Why do some people who love nature end up destroying it? That鈥檚 the question documentarian Timothy Wheeler explores in his new award-winning film, , which investigates the strange British subculture of illegal egg-collecting. While collecting eggs is necessary for some forms of scientific study, that鈥檚 not the motivation behind the fanatics Wheeler exposes in his film. Instead, these individuals enthusiastically roam huge swathes of Britain鈥檚 countryside to find eggs, often scaling gigantic trees or abseiling down perilous cliffs to raid nests. The precious tokens are then pierced and the contents blown out to leave the exquisite, collectible casings behind. The resulting collections could tangibly hurt populations: Individuals have been known to amass hoards of several thousand eggs, posing such a danger to species that in Britain, collectors are prosecuted with prison sentences and fines of up to 拢5,000 ($7,400).
Wheeler worked with the U.K.鈥檚 Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the country鈥檚 National Wildlife Crime Unit to gain access to some of these individuals, both practicing and reformed, including Britain鈥檚 most notorious egg thief, Matthew Gonshaw, and a man known only as 鈥淢r. X鈥 who conceals his identity with a crow skull mask, boasting about his personal collection of 3,500 birds eggs.
Through the characters, it becomes clear that egg collectors aren鈥檛 nursing a hobby, but an addiction. 鈥淵ou watch people as they really struggle with their addiction and try to have a healthier relationship with nature,鈥 Wheeler says. 鈥淲e get to experience what that is like for them.鈥
爆料公社 spoke to Wheeler about how a boyhood hobby transforms into an adult obsession鈥攁nd how nature feeds this unlikely addiction.
The film, which premiered last March, will be released on iTunes on January 15th, and is .
爆料公社: How do people get into egg collecting?
Wheeler: It seems to stem from a childhood fascination with birds. There鈥檚 this weird relationship they have with nature: all of these egg collectors are in fact true bird lovers. But as with any type of addiction, they are somehow able to rationalize their behavior because the lust for the egg becomes more important to them than seeing that they鈥檙e actually harming the very thing they love.
A: What kinds of eggs do collectors typically look for?
W: They鈥檙e trying to get the rarest egg, just like a stamp collector would want the rarest stamp: the rarer the bird the more attractive the egg. They鈥檙e also attracted to 鈥渂ig stick鈥 birds, the Golden Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, or the Osprey鈥攙ery large birds you might have to abseil down cliffs or climb high trees for. Some of them are attracted to what they say is the beauty of the eggs as well. When they鈥檙e looking at one, they鈥檒l salivate over it as if it鈥檚 a drug; there鈥檚 almost a sensual aspect to it too, which is quite bizarre.
A: This surely poses a serious threat to certain species?
W: The way it鈥檚 been described to us is that the egg collector can be the final nail in the coffin. Birds may be under threat mostly because of other environmental reasons, but they are therefore rare which makes them more attractive for the egg collector. So for example the Red-backed Shrike [a bird on the RSPB鈥檚 Red List]: there鈥檚 known to be one pair that comes back to the UK and it鈥檚 always uncertain whether they鈥檙e going to return鈥攜et that one pair has been targeted [by egg collectors].
A: The documentary reveals what viewers may not expect: egg collecting is often high-octane and incredibly dangerous鈥攕o are people in it for the thrill?
W: It is absolutely about the adventure. They鈥檙e not as interested in acquiring mass collections of eggs from other collectors; they鈥檙e interested in the pursuit, and that each egg has a story. It鈥檚 kind of like the adrenaline rush of extreme sports. Egg collectors are some of the most expert tree climbers in the world. It is absolutely fascinating and scary to watch them: they鈥檒l free-climb a 100-foot tree. And some are extremely anti-authoritarian; some are aroused by the thrill of the cat-and-mouse game with the police. They have to find covert ways of covering their tracks, hiding eggs in safe houses, in floorboards under their homes or in secret rooms. They get into the secrecy of it, much as any drug addict or a sex addict may get into the secrecy of their habit.
A: Why do people keep doing it even when they know it鈥檚 destructive?
W: What I鈥檝e got from all of them is that this is what they do best. It鈥檚 a very difficult thing to go out and to find these birds鈥攚hether you鈥檙e talking about climbing a 100-foot tree, or being in Dartmoor and finding a nest in that expansive landscape, or locating hard-to-find birds like a Tree Pipit鈥攖hey find real value in that process and that鈥檚 what they鈥檙e best at in life.
A: Collectors face harsh prison sentences and severe fines. But, you make an effort to reveal the human side to these crimes, as well.
W: It鈥檚 important to not vilify these people. At the end of the day we all have our secrets, though some are obviously worse than others! These are all people that are valuable contributors to society, maybe in other ways, but they have this historical struggle, a collecting addiction that ultimately does harm. We have to understand a psychology like this in order to really combat it.
A: Should other countries become more aware of this issue?
W: I don鈥檛 want to plant the seed that this is some rising, monstrous problem, but an egg collector can have a devastating impact. There have been major cases in Norway, Sweden, Bulgaria, and I have heard from egg collectors themselves about a couple of potential collectors in the United States. I think it鈥檚 important that authorities have this on their radar, because it does exist in other parts of the world.
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Poached has partnered with several 爆料公社 chapters and other environmental groups to screen this film to a wide audience, including the following:
January 13, 2016, 7:30 - 9:30, Free Screening followed by a Q & A with Director Timothy Wheeler
Sponsored by Los Angeles 爆料公社
爆料公社 Center at Debs Park
4700 North Griffin Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90031
Phone: 323-221-2255
January 31, 2016, 3 - 5 pm, Free Screening
Sponsored by Bent of the River 爆料公社 and Wild Birds Unlimited Brookfield
Brookfield Public Library
182 Whisconier Rd.
Brookfield, CT 06804
Phone: 203-775-4888
To bring Poached to your community send the filmmakers a request at and stay tuned to for a screening near you.