up close and dangerous (4/4)
20.00–21.00

This exciting documentary series takes viewers on location with the world’s top wildlife filmmakers as they relive the moments when the tables turned and their subjects became real-life threats. The last programme of the series sees a cameraman stranded on an iceflow with a polar bear. Elsewhere, some sardines prevent a cameraman from spotting a hunting shark until it is almost too late; and a defensive gorilla charges a scientist.

For a wildlife filmmaker, preparation is key to keeping safe. Even with thorough preparations in place, however, a life-threatening situation can develop in seconds. This series charts a number of dramatic stories where close encounters with a range of animals –including sharks, polar bears, komodo dragons and apes –reveal the underlying dangers of filming in the wild. The stories also illustrate how a comprehensive understanding of animal behaviour can mean the difference between life and death.

Among the dramas covered in the series is that of a cameraman who captured the charge of an African elephant;a Swedish filmmaker who is befriended by a leopard seal; and a diver who risks his life to aid a Great White Shark.

Today’s edition features a terrifying encounter in the Canadian Arctic. Filmmaker Adam Ravetch can do nothing when a polar bear attacks his Inuit guide, leaving him trapped on an iceflow. Elsewhere, cameraman Mike Bhana is filming a swarm of feeding sharks in the Bahamas when they start drifting towards him. Moments later, his arm is in the mouth of a shark, and only his experience and courage get him out alive. Plus, a territorial gorilla expresses its displeasure when a scientist takes a step too far.

From polar ice fields to scorching deserts, from the rainforest canopy to the ocean depths, the challenge of filming is a tough one. Yet, despite the hardship and danger, all of the filmmakers featured in this series still agree they have the best job in the world...