Question about nature programs involving dangerous animals

KatanaDV20 · 7 Apr 2012 at 01:33

Prob a stupid question but I submit it to OcUk GD

So yea I just watched this program:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01fnfrc/Land_of_the_Lost_Wolves_Episode_1/

As always brilliantly shot. You can see its about wolves. But shooting this documentary involved the crew tramping through forest areas frequented not just by wolves but by grizzly bears as well.

:eek:

In fact at one point the presenter dude is danger-close to a big bear in a river and he just crouches down telling the rest of the crew to stay still and be calm.

So that got me wondering: on nature documentary assignments like these...are some of the crew armed?....ready to take down a bear if it decides the cameraman looks tasty? Or are they legally not allowed to use deadly force?

Or are only non-lethal deterrents allowed like bear-spray, noise makers, fireworks and such?

I know some naturalists are hardcore and refuse to carry firearms (subscribing to the view you are a GUEST in BEAR country so tough ___ if somethin happens but you have no right to take their lives).

:confused:

DEL 707 · 7 Apr 2012 at 01:56

Suppose it would be a bit of a downer, spending the best part of a year, filming/documenting the life of a dangerous animal, then having to kill it 1 morning because it liked the smell of your bacon sandwich

Overslop · 7 Apr 2012 at 01:59

They have individual sprays for each animal. Here is someone using one on a shark:

D.P. · 7 Apr 2012 at 02:00

people go into areas with dnagerous wild animals all the time. Last summer I hiked a lot in national parks in the US and saw lots of bears, including grizzly bears. You are not allowed to carry guns in most of the parks. Outside the park you can carry a gun but you are not allowed to shoot at a wild animal without a license and only in the prescribed hunting season, and other restrictions apply like you are not allowed to hunt at night.

TNGL · 7 Apr 2012 at 02:30

Maybe they carry an electrical prod or something?

Nitefly · 7 Apr 2012 at 02:33

I love that shark clip

w3bbo · 7 Apr 2012 at 11:03

Most documentaries with wild animals which have the potential to be dangerous are filmed with the assistance of guides who are armed.

Jay794 · 7 Apr 2012 at 11:04

I wouldn't go on location without a gun if I was filming dangerous animals, kill or be breakfast

Youstolemyname · 7 Apr 2012 at 11:13

They must have someone armed. As a last resort only though.

unwashed potato! · 7 Apr 2012 at 11:40

they often wont be interested in the camera man over the food they are used to hunting and eating, which you can see when they are filming underwater and there is sharks/whales sea lions hunting all around the camera man and they pay him no attention. of course they'll have something to repel just in case, but i imagine they'd rarely have to use anything.

KatanaDV20 · 7 Apr 2012 at 12:24

Hmm the stuff seems effective lol

& lol @ the shark clip

I would defo carry loads of bear spray. I would not like to kill except when there absolutely no alternative, however melodramatic it sounds we are after all on their terms when we choose to tramp about on their turf. As always they have more to fear from our stupid species!

Id like to tramp around national parks in the US & Canada! Half my backpack will be bear-spray cans

Castiel · 7 Apr 2012 at 12:34

When I was in the Forces we acted as guides, threat assessment and protection of several documentary filmmakers....in both the Arctic and once in sub Saharan Africa.

These things are planned to the nth degree and rarely is there any issue with safety, and deadly force is a last resort, there are also experienced behaviourists and local guides who constantly assess the situation and the filmcrews retreat on their advice.

RomanNose · 7 Apr 2012 at 12:42

They are not real wolves they are just people dressed up in wolf costumes.

KatanaDV20 · 7 Apr 2012 at 20:39

Castiel said:
When I was in the Forces we acted as guides, threat assessment and protection of several documentary filmmakers....in both the Arctic and once in sub Saharan Africa.

These things are planned to the nth degree and rarely is there any issue with safety, and deadly force is a last resort, there are also experienced behaviourists and local guides who constantly assess the situation and the filmcrews retreat on their advice.

Whaoo...sounds like you must have had some adventures. *Jealous* But yeah..thanks for the insight!

BTW that wolf porgram on iPlayer has a bit where this dude goes hunting with an Ar15 lol