CBBC will air six installments of a new children’s show exploring different planetary issues and various endangered species, presented by young conservationists.
Called Planet Defenders, the show is produced by the same department associated with Sir David Attenborough’s world renowned documentaries, the BBC Studio’s Natural History Unit, and features young film-makers as they pave the way for the next generation of conservationists.
The presenting line-up includes Ashwika Kapur, who is passionate about protecting India’s only ape, the hoolock gibbon, the population of which has decreased by 90 percent in just 30 years; Erin Ranney, a wildlife camera operator and adventurer from the US, who is on a mission to find out why the charismatic rockhopper penguins are facing serious threats to their survival; Jahawi Bertolli, an underwater camera operator, who is passionate about preserving the coastline of Kenya and one species in particular: dolphins; Megan McCubbin, a wildlife expert who is on a mission to look into the threats facing sharks in British waters and around the globe – from the deadly fin trade to industrial fishing; Malaika Vaz, a wildlife filmmaker and conservationist, investigates why elephants are in such danger as she goes undercover to find out more about them and the tourist trade; and Jack Harries who investigates the impact of re-wilding projects in the UK including the return of the native beaver, an animal which is re-engineering river systems and creating rich habitats for many other species. (Passage by BBC Media Centre)
The series forms part of Our Planet Now, a BBC initiative to make programmes that explore the challenges nature is facing. It is hoped that the show will inspire young viewers to make a difference.
The first episode aired on 26th March, and the series is available on iPlayer now!
