Eden Project

Rainforest Biome stars in new David Attenborough documentary

Tune into the new David Attenborough wildlife documentary on Christmas Day and you’ll spot Eden’s Rainforest Biome. Sir David and the film crew came down to Eden to shoot parts of ‘Flying Monsters 3D’, which tells the story of pterosaurs – flying vertebrates with a wingspan of up to 45 feet that lived 200 million years ago – and their modern descendants.

The Biome’s lush tropical foliage provides a backdrop for a sequence about south-east Asian Draco lizards, which can glide up to a distance of 60m. It’s the first time 3D technology has been used to film the Eden Project. The documentary mixes computer-generated images of pterosaurs – including one part where Sir David flies alongside one in a glider – with real-life footage of modern flying lizards.

From discovering pterosaur embryos that show they might have flown from birth to figuring out how a creature the size of a giraffe could possibly fly, ‘Flying Monsters 3D’ aims to resolve mysteries that have intrigued scientists for more than two centuries.

Don Murray, Eden’s Chair of Horticulture, said:“We’re glad to be part of a programme that shares our scientific and educational ethos, especially one that showcases the great wealth of life in the rainforest. Programmes like this are important to remind us all how fragile and precious rainforests are. 40% of all terrestrial life lives in its trees so it’s incredibly important to protect them.”

Flying Monsters will be shown on Sky 3D on Christmas Day and is preceded by a ‘making of’ documentary on Sky 1 earlier in the day. The film is making its debut on television but will be released in both large-format and IMAX cinemas around the world next year.

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Rainforest Biome