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Monday, 4 October 2010

Hiding in the Bush: On assignment for the BBC 'Africa' wildlife series


Filming in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, for a new BBC wildlife series about Africa - I have just spent two amazing mornings in my portable canvas hide positioned beside a waterhole teeming with birds - pelicans, yellow-billed storks, spoonbills, and more, all gorging themselves on fish trapped by the receding waters of the dry season.

In most places I film it's all about getting close to animals but in the African bush it's a bit different - much of the time I am trying to keep away from the dangerous ones. The riverbed where I have the hide is bordered on both sides by trees, thick bush and tall grass which poses a serious threat of lions - they like hiding in such places for animals to come to the water. Having reached the relative safety of the hide (escorted by an armed guard) I soon discover there is a crocodile in the waterhole. At the time, I thought it was a small one because all I saw was it's eye slowly appearing above the surface a few metres away and then vanishing without even a hint of a ripple on the water. Later that day I saw a huge crocodile sunning itself on a sand bank and could see exactly how small a large crocs eyes really are ! Apparently as long as it can't see me behind the thin canvas it won't think I am edible.

A week later a very rarely seen bit of crocodile behaviour unfolds by chance in front of the camera while we are watching a section of river. Thanks to the wonders of modern zoom lenses I was able to record the event at a safe distance of about 50 metres. You'll have to watch the series - due to be broadcast in late 2012 - to find out exactly what happened.

7 comments:

  1. 2014? that's a long time to be waiting on tenterhooks.

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  2. Does it take such a long time because it's HD?

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  3. Sorry, but I've got be a bit circumspect about what I give away...the filming only started this year, goes for another two years, then a year editing (heaven knows quite why). 3 or 4 years is not unusual for a top of the range series.

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  4. Fantastic stuff - never a dull moment next to a teeming watering hole. I've just been filming something very similar with the annual fishing party birds in Zambia's South Luangwa Valley, albeit just as a short promo clip - http://www.vimeo.com/14967756

    I look forward to reading more adventures soon...

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  5. Sorry folks - correction to the 'Africa' series broadcast time - it will be late 2012 not 2014 !

    And, no, HD (high definition) does not take any longer to edit than standard definition.

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  6. very glad it was croc watch and not croc munch bro! Georgie

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  7. The sequence appears in Episode 4 'Cape' of the Africa TV series.

    First showing in UK on BBC1 9pm 23rd January 2013.

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