Man, Cheetah, Wild
By Melissa Camacho,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Intimate wildlife special is beautiful, smart, intense.
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What's the Story?
MAN, CHEETAH, WILD is a wildlife docuseries featuring maverick filmmaker Kim Wolhuter as he tracks family of cheetah, and successfully records their everyday lives on film. The third generation bushman, known for his uncanny ability to connect easily with animals from his native Zimbabwe, manages to track a wild cheetah he previously worked with on the Malilangwe Game Reserve. After discovering that she now has a family of five cubs, he spends over a year in the bush following them with his cameras. Incredibly, the animals allow him to sit with them, run along side them, and even collar them with tracking devices. Capturing Wolhuter's activities is novice cameraman Jules Braatvedt. Contending with the cheetah's natural enemies, as well as with many other predators living in the bush, lead to a few close calls, but Wolhuter does his best to follow, watch, and film the cheetah in hopes of raising awareness about their endangered status.
Is It Any Good?
From observing how a mother cheetah protects her young, to running alongside the cats as they learn how to build speed and hunt impala, the documentary offers a rare chance to see how the elusive cheetah live and survive in the African bush. It also underscores the many reasons why less than 20 percent of them actually make it to adulthood. Meanwhile, Wolhuter, who works tirelessly to raise awareness about endangered animals, demonstrates how he is able to get close to a wide variety of animal species without crossing ethical lines when observing, filming, and assisting them.
The filmmakers' ability to capture the intimacy between the bushman and the cheetah makes it easy to be drawn into their story. The images of the bush and the wildlife they come across during this journey are pretty stunning, too. Less-enthusiastic animal lovers may find it a little slow-going at times, but the information Wolthuter shares about the cheetah, and the role they play in the natural order of the wild, makes it well worth the watch.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the various ways that TV, film, and other media can be used to raise awareness about various issues. How can docuseries like this one help protect endangered animals?
If you could make a docuseries, what would it be about? How much time do you think it takes to create a documentary or produce a show like this one? What kind of training or experience do you need?
TV Details
- Premiere date: October 3, 2013
- Cast: Jules Braatvedt, Kim Wolhuter
- Network: Discovery Channel
- Genre: Educational
- Topics: Wild Animals
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Last updated: September 20, 2019
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