NATURE is supposed to test the survival of the fittest - so what happens when the heartstrings of wildlife camera crews are tugged?

The film-makers behind some of the BBC's most famous natural history shows, including Scottish cameraman Doug Allan, have admitted helping distressed animals in certain scenarios as they revealed the battle to remain objective observers.

Speaking at the Radio Times Festival in London, Dunfermline-born Mr Allan, who is Sir David Attenborough's favourite cameraman, said: "For me, at least, my job is to look and not interfere. If I feel my presence is tilting the balance of the predator or the prey, then I'm doing something wrong.

"I was in a penguin colony once and there were big melt holes developing in the ice. And a little emperor chick had fallen in a hole. So of course what do you do?

"You pick it up and put it out. Of course it will probably just go and fall in another one, but at least you've helped its chances to survive.

"On the other hand, if you see a bunch of petrels attacking a chick then you just have to leave it, because the giant petrel is as entitled to his meal as any other animal."

Alice Hunter, a wildlife photographer, said Mr Allan had the "right idea" while others urged them to "intervene more".

“As humans kill so much of nature, a few small interventions is hardly changing any ‘balance’," said Twitter user Mike Hamblett.

John Tweedie, a student of natural sciences from Glasgow, wrote: “I’m in the ‘do not interfere’ camp but them helping is no different from us helping a chick that’s fallen out of the nest. We should never interfere where it’s a predator-prey interaction. But if it’s the last few of a species being hunted…”

Another social media user wrote: “We can't choose which will live and which will die based on which ones are cuddliest.”