2010

Right, New Year, new filming trips.

Quick catch up since Gorillas.

We spent four months in all out in Rwanda and Uganda and its a time we'll never forget.

Expect to see the films sometime in the Autumn.

I was lucky enough to do a few more shoots for 'Human Planet'.

I hunted Kudu in the Kalahari with the Bushman, fished for snakes in Cambodia, and chased lions off a kill with the Dorobo!

And just before Christmas I got to play with Stephen Fry, Mark carwadine and some white rhino In Prague!

S0 2010

Im off to Kenya to go and see my Ele's for a couple of weeks, which will be magic, then off to Australia in March for the last Human Planet shoot to film the rounding up of 2000 cattle with Helicopters!

I am then starting a series in North America about an amazing man called Lynn Rogers who walks with Brown Bears. Im really excited about getting to know these extrodinary creature.

Sadly Becs and Finn wont be with me, although i hope they get to make it out to meet the bears.

There we go, a quick catch up and preview!

Saturday morning

Bec’s and I went out with Felix to see the Kitonda group. A Travelling family of Gorillas who Felix had known in the Congo in 1992. A number of them had missing digits and one a hand due to snare injuries from the band lands of Congo.
As we arrived Felix had been radioed that the group had climbed over the forest wall and were in the fields! This was a sequence we really wanted. We grabbed our kit and ran. Normally we are looking at a 2 hr walk in; here it was 2 minutes before we set up!
They adored the Eucalyptus trees and were demolishing them, much to the dismay of the wary locals.
The little ones were scampering up the trunks and chewing the bark, whilst the three silverbacks in the group were just pushing the trees down and having a right old feast!
We got some nice behaviour and it was great to see them in the open. All too soon are hour was up but a good mornings filming.











deforrestation
in action

Day off

Friday evening we got home and there was a troop of dancers on the front lawn who were at the hotel to entertain guests but there were no guests so Ryan the manager arranged 2 chairs one for Lauren and one for Finn in the hotel grounds and they had their own show which made Lauren cry but Finn reassured us all it was crying in a good way. By the time we got back from filming the dancers had made their way over to our cottage and were going for it in our garden. They were fantastic, mostly kids with incredible rhythm and drumming madness. We got fired up drank beer ate lots of meat in the hotel Friday night buffet went to bed far too late and felt awful for the start of our day off on Saturday…
We headed for Lake Burera on the Uganda border about a 40 minute drive, and found a small beach with ladies washing clothes, a bunch of students swimming who took a shine to Rosie and Lauren, and a couple of fishing boats. We negotiated a deal on a boat via 15 or so people and set out across the stunning lake for a paddle. Amazingly they even had life jackets so Finn looked the part. We had a really fun time and took loads of piccies and when we got back to the shore there were some really young boys fishing who posed with Finn and were fascinated by his blond hair. He gets lots of attention wherever we go, people can’t believe his white locks and we feel quite protective at times but he takes it incredibly well.







We thought for a few minutes about a lunch in the village but then a far better plan emerged. Another 20 minutes climbing a red dust track by car we got to Verunga lodge a stunning low key high class lodge. The views were outstanding and we ordered lunch overlooking the lakes below. The day was magic and we all got home chilled and tired and ready for an early night.


the lakes
from the lodge






Bec's and finn
waiting for lunch





Brooding
Volcano

Little things

As well as the big impressive Silverbacks beating their chests, it’s the little things that have been special. We sat for an hour in the bamboo with a Mum and her infant. At first she keep an eye on us then wonderfully ignored us. She was playing away with her little one, lifting him above her head, then cuddling him and letting him suckle. It felt like a very privaleged intimate thing to witness.
Then we were lucky enough to watch little Thursday climb to the top of a tree and try and build a day bed (a good few years before he will properly do this). He took great pride bending his branches over, most of which sprang back up as soon as he turned his back. He managed about three, then very proudly lay back on his creation for a good 20 seconds before jumping up to go and play something else.

7 metres

The rules for your safety and that of the Gorillas are that you should remain seven metres apart. All the rangers and scientists try their best to keep this status quo, but…. There are occasions when this isn’t possible.
It was our second week with Pablo’s group and we had been granted a couple of 4 hr days, which was brilliant. Myself, Rosie and Felix where in thick Bamboo, with a couple of individuals, when suddenly a silverback took a bit of a dislike to the boom microphone and came charging towards us. We were backed up against a wall of bamboo and had nowhere to go so Felix told us to ‘drop and don’t look at him’, this we did, with great speed and conviction. He stopped short when he realised the quivering, sweating heaps of submissive flesh on the floor probably weren’t a threat and sat down right next to us, just to be sure and so as to be able to keep an eye on the scary furry microphone creature. The other members of the gang suddenly found us quite interesting and a blackback then a mum with infant came up and pressed their noses to the lens. All the while we were dutifully looking anywhere but at them. It was a pretty extraordinary experience.
As soon as the Silverback got bored and when off to push a tree down we retreated to our 7 metres and laughed a little bit hysterically!

p.s there aren't any photos of this cos we were being submissive.....and shaking too much!

Finn's Gallery

When Finn isn’t being fireman Sam, filming Gorillas in the garden or collecting frogs then him and Lauren are really into their painting.



Lake and Volcano







Karisimbe
and
Visoke
behind the
house





Finn's
Gorilla
'Doctor
Doctor'!

Pablo's group

Amazing couple of days. We’ve switched groups to Pablo’s, which is the biggest group in the world at 45 individuals (previously 65!).

Led by the very charismatic and huge Cantsbee.
Beautiful walks up through the farmland. Immaculately tended fields and smiley people. Then a short walk into the forest. Then we crested a ridge and there in the valley below were 45 gorillas! Playing, fighting, sleeping, and eating. It has been an incredible spectacle.
The last couple of days filming have been in this group surrounded by these beautiful creatures. They are eating the young bamboo shoots, which makes them a little excited, resulting in some close shaves and very up close and personal moments with silverbacks. Sweaty palms and everything. When your only defence is looking at the ground you do feel bloody helpless and small.
We have again found the time limitations a huge frustration, but on a personal level, WOW.