Anyone into making a documentary or any nature lover knows that you should never interfere in anything you film, observe or photograph. It is a basic rule which is maintained by all who do this kind of activity, so as not to disturb the natural balance, and protecting the privacy of the animals.
Even though it looks simple enough, it is not always so simple. There are numerous situations where directors, observers and photographers find themselves in difficulty to stay invisible and remain impassive. Don’t you believe us? Then ask the crew that we are going to tell you about. They were their hidden selves, filming some penguins for a docuseries when they witnessed this heartbreaking scene, and they weren’t able to sit silently without doing anything.
This episode took place in Antarctica, where the crew in question was documenting “Dynasties”, directed by David Attenborough and the production of the BBC Earth. The episode in question happened in Antarctica to a team of the docuseries “Dynasties”, led by the famous David Attenborough and produced by BBC Earth. During the filming of an episode devoted to the emperor penguins, the group came across about fifty individuals trapped in a kind of ice gorge, from which they could not have escaped so easily.
The team understood the gravity of the situation the birds were in. Then arose the dilemma: what were they to do? Were they to leave the penguins to their doom, or help them? The excitement of the moment is palpable in a video shared by BBC Earth on YouTube. Disagreeing to the rule, the team took it upon themselves to help the penguins by digging a few ice steps. It took the crew a few hours to notice a mother and her cub had somehow managed to climb the wall of ice. Although some penguins had paid with their lives in this situation, many remainders understood that their escape route, a ramp, is being dug by men.
In an interview, a member of the crew commented, stating: “It was great, we were about to leave, but then the penguins started to come out. Hopefully, they will have a chance to survive.” Due to the diligent work of the team on-site, dozens of endangered animals were saved. Given the criticality of the situation these animals were in, it was the obvious choice to be made by a long shot. Even if it went against the ethical principles of their work, due to the decision this team made, many spectators commented and expressed their gratitude and solidarity to the crew.
There were those who thought the opposite, those who were shocked and upset, arguing that the crew should’ve allowed nature to take its course. Although it’s easy to say, we believe that it is an extremely tough decision to make in such a situation. Who would you side with? Would you follow the rules and have done nothing, or would you have helped save these creatures?
