Seven Worlds, One Planet - BBC1

The footage is breathtaking, the science fascinating, but there's a painful message at the heart of Seven Worlds, One Planet as Sir David Attenborough says goodbye to the series

And so Seven World, One Planet – the latest collaboration between David Attenborough and BBC Studios – comes to an end (Sunday, 6.20pm, see our TV Guide for full details).

But it leaves the screens uttering a stark warning – most of Africa’s wildlife is in severe decline and a million species could be wiped out, many within the next few decades.

Cheetah pack — Grounds for optimism? Cheetahs are hunting in bigger packs

Of course it’s all down to human activity like poaching and deforestation.

MORE: David Attenborough on What's On TV

Twenty million African elephants have been reduced to just 350,000, chimpanzees are critically endangered and only two female northern white rhino remain.

There is hope, though. Sir David Attenborough reveals how cheetahs in Africa are now hunting in bigger packs for greater rewards, while mountain gorilla numbers have risen to above a thousand for the first time since records began thanks to an intensive conservation project.

TV Times rating: *****