Last night I watched episode two of The Wild Ones, AppleTV+’s new six-part wildlife documentary, and honestly, I can’t wait to finish work and watch episode three.
This streaming series follows wildlife filmmakers Declan Burley and Vianet Djenguet, as well as their chaperone of sorts, former Royal Marine, survival expert, and real-life action man, Aldo Kane. The trio is tasked with reaching and filming six elusive and critically endangered species from across the globe, in a bid to bolster conservation efforts before it's too late.
The Wild Ones feels like a fresh take on the genre because the wildlife isn’t front and center, and the reason why is heartbreaking.
During the two episodes I’ve watched, the team was tasked with tracking down the Malayan tiger and Gobi bear. Fewer than 150 Malayan tigers and less than 50 Gobi bears are thought to exist in the wild, so opportunities to capture footage on such expeditions are devastatingly rare.
As such, this series is about the team’s struggle to reach and catch a glimpse of said subjects, which is precisely why it’s such tantalizing viewing for those who enjoy wildlife photography and/or filmmaking.
You get to watch thousands of dollars' worth of imaging kit funnelled down rapids on a canoe, Aldo putting his tracking skills to the test, Vianet sitting in a hide, alone for days on end with his camera, and Declan setting up hundreds of camera traps.
It really is a fantastic fly-on-the-wall insight into professional wildlife content creation and a much-needed reminder that capturing wildlife can be extremely difficult and by no means a given.
I’ve actually been surprised at how heavily it leans into the content-creation process at times, but thankfully there’s plenty to entice neutral viewers – largely, the excellent rapport between the three experts, their infectious personalities and passion for wildlife.
That, and the suspense – do they manage to capture the content they need? Well, I guess you’ll have to watch and find out!
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Want more wildlife goodness? Here are 10 tips for wildlife photography and if you want to upgrade your setup, here are the best cameras for wildlife photography. And for more content on The Wild Ones, I am buying an Apple TV+ subscription just to watch this new wildlife photography show!
