Chadden Hunter
Australian wildlife biologist and documentary filmmaker
Best known for his work alongside Sir David Attenborough for BBC’s ‘Planet Earth’, Chadden Hunter is a renowned wildlife biologist and documentary filmmaker with a passion for environmental conservation.
Born in North Queensland, Chadden grew up surrounded by rainforest and coral reef. Having developed a love for the outdoors at an early age, Chadden’s early immersion to nature inspired him to gain a First-Class Honours degree in Zoology from the University of Queensland. Not long after, he would embark on a wild 'Gorillas in the Mist' adventure in war-torn Ethiopia to study gelada baboons for his PhD. On his journey, Chadden would find himself dodging armed bandits, brain parasites and learning local languages.
Thanks to his presenting work on the ‘Cliffhangers’ TV series on National Geographic, Chadden discovered a love of television broadcasting. Convinced that TV would be the most impactful way to reach audiences around the world, he would dedicate his career to telling powerful stories in a way that could inspire change through education.
As a wildlife filmmaker, Chadden has worked alongside Sir David Attenborough for over 20 years, documenting everything from snow leopards in Pakistan to the anaconda of the Amazon. He has produced and directed many critically acclaimed nature documentaries, winning over 20 BAFTA and Emmy Awards for projects like ‘Planet Earth’, ‘LIFE’, ‘Wild Arabia’ and ‘Frozen Planet’.
Some of his career highlights have included being known as ‘the guy covered in bat poop’ on BBC’s ‘Planet Earth’ and learning that -40C was enough to freeze his eyes shut while filming arctic wolves in ‘Frozen Planet’.
Chadden has also worked as a divemaster with underwater productions crews around the world to explore plastic pollution in the ocean for ‘Blue Planet 2 Effect’. He continues to spread awareness for environmental issues in an effort to encourage change in corporate and political agendas.
Now back home in Queensland, Chadden continues to make documentaries to inspire audiences around the world.