The ‘Planet Earth 2’ production crew saved every baby turtle they saw or filmed waddling towards the deadly main road in Barbados in the series finale.
Hearts across the country broke on Sunday (11.12.16) night when the gripping ending of the nature documentary saw newly-hatched hawksbill turtles become disorientated by the city’s bustling lights and, instead of following the moon’s reflection to the sea, made their way towards the skyscraper central which, in turn led to many of them falling down drains and getting crushed by motorists.
But, although many viewers were left screaming at passersby to save the newborns, the crew – who never intervene with wildlife – stepped in off camera and carried the turtles back to the sea.
A statement released on the BBC’s ‘Planet Earth’s official Twitter account said: "Every turtle that was seen or filmed by the #PlanetEarth2 crew was collected and put back into the sea."
It’s not yet known whether the little ones who slipped down the drain were helped to safety as well, but the Barbados Sea Turtle Project – an organisation that aims to save as many turtles as possible – patrols the beach on a nightly basis to ensure newly-hatched turtles make their way to the sea.
At the end of the finale, Sir David Attenborough – who narrated the whole series – begged animal-loving viewers to work together to create cities that allow wildlife to live beside us in harmony.
He said: "Only a small number of animals have managed to find ways of living alongside us. And every ten years an area the size of Britain disappears under a jungle of concrete. But it doesn’t have to be like this. Could it not be possible to build cities more in harmony with nature?
"Now over half of us live in an urban environment. My home too is here in the city of London. It’s also sobering. It reminds me of just how easy it is for us to lose our connection with the natural world.
"Yet it’s on this connection that the future of both humanity and the natural world depend. It’s surely our responsibility to do everything within our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us, but for all life on Earth."
BANG Showbiz has reached out to the BBC for a comment.
Planet Earth II crew save baby turtles
