Maneaters - New BBC docudrama

[Beer Monster]

I wouldn't normally flag up these "Wild Animals are mindlessly killing Humans" type program as generally they misrepresent the true nature of wild animals and instead hype them up as some mindless killing machine but .....

... the BBC has produced a short 3 part docudrama about 3 cases where animals (Leopard, Wolves and Lions) have killed people ...... quite a few people. But here is the difference ..... this programme explains why the animals started to hunt humans and invariably its our own fault.

Anyways, the photograph is meant to be stunning (Nepal/India, Sweden and Tanzania) and the acting very good.

The program is on Friday nights starting this Friday 2/12/05 at 9pm with "The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag"

Here is what the Radio Times has to say about it:

"You might assume this was a wildlife film. However, the sight of Geoffrey Palmer strolling through the foothills of the Himalayas, sporting a bashed-up trilby, duster coat and his trademark lugubrious expression, should give you a clue that this is a drama, first of three in the Manhunters series. As well as Palmer, it stars Jason Flemyng as the legendary hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett, who is brought to Rudraprayag in India by the British commissioner to kill a leopard that's been stalking the region for eight years - and has devoured 126 people. While it plays a frustrating game of cat and mouse with Corbett, the commissioner's bored wife (Jodhi May) behaves in an equally predatory manner. There are endless shots of village life as seen through the eyes of the stealthy leopard, coupled with off-screen snarlings from the bush. But just occasionally there are moments of sheer terror that make the achingly slow bits worth enduring. "

 

[Kane]

For some entertaining reading about dangerous game try "Death in the Long Grass" by Peter Hathaway Capstick.

Kane

 

[C_Claycomb]

Capstick Rules!!! :You_Rock_

I have read nearly all his books and he certainly has a nice turn of phrase. I can recommend his book on Maneaters, and Death in the Silent Places. Often the people he writes about are every bit as interesting as the animals. I have also read Jim Corbett's book about the Rudraprayag leopard and will be very interested to see this program and see how it is handled.

I actually get rather fed up with the recent rash of TV programs taking some animal situation which they think the typical person will put in the "mindless killing machine", then go all guns proving that it just isn't so. I tend to feel that they over compensate, heading dangerously close to fuzzy sentiment..."far from being a mindless killer this beautiful creature is just supremely well adapted to its environment where we are the interlopers, it is up to us to treat it with respect" bleugh!

 

[Beer Monster]

Capstick Rules!!! :You_Rock_

I have read nearly all his books and he certainly has a nice turn of phrase. I can recommend his book on Maneaters, and Death in the Silent Places. Often the people he writes about are every bit as interesting as the animals. I have also read Jim Corbett's book about the Rudraprayag leopard and will be very interested to see this program and see how it is handled.

Must admit to never having ready any of his books . However, I did know of a safari guide in Kenya who used to entertain his clients around the campfire at night by reading (slightly embellished) chapters of Death in the Long Grass!

I actually get rather fed up with the recent rash of TV programs taking some animal situation which they think the typical person will put in the "mindless killing machine", then go all guns proving that it just isn't so. I tend to feel that they over compensate, heading dangerously close to fuzzy sentiment..."far from being a mindless killer this beautiful creature is just supremely well adapted to its environment where we are the interlopers, it is up to us to treat it with respect" bleugh!

I know what you are on about. A program which really annoyed me recently was Channel 5's "Killer Shark Live". It was a generally good concept with fairly good science behind it but was let down drastically by the presenter Donal MacIntyre who was trying to hype everything up (more interested in blood, guts and gore) and generally confusing the message the program was trying to convey. It really got on my nerves . Rant over .

 

[gregorach]

What I'm getting really fed up with is the whole "docudrama" concept... Fiction and non-fiction should be kept seperate in my view.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Just finished watching.

Hmmmm. Wonder what everyone else thought? I fully agree about the docudrama. I suppose its possible that the program researchers turned somethings up, but there was a hell of a lot that was different from the accounts in Corbett's book. Such as what Ibotson what like, the selection of events/kills, and the small matter of how the leopard was finished off.

The actual true story had way more scares and both leopard and man had far more near escapes than were even hinted at.

Not a bad docudrama, but far short of accurate, though it didn't do badly at capturing some of the tension.

Hey Beer Monster...just wondering whether your safari guide reckonned Capstick over embelished to begin with. I have read stuff from another PH who reckonned as much.

 

[Wenie]

Hmmmm. Wonder what everyone else thought?

I thought it was quite enjoyable, but since it was a programme about a leopard, I wouldn't have minded seeing a bit more leopard in it...

 

[Beer Monster]

Hey Beer Monster...just wondering whether your safari guide reckonned Capstick over embelished to begin with. I have read stuff from another PH who reckonned as much.

Unfortunately I never met the guy (it was one of our clients who told us). However, my girlfriends father used to be a professional hunter (now retired ....... but funnily enough now collects old hunting books!) and they are an old Kenya family (they still live there). He (and most of the other PHs) think that Capstick probably did embellish his stories but then again it didn't really matter, it just sold more books and more importantly he still managed to convey what it was like. It would matter if he had used other people’s experiences as his own (which is another unsubstantiated rumour).

 

[Kane]

As a well published author both in book form and as a columnist for Guns and Ammo etc. I would have thought that someone would have reported any accusations of that sort (possibly a little naive there of course )

(edit) IIRC a lot of the stories in the books are actually accredited to other people in the business.

Kane

 

[bigj]

as a big game guide myself i couldnt agree more that fact and fiction should be keept apart and if any one is interested in a realy good read they should look at alaskan bear tales as these are true accounts of man against beast. and having been in very similar situations can relate to them

 

[Kane]

Is that the title of a book (Alaskan Bear Tales) Bigj?

(edit) found this on google http://www.outdoorsdirectory.com/products/alaska_bear_tales.htm

Kane

 

[bigj]

yep thats the one kane there arte three in trhe series now , also check out frank drufresen he writes about the bears on kodiak island very good true stories

 

[Kane]

Cheers

How about other suggestions for similar books folks

Kane

 

[Beer Monster]

As a well published author both in book form and as a columnist for Guns and Ammo etc. I would have thought that someone would have reported any accusations of that sort (possibly a little naive there of course )

(edit) IIRC a lot of the stories in the books are actually accredited to other people in the business.

Kane

Yes that’s my view as well which is why I never really took much stock in them . If someone had a bone to pick then they would have done so by now . They are probably just a touch of jealousy from some who’s stories aren't as good .

It's not really a novel or memoir but the book "A guides guide to guiding" by Garth Thompson (ISBN 1875091130 published by Russel Friedman Books, SA) is very good. Its more of manual for African safari guides but I suppose it could apply anywhere in the world where you are taking clients to areas where dangerous wildlife could or rather will be encountered ........ they are notoriously hard to come by though as I think they are only published in South Africa.

Here is a review I found online.