Gordon Buchanan: “Coming from such a small community, I’m almost embarrassed by my achievements”

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In Botswana’s Okavango Delta, a family of lions – two mothers and six or seven young lions – are happily feasting on a zebra after going several days without a meal. Stunning close-up shots reveal each lion enjoying the long-awaited food, and aerial drone footage captures the scene as they finish eating. With full bellies, the lions relax and bask in contentment. If you’d like to witness lions at their most peaceful and satisfied, check out Big Cats 24/7.

Gordon Buchanan, a wildlife film-maker originally from the Isle of Mull, is currently working with the BBC to document the lives of lions, leopards, and cheetahs in Botswana, around the clock. The experienced Scottish cameraman has filmed and even hosted over 32 natural history programs, and his dedication to conservation earned him an MBE in 2020. Despite his success, Buchanan remains humble. “Growing up in a small town,” he explains, “I feel a bit overwhelmed by what I’ve achieved. I only ever wanted to prove something to myself.”

James Buchanan didn’t come from wealth or an easy background. He was born near Glasgow, one of four children, and the family moved to the Isle of Mull when he was young after his parents separated. They lived in a caravan, and his mother worked three jobs each week to make ends meet.

Buchanan points out it’s rare for someone presenting natural history to come from a working-class background. He explains that traditionally, naturalists were either from the church or wealthy families. Because so many people in wildlife filmmaking, around 90 percent, went to private school, he feels a bit like an outsider. People often assume he was privately educated, and he once had someone ask if his family owned a large part of the island of Mull – which was far from the truth! His family didn’t own any land except for the small space under his mother’s public housing flat.

Growing up, Buchanan found solace in the outdoors, a welcome escape from a challenging home life with his stepfather. He described it as a place where he could feel free, explore, and leave his troubles behind, as home didn’t feel like a safe haven.

My mother said the abuse didn’t happen frequently, likely fewer than ten times, but there was always an underlying sense of danger. The situation worsened until one day, Buchanan found blood on the stairs. His mother, who eventually ended the relationship with his stepfather, had been assaulted while she was sleeping.

After leaving school at 17, Buchanan found a lifeline in a weekend job washing dishes at a restaurant. The owners, wildlife cameraman Nick Gordon and his wife Ann, offered him an incredible opportunity: to join them on their next filming expedition to Sierra Leone.

It felt like a dream come true – a real opportunity to break away and do something completely new. I was excited about everything, from constructing the camera setups to just getting settled in at base camp. It really checked all the boxes for me.

As a film buff, I love stories about travel, and this one really struck me. Apparently, someone I was hearing about had a rough trip – within just two days, they got dysentery and even saw a dead body. They were gone for a year and a half, and it sounds like it was a completely different experience than traveling today. They put it perfectly: they don’t want to go back to waiting months for news from home, but it’s true – the internet has made the world feel so much smaller.

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He doesn’t think his phone habit is a good thing. “I’m 53, and I’m addicted to my phone,” he says. “You can easily lose an entire day scrolling.” As a father of adult children, ages 22 and 20, he agrees with concerns about young people and social media. “I’d support banning phones for anyone under 16,” he explains. “It’s upsetting to see kids in the playground all huddled around one phone – they should be playing and getting exercise.”

Buchanan is a remarkably adventurous individual whose work has taken him to the farthest corners of the globe. He’s had some truly incredible experiences, including coming face-to-face with a polar bear, patiently observing leopards in the wild, trekking across the Gobi desert with camels, and journeying through the Canadian Yukon with husky sled dogs. He even made a significant scientific discovery, identifying a new species of rat – the Bosavi woolly rat – in Papua New Guinea.

He’s considered a ‘super-recogniser,’ meaning he has an exceptional ability to remember faces – not just lions, but people too. He jokes that he can even tell if someone’s had Botox before anyone else notices. When asked if he’d consider getting Botox himself, he laughs and says there’s nothing better than a healthy lifestyle and good style.

From the secure comfort of his Land Rover, this man is completely absorbed in his work, patiently observing like a lion stalking its prey. He jokes that it’s a gamble – you can spend hours without a reaction, but the moment he starts cooking something, like a bolognese sauce, that’s when the action begins. He’s learned the art of waiting, and he thinks everyone possesses this ability.

Many assume I’m endlessly patient, but that’s because when I’m in a hide, I’m constantly aware of everything happening around me – from baboon calls and birds taking flight to approaching storms.

We all share a deep connection to the natural world. For thousands of years, humans – from ancient tribes to modern innovators like Elon Musk – have relied on observing nature for survival. That instinctive connection hasn’t disappeared; it’s still part of who we are. Now, we can experience that connection comfortably, even from our own homes, through shows like this one.

Authors

Rosie Millard

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2026-02-16 21:12