Born in Maun, Reatile Schulte to Brinke’s life has always been intertwined with the wild beauty of the Okavango Delta. A member of the camera crew for the BBC’s Big Cats 24/7, Reatile shared insights into his journey and the challenges of filming this groundbreaking documentary.
“I have grown up surrounded by wildlife. I have been watching wildlife documentaries ever since I was a child,” he said. “It’s been clear for a long-time which direction my life was meant to go.”
Reatile’s entry into natural history filmmaking was built on a foundation in tourism. “Starting a career in tourism was my launching point into natural history,” he explained. “The transition to filmmaking was made possible under the tutelage of Brad Bestelink, who taught me and gave me the skills I needed.”
For Schulte to Brinke, showcasing Botswana’s natural heritage on a global stage is a dream come true. “There’s no greater feeling than showing off your home ground, not just locally but internationally as well,” he said proudly.
Having grown up in close proximity to wildlife, Reatile’s understanding of animal behavior has been a key asset. “Having been around wildlife my whole life, the experience has been a huge advantage in filming and understanding their behavior, which allows me to portray this better on film,” he said.
Filming Big Cats 24/7 came with its share of challenges, including dealing with fires in the Delta. “Fires were a big problem while filming the show,” Reatile revealed. “It shows that, yes, we do have a problem in the Delta with these potentially man-made fires.”
One of the unique aspects of the series was the deep immersion into the lives of the big cats. “Spending 24 hours with these individual cats allows us to gain a true insight into their personalities and habits,” he said. “It’s easy to see after some time who’s the rowdy one, who’s the hunting instigator, and who’s the most playful.”
Technology played a pivotal role in the production, opening new doors to understanding these majestic creatures. “The technology we used is an absolute game-changer,” he said. “It was a first for me to follow big cats for multiple nights, witnessing behavior I would’ve never expected or seen before. It definitely debunked certain behaviors I had previously assumed about big cats and sometimes went against what the known literature tells us.”
Despite the glamour often associated with filmmaking, Reatile shared the less glamorous side of the profession. “Filmmaking is not as glamorous as people may think,” he admitted. “Expect very long hours, days on end of no special behavior or activity, and plenty of frustrating moments when a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slips through your hands. However, in the end, with passion and dedication, I can assure you that documenting, witnessing, and being part of such incredible moments is something that will never leave your heart.”
Big Cats 24/7 is a captivating wildlife documentary series that provides an immersive look into the lives of Africa’s most iconic predators, filmed in the pristine wilderness of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. The series follows a team of local and internally skilled filmmakers and conservationists as they document the daily behaviors, interactions, and survival strategies of big cats like lions, leopards, and cheetahs.
Finally, Schulte to Brinke expressed pride in how Big Cats 24/7 highlights Botswana’s wild spaces. “The show does an amazing job of showing both local and international audiences how pristine our wild spaces are and the dedication everyone in Botswana has to keeping our natural environment as pure and untouched as possible,” he said. “There is truly no greater wilderness than the Okavango Delta.”
