Deer at Any Price
Narrated by ANTHONY VALENTINE
New Zealand's gold rush is on, the merchandise - deer; the product - antler velvet, sold as a medicine and aphrodisiac in the Far East.
Today, one red deer hind is worth a hundred sheep. But only five years ago deer were considered a major pest. Brought to the islands in 1851 from England, they flourished, decimating the forests, eating the food of rare, exotic birds, eroding the landscape. Now a national asset, deer are the centre of a lucrative farming industry. To supply the stock, wild deer are being taken from remote mountains by helicopter teams. Their capture demands superlative flying skills and daring manoeuvres. But velvet farming is controversial, its markets unpredictable. If the industry slumps, will the wild deer again become New Zealand's number one enemy?
Producers
BRUCE MORRISON , KEITH HUNTER
TV presentation RICHARD MATTHEWS Series editors PETER JONES and ANTHONY ISAACS BBC Bristol