In spring 2006, dive boat operator Mark Addison witnessed the mysterious arrival of sixty Blacktip sharks on the Aliwal Shoal off the coast of South Africa. Blacktips were not unknown on this reef but such numbers were unprecedented. At first it was thought the sharks’ arrival coincided with the annual sardine run, when millions of fish pass up the coast. But this theory was blown out of the water when something even stranger happened – the highly migratory Blacktips stayed put.
The shark gang took over the reef, chasing off the much larger tiger sharks that are the focus of Mark’s dive boat operation. His business under threat, he decided to turn detective. He discovered the gang was 100% female and was actually almost two hundred strong. Over time he came to believe that not only did the gang have a hierarchy and a pack leader but they were also communicating with each other from a distance. His theories could rewrite science.
Meanwhile local fishermen were being mugged for their night-time catch. Salmon were being torn apart before they could be landed. Many blamed the Blacktip bandits and their fears were confirmed when a few sharks began harassing spear-fishermen in broad daylight, stealing their catches too. Concern grew that such a cocky gang of sharks were operating just off the coast.
And it appeared they were learning . Mark suspected that they were following boats in search of food. With the sharks becoming more of a menace, he decided to launch an experiment to find out if he could solve the mystery. Would his research confirm these smart sharks were getting smarter? And would it provide an answer as to why the Blacktips had remained at Aliwal?
Nature Shock returns to 5, with extreme events that have left animal experts stunned: elephants stabbed to death in India; pigs burning to death in North America; a giraffe killing spree in Tanzania; and sharks forming gangs in South Africa.
Former British Army Captain, Ed Stafford was the first person ever to walk the length of the Amazon, but surviving completely alone on a desert island is his biggest adventure yet. Can he last 60 days on an uninhabited Fijian island with absolutely nothing? No survival tools, no rations, no clothes, no film crew. It’s a daunting challenge and nobody’s ever done it before. In fierce tropical heat he has only hours to find water before dehydration ends his attempt before it’s started. He must master the island – and his fears – to find food and water, light fire, build a proper shelter and progress from mere survival to the point where he could live there forever. Filmed entirely by Ed himself, there has never been a more authentic survival series on TV.
Former British Army Captain, Ed Stafford was the first person ever to walk the length of the Amazon, but surviving completely alone on a desert island is his biggest adventure yet. Can he last 60 days on an uninhabited Fijian island with absolutely nothing? No survival tools, no rations, no clothes, no film crew. It’s a daunting challenge and nobody’s ever done it before. In fierce tropical heat he has only hours to find water before dehydration ends his attempt before it’s started. He must master the island – and his fears – to find food and water, light fire, build a proper shelter and progress from mere survival to the point where he could live there forever. Filmed entirely by Ed himself, there has never been a more authentic survival series on TV.
We are currently in production on series 5 of Nature Shock. Four episodes are being made for Smithsonian Channel, Five and EWD and take us to South Africa chasing shark gangs, North America investigating exploding pig barns, Tanzania searching for lions who’ve gained an usually large appetite for large giraffe and India where we’re hunting down a tusker with murderous intentions.
Bristol-based Tigress Productions’ film Hippo: Nature’s Wild Feast has won a Panda Award at this year’s Wildscreen Festival held in Bristol. The win came in the Innovation category and the film also received nominations in the Popular Broadcast and Presenter-led categories.
The programme was produced for Channel 4 and Animal Planet and is a high-tech natural history event that presents the most comprehensive illustration to date of nature’s food chain in action, presented by Mark Evans. Filmed over a week in Zambia’s Luangwa Valley,
Hippo: Nature’s Wild Feast reveals an ecological system in action as Africa’s most iconic animals – including lions, leopards, crocodiles, hyenas and vultures – fight for survival at the height of the dry season.
Please see Press and Awards section for more details.
