by Thinus Ferreira
The Cape Town game ranger, adventurer and wildlife filmmaker Josh Crickmay is showing viewers how humans and animals co-exist within Cape Town, in the series City Beasts: Cape of Chaos starting on 29 January on People's Weather (DStv 180 / Openview 115).
In City Beasts: Cape of Chaos, Josh Crickmay goes on a mission to seek proof that humans and animals can coexist in harmony, sharing his experiences as he discovers these animals in a fun and educational way.
Through tracking, trap cameras, stakeouts, and by
following the tales from the locals, he encounters fascinating "beasts" in and around Cape Town, uncovering their resilience as they adapt and cohabit with humans, who
have increasingly claimed their spaces.
Josh Crickmay encounters animals ranging from penguins, sharks, porcupines and baboons to genets and even otters as he sets out to prove his theory that not only do people coexist
with wildlife in Cape Town but also the remarkable impact it has
on the locals.
Josh Crickmay's passion for
wildlife was ignited as a 15-year-old when as a lost and suicidal teen, he
spent a year chasing down bird species in Southern Africa, the Andes, and
the Amazon.
After that he produced a coffee table book Josh’s Big Year, which is a
photographic record of his experience. He a qualified FGASA nature guide
and became interested in creating content and started filming his experiences,
uncovering his eccentric and often humourous slant on nature.
Josh Crickmay says that "Creating City Beasts was the culmination of everything I love in life: Incredible wildlife, fascinating people, conservation, challenging filmmaking, pirate boats and unbridled havoc".
"It was as every bit chaotic behind the scenes as it is on the screen, and I couldn't have asked for better."
Stephan le Roux, People's Weather owner and CEO, says "What attracted us to the
City Beast series is Josh's unique, genre-bending approach to wildlife
film-making".
"It's off-beat, unusual, highly accessible and engaging. He has created
a fresh approach to an often serious genre that is desperately in need of some
humour and young voices to broaden its appeal. Think Tik Tok by the
waterhole!"
City Beasts: Cape of Chaos starts with a visit to Cape Town's dassies after which he follows baboons as they navigate the urban landscape and tracks down the four species of
cormorants inhabiting the city, unveiling a stunning diversity of avian life.
He then takes a into the depths of the kelp forests, learning to free dive to
bring viewers face-to-face with the shark life beneath the waves. His
encounters with the iconic seals of Cape Town provide a rare glimpse into
their daily struggles and triumphs in their natural habitat.
After that it's the turn of Cape Town's goofy and lovable nature of African penguins.
In a breathtaking exploration of
shipwrecks off the Cape of Storms, Josh reveals how nature has ingeniously
turned man's trash into treasure. He meets a Cape Clawless Otter under the
docks of Simon’s Town harbour, searches the dangerous gorges of Table Mountain
for the extremely elusive and aptly named ghost frog, and has a memorable
experience with a pair of porcupines.
Josh also shares his personal story of
struggle and success with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as he explores sundews and
seabirds and searches for an elusive otter.
Josh says he tries to show the beauty of the natural world "through conservation, spreading knowledge and excitement about our world through film - told with humour, adventure, and as always, mayhem".
