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Episode synopsis
David Attenborough explores deserts and grasslands, where extraordinary life survives in unexpected ways, and nature puts on its most dramatic show.
In the baked Namib desert, a pair of ostriches raise their family in the searing heat to keep them safe from predators – but time is ticking as the chicks begin to hatch. Outside the egg, the new-borns won’t survive long in these temperatures, but not all of the clutch hatch at once; tragically, the parents are forced to leave behind an unhatched egg. As the family departs, a new-born emerges and the lone chick wanders the vast Namib desert calling for its family.
In the desert, life exists in a world with almost no water, which drives one troop of desert baboons on a continual quest to find it. A young mother who is low in the pecking order must battle for her right to drink, as without water her milk will run dry and her new-born will not survive.
Where rain falls regularly, it can transform a desert into grassland. Grasslands support the biggest concentrations of terrestrial large animals on the planet,* and this wealth of life in turn attracts predators.
Leopards are the most adaptable of big cats, and a handful of special individuals have learnt to hunt by hiding and leaping from tree tops – some higher than the roof of a two storey house. When they jump, their prey doesn’t see them coming.
Grasslands are one of the most widespread habitats on Earth and in the frozen north, herds of saiga antelope fight for their chance to win mating rights. 70% of rutting males die every year, in a battle that’s been taking place since the ice age.*
Closer to the equator, a grassland paradise can be found – the Cerrado in Brazil. This is the richest grassland on Earth and home to the rare, fruit-eating maned wolf. Little is known about this bizarre creature and for the first time ever, we glimpse inside the den of a wild maned wolf. A mother raises her three puppies, but their future is uncertain. The Cerrado is a vitally important grassland, home to thousands of species of plants and animals found nowhere else, but it is in danger of being lost forever. This grassland is being destroyed more than two times faster than the Amazon rainforest to clear land for farming. Reduced to 50% of its former size – some predict it could disappear completely in the next 10 years.*
But there’s hope, in central Africa – one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife gatherings is testament to what can happen if we help protect these precious ecosystems and allow nature to restore its own balance.
Filming locations and species in each episode
- Dromedary camel: Ennedi, Chad
- Ostrich: Tiras Mountains, Namibia
- Bower birds: Taunton National Park, Australia
- Maned wolves: Pousada Trijuncao, Brazil
- Haboob dust storms: Phoenix, Arizona
- Leopards: Southern Africa
- Baboons: Tsaobis Nature Park, Namibia
- Saiga antelope: Stepnoi Nature Reserve, Russia
- African elephants: Zamouka National Park, Chad
In numbers…
- Number of shoots: 21
- Number of remote shoots: Nine
- Number of filming days: 291
- Fun fact: The leopard’s leap shown in this episode is thought to be one of the highest ever recorded – higher than the roof of a two storey house!
Rarest species and rarest behaviour documented include…
- Kordofan giraffe: critically endangered (number of mature individuals, 1,400)*
- Saiga antelope: the fight we recorded lasted six minutes. This is a behaviour that has rarely been filmed and the fight is thought to be a filming first.
- Chacma baboons: The first time a crew has been given access to these special desert baboons.
Q&A with Deserts and Grasslands Producer and Director Kiri Cashell
What is this episode about, in your own words?
Deserts and Grasslands is a celebration of some of Earth’s greatest wildernesses. These are vast frontiers home to the superstars of the natural world, where extraordinary animals survive in the most remarkable ways.
But whilst they may feel remote and untouched, these places are changing, and what happens here is relevant and significant to all life on Earth, including us.
I wanted to connect people to these wild and spectacular places in a new way to inspire hope and empower our audience – sharing the idea that there really are solutions to climate change, to the struggles the natural world is facing, even in places really far away.
Given the fragile nature of desert and grassland ecosystems, how did your team ensure that your presence had minimal impact on the local environment and wildlife?
It is of utmost importance that we work in a way that minimises impact to local environments and animals when filming, in fact it is something that goes hand in hand with us successfully capturing intimate and extraordinary animal behaviours. We rely on animals feeling comfortable with our presence, so we often work with local experts and scientists in the field to understand best practise, and use camera technologies and small teams to minimise our presence.
By working alongside a team of scientists who have studied a troop of chacma baboons in the Namibian desert for over 20 years, we were able to film with known individuals that were relaxed in our presence. It helped us tell a powerful story of a mother baboons desperate search for water to keep her baby alive, and by fully immersing ourselves with the troop (walking with them in 40-degree heat for an entire month), we also formed a greater sense of empathy and respect for these resilient and tough baboons.
What was your most surprising moment when filming?
One of the most surprising and powerful moments on the series was witnessing the remarkable relationship between local rangers and elephants in Zakouma National Park in Chad. The majority of the elephant population in this part of central Africa were killed illegally for their ivory,* but thanks to conservation efforts, within only a decade, elephant numbers have started to recover and Zakouma is now home to one of Earth’s most remarkable wildlife spectacles.
During filming, there was one incredible moment where three seven-tonne bull elephants approached Abakar – one of the rangers who risked their lives to protect these sentient creatures.
They stood only inches from one another, showing a deep connection and level of mutual respect, rarely seen in a time where many of us feel separate from the natural world. As one of the bulls extended their trunk to meet Abakar’s hand – I was deeply moved. These elephants were survivors of one of the worst massacres of our time, individuals that had suffered so much at the hands of humanity, yet they remained gentle and curious, choosing to accept and trust us.
It was a poignant reminder to never underestimate the animals we share our planet with, and how connection is a powerful tool in healing our broken relationship with nature.
How does this episode address the conservation issues related to desert and grassland ecosystems? How can we protect these vital environments?
In a world that is rapidly changing, we have a huge responsibility to show not just the beauty of these habitats but also their fragility.
Making Deserts and Grasslands took me to many changing frontiers – places such as the Cerrado in Brazil which is considered to be the most threatened savannah in the world, and metropolitan cities in Arizona being overwhelmed by dust storms that travel from growing deserts.
For many years we have looked at climate change as a somewhat abstract concept, but I wanted to show that it directly affects us as well as wildlife. By including the human experience, I hope it connects our audience in a new and powerful way. We are a part of nature and not separate from it. I hope the people can take away the profound thought that what happens here is really critical for all of us and we can feel empowered to fight for it.
Key stories and filming feats
Maned Wolves, Cerrado, Brazil
NB: new behaviour, filming feat
Despite working in some of the most extreme environments in the world, our biggest technical challenge came when filming in the Brazilian Cerrado. We set ourselves the ambitious task of filming maned wolves – one of Earth’s most elusive creatures, in a habitat where thick, tall grasses easily obscure wildlife.
To stand any chance of succeeding, we collaborated with pioneering scientists for over three years. As part of their research, they had fitted a handful of wolves with radio collars in an attempt to understand this little-known species and it gave us a unique opportunity to find and film them.
Success required us to use a suite of specialised cameras. Drones were used to locate and film the wolves from the air, and a stabilised camera attached to jib was fitted to a filming car, allowing us to track and film the maned wolves at a distance. But we needed more than just shots of the maned wolves, we needed to film behaviour. To achieve this, we wanted to film inside a wild maned wolf den for the first time ever – something that would offer a privileged and intimate glimpse into the early stages of a maned wolf’s life. To do this we worked with our camera lab team, devising a system of small remotely controlled cameras, that allowed us to capture ‘live’ images from over 80m away.
Our efforts culminated in a sequence that allowed us to tell an emotional, character-led story about the difficulties this endangered species face from habitat destruction, and the footage captured aided researchers in their efforts to understand and protect future generations.
Tom Greenalgh: “Whilst trying to film scenic shots of the beautiful Cerrado – or Brazilian savannah – the team foolishly left their car doors open. A curious, and rather large, Brazilian tapir spotted the opportunity and silently snuck behind them to raid the car. We spotted the intruder placing its head directly inside and inspecting everything in sight. It took quite a lot of friendly encouragement to eventually convince the tapir to leave the car alone!”
Zakouma National Park, Chad
Zakouma is home to one of the best wildlife gatherings on Earth, and the Planet Earth III film crew are the first to film here for commercial broadcast. We also filmed the remarkable relationship between the park’s local rangers and the elephants that survived the poaching massacre that almost wiped out the species here.
We chose to film here for Planet Earth III, to not only showcase this rare wildlife spectacle, but because Zakouma has come from the brink of destruction to be a model of modern wildlife conservation. In 2010 the government of Chad invited NGO African Parks to take over management, as poaching was so out of control that Zakouma’s renowned elephant population was at risk of obliteration. Through a strong emphasis on security, stability and local communities, the park has become a stronghold for many species that are endangered or extinct in other parts of central and west Africa. Zakouma is a beacon of hope for conservation. The elephants trust humans again, showing the amazing capabilities of these sentient creatures.
Dust storms, Phoenix, Arizona
NB: new technology
We filmed a dust storm in Phoenix, Arizona using a Gyro Stabilised System (GSS) camera mounted on a helicopter. This allowed us to travel at speed to find the dust storm but crucially, allowed dynamic shots not possible with slower drones. It also meant our flight time was increased so we could film the dust storms as they moved out from the desert and swept over towns and cities. This involved a highly unpredictable and complicated planning process, where we worked remotely with local storm chasers to successfully predict a dust storm event, to ensure we knew when to launch the helicopter to film.
Fun fact: Kiri Cashell used a virtual storyboard which simulated the cameras, maps and 3D topography of Phoenix, Arizona, to replicate and direct the type of shot needed without the need for being physically present on location whilst filming took place.
Chacma baboons, Tsaobis Nature Park, Namibia
NB: filming feat
This is the first time a film crew have been given access to film these special desert baboons. They have been studied by scientists for over 30 years and the crew managed to secure filming with the troops for the first time.
Kiri Cashell: “When we met the habituated troop for the first time it was a mix of excitement and nerves – we had to gain the respect and trust of the 50 strong, wild troop. Myself and Toby, our cameraman, woke before dark on their first morning and met the baboons on foot as they walked from their cliff top roost. By keeping calm, and avoiding eye contact, we were fully accepted by the troop!”
Ostriches, Tiras Mountains, Namibia
The Namib Desert is the most ancient desert in the world, and one of the hottest places on Earth. Ostriches nest in the middle of the desert plains, with no protection from the sun. This is because most predators don’t venture out in the heat of the day, so it offers them and their growing family protection. Female ostriches guard the nest during the daytime and the males take over for the night shift. They will do this for up to 42 days.
Fun fact: Ostriches have excellent daytime and night-time vision, with the largest eyes of any land animal.
Tom Greenhalgh: “Usually, male ostriches take over for the night shift, but our male seemed to be somewhat of a super dad and would protect the clutch from about 2-3pm until 11am the following day…every day. As time went on, he got more exhausted and would often fall asleep in front of us, his head swaying gently side to side and with his beak agape.”
Meet the team
Kiri Cashell, Producer and Director
Kiri is a passionate wildlife filmmaker dedicated to sharing stories that inspire people to care for the natural world. Originally a wildlife biologist, Kiri started her career at the BBC 13 years ago, working on a wide range of award winning programmes such as ‘Seven Worlds, One Planet’ and ‘Nature’s Epic Journeys’. She has been lucky enough to film wild elephants on foot, live alongside Samburu tribal warriors and dive with great white sharks. On Planet Earth III, she is the producer/director on the ‘Deserts and Grasslands’ episode. Highlights from the series include; watching leopards hunting from trees, filming the conservation success story of Zakouma National Park in Chad, and capturing ‘first of its kind’ footage inside a maned wolf den, something that will aid research to protect this endangered species.
Tom Greenhalgh, Director
Tom Greenhalgh is the Director on the Deserts & Grasslands episode and the Assistant Producer on the Ocean episode of Planet Earth III. Growing up in Kent and fascinated by the natural world from a young age, he completed a BSc in Zoology and a MA in Wildlife Documentary Production. Since 2012, his films have taken him all over the world, from filming orca in the Arctic Circle, to nesting ostriches in the Namib Desert. He’s worked on VFX programmes about prehistoric creatures, children’s wildlife shows for CBBC, and landmark documentaries for National Geographic the BBC Natural History Unit. His favourite animals, both to film and observe, are gibbons – acrobatic singing apes living in the rainforests of southeast Asia.
Samson Moyo
Zambia based songbird beneficiary Samson Moyo went out to Zakouma National Park, Chad, for a Planet Earth III shoot to work as second camera/assistant alongside Toby Strong. For Samson it was a great opportunity to work together with one of our most experienced wildlife camera operators. Samson was able to gain experience in using a specialist giro-stabilising system (GSS) that gives the camera stability while moving, and which is only taken on certain shoots. For more information on the NHU’s Songbird Project, please see Notes to Editors.