Celebs Fighting For Wildlife

Griff Rhys Jones with a black rhinoJoanna Lumley and comedian Vic Reeves are presenting a new wildlife show focusing on some of the planet's most endangered species.

Griff Rhys Jones and presenter Charlotte Uhlenbroek will also feature in Final Chance to Save, set for broadcast on Sky One this September.

Vic looks at the tapirs of Costa Rica, Griff Kenya's black rhino, Joanna the orang-utans of Borneo and Charlotte the troubles facing sea turtles.

They work with conservationists to fight for the animals, all in danger of extinction, in the four-part series starting Saturday 3 September on Sky One.

There are plans to film six more programmes, with Martine McCutcheon looking at giant pandas in China, Miranda Richardson at aye-ayes and Sanjeev Bhaskar at tigers.

Charlotte Uhlenbroek with a sea turtleEP1, THE BLACK RHINOS - GRIFF RHYS JONES, KENYA

• There are thought to be only 400 black rhinos remaining in the wild.
• They are hunted for their precious tusks which sell for dagger handles in the Yemen, or for Chinese medical ingredients.
• Griff assists the Tusk Trust and Save the Rhino and enlists a reformed poacher to help him track down some of the rhinos.
  

EP 2, THE TAPIRS - VIC REEVES, COSTA RICA

• Tapirs are threatened by extinction as human populations exploit their forest habitats.   
• They have eight hooves, no eyelids and the ability to walk under water.   
• Vic said: "We need to basically educate Costa Ricans that they shouldn't cut down the rain forest and should use shadow coffee, which is grown underneath the trees."
  

EP 3, THE SEA TURTLES - CHARLOTTE UHLENBROEK,
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, BARBADOS AND SURINAME

• Sea turtles have been hit by commercial fishing, destruction of nesting grounds, poaching and pollution.   
• Charlotte helped fit them with satellite transmitters so the WWF can find out where leatherbacks roam.   
• She said: "We could lose them in the next 10 years, but we could turn things around relatively easily."   
• "The main threat is the fishing industry. But there is a way in which fisherman can carry on with their livelihoods without damaging turtles, by using circle hooks so that the turtles bounce off."   
• "Turtles have not had that much publicity because they're out at sea. It's time to raise their profile."
  

EP 4, THE ORANG-UTANS - JOANNA LUMLEY, BORNEO

• The population has dropped by 90% in the last 100 years to 50,000.   
• Joanna said: "What's disconcerting is when you do meet them they look at you with your own eyes in a slightly different face."   
• "They're not group animals, they're completely solitary, so if the baby's mother is taken away, there's no system of aunts ... their whole system is destroyed."   
• Deforestation to create palm oil has been destroying the orang-utans' habitat.   
• Joanna said: "Palm oil is marvellous stuff. You could stick it anywhere, it grows anywhere. We don't need to plant it on virgin forest land."