Become a wildlife photographer for a week, that's the challenge facing five Irish personalities who must travel into some of the most remote corners of Ireland where they have to track down and photograph a wild and elusive Irish animal. From whales to pine martens, seals to bats, this series aims to feature Ireland's wildlife and their habitats in a new and compelling way. The best photograph sees the winning photographer off on a wildlife adventure of a lifetime, photographing the highly endangered mountain gorillas of Rwanda. Participants include Carrie Crowley, Conor Lenihan TD, actor Don Wycherley, Ray D'arcy and adventurer Pat Falvey.

Programme 1
Grey Seals
Actor Don Wycherley finds himself a long way from Bachelor's Walk on the remote and windswept Inishkea islands off Co Mayo. Battered by winter storms, his challenge is to photograph Ireland's largest carnivores - Grey Seals and their adorable white pups.

Programme 2
Red Deer
Conor Lenihan TD spends a week camping out in the wilds of Killarney National Park trying his best to photograph one of Kerry's noisiest residents - not Jackie Healy Rea, but a wild red deer stag at the height of the rutting season - when the stags bellow from the mountain ridges.

Programme 3
Fin Whales
Ray Darcy's challenge is to photograph the second biggest animal in the world - a regular visitor to Ireland's coastal waters - Fin Whales. Fin Whales can grow up to 80 feet long and are often seen off west Cork as they migrate south to their breeding grounds off North Africa. Ray spends a week at sea chasing Fin Whales.

Programme 4
Pine Martens
Carrie Crowley heads deep into the Burren in Co Clare on the trail of Ireland's most elusive mammal - the Pine Marten. She learns just how much dedication is needed to become a wildlife photographer and that camping out for nights on end - does not always go according to plan.

Programme 5
Bats
Adventurer Pat Falvey finally goes bats in Killarney. After his Everest adventures, Pat is exploring much closer to home this year - the caves and bat roosts in his adopted homeland of Kerry where he tries to get a first in irish wildlife photography - successfully photographing a bat in flight.

Programme 6
Gorillas in Rwanda
In the sixth and final programme of Wild Trials a panel of expert judges pick the best photograph of the series and sends the winning photographer off on the wildlife adventure of a lifetime... After much deliberation it is Carrie Crowley's photograph of a stoat in the Burren that wins her an incredible trip to Northern Rwanda to photograph the highly endangered mountain gorillas.

Filmed by Ross Bartley
Directed by Rob Harvey and Ross Bartley
Produced by John Murray

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