You can’t really fault the efforts and achievements of Born To Be Wild’s subjects - of course it’s a pleasure to watch both of these exceptional women (Dr. Birutè Mary Galdikas in Borneo, and Dr Dame Daphne Sheldrick in Kenya) and their magnificent staff care for some of the world’s cutest animals, all narrated with the polished oak tones of Morgan Freeman. What are we, Disney villains?
Beyond the adorability factor though, it’s a fascinating process deserving of more than forty minutes (each species would get an hour on telly). But it’s also a wee bit simplistic, even for kids. There’s no real exploration into what’s wrong with this picture (words like ‘poachers’ and ‘palm oil’ are scarcely mentioned). It needn’t to be preachy, but it does warrant a proper explanation amid the warm fuzzies and lush cinematography.