Equator from the Air - BBC2

Elephants in Kenya — (Image credit: BBC/Dragonfly Film & TV Ltd/Neil)

Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan is back with a fascinating and disturbing look at the Equator from the air

Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan is back with a fascinating and disturbing look at the Equator from the air

There are few better ways to grasp the damage we’re doing to our planet than flying over the rainforests of Gabon and seeing the once endless vegetation scarred by ugly gold mines.

Yet for wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan this is just the first step on a 25,000-mile journey around the equator, in which he’ll examine the changing relationship between humans and nature.

And, he tells TV Times, looking down from on high allows us to understand much more fully what's really going on. "If you’re in the rainforest, it can feel endless, but when you’re flying over it the truth is suddenly quite clear.

"So much of the rainforests are being lost to cattle farming, palm-oil plantations or gold mines.

"These products are being taken out of the ground and making their way to Europe, so it’s important to see the effect we’re all having on the planet."

The first episode of this impressive four-part series focuses on Africa where we’ll see how helicopters, planes and drones are being used for good, whether it’s tracking whales, keeping an eye on flamingos or saving baby elephants from poachers.

TV Times rating: *****