ASIA: DAVID ATTENBOROUGH TO PRESENT NEW BBC NATURAL HISTORY SERIES

BBC Factual has announced that Sir David Attenborough will present Asia, a seven-part natural history series for BBC One and iPlayer about the wildlife of our planet’s largest continent. Covering the length and breadth of Asia, the series will reveal its most remarkable landscapes and animals, and feature dramatic, previously unseen behaviour.

Filmed over the course of nearly four years, this is the first time that Asia has been the focus of a major BBC wildlife series. From the vast Gobi Desert to the jungles of Borneo, and from the polar wilderness of Siberia to the coral seas of the Indian Ocean, this series will showcase the breath-taking variety of Asia’s wildest places.

Seven one-hour episodes will feature thrilling wildlife stories from each corner of the continent. In Nepal, we’ll follow rhinos playing ‘kiss chase’ in a bizarre courtship ritual. In the foothills of the Himalaya, amidst forests of bamboo, we’ll meet Asia’s shyest and possibly cutest mammal: the red panda.

Five thousand metres up on the Tibetan Plateau, we’ll witness a lone wolf relentlessly hunting a herd of antelope for hours on end. In Sri Lanka, we’ll join elephants that have learnt to become highway thieves – holding up buses to get food from the passengers. And in the rich waters of the Western Pacific, we’ll swim with sea snakes and fish that have learnt to team up in order to hunt together in huge shoals.

Filming locations include Lake Baikal, the oldest and deepest lake in the world; the vast taiga forest that stretches across northern Russia; the Lut Desert in Iran; the Arabian Peninsula’s Empty Quarter; and several bustling Asian cities: Tokyo, Bangkok, Taipei, Bhopal, Hanoi and Singapore.

Asia is the largest continent and no other place is as rich in superlatives. It has the highest mountain range, the deepest ocean, the tallest jungles, and the biggest cave.

Its wildlife is equally impressive. The continent is home to six species of bear, three species of rhino and five species of big cat - more than Africa. It is also the land of the unexpected: the mysterious sea bunny, the comical mudskipper, the elusive purple frog, and the fluorescent deep-sea firefly squid.

Iconic landscapes and intimate behaviour will be filmed using the very latest techniques, allowing audiences to experience the beauty and wonder of Asia like never before.

This contemporary view of Asia will also explore the conservation challenges facing the continent and examine potential solutions. On a continent that is home to well over half the world’s human population, there is a growing movement within Asia to protect its wild places and animals, and these stories of conservation heroes will feature prominently in the series.

Sreya Biswas, BBC Head of Commissioning, Natural History, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have Sir David Attenborough presenting our fantastic new landmark series Asia for BBC One. Asia is a continent steeped in beauty and intrigue with some of the most wonderfully diverse habitats on the planet. A feast for the eyes, bringing these incredible locations and wildlife to the screen, with some behaviours never seen before, has been really exciting.”

Asia, a 7x60’ for BBC One and iPlayer, is made by BBC Studios Natural History Unit, co-produced with BBC America, France Télévisions and ZDF.