New Film Shines Light on Georgian Conservationist’s Work
A new film, “Like an Animal”, is being released this weekend. It tells the story of Nika Kerdikoshvili, a Georgian conservationist who works in Lagodekhi to protect the Caucasian Tur.
The Caucasian Tur is a wild goat species that lives in the Caucasian Mountains. Its numbers have been greatly reduced due to poaching. Nika grew up as a hunter but had some experiences with wildlife that changed his path. He now uses his tracking and bushcraft skills for conservation work.
Nika’s recent photo of a Caucasian Tur fighting off a wolf is the first such picture ever taken. This caught the attention of international media, including the BBC.
The film-maker behind “Like an Animal” is Saxon Bosworth. He grew up in the UK but spent time working in Paris and Central Asia. After losing his job before Covid, he started researching environmental issues and eventually made a documentary about the Aral Sea.
Saxon became interested in Georgia’s rich environments and biodiversity while in Central Asia. He met Nika Kerdikoshvili through Ilia State University and spent the summer working with him and another PhD student.
The film “Like an Animal” will be released on Saxon’s YouTube channel, where viewers can also find some of his other work.