Attenborough’s Planet series raises sobs

SIR David Attenborough’s new Netflix documentary has left viewers sobbing after showing how orang-utans are left homeless in Borneo because of deforestation for palm oil.

A Life On Our Planet, which premiered last Sunday, and is available locally, tracks pivotal moments throughout the 94-year-old veteran broadcaster’s career – including exploring the rainforests on the island.

It is unlike any of Attenborough’s previous works, with their cinematic shots of wildlife. He offers a bleaker outlook on the state of the planet, the climate crisis, and global ecological decline he has seen in his lifetime.

Labelled a “heartbreaking and devastating” watch by viewers, one scene illustrates the impact that cutting down trees is having on the wildlife, capturing an orang-utan struggling to find a place to settle because of deforestation.

Attenborough, pictured, explains that more than half of the world’s rainforests have been cleared to make room for African oil palm trees to create palm oil – found in shampoo, detergent, ice cream, lipstick, soap, bread and more.

But with more than 3 trillion trees replaced, it creates an unsustainable impact on the wildlife that live there – with viewers sharing on social media how they broke down in tears at seeing the homeless orang-utans.

Speaking on the programme, Attenborough said: “Many of the millions of species in the forests exist in small numbers. Every one has a critical role to play. Orang-utan mothers have to spend 10 years with their young, teaching them which fruits are worth eating. Without this training, they would not complete their role in dispersing seeds. The future generations of many tree species would be at risk.

“And tree diversity is the key to a rainforest. In a single small patch of tropical rainforest there could be

700 different species of tree, as many as there are in the whole of north America. And yet this,” he adds, as footage of homeless orang-utans searching lifeless branches fills the screen, “is what we’ve been turning this dizzying diversity into.

“(It’s) a monoculture of oil palm, a habitat that is dead in comparison.”

It prompted a rush of emotional comments on social media.

One viewer wrote:

“Watching #Davidattenborough #Alifeonourplanet and couldn’t help but cry watching that beautiful orangutan walking round looking for somewhere to call home. Breaks my heart.”

Another said: “New Netflix show that will make u cry: A Life On Our Planet. It show how the Borneo rainforest has been reduced by half. The deforestation of Borneo has reduced the population of orangutan by two-thirds. Literally man-made disaster of global scale.”

“Just got to the part where the orangutan is climbing up the last remaining tree on #Davidattenborough #Alifeonourplanet and man that made me cry,” a third added.

Produced in collaboration with the environmental group WWF, the feature documentary tells the story of life on our planet by Attenborough.

In his more than 90 years, he has visited every continent, exploring the wild places and documenting the living world in all its variety and wonder.

Addressing the biggest challenges facing life on our planet, the film offers a powerful message of hope for future generations with an outline for how we can reduce our carbon footprints, and hopefully reverse the trends he outlines. | Daily Mail