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Discover the species living in our towns and cities.
A daily commute through the metropolis may well result in sightings of pigeons, rats and a variety of insects that, perhaps, have become part of the scenery. A family of otters running through city parks, or African penguins parading along residential streets is far more likely to turn a few heads, but for how long?
This three-part series highlights the increasing amount of species – some more surprising than others – that are becoming commonplace in towns and cities around the world.
“Living right under our noses, urban wildlife is often overlooked,” says series producer Matt Brandon. “It’s taken all of us – scientists and natural history filmmakers included – far too long to embrace cities as a habitat in their own right.”
Leaving no stone or concrete slab unturned, the series even follows pavement ants in New York and water monitor lizards in the sewers of Bangkok, giving us an insight into the incredible lives of these creatures.
With expanding urban spaces and the loss of natural habitat impacting wildlife across the globe, this is an interesting look at the ways in which the domains of animals and humans have started to overlap. Though some on both sides of the equation have adapted and adjusted to their new neighbours better than others.
“Many scientists believe that cities are the places to look for evolutionary shifts in our world,” says Matt. “That presents an opportunity to make a wildlife documentary that is both timely and a little bit different. Cities: Nature’s New Wild showcases urban spaces with the same epic scale, ambition and techniques used to film the natural world. It’s fascinating to look at a world we think we know, through fresh eyes.”