BBC’s Planet Earth 2 won’t show dying penguins fearing it would be too upsetting for viewers
Producers draw the line at showing their dying moments because they look like "little men in dinner jackets"
HEARTBREAKING scenes have featured elephants starving to death on this famous BBC wildlife series, and others captured lions chasing down gazelles.
But Planet Earth 2 producers have revealed that airing the death of penguins would be too much for viewers.
A source close to the natural history programme said the little creatures closely resemble "little people" and it draws the line at showing their dying moments.
The world's biggest colony of penguins on Zavodovski Island, near Antarctica, featured during the first of six episodes on Sunday.
And filmmakers revealed they faced distressing scenes with dozens of the adorable birds severely injured.
In the behind-the-scenes section at the end of the episode, Liz White said: "It was absolute carnage.
"It was quite heart-breaking, they are trying so hard to get up the beach with broken legs and bleeding, it’s very sobering really.
"The beach in the afternoon was just a scene of death and destruction."
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An insider told that the corporation chose not to broadcast penguin death scenes.
They said: "Penguins are particularly hard because they’re like little people.
"They look like little men dressed up in dinner jackets.
"Because they have a particular resonance with people, you have to be very, very careful."
Graphic scenes did feature in Planet Earth 2's opener, which focused on island life, including crabs being blinded by acid.
One clip showed a snake strangling to death a baby iguana on Fernandina Island, Galapagos.
Next week’s episode will explore mountain animals, including a rare sighting of snow leopards.
Planet Earth 2 has taken three years to complete after 117 filming trips in 40 different countries and a total of 2089 shooting days.
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