I am pretty sure I am not the only one who enjoys watching wildlife documentaries, or rather, documentaries every chance I get. Have you watched Unknown Number: The High School Catfish by the way? That has a mad storyline. Anyway, I started watching The Wild Ones, thinking it would be binge-worthy since I need something to match the days when I have so much desk work, yes, those busy but joyful days. I didn’t expect it to be this good, just one episode in and 5 minutes deep. Truly, I love nature documentaries where people are part of the story.

Don’t read past here if you don’t like spoilers. I went overboard.

The Tiger episode has me excited because it’s technically an expedition in a rainforest in Malaysia, and I am enthralled. It’s right up my alley: science and filmmaking, the little joys that keep my soul alive. Also, the jokes these guys (Aldo Kane, Vianet Djenguet, and Declan Burley) make, some of them are inside jokes, but I find myself laughing, loving it. Such a beautiful production, and also showing what expedition life is really like. It’s giving me so many filming ideas. And yes, that monsoon that keeps pouring reminds me of my recent read, The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. It’s all just beautiful to watch, and the narration makes it more interesting. They track the Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni) in Malaysia, using one hundred camera traps, and we learn how poaching is depleting these species and many others.

The Bear episode, filmed in Mongolia, highlights how development is going to affect the critically endangered Gobi bear (Ursus arctos gobiensis). It’s a case of development versus conservation. Climate change is also a big factor, since the bear lives in a desert. There are plans to make its home, the Gobi Desert (or parts of the Gobi), into a more officially protected status, which would help the species. Many animal‐tracking, behaviour, and identification practices are used to track the bears; camera traps are important. You see how elusive the species is, as the teams have difficulty capturing them. It’s a game of patience.

“Tracking… It’s an art form, not really a science.” — Aldo Kane.

The Rhino episode is quite intriguing. The Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is critically endangered; I was glad to see how much security is involved to protect this species. The main purpose of this episode is to showcase work being done to protect a species with so few individuals in the wild, and the collaboration between the rangers, scientists, and filmmakers to film and find this species to aid in its protection. The lengths the team went to set up the camera traps and the technique used to mount them were incredible. And yes, the graphics and scenery are spot on. Also, this was a fun science-related episode.

The Leopard episode is a reminder of how borders affect wildlife, yet the animals have no idea these boundaries exist. Two countries are at war because of their borders. Technically, even locals haven’t seen a Caucasian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana), and the goal is to create corridors so the leopard can move from one conservation area to another. A quick search online only to see that Armenia has 3-9 of these species seen. Also beautiful to see the personalities of the crew come out in such vulnerable ways; the level they go to rig camera traps just to capture one of the most elusive cats is impressive. The best part is the community getting to see the Leopards on screen.

The Gorilla episode is another favourite of mine. An African species that is critically endangered. The focus is on Gabon, one of Africa’s habitats for the Western lowland gorilla (Guess what the scientific name is? It is so easy). The episode also highlights the work the community is doing to protect the species by having ecotourism (instead of logging) as an income-generating activity. Good discussion on habituated (wild but have interacted with humans, thus tourists can see them) and non-habituated (completely wild and have not interacted with humans, hence dangerous) gorillas, and which method can help gorillas is quite insightful because I always ask myself why and this episode, especially with community involvement, answers it. 

The Whale episode is about the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis), and the catch is to find out why they get injuries compared to other marine mammals. Thanks to technology, the team can capture the species in ways scientists have not been able to do for a long time, and they test new technology that may prevent whales from colliding with ships (or as I’ve learnt it’s called ship or vessel strikes, which is similar to when an insect or bird gets hit by a windscreen).

The series truly captures conservation in a different light. No romanticising, just working towards documenting the species, the science, the community, and showing how storytelling can be a tool to strengthen wildlife protection efforts. My only downside is that the episodes feel somewhat short; they end abruptly, and I always want more of that episode. The best part is always when the locals get to see the footage. Such joy in their eyes. 

So far, this decade has gifted us with so many beautiful documentaries. Technology is making it easier. The filmmaking community is changing the game and making huge impacts by being in front of the camera. Production companies are pushing the limit. It’s truly a beautiful time to showcase our natural world in intricate and advanced ways. The only choice we have is to keep creating. Because when one species is gone, it affects humanity in ways that are detrimental to our future, not just the future of wildlife species.