Wild Ireland is focus of new RTE show ‘Return of the Wild’

A new series focusing on the creation of Wild Ireland in Burnfoot is to feature on RTE One in September.
Killian McLoughlin and wife Katie will feature on new RTE show Return of the Wild.Killian McLoughlin and wife Katie will feature on new RTE show Return of the Wild.
Killian McLoughlin and wife Katie will feature on new RTE show Return of the Wild.

‘Return of the Wild’ follows ‘trailblazer’ Killian McLoughlin and his family as he embarks on a mission to build the most unique wildlife park in the world in Co. Donegal.

The show will outline how, on twenty-three acres of woodland, he will turn back the hands of time and populate his land with animals long since extinct in Ireland such as wolves, brown bears and wild boar.

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Moondance have followed the highs and lows of his journey which will no doubt be a one-off ripping yarn which will have audiences at the edge of their seats.

Never before has a wildlife park of this scale been undertaken by one person and this character driven documentary will reveal Killian’s compelling journey to transform his native woodland into a world class wildlife attraction.

From negotiating the build to meeting constant roadblocks with financiers, and from searching far and wide in Ireland and Europe for specific animals to populate his zoo, Killian, a solicitor ‘by day’ and his new wife Katie, a city girl from Cabinteely, will stop at nothing to realise a lifelong dream.

Moondance and RTE describe Return of the Wild as ‘a documentary series full of heart and passion, high stakes emotions, big dreams and even bigger risks.’

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Their challenge is immense as they must open the doors to the public in November 2019 and the show tracks the dramatic twists and turns involved in turning Killian’s land into a zoo, from preparing the land for the animals, constructing a huge lake for the birds and monkeys, to building vantage points for the visitors within the enclosure and working out how to protect visitors without compromising the animals’ freedom.

Locating and acquiring the animals for the zoo from around the world is a monumental task for Killian including, brown bears, grey wolves, wild boars, the Irish Lynx and a myriad of other species, all of which roamed freely in Ireland at one time. As a wildlife devotee he has spent his life preparing for this moment and the time has come to bring the animals home to this majestic landscape where they will roam once more in his wildlife park.”

‘Return of the Wild’ begins on RTE One on Thursday, September 10.

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