A DOCUMENTARY following a Donegal conservationist in pursuit of his lifelong dream to rescue abandoned animals has captured the attention of a major streaming service.
‘Return of the Wild – The Bearman of Buncrana’ will premiere on Netflix on March 1, taking animal lovers on a rewind journey into the beginning of the unique sanctuary in Donegal woodlands. The series previously aired on RTE in 2020.
The documentary series follows Buncrana conservationist Killian McLaughlin, the founder of Wild Ireland and his wife, Katie, ‘in his pursuit of a lifelong dream: to restore extinct wild animals to their home in the forests of Ireland’.
Produced by Moondance Productions, who describe it as a ‘a documentary series full of heart, passion, high-stakes emotions, big dreams, big predators and even bigger risks,’ the show was a big hit when it was shown on RTE last year.
Wild Ireland offers sanctuary to many animals which have been exploited, abused and hunted to the point of extinction and is home to bears, wolves, foxes, monkeys, a lynx, goats and much more.
Killian, a practicing solicitor, is the son of renowned solicitor Ciaran MacLochlainn. He has made it his life’s mission to rescue abandoned animals. In October 2019, his dream came true when he opened the first of its kind wildlife sanctuary.
The unique wildlife and biodoversity park is located at Dundrain, Burnfoot, and has welcomed thousands of visitors since opening its doors. Killian transformed the site over a five-year period making it the perfect habitat for the return of Ireland’s unique animals. He worked with three major international charities to find animals for rehoming.
The documentary provides glimmers of hope in the arrival of a litter of six wild boar. What’s more, with the park re-opening its gates after Covid, Katie gives birth to a beautiful baby boy, Rígan.
You can follow Wild Ireland at www.facebook.com/wildirelandorg or at https://wildireland.org/ and watch them on Netflix from Wednesday, March 1.
MORE ON THIS STORY IN THIS WEEK’S DONEGAL NEWS. AVAILABLE IN STORES OR ONLINE AT https://my.donegalnews.com/
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