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29 April, 2022

Kakadu features in Barack Obama narrated documentary on the world’s Great National Parks

Former American President, Barack Obama, added his voice to a new nature documentary – Our Great National Parks – which debuted on Netflix earlier this month.

Obama is also the executive producer of the five-part series, which spans five continents including Kakadu National Park in Australia, Monterey Bay in California, Kenya’s Tsavo National Park, and the rainforests of Indonesia’s Gunung Leuser National Park, and Chile’s Patagonia.

While Kakadu’s majestic and ancient landscape stars in the series, the region’s fearsome crocodiles – or ginga in the local Kakadu language – naturally feature prominently.

The Kakadu scenes were filmed by renowned Australian wildlife cinematographers Edward Saltau and Daniel Hunter from The Natural History Unit, who have been responsible for many recent spectacular nature and wildlife series for the BBC, National Geographic and Netflix.

Kakadu Crocodile | Our Great National Parks

While Obama didn’t travel to Kakadu for the filming, his passion for nature conservation is reflected in his role as executive producer of the series, which enables viewers from around the world to experience nature in the world’s most iconic national parks.

Each episode of the series tells the story of a national park through the lives of its wildest residents — both big and exceptionally small — and explores our changing relationship with wilderness.

“OUR GREAT NATIONAL PARKS beckons us to get out and explore, create new ways for these wild places to thrive, and vigorously preserve them for future generations to come,” the producers of the show said.

Kakadu Tourism Group general manager Chris Chaffe said that the documentary would put Kakadu in the world spotlight, just as international travel was beginning to return.

“To have Barack Obama talking about the wonders of Kakadu National Park will provide an incredible endorsement of Kakadu’s natural attractions,” Chaffe said.

“Kakadu has traditionally been very popular with international travellers, and in the post-pandemic period, wilderness areas with spectacular landscapes and wildlife will be in high demand.

“The documentary couldn’t be better timed as we enter the peak dry season with events such as Taste of Kakadu and Kakadu Bird Week on the calendar over the next six months.”

Our Great National Parks is a Wild Space production in association with Higher Ground Productions and Freeborne Media.

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