David Attenborough Explores London's Hidden Wildlife in 'Wild London' Documentary
David Attenborough, aged 99, presents a personal and insightful exploration of London's hidden wildlife in the new documentary 'Wild London' airing on BBC One on New Year's Day at 6:30 pm (London time).
The programme features Attenborough's interactions with a variety of urban animals including foxes, hedgehogs, harvest mice, peregrine falcon chicks, parakeets, and beavers found in areas such as Ealing and Enfield. It also highlights significant London locations like the Natural History Museum, where emperor dragonflies are seen, the Parliament building known for peregrine falcons, and Richmond Park with its ancient oaks.
A notable moment in the documentary is a fox encounter, carefully filmed over a single evening after a decade of studying the fox family by Matt Maran to perfectly time the scene.
The film showcases new two-shot sequences linking Attenborough directly with wildlife, emphasizing his calm and curious presentation style. Director Joe Loncraine explained that Attenborough's advanced age influenced some of the shot ideas, but the presenter remained eager and delivered a strong performance.
Central to the documentary's message is the importance of rewilding and urban nature restoration. Attenborough recalls conservation efforts like Grey Owl's work with beavers and highlights recent beaver reintroductions to fenced wetlands surrounding London. The film argues for greater urban green spaces and the protection of existing ones, underscoring that cities need nature to be happy and healthy.
The closing scene focuses on Richmond Park's significance to Attenborough, with suggestions that this project may not be his final one as a presenter.
