Natural World

- Season 25

(2008)

In 2004, a team from the Planet Earth series captured the first ever film of a wild snow leopard in the mountains of Pakistan. For Nisar Malik, who led the expedition, these images sparked a passion that compelled him to return. With cameraman Mark Smith, he spent two years documenting the snow leopard's daily life, finally lifting the veil on the most elusive of all cats.

Rescued by local fishermen as a baby and raised by giant otter expert Carolina Vargas, this is the story of a young giant otter's journey to adulthood. At first, Sancho is utterly dependent on Carolina, and has to be bottle fed and taught how to catch fish. Eventually Carolina knows that she will have to break their extraordinary bond as Sancho makes his way back into the wild. Giant otters are highly social animals, so Carolina doesn't know whether an orphaned giant otter can survive alone in the world's biggest wetland. In the idyllic Pantanal, we follow Sancho's ...

Through changing seasons, Satish Kumar walks the moor and explores ancient woods and rivers, which are home to a wealth of wildlife including red deer, emperor moths, starling roosts, kestrels and foxes. His meditations on the natural world are lyrical, uplifting and timely.

Documentary. Simon King has filmed Africa's big cats for 20 years, but he has never seen a wild tiger. With so few remaining wild tigers, documenting a tiger making a kill is becoming harder. Simon seeks the help of tiger expert Alphonse Roy, who has spent 17 years in the Indian jungle.

On a remote island in the Canadian Arctic, a pair of white gyrfalcons and a pack of arctic wolves are struggling to raise their young. As the falcons' eggs hatch, the parents must find enough arctic hares to feed them. The wolf pack are raising their cubs in a hillside den.

Since ancient times there have been stories of dolphins rescuing humans at sea. But is there any truth behind them, or are they just myths and legends? Set against the stunning backdrops of the Red Sea and New Zealand's North Island, the film dramatizes two events where dolphins apparently saved humans from shark attacks. By drawing on survivor interviews and the expertise of the world's leading dolphin scientists, this films reveals what makes dolphins want to save human lives.

Wildlife documentary series. While badgers are easily recognized, remarkably few people have ever seen one alive. It's a creature blamed for destruction and disease, but surprisingly little is known about the sett society. We spy on them for over a year in a Devon valley, Big Brother style, with hidden underground cameras. Narrated by David Attenborough.

Documentary series. In 1961, a four-year-old chimpanzee named Ham became the first animal to return from space alive. He proved that humans could survive the extreme conditions of space. This drama, based on NASA's records and archive footage, tells the story of this remarkable chimp and Jeff, the handler who came to love him over two years of training.

Elephant specialist Martyn Colbeck tells the story of two baby elephants struggling to survive. Their first six months are critical in the starkly beautiful deserts of Namibia. This is the most endangered elephant population in the world - it was devastated by poaching in the 80s, so every new calf is vital. It's a boom year, but when rivers disappear underground, their survival depends on the females who lead their young from one remembered food source to the next.

Documentary series. In 1893, Ernest Thompson Seton rode into the wilds of New Mexico to kill a marauding cattle-killing wolf named Lobo. The book he wrote about his experiences was the first to portray wolves in a sympathetic light. It inspired a generation of naturalists, including David Attenborough, who narrates and appears in the film.

This film covers a year in the life of a Saami family in Northern Norway. In particular we follow two teenage girls, Elle & Inga, who are cousins. They are involved in the Saami traditional lifestyle of reindeer herding. But they are also teenagers in modern Europe. The films link with the traditional side of Saami life is Elle's mother, May-Torill. As well as being a teacher she lives the Saami life to the full and is a passionate believer in immersing the next generation in the traditional lifestyle.

Wildlife film. Multi-millionaire landowner Paul Lister wants to turn his 23,000 acre estate north of Inverness into Europe's first wilderness reserve. Reinstating the old Caledonian pine forests is the first of his plans. He then wants to release long lost animals, starting with moose and wild boar, and eventually predators such as brown bears, lynx and wolves. Some of the local people are far from convinced by Paul's vision. Will he even be allowed to let loose moose in the glen?

Wildlife film. The story of Naabi, a young hyena growing up in Tanzania. Here hyenas aren't just scavengers, they're also skilled hunters when they work together in the clan. But life is still a struggle, and except for the few weeks a year when the wildebeest pass through, there isn't enough food to go around. Lions are their mortal enemies - they are quick to attack hyenas and often scavenge their kills. After Naabi's mother is killed by lions, life becomes even more difficult for the young hyena and she's forced to leave the clan, braving the perils of the outside ...

The Spectacled Bear lives in Peru. Little is known about the habits of this elusive creature, and as narrator Stephen Fry reveals, many of our assumptions were wrong. For years they were thought to be gentle vegetarians, but the latest studies reveal a new and alarming side to this endangered bear.

The bill fish are the biggest, fastest, and most dangerous game fish in the sea. All have captured man's imagination like few other creatures, whether it's the graceful sailfish, the menacing swordfish or queen of them all, the marlin, immortalized by Hemingway in 'The Old Man and the Sea'. Marine biologist and film-maker Rick Rosenthal has traveled three oceans in his attempt to capture them all on film, and in doing so has become a passionate champion for these endangered yet little-known ocean giants.

We get a chance to follow the amazing journey of a loggerhead turtle. But this extraordinary creature isn't in for an easy ride. As she crosses the Pacific ocean, she encounters sharks, marlins, crocodiles, typhoons and the most dangerous enemy of all - fishermen.

Honey Hunting in Nepal. As a 'honey hunter' Jimmy Doherty must scale a massive cliff to reach the home of more than two million bees and dangle 200 feet up to get their honey. If successful, the reward is not only to learn more about these amazing bees, but also to taste one of nature's finest bounties, beautiful wild honey.