All language subtitles for Wild.London.2026.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.LT]

Good evening, sir. Where to?

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Richmond, please.
Richmond it is.

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Throughout my life,

I've had the good fortune
to travel the world,

witnessing many great
natural spectacles.

But this is the place
to which I've always returned.

A sprawling megacity

may seem no home
for a nature lover like me.

But there is a wild side to London.

My city is surprisingly alive

with all sorts of animals...

..and full of remarkable
natural spectacles.

Even in the centre of town,

animals can not only survive,
but flourish.

Over the years,

I've come to appreciate
what I find on my own doorstep.

So, when it comes to discovering
the wonders of nature,

there really is no place like home.

This is it. Thank you very much.

London.

Nine million people.

2.5 million cars.

And 600 square miles of
concrete, tarmac and steel.

But the city has a
surprisingly rich wildlife.

And my journey begins between

an unassuming row of houses
in north London.

I've come to this
allotment in Tottenham

to meet a notoriously
elusive resident.

It's now around 8.30 in the evening,

and if all goes to plan,
they should show up any minute now.

Oh, here we are.

Hello.

And here's another one. Two.

Even though there are
more wild foxes

in London than almost
any other big city,

it's still a huge thrill to see one
suddenly emerging from the bushes.

Totally wild creature.

Hello.

An encounter like this
feels very special.

But in London,

you're usually far closer to a fox
than you might think.

These cunning creatures are experts

at operating under our radar

through stealth...

..adaptability...

..and an appetite
for almost any food...

..foxes thrive
in surprisingly high densities.

In the open countryside,

there are one or two
per square kilometre.

In London, there can be 30.

So, their biggest challenge
is competition with one another.

This vixen has secured
a prime territory in Tottenham.

With plenty of options for food.

But another female
is sniffing around her patch.

It's the breeding season

and the demand for territories
is intense.

If she's to keep her home,
she'll have to fight.

FOXES SCREECH

These battle cries
may be a familiar sound,

but few of us get to witness
fights as fierce as this.

Neither individual
can afford injury,

so they try to intimidate.

Finally, her rival submits.

The better the territory
a female attains,

the greater will be her success
as a mother.

Even so, she'll need help.

FOX SHOUTS

The call from her mate.

Time to regroup.

In the allotment at the
heart of their territory,

they steal a moment together.

Raising a family
in the city

will depend on the strength
of their bond.

In this highly
urbanised environment,

the only animals
that flourish

are those who know
how to work the system.

Like most Londoners,
I used to get the tube to work

and there was one animal
that always brightened up my day.

Hammersmith station.

An excellent breakfast spot
for peckish pigeons.

Once this platform
is cleared of food,

it's on to the next station.

And why waste energy flying
when you can travel by tube?

This train
is ready to leave.

Please mind the doors.

Pigeons probably
first hopped onto trains

following trails of crumbs
dropped by commuters.

Getting home is no problem either.

Pigeons use the sun and magnetic
fields to find their way.

In urban areas,
they also use landmarks,

roads, and even train lines.

However, it's the ability
to rub along with us humans

that makes them so good
at navigating London life.

Mind the gap between
the train and the platform.

Pigeons are so streetwise, they can
thrive right in the city centre.

But they're not alone.

Peregrine falcons.

Towering buildings
are a good substitute

for their natural cliff habitat.

They're excellently adapted

to soar amongst London's
concrete canyons.

And there are one million
of their favourite prey.

Peregrines are agile pursuit hunters

and here, they need to be.

Manoeuvring through London's skies
is challenging

and pigeons use it
to their advantage.

But for the world's fastest animal,

there's plenty of opportunity
to make a killing in the city.

At Charing Cross Hospital,

these new parents face
a daunting feeding schedule.

Working a relentless relay,

they take turns fetching lunch

and baby-sitting.

Trying to keep up with their chicks'
insatiable appetites.

The chicks need to grow 25 times
bigger before they fledge.

There are now over 50 pairs
of peregrines nesting in London,

from hospitals to factories
by the Thames,

and even here

on the Houses of Parliament.

This pair have nested
among these spires for ten years.

Their latest chicks
are four weeks old

and it's time to check
on their progress.

What a lovely thing.

Yeah, there we are. There we are.

When I first moved to London
in the 1950s,

peregrine falcons were
practically extinct in Britain.

But now they're thriving here

in greater numbers than almost
any other city in the world.

Even so,
chicks like this little one

are still rare and precious,

and the ring that we're putting on
it now will help us follow it

as it seeks its fortune
in the big city.

So now we can recognise
you anywhere.

Yes.

Yes, you.

London's peregrines are now
doing well, thanks to our help.

Meanwhile, others
need no encouragement at all.

Dawn in Harold Hill,
on the eastern edge of the capital.

The scene is set for an invasion.

Fallow deer.

Before the pandemic,
only a few would brave the city.

But when the streets fell quiet,
they came as a herd.

Once they acquired the taste for it,
the habit stuck.

Now, even prized roses aren't safe.

Fallow deer were first introduced
to Britain by the Romans

nearly 2,000 years ago.

And in east London, their
numbers continue to grow.

When the human world wakes,
the herd heads back to the park.

This female is in a hurry.

She has a secret in the woods.

Her fawn is just a few days old.

She hides it among the trees
to keep it safe.

Wolves may no longer
be a threat in London,

but hundreds of thousands
of their relatives can be.

Every year, dogs kill fawns
hiding in the undergrowth.

DOGS BARKING

WHISTLING

As the threat gets closer,

the female seems
to abandon her fawn.

But she's trying to draw
attention away from it.

All he needs to do

is stay as still as possible.

Animals must rely
on their basic instincts

to keep their families safe,
even in this modern world.

Back in Tottenham,
the allotment is an excellent place

to meet the female foxes'
growing needs.

Five new mouths to feed.

For now, the cubs
will stay close to the den.

Tucked away from traffic
and other dangers,

London's 40,000 vegetable plots

provide a sanctuary for wildlife

and a good place to raise a family.

A few weeks later and the female
is now fully focused

on securing enough food.

Many people see foxes
just as scavengers...

..but half of everything they eat,
they hunt.

And this can help keep
other urban species in check.

But one pigeon won't feed
the whole family.

The cubs are twice the size.

Full of energy
and hungrier than ever.

Mum is drained.

She's been nursing for weeks.

It's time they relied on solid food.

So Dad takes on cub sitting duties

while Mum heads into town.

Some nights there's a feast
on the streets.

Foxes have small stomachs, so
what they can't eat immediately,

they save for later.

And they use some surprising ways
to store food.

This car's owner
will surely be confused

to find a chicken bone
under the wipers.

It pays to be streetwise
in a city with so many roads,

but not all animals
are able to adapt.

In spring, tens of thousands
of breeding toads

have got to get across roads,

and many don't make it.

They're not the only ones
to be threatened by traffic.

Hedgehog numbers in the UK
have declined dramatically.

A male hedgehog in search of a mate

may have to travel
up to two miles every night.

But when he uses the streets,
he's vulnerable.

Thankfully, there are safer places.

Like this garden in a corner
of Ealing in west London.

I used to have a hedgehog

that lived in my garden
all the time,

but now they're a rare sight.

They're charming creatures,

but not very sociable.

Nonetheless,

urban areas are the one place
where their numbers have stabilised,

and with a little help from us,

there's hope that
they might even increase.

Hedgehogs can eat up to
100g of food in a night.

And that can take quite
a lot of collecting,

but this one has hit the jackpot.

Every evening, the owner
of this garden

provides a feast for them.

He seems to be taking his time.

And just as well.

Tonight he's searching for a mate

and he'll need
all the energy he can find.

I think they're lovely things.

London has more gardens
per square mile

than any other capital city.

But all too often,
there's no way between them.

The mission for a mate
has hit a dead end.

Or has it?

All across London,

garden owners are putting holes
in their fences,

creating hedgehog highways

that allow safe travel
from garden to garden.

His eyesight is poor.

So he follows his nose.

The scent of a female.

Running rings around her
while making strange,

snuffling sounds,
is his way of wooing her.

But she seems
more interested in food.

Spines are great for defence,
but not for intimacy.

As few as 4% of courtships
are successful.

Only time will tell
if this is one of them.

Four million private gardens
create significant natural space,

but they are only one of the reasons
why London is considered

the greenest
major city in the world.

BIRDS SINGING

You hear that?

That's a robin.

And that is a parakeet.

This early in the morning,

the parks and gardens across London
are alive with birdsong.

It's a wonderfully peaceful time.

The opportunity to escape
urban life is important

for all of us who live in cities.

And when it comes
to finding green space,

we in London are particularly lucky.

With over 3,000 parks,

London has been granted
National Park status.

Some of this is down
to King Henry VIII.

The large areas of land he put aside
for hunting still remain today.

St James's Park,
Regent's Park and Hyde Park

are all right in the centre of town,

and each year they're enjoyed

by millions of visitors
and their pets.

So many people feeding the birds

supports particularly
high densities,

and that can lead to conflict.

Coots are fiercely territorial.

Every inch of water is contested.

Their brawls are vicious
and relentless,

and if they extend
into another's patch,

they become a free for all.

For birds more comfortable
in a crowd,

there's plenty of food to go around,

although not everyone is aware
of the pecking order.

This gull isn't after bird seed.

He's after pigeon meat.

A protein rich diet has given him
the glossiest plumage

on the shores of the Serpentine
in Hyde Park.

Regulars steer clear
of this killer gull.

They know how to avoid
his stalking stance.

New arrivals, however,
don't read the signs of danger.

This cunning gull even knows how
to dispatch his prey by drowning it.

He can claim two victims a day.

But maybe not this time.

Are the coots trying
to save their fellow bird...

..or are they just looking
for another fight?

A chance to escape...

..if she can just make it to shore.

It's not easy being on the menu
for so many urban predators,

but pigeons are the victims
of their own success.

London's long history of Kings
and Queens plays a huge part

in safeguarding space for wildlife.

From royal parks to
the most regal institution of all...

Zadok the Priest
by Handel

..Buckingham Palace,

official London residence of
the King.

And a number of Queens.

There are four honeybee hives
in the palace grounds,

and royal bees have easy access to

one of the finest rose collections
in the land.

But to make honey fit for a king,

they must venture beyond the
palace walls.

London's gardens offer a greater
diversity of flowering plants

than almost any other city,

and there are far less pesticides

than in intensively farmed rural
areas.

The ideal blend
for making delicious liquid gold.

There is one catch, however.

At the height of summer,

cities can be five degrees

hotter than
the surrounding countryside.

On rare occasions,

these temperatures can cause
nectar to ferment.

A day of foraging turns into
the bee equivalent of a pub crawl.

Is her tongue-like proboscis
hanging out

a sign that she's flying
under the influence?

Studies suggest that bees may even
prefer alcoholic nectar.

When she gets really legless...

..even wings don't help.

The effects wear off eventually,

but it's still three miles back
to the hive as the bee flies.

Research into whether bees get
hangovers has yet to be done.

However, thanks to a huge
diversity of flowers,

London honey is regarded as
some of the finest in the world.

SIREN BLARES IN DISTANCE

Just half a mile east,
back at Parliament,

the peregrine chicks I helped
to ring

are also struggling to get airborne.

Fully grown and a lot less fluffy,

they're preparing to leave the nest.

Fledging is the most difficult
time for urban peregrines,

but with every gust
of wind, they grow in confidence.

In the city,
there are fewer soft landings,

many more places
in which to get stuck.

There is nothing the parents can do.

She has to get out
of this one herself.

CHICK SQUAWKS IN ALARM

She's free of the railings.

No choice now but to make
that first flight.

A safe landing.

But if she's to master the art
of extreme urban flight,

her parents have their work cut out.

Peregrines spend months
teaching their young.

For a few weeks a year,

look up in London

and you might see this flight
school above you.

Adults perform manoeuvres
for the chicks to copy.

For advanced training,

parents first demonstrate the
tricky mid-air food pass...

..then fly by with food,

encouraging youngsters to try
and grab it on the wing.

It's not easy.

But after a lot of trial and
error...

..one chick finally gets it.

The 75 years that I've lived
in London has coincided with

the peregrine's extraordinary
return.

And over that time, far more
unexpected animals

have also made their home here.

Regent's Canal cuts a path across
the city centre.

It's a popular escape from
the busy streets

for walkers and cyclists.

But few are aware of the creatures
above their heads.

Aesculapian snakes are native
to continental Europe.

How they found their way here is
a mystery,

but now around 40 of them live by
the canal.

Shy and harmless to humans,

they actually help to keep
down the numbers of rats and mice.

Even so, anyone scared of snakes

will be pleased to
hear that they're not spreading.

Meanwhile, another new arrival
most definitely is.

These brazen birds are
running riot across the capital.

I still remember the
first time I saw

a parakeet
in my garden some 30 years ago.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

What on earth was an exotic
bird I'd seen on my travels

doing in my London home?

There are many urban legends

as to how parakeets
originally got here.

Some say Jimi Hendrix
released London's first parakeets.

Others believe that they escaped
from

a film set of The African Queen.

More likely is

that they are descended from pets
that escaped into the city.

However, one thing is certain -

life in London clearly suits
them very well indeed.

After foraging around town,

flocks join together to head
back to their roost.

One of the largest gatherings is

in Hither Green Cemetery,
southeast London.

Following set flight paths,
these green squadrons create

the capital's newest
wildlife spectacle.

It's thought that today there

are over 30,000 parakeets
in the skies of London.

With a social nature
and a bold approach,

parakeets have settled into London
life with ease.

And their numbers continue to grow.

Some animals do so well here

they become a bit of a nuisance.

A warmer microclimate
and well-watered gardens

create perfect conditions for
London's most bizarre courtship...

..the leopard slug mating dance.

Slugs are hermaphrodites,

each one is both male and female.

As they dangle from a line of mucus,

both are impregnated.

For such maligned animals,

their copulation
is strangely mesmerising.

But it only leads
to one thing - more slugs.

By the end of summer, there can be

as many as 14,000 slugs
in one London garden.

Gardeners try all sorts of things

to keep them at bay, but the best
solutions come naturally.

A female hedgehog.

And she's brought reinforcements.

Only five weeks old,

her hoglets join her on
foraging trips.

Her mating this season clearly
was successful.

Slugs and snails are
their favourite.

A single hedgehog can
devour several each night.

Males play no part in parenting,

but when it comes to helping
London's hedgehog population,

it's mission accomplished.

Back in Tottenham, the female
fox's next challenge

is to introduce her cubs
to life beyond the allotment.

Mum leads the way.

And her excited cubs follow.

Except for one.

Too scared of the big city,
the more timid cub is left behind.

Long, lonely nights pass.

Finally, hunger and
curiosity get the better of her.

With excellent night vision,

highly sensitive ears
and a keen sense of smell...

..she's well equipped to explore
what this city has to offer.

TRAFFIC DRONES

Just as she begins to find her feet,

it's sensory overload.
CAR HORN BEEPS

The road she's just crossed
is suddenly terrifying.

CAR HORNS HONK

And with good reason.

Cars are the biggest
killers of urban foxes.

Finally, a gap in the traffic.

She turns tail back
to quieter roads.

Often it's the most cautious

that are more likely to survive
the journey to independence.

And she's not alone yet.

Her parents will be here to help
for a while...

..as she gains in confidence

and discovers the wonders of
the city.

Some seem to be born
for a life on the streets,

but others depend on us
to create more suitable space.

And where better to start

than with one of London's iconic
landmarks?

The Natural History Museum
in South Kensington.

It's one of my favourite buildings
in London.

Its dinosaurs have inspired
visitors for nearly 150 years.

And in the grounds outside,

the recent addition of a
wildlife pond

is attracting some
prehistoric monsters of its own.

There is good grazing for
tadpoles at the sunlit surface.

If it gets scary up top,
they descend to the depths to hide.

Ancient nymphs have terrorised

the waters of this land
since the time of the dinosaurs.

With such voracious
predators lurking,

only a handful
of tadpoles will survive.

Few will be aware of the carnage
taking place below.

After two years of feasting,

the nymphs leave the water to
begin an incredible transformation.

Emperor dragonflies,

among the largest insects in Europe.

Forget T-rex, dragonflies are

the most efficient predators
to have ever lived.

And far from becoming extinct,
they're thriving

in the Royal Borough
of Kensington and Chelsea.

This little oasis symbolises the
way London's attitude

to its wildlife is beginning
to change.

To the west in Greenford, a
meadow has become a place of hope

for one of
Britain's smallest mammals.

And here it is...

..the harvest mouse.

Welcome to your new home.

There you go.

HE CHUCKLES
It doesn't want to leave.

Harvest mice disappeared
from this part

of London around 40 years ago.

Maybe this one will put that right.

Harvest mice play an important
role in grassland ecology.

They help disperse seeds
and are part

of a complex web of predators
and prey.

Of course, it takes a lot
more than my one mouse

to establish a new population here.

But thankfully, the desire to
bring the natural

world back into our cities
is gaining momentum.

Across London, people young and old

are helping
to reintroduce lost species...

..and restore a more natural balance
to urban areas.

A stone's throw from where I
released the harvest mouse,

London is home to a rewilding
project

with ambitions on
a totally different scale.

The signs of one animal's hard
work are everywhere.

If you're lucky, just before sunset,

you might catch a glimpse of one.

If someone had told me
when I first moved here

that one day I would be watching

wild beavers in London,

I would have thought they were mad.

But there they are, right behind me.

Happily going
about their own business.

Wild beavers disappeared
from Britain about 400 years ago,

but they've been successfully
brought back to this London wetland.

Not only is it a wonderful sight,
their presence is also helping

to reshape the urban environment
for the better.

This beaver family fell a few
trees each year,

and that lets in light
for other plants to grow.

And the dams that these ecosystem
engineers build

help to filter the water.

More plants and cleaner water
attracts more insects,

which in turn feed a community
of animals.

A whole wetland has been brought
back to life.

And it can now retain a
lot more water.

Incredibly, for the first time
in a decade...

..residential areas downstream
have been flood free.

If a few beavers can have such

a positive impact on this corner
of West London,

imagine what else can be achieved

if we let nature back
into our cities.

The way in which London
has changed over my

lifetime reflects the problems
in front of us all.

Making space for nature is one
of the greatest challenges we face.

But I also see how we can all make
a difference...

..no matter how small.

Whether lending wildlife a helping
hand...

..or making our world more welcoming
to nature.

Securing a brighter future
for both animals and us too.

After all, a greener city is a
healthier city.

And the best place to enjoy nature
is close to home.

Standing among these
marvellous trees,

it's hard to believe that I'm
in a capital city.

Richmond Park is one of
my favourite places.

Just minutes from my house,

it's been both a refuge and a source
of inspiration over the years.

I've been coming here ever since

I moved to London over
70 years ago.

Even after all that time and after
all the places I've visited,

I wouldn't
want to live anywhere else.