Conservation With Kate: Lifestyle

I have been thinking a lot recently about just how bloody hard conservation is. In the wake of the Notre Dame fire, Jonathan Kolby from National Geographic went viral for a statement he made comparing the fire to the battles faced on conservation.

I hope it goes without saying but, the parallels to the fire in no way diminish my deep sadness for the people of Paris, and all who felt a connection to the cathedral. Everyone has their place that makes them feel happy and safe, and reminds them of wonderful memories. To see that place burn is a horrible thing, and I completely get that.

This is Jonathan's quote, if you haven't seen it:

His words really got to me because he is right. As people who care deeply for the environment, we are watching it burn slowly and torturously every day. I am a positive person, and I try hard to be because I do believe there is no point wasting energy on being negative or mad at the world. Obviously, we all have bad days and that's fine, but I try to find good in things and not worry about something until I have to. I think it's easier to be happier if you look at the world in a positive light.

This is hard sometimes in conservation because there are so many wicked problems coming at you from every angle. We are heading into a sixth mass extinction. We are heading towards a climatic catastrophe. We are so close to causing irreparable damage to this planet, and often it feels like no one cares.

Nature has always, and will always be, my greatest source of happiness. It is where I feel happy and safe, 'my Notre Dame'. When I think of the times I've felt happiest or most at peace, they are almost all outdoors or involving wildlife. I think this is true of most conservationists, and a lot of other people too. So in some ways, it's easy to remain positive in conservation because you just have to think about what you're fighting for.

Conservation is a value-laden discipline. Some people probably think that's a bad thing. I can see why to a degree: if you're too emotionally invested in something it can be hard to step back and make rationale decisions. However, I think what makes conservation successful is that it is a value-laden discipline. If conservationists didn't care as much as they do, nothing would get done.

I find it really hard when people don't care as much as I do. This really isn't great because I am extremely passionate and it's rather unreasonable of me to expect everyone to exude the same level of passion as I do. This is a fault on me, not everyone else. It's something I'm working on for myself, but I think Jonathan Kolby touched on this is a beautiful way that has stuck with me.

You don't have to care as much as I do, but you should care.

I think herein lies the frustration Jonathan was getting at. "We're surrounded by burning cathedrals built across millennia and no one seems to care." This line broke me a little. I honestly had goosebumps and I didn't know what to say/think. I completely feel what he is feeling. It was a painful truth I wasn't ready for.

But then I thought about it some more. People do care. They really do. A lot. It was not just conservationists or employees of NatGeo that were making similar comparisons. I saw Jonathan's quote shared by tonnes of people who day-to-day have nothing to do with conservation. Our Planet (now streaming on Netflix) is having a similar impact. People are watching it and feeling passionate and driven.

This is so so important, and I really hope it is not lost. The problem is in translating that emotion into action.

The cynic in me finds it hard not to think that this is just "today's news" and tomorrow something else will come along, and all these people who read/shared his quote and felt something, or feel awakened by Our Planet, will go back to their lives and not really give it another thought.

As someone who has decided to dedicate their life to conservation, this hurts me. I am only 22 so that might seem like a dramatic statement, or a little premature, but I am not studying this masters for a laugh: I fully intend to remain in this field for life. Plus, I actively try to live my day-to-day life as sustainably as possible. I am also fully aware that there are hundreds of issues worldwide that I may be ignorant of. Obviously I try my best to be clued in on what's going on in the world, and for me, yes climate change and conservation are the stand out issues. But that's not true of everyone, and of course that's okay.

What is hard for conservationists, or at least for me, is when people speak empty words, and do nothing.

Maybe I'm being unfair? Maybe sharing memes or quotes about the struggles of climate change and conservation is doing something? We all know public opinion can be a major force in driving change, and so merely supporting Jonathan's argument on instagram is a step in the right direction.

But is it enough? I don't think it is.

It would be unreasonable for me to ask you all to drop what you're doing and apply for a job in conservation, so I won't do that (but if you're feeling inspired you have my full support). However, what I do ask is, if you do care: do more. Don't just talk about it, and when you are talking about it, talk to people who don't care, or who don't know enough.

It's so lovely and wholesome being surrounded by like-minded people, but these aren't the people we need to listen. We could all sit around the fire talking about what wonderful people we are and how we're saving the planet; and bond over how much we hate oil companies and rhino poachers and have a jolly good time. But that's achieving nothing.

I think this stream of consciousness born from Jonathan's quote has forced me to realise all these things I was feeling. How lonely and frustrating conservation can feel. How it can seem like a losing battle. How many of our goals may be unachievable, or at least rely on so many external factors that we can't rely on (*cough* politicians).

I do honestly believe we can have a green future. I don't think all hope is lost. I don't accept global warming will increase more than 2 degrees. I don't accept that rhinos, polar bears, and tigers will go extinct in my lifetime. Call me naive, call me a dreamer, call me a snowflake if you really must (although please don't, I really cannot stand that term). There are ways to tackle climate change and there are ways to conserve biodiversity. They just need to be done.

Admittedly a lot of this does rest on the shoulders of governments worldwide. Climate change protests have been gaining momentum, and news coverage. I know protests can be a controversial topic, but there is growing frustration towards the inaction of the government to do anything and protests help us start conversations.

Pressure needs to be put on the government to do more in tackling environmental issues. It is plain truth that not enough is being done.

As I've mentioned, there are hundreds of issues worldwide that also need more attention. It's not just extinction and climate change. For me, the reason these two stand out are because they will impact everyone. Climate change does not discriminate based on gender, age, religion, sexuality. We will all be impacted, albeit not equally. People in developing nations will be disproportionately worse of: the cruelest irony.

The second reason they stand out for me is because they are largely man-made. We have manufactured ourselves a devastating, unsustainable, and almost irreversible disaster. Would the world be a better place without people in it? Yes.. no.. maybe.. I don't know! It's really not for me to say. We're here now. We have a chance to fix things. We can take it, but not solely with words: with action too.

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I get asked this question all the time. How did you get into conservation? Why conservation? How do I get into conservation??

A career in conservation is really hard to kick-start, or to land in general. There aren't a lot of jobs, and there are even less paid positions. I grew up in the UK and I was that kid who's obsessed with animals, and all things animal related. Growing up here, where, let's be honest, we have limited wildlife (due to previous generations chopping down all the forests and hunting down all the wildlife). I thought if I wanted to work with animals, I'd have to be a vet.

This dream came crashing down like a headless pigeon when I first took 'separate sciences' at school (i.e. biology, chemistry and physics as separate subjects instead of under the very broad title of "science.") I wasn't particularly strong at any of them to be completely honest, but chemistry was definitely my weak spot. Turns out, in the UK (and I'm sure elsewhere) to study veterinary medicine at university, you have to have chemistry A-level (our highest academic assessment level in school). Coupled with the fact that there are only about 6 veterinary medical schools in the country, and so are highly competitive, 13 year old Kate's dreams of becoming a vet started to fade.

This led to a bit of an identity crisis in my life. Nothing dramatic don't worry; I didn't buy a sports car, change my name, or tattoo my mum's initials onto my face. (Technically I wasn't legally old enough to do any of that, but that's not the point). I really did not know what I wanted to be when I grew up.

This shouldn't matter to a 13 year old, and it doesn't! Obviously at the time it seems like you have to have it all figured out but you don't. However, it does make things daunting and make small decisions (that seem like big ones) difficult. For example, I was the worst at deciding what subjects to take at school. I remember at the end of year 8 we were allowed to drop 2 subjects (not 'core' subjects - not my label - but you could ditch an arts subject or a language as long as you still had at least 1 of each.) I could not decide! 2 out of about 16 classes and I was scared I'd make the wrong choice.

I think the reason I couldn't decide was because I didn't love any of them. I never hated school or anything, I actually quite liked school at this point. I just hadn't found my passion so I didn't know where I fit.

It only got harder. Choosing my GCSEs (exams we take in the UK when we are 16 so year 11: you take around 10 subjects) was a huge challenge and I think I changed my options 4 times over the summer between year 9 and 10 (when you finalise your choices). I finally decided 3 days before year 10 started (I was so close to not taking Geography and that prospect haunts me to this day).

I had the same problem again choosing my A-levels. Narrowing 10 to 4 seemed like such a huge decision that seemed all too easy to get wrong. Again, I really didn't feel strongly for or against any of my subjects, except maybe Geography. But because I didn't know what I wanted to study at university, or do for a job, I didn't know what to do. What if a few months down the line I decide on a degree I like but I don't have the right A-level options?

Obviously, it was all fine in the end, but my point is I was quite lost at school because I didn't know what I wanted to do or what I liked.

But everything changed in the summer of 2014, in between year 12 and 13, and so half way through my A-levels.

I went to South Africa for the first time and it opened my eyes to the world of conservation, and I realised for the first time that I could have a career in conservation. Being a vet was not the only way to work with animals. Obviously, this sounds really stupid now and of course I did know there were other things to do, but they hadn't been put forward to me in a tangible way. Ever. I knew conservation existed obviously, and I was fascinated by it. I knew there were people all over the world doing incredible things to protect our wildlife. But this was the first time I ever thought I could be one of them.

I came back from this trip and decided straight away to do Geography at university. The man who organised the trip helped me with where to apply, I got my application in super early, and had 5 university offers within 3 months of landing back in London. I ended up of course at the University of Southampton and it was the best; I absolutely loved it, I miss it every single day, and I could not have chosen a better degree than Geography. From there, I have increased my conservation experience, made incredible contacts, and even wrote my dissertation on critically endangered black rhino which included 2 months in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, collecting data and carrying out fieldwork.

South African sunsets are breathtaking

South Africa 2014: Why was I there?

So, I've explained that this trip was a turning point in me pursuing a career in conservation. For anyone who just read my life story and is patiently waiting for the bit where I actually help you.. here it comes.

Earthwatch.

This one word, changed my life. Earthwatch is a a non-profit organisation that essentially runs scientific research projects all over the world centred around the ideas of sustainability and conservation. This is their mission statement taken from their website:

"To engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment."

Website link: https://earthwatch.org

So, if you wanted to join one of their expeditions, you simply sign up to apply and if there's space, you can go! They run 'teen' expeditions for 16-19 year olds, and then separate ones for adults. The teen ones are slightly subsidised as a way to promote science among young people.

I joined a teen expedition to South Africa to study scavengers. I just really wanted to go to South Africa to be honest. The words "South Africa" caught my attention in the email (just a chain email sent round from some mailing list I'd obviously been added to) so I inquired. I had never heard of Earthwatch, and no one in my school had ever done an expedition. But I thought f*ck it, I had some money saved, I asked my parents, they said yes, and I signed up.

Photo taken by me during my Earthwatch expedition. It was on this trip that I learnt so much about the rhino crisis and became so passionate to help prevent us losing this iconic species.

I could not recommend an Earthwatch expedition more to someone trying to get into conservation if I tried. They are highly regarded and well recognised and so really do stand out on your CV, and allow you to make some great contacts. The friends I made on that trip are still some of my best friends, and we see each other all the time (even though we are scattered around the country).

I also made great contacts, both through the Earthwatch Institute (which have offices in Oxford) and in South Africa. The reserve we visited on the trip, I returned to the following year with some of my fellow Eartchwatch volunteers, and it is my favourite place on this Earth. It stole my heart and will keep it forever. It is the reason I am who I am today, and I am where I am today, and I owe everything to the people there.

There are trips all over the place working with all kinds of wildlife: marine and terrestrial. If you're thinking of doing an expedition but don't have any specific in mind choosing a project could prove tricky because they do all look amazing, but I'm sure one is bound to jump out.

If you are someone 16-19 and you want to get some experience in conservation, look at the Earthwatch website and see if there's a project for you. I will warn you, it can be expensive. If this is an issue, talk to them about it - I don't know if they can/will do anything, but if you don't ask, you don't get.

Earthwatch is not just for young people though, so anyone of any age; have a look.

Even if you have some experience already, you can never have too much in this industry!

Field Work with Earthwatch

Moving forward:

Volunteering:

Volunteering is unavoidable for getting into conservation. I loved every second of my volunteering experiences don't get me wrong, but it can cost an awful lot of money (especially abroad). It is just how it goes though; people start with gaining as much volunteer experience as they can. If you can do this along side a degree, i.e. in your summer holidays, or even while at school, then that's great! Otherwise, I would recommend taking a year out after school/uni (I would say uni) to gain as much experience as you can.

There are countless volunteer organisations offering projects around the world you can go on. Do your research (obviously) to check they are legit and ethical projects, but there are so many great ones to choose from! Ask advice from people: teachers, professors, people you know doing a similar thing, me (if I can help I will).

Qualifications:

This is completely dependent on you! University (although I know I rave about it) is not for everyone. Depending on what type of conservation you want to get into, you don't have to have a degree. However, research is a massive part of conservation: there are obviously jobs in research, and this research shapes the policy and management of practical conservation. Having a degree in an environmental science is only ever going to work in your favour (e.g. biology, ecology, zoology, geography, oceanography, etc). You can study wildlife conservation as an undergrad as well at some universities in the UK, and worldwide.

When it comes to post-graduate level, I do believe a masters is a good idea. I am about to start one (eeeek! so excited) at the University of Cape Town in Conservation Biology. I think having an Msc is beneficial as a lot of research placement paid jobs advertise for someone with these qualifications. However, I do not think masters are something anyone should do for the sake of a qualification. Same goes for a PhD - if you want to go into academia or be a top researcher, consider a PhD. Personally, I can't see myself doing one, never say never, but it's not the path I currently want to follow.

There are of course, non-university qualifications: for example FGASA levels (Field Guide Association of Southern Africa) or the equivalent for your region, or such like.

To be honest, I am not qualified to give you advice on what qualifications you should or should not get/look into. I can just reiterate that research plays a massive part in a lot of conservation related work, and so having an understanding of the research process is important.

Hustle & Network

As with an industry: who you know is extremely important and having the right contacts can help you out. I have some incredible contacts that have made a huge difference to me. One important piece of advice: University is not the only place to build connections. It is a great place to, but knowing people from outside that circle is so important.

Once you have a connection, use it. If you have nothing immediate to say, a friendly email every so often to update them on your life or ask about any projects they're involved in... basically just remind them you exist. Make sure they know what you are interested in, and so if somethings comes to them that might suit you, you are the first person they think of.

Final thoughts:

In the end, I did 'dual award' science for GCSE. This meant I took the subjects as separate subjects, but ended up with 2 Science GCSEs rather than 3 GCSEs: one in biology, one in chemistry, one in physics. I didn't take any of them for A-level.

I am about to start an MSc in Conservation Biology.

The decisions you make do not always have the impact on your future than you think they will. If you'd told 13 year old me that I would be doing a biology-based masters I would have found it hilarious and terrifying in almost equal measures. Now, I couldn't be more excited, and I am honoured and over the moon to be given this opportunity.

I am so lucky to have found my passion aged 17. That is still so young! Do not worry if it takes you longer to find yours!

And even though I know I want to work in conservation, particularly of endangered species, specifically what job I want... I have no idea! But that's part of the fun, and something I am hoping will become clearer with time and as my experience and expertise grows.

Thanks for reading! If you have any more specific questions about Earthwatch or anything else I spoke about feel free to comment below (or email me if you'd rather using the Contact Me tab at the top!)

Ps. I am not affiliated with Earthwatch: I just think they're great!

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I strongly recommend this book, and I'm going to tell you why. This is the first book review I've written on this blog, but this book is honestly fantastic and everyone should read it. I think Laurence Anthony should be a household name.

Elephants have always been my favourite animal. Ever since I was little I have loved, and been memorised by these gentle giants. Laurence Anthony's books were recommended to me by one of my best friends, and fellow animal lover, and so I got 3 of his books for christmas, and this is the first I have read. I was hooked right from the prologue.
It's an autobiographical story of Lawrence Anthony's journey of saving a herd of elephants. Laurence Anthony owns and runs a game reserve in South Africa. He is given a heard of elephants, who are described as troublesome, and were going to be killed if he didn't take them. The book tells the story of how he saved their lives, by learning to communicate with them, and how a previously troubled herd find peace and a home at Thula Thula, Lawrence's reserve.
What this book does so beautifully, is describe nature as it is. Lawrence is a well known conservationist, and he owns a game reserve in Africa. He knows the African bush better than most, and he describes it so well. As someone who has visited Africa a few times, I felt reading this he had captured the magic of Africa beautifully and I felt like I was back there again. I felt like I knew him and his staff by the end of the book, and had been to Thula Thula. And of course, I felt like I knew the elephants.

"To understand how they [the elephants] taught me so much, you have to understand that communication in the animal kingdom is as natural as a breeze. That in the beginning it was only self-imposed human limitations that impeded my understanding."
This quote is on the second page of the prologue, and after reading it I instantly knew I was going to love this book. The book hadn't actually started, and I was hooked. Lawrence understands how humans can learn from animals, and that it's not always the other way round; and that's something I greatly respect. He has great respect for all living beings, and understands that the true value of nature has nothing at all to do with money.

Later on in the book he is describing a baby elephant, who has a particularly traumatic beginning. He writes "Wildlife can absorb adversity that would destroy a human without a blink." Again, recognising that there is so much wildlife can teach us, and there are things they can do that we, as a species, can only dream off. I love it when people speak like this, because I am a strong supporter of this. I know there are things other animals can do better than we can. So many people believe that animals are dumb, and numb, creatures; even creatures are majestic as elephants. This is simply not the case, and Lawrence shows the incredible characteristics of elephants in this book. Lawrence saved their lives, but they also saved his on various occasions, described in the book as they knew him, and cared for him. They learnt to recognise his voice, and smell. They learnt to trust him. A herd of wild Africa elephants, who hated humans based on their previous experiences with them, learnt to trust Lawrence Anthony. That is an incredible thing. African elephants are more aggressive than Asian elephants, and are also bigger. Wild elephants do not trust people, and people are often the enemy, with their guns and dogs. For a completely wild herd to forgive, and trust people based on the care and compassion of one man, is outstanding.

Like all good books, there is a picture section. This is important I think for a book like this. If you have never visited Africa, or been in the African bush, these pictures can really help you visualise the landscape described. They also identify some individual elephants, and so you can see their faces, their size, and their trust in Lawrence. Some of the photos show how close he was able to get to them: proof of their trust in him.

This book made me laugh and cry, it desperately made me want to go back to Africa. I don't want to give away any spoilers of the stories you will read in this book, which made writing a review a little tricky... but if I were you, I would just take my word for it, and buy the book!

Laurence Anthony wrote other books too. I have read them all and recommend them all wholeheartedly!

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I can't believe it is 2017. I realised that if I don't do a masters of pHd, then 2017 is the last year I will be in full time education... and I can't get my head around that.

2016 was a year of up and downs, both for the world and for me. I hope you all had a safe and wonderful Christmas, for those who celebrate it, and a Happy New Year. I was at home for christmas and New Year's and both were lovely.

Some pictures from NYE.

I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions because I don't like to set rules for myself. If I do, I'll inevitably break them (don't we all) and so it was pointless in the first place. So, New Year's Resolutions are not for me. Having said all that, I do like to set goals for the year. For example, in 2015 I aimed to get into University (nailed it) and 2016 I wanted to start this blog and pass my first year. I'm sure there were more but I can't remember... 2017 is no different, and my goals for the year are: *drum role*

Fundraise the full amount for my trip to South Africa in June! This is a HUGE goal, and if I'm honest I'm not sure how plausible it will be to raise the full amount, but I'm aiming high and am going to work at raising as much as possible! Any help is greatly appreciated... (click here)
Continue blogging! I started this blog in March, and it was a bit of a risk for me. I didn't know how it was going to go, and if anyone would read it/enjoy it, or even how I would find it! But.. I have absolutely loved it, and I'm really proud of how it's gone. I want to thank absolutely everyone who has read it, and particularly anyone who has reached out to me to say something about what I've written; it means the world to me to hear people are reading my content and enjoying it or learning another side to conservation! I hope it continues to grow in 2017. I want to learn to balance uni work and blogging better as I did struggle a bit (exhibit A: November) so any advice will be appreciated as always! Of course I will be blogging my big trip to South Africa beginning in June which I cannot wait for, and I hope it makes for interesting reading..
Obviously, I'm aiming to get as high as marks as possible in my second year, and going into third year, of university.
I want to meet more people in conservation this year. I have a few plans, but I want to continue building up contacts, and meeting interesting people so I can keep learning.

I'm sure there are more but that's all I've got for now! I am so excited for the summer. I can't wait to be studying rhinos as part of my degree! I'm also so excited to be staying somewhere where there are elephants for the first time since Kenya in 2013! Elephants have been my favourite animal for my whole life and I could watch them for hours, and so I'm hoping for some good sightings while in the field.

Above: Christmas Dinner (taken by my Dad)
Below: Me on Christmas Day next to our wonderful tree.

I wanted this to be my first post of 2017 but my Little Princess Trust hair cut was exciting and new and I wanted to share it with you, so all these photos are with my long hair. Happy New Year one and all, and I hope 2017 is a great year for you, and the natural world.

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In October my sister cut 11 inches off her hair to donate to the Little Princess Trust. For those who don't know, this is a charity that makes wigs for young boys and girls who are battling cancer, and have lost their hair from chemotherapy. I have always had long hair, and so I decided to do the same. It's been on my bucket list for years, and today I finally did it.

I thought about this since the summer, but ran out of time to cut my hair then and so decided I would wait until now so it could grow even longer. I know several others who have donated their hair, and I know what an incredible gift it would be.

To do this, the hair I was donating was tied into a plait and then cut off while dry. Then to even the rest out, it was washed and cut like any other hair cut. As soon as the plait was gone, it felt instantly lighter. It will take a lot of time for me to get used to it, but I'm pleased with my decision.

Since everything in my life is somewhat rhino-related, I saw some parallels between donating my hair to the Little Princess Trust, and legalising rhino horn trade. As we know, hair and rhino horn are basically the same material: keratin. Cutting my hair is less daunting for me, as I know it will grow back, and I've always been lucky with the speed in which my hair grows. Rhino horn also grows back, and a lot faster than you think! Breeders who de-horn have to do this roughly every 2 years due to the rate of growth of the horn (obviously it does not grow to full size every 2 years, but enough to be too risky for poachers)! However, the big difference is rhino horn is used in medicine for cancer patients, when it does not possess any medicinal value and so does not help them. Hopefully my hair will actually help a brave young person facing this horrible illness, in the only way hair can. I hope it brings them confidence and improves their day, even a little bit - they deserve it!

Before and After!

When I see my plait, I can't help but think how many rhinos die a year for the same thing; and how many people are diagnosed with cancer every year. It's heartbreaking to think of, and yet it happens every day.

The Little Princess Trust is a wonderful charity. If there's anyone out there considering donating their hair, I think it's a great idea (and it's not as scary as you think...) This is something very close to my heart, and I hope from the bottom of my heart, whoever ends up with my hair, will continue their heroic fight, and will soon have their own back!

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Sir David Attenborough (source)

It's hardly surprising that I watched and LOVED Planet Earth II. I adored Planet Earth the first time, and so I was very excited for this one. The advert alone brought tears to my eyes.

I mentioned in my previous post that I think this documentary is a game changer. I think it's a cut above anything made before, and the extent of wildlife and ecosystems filmed is outstanding. The main reason I loved it so much, was it filmed so many animals that had never been caught on camera before.

David Attenborough has been a hero of mine for as long as I can remember. His documentaries have educated people on the importance and beauty of the natural world, and his passion is so inspiring. I think the decision to film in the cities was a bold one, and an ingenious one. Showing people how our world and the natural world interacts is so important, including how detrimental it can be for wildlife.

I honestly don't have a favourite scene; but here are some of my highlights:

The iguana-snake scene. This had me on the edge of my seat the entire way through. It was unexpected, dramatic and exciting.
The urban leopard hunt. This again was really exciting, and unexpected. I didn't realise how close leopards came to people. This was also the first time this was filmed.
The beetles in the desert who form their own water from condensation.
Komodo Dragon sequence in episode one. That was spectacular!
Araguaia river dolphin footage. Just incredible and another first for the series.
Kaziranga: everything they captured there. The end of episode 5, where they show an insight into how they filmed some of the show, was possibly my favourite part of the episode. Obviously I loved seeing rhinos on the show, and to have such remarkable sightings of elephants, rhinos, buffalo and tigers must've been a dream come true for the crew and an unforgettable experience. It has made me want to visit Kaziranga National Park.

Those are just a few of my favourite bits but I could honestly go one forever, and there was no part of it that I didn't love.

People always react to "shocking" footage. Hunts, or any dying animal scenes always cause mixed reactions and controversy. I personally don't understand how you can watch a nature documentary and not expect to see hunting, or death. It's nature; it's the circle of life. I'm not saying it's not sometimes horrible to watch, and I know you're always torn between wanting the prey to live, and not wanting the predator to starve, but to be able to see some of the animals hunt in the way we did in Planet Earth II is so special. It gives a realistic insight into the natural world, and the struggles animals face to survive.

I will inevitably be re-watching Planet Earth II forever more. Sir David Attenborough, you've done it again.

Let me know if you were watching, and which bits were your favourite! And lastly, for all my fellow students out there.. the soundtrack is great to work to!

source

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