BBC crew reveals why they were forced to break sacred 'no intervention' rule to help penguins during a storm

In November 2018, BBC Earth’s film crew was filming the second episode of the “Dynasties” series, which covers stories of endangered species, and their fight for survival against predators and forces of nature. When an enormous storm broke out, the crew noticed a colony of Emperor penguins separated from their rookery, trapped in a ravine. Even though the general rule prevented them from intervening in the situation, the crew stepped forward to help the penguins.

Dynasties film director, Will Lawson revealed why they chose to break the “cardinal rule of nature documentaries,” in an interview with Lorraine. “It was not a straightforward decision by any stretch of the imagination,” he said, “You just have to look at the facts that are in front of you before you make a decision like that, and that's exactly what you did." On that day, the temperature had dropped down to 76 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 50 degrees Celsius). After the storm hit, the mother penguins were seen cradling their chicks between their legs. They were waddling uncomfortably, trying to climb an icy slope, which seemed impossible to do without dropping their babies.

Some chicks who were abandoned in the gully already froze to death while others were at the risk of getting attacked by predatory animals. The cameraman who was reduced to tears after witnessing this, told Country Living, "I know it's natural, but it's bloody hard to watch."

After the storm ceased, the crew approached the icy patch where the penguins were trapped and constructed a shallow ramp that they could use to climb the slope. “We opted to intervene passively," Lawson told Country Living. "Once we'd dug that little ramp, which took very little time, we left it to the birds. We were elated when they decided to use it." Lawson added that there is no “rule book” for dealing with situations like this.

The show’s narrator, David Attenborough, is known for being strictly against interrupting the natural course of events. But according to Country Living, Attenborough later explained the crew's decision by saying, “It's very rare for the film crew to intervene. But they realize that they might be able to save at least some of these birds, simply by digging a few steps in the ice.” Producer Mike Gunton also supported the decision. He said, "We have a rule that interfering is a very dangerous thing to do. But these penguins were going to die through a freak act of nature if nothing happened," and added, "How would this conversation be going if you said you saw them there and did nothing? I think you have to do it."

In the end, the ramp constructed by the crew members proved to be useful for the penguins, who were seen climbing it to return to their colony. "To have done anything else would only make matters worse and distort the truth," said Attenborough. On social media, the crew’s rare decision was received with positive response from people. @moleyjan called it a “fully justified intervention.” “Legendary film crew. Thank you for this and everything you did to bring us such a beautiful penguin,” commented @leahealey_. User @heikeoleary1 said, “Thanks for the ‘breaking’ the rules! Let kindness and common sense prevail.”