Canadian Dave Salmoni, a South Africa-based animal trainer, entertainer and television producer who specialises in wildlife films, talks about his new show, Brothers in Blood: The Lions of Sabi Sand . What is your new show about? " Brothers in Blood is a new way to look at lions in their own ecosystem. It's a documentary that tells a compelling story about brothers, about how one takes over a territory, but also how nature works: the beauty of it as well as some of the harsh parts." What is it about big cats that fascinates you? "I've been working with predators for 17 years and I have worked with all sorts of animals. Cats have always been the one animal that I've understood well, that I've had a real connection to and passion for. No matter what animal I do projects with, I always refer back to a cat. I've had the past 15 years or so with lions; it's given me a unique perspective. "In the moments where I'm interacting with a lion and … he's looking at me, I understand what he is thinking, he understands what I'm thinking and we've built a beginning level of trust; that's one of the most calming, relaxing, amazing feelings in the world. And it's those moments that keep driving you to experience them again." Isn't 16 years an unusually long time to spend on making one documentary? "This is a project no one would have had the forethought to make. It was being filmed before the idea of the documentary was thought of. It would have been impossible for any cameraman or producer to know that this unique story was being told. We were just documenting a litter of cubs and, as we followed them, we found an incredibly compelling and interesting story. Sixteen years is a ridiculously long time to do a project. I can normally finish a documentary in a month or two, or sometimes a few years." Is it acceptable to use human terms when describing wild predators? "I am lucky to have opinions from two sides. As a scientist, you cannot put human feelings into their actions; it is unfair because lions are just doing things according to nature and their genetics. They have no other intent behind their actions. However, when you are making television, you are trying to appeal to an audience in a way that they understand. The truth of the matter is descriptions like 'brutal' and 'savage' are words that they understand." How does your family and your fiancée feel about your career? "My immediate family have been around me for a long time and have gotten comfortable with what I do. They know that I face risks, but also that I am a professional and I try very hard to be safe. My fiancée's feelings are more immediate. Of course, she knows what my passion is and what it means for me to pursue it, but she faces more immediate repercussions to her life if something happens to me." Do you get a rush from the dangers involved in your job? "I've had a career with Discovery and Animal Planet since 2000. I'm not as young as I used to be but everyone has kept saying, 'You're a thrill seeker; you're an adrenaline junkie' and all these types of things. And, of course, that's part of the job, but it's not the reason for the job. "I wish that my passion were butterflies because it would mean no danger and I could just sit with butterflies all day. But as much as I love butterflies, that's not my passion." The 120-minute special Brother in Blood: The Lions of Sabi Sand premieres on Tuesday, at 9pm, on Animal Planet.
