Wildlife Film Crew Breaks ‘No Interference’ Rule To Save Baby Penguins

Sep 10, 2020 by apost team

Nature filmmakers capture events in “as they are” without interference. The unwritten rule is that they should observe and record everything that happens without taking part in it. This helps maintain the natural ecosystems and the lives of all species for future generations. However, one film crew in Antarctica made an exception when the lives of tens of penguins were at risk. When the crew could not stand the death of over 50 penguins, they decided to help. The incident was first broadcast in 2018 as part of the British nature documentary series Dynasties.

The crew was in Antarctica shooting an episode for the Dynasties documentary series, as explained on BBC. While shooting, they came across tens of penguins (some with chicks) at the bottom of a deep gully. Most of the penguins tried to climb up, but they kept sliding back.

The crew watched helplessly as some of the penguins succumbed to the harsh conditions down in the gully. After a lot of thought, they decided to rescue the penguins. They dug a couple of steps in the ice to help the penguins climb with ease. Before the crew left, they noticed that some of the penguins had already started climbing the steps and up to safety.

In the video, the crew is seen happy as the birds walk back to the colony. According to the crew, there was no way for the penguins and their chicks to survive away from the colony. Their intervention saved the penguins and ensured there are birds for the next episode they will shoot.

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The video was uploaded by BBC Earth on YouTube with the video caption that notes the crew had a tough choice. Not everyone was happy with the crew’s actions as some people felt that the crew should have let nature take its course without human interference.

Sir David Attenborough, the narrator and the creator of the show, says that nature should take its course without interference. However, in this case, he made an exception. In the video, Attenborough notes that film crews have to capture natural events as they are, regardless of their emotions. He continues to say that the crew realized they could save some of the birds by building a simple ramp.

Although a few people feel the crew should not have helped, the action warmed the heart of many people. According to the comments on YouTube, people are happy that the crew decided to intervene. One of the users notes that climate change has affected wildlife, and film crews need to actively help the animals.

Another commenter wrote a neutral comment noting that the actions of the crew will have consequences as the penguins will now eat more fish. According to this commenter, there is no right or wrong decision. The crew did what they thought was right, and they saved so many penguins to continue with their lives and raise their chicks.

The video has a happy ending. But some people are asking why the crew had to interfere with natural selection. The Dynasties crew probably has no regrets as they did their part and that made their day and that of the penguins.

Do you think the crew had the right to get in and help the penguins? Should they have left the penguins for death and let nature take its course? Tell us in the comments and take a look at the video and see whether it warms your heart.