The fourth episode in the series, airing on Sunday nights, has a devastating story about the wild dogs of the Nsefu park, Zambia
Sir David Attenborough’s landmark BBC series Kingdom is to show one of the most heart-wrenching stories in the history of wildlife programming – involving a wild dog in a valiant fight with a crocodile.
But when it airs later this month viewers will also learn how the pack of dogs, followed by cameras for five years at the Nsefu park in Zambia, have a bond so strong that members are willing to risk their own lives in a rescue attempt.
In the episode, the audience learns how three-legged Flint lost his hind limb in a poacher’s trap, meaning he is slower than the rest of the dogs and no longer able to hunt effectively. For safety, he has rejoined the pack led by his mother and matriarch, Storm, where he is looked after and fed in return for other duties – like watching over her latest litter of 11 pups.
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“Few animals have stronger bonds than wild dogs,” Sir David says in his narration. But when they go to the river to drink he warns that the pack “needs to be careful” – just moments before poor Flint is dragged into the water by a hidden crocodile, which holds him in a vice-like grip.
The whole attack is caught on camera from 20 feet away. Showing just how strong the pack bond is, Storm and one of Flint’s brothers risk their own lives by grabbing hold of him and trying to wrench his body free – but their efforts are futile. “The crocodile’s grip is unbreakable,” Sir David tells viewers.
There is some joy for the audience when – after being held in the water for several agonising minutes – Flint somehow manages to get away. “Astonishingly, Flint finds the strength to escape and his brother continues to protect him,” Sir David says, as poor Flint drags himself out of the water and up the river bank.
But any happiness is short-lived when it emerges the wounds inflicted by the croc will prove fatal. “Flint has been gravely injured,” Sir David says sadly. “The family don’t leave Flint’s side until he has taken his final breath.”
Wild dogs producer Anna Place told the Mirror that no crew had ever previously filmed a pack trying to pull one of their own out of the jaws of a crocodile. She said the footage still made her emotional despite having watched it repeatedly. “I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve seen that footage but Storm’s pack trying to save him, and standing there looking so forlorn, it really gets me still, every time.”
She said that having lost his leg he was not as equipped to deal with the wild dog life as the others – but that didn’t mean they gave up on him. “Flint was not the best hunter because of his injury but he’s still a valuable member of the pack that they would risk their own lives over.
“The behaviour of the pack is astonishing. We knew wild dogs had a strong bond but to actually see it and capture it on film in that way was something I couldn’t have imagined. I just think they are amazing animals.
“It’s very moving and very powerful visually. The audience can see for themselves that it looks like those animals genuinely care about each other. And having spent several years with that pack, that is definitely the feeling I’ve come away with. They will put themselves in danger to try and rescue one of their own.”
She said cameraman Mark MacEwan had found it to be one of the toughest things he’d filmed. “He was working on the series from the very beginning so he’d got to know the animals and it’s really hard when something tragic like that happens,” she explained. “I believe he found it very difficult but he did an incredible job to cover it in the way that he did.”
Anna hopes the BBC audience will find uplifting elements amid the tragedy. “Those who have connected with the animal characters we follow will find it sad but it also shows how caring the wild dogs are and how important the pack are to each other. I hope people come away with a renewed love for the wild dogs.”
- Kingdom continues on BBC1, Sunday, 6.20pm
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