Fears for David Attenborough's health prompts BBC to keep the birds away from the 96-year-old
SKOMER ISLAND, WALES: Sir David Attenborough was reportedly kept away from fledging chicks during filming for his new series after the producers were warned over the risk of avian Flu presented to the legendary broadcaster. The 96-year-old naturalist appeared on several shoot locations and got close to plants and animals as part of his series, ‘Wild Isles’ which focuses on wildlife in the British Isles.
One segment of the series required Sir David to be present when Manx shearwater chicks on Skomer Island, off the Pembrokeshire coast of Wales, flew for the first time from their subterranean burrows on a 6,000-mile migratory journey, according to Daily Mail. But, two weeks before filming was due to start, executive producer Alastair Fothergill decided to scrap the segment after reports of avian flu on the neighboring island of Grassholm surfaced, suggesting it may be present on Skomer.
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‘If he gets it he will die’
“I have an old friend who’s an expert on infectious diseases and I rang him up for his opinion," Fothergill told Radio Times, according to Standard. "He said "Well bird flu is actually extremely hard to catch, but if he gets it he will die." The executive producer then decided to keep Sir David away from chicks and instead captured the moment using two infrared cameras. The strategy worked, and the team captured one of Sir David's 'classic moments'.
Fothergill has collaborated with Sir David on several iconic BBC shows, including The Blue Planet in 2001 and Planet Earth in 2006. Their latest creation will air on Sunday, March 12, with the first episode, ‘Our Precious Isles’, featuring whales, white-tailed eagles, and dormouse. The five-episode series, with the tagline 'Our home – as you have never seen it before', was shot over three years and captured Sir David in each episode.
‘We call home’
"In my long life, I've been lucky enough to travel to almost every part of the globe and gaze upon some of its most beautiful and dramatic sights," the legendary broadcaster said while talking about his new series. "But I can assure you that nature in these islands if you know where to look, can be just as dramatic and spectacular as anything I've seen elsewhere. The British Isles are globally important for nature. In this series, we'll show you why that is so and celebrate the wonders of these islands that we call home."
Fothergill further added that he hopes the richness of British wildlife will leave their viewers surprised. "At the same time, I hope they will recognize how fragile and precious it is," he said. "We have among the most varied geology on the planet. Our temperatures range from subtropical in the far south to arctic conditions on the top of the Cairngorms in Scotland."