From adders to anacondas, Teesdale Mercury

From adders to anacondas

Feb 13, 2008

THE son of a Wiltshire gamekeeper, David Rabbitts moved to Teesdale as a child in 1946. A former dairyman, he now runs a B&B near Cotherstone with his wife, Morlene.

"I have always been fascinated by the countryside," he said. "Teesdale has that wonderful combination of wildlife and agriculture sitting side by side, and even though I wasn't born here this is most definitely my home."

Mr Rabbitts explained that he got into filmmaking following his retirement from the dairy trade, and has now made a total of seven films.

Perhaps the best-known of these is 2004's ‘Beautiful Teesdale - a Country Lad at Home', which depicts the seasonal changes of the area, both wild and agricultural. It was filmed over a period of about five years, and included following the progress of litter of rats which were happily nesting in the Rabbitts' garden pond.

A proud moment came last November, when David was featured on an episode of the popular ITV show Dales Diary. "I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the programme," he said. "We filmed on a beautiful day in June, visiting my favourite places around the dale. The presenter, Luke Casey, was an excellent fellow, and I had a wonderful time."

In 2005 and 2006, David spent several weeks in Venezuela gathering material for ‘From Rich Coast to Savannah - a Country lad in South America.' There he was able to film anacondas in their natural habitat, fulfilling a lifelong dream. " I have always been fascinated by snakes," he said. "They really are in a class of their own."

David tells the story of one particular occasion, filming in the wilds of Venezuela, when he and his guide were stopped in their tracks as a herd of cattle blocked the road.

In the remote areas of that country, it seemed, cowboys pretty much ruled the roost and you wouldn't want to mess with them if you could help it. "We were a bit worried when we first saw them," said David. "But when it transpired that they were trying to catch a snake that had crawled out onto the road, I certainly pricked my ears up pretty quickly.

"It was a very ugly snake, short and fat and with bands around it a bit like a maggot's, but utterly fascinating. I managed to film it for a few seconds before one of the horsemen caught it - with great difficulty - and put it in a plastic bag on his saddle. It turned out they were planning to pickle it alive in alcohol, to be used as an aphrodisiac.

"Well we went on our way thinking that was that, but a few minutes later we heard a great yelp from the cowboy - the snake had escaped from its plastic bag and slithered off! I managed to get a few more minutes of footage before it escaped, unharmed, into the undergrowth."

He added: "That was a very satisfying moment for me!"

David assured me that he was never frightened by the snakes he filmed, even when his team came across an 18-ft female anaconda. "They are such beautiful creatures, and very other-worldly," he said. "They always seem to get a bad press, which is unfair."

He added: "Anacondas are not venomous though they do have a very strong jaw, but of course the main danger comes if they are able to wrap themselves around you and squeeze. That's why you should always make sure when handling them that you have hold of both ends."  Sounds perfectly safe to me.

Back in Teesdale, David is planning to follow a very different but no less fascinating creature for his new film - the humble adder. "There are more adders around here than people realise," he said. "They hibernate underground during winter - often in disused rabbit warrens - but they have been known to emerge by March time which is when I'll be looking out for them."

The film, as yet untitled, will be concentrated on the marginal land around the moorland borders, and how it is maintained and why. David will be drawing on his own expertise as an experienced mole-catcher, as well as following a year in the training of a border collie pup.

Having shown me around his impressive garden, a veritable paradise for all sorts of wildlife, David said rather wistfully: "If I could have anybody's job in the world, it would be that of Animal Planet presenter Austin Stevens' camera man.

"I really think I would have adored that life - being a cameraman you have to get in there really close to the action, and you can't be frightened even for a minute. It really focuses you."

He added: "If I could wake up in the morning and have anyone else's career, that's what I'd wish for."

David Rabbitts may not have been Austin Stevens' camera man, but he has certainly made his mark - in Teesdale and beyond.

For more information about David Rabbitts, or to order his DVDs, visit www.beautifulteesdale.co.uk

First published in the Dale Life supplement, February 6, 2008