This innovative new wildlife documentary - focusing on the lives of tigers in the jungle - has been highly acclaimed by the critics. Narrated by David Attenborough, it uses footage collected by hidden-camera-carrying elephants.
The following preview courtesy of BBC:
From the day their eyes open and they tumble out of the den, Tiger Spy in the Jungle captures the day-to-day lives of four tiny tiger cubs as they grow up alongside their devoted mother in the very heart of India. The tiger is not only the world's favourite wild animal but also one of the rarest, and as David Attenborough says, "This is the most intimate portrait of tigers ever seen."
To enter the world of this tiger family, John Downer and his wizard team, cameraman Michael Richards and techno-boffin Geoff Bell, deploy the ultimate all-terrain camera vehicles - elephants - kitted out with the latest high-definition "secret weapons" of wildlife film-making - trunk-cam, tusk-cam and log-cams. The four elephants here in India's Pench national park have also been taught new filming skills by their mahouts - how to keep a steady trunk and a delicate touch.
As eco-friendly 4X4s, the elephants carry the hefty trunk-cam and smaller tusk-cam wherever the tiger family goes across its 10-square mile territory. The tigers seem oblivious to the elephants and allow them to place trunk-cam right under their whiskers to film. The elephants also use the devices to film the tigers on the move. The human film crew film from another elephant and control the ele-cams remotely.
In the first episode, the programme comes upon four 10-day-old tiger cubs in the Indian jungle - two females and two males. This is their mother's first litter and she has her paws full. They insist on tumbling out of the den, only to be carried delicately back to safety in her massive jaws.
As they grow they move from her milk onto meat. At 14 weeks old they can eat over a kilo of meat a day - the equivalent of 20 large steaks between them. It's a good job that this tigress is such a skilled hunter and that spotted and sambar deer are so plentiful. Charger, their imposing father, keeps his distance but helps to protect his vulnerable offspring from rogue male tigers and leopards. Life seems sweet, until one day the cubs are left home alone and their arch rival, an Indian leopard, is about.
Can you tell me if all 4 tiger cubs survive. I am away for the next 2 weeks and note it says next week in the tv times that "disaster strikes) Can you email me please. I am desperate to know if the survive and their parents.
March 31st - 0:40amMac Gollifer said...
We had a flat battery so were late home and missed the program. Is it going to be repeated?
March 30th - 9:14pmmrs k goord said...
missed first episode tonight will it be repeated before next episode, if so please could you tell me when and which channel it will be on.
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