Wild France with Ray Mears – Episode 1

The very first episode of Ray’s brand new series Wild France was broadcast at 8:00PM on Monday 11th July on ITV1.  If you missed it, you can now watch it online via the ITV Player for a limited period of time by clicking on the image above.

Ray Mears visits The Vanoise National Park in the high Alps. Here he meets local goat herder Audrey who enlists his help moving her goats up to summer pastures. He explores the seasonal nature of the mountain and how humans and wildlife have adapted to the altitude and extremes of weather.

Ray also meets local park ranger Alex who takes him up to see some ibex. He gets up close to see ibex jousting and hopping down the sheer cliff faces. Further up the mountain, he enlists the help of donkeys to carry his kit.

During his trek Ray comes across playful marmots, enjoying the sunshine before making his way to the very top of the mountain to find one of the rarest birds in Europe, the bearded vulture.