Attenborough's Ark: Natural World Special

Working with David Attenborough is always a treat but finding out about some of the weird and wonderful animals that he chose for his ‘ark’ was fascinating. I learned all sorts of new things about some really diverse and unusual species – some I’d never previously heard about!

One of the most intriguing animals for me is the solenodon. Before making this film I hadn’t even heard of it! It has such a remarkable history with ancestors that can be traced back 76 million years and yet very little is known about it. With its incredible nose, I also find it SO cute!  

One of the stories which proved quite tense for us was that of the Sumatran rhino. We knew that Ratu, the female rhino at Way Kambas National Park was pregnant months ago but she had miscarried in the past and it was never certain that she would have a successful birth. We all waited with fingers crossed and thankfully the news finally came through that she had given birth to a health male calf – relief and joy all round!

Finally one of the big surprises for me in David’s selection was the Venus Flower Basket.  This glass sponge is the simplest of all living creatures and yet its structure is so amazing.  As David points out in the film – it really shows us how much we still have to learn about the natural world which I felt was a poignant way to end the film.