Sky 1 to broadcast Richard Hammond’s Jungle Quest supported by Sky Rainforest Rescue
Sky 1 to broadcast Richard Hammond’s Jungle Quest supported by Sky Rainforest Rescue
Richard Hammond travels deep into the darkest jungle of the Amazon to realise his dream of a lifetime for Sky 1 HD.
Armed with his camera, Richard will fulfil his childhood ambition to photograph exotic creatures such as the three-toed sloth, pink river dolphins and harpy eagles for RICHARD HAMMOND’S JUNGLE QUEST.
Two special one-hour episodes will broadcast on Sky 1 HD in September 2015, supported by Sky Rainforest Rescue, Sky’s partnership with WWF.
As an eight year-old, Richard received his first Children’s Encyclopaedia of Animals, sparking a passion for wildlife. The creatures of the Amazon captured his imagination and inspired a lifelong interest in photography.
Richard will trek through steamy impenetrable jungle, tackle the mighty River Amazon, sleep rough under the forest canopy and be hoisted hundreds of feet to the top of trees, in order to reach the remote places where his target species can be found.
Along the way he encounters some of the extraordinary people who call the rainforest home - people who make up a floating river community and those who live in a traditional tribal village - and discovers how deforestation is pushing many wild animals to the brink of extinction.
Among the other species Richard photographs are: white-fronted capuchins, wattled jacana, Brazilian wandering spiders, tapyba ants and scorpions. Also captured on film are macaw, caiman, saki monkeys, camel spiders and turkey vultures.
Richard Hammond said: "Trekking through the Amazon rainforest with a camera to photograph wildlife was a childhood dream. The reality was, I discovered, far, far tougher than I had imagined, but the moments when I saw and caught images of the elusive creatures and fleeting encounters that make the place so special, so unique and yet so fragile were breathtaking and some of the best in my life. I hope viewers will feel they have been there too, in this film; getting a sense of the magic, splendour and wonder of the place as animals and humans live side by side amidst the threats they face - the very things that Sky Rainforest Rescue Campaign works to highlight. And most of all, I hope people enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed making it."
Siobhan Mulholland, Commissioning Editor Factual, Sky Entertainment said: “This is a different take on a trip to the Amazon Rainforest, it’s a personal travel tale and a much bigger story all in one. It’s about Richard Hammond attempting to photograph wildlife in a challenging environment and an insight into the threat to the habitat of that wildlife. Hammond is an enthusiast of wildlife and photography - a passion he’s bringing to Sky 1.”
Fiona Ball, Head of Responsible Business, said: “We are delighted that Richard Hammond has agreed to be involved in our final programme in support of Sky Rainforest Rescue. We are proud of the fantastic successes that have come from the partnership with WWF as we have worked together to support people in the Amazon and protect the future of this precious and irreplaceable rainforest.”
RICHARD HAMMOND’S JUNGLE QUEST is executive produced by Dominic Bowles for IWC, a Zodiak Media company.
Further information:
Pamela Anderson
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Notes to Editors
Richard has scooped a number of international accolades for his nature series, including a Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival Award (seen as the Oscars in the nature film industry) for Richard Hammond’s Miracles of Nature, and an Emmy Award nomination for How To Build a Planet.
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About Sky Rainforest Rescue
Sky Rainforest Rescue is a partnership between Sky and WWF that begun in 2009 and has raised £9 million to help save one billion trees in the state of Acre, north west Brazil. Today, every minute, an area larger than three football pitches of Amazon forest is lost. By working with the local government and communities, we have helped local communities find sustainable alternatives to deforestation. The hope is to create a future for the Amazon rainforest by making the forest worth more alive than dead, so that SRR will become a model for tackling deforestation in other areas of the Amazon, as well as other rainforests around the world. Each year, Sky’s entertainment platform airs two week-long strands of environment-themed programming (original and acquired) in order to focus attention on the crucial role of rainforests in helping to limit the effects of climate change, one of the gravest challenges facing the world. Previous examples of original commissions include Lily Cole’s Amazon Adventure and Flintoff Road to Nowhere. Richard Hammond’s Jungle Quest is Sky’s latest original programme commissioned to raise awareness of Sky Rainforest Rescue and inspire Sky customers and staff to take action on rainforest preservation.
For more information visit www.rainforestrescue.sky.com