Viewers of Sir David Attenborough’s new wildlife series Mammals were shocked by a brutal scene in which a predator can be seen eating the head of a rabbit while joking: “Happy Easter, kids!”
The first program was filmed completely in the dark and aired on Easter Sunday at 7pm on the BBC.
Naturalists spent five years analyzing how mammals coped with habitat changes ahead of the new series of six documentaries.
Social media users took to ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, to praise the new episode, which they said was a ‘pleasure’ to watch on a Sunday night.
But some were shocked to see footage of a coyote tearing up a bunny on Easter Sunday.
Pictured: The clip featured in tonight’s episode of Sir David Attenborough’s Mammals.
In the photo: The coyote wandering the streets in search of something to eat.
One person said: ‘And now he’s eating a rabbit’s head. Happy Easter friends!’
Another wrote: “Come on David, I’m still having my tea.”
“Sneaky Coyote kept the rabbit’s foot for luck,” joked another.
In the clip, David Attenborough can be heard saying: “Coyotes don’t like litter, they are skilled hunters,” before the coyote is seen nibbling on the bunny.
The new series tells the story of mammals (including man) that begins 200 million years ago, in the time of the dinosaurs.
Previewing the show in an interview, executive producer Roger Webb said that one of his favorite moments throughout the series is one that has been marred by decades of human conflict.
Webb refers to the bravery shown by the wolves in being able to occupy the Golan Heights, which is considered Syrian territory held under Israeli occupation, except by Israel and the United States.
Despite being one of the most notorious disputed territories in the world for over 70 years, that doesn’t stop wolves from being found in the area.
Speaking about filming in the area, Roger said: “The story of the wolf who has adapted to life in the minefields of the Golan Heights is a good one.
“What I love about this is the tenacity of the wolf to move into an area that we can no longer enter because, unfortunately, we have ruined it in a very tragic way.
‘Behind that story is an incredible human being, Itamar Yairi. He is a true hero. “It is people like Itamar who opened the door to these incredible stories and allowed us to later document them and bring them to the screen.”
It refers to the work of a wildlife photographer, who observed the Golan wolves up close for almost two years and managed to capture some extraordinary images along the way.
