Showing posts with label Life: Animals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life: Animals. Show all posts
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Leave it to Beavers (2014)
The fascinating story of beavers in North America - their history, their near extinction, and their current comeback, as 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 re-establishing water sources in bone-dry deserts to supporting whole communities of wildlife drawn to the revitalizing aquatic ecosystems their ponds provide.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Wild: Hyena Coast (2014)
Brown hyena expert Ingrid Wiesel wants to find her favorite study animal, named Tosca, who has disappeared from her home range on Namibia’s wild west coast. Ingrid has spent the last 17 years studying brown hyenas–now she must journey deep into Tosca’s world to discover what exactly has forced her to leave her traditional hunting grounds. The story begins with Tosca’s disappearance who, since her brith nine years ago, has been the subject of Ingrid’s studies. Tosca is an efficient and hardworking hunter, and also a successful mother. So when Tosca and her clan disappear from their home range, Ingrid sets off on a journey to find her, traveling deep into the world of brown hyenas.
Wild: Ultimate Honey Badger (2014)
Drop into the secret life of Badgie the honey badger as she learns how to face the wilds of Africa alone. Join her on mouse, snake, and scorpion hunts, and in her battle with a porcupine for ownership of her burrow. Badgers are among the most fearless animals in Africa, and in this film National Geographic follows Badgie’s rite of passage to becoming the street fighter of the Savannah.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
* Big Cats of the Savannah (2014)
The grasslands of Africa are a banquet for feline predators. The unique grasses attract herbivores by the millions including herds of wildebeests and zebras who come to graze in spite of the danger of being eaten themselves. Take a closer look at the African savannah as we explore the hunting and nurturing habits of lions, leopards and cheetahs inside one of the most unique ecosystems on Earth.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
* Planet Earth (2006)
As of its release in early 2007, Planet Earth is quite simply the greatest nature/wildlife series ever produced. Following the similarly monumental achievement of The Blue Planet: Seas of Life, this astonishing 11-part BBC series is brilliantly narrated by Sir David Attenborough and sensibly organized so that each 50-minute episode covers a specific geographical region and/or wildlife habitat (mountains, caves, deserts, shallow seas, seasonal forests, etc.) until the entire planet has been magnificently represented by the most astonishing sights and sounds you'll ever experience from the comforts of home. The premiere episode, "From Pole to Pole," serves as a primer for things to come, placing the entire series in proper context and giving a general overview of what to expect from each individual episode. Without being overtly political, the series maintains a consistent and subtle emphasis on the urgent need for ongoing conservation, best illustrated by the plight of polar bears whose very behavior is changing (to accommodate life-threatening changes in their fast-melting habitat) in the wake of global warming--a phenomenon that this series appropriately presents as scientific fact. With this harsh reality as subtext, the series proceeds to accentuate the positive, delivering a seemingly endless variety of natural wonders, from the spectacular mating displays of New Guinea's various birds of paradise to a rare encounter with Siberia's nearly-extinct Amur Leopards, of which only 30 remain in the wild.
That's just a hint of the marvels on display. Accompanied by majestic orchestral scores by George Fenton, every episode is packed with images so beautiful or so forcefully impressive (and so perfectly photographed by the BBC's tenacious high-definition camera crews) that you'll be rendered speechless by the splendor of it all. You'll see a seal struggling to out-maneuver a Great White Shark; swimming macaques in the Ganges delta; massive flocks of snow geese numbering in the hundreds of thousands; an awesome night-vision sequence of lions attacking an elephant; the Colugo (or "flying lemur"--not really a lemur!) of the Philippines; a hunting alliance of fish and snakes on Indonesia's magnificent coral reef; the bioluminescent "vampire squid" of the deep oceans... these are just a few of countless highlights, masterfully filmed from every conceivable angle, with frequent use of super-slow-motion and amazing motion-controlled time-lapse cinematography, and narrated by Sir Attenborough with his trademark combination of observational wit and informative authority. The result is a hugely entertaining series that doesn't flinch from the predatory realities of nature (death is a constant presence, without being off-putting).
At a time when the multiple threats of global warming should be obvious to all, let's give Sir David the last word, from the closing of Planet Earth's final episode: "We can now destroy or we can cherish--the choice is ours." -- Jeff Shannon
Episode 1: From Pole To Pole
The lives of animals and plants are dominated by the sun and fresh water which trigger seasonal journeys. The latest technology and aerial photography enable the Planet Earth team to track some of the greatest mass migrations.In the Arctic spring, a mother polar bear and cubs emerge from their winter den. They have just two weeks to cross the frozen sea before it melts and they become stranded. Share the most intimate and complete picture of polar bear life ever filmed. Further south, time-lapse cameras capture the annual transformation created by the Okavango floods.
Episode 2: Mountains
Tour the mightiest mountain ranges, starting with the birth of a mountain at one of the lowest places on Earth and ending at the summit of Everest.One of Earth's rarest phenomena is a lava lake that has been erupting for over 100 years.The same forces built the Simian Mountains where troops of gelada baboons live, nearly a thousand strong. In the Rockies, grizzlies build winter dens inside avalanche-prone slopes. The programme also brings us astounding images of a snow leopard hunting on the Pakistan peaks, a world first.
Episode 3: Freshwater
Fresh water defines the distribution of life on land. Follow the descent of rivers from their mountain sources to the sea. Watch spectacular waterfalls, fly inside the Grand Canyon and explore the wildlife in the world's deepest lake.Planet Earth captures unique and dramatic moments of animal behaviour: a showdown between smooth-coated otters and mugger crocodiles; deep-diving long tailed macaques; massive flocks of snow geese on the wing and a piranha frenzy in the perilous waters of the world's largest wetland.
Episode 4: Caves
The Cave of Swallows in Mexico is a 400m vertical shaft, deep enough to engulf the Empire State Building. The Lechuguilla cave system in the USA is 193km long with astonishing crystal formations.Caves are remarkable habitats with equally bizarre wildlife. Cave angel fish cling to the walls behind waterfalls with microscopic hooks on their fins. Cave swiftlets navigate by echo-location and build nests out of saliva. The Texas cave salamander has neither eyes nor pigment. Planet Earth gets unique access to a hidden world of stalactites, stalagmites, snotites and troglodytes.
Episode 5: Deserts
Around 30% of the land's surface is desert, the most varied of our ecosystems despite the lack of rain. Saharan sandstorms reach nearly a mile high and desert rivers run for a single day.In the Gobi Desert, rare Bactrian camels get moisture from the snow. In the Atacama, guanacos survive by licking dew off cactus spines. The brief blooming of Death Valley triggers a plague of locusts 65km wide and 160km long. A unique aerial voyage over the Namibian desert reveals elephants on a long trek for food and desert lions searching for wandering oryx.
Episode 6: Ice Worlds
The Arctic and Antarctic experience the most extreme seasons on Earth. Time-lapse cameras watch a colony of emperor penguins, transforming them into a single organism. The film reveals new science about the dynamics of emperor penguin behaviour.In the north, unique aerial images show a polar bear swimming more than 100km. Diving for up to two minutes at a time. The exhausted polar bear later attacks a herd of walrus in a true clash of the Titans.
Episode 7: Great Plains
After filming for three years, Planet Earth finally captures the shy Mongolian gazelle. Only a handful of people have witnessed its annual migration. Don't miss the bizarre-looking Tibetan fox, captured on film for the first time.Over six weeks the team follow a pride of 30 lions as they attempt to hunt elephants. Using the latest night vision equipment, the crew film the chaotic battles that ensue at close quarters.
Episode 8: Jungles
Jungles cover roughly three per cent of our planet yet contain 50 per cent of the world's species. High-definition cameras enable unprecedented views of animals living on the dark jungle floor.In the Ngogo forest the largest chimpanzee group in the world defends its territory from neighbouring groups. Other jungle specialists include parasitic fungi which infiltrate an insect host, feed on it, and then burst out of its body.
Episode 9: Shallow Seas
A humpback whale mother and calf embark on an epic journey from tropical coral paradises to storm ravaged polar seas.Newly discovered coral reefs in Indonesia reveal head-butting pygmy seahorses, flashing 'electric' clams and bands of sea kraits, 30-strong, which hunt in packs. Elsewhere plagues of sea urchins fell forests of giant kelp. Huge bull fur seals attack king penguins, who despite their weight disadvantage, put up a spirited defence.
Episode 10: Seasonal Forests
The Taiga forest, on the edge of the Arctic, is a silent world of stunted conifers. The trees may be small but filming from the air reveals its true scale. A third of all trees on Earth grow here and during the short summer they produce enough oxygen to change the atmosphere.In California General Sherman, a giant sequoia, is the largest living thing on the planet, ten times the size of a blue whale. The oldest organisms alive are bristlecone pines. At more than 4,000 years old they pre-date the pyramids. But the baobab forests of Madagascar are perhaps the strangest of all.
Episode 11: Ocean Deep
The final instalment concentrates on the most unexplored area of the planet: the deep ocean. It begins with a whale shark used as a shield by a shoal of bait fish to protect themselves from yellowfin tuna. Also shown is an oceanic whitetip shark trailing rainbow runners. Meanwhile, a 500-strong school of dolphins head for the Azores, where they work together to feast on scad mackerel along with a shearwater flock. Down in the ocean's furthest reaches, some creatures defy classification. On the sea floor, scavengers such as the spider crab bide their time, awaiting carrion from above. The volcanic mountain chain at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean also sustains life through the bacteria that surround its sulphide vents. There are thought to be around 30,000 undersea volcanoes, some of them taller than Mount Everest. Their sheer cliffs provide anchorage for several corals and sponges. Nearer the surface, the currents that surround these seamounts force nutrients up from below and thus marine life around them is abundant. Ascension Island is a nesting ground for frigatebirds and green turtles. Off the Mexican coast, a large group of sailfish feed on another shoal of bait fish, changing colour to signal their intentions to each other, allowing them to coordinate their attack. The last sequence depicts the largest animal on Earth: the blue whale, of which 300,000 once roamed the world's oceans. Now fewer than 3% remain. Planet Earth Diaries shows the search in the Bahamas for oceanic whitetip sharks.
That's just a hint of the marvels on display. Accompanied by majestic orchestral scores by George Fenton, every episode is packed with images so beautiful or so forcefully impressive (and so perfectly photographed by the BBC's tenacious high-definition camera crews) that you'll be rendered speechless by the splendor of it all. You'll see a seal struggling to out-maneuver a Great White Shark; swimming macaques in the Ganges delta; massive flocks of snow geese numbering in the hundreds of thousands; an awesome night-vision sequence of lions attacking an elephant; the Colugo (or "flying lemur"--not really a lemur!) of the Philippines; a hunting alliance of fish and snakes on Indonesia's magnificent coral reef; the bioluminescent "vampire squid" of the deep oceans... these are just a few of countless highlights, masterfully filmed from every conceivable angle, with frequent use of super-slow-motion and amazing motion-controlled time-lapse cinematography, and narrated by Sir Attenborough with his trademark combination of observational wit and informative authority. The result is a hugely entertaining series that doesn't flinch from the predatory realities of nature (death is a constant presence, without being off-putting).
At a time when the multiple threats of global warming should be obvious to all, let's give Sir David the last word, from the closing of Planet Earth's final episode: "We can now destroy or we can cherish--the choice is ours." -- Jeff Shannon
Episode 1: From Pole To Pole
The lives of animals and plants are dominated by the sun and fresh water which trigger seasonal journeys. The latest technology and aerial photography enable the Planet Earth team to track some of the greatest mass migrations.In the Arctic spring, a mother polar bear and cubs emerge from their winter den. They have just two weeks to cross the frozen sea before it melts and they become stranded. Share the most intimate and complete picture of polar bear life ever filmed. Further south, time-lapse cameras capture the annual transformation created by the Okavango floods.
Episode 2: Mountains
Tour the mightiest mountain ranges, starting with the birth of a mountain at one of the lowest places on Earth and ending at the summit of Everest.One of Earth's rarest phenomena is a lava lake that has been erupting for over 100 years.The same forces built the Simian Mountains where troops of gelada baboons live, nearly a thousand strong. In the Rockies, grizzlies build winter dens inside avalanche-prone slopes. The programme also brings us astounding images of a snow leopard hunting on the Pakistan peaks, a world first.
Episode 3: Freshwater
Fresh water defines the distribution of life on land. Follow the descent of rivers from their mountain sources to the sea. Watch spectacular waterfalls, fly inside the Grand Canyon and explore the wildlife in the world's deepest lake.Planet Earth captures unique and dramatic moments of animal behaviour: a showdown between smooth-coated otters and mugger crocodiles; deep-diving long tailed macaques; massive flocks of snow geese on the wing and a piranha frenzy in the perilous waters of the world's largest wetland.
Episode 4: Caves
The Cave of Swallows in Mexico is a 400m vertical shaft, deep enough to engulf the Empire State Building. The Lechuguilla cave system in the USA is 193km long with astonishing crystal formations.Caves are remarkable habitats with equally bizarre wildlife. Cave angel fish cling to the walls behind waterfalls with microscopic hooks on their fins. Cave swiftlets navigate by echo-location and build nests out of saliva. The Texas cave salamander has neither eyes nor pigment. Planet Earth gets unique access to a hidden world of stalactites, stalagmites, snotites and troglodytes.
Episode 5: Deserts
Around 30% of the land's surface is desert, the most varied of our ecosystems despite the lack of rain. Saharan sandstorms reach nearly a mile high and desert rivers run for a single day.In the Gobi Desert, rare Bactrian camels get moisture from the snow. In the Atacama, guanacos survive by licking dew off cactus spines. The brief blooming of Death Valley triggers a plague of locusts 65km wide and 160km long. A unique aerial voyage over the Namibian desert reveals elephants on a long trek for food and desert lions searching for wandering oryx.
Episode 6: Ice Worlds
The Arctic and Antarctic experience the most extreme seasons on Earth. Time-lapse cameras watch a colony of emperor penguins, transforming them into a single organism. The film reveals new science about the dynamics of emperor penguin behaviour.In the north, unique aerial images show a polar bear swimming more than 100km. Diving for up to two minutes at a time. The exhausted polar bear later attacks a herd of walrus in a true clash of the Titans.
Episode 7: Great Plains
After filming for three years, Planet Earth finally captures the shy Mongolian gazelle. Only a handful of people have witnessed its annual migration. Don't miss the bizarre-looking Tibetan fox, captured on film for the first time.Over six weeks the team follow a pride of 30 lions as they attempt to hunt elephants. Using the latest night vision equipment, the crew film the chaotic battles that ensue at close quarters.
Episode 8: Jungles
Jungles cover roughly three per cent of our planet yet contain 50 per cent of the world's species. High-definition cameras enable unprecedented views of animals living on the dark jungle floor.In the Ngogo forest the largest chimpanzee group in the world defends its territory from neighbouring groups. Other jungle specialists include parasitic fungi which infiltrate an insect host, feed on it, and then burst out of its body.
Episode 9: Shallow Seas
A humpback whale mother and calf embark on an epic journey from tropical coral paradises to storm ravaged polar seas.Newly discovered coral reefs in Indonesia reveal head-butting pygmy seahorses, flashing 'electric' clams and bands of sea kraits, 30-strong, which hunt in packs. Elsewhere plagues of sea urchins fell forests of giant kelp. Huge bull fur seals attack king penguins, who despite their weight disadvantage, put up a spirited defence.
Episode 10: Seasonal Forests
The Taiga forest, on the edge of the Arctic, is a silent world of stunted conifers. The trees may be small but filming from the air reveals its true scale. A third of all trees on Earth grow here and during the short summer they produce enough oxygen to change the atmosphere.In California General Sherman, a giant sequoia, is the largest living thing on the planet, ten times the size of a blue whale. The oldest organisms alive are bristlecone pines. At more than 4,000 years old they pre-date the pyramids. But the baobab forests of Madagascar are perhaps the strangest of all.
Episode 11: Ocean Deep
The final instalment concentrates on the most unexplored area of the planet: the deep ocean. It begins with a whale shark used as a shield by a shoal of bait fish to protect themselves from yellowfin tuna. Also shown is an oceanic whitetip shark trailing rainbow runners. Meanwhile, a 500-strong school of dolphins head for the Azores, where they work together to feast on scad mackerel along with a shearwater flock. Down in the ocean's furthest reaches, some creatures defy classification. On the sea floor, scavengers such as the spider crab bide their time, awaiting carrion from above. The volcanic mountain chain at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean also sustains life through the bacteria that surround its sulphide vents. There are thought to be around 30,000 undersea volcanoes, some of them taller than Mount Everest. Their sheer cliffs provide anchorage for several corals and sponges. Nearer the surface, the currents that surround these seamounts force nutrients up from below and thus marine life around them is abundant. Ascension Island is a nesting ground for frigatebirds and green turtles. Off the Mexican coast, a large group of sailfish feed on another shoal of bait fish, changing colour to signal their intentions to each other, allowing them to coordinate their attack. The last sequence depicts the largest animal on Earth: the blue whale, of which 300,000 once roamed the world's oceans. Now fewer than 3% remain. Planet Earth Diaries shows the search in the Bahamas for oceanic whitetip sharks.
* Civilisation (1969) *** Missing number 1.
Civilisation is the crowning achievement in the career of Lord Kenneth Clark. It is an unforgettable epic journey through Western culture that spans eleven countries and more than sixteen centuries of Western civilization's art, architecture, philosophy, and history.
Episode 1: The Skin of our Teeth
The first programme in this 13-part documentary series covers the Dark Ages, from AD400 to AD1000.
Episode 2: The Great Thaw
The sudden re-awakening of European civilisation in the 12th century is traced by Sir Kenneth Clarke to its high point - the building of the Cathedral of Chartres.
Episode 3: Romance and Reality
Sir Kenneth Clark explores the aspirations and achievements of the gothic world, on a journey from a castle on the river Loire in France to the cathedral baptistry at Pisa in Italy.
Episode 4: Man - The Measure of all Things
Kenneth Clarke visits the Italian palaces of Urbino and Mantua, which were centres of the Renaissance.
Episode 5: The Hero as Artist
Kenneth Clarke visits Papal Rome to explore the work of 16th-century artists Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci.
Episode 6: Protest and Communication
Examining protest and communication, Kenneth Clarke explores the Reformation - Luther and Durer's Germany, and Shakespeare's England.
Episode 7: Grandeur and Obedience
Kenneth Clarke discusses the glory of Rome during the Counter-Reformation.
Episode 8: The Light of Experience
Kenneth Clarke discusses the importance of light in 17th-century Dutch painting, and the rapid pace of scientific discovery in the London of the Royal Society.
Episode 9: The Pursuit of Happiness
Kenneth Clarke looks at the rococo style in 18th-century music and architecture.
Episode 10: The Smile of Reason
Kenneth Clarke discusses the 18th-century Age of Reason.
Episode 11: The Worship of Nature
Kenneth Clarke discusses changing views of God and nature in the 18th century.
Episode 12: The Fallacies of Hope
Kenneth Clarke traces the disillusionment of the artists of the Romantic movement.
Episode 13: Heroic Materialism
Kenneth Clarke shows how the heroic materialism of the past 100 years has been linked with an increase in humanitarism.
Episode 1: The Skin of our Teeth
The first programme in this 13-part documentary series covers the Dark Ages, from AD400 to AD1000.
Episode 2: The Great Thaw
The sudden re-awakening of European civilisation in the 12th century is traced by Sir Kenneth Clarke to its high point - the building of the Cathedral of Chartres.
Episode 3: Romance and Reality
Sir Kenneth Clark explores the aspirations and achievements of the gothic world, on a journey from a castle on the river Loire in France to the cathedral baptistry at Pisa in Italy.
Episode 4: Man - The Measure of all Things
Kenneth Clarke visits the Italian palaces of Urbino and Mantua, which were centres of the Renaissance.
Episode 5: The Hero as Artist
Kenneth Clarke visits Papal Rome to explore the work of 16th-century artists Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci.
Episode 6: Protest and Communication
Examining protest and communication, Kenneth Clarke explores the Reformation - Luther and Durer's Germany, and Shakespeare's England.
Episode 7: Grandeur and Obedience
Kenneth Clarke discusses the glory of Rome during the Counter-Reformation.
Episode 8: The Light of Experience
Kenneth Clarke discusses the importance of light in 17th-century Dutch painting, and the rapid pace of scientific discovery in the London of the Royal Society.
Episode 9: The Pursuit of Happiness
Kenneth Clarke looks at the rococo style in 18th-century music and architecture.
Episode 10: The Smile of Reason
Kenneth Clarke discusses the 18th-century Age of Reason.
Episode 11: The Worship of Nature
Kenneth Clarke discusses changing views of God and nature in the 18th century.
Episode 12: The Fallacies of Hope
Kenneth Clarke traces the disillusionment of the artists of the Romantic movement.
Episode 13: Heroic Materialism
Kenneth Clarke shows how the heroic materialism of the past 100 years has been linked with an increase in humanitarism.
* Africa's Super Seven (2006)
"The good, the bad and the ugly, the teacher, the lover, the fighter and the strong, silent type! Stars of a tense 24-hour drama with birth, death and everything in between."
On the northern bank of the Sand River in the Mala-Mala Game Reserve in South Africa, seven magnificent creatures reside in an area the size of Manhattan Island. Tracking them for 24 hours we reveal the invisible threads that bind them together in a never-ending daily drama. This action-packed film will show how seven individual stories become one, how the animals move in and out of one another's lives in the course of a single day. Sometimes their encounters happen just by chance, at other times they are intent on stalking each other down. In all cases whenever they meet the encounter is always riveting.
Each animal has different strengths, even some weaknesses, but seeing them in action is always impressive. Tracking them through one day and one night we witness their dealings with the neighbours from hell, staking their territory, stalking the same prey, risking their lives and cautiously interacting with or avoiding each other. This is a privileged and rare glimpse into the complex lives of Africa's Super Seven.
Each species has its own vital role to play in this unfolding 24-hour drama. There is no room for the weak and in the African bush there's only one rule: the biggest, strongest, fastest and smartest survive.
As amazing as these animals are, they all have their Achilles heel too, and occasionally our story includes a fight for survival for them just like any other creature of the untamed African wild. For Africa's Super Seven there are no free lunches. Some will pay the ultimate price and some will even be lunch. Not for the faint hearted, this is a story of power, trust, hunger, desperation and elation an unforgettable adventure.
On the northern bank of the Sand River in the Mala-Mala Game Reserve in South Africa, seven magnificent creatures reside in an area the size of Manhattan Island. Tracking them for 24 hours we reveal the invisible threads that bind them together in a never-ending daily drama. This action-packed film will show how seven individual stories become one, how the animals move in and out of one another's lives in the course of a single day. Sometimes their encounters happen just by chance, at other times they are intent on stalking each other down. In all cases whenever they meet the encounter is always riveting.
Each animal has different strengths, even some weaknesses, but seeing them in action is always impressive. Tracking them through one day and one night we witness their dealings with the neighbours from hell, staking their territory, stalking the same prey, risking their lives and cautiously interacting with or avoiding each other. This is a privileged and rare glimpse into the complex lives of Africa's Super Seven.
Each species has its own vital role to play in this unfolding 24-hour drama. There is no room for the weak and in the African bush there's only one rule: the biggest, strongest, fastest and smartest survive.
As amazing as these animals are, they all have their Achilles heel too, and occasionally our story includes a fight for survival for them just like any other creature of the untamed African wild. For Africa's Super Seven there are no free lunches. Some will pay the ultimate price and some will even be lunch. Not for the faint hearted, this is a story of power, trust, hunger, desperation and elation an unforgettable adventure.
Monday, May 5, 2014
* Nature's Misfits (2014)
Natural World: Natures Misfits Bill Bailey introduces a delightfully eccentric cast of creatures that have chosen to do things differently. Odd, unconventional and unusual - these are animals that don't normally grab the limelight. From the parrot that has forgotten how to fly, to the bear that has turned vegetarian, a chameleon that is barely bigger than an ant, and a penguin that lives in a forest. Nature's Misfits reveals the extraordinary and rarely seen lives of these evolutionary oddballs, their strange habitats, unusual forms, and the incredible hurdles they overcome.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
* Extinctions (2010)
In the not so distant future, various animals including the cheetah, the Asian elephant, the jaguar, the polar bear and the tiger are destined to disappear from the face of the Earth in what scientists call “The Sixth Extinction.” The question is what succession of circumstances or tragedies could possibly wipe them out? The list is long and terrifying. This series allows us to witness the destinies of these animals through their eyes, and raises awareness with regard to what is still doable to prevent the mass extinction process threatening our planet.”
Six Parts.
* What Animals Think (2014)
Since the dawn of mankind, humans have looked into the eyes of their animal companions and wondered if they have the same thoughts, emotions and fears as we do. What Animals Think delves into research on primates, whales, dogs and even birds that suggests humans aren’t the only intelligent species on the planet.
* Africa's Giant Killers (2014)
Africa's largest herd of elephants and a fearless pride of young lions come face to face in an epic fight for survival. Rarely do their worlds collide, until now. This is no chance conflict; nature has played its part. Drought has weakened the elephants and the lions are desperately hungry. The dawn of the giant killers has arrived.
Friday, May 2, 2014
* The Secret Leopards (2010)
Jonathan Scott narrates the extraordinary story of the leopard - the one big cat that still survives across half the world while tigers, cheetahs and lions are all struggling. By following the lives of leopard mothers and their cubs in East Africa, the film investigates what it is about the natural history of these cats that makes them born survivors. Perhaps the most extraordinary revelation is that leopards are living undercover on farms and even in cities across Africa and Asia.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
* Inside Animal Minds: Who’s the Smartest (2014)
What makes an animal smart? Many scientists believe the secret lies in relationships. Throughout the animal kingdom, some of the cleverest creatures — including humans — seem to be those who live in complex social groups, like dolphins, elephants and apes. Could the skills required to keep track of friend and foe make animals smarter? To find out, NOVA goes inside the social lives of some of the smartest animals on the planet.
* Extinctions (2010)
In the not so distant future, various animals including the cheetah, the Asian elephant, the jaguar, the polar bear and the tiger are destined to disappear from the face of the Earth in what scientists call “The Sixth Extinction.” The question is what succession of circumstances or tragedies could possibly wipe them out? The list is long and terrifying.
This series allows us to witness the destinies of these animals through their eyes, and raises awareness with regard to what is still doable to prevent the mass extinction process threatening our planet.”
This series allows us to witness the destinies of these animals through their eyes, and raises awareness with regard to what is still doable to prevent the mass extinction process threatening our planet.”
* What Animals Think (2014)
Since the dawn of mankind, humans have looked into the eyes of their animal companions and wondered if they have the same thoughts, emotions and fears as we do. What Animals Think delves into research on primates, whales, dogs and even birds that suggests humans aren’t the only intelligent species on the planet.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
* Ice Age Giants (2013)
Professor Alice Roberts journeys 40,000 years back in time on the trail of the great beasts of the Ice Age. Drawing on the latest scientific detective work and a dash of graphic wizardry, Alice brings the Ice Age Giants back to life.
Land of the Sabre-Tooth
The series begins in the 'land of the sabre-tooth'; North America, a continent that was half covered by ice that was up to two miles thick. Yet this frozen land also boasted the most impressive cast of Ice Age giants in the world. Across locations such as the Grand Canyon, the sands of Arizona and the coast of California, Alice traces the movements of Ice Age beasts like bear-sized sloths, vast mammoths and the strange beast known as the glyptodon. These leviathans all have one thing in common: they were stalked by the meanest big cat that ever prowled the Earth, armed with seven-inch teeth and hunting in packs - Smilodon fatalis, the sabre-toothed cat.
Land of the Cave-Bear
In the Land of the Cave Bear, Alice ventures to the parts of the northern hemisphere, hit hardest by the cold - Europe and Siberia. High in the mountains of Transylvania, a cave sealed for thousands of years reveals grisly evidence for a fight to the death between two staving giants, a cave bear and a cave lion. Yet Alice discovers that for woolly rhinos and woolly mammoths, the Ice Age created a bounty. The Mammoth Steppe, a vast tract of land which went half way round the world, provided food all year round, for those that liked the cold. It was these mammoths that Europe's most dangerous predators hunted for their survival.
Last of the Giants
Even after thousands of years of ice crushing the northern hemisphere and temperatures of 20 degrees lower than those of today, many of the great giants of the ice age still walked the earth. It was only when the world had warmed up again that mammoths, woolly rhinos, sabre-toothed cats, giant ground sloths and glyptodonts finally became extinct. Professor Alice Roberts sets off on her last voyage back to the Ice Age to discover why.
Land of the Sabre-Tooth
The series begins in the 'land of the sabre-tooth'; North America, a continent that was half covered by ice that was up to two miles thick. Yet this frozen land also boasted the most impressive cast of Ice Age giants in the world. Across locations such as the Grand Canyon, the sands of Arizona and the coast of California, Alice traces the movements of Ice Age beasts like bear-sized sloths, vast mammoths and the strange beast known as the glyptodon. These leviathans all have one thing in common: they were stalked by the meanest big cat that ever prowled the Earth, armed with seven-inch teeth and hunting in packs - Smilodon fatalis, the sabre-toothed cat.
Land of the Cave-Bear
In the Land of the Cave Bear, Alice ventures to the parts of the northern hemisphere, hit hardest by the cold - Europe and Siberia. High in the mountains of Transylvania, a cave sealed for thousands of years reveals grisly evidence for a fight to the death between two staving giants, a cave bear and a cave lion. Yet Alice discovers that for woolly rhinos and woolly mammoths, the Ice Age created a bounty. The Mammoth Steppe, a vast tract of land which went half way round the world, provided food all year round, for those that liked the cold. It was these mammoths that Europe's most dangerous predators hunted for their survival.
Last of the Giants
Even after thousands of years of ice crushing the northern hemisphere and temperatures of 20 degrees lower than those of today, many of the great giants of the ice age still walked the earth. It was only when the world had warmed up again that mammoths, woolly rhinos, sabre-toothed cats, giant ground sloths and glyptodonts finally became extinct. Professor Alice Roberts sets off on her last voyage back to the Ice Age to discover why.
* Guide to Otters (2013)
Living not only along our rivers but also at the coast, otters have remarkable adaptations to a life both in and out of water. The team bring you the very latest scientific discoveries as well as a review of the turbulent history of the otter in the UK. It looks like the otter is making a steady comeback around the country but not everybody agrees this is good news.
* Grizzlies of Alaska (2012)
A mother grizzly bear brings up her two cubs in the wilds of Alaska. She must keep them safe from prowling males, teach them to hunt and prepare them to survive the savage winter. Alaska has the highest density of grizzlies in the world, so fights and face-offs are common. Biologist Chris Morgan spends the summer in this city of bears - often getting far too close for comfort.
* Great Plains: America's Lingering Wild (2013)
Follow nature photographer Michael Forsberg as he examines the remaining "wildness" in the Great Plains of North America. Featuring stunning imagery, the program is based on Forsberg's book of the same name. Less than 200 years ago, the Great Plains was one of the greatest grassland ecosystems on Earth, stretching nearly a million square miles down the heart of the continent. The prairie was a place of constant motion, shaped by an unforgiving cycle of the seasons. Huge numbers of bison, elk, pronghorn, deer, prairie dogs, prairie wolves and even grizzlies were common. There were massive migrations of birds and fish. But as America grew, and the land was settled and tamed, the wildness began disappearing.
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