Environment

Faking Wildlife Scenes Not Uncommon in BBC Documentaries

Last week, BBC’s Frozen Planet, narrated by famed zoologist David Attenborough, came under fire when it was revealed that a scene of a polar bear and her two newborn cubs was staged in a zoo. In the following days the Daily Mail reported other scenes that were not filmed with the animals in their natural environment, including one of a caterpillar crawling around in a wintry scene that really took place in a box.

More recently, The Sunday Telegraph conducted an investigation and found several more faked scenes in various BBC productions.

Some BBC Frozen Planet Scenes Staged: Documentary Filmmaker Explains Use of Staging and What Information Should Be Disclosed

Footage in staged zoo cave depicting a polar bear and her two cubs in the wild. (Photo via Daily Mail)

The Telegraph reports that by not including notice of faked scenes in the actual footage or the credits, BBC could be going against its own policy. Here are a list of some of the fake wildlife set-ups as revealed by the Telegraph:

  • Tragopans – a kind of pheasant purportedly living in a Chinese forest — actually filmed in a wildlife park in Somerset for the series Wild China
  • Clown fish shown hatching from eggs in David Attenborough’s Life series in 2009, in the ocean were in fact filmed in a tank built by Swansea University as part of a research project
  • A chameleon in Attenborough’s Life in Cold Blood in 2008 shown in the forest actually filmed in a studio as were leopard geckos shown mating in the desert
  • A stalk eyed fly, described as lying “dormant on the forest floor” in Life in 2009, was filmed not in a south east Asian rainforest but in a BBC studio

The Telegraph goes on to note that BBC’s transparency policy states: “Audiences should never be deceived or misled by what they see or hear.”

BBC has maintained that details of certain footage, including the polar bear scene on Frozen Planet, are  disclosed on its website. The Mirror also reported Attenborough as defending the staged scene by comparing BBC documentaries to movies.

But for Chris Palmer, a wildlife filmmaker and author of “Shooting in the Wild: An Insider’s Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom”, the line between documentary and movie should not be blurred. In an interview with The Blaze, Palmer, who also founded the Center for Environmental Filmmaking and is a professor at American University, described what he thinks should have been done in BBC’s case and explains situations where staging scenes in documentary films have an appropriate place.

Palmer has been making films for about 30 years and said there are three ugly things that sometimes happen in wildlife filmmaking: lack of conservation, audience deception and animal abuse.

BBC’s actions in not disclosing the staged scenes more obviously in the film, Palmer said, violated a sense of trust audience members have in documentary films.

“This film is a documentary, not a movie,” Palmer said. “When people look at a documentary, there is an implied promise that what you’re seeing is real.”

Some BBC Frozen Planet Scenes Staged: Documentary Filmmaker Explains Use of Staging and What Information Should Be Disclosed

Filmmakers beginning to set up the cave scene in the zoo. (Photo via Daily Mail)

Palmer explained his thoughts further in an email stating that fakery is a common facet of wildlife films, including fraudulent sound, animals from game farms and computer graphics. But, he says that it should be either noted in the credits or in a scroll at the bottom of the scene. This recommendation is what others have suggested since news of BBC’s fakery with the polar bear and cubs in episode five of the series.

Palmer himself said that he has staged scenes, including in an Irish film on wolves where some of the wolves he used were rented. He disclosed this information in the credits, which he acknowledged that people rarely watch.

Why are faked scenes used? Not only is it very difficult to capture animals in the wild, Palmer said, but there are some scenes where the animals should not be disturbed. Polar bears in the cave with cubs would be one of them.

“Sometimes staging does make sense and there is nothing wrong with it,” Palmer said. “As long as animals aren’t hurt or harassed…and the staging event isn’t hidden from the viewer, then there is no problem.”

Palmer wrote in his extended thoughts on the subject to The Blaze that had BBC been even more upfront with the scenes, it would have been even more beneficial for the show:

Labeling the zoo footage would also have reminded viewers that the BBC has the highest possible standards and that everything not so labeled (virtually the whole film) was filmed in the wild under severe and punishing conditions worthy of applause and acclamation.

The Mirror reports that Attenborough is already disclosing information in an upcoming documentary about penguins to avoid further scrutiny. In the film, Attenborough says he follows the story of one male penguin, when in fact there are multiple penguins playing the role.

Comments (58)

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  • Ghandi was a Republican
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 10:28am

    All across the media we have a staged portrayal of a false prophet/charlatan/progressive/alinskyRadical in the Whitehouse.. So what’s another clownfish in the big scheme of things?

    Report Post » Ghandi was a Republican  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on December 21, 2011 at 5:43pm

      Ge. This isn’t anything like U.S. Fish and Wildlife Biologists planting Canadian Lynx hair in an area they wanted closed off to human activity. Or like false data about Grizzly habitat or countless other “scientific” BS submitted by so called ‘scientists’ (ie East Angelica University Climatologists) for self aggrandizement reasons, is it?

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
  • LukeAppling
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 10:21am

    Please read any of the several Books written by Chris Horner exposing the entire scam of “global cooling”, “global warming”, “climate change” whatever the latest title is to confuse the public. But it is all a plan laid out years ago to use paid professors to indoctrinate their students with an anti-american pro-United Nations scheme to redistribute the wealth of rich nations and give it to , after taking the lions share , like lawyers, give the rest to some small country to show their honor. It is a sleazy lie that only get exposed by people like Chris Horner. Read emails from english professors telling the truth of the scheme.

    Report Post »  
    • heyjim55
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:14pm

      LUKEAPPLING
      Well done! that is a great suggestion , for some reason the Brittish people seem to buy into this farce, never questioning it even when there is clear evidence in front of them . This is a huge scam most people don’t realize just how big and evil this scam is.

      Report Post »  
    • korbin
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 10:38pm

      Yep agenda 21, it is very real and exactly what your post is eluding to. Watch this video of a left wing, democrat, lesbian, tree hugger, she has balls I say. I disagree with all she stands for except her facts on agenda 21. She is the poster child for the left however because she has been exposing agenda 21 the left is abandoning her. She is smart and has the facts. her web democratsagainstagenda21.com

      Report Post »  
    • korbin
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 10:45pm

      @haeyjim Watch one of your town/city council meetings pay special attention to the planning department issues. The british aren’t any worse than US, no one is watching agenda 21 even though its happening right in our faces, can you say “smart meter” smart growth, PPP or private public partnership, most if not all zoning laws have been changed to accommodate agenda 21 protocol. We have George h Bush to thank for getting the US involved in Brazil UN meeting in 1992. They are squeezing us all into the urban areas, don’t believe me? look around, ask questions. Over 900 cities across the country have adopted agenda 21 standards. Its real, soon no private property ownership, the Federal Government has been taking property in california by the millions of acres, they will at some point prevent access by the public and have a 100 mile buffer zone, bicycles anyone? fuel costs are going to go through roof soon in attempt to keep us from driving, mass transportation the High speed obama train? its agenda 21.

      Report Post »  
  • semihardrock
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 9:12am

    THE BBC…….Has ANYONE even been to a US College lately??? College Campuses all over the USA are using uTube Videos for class instructions and propoganda (via climategate, evolution)

    Molding…aka “brainwashing” the human race BY POLITICIANS and GOVERNMENT (DOE) is taking place across the ENTIRE GLOBE!

    Report Post » semihardrock  
  • TheLeftMadeMeRight
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 9:12am

    And a polar bear supposedly swimming for his life because of melting icebergs…

    Report Post » TheLeftMadeMeRight  
  • South Philly Boy
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 9:03am

    Liberals… LIE, CHEAT, STEAL and FAKE GLOBAL WARMING to EXTORT MONEY

    Report Post » South Philly Boy  
    • Ok-Sure
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 12:14pm

      No different than this site my friend. I used to have good faith in Beck. But his hypocrisy and that of this website scream “MSNBC WANNABE”

      Report Post »  
    • deeberj
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:38pm

      OK-Sure
      Go away troll. Glenn beck isn’t an MSN wannabe.

      Report Post » deeberj  
    • VTDave
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 3:22pm

      @Ok-Sure

      Site examples please…….. Everything is archived so please provide links to back your assertions…..

      Should I hold my breath?

      Report Post » VTDave  
  • SmallGovBigGuns
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 8:50am

    its kinda like how ows stages rallys and violence towards them haha

    Report Post »  
  • RejectFalseIcons
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 8:47am

    I always wondered how they got those cameras into such private places without getting mauled/bitten/trampled/gored/eaten. I guess now we know.

    Makes not the smallest difference to me – I did the responsible thing and removed cable TV from my home about 7 months ago. I recommend you all do the same. You can get Netflix and Hulu together and spend less than $20 a month to have movies at your fingertips and TV that plays on your schedule.

    Report Post » RejectFalseIcons  
    • theaton
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 10:52am

      So those that don’t remove cable from their home are irresponsible? You are no better than a liberal. Trying to FORCE others to share your view by calling them names is the normal behavior of a liberal and you do it well..

      Report Post »  
  • Hickory
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 8:34am

    The whole movement is a fraud. It has nothing to do with helping wildlife. It’s all about skimming $$$.

    Report Post » Hickory  
  • LMW
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 8:11am

    If you really thought that some guy with a camara layed in a snow cave with a sleeping Polor Bear and her Cubs or sat in a den of spitting Cobras you had to be nuts. Of course some of the scenes were staged, they had to be. But I believe they were made true to life as possible. I dislike the propaganda that went along with them but we saw and learned many great things and saw moments in the animal kingdom that was informitive and entertaining so I say Thank You. Please keep up the great work for if it were not for them and others like them we would not have the knowledge and information that has been a hallmark of these shows. I wish they would have and will do in the future with new shows along with the repeats of past shows place a disclaimer that some scenes were staged and the thoughts stated as to the species demise and global danger are the shows producers and not necessrarily true. See how easy that is for you who can not fact check or think for yourselves and who do not talk to your children as to what may be or may not be true not only in these shows but also what is being taught in schools? They are still some of the best done, better then nothing at all and I hope to see more in the future. I find them more truthfull and less dangerous over the staged shows and fakary every day by our Government and Politicians that effect our lives, our well being and our futures as that is the true global danger. Get a life people and enjoy the show.

    Report Post »  
    • Wolf
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 9:22am

      ‘Better than nothing at all’? And how was your life improved from viewing the lies?
      ‘Better than nothing at all’ is like saying ‘drinking sewage is better than nothing at all’.
      And to think that domesticated animals in a zoo are representative of their kind in the wild is foolishness- they’re two wholly different animals. You probably think Bambi is representative of deer herds as well.
      Wake up, LMW- you’re too eager to swallow the lies.

      Report Post »  
  • kevin1122
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 7:49am

    Wow, I am actually shocked that the BBC would stage something and deceive people. But then again, it only seems appropriate from Evolutionist who make up incredible narratives and artwork from a few bones found spread out over square miles of area. Its all in the presentation.

    Report Post »  
  • KingCanon
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 7:46am

    This footing is treacherous!

    Report Post » KingCanon  
  • Darla_K
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 7:31am

    If they are going to fake the scenes they need to be up front with us. I would probably still watch, but to fool the people is not alright with me. When seeing a movie I expect it. With wildlife I always think it is on the up and up.

    Report Post » Darla_K  
    • Nobummer
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 8:22am

      Only fools are fooled by the antics of the liberal media. Everything they believe in (e.g. socialism, communism, atheism, man-made global warming, etc.) and stand for (e.g. occupy whatever, green whatever, the downtrodden, etc.) is a staged production. The sad part is that these “artists” aren’t that good at disguising their antics. Then again, with a dumbed-down population, they might not need to be.

      Report Post »  
  • moodtd01
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 7:20am

    Marty Stouffer in Wild America didn’t fake his videos. Even if he did, I don’t want to know. I would destroy some fond childhood memories.
    LOL@TXPILOT!!
    Of course Global Warming is fake, just like Evolution, the trouble is just like most of us believe in God, and most of them believe in G.W., Evolution, or that Aliens planted us here and that we are just a science expirement, everyone of these takes faith, faith requires belief. Belief in something that cannot be 100% verified or seen can cause one to do all sorts of things to prove it right or wrong as the case may be.

    Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 7:16am

    Is it possible that Marlin Perkins didn’t actually wrestle that anoconda in the water? Say it aint so Marlin!

    Report Post » Gonzo  
  • V-MAN MACE
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 6:05am

    Bin Ladin’s death was staged.

    The VIEWING of Bin Ladin’s death (by Hillary and Obama’s cabinet) was staged.

    Underwear bomber and Shoe bomber were staged.

    Next…a Tea Party/OWS false-flag attack…staged by your own government.

    Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
    • deeberj
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:35pm

      I believe those things were staged also.

      What attack are you talking about? False flag? What does that mean?

      Report Post » deeberj  
    • V-MAN MACE
      Posted on December 21, 2011 at 10:19pm

      False flag is when the Cops put on the Bloods‘ colors and go into the Crips’ hood and shoot it up, then
      put on the Crips‘ colors and go into the Bloods’ hood and shoot it up- to get them fighting amognst themselves as a pretext (pre-conceived set-up) so they can get their new legislation passed, get more tax dollars, get more power, etc. -to empower the Police State.

      That’s what 9-11 was.

      Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
  • Damn the Taxes - Full Speed Ahead
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 5:31am

    And in the previous administration, George dubya Bush staged photo-ops of him cutting down brush on his ranch in Crawford, TX. Dubya would spend about five minutes with work gloves on cutting down some brush so his camera crew could portray him as ‘an average Texan’. A funny thing though, is that Dubya is a ‘rancher’ who is afraid of horses. Also, Dubya hasn’t had a blister or callous on his hands from work, well, possibly forever! Staged scenes are not uncommon on TV. Remember when Sarah Palin had her 15-minutes of fame with her own reality TV show from Alaska? And remember when one of her Alaska scenes had bears pop into the camera view while the Palins were fishing for salmon? Well, that was staged also.

    Report Post »  
    • decendentof56
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 6:22am

      Damn..
      I don’t know about Bush, but I DO know that anyone who ever believed those “there are only so-many-left” of this and that species stories either had an agenda or were just plain gullible.
      NEVER believe people who call themselves “environmentalists.” The drivers of those movements have the agenda, and the believers are the gullible.

      Report Post »  
    • loriann12
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 6:44am

      Staged political scenes, you mean like Moochele going to Target with her whole crew of security and camera people and NoBody knew it was her? You mean all the times Obama tries to look like the average hoodie? He was raised by a rich white banker in Hawaii, ’bout as far from the hood as one can get.

      Report Post »  
    • Rickfromillinois
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 6:59am

      Really? Funny, he still does that cutting brush stuff. Seems that he likes to do that as a way to get off by himself. As for not liking horses, so what? The year is now 2011, believe it or not horses are not needed on all ranches depending on the terrain and size. I bet he doesn’t wear a six-shooter, a ten gallon hat, or wear spurs either. I bet you never criticized Clinton going on his morning “jogs” to get into shape and stopping off at MikeyDees for a sausage and egg muffin did you?

      Report Post » Rickfromillinois  
    • deeberj
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:33pm

      Damn the taxes – you lie.

      Report Post » deeberj  
  • jim
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 3:56am

    A president, named Obama, filmed his first 3 years in office from a TV studio at the University of Chicago, under the tennis courts.

    Report Post » jim  
    • carnifex
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 4:20am

      This is nothing. Did you guys here about NASA and the moon landings?!! Being a hillbilly has its bennies because I always assume film makers care more about producing film on time rather than “actually” waiting to film the only 2 spotted leaf leopards frogs left in the world, mate in the 1 dry mud hole they breed in, once every 2 centuries.

      Report Post » carnifex  
  • Baddoggy
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 2:34am

    No animals were harmed in the making oif this film….
    The taxpayers will take it in the shorts because some dufus in Congress believes it though.

    Report Post » Baddoggy  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:37am

    Everything they do is faked…….

    Report Post »  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:37am

    What else is new in this case; we have radicals and socialist progressives in DC who claim to be the only Americans left who want freedom…everything is now today turned on its head as if in a illusion.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • TXPilot
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:51am

      The fact that touchy feely nature programs that liberals watch are faked doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Most of the “nature programs” I watch, involve guys in camo with guns, and the wildlife ends up as tasty food.

      Report Post » TXPilot  
  • BOMUSTGO
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:17am

    Right! The media does the same thing with Obama and Liberals.

    Report Post » BOMUSTGO  
    • TXPilot
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:44am

      Just one more example of how tv has become just one more propaganda tool of the far left.

      Report Post » TXPilot  
  • Cosmos102
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 1:16am

    You mean those polar bears floating away on melting ice breaking away from the mainland were not a depiction of reality, but rather a convenient untruth?

    Wake up people. Nothing you see or hear on tv is real. Every program is guilty of this. Not just the BBC, but here too.

    Report Post » Cosmos102  
  • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 12:39am

    Must be liberal women making the films, they are great at faking everything.

    How do you know you are making love to a conservative woman, she screams Gods name.

    How do you know you are making love to a liberal woman, you need to pay her first.

    Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
  • texanpatriot
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 12:39am

    NOOOOO – are you kidding me??? I can’t believe that I have been misled by the BBC on such an important story. You mean the global warming story was not true either?

    The next thing you will try to tell me is that the main stream media makes up their stories! They do – OMG I need to go lie down.

    As USAPatriot said: so???

    Report Post » texanpatriot  
    • Damn the Taxes - Full Speed Ahead
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 5:50am

      @TexanPatriot – I obviously don’t know where in Texas you live, nor do I want to know, but I feel sorry for you and your anti-science mentality. I don’t want to wish harm on anyone, but the drought in Texas now is nowhere near as bad as it will get in upcoming years. You see, global warming, or climate change, or whatever you want to call it, is real. As a scientist myself who has read most reports and reviewed most data-sets, the idea that greenhouse gases emitted from human endeavors is altering the Earth’s weather is unequivocally real. And if it isn‘t addressed relatively soon by all of Earth’s inhabitants, it will surely change the course of human history on this planet. Even one of the Koch brothers supported scientists recently jumped ship from the “denial” bandwagon and is trying to regain his reputation as a scientist who does believe we are headed for more frequent and more extreme weather events with consequential sea-level rise that will change the geomorphology of all current land-masses, sometimes with severe consequences. Oh yeah, and those droughts in Texas, well, between the gas companies pumping more and more water from Texas aquifers to support their fracking of shales to produce gas, and with less and less aquifer recharge from precipitation events, well, you guys had better be stocking up on bottled water by the pallet…..

      Report Post »  
    • IIIper
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 6:39am

      @ DTT-FSA, what you have is an opinion, just like everyone else. And that opinion is based on flawed intel and outright lies. Being a scientist lends your opinion some credibility, but then we don’t know what sort of scientist you are, or if that is even true. And like all professions, they are filled with folks from the general population and vary wildly in competence and outlook. Just because you‘re a doctor doesn’t mean you know why I have a headache and not every mechanic knows why my truck died on the road. I’m not a scientist, but I am a reasonable man with a fair grasp of the scientific principles at work, and not driven by political agenda. When I look at the available information, it is pretty clear to me that AGW is a farce. A lot of intelligent people with nothing to gain from researching our “impending doom” feel the same way.

      Report Post »  
    • flagbearer
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 8:45am

      @DTT-FSA

      More and more scientists from the left have retracted their findings about global warming, especially with the papers that reveal an intentional withholding/changing of data for personal and political gain from the leftists. Wake up! Our planet’s natural cycles may or may not be caused by human beings. The science is not conclusive for either side. With that said, ask who benefits from the scare tactics? Follow the money and it all leads back to Al Gore and George Soros. What is the price? Our property rights and freedom.

      Report Post »  
    • drago
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 9:36am

      Dont feed “damn the taxes” aka encinom guys, hes already to big to get through his moms basement door………..

      Report Post »  
    • SDmom
      Posted on December 20, 2011 at 9:36am

      @Damn the taxes: The climate has been changing since the beginning of time. I’ve said it before…scientists tell me glaciers used to sit where we farm, and now we help feed the world. Was the drought of the 30′s man made? When I was in elementary school in the 70′s, scientists said the earth was headed to another ice age. From an ice age scare to a global warming scare to a climate change scare, all in my lifetime.

      Report Post »  
  • USApatriot511
    Posted on December 20, 2011 at 12:31am

    so?

    Report Post » USApatriot511  
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