THE PLOT THUS FAR
My Wild Affair tells the moving stories of animals that formed an unlikely bond with a human by the people whose lives were changed forever. In a profoundly moving journey, they put their experiences into perspective. With unique access to home movies, film, and TV archives the stories span the decades from the 1950s to 1980s, and shine new light on the very different attitudes of a previous age.
These rare relationships cross the divide between our species and provide a glimpse of the inner life of the creatures who share our world. Each animal’s story is a lesson from the recent past with the power to change our modern view of their species.
Episodes include…
The Elephant Who Found a Mom – A tiny elephant, just days old, arrived at Daphne Sherldrick’s orphanage in Kenya, starving and in desperate need of milk. No elephant orphan had previously been saved by humans. The problem was that elephant milk is unique, and no substitute was sufficiently nutritious. They tried many different variations of milk formula, adding eggs, mashed bananas, rice. But little Shmetty, as she was now called, just lost weight.
As a desperate last measure, they tried coconut milk, and amazingly it worked. Shmetty began putting on weight. As she grew, a very strong personality developed. She would entertain everyone, but when she couldn’t get her way, like a spoilt child, she would fly into a rage, and then sulk in the kitchen for hours on end. Over the months she would become more and more attached to Daphne – so attached that the relationship would ultimately break both their hearts. With stunning archive and arresting direct testimony, we tell this story.
The Seal Who Came Home – The story of an abandoned baby seal that was saved by a doting family, only to grow to six foot in length, and become known as a local menace. Would he be killed by local fisherman? Would the family be marched out of town? And when he was finally shipped off to an aquarium, could anyone have expected that he would be make a dramatic return?
The Rhino Who Joined the Family – In 1960s Rhodesia, local vet John Condy set up an ambitious animal rescue operation to relocate thousands of animals from an area that was to be flooded by a new dam project. During the rescue a rhino fell into the water and tragically drowned, leaving behind her baby. Sure to die without a mother, the baby rhino was taken in by John Condy and his family.
He was an immediate hit. Using never-before-seen archive and interviews with the surviving family members, this film follows the highs and lows of this extraordinary hyperactive house-guest.
The Ape Who Went to College – A unique bond between a woman and an orangutan, and an extraordinary scientific experiment.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“My Wild Affair” is a look at how people and animals have bonded over the last few decades. While I find it cute to see families bond with animals, there’s a lot of weird psychological issues going on when we force human constraints onto wild animals. Fortunately, none of these documentaries ends with a chimpanzee mauling someone’s face. That being said, there were still moments of close calls and endangerment. While the material is a wee bit dated, it’s still entertaining to watch from a psychological standpoint.
The DVD comes with no special features. But, you’re getting 4 hours worth of material spread across two discs. That’s a lot of content for any show. The A/V Quality is strong enough with a rather supportive Dolby track. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!