Brazil conclusions
Last Chance to See hits our screens this week starting in the Amazon. I was a little apprehensive about this first shoot to be honest. Travelling with Stephen was going to be like travelling with Wikipedia. I remember sending a video blog about this at the time. He's far too unassuming and generous to make anyone feel in any way deficient on purpose, but there's no escaping the fact that he's the kind of person who makes you continually question your own intellect.
It didn't even cross my mind at the time, but he was a little apprehensive too. We did have at least one thing in common. Our Amazon adventure had been occupying our thoughts a great deal over the previous year or so, and we were both thrilled and eager to get started.
We went to the Amazon to look for the Amazonian manatee.
Despite weeks of trying, Douglas and I had failed to see one on our original expedition twenty years ago. Actually, that's not strictly true. Our jungle guide saw a manatee disappear beneath the surface of a remote tributary of the Rio Negro. I saw the ripples after it had disappeared and Douglas nearly saw the ripples. (You can listen to the 1989 radio programme for more on this!) Stephen and I were determined to do better. But we failed too. We were all outfoxed by one of the slowest creatures on Earth.
Perhaps it wasn't surprising. No one knows how many Amazonian manatees are left, but here's a hint at their current status: in the 1980s, there were reports of as many as 1,000 manatees huddled together in a single river or lake; nowadays, a gathering of half a dozen is considered a lot.
But we did see a lot of other wildlife along the way, of course, and one of the highlights for me was a day we spent swimming with pink river dolphins. These are the kind of animals young children paint at school. A particularly naïve teacher might relegate the exuberant splashes of dazzling pink, the chubby cheeks, the long beak crammed with crushing teeth and the gargantuan designer flippers to a wild and fertile young imagination. But pink river dolphins are real - and they really are as pink as an embarrassed teenager's blush.
I also discovered the science of dendronautics - the navigation and study of the jungle canopy. If you fancy a career change, with more day-to-day risks than coal mining, deep-sea diving or flying with the Red Arrows, this is the job for you. And it's perfect for dinner party conversation because, joy of joys, you would be allowed to call yourself a dendronaut!
But I think what stands out most in my mind from this trip is the Amazon rainforest itself. It's hard to grasp the sheer scale and splendour of the largest non-stop expanse of pure, unremitting nature on earth. Larger than the whole of western Europe and heaving with wildlife, it is utterly mind-boggling.
It's also disappearing fast. You couldn't dream up a bigger list of more damaging activities if you tried: cattle ranching, land clearance for soya-bean plantations, small-scale subsistence agriculture, logging, and a mixed bag of commercial agriculture, mining, urbanisation and dam construction... just for starters.
What's really frightening is that nothing much seems to have changed since deforestation first hit the headlines several decades ago. Have all those years of campaigning, fund-raising, pleading, cajoling and cautioning by so many individuals and conservation groups made the slightest difference? I suppose the positive response would be to say that it must, surely, have slowed things down. But clearly it hasn't slowed things down anywhere near enough.
I hope you enjoy the first programme in the series. It starts on Sunday 6 September, 8pm on BBC Two.
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~36~RS~)
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.
Fantastic first programme. Its sad to think how few Amazonian Manatees are left and also makes you think how wonderful some of the people are who dedicate there time to help saving such a species . It reminds you of what is out there and what is important in life. I'm looking forward to the next ones. Great job!
Complain about this comment
What an absorbing, beautiful, moving programme! Such a sense of wonder, and such gorgeous images. TV at its best - thank you :-)
Complain about this comment
I am brazilian and just watched the program. Thank you for providing us with such an informative and entertaining program and thank you for portraying the truth of the danger these especies go through and the amazing work communities in the area do to protect them.
By the way, Stephen's face was priceless when you were in that little boat and it was pissing down.
Complain about this comment
I watched the first episode last night and again this morning. I think it's a wonderful programme. Both the Pink River Dolphin and the Amazonian Manatee are beatuiful and well deserving of being highlighted in the show. The nice difference to this programme, compared with other nature programmes, was that it was as much about the creatures as it was about your journey and developing friendship. I'm looking forward to the next one. :D
Complain about this comment
Hi Mark
Seems a long time since we sat in that lighthouse at Portland Bill,bitten by fleas and chasing birds - you were always going to produce something as excellent as this,and it was a joy to behold.Well done to you.
Neil H.
Complain about this comment
'Not so much like a seal as like a travelling case for carrying a seal in'. What a great way to describe the manatee! There's more from Mark on the Amazonian manatee in the Animals section or we've put together a quiz on the LCTS mobile site. How much do you know about the manatee? Were you paying attention? More details here
Complain about this comment
In case you've been wondering what happend to Piti the Amazonian manatee featured in the first episode, we've just had an update from Tim Green, series producer:
"Piti is safe an well and continues to live in The Amazon. The young manatee was released into the lagoon deep in the Amazon reserve and the local people were invited to feed and care for him. Since filming, Piti has continued to put on weight and is still greatly popular among the local community - especially with the children."
Complain about this comment
I read Last Chance to See as required reading in high school, and I loved it. I re-read it...only 8 or 9 times. I think it is one of my favorite books: witty, touching, hilarious, thoughtful, and environmentally intriguing. It is an inspirational book for a young person, and it sparked and fanned my curiosity to learn about the fascinating world around me.
I randomly came across the updated BBC version, and I am so excited...I hope the video comes to the US sometime.
Complain about this comment
Hi, thanks for a wonderful series. I was wondering why there was no mention of the Baiji river dolphin, now sadly extinct, that Douglas and Mark investigated in the first LCTS? Also, I have seen Manatees in the sea and was wondering if there are any differences between those found in rivers and those that occur in the ocean?
Complain about this comment
Hi there - Mark's been away but has asked us to post a response to some of the questions above:
As you say, it's terribly sad that the baiji, or Yangtze river dolphin, has become extinct in the 20 years since Douglas and I were in China. We do talk about it in the final programme, while we are searching for a range of other dolphins and whales, and make the point quite strongly that it has gone. I firmly believe that the more people who know about it, the better. In answer to your other question, there are several different species of manatee. The Amazonian manatee, which is the one Stephen and I went to look for, occurs mainly in freshwater (though it is sometimes seen in the mouth of the Amazon). The West Indian manatee, or Florida manatee, is most likely the one you've seen at sea. It is larger and lighter in colour than the Amazonian and spends a lot of time in saltwater. Most photographs of manatees you see published in books and magazines are of this species and were taken in either Crystal River or Homosassa Springs, in Florida.
Complain about this comment
Hi Mark,
Simply super programmes so far.
I can, of course, as you may remember, really reslly sympathise with Stephen in his accident - just like me at a crucial stage! Just to hear you explain things, takes me back to WW Festival hols - looking forward to the rest of the series.
I experienced Manatees in Florida, seemed a bit different to those in your programme - are they as extinct too? (pse only reply when you have a moment)
Was most upset to miss the Madagascar experience when in the wilds of Ardurmurchan with no access to TV ,but just home again can now catch up.
All the best Diana.
Complain about this comment
I have just finished catching up on the latest episodes of 'last chance to see' and felt I had to leave a comment. I believe that the programes you have shot are amazing and was wondering how you got the opportunity to participate this sort of work; as I was considering similar work and would like to try and raise awareness to people ignorant to the problems that we as a single species are creating.
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS