Mammals are everywhere. Sir David Attenborough reveals the ingenuity behind their success.
Fennec Foxes are the quintessential desert creature.They can live their whole lives in the hottest and driest place on Earth without drinking a drop of water, surviving only on moisture in the small insects, reptiles and burrowing mammals they feed on. In fact, in the whole world, they can be found only in the Sahara. Their cunning is legendary, and their huge ears make them instantly recognisable, but few have seen one in the wild and even fewer can claim to have watched their antics.
Finding these intriguing little things seemed a daunting prospect as we set out into the vastness of the Sahara Desert. Yet with hundreds and hundreds of miles of golden sand stretching out before us, the size of our target wasn’t our biggest challenge – Fennec foxes are also among the shyest dogs on the planet and almost entirely nocturnal.We drove in convey for many hours before we reached our destination.
As night fell over the Sahara, temperatures plummeted to below zero and I was surprised to wake up and find a blanket of frost covering the sand. Bruno had warned us how hostile this environment can be, having been trapped for days sheltering from severe sandstorms, so he assured us that if a few chilly nights and frosty morning were all we had to contend with, we were looking good.And so the shoot became about perseverance.
When we set out to film one of the world’s shyest mammals, we knew we’d face a lot of challenges - but none of us had seen this coming. Here were the very foxes we had been hoping to bring to the screen; trapped, skinned and discarded. The delicate little paws that had been making those beautiful tracks in the sand severed and thrown aside next to cigarette butts, crisp packets and other litter.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Making Mammals: Born to survive, built to thriveSir David Attenborough reveals the world of mammals and the secrets of their success.
Read more »
Four former Defence Secretaries throw their support behind Mail's campaign to boost defence spendingSir Michael Fallon, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Sir Gavin Williamson and Lord Hammond all backed the Mail's campaign to boost defence spending.
Read more »
'The resilience of mammals and their ability to adapt to almost any situation is inspiring'The series celebrates the amazing intelligence that enables mammals to learn, remember, problem-solve, parent, and co-operate
Read more »
Mammals: World-first as Attenborough series films leopards hunting in pitch blackThe BBC's Natural History Unit got a rare glimpse of the behaviour as climate change forces animals to adapt.
Read more »
Study finds oil and gas platforms could make marine life moveResearch in the Moray Firth suggests marine mammals are displaced during decommissioning work.
Read more »
Glasgow pub closes suddenly leaving staff out of jobs and customers chasing depositsScruffy Murphy's shut its doors with immediate effect on March 4, leaving employees out of jobs with no notice given as they found out about the closure over the phone.
Read more »