Sir David Attenborough can do no wrong – obviously – but the latest episode of his TV series Wild Isles left some viewers wishing they hadn’t tuned in.
The second instalment of the series, which takes a look at the wildlife of Britain’s woodlands through the seasons, included a look at how wild boar were reintroduced into the Forest of Dean.
Wild Isles episode 2 also showed how the boar had helped robins during winter.
So far, so Disney…
But there was one particular creature that some viewers struggled to watch!
Wild Isles hosted by Sir David Attenborough
In Wild Isles on BBC One, Sir David Attenborough reveals British wildlife as spectacular as anything found on the globe.
In episode 2, entitled Woodlands, David showed us wild boars, and starlings falling prey to owls on Bodmin Moor.
He also showed us how a subterranean network of fungi connects the whole forest together.
But it was the segment on the world’s largest land slug that left some viewers feeling queasy.
The ash-black slug can grow up to 30cm long and lives in Dartmoor…
But it was the mating ritual which surprised BBC One viewers.
The slug penis on Wild Isles on BBC One
Wild Isles showed slug’s having sex during episode 2 of the series (Sunday, March 19, 2023).
Something which some people watching would prefer to have lived their whole lives never having seen!
Filming the slugs mating required perfect conditions – the slugs had to feel at home and comfortable.
It required the perfect overhanging, moss-covered branch, that was kept moist with natural rainwater, a full moon to set the scene and many, many hours of waiting during the middle of the night.
Wildlife cameraman Alastair MacEwen – one of the most experienced camera operators in the wildlife filmmaking industry – waited patiently for hours in his wild studio set-up, in the hopes of capturing the mating slugs.
While the BBC described the mating as “quite simply, beautiful”, others felt differently…
Intertwining together, the two slugs locked into a tight corkscrew formation.
As they did so, their excess slime formed a bond, allowing them to dangle down like trapeze acrobats.
Next, two penises emerged which they immediately bonded and wrapped around each other.
This is when fertilisation occurs between the two hermaphrodite slugs, described as “magical pendulums of love”.
If you say so, David!
Wild Isles viewers react to watching slug penis on BBC One
Some viewers rushed to Twitter to share their reactions to what they’d just witnessed…
Well, it’s not every day you see a creature with a penis as big as their body!
One viewer wrote: “Just watching the Attenborough thing, and he’s showed us foot long slugs, and now I want to blow-torch every inch of the UK…”
Another said: “A lot of animals doing sex stuff on #WildIsles tonight. Also who knew a slug penis was that big?”
A third typed: “That’s too much slug penis #WildIsles.”
“Oh god, slug penis is not what I needed to see #WildIsles,” added another, while one more said: “Protruding slug penis glass art on a Sunday teatime. Thanks David. #WildIsles.”
There were some fans though…
One viewer tweeted: “Each penis (yes, Sir David said penis) becoming as long as their owners’ body […] Best TV in ages #WildIsles.”
Whatever next?
We know that in episode 3, Sir David explores Britain’s grasslands, from flower meadows to the rich open landscapes of our mountains.
This time, we see bees that lay their eggs in empty snail shells, and brown hares performing spring boxing courtship routines.
Read more: Sir David Attenborough on work helping him through the loss of his wife of almost 50 years
Wild Isles continues on Sunday, March 26, 2023 at 7pm on BBC One.
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