'Mammals' series review: David Attenborough-narrated series is a painstaking assemblage of footage highlighting survival and adaptability of the species

Mammals

Sony BBC Earth Mini Series Review
Title: Mammals (6 episodes / 50-60 min each)
Narrated by David Attenborough
Series Producer: Scott Alexander
Rating: 4/5

This stunning new miniseries on Sony BBC Earth is focused on Mammals and their remarkable resilience and adaptability that allows them to survive against all odds. As always, narrated by the 97-year-old, still sprightly Sir David Attenborough, with perfect intonations, precision and vivid, lucid elaboration, the series is a breathtaking tale of evolutionary specifics involved in combating a rapidly changing environment. From the Etruscan shrew, to stealthy leopards and social hyenas, species are spotlighted hunting, feeding, and going about their daily survival routines. We get to learn of little known mammal species and their vital roles within ecosystems. The intimate storytelling transports us into their world illuminating behaviors and adaptations with tremendous clarity. The use of groundbreaking camera techniques and night vision technology, lends deeper insight into their survival dance.

The six-part series takes us all across the globe, through extremes of weather and climate disasters while showcasing a range of animals in diverse habitats exploring their extraordinary capacity to adapt to a rapidly changing planet. Attenborough reveals how the extinction of the dinosaurs some 66 million years ago allowed mammals to become the most successful, adaptive group in the animal kingdom. The series employs cutting-edge technology to bring to us in graphic detail how many of the 6000 mammal species use their intelligence, ingenuity and social bonds to thrive in fast changing high-risk habitats while human activity and rampant development stymie their natural environs and deplete their forest cover.

The series explains that Mammals are found in every ocean and continent and the objective here is to show us how they overcome the many challenges put forward by the most successful mammal of all - us humans! Attenborough and the many scientists and researchers involved explain to us the many secrets of their successes.

The first episode titled ‘Dark' reveals how two-thirds of mammals are nocturnal and rely on heightened senses at night. It's informative to know that most mammals turn nocturnal to avoid humans. We see how an amorous armadillo in Argentina uses smell to find a mate, a leopard using night vision to hunt Baboons in Zambia, a fennec fox in the Sahara using huge ears to hear prey and how the hyenas hunt as a team in Tanzania.

Episode Two titled ‘The New Wild' has us wondering how tourists in open vehicles endanger themselves while Cheetahs in African Reserves hunt their prey. We also see sea lions eating in a Chilean fish market, wolves living in a minefield on the Israel-Syria border and elephants turning on taps to drink water in a town in Zimbabwe.This episode especially focuses on the Mammals' capacity to co-exist alongside humans in the modern world.

The third episode titled ‘Water' has us astonished at the sociability exhibited by marine mammals. We see air-breathing mammals negotiating the challenges of water.

The sperm whale dives almost a mile down holding its breath for an hour, we see Macaques swim in Sri Lanka, Orcas kidnapping a humpback whale calf in Australia and false killer whales and dolphins cooperating in New Zealand. False killer whales, it appears, have developed a system of cooperation in order to improve their chances of survival.

Episode Four titled ‘Cold' gives us an insight into how mammals survive extreme cold with their hair, warm blood and ability to feed their young with milk. Mammals live in the most inhospitable places on Earth thanks to their remarkable intelligence and amazing adaptations. This episode shows us how Harp seals in the Arctic are weaned in just 12 days. We also see how global warming has affected Artic foxes, Artic bears, wolverines and their ability to hunt their prey.

The penultimate episode titled ‘Heat' focuses on coping strategies that mammals use to survive in the hottest conditions. Mammals have learnt to adapt to extreme heat in interesting ways. Mammals are also capable of outfoxing reptiles. We see a crocodile in Uganda guarding its nest but the minute it gets into the water, a baboon grabs its eggs. A sifaka lemur hugs trees in order to stay cool in Madagascar, an echidna blows snot bubbles in order to stay cool among bush fires in Australia and thermal imagery shows us how inbuilt blood capillary expansion helps Giraffes stay cool in Namibia.

The final episode titled ‘Forest' has us astonished at how Chimpanzees get honey from the deep underground and their stealthy attempts to hunt monkeys for food. Forests are home to two thirds of all mammal species. Yet in this crowded space, Mammals manage to forge their own trail. When a mother tenrec loses sight of her young, the tenrecs gather together and rub spines on their back to send out a noise only the tenrec can hear. We also see a Tiger hunting its prey in India. This final episode basically encapsulates how mammals take advantage of the rich abundant forest resources.

The subject matter here focuses entirely on adaptability and resilience of Mammals and that is why it is different from Attenboroughs earlier BBC documentary titled ‘Life of Mammals'. The drama of survival is riveting as it takes us into habitats invaded by humans showing us how innate ingenuity allows mammals to survive in cities, towns and urban spaces while climate change and unchecked development narrows down their natural habitats. The camerawork is breathtaking, the animal captures, magical and the sequences shadowing their survival play are astonishing. The high-tech night vision stalking of the mammals as they hunt their prey looks ethereal. Infrared cameras capture an immeasurable number of bats emerging all at once with sensational acuity. The night shots of hyenas stalking a lone buffalo under the crater's inky sky was difficult to watch. Kudos to the patience and determination of the directors and camera persons who have dedicated their lives to bring us this immensely captivating and remarkable series.