Skip to main content

Enchanting BBC America "Wild India" feature on Karnataka to premiere July 25

It took me a few sittings to take in this film, "Wild India" by BBC America and narrated by living legend David Attenborough. Whether it was wanting to get another peek at the Jungle Cats or just relish in the delicious, mystical soundtrack by Indian Grammy winner Ricky Kej, it's a not-to-be-missed visual and aural treat.
This hour-long film will premiere next Saturday, July 25, on the nature-focused “micro-net,” Wonderstruck. You will have a lot to look forward to: "Wild India" follows creatures that live in the mountains, deserts, jungles and oceans of Karnataka, where three months of the year monsoon rains make life there livable the rest of the year. The variety of animals made me dizzy, whether I was looking at otters or herons, frogs or tigers.
Filmed over three years in 15,000 hours, a huge team of photographers (too many to count in the credits as they rolled by) beautifully captured the variety of species. According to the press release, although the state of Karnataka, which lies in Southern India, absorbs just 5% of its country's land mass it boasts a quarter of its animal species. This includes the deadly, such as the King Cobra, and the more docile, such as (presumably) any of 100 varieties of frogs (really!) Karnataka comprises the Deccan Plateau, the Western Ghats Mountain Range and the Coastal Plains. In the film we see the variation in vegetation and landscape of Southern Karnataka, where this was filmed.
Having lived in London for 15 months, I know what a national treasure Attenborough is so I hope that Americans will come to appreciate his gifts. When he says "the animals here must always be on guard" it is a voice that commands attention, matching the gorgeous cinematography that swoops in to take in canopies of luscious trees one minute, ancient rock formations the next and lumbering elephants with their babies still the next. He tell us "this land is ruled by the largest cat on the planet" and that "Karnataka is home to more tigers than any other place in the world, making up 10% of the global tiger population ... The thickness of these jungles in Southern Karnataka allows tigers to co-exist with the largest of land animals, elephants."
Watching the film, which is as much a work of art as documentary, made me realize the beauty of life's passages - whether we are watching frogs mate or a monkey narrowly escape the clutches of a tiger who races up a tree to nab him. We appreciate the beauty of the maternal instinct, watching a Jungle Cat (a breed that was only named 250 years ago) embrace and groom her kitten. The kitten seen here gets into a near scrape, but I won't spoil that for you.
I recommend taking notes of all the species you are seeing and looking up the spellings of their names. For example, I had never heard of the Gray Langur, apparently Karnataka's largest monkey, or the Sloth Bear, adorably attachable when it comes to toting cubs around, Velcro-style. Admire the peacocks - "The younger males watch from the sidelines; it will be three years before they have the plumage they need to take part" (in the mating ritual) - and you will once again marvel at Nature's jaw-dropping color palette.
Filmed and directed by Amoghavarsha Kalyan Varma with original photography by a plethora of talent, I highly recommend this genteel, intelligent film that promotes both animal welfare and reminds us to be grateful for each day on this planet.
Note, the photos published here are indicative of but not excerpted from the documentary: 1) A tree frog. By Kalyan Varma - Own work; 2) Photos of rock formations in Hyderabad, India. By Stephen Chin - Flickr: JavaOne India

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

New England cities not among the greenest in America - but population a factor

As a native Californian, I was proud when I saw WalletHub’s latest press release, but as a longtime New Englander felt far less satisfied. In 2021, the greenest city in the Union is San Diego, CA according to WalletHub data, which takes into account transportation, the environment, energy sources and lifestyle and policy. Other West Coast states also fared well - Portland, OR at number three; Irvine, CA at four and Fremont, CA at six. Not surprisingly, Honolulu enjoys ranking fifth of 100 cities studied for the survey. In order to determine the greenest cities in the U.S., WalletHub compared the ten dozen most populated. They then evaluated those dimensions using 28 metrics. However, decisions had to be made and some issues and practices had to be excluded. WalletHub states that "although recycling is vital to the sustainability efforts of each city, the types and sizes of recycling facilities vary widely by city. We therefore were unable to include - due to the lack of co

This is what a school lockdown feels like

I was substituting for a very responsible young teacher. She was one of the first, after my four months with New Haven Schools, to clearly write sub instructions both for full and partial lockdown. I had insisted weeks ago that the District should train subs on lockdown and other emergency protocol. I had been told by the outgoing superintendent Iline Tracey, via e-mail, to check with each school upon arrival. The Director of Emergency Operations Rick Fontana had sent me an emergency guide. I do appreciate all of this, but none of it is enough. When the principal came onto the P.A. yesterday, I was winding down with a group of fourth graders. They were lining up at the door for their teacher to pick them up. I tried not to have any reaction when I heard we were in partial lockdown, but perhaps my expression belied me. A little one looked up at me and said, "One time when we had one there was a coyote outside." The other teacher whispered back to me and answered my question

Dr. Jane Goodall discusses need to combat climate change especially now, and why our great apes are also at risk during COVID crisis

Dr. Jane Goodall, who fits the only definition of "living legend" I know, spoke to the National Press Club during a Youtube interview today. She talked at great length with NPC president Michael Freedman regarding her decades-long work including as a ground-breaking primatologist renowned for research on wild chimpanzees in Tanzania. She made headlines in the 1960s, not only for her ability to communicate with chimps but for being a female doing important scientific work. National Geographic, in 1963, published the first cover story on Goodall and her research,“My Life Among the Wild Chimpanzees”, reaching millions on both sides of the Pond. In "NPC, A Virtual Newsmaker: Jane Goodall ", the British scientist, now a vibrant 86, shared that she supports the next generation of women following in her footsteps but hopes everyone will be careful. If one is researching elephants, for example, be mindful that such work can be dangerous. Remember to respect that a wild a