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Episode 4

Episode 4 of 5

Life is tough, not only for a colony of Gentoo penguins on a tiny island in Antarctica, but also for the team who are filming their lives.

In October 2013, wildlife cameraman and director Andrew Graham-Brown and assistant producer Ruth Peacey set sail for Antarctica to film a colony of Gentoo penguins for a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Natural World film which every year return to Port Lockroy on a tiny island called Goudier to find a mate and raise their young in the shadow of world's most southerly public Post Office. It was to be one of the most challenging filming trips they had ever undertaken. Joining them in Antarctica was wildlife cameraman Doug Allan who narrates this series of five programmes which follows the team's adventures. Having finally arrived at Goudier island, the film crew waste no time filming the lives of the Gentoo penguins which return here every year to mate and raise a family. Once they have found their mate, the penguins build nests from small stones which resemble mini volcanoes - to keep the eggs off the ground and keep them dry. Squabbles break out when penguins steal stone from each other's nests. The nesting parents also have to watch out for predators like the skuas which nest on nearby islands and won't hesitate to steal an egg or a chick to feed their own young. As the weeks pass, the reality of life an island with no running water and no electricity begins to take its toll on the team. Producer Sarah Blunt.

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15 minutes

Last on

New Year's Day 2016 00:15

Picture of Post Office

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Broadcasts

  • Thu 4 Sep 2014 13:45
  • New Year's Day 2016 00:15