Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Last week, the BBC took us to the exclusive corners of the world’s most remote islands. This week, they’re taking us much higher. Tonight marks the U.S. premiere of Planet Earth II’s second episode, “Mountains,” which will simulcast on BBC America.
Though mountains cover one-fifth of the earth’s surface, a relatively small amount of animals can survive these brutal conditions. This episode features some of the most impressive footage in Planet Earth’s history as well as a few nature documentary firsts. It’s also a hauntingly beautiful episode. When Decider asked executive producer Mike Gunton what his favorite episode was, he joked “That’s like trying to say who’s your favorite child.” However, Gunton ended up praising “Mountains.”
“They all have something about them that I think is uniquely wonderful. I must say that there’s something about the ‘Mountains’ episode that I think has got a romance about it which I think to my personality, speaks to me. I love the romance and there’s some sequences in that episode, which define what make phenomenal natural histories,” he said. “Not so much even the extraordinary behavior like the iguanas and the snakes, which is one of the great sequences of all times … The ‘Mountains’ episode doesn’t necessarily have a sequence like that, but there’s something about the privilege of going to those places, those mountains, which is so difficult to get to.”
In case an hour of gorgeous snow-capped footage isn’t enough for you (it’s not enough for us), we’re here to help. Here’s your guide to some of the most impressive stories and accomplishments from the second episode of Planet Earth II.
Planet Earth II’s Record-Breaking Snow Leopards
One of the most impressive moments in the entire series is the central focus of Episode 2. The footage captured by Planet Earth II is the first time four snow leopards have ever been filmed together. Snow leopards are typically isolated animals, and they’re rare to find. There are as few as 3,5000 of these big cats remaining in the wild, so finding one is impressive. Capturing four snow leopards on film as a mother and cub become trapped in a fight between two rival males is even more impressive.
A lot of Planet Earth II’s success for these scenes hinged on camera traps, which were strategically planted and triggered by motion. Typically, snow leopards are filmed from the other side of a valley with a long lens, which creates a fairly flat image. By using some of the most advanced camera traps, the “Mountains” team was able to better capture the terrain of these animals’ home as well as some of the most intimate footage of these creatures ever recorded. The highest camera trap was operating above 16,400 feet.
In order to get this footage, the Planet Earth II team returned to the same location where they originally recorded snow leopards for Planet Earth. The Planet Earth II team and their accompanying local team were on location for 16 weeks. However, the camera traps were used for 15 months. Though the episode heavily relies on remote operated cameras, the footage wasn’t captured without sacrifice from the crew. While trying to place the cameras, “Mountains” producer Justin Anderson came down with acute mountain sickness and had to return to the hotel for a few days.
Extreme Sports and Golden Eagles
The “Mountains” crew was dedicated to recreating what life as a Golden Eagle would look like. To get this footage, they first attached a miniature 4K camera to the back of a bird, which allowed the crew to see the eagle’s perspective. However, when that footage wasn’t providing the crew with the footage they were looking for, they had to get creative.
Planet Earth II worked with a world champion paraglider to recreate what it would be like to be an eagle swooping through the mountains at 200 mph. The extreme athlete was sent to the Golden Eagles’ habitat in the French Alps, rigged with cameras and a special parachute. However, getting footage of an eagle flying down the side of the mountain required the crew to get even more creative. The footage was achieved by having the professional athlete fly tandem with a cameraman who had never been paragliding before.
“I don’t know if you have them in the U.S. but they’re magnificent,” executive producer Mike Gunton said about Golden Eagles. “They have this amazing acrobatic ability to swoop at incredible speeds — over 150 miles an hour. So, how do you get a sense of that? If you just film it on a traditional telephoto lens they look so effortless; almost like there’s nothing going on.“
“[Producer Justin Anderson] tried loads of different ways. We tried even people with wing suits. Then we went with the paragliders … We tried putting cameras on it, we tried it with tandem, and in the end we did get a sense, I think a sense, of some way towards what it must be to be like an eagle doing that,” he said. “When we say we try to see these sequences through an animal’s eyes we’re really saying we try to see over their shoulders so we see what they’re seeing. We see from their perspective but not a direct point of view. Where as with that sequences he felt that actually we could do an absolute P.O.V as if we were the eagle.”
The Most Intimate Footage of Bobcats Ever Recorded
“Mountains” also features remarkably intimate footage of bobcats hunting in Yellowstone National Park. Though they are the most common type of wild cat found in North America, capturing footage of them hunting is a difficult process. Cameraman John Shier spent five weeks in the Rockies during the freezing winter, waiting for this footage. According to BBC America, this is the first time ever these bobcats have been recorded hunting ducks and squirrels.
You can watch new episodes of Planet Earth II on BBC America on Saturdays at 9 /8c.
