PLANET Earth III has been rocked by a series of shock deaths after an adorable wolf and her pups were found to have drowned shortly after filming.
The BBC documentary series achieved a record first when it managed to capture the first footage of the shy animals inside their den in Brazil’s Cerrado grassland.
Over a three year collaboration period between BBC scientists and local conservationists, the Planet Earth teams tracked the endearing animals and watched as they enjoyed their live in the grassland following the destruction of nearby farming areas.
Land in which many of their species had resided was left ruined when it was burned down by local farmers wishing to use it to grow their own crops.
Despite having survived the potential threat, it was confirmed that mother wolf Nhorinha and her two pups, who were all featured in the latest episode, had been discovered drowned in a nearby drainage ditch.
At the time of filming, the BBC researched were left overwhelmed that they were living happily and seemingly under less threat than before after 50% of their population had cruelly been wiped out in the region of Pousada Trijuncao.
Kiri Cashell, a producer and director working on the show, said of the tragic deaths: “The death of our maned wolf, Nhorinha, and her puppies is truly heart-breaking.
“We spent three years working with scientists to better understand this species, and the footage we were able to capture from inside the den provides such an intimate look into the first few weeks of these puppies’ lives.
“Sadly since filming ended, we have discovered that the mother and two of her puppies fell into drainage ditches which are used to feed the crops of neighbouring farmland.
“Unable to escape, the wolves drowned.”
Heartbreakingly, she admitted that the incident was not an isolated one with more and more of the wolves suffering the same end fate.
She added: “It’s a really sad representation of what’s going on, and a reflection of the big problem facing the whole species.
“More and more, farmland is encroaching onto the Cerrado. This is a vitally important grassland and some predict it could disappear completely in the next thirty years. The death of these maned wolves is an upsetting and poignant reminder of what could be lost.”
