If you have read any of my previous blog posts relating to any of the landmark Attenborough series, you will know that from a personal perspective, that these have been generally hit or miss. However, Asia which is the latest BBC wildlife which comes in a seven-episode exploration of the continent’s wildlife and natural diversity has broken that trend. Gone are the narrative techniques of false jeopardy and overuse of anthropomorphism, instead the series focusses on the things that make wildlife documentaries so compelling and informative – by using the animals it features and their ecology to tell the story. Within these seven episodes, there are a number of habitats and species that you seldom think of when picturing the wilds of Asia. As someone that has journeyed to the continent a number of times, it has certainly stolen my heart but I only have experience of the tropical regions. Asia also takes us on a journey to the deserts of the Middle east, high altitudes of the Himalayas and the tundras of Siberia.
As always with a wildlife documentary of this scale, the cinematography is nothing short of breath-taking, and helps to capture a number of the animals like never before. There are also a number of sequences throughout that provide an insight into the lives of some amazing amphibians and reptiles, helping to reduce the misconceptions that people may have around them. One of the most unusual amphibians, the purple frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis) makes an appearance as a male and female partner up and try to find somewhere suitable within the torrents for their young to develop. These frogs spend most of their lives underground and very little is known about their ecology, so my hope is that perhaps the sequence featuring them will help to spark some interest and curiosity in other viewers. Another memorable sequence sees a number of checkered keelbacks (Fowlea piscator) waiting by a culvert, which is soon inundated by a number of migrating fish. It takes some time for these snakes to get their eye in and some of them attempt to catch/eat fish that are far too big for them but this sequence helps to demonstrate that snakes aren’t as stupid as some people may think.
The series also does something which are have only just started to see in wildlife documentaries, exploring the coexistence of humans and animals. Various examples are used as showcases where throughout Asia, people and animals live in harmony or conflict. In most cases, the local people that have wild deer, elephants or other wildlife living alongside them see this as a privilege but also a part of every day life – which is certainly the view to take. The final episode looks at the people helping to work with communities, undertake research and change policy needed to safeguard Asia’s unparalleled nature beauty for generations to come. I feel that this is a great touch, helping to recognise those individuals that have dedicated their lives to helping safeguard the species and habitats that mean so much to them.
The most memorable sequence in this series relates to a huge number of Asian water monitors (Varanus salvator) living in Bangkok – I wasn’t even aware that they could live in densities as high they seem to there! I would therefore recommend Asia to anyone with a passion for wildlife or conservation as not only will you learn something new, you’ll also find out that the species you are already familiar will continue to surprise you.
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