filmed at Vundu Camp INTRODUCTION DYNASTIES THE GREATEST OF THEIR KIND

INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES DYNASTIES THE GREATEST OF THEIR KIND

TO GIVE OURSELVES THE BEST CHANCE,

MICHAEL GUNTON RUPERT BARRINGTON OUR TEAMS COLLABORATED CLOSELY Executive Producer Series Producer WITH THE EXPERTS WHO HAVE STUDIED

THESE FOR MANY YEARS.

2 Dynasties is a new kind of natural history event. their lives. A chimpanzee leader battling for his story would play out. This made Dynasties a highly to understand who was who in each family and 3 Five episodes, five of the most celebrated and position and his life on the edge of the Sahara. risky undertaking. By spending so much time with to interpret the significance of their every move. endangered animals on the planet. Never before A dynasty of thousands of emperor penguins our animals we gave ourselves the opportunity By the end of filming our teams had become have we presented a landmark series with such gathering on the frozen wastes of Antarctica to capture extraordinary stories of families and experts themselves. They were able to capture powerful storytelling – about families, leaders and to face the coldest and cruellest winter on leaders, heroes and villains, triumph and tragedy - moments and behaviours never seen before – heroes. Never before has a landmark offered the earth. A powerful lioness, abandoned by her But there was always the chance we would end up even the scientists do not spend as long watching viewer the opportunity to follow the lives of animals male protectors, leading her family against the with no story at all… After all, nature is notoriously these animals as intensely as the Dynasties team in such detail, each fighting against overwhelming gravest dangers of the African savannah. On the unpredictable. have done. Most important of all this special odds for their own survival and the future of their floodplains of Zimbabwe, a feud between a mother access into the animals’ world, combined with the families. These are some of the most dramatic and and daughter painted wolf, threatening the future Making this series was a gamble - but a calculated determination and resilience of our crews, yielded intense stories of their kind ever told. of one of the last great families of their kind. A gamble! To give ourselves the best chance, our the great stories we had hoped for. The result is five tigress in the jungles of India attempting to raise teams collaborated closely with the experts who stories that show us the strength and nobility of For each episode of Dynasties our crews spent her family under ever growing pressure from her have studied these animals for many years. These animals who never back down, even when all seems many hundreds of days in a single, iconic location, rivals and humanity. scientists, guides and trackers were able to get our lost. The risk paid off. each home to one of our animals. We joined those teams closer to these animals than ever before, to animals and their families at a critical moment in When we began filming we had no idea how each follow them every day, whatever the conditions,

Photograph copyright: Stefan Christmann INTRODUCTION DYNASTIES THE GREATEST OF THEIR KIND Photograph: Theo Webb, Copyright: BBC NHU 2018 Photograph: Theo Webb, Copyright: BBC NHU

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

4 5 MICHAEL Can you explain the popularity possibly about themselves. That's lives. Sir David Attenborough says SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH SAID GUNTON of these big landmark BBC why they’re so popular. these are important films, they're wildlife series’? real documentaries. They tell a HE THOUGHT WE WERE MAD. Executive I think Dynasties is a different truth not often told. Producer In general, wildlife films are piece. Dynasties is a much popular because they open grittier journey into the natural How did the idea for Dynasties peoples’ eyes to a world that world, but it's an important one. come about? they've perhaps lost touch Without too many spoilers, what The animals are extraordinary I came up with this idea about can go and film a tiger hunt or with. These are remote, exotic, something instead. are the moments you hope will Tell us about Dynasties. creatures in their own right five years ago. With previous dangerous worlds and you see and they live amazing lives. have a particularly big impact At its most basic, Dynasties is series like Planet Earth or The But if you decide you're going to them from the comfort of your But they're also animals that on viewers? about families, and the Blue Planet we normally use a spend all your efforts on just one own home. have to share the world and unique situations where the God's eye view of the world. And particular chimpanzee troop, and Every film has very moving compete with humanity. They moments, where you see heroic family has the ability to control With Planet Earth II in 2016, I they're incredibly popular, but specifically one individual, and the are in trouble. There is an and dominate the landscape. think the world was in strange I felt we'd done a lot of them. I animal dies or nothing happens struggles against the odds. There environmental subtext to this; are also extraordinary moments These animals live as a pride place with a lot going on wondered if there was another or filming permissions change, all these animals are in decline or a troop or a pack and, if you politically and environmentally, way of telling the stories of the you're completely stuck. It's quite of connectivity where you because there isn't enough are the ruler of that family, you and so people were almost natural world. We never really risky, and Sir David Attenborough absolutely empathise with the space for them. We tell incredibly get everything. You get all the closing in on themselves and spent time with the animals or said he thought we were mad. animals. mating, you get all the food, you their lives. Then this series came dramatic stories of these understood the real depth of their But while the risks were high, In the chimpanzee film, there’s an along and it showed that there's animals living really difficult stories. are effectively the equivalent of the potential benefits were also extraordinary moment where the the king. So, it's about the power a whole different side to our lives against their rivals, their very high because if it works, the king’s underlings gang up against of family, but it's also about the world. Through the intensity of enemies and each other, and We never really focused on seeing drama – the potential for true him. They attack the king - he is struggle to become the most the stories, and the way it was that's hard enough. But when you this moment in time where the drama – is unprecedented. known as David – and effectively powerful within the family. filmed, you shared other animals’ superimpose them also having animals are at a fork in the road, overthrow him. In the morning, a trials and tribulations. This their space taken from them where their lives will change In my pitch, I said, "If these work, crew came back and found David At its most extreme, as with the somehow put our own trials and by humanity, which adds to the fundamentally depending on you will feel like you're witnessing dead. Or so we thought. chimpanzee film, it's literally tribulations into perspective. pressure, it almost feels unfair. which direction they take. Of a true Shakespearean drama." about other males trying to course, it's quite a dangerous Because often it is! Mother I think it will be a very thought I can’t tell you what happens topple a king. And at the other On the flipside of that, they were thing to embark on; if nothing against daughter, sister against provoking series. Hopefully, I next, but what I can tell you end of the spectrum, we have just joyful. The shows, alongside of interest happens, you've got sister, loyal subject against king. think it's going to make people is that it is one of the most emperor penguins, where a those trials and tribulations, nothing to make a film. Say Of course, like Shakespeare there think about our relationship with extraordinary passages of drama colony of families together help showed you extraordinary you're making Planet Earth II and are moments of humour too - nature and also what goes on in I have ever seen in a wildlife each other survive. It’s a really wonder. They made people feel you spend three months trying to these are, in the end, all uplifting, nature in a way we very rarely documentary interesting exploration of the good about their world, and film a lion hunt. If it doesn't work, life-affirming films. power of family. see. The realities of these animal’s it doesn't matter because you INTRODUCTION DYNASTIES THE GREATEST OF THEIR KIND

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE SERIES PRODUCER

I HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL SEE THESE RUPERT leaders are trying to survive and happened would be the story, extraordinary resilience. What BARRINGTON ensure that their dynasty can whether it was an exciting event really comes through in the films GREAT CHARISMATIC ANIMALS IN WAYS continue through their offspring. or a bit of a disappointment. is that for these animals, life is Series For most animals, success in life is really, really hard. THEY'VE NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE. Producer about producing a few offspring The last two landmark series and leaving them to take their were big state-of-the-world There's a nobility in how they chances, but a lion or a painted events. What reception are you act, whatever is thrown at them. wolf family can completely anticipating for something as I think because often they're are often not the moments of space. The mother tiger needs What is the series, Dynasties, control their landscape, and their character-driven as this? struggling against universal great action or spectacle. While a certain amount of territory about? bloodline will rule that landscape I hope that people will see these challenges so you can't help the smaller incidents are critical in which to catch enough food Each episode of Dynasties is a for generations. great charismatic animals in ways but connect with their struggle. points in the bigger story. for her cubs. Our mother tiger they've never seen them before. You feel for them; sadness at is under pressure from her single story. This is a very different For example, in the emperor We committed to spending a By spending vast amounts of moments of tragedy and joy daughter, from a previous litter, series to the normal landmark penguins film there is a lull period huge amount of time with each time with each, our teams have when they triumph. who wants more space. The wildlife shows which may contain after the thousands of penguins animal. It’s a documentary in been able to record what their daughter is trying to take the 10 or 12 separate shorter stories What moments are you most in the colony have all paired per episode. its traditional sense; a team whole lives are actually like, as mother's space, which puts huge went out to film, not knowing excited for people to see? off, and where each couple is pressure on the mother. opposed to just a single moment. now waiting and waiting for the Dynasties is about families and what was going to happen. They They have watched these What's interesting about the female to lay her single egg. This If you told this story as a short their leaders; families that can just followed those animals for animals facing up to immense series is that the moments with can take weeks. Yet somehow sequence, it would be hard not dominate the landscape. The hundreds of days, and whatever challenges and great change with the greatest emotional impact one couple appears to be far to see it as a good mother and a ahead of schedule. The female bad daughter. But of course it's has a bulge under a fold of her not that; the daughter is in the belly, which is the outward sign same position as the mother. She 6 that she has got her egg safely hasn't got enough space either. 7 on her feet, off the ice, keeping By being able to get into this it warm. story in such depth, because we have a whole episode to do this, But then she lifts up her belly and you see more shades of grey, and we see (as does her mate, at the I think it's much more interesting. same moment) that she actually has an egg-shaped snowball Blue Planet II had a strong there. Presumably she has found ecological message that spilled it and decided to get in a bit of over into the real-life news practise before the brutal winter agenda. Does Dynasties have a hits! It’s a lovely moment, quite similar underlying ethos? low-key but very telling in the It does. What comes out of these context of the story – about how films, with these big charismatic the penguins will have to keep animals, is that they're running their egg alive through the most out of space. They need large brutal winter on earth. areas in which to live out their Across the series, we do have natural lives, and that space great moments of action which is being chipped away by our are really exciting, but there are growing human population, also a lot of moments like this which leads to conflict. The which I hope will really draw the animals' natural stories are being viewer in. changed and kicked off in new directions by interactions with Does spending so much time humanity. This is something we with the animals make it harder see several times in this series. for the viewer to delineate The end result is that the lives of between hero and villain? these animals are becoming even That's a really good point. In the more difficult than they already tiger film, we focus on a mother were. We are seeing this issue trying to rear her four cubs. The of decreasing space through the big issue for tigers nowadays is lens of the animals we feature that they live in small reserves, in the series, but it is becoming so there's a huge premium on a universal problem for animals Photograph copyright: Nick Lyon across the planet. EPISODE GUIDE DYNASTIES THE GREATEST OF THEIR KIND

Tait is a painted wolf, matriarch Blacktip is one of Tait’s daughters Combining sensitive low Painted wolves hunting impala of one of the last great families of and now rules her own pack light, Starlight and thermal and baboon at night. this endangered animal. She has to the west of Tait’s region. technology allowed us to follow ruled her dynasty for many years Blacktip is proving to be a highly the painted wolves for 24 Biggest painted wolf pack on the banks of river in successful mother herself and hours a day, in tag teams, in all filmed for a landmark series – Zimbabwe, keeping the peace her pack has recently grown to weather, and moon phases. 30 individuals. within her sprawling family. a total of 30 painted wolves. This is one of the biggest packs Ground tracking stabilised Rapid injury recovery – broken leg to full speed hunting in one But tensions are rising. Tait is ever known and filmed. Blacktip camera allowed us to move growing old and her power is and her pack are struggling to with stalking lions and running week. waning. One of her daughters, catch enough food in her current painted wolves. The only painted wolf to ever Blacktip, lives close by. Her own territory. pack is growing fast and they Working on location for two re-use a den site, and this are running out of space. She This is a that has almost years allowed us to establish becomes the focus of the inter- urgently needs to get more too many common names to time lapse positions to show the pack feud. territory so that her pack can count. Its Latin name – Lycaon ebb and flow of the wet and dry “Croc-watching” – an incessant catch enough food. But she has pictus – means painted wolf and seasons that drive the pulse of need to check any water for a problem. She is hemmed in on it is a misunderstood and widely life in Mana Pools. crocodiles. one side by human lands. There persecuted species. They share is only one way she can go to a common ancestor with the NEW BEHAVIOUR FILMED FACTS ABOUT PAINTED get what she needs – her own wolf but are not descended from Baboon hunting – the science WOLVES mother’s lands. them. Painted wolves are not said it doesn’t happen, so the often the focus of natural history Packs can roam vast home Painted wolves thrive through team worked with a scientist ranges 400-2000 sqkm films because they are very hard to rewrite this – a new paper is cooperation. It is what had made to follow! this dynasty so strong, for so being published (co-authored by These are such fantastic long. A family feud could bring it Nick Lyon, the episode director). animals to follow because they TECHNOLOGY USED TO FILM are “the underdog” – being to its knees. First day emergence of puppies Cameras capable of filming in relatively small at around 25kg colour in very lowlight levels at – at just three weeks old. – they are at the mercy of much 20 FILMING LOCATION 21 dawn and dusk revealed new Clash of two painted wolf packs, larger predators, such as lion, Mana Pools National Park, behaviours including baboon and the subsequent territorial hyena and crocodile. Zimbabwe hunting and a honey badger takeover. encounter. There are only 6,600 painted Courtship behaviour, and group wolves left in the wild. The team Brand new stabilised camera singing. wanted to make a film that technology allowed us to film in would help people look at these Zimbabwe, where conventional First to film painted wolves at wonderful and endangered aerial Cineflex was prohibited. night. animals afresh.

FILMING FACTS 669 91 82,000 CHARACTER PROFILE Number of camera filming days Painted wolves filmed, Bumpy kilometres driven Tait is the most successful 182 flank patterns to learn! painted wolf ever known. There are only 6600 painted wolves left mins to spare in the world. To date, there are 10 0 280 from Tait’s own bloodline Specialist camera operators 22 When Sir David Attenborough which is a significant contribution Punctures in a single wet met the painted wolves it was to the future of this endangered season shoot approaching the end of the day animal. Tait has ruled her pack 17 and we were many hours away uncontested for five years, where from camp. Just as he delivered she has reared eight litters of Cameras used 313 hrs 12 mins his line to camera, the pack stood pups. Two of her daughters now Footage to be logged and up and went to hunt not to be rule packs of their own and live memorized, from 16,056 seen again, but we got the take. on either side of Tait’s territory. 9 hours in the field Sir David nailed it All together they are a formidable Professional guides dynasty. But Tait is growing old and her powers are waning. EPISODE GUIDE DYNASTIES THE GREATEST OF THEIR KIND

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PRODUCER OF PAINTED WOLF

daughter. It feels Shakespearian dangerous. A big male baboon is sodden and flooded. We NICK LYON IT BECOMES AN EMOTIONAL in its scale and in the intensity of can weigh twice what a painted slogged through thick mud trying Painted Wolf the rivalry. wolf weighs. But Blacktip’s pack to find the animals and just as EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU SEE ONE OF Producer had grown strong in numbers we were getting into position to THE CHARACTERS HAVING A BAD TIME What are the big moments we and we saw them learning to film - bang! - a tyre would blow should be looking out for? take on taking on baboons. It is and we’d lose the pack. On just We have one sequence where amazing behaviour. one shoot we got 22 punctures. we see Blacktip’s pack pushing But after all our following we Is it hard to film painted wolves? or having real success. I loved they needed to travel in the wet Who are the main characters in Tait’s into lion territory. Tait is got into sync with the packs, the puppies! I remember when season to get around, and he this story? an old, wise leader, which gives It was a real challenge. They and we understood their habits her a chance of keeping her pack range over such huge areas and and routines. This would let us they were out of the den for the could navigate us through tough The team arrived just as the alive there. But Blacktip is more a lot of that is hard to cover in a get ahead of the pack, get into first time at just three weeks old. terrains and mazes of streams most tumultuous period in the naïve and when she goes in after car. We drove a total of 82,000 position in advance and make big They were so tiny, with over-sized and rivulets, to pop out next to packs 20 year known history was Tait, she gets it wrong and four kilometres following and filming decisions that were gambles but heads, that would overbalance on the pack. beginning. The specific packs their front legs. lionesses came for her and her them. The hardest time is in the paid off, because we had grown Another of our guides, Henry filmed in this series formed the pack. You’ll have to watch the wet season when the landscape to understand these packs so The painted wolves got to Bandure, was phenomenal. He ultimate dynasty – Tait is the film to find out what happens well. recognise us too and were would look at a paw print in the matriarch of the whole dynasty then! - strong, stable and reliable. Do you feel like you bonded completely relaxed having us sand, and could tell how long An aging leader who was the But also in this film, you will see with the dogs over the course around. It was like they totally ago the pack had passed by matriarch of three related and them as loving pack members, of filming? accepted us being there with how much sand had blown into them. Such a privilege and the print or by what type of tiny neighbouring packs on the Mana with hugely strong bonds. Bonds Definitely. When you follow it allowed us to get some had walked through the Pools Floodplain. that mean the whole pack animals for as long as we did, extraordinary insights into their print after it had been made. support the young of the alpha you get to know them and 22 Then we have Blacktip, one of lives. He could even tell which pack it 23 couple – the only two animals to care what happens to them. Tait’s daughters. She runs a was by the smell of its dung – he breed in the pack. It becomes an emotional very large pack at 30 strong How did you keep track of the could do that while driving along experience when you see one of – unusually big today, but Were any new behaviours painted wolves in that huge in the car! That particular skill the characters having a bad time, a standard size in the past. discovered? landscape? allowed us to find a pack we When our story starts, Blacktip Yes. For example, all the books A lot of that was down to the had lost overnight, and to get needs more space and Tait is we used for research say that tracking skills of our guides. into position just in time to film vulnerable. The film is very much painted wolves don’t hunt Nick Murray has spent so long one of the key moments in the a battle between mother and baboons because they’re too tracking the painted wolves whole story. that he knew the exact routes

Photography copyright: Nick Lyon