see how this once majestic lion pride has been decimated since then.

The two alpha males have left the pride, leaving it to be run by a female, Charm and her sister Sienna.

It was pretty brutal at times. Watching a male lion (Charms son) being surrounded and attacked by hyenas.

All looked to be lost until his brother Red raced to the rescue and help chase the hyenas away. The injuries they suffered and recover from are nothing short of miraculous.

Probaly the worst part was in the season when hunting is slow and they have to eat. Their only option is to look for the cattle the masai mara herdsmen are taking to graze to another area. They know the lions are after their cattle so they lay trails of poisoned meat.

Every lion in the pride ate this meat and although some recovered, one of Charms sons didn't. The pride had to leave him behind as they moved on.

Interesting to watch the filmmakers move in to see if they could save him once the pride had left. They couldn't and he died.

Thats aside, it's nature and the fight for survival makes for spectacular viewing.

[EmilieT]

I know what you mean @Cleoriff, I'm incapable of watching any documentary on wildlife without shedding a tear (at the very least) ... it can get quite upsetting but in case of the penguins for example seeing how the filmakers intervened to make that ramp so the trapped ones could come out warmed my heart so much. I can't imagine how the crew must feel as well spending a year folllowing the groups and seeing them getting in those situations.

I saw the Lions one as well and there were a lot of really hard things to watch but the way Charm and her daugther made it through such a tough time was quite something 

[jonsie]

I watched this, enjoyed some and saddened by some.

I appreciate this is a nature programme and it's about survival. What isn't nature is laying trails of poisoned meat.

[Cleoriff]

It was Painted Wolf (African wild dogs) last night @EmilieT

This one actually showed little family loyalty (at the start of the episode)

Tait is matriarch of one of the last great families of this endangered animal. She has ruled her dynasty for many years, However her daughter Blacktip has started her own dynasty which is much bigger than Taits.

So we see Blacktip chasing her mothers pack away from the area she has held for years. Pushing them into dangerous areas where lions reside (and crocodiles in the Zambezi river)

We saw pups born and the risk they face from honey badgers, lions and hyenas.

Real gripping heart wrenching stuff.

[dgilbert2]

Have taped them and will probably watch over the holidays.

Just realised I said "taped" - how so last year is that one