The concept for Outback Wildlife Rescue came about from two simple, but exceptional facts: Australia is home to an array of amazing animals, found nowhere else on earth. And they live in the heart of a vast, inhospitable but beautiful landscape that is also unique in the world.

Combine these facts with the inspiring dedication of the men and women who devote their lives to caring for our native wildlife… and you have a very special show indeed!

But filming in the Outback isn’t easy. In the Red Centre it’s sizzling hot during the day and often very cold at night. Up north, in what they call the “Top End”, it’s so humid, you’re dripping wet all day. Also, the middle of the Outback is long way from anywhere, which means our camera crews did a lot of travelling and were sometimes hundreds of kilometres from help should any of the film gear break down. Luckily, nothing did!

To film the rescues, the camera teams had to make sure they were in the right place at the right time. That meant being stationed at our vets’ clinics and being ready to respond to a call at a moment’s notice.And of course the camera teams had to take extra special care – not only to be careful of the animals, but when you’re dealing with razor sharp claws, lethal spines and venomous teeth, they also had to look out for themselves! Often, the cameramen were as close to the wildlife as our experts, whether wading in croc-infested waters in Darwin, or filming highly poisonous serpents in Alice Springs. Again, fortunately, the first aid kit never had to come out and the only critters needing medical assistance were the injured animals.

There was only one occasion that everyone got a little nervous, when a highly toxic Western Brown snake escaped from its bag in the rescuer’s car. It went missing for two whole days, before it was reluctantly extracted from under one of the seats!

As well as filming no less than 30 different species of animals, the other big star of the series is the landscape. Again, this is where we pulled out all the stops for the show, spen ding a lot of time rigging and filming from helicopters in order to capture the rugged majesty of the Outback. This meant seeking the help of park rangers, whose job it is to consult with indigenous Traditional Owners and supervise the filming of culturally  sensitive areas, such as Uluru-Kata Tjuta (Ayres Rock and The Olgas), Rainbow Valley and Kakadu National Park – all of which feature in the opening titles and throughout the series.

For everyone who worked on the show, from the production office, to the location crews and post-production teams, Outback Wildlife Rescue was a wonderful opportunity to learn a little more about our amazing wildlife and its remote but fascinating home.

Outback Wildlife Rescue is a Freehand Production, produced with the assistance of Channel Seven and distributed by BBC Worldwide.

The series has been sold to many overseas territories, including Belgium, Canada, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Korea, New Zealand, Thailand, the United Kingdom, as well as Qantas.