How to do it:

“People expect to see elephants and cats in a programme about Africa, so the challenge was finding new behaviour,” says episode producer Giles Badger. “In the peak of the dry season – and during droughts if they are strong enough – the elephant bulls of Mana Pools stand on two legs and reach up to six metres into the trees to pull down apple-ring acacia pods. They are highly nutritious and full of protein.

“For an animal that needs to eat 90kg of food per day, it’s an amazing feat. It shows their intelligence and how they’ve adapted over millennia in a dry and hostile climate.”

How to do it: Steppes Travel offers a 13-day Zimbabwe Highlights Holiday from £3,895pp, excluding flights. Visit steppestravel.com.

HEARING WOLVES HOWL IN ITALY

Often painted as the villain, wolves are celebrated as heroes in the Europe episode. A sub-species of the grey wolf, the Apennine wolf was almost shot to extinction until it was declared a protected species in 1971. Now numbers are bouncing back, but the animal is still tricky to track down.

“You can lie in bed in a tiny little Italian village and at night, you hear the wolves howling around you – it’s a real privilege,” explains episode producer Badger. “But it’s one thing hearing the wolves and another thing seeing them.

“We went into the wilderness around these villages, and through the process of the five-week shoot, we learned we were actually better off hanging around the edges of the villages, because the deer were coming down to the lush pastures and the wolves were hunting there.”

Naturetrek offers an eight-day The Apennines: Italy’s Abruzzo National Park escorted tour from £1,445, excluding flights. Departures on May 21 and 28 2020. Visit naturetrek. co.uk.

DODGING ELEPHANT SEALS IN SOUTH GEORGIA

Weighing up to four tonnes, southern elephant seals are a formidable force – especially when they fight. Using a handheld stabilised camera rig, the team managed to capture footage of a bloody battle on St Andrew’s Bay in South Georgia – although they had to be nimble on their toes to avoid getting caught in the crush.

“The males didn’t seem bothered by us,” says episode producer Fredi Devas. “They had only one thing on their minds! The only risk is when a male loses and retreats, they head to the sea in a beeline, and if you’re in the way, you might get squashed.”

David Attenborough, who has previously filmed in the same location, can sympathise. “When the elephant seal comes for you, you want to get out of the way quick,” he says. “He’d go over you like a steamroller, and if you lose some footing, you would be in trouble.”

How to do it: Join Chris Packham and photographer Paul Goldstein on a 15-day South Georgia & Falklands Photographic Charter, from £6,990 excluding flights. Departs November 14, 2020. Visit exodus.co.uk.

STEPPING BACK IN TIME WITH CASSOWARY BIRDS IN AUSTRALIA

One of the world’s oldest rainforests is home to a curious collection of creatures who could have been plucked from a prehistoric era. Producer Napper was fortunate enough to encounter one of them during filming for the Australasia episode in Queensland’s Daintree Rainforest.

Describing the cassowary, she says: “They are incredible birds with a bright head, and much taller than me. In theory, it’s the deadliest bird in the world – but it’s also a caring father.”

Although the elusive species is notoriously hard to film, the team succeeded in spending several weeks trailing one father and his chicks. “The set-up took months,” says Napper. “But we managed to get some really intimate moments.”

How to do it: Wildlife Worldwide offers a 17-day Tablelands, Reef & Rainforest Self-drive holiday, including a visit to Daintree, from £3,195pp, excluding flights. Visit wildlifeworldwide.com.