The third episode of David Attenborough's latest series Dynasties was a heartbreaking look at how humans are negatively affecting the lives of lions.
Viewers witnessed a pride being poisoned by neighbouring farmers after some bait was laced with poison. A group of vets were soon on scene, hoping to save a young lion cub as he struggled to keep up with the others.
Reports have since revealed that the medical crew who attempted to help the cub were alerted by the BBC crew filming th pride.
The Mara Mobile Veterinary Unit filed an incident report, which notes the lions “were seen during the morning behaving strangely by a BBC crew filming them”.
“They informed Masai Mara National Reserve Management and Governor’s Camp management, who in turn sought the veterinary unit’s help,” the report continues.
The crew of Dynasties have now broken protocol twice and interfered with unfolding events. The first occasion was during last week's episode, when the crew decided to help a group of emperor penguins escape a ditch they were trapped in by digging a set of stairs in the snow.
Whether the crew should have saved the penguins remains a question of some debate, although the producers of the documentary series have stood by the decision.
