EPISODE 09: Becoming the Big Cat People – 'Big Cat Diary'

Welcome to The Big Cat People podcast! We're Jonathan and Angela Scott, award-winning wildlife photographers, authors and conservationists. We've have made our name documenting the lives of lions, leopards and cheetahs in the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.

Today's episode is a continuation of our ten part series named 'Our Story: Becoming the Big Cat People'.

This episode is named 'Big Cat Diary.' Jonathan's journey to becoming a television presenter takes a big step forward in 1995. He is asked to co-present a series of live programmes from Kenya's Rift Valley soda lakes called Flamingo Watch, hosted with Simon King and Chris Packham. The following year his big chance finally arrives. He is asked to present his own television series called Dawn to Dusk, six African adventures in iconic company: Alan Root (Wildlife Filmmaker, Richard Gross (Wildlife Filmmaker), Charlotte Uhlenbroek (Primatologist), Blyth and Rudi Louti (Save the Rhino), Randall Moore (Abu Elephant Camp), John Stevens (Safari Guide/Naturalist). A review of the series by journalist Christina Odone in the Daily Telegraph is scathing and could have heralded the end of Jonathan's presenting career before it had a chance to take off. Fortunately that same year the BBC announces the launch of a new prime time wildlife television series called Big Cat Diary, to be presented by Jonathan and Simon King.

Reality television was becoming increasingly popular with Animal Hospital hosted by Rolf Harris gaining rave reviews. Human/Animal stories that could deliver insights and emotion featuring individual characters were destined for huge success. Big Cat Diary's strength was built around having three strong animal characters to engage audiences' emotions. The emergence of a leopard called Half-Tail and her young daughter Zawadi (known as Shadow on Big Cat Diary), who Jonathan and Angela had followed for years and knew where to find, proves pivotal to the success of the series. In 1997 Jonathan and Angela are asked to present segments for Wild Things (Paramount TV), taking them around the world to India (tigers), Nepal (Asiatic rhino), Alaska (brown bears), Kenya (cheetahs), Uganda (mountain gorillas), Komodo Island (Komodo Dragons), and Kalimantan/Borneo (Orang utan). Filming runs for two years and the experience gives Jonathan and Angela the confidence to deliver pieces to camera with authority and passion. 

This podcast series is a continuing effort to educate and inspire our audience. If you'd like to learn more about us, or to check out our latest collection of educational ebooks, please visit our website: www.bigcatpeople.com