Doug Allan OBE
BDMLR are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Doug Allan. Doug was one of our long term Patrons, an extraordinary wildlife cameraman, and a pioneer of natural history storytelling.
Doug’s work brought the natural world into millions of homes through iconic series such as The Blue Planet, Planet Earth and Frozen Planet. As a former member of the British Antarctic Survey, he spent decades filming in some of the most remote and hostile environments on Earth, particularly the polar regions, revealing rarely seen wildlife behaviours. His ability to capture powerful and intimate moments helped ignite a global appreciation for wildlife and the need to protect it.
Doug was a valued supporter of BDMLR and our work. He generously donated signed prints of his phenomenal work to support our fundraising on a number of occasions, helped raise awareness of our work through his own public talks, and spoke at several BDMLR events – particularly with our Edinburgh team and alongside Corinne Gordon, who also recently passed away. His willingness to help meant a great deal to the charity and helped us reach wider audiences with our message.
Doug had a rare gift for connecting people with wildlife, sharing his love of the natural world with warmth and humour. His loss will be felt for a long time to come, and his legacy will continue to inspire both the public and those working to protect our marine environment, as well as future generations of wildlife filmmakers and conservationists.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this time.
Photo kindly shared by Sue Flood