Seasons & episodes

S32 · E17The Gathering Swarms 2014-05-21 · 53 min＋

A look at some of the planet’s great gatherings, creatures that come together in inconceivable numbers – sometimes in millions, billions, and even trillions. Included are bats and bees, locust and ants, monarch butterflies in Mexico, 17-year cicada hatches, grunion in the Sea of Cortez and carp in the Mississippi River, sardine runs off the coast of South Africa, super flocks of parakeets in the Australian Outback, mayflies on the 4th of July, and even penguins and wildebeest. Some gather to breed or to migrate, some for protection, some simply to keep warm in the cold. But in the process, a kind of super-organism is created in which individual intelligence is superseded by a collective consciousness that shares information and moves with a single purpose for the benefit of all. Check out swarm intelligence, essentially a living embodiment of social media in the natural world.

S32 · E18Leave It to Beavers 2014-05-14 · 53 min＋

A growing number of scientists, conservationists and grass-roots environmentalists have come to regard beavers as overlooked tools when it comes to reversing the disastrous effects of global warming and world-wide water shortages. Once valued for their fur or hunted as pests, these industrious rodents are seen in a new light through the eyes of this novel assembly of beaver enthusiasts and “employers” who reveal the ways in which the presence of beavers can transform and revive landscapes. Using their skills as natural builders and brilliant hydro-engineers, beavers are being recruited to accomplish everything from finding water in a bone-dry desert to recharging water tables and coaxing life back into damaged lands.

S32 · E19Fabulous Frogs 2014-06-25 · 53 min＋

Sir David Attenborough hosts an exploration of the weird and wonderful world of frogs. Firsthand stories, the latest science and cutting-edge technology are used to demonstrate the wide variety of frog anatomy, appearance and behavior.

Documentary showing penguins as they have never been seen before. From the Antarctic to the tropics, spy cameras capture unique footage of three extraordinary species.

No episode summary available yet.

No episode summary available yet.

S33 · E4Animal Misfits 2014-10-15 · 53 min＋

A collection of animals that differ from the normal evolutionary adaptations from the mainstream biome is presented in this fast-paced and very engaging offering. They examine in a rapid-fire manner the special niches these strange and wonderful creatures have carved out for themselves in order to survive in what would initially seem to be very unlikely ways for sometimes millions of years.

S33 · E5A Sloth Named Velcro 2014-11-05 · 53 min＋

Sloths, once largely ignored, have become a hot topic of scientific researchers. Sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers are also springing up, as development often displaces these gentle creatures. Filmed in Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia, this is a story of friendship between a journalist and the sloth she named Velcro and a network of people working to learn more about sloths in order to protect them.

S33 · E6Invasion of the Killer Whales 2014-11-19 · 53 min＋

A shift of power is taking place at the top of the world. The Arctic is undergoing a dramatic change, and with this change one iconic Arctic hunter may soon have to give way to another as solid ice turns to open sea. The polar bear, once king of the North, needs ice to stalk its prey. Killer whales, or orca, on the other hand, are unable to hunt in an ocean locked in ice.

No episode summary available yet.

S33 · E8Wild France 2015-01-07 · 53 min＋

France is known for its delicious food and wines, great art and architecture and celebrated culture of all kinds. But there’s another side to this popular destination that is not as visible, its wild side. Deep in the French countryside, it is possible for the adventurous to spot brown bears, wild boar, griffon vultures or wolves.

S33 · E9Penguin Post Office 2015-01-28 · 53 min＋

Every summer, thousands of gentoo penguins surround a post office on the Antarctic Peninsula.

S33 · E10Owl Power 2015-02-18 · 53 min＋

Cameras, X-rays and ultramicroscopes reveal details about the life of owls, including how they hunt, how their vision and hearing work and how they fly so quietly.

S33 · E11The Last Orangutan Eden 2015-02-25 · 53 min＋

To truly understand the complexity of a wild orangutan society and the skills the orangutans have learned from their mothers in the wild, Ecologist Chris Morgan travels to a remote patch of forest also in Northern Sumatra, a peat swamp forest known as Suaq Balimbing. Working with a team of experienced researchers, he becomes completely immersed in this unique social band of wild orangs who use tools, share food, forage together, and create their own distinct culture.

S33 · E12Animal Homes: The Nest 2015-04-08 · 53 min＋

Exploring how birds carefully select their materials, and craft their homes for the all-important tasks of protecting their eggs and raising their young.

S33 · E13Animal Homes: Location, Location, Location 2015-04-15 · 53 min＋

Animated blueprints and tiny cameras chart the building plans and progress of beavers, tortoises, hummingbirds and woodrats, examining layouts and cross sections as they evaluate the technical specs of their structures.

S33 · E14Animal Homes: Animal Cities 2015-04-22 · 53 min＋

Some animals find that living in the midst of huge colonies of their own kind is sometimes a matter of necessity and sometimes the most secure and rewarding housing arrangement.

S33 · E15Mystery Monkeys of Shangri-La 2015-04-29 · 53 min＋

This is the story of a family of the recently discovered Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys living in the Himalayas.

S33 · E16Animal Childhood 2015-05-13 · 53 min＋

Young animals all around the world attempt to hone their survival skills as they prepare to leave home.

S33 · E17The Sagebrush Sea 2015-05-20 · 53 min＋

The greater sage-grouse adapts to life in a sea of sagebrush, a landscape spanning 11 states in the American West, which is home to more than 170 species of birds and mammals.

S34 · E1Nature’s Miracle Orphans: Second Chances 2015-09-23 · 53 min＋

Part 1 of 2. The Season 34 premiere focuses on the work of human caretakers of orphaned baby animals. At Australia's Cape Otway Conservation Centre, the staff cares for a baby koala found along a road. It's weak and underweight, and should be spending its first six months inside its mother's pouch; the staff gives it a teddy bear to hold for comfort. At a sanctuary in Costa Rica, meanwhile, primatologist Sam Trull cares for six baby orphan sloths, including one that has pneumonia.

S34 · E2Nature’s Miracle Orphans: Wild Lessons 2015-09-30 · 53 min＋

Growing up in the wild is hard enough on young animals when they have parents to rely on for protection and guidance, but what happens when they lose their parents? How do they survive? Over the past few years, great strides have been made in understanding how to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned wildlife.

S34 · E3Big Birds Can't Fly 2015-10-07 · 53 min＋

It may seem strange that among the more than 10,000 bird species in the world today is a group that literally cannot fly or sing, and whose wings are more fluff than feather. These are the ratites: the ostrich, emu, rhea, kiwi and cassowary. How and why these birds abandoned flight has puzzled scientists since Darwin’s time, but DNA and dedicated research are helping to solve these mysteries.

S34 · E4Soul of the Elephant 2015-10-14 · 53 min＋

Wildlife filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert take an intimate look at one of the world’s most intelligent and sensitive animals.