1 of 3 | “Animals Up Close with Bertie Gregory” premieres Wednesday. Photo courtesy of Disney+
NEW YORK, Sept. 12 (UPI) — Filmmaker and presenter Bertie Gregory had a carefully crafted plan for his new docuseries on National Geographic: Animals Up Close with Bertie Gregory. However, he quickly learned that his non-human co-stars had their own agenda.
Premiering on Disney+ this Wednesday, the six-part series follows Gregory as he spends weeks at a time in Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands, Botswana, Patagonia, Indonesia, and the Central African Republic, observing and documenting the daily lives of individual animals.
“The natural world is beautifully unpredictable because animals don’t follow scripts,” Gregory shared in a Zoom interview with UPI on Monday.
“We capture the extraordinary lives of these animals, alongside our own challenges in keeping up with them. This open format allows us to adapt to whatever unfolds before us,” he added.
Animals Up Close builds upon the knowledge Gregory gained while filming the 2022 series Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory, which also focused on animal behavior in remote locations.
“The most impactful and captivating wildlife stories were those that centered around an individual animal family rather than an entire species. That’s what makes Animals Up Close so special. We follow the journey of not just one animal, but a single individual,” Gregory explained.
Of course, tracking specific animals that typically avoid human presence posed its own set of challenges.
“If you lose track of your puma or killer whale family, you can’t simply find another one,” Gregory stated. “That particular puma was the only one we were interested in filming.”
For nearly two months, the team had to locate the Patagonian big cat every day because they didn’t track her movements during the night.
“Some days, the family would only move a couple of miles and spend most of their time lounging in the sun,” Gregory shared.
“Other days, she would leave her cubs and venture 15-plus miles up and down mountains in harsh weather conditions, and we had to keep pace with her while carrying all our camera equipment.”
One of the standout moments in Animals Up Close captures Gregory and his team capturing footage of two humpback whales in Antarctica intervening as endangered B1 killer whales hunted a seal. This rare footage provides evidence of marine animals protecting a different species from predators.
“That was perhaps the most incredible display of animal intelligence I have ever witnessed,” Gregory exclaimed.
“People are always curious about the intelligence of animals, and that sighting gave me goosebumps. Witnessing such levels of teamwork, cooperation, and creativity was truly astonishing.”
Recent technological advancements have made Gregory’s job easier, resulting in breathtaking footage that educates and entertains television audiences.
“Drones have revolutionized wildlife filmmaking in the past five years. They allow us to capture and tell stories about animal behavior like never before,” Gregory said.
In addition, Gregory and his team utilized military-grade re-breathers to track elusive underwater subjects in the Devil Ray Islands.
“Traditional scuba-diving gear is quite noisy and limits the time we can spend underwater due to the bubbles we produce,” Gregory explained.
The re-breathers recycle the divers’ air, eliminating bubbles.
“This enables us to approach elusive animals more quietly and get closer to them. Additionally, we can stay underwater for extended periods of time,” Gregory said.
“We were able to complete single dives that lasted over three hours. Instead of being temporary visitors to the underwater world, we become part of the environment, crucial for wildlife storytelling.”
Through the program, Gregory aims to cultivate a deeper appreciation for the natural world and a better understanding of the challenges it faces.
“There’s already enough negativity in the news cycle, and one aspect of the series I am particularly proud of is that we celebrate conservation success stories in each episode,” Gregory emphasized.
“There are incredible individuals who provide hope by changing our relationship with the natural world. I’m thrilled that by shining a spotlight on animals, we also highlight these remarkable people.”
