When Attenborough met the gorillas - the story behind his iconic TV moment
Summary
Sir David Attenborough met a group of mountain gorillas in Rwanda in 1978 while filming the series Life on Earth. With help from gorilla expert Dian Fossey, Attenborough had a rare close encounter with the gorillas, which was recorded on film and remains memorable. The gorilla population was very low due to poaching, making this meeting especially significant.Key Facts
- The footage was filmed in the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda in January 1978.
- Attenborough’s goal was to show how gorillas have thumbs to grip objects.
- Mountain gorillas were nearly extinct, with fewer than 285 left in the area.
- Dian Fossey, a US gorilla expert, helped the film crew get close to the gorillas.
- Fossey taught Attenborough how to behave around gorillas, including not staring and making belch sounds.
- Young gorillas named Poppy and Pablo interacted playfully with Attenborough during filming.
- Only a few minutes of the gorilla encounter were recorded due to limited film supplies.
- After filming, the crew was stopped and questioned by Rwandan soldiers.
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