Charlotte Uhlenbroek
Encyclopedia
Charlotte Jane Uhlenbroek (born 4 January 1968) is a British
zoologist
and BBC
television presenter.
father was an agricultural
specialist with the United Nations
who took his English
wife and their family round the world with him. Uhlenbroek was born in London, but her parents moved to Ghana
when she was only ten days old. Between the ages of 5-14 she lived in Kathmandu, Nepal.
in Rutland
, and then gained a BSc
in Zoology
and Psychology
in 1988, followed in 1997 by a PhD
in Zoology at the University of Bristol
. She then spent six months in Burundi
helping primatologist Jane Goodall
set up a conservation project for chimpanzee
s. She then spent four years in the forests of Gombe
, Tanzania
, studying the communication of wild chimpanzees at Goodall's main project base.
, Uhlenbroek made her UK television debut in the series Dawn to Dusk, presented by Jonathan Scott
, in an episode on the chimpanzee
s of Gombe
. She went on to present the BBC Two
programme Chimpanzee Diary as part of the Animal Zone during 1998 and 1999. Uhlenbroek subsequently presented a number of documentaries (both series and one-off programmes) for the BBC, including: Cousins
(2000), Congo's Secret Chimps (2001), Talking with Animals (2002), Jungle (2003), Secret Gorillas Of Mondika (2005). In 2004, she was one of the subjects of the short documentary
series The Way We Went Wild
, about television's natural history presenters.
Uhlenbroek visited the Mefou National Park in Cameroon
in 2006 to provide the voiceover for Animal Planet
's Going Ape TV series, based on the charity Ape Action Africa
.
In 2007, she presented Safari School
, a twenty-part BBC 2 "reality" series in which eight celebrities had to learn to become game rangers at the Shamwari Game Reserve
. In 2009 she was associate producer for and presented Among the Apes, a four-part series on Five, each part concerning a different primate species.
Uhlenbroek supports Animal Aid
and their campaign against primate experiments, stating: "I have yet to hear a sufficiently compelling scientific argument that justifies the suffering inflicted on primates in medical research." She is also a supporter of many animal-orientated charities, including Fauna and Flora International, the Great Apes Survival Project
, the Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre and Compassion in World Farming
.
Uhlenbroek also wrote the introduction to Wildlife Portfolio of the Year: Volume Nine, one of an annual collection of prize-winning images.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
zoologist
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
and BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television presenter.
Early life
Her DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
father was an agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
specialist with the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
who took his English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
wife and their family round the world with him. Uhlenbroek was born in London, but her parents moved to Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
when she was only ten days old. Between the ages of 5-14 she lived in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Education and scientific work
Uhlenbroek attended Oakham SchoolOakham School
Oakham School is a British co-educational independent school in the historic market town of Oakham in Rutland, accepting around 1,000 pupils, aged from 10 to 18, both male and female, as boarders and day pupils . The Good Schools Guide called the school "a privileged but unpretentious and...
in Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
, and then gained a BSc
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
and Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
in 1988, followed in 1997 by a PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in Zoology at the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
. She then spent six months in Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
helping primatologist Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall
Dame Jane Morris Goodall, DBE , is a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. Considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National...
set up a conservation project for chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
s. She then spent four years in the forests of Gombe
Gombe Streams National Park
Gombe Stream National Park is located in western Tanzania, 10 miles north of Kigoma, the regional capital of western Tanzania. Established in 1968, Gombe is the smallest national park in Tanzania, with only of forest running along the hills of the northern shore of Lake Tanganyika...
, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, studying the communication of wild chimpanzees at Goodall's main project base.
Television career
Spotted by the BBC Natural History UnitBBC Natural History Unit
The BBC Natural History Unit is a department of the BBC dedicated to making television and radio programmes with a natural history or wildlife theme, especially nature documentaries...
, Uhlenbroek made her UK television debut in the series Dawn to Dusk, presented by Jonathan Scott
Jonathan Scott (zoologist)
Jonathan Scott is an English zoologist and wildlife photographer specializing in African wildlife. He spends much of his time in the Masai Mara National Game Reserve in southwest Kenya and the Serengeti National Park in northern Tanzania.He and his wife Angie, who is also a wildlife photographer,...
, in an episode on the chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
s of Gombe
Gombe
Gombe may refer to:Places* Gombe, Nigeria, the capital of Gombe State, Nigeria** Gombe State, Nigeria* Gombe, Angola* Gombe, Butambala, Uganda* Gombe, Wakiso, Uganda* Gombe, Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
. She went on to present the BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
programme Chimpanzee Diary as part of the Animal Zone during 1998 and 1999. Uhlenbroek subsequently presented a number of documentaries (both series and one-off programmes) for the BBC, including: Cousins
Cousins (TV series)
Cousins is a nature documentary TV series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, England, first transmitted in the UK on BBC One in August 2000...
(2000), Congo's Secret Chimps (2001), Talking with Animals (2002), Jungle (2003), Secret Gorillas Of Mondika (2005). In 2004, she was one of the subjects of the short documentary
Television documentary
Documentary television is a genre of television programming that broadcasts documentaries.* Documentary television series, a television series which is made up of documentary episodes....
series The Way We Went Wild
The Way We Went Wild
The Way We Went Wild is a three-part BBC TV series, first shown on BBC Two, about British wildlife presenters. It was narratted by Josette Simon.-Episode 2:Episode 2, screened on 20 June 2004, featured Sir Peter Scott and Sir David Attenborough.-Episode 3:...
, about television's natural history presenters.
Uhlenbroek visited the Mefou National Park in Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
in 2006 to provide the voiceover for Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
's Going Ape TV series, based on the charity Ape Action Africa
Ape Action Africa
Ape Action Africa is a non-profit NGO founded in 1996 dedicated to the conservation of endangered gorillas and chimpanzees, threatened by the bushmeat trade in Central and West Africa. Ape Action Africa manages the rescue and rehabilitation of Great apes across much of Cameroon, with a large...
.
In 2007, she presented Safari School
Safari School
Safari School is a BBC Two reality television series presented by Dr Charlotte Uhlenbroek in which eight celebrities take part in a four week ranger training course in the Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa.-Synopsis:...
, a twenty-part BBC 2 "reality" series in which eight celebrities had to learn to become game rangers at the Shamwari Game Reserve
Shamwari Game Reserve
Shamwari Game Reserve is located in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is part of the Mantis Group and has been voted the World's Leading game reserve and conservation company for many consecutive years ....
. In 2009 she was associate producer for and presented Among the Apes, a four-part series on Five, each part concerning a different primate species.
Synopsis
| Year | Title | Channel | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nature Nature (TV series) Nature is a wildlife television program produced by Thirteen/WNET New York. It has been distributed to United States public television stations by the PBS television service since its debut on October 10, 1982. Some episodes may appear in syndication on many PBS member stations around the U.S. and... |
PBS Public Broadcasting Service The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia.... |
Scientific consultant | One episode, "Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees" | |
| Chimpanzee Diary | BBC Two BBC Two BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio... |
Presenter | Part of Animal Zone | |
| Cousins Cousins (TV series) Cousins is a nature documentary TV series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, England, first transmitted in the UK on BBC One in August 2000... |
BBC One BBC One BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution... |
Presenter | ||
| Congo's Secret Chimps | BBC Two | Presenter | Part of Wild Zone | |
| Talking with Animals | BBC One | Presenter | ||
| Jungle | BBC One | Presenter | ||
| Secret Gorillas Of Mondika | BBC Two | Presenter | ||
| Going Ape | Animal Planet Animal Planet Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:... |
Voiceover | Filmed at Ape Action Africa Ape Action Africa Ape Action Africa is a non-profit NGO founded in 1996 dedicated to the conservation of endangered gorillas and chimpanzees, threatened by the bushmeat trade in Central and West Africa. Ape Action Africa manages the rescue and rehabilitation of Great apes across much of Cameroon, with a large... , Cameroon Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the... |
|
| Safari School Safari School Safari School is a BBC Two reality television series presented by Dr Charlotte Uhlenbroek in which eight celebrities take part in a four week ranger training course in the Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa.-Synopsis:... |
BBC Two | Presenter | Reality TV Reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded... |
|
| Among the Apes | Five | |||
| The Museum of Curiosity The Museum of Curiosity The Museum of Curiosity, formerly titled The Professor of Curiosity, is a comedy panel game on BBC Radio 4 that was first broadcast on 20 February 2008. It stars John Lloyd as "The Professor of Ignorance at the University of Buckingham" and owner of the fictional "Museum of Curiosity"... |
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the... |
Panelist Panel game A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait..... |
Series 2 Episode 4 |
Personal life
Since 2006, she has been married to Daniel Rees, who works as a producer for the BBC Natural History Unit.Uhlenbroek supports Animal Aid
Animal Aid
Animal Aid, founded in 1977, is a British animal rights organisation. The group campaigns peacefully against all forms of animal abuse and promotes a cruelty-free lifestyle. It also investigates and exposes animal cruelty....
and their campaign against primate experiments, stating: "I have yet to hear a sufficiently compelling scientific argument that justifies the suffering inflicted on primates in medical research." She is also a supporter of many animal-orientated charities, including Fauna and Flora International, the Great Apes Survival Project
Great Apes Survival Project
The Great Apes Survival Project , established in 2001, aims to conserve the great apes and their habitat — primarily forested tropical ecosystems that provide important services to humanity, through pro-poor conservation and sustainable development strategies.GRASP is a UNEP and UNESCO-led World...
, the Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre and Compassion in World Farming
Compassion In World Farming
Compassion in World Farming is a campaigning and lobbying animal welfare organisation, with headquarters in the UK, branches in eight European countries and international representatives in China, Australia and South Africa...
.
Publications
- The Structure and Function of the Long-distance Calls Given by Male Chimpanzees in Gombe National Park (PhD Thesis), 1995
- Talking With Animals, 2002
- Jungle, 2004
- Animal Life (editor), 2008
Uhlenbroek also wrote the introduction to Wildlife Portfolio of the Year: Volume Nine, one of an annual collection of prize-winning images.
External links
- Profile on BBC Nature
- Charlotte Uhlenbroek: On living in the wild
- Charlotte Uhlenbroek's agent's page