Wed, Nov 7, 2012
Despite the odds, there are countless stories of the most unlikely cross-species relationships imaginable: a goat guiding a blind horse; a doe who regularly visits her Great Dane surrogate mother; a juvenile gibbon choosing to live with a family of capuchins, and so on. Instincts gone awry? The subject has mystified scientists for years. Now, NATURE investigates why animals form these special bonds. Informed by the observations of caregivers and noted scientists Temple Grandin and Marc Bekoff, the film explores what these relationships suggest about the nature of animal emotions.
Wed, Nov 14, 2012
There are some 120 species of duck, representing a wide variety of shapes, sizes and behaviors. Some are noisy and gregarious, others shy and elusive. They are familiar animals we think we know. But most of us don't really know these phenomenal, sophisticated creatures at all. This program follows a wood duck family as a male and female create a bond, migrate together across thousands of miles, nurture and protect a brood of chicks, then come full circle as they head to their wintering grounds
Wed, Feb 13, 2013
From PBS - For thousands of years, wolves hunted buffalo across the vast North American plains until the westward settlement of the continent saw the virtual extinction of these vast herds and their eternal predators, the wolves. However, this ancient relationship was not lost altogether, and continues uninterrupted in just one location - on the northern edge of the continent's central plains in a place called Wood Buffalo National Park. Today the descendants of those ancient buffalo and wolves still engage in epic life and death dramas across this northern land, as packs of wolves up to 30 strong hunt the largest land mammals on the continent. By getting to know the individual wolves in a specific pack, and following them as they hunt, we will get a sense of how these two animal species coexist in what seems like a forgotten corner of the world.
Wed, Apr 3, 2013
From PBS - Hard core science is effortlessly integrated with a light-hearted look at how plants behave, revealing a world where plants are as busy, responsive and complex as we are. From the stunning heights of the Great Basin Desert to the lush coastal rainforests of west coast Canada, scientist J.C. Cahill takes us on a journey into the "secret world of plants," revealing an astonishing landscape where plants eavesdrop on each other, talk to their allies, call in insect mercenaries and nurture their young. It is a world of pulsing activity, where plants communicate, co-operate and, sometimes, wage all-out war. So come along for the ride and discover that plants are a lot less passive and a lot more intelligent than you think!
Wed, Apr 17, 2013
From PBS - Though much of the natural world is discovered and understood, a few great mysteries remain. Consider the eel: snakelike, slimy, with a row of jagged teeth. Aside from these fearsome qualities, we know little about its life -- where it goes, what it does and how it dies. Hailed by poets as the "siren of the North Sea" and "love's arrow on earth," this shadowy creature has fascinated researchers for centuries. Now James Prosek, artist, writer and eminent naturalist, takes on the mystery of the eel, shedding light on the animal and the strange behavior it inspires in those who seek to know it.
Wed, May 1, 2013
From PBS - At the famous Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Lipizzaners and their riders have been keeping audiences in thrall for centuries. The school is a unique and elite university, where horses train for years to successfully execute supremely difficult maneuvers. Only a very few will master the artistic and athletic skills required to perform in this ancient court of kings. Those that do earn the right to sire the next generation of stars. The legendary breed can be traced back to the remarkable war horses the Moors of North Africa brought with them when they conquered Spain in 711. A successful fusion of Moorish and Iberian cultures led to a stunning new breed of horse - the Spanish horse - which became a highly-coveted showpiece in the stables of the aristocracy. From these bloodlines, the Austrian Hapsburg Archduke Charles created his own noble breed of horses - the Lipizzaners. Spend backstage time with the riders and their horses, the mares and their foals, learn the secrets of the school and its traditions, and marvel as horse and rider transform what was once a weapon of war into a living work of art.
Wed, May 8, 2013
From PBS - Just a century ago, there were less than a million deer in North America. Today, there are nearly 30 million. No wonder it seems they're moving in right down the block. Nowhere are the deer more at home than in the suburbs. Whitetailed deer live in the boundaries, where our backyards meet the backwoods, and the woodlands meet the roads. From our kitchen windows we spot them, nibbling away at our gardens and shrubs. But how well do we know our neighbors from the natural world? Not very well at all, as it turns out. New investigations into their world reveal a more complex society than we imagined. These are smart, adaptable creatures, with impressive skills, senses and family lives, yet they also have unexpected shortcomings. Their famous "deer in the headlights" immobility, for instance, is not caused by fear at all, but rather by bright light overpowering their visual cortex and locking down their brains for a period of up to several minutes. Also among these extraordinary creatures are some exceptional rarities, such as the tiny endangered Key deer that captivate the residents of the Florida Keys, and the spellbinding white ghost deer that roam the northern woods.
Wed, May 15, 2013
From PBS - Each year, far from human eyes, a remote expanse of Botswana's Makgadikgadi salt pans hosts one of Africa's last great spectacles when thousands of striped nomads wander the breathtakingly beautiful but barren landscape. It is only by the grace of isolated summer rains that the zebras can survive here at all. Family groups gather together to follow the rains, driven by a constant search for better grazing on islands of grass that dot the pans. Meerkat families watch the zebras come and go, and families of lions wait for them along their grueling trek, hoping for a chance to bring one down. Their journey is one that is sometimes limited by the fragility of new life, but always made possible by the strong family ties that help animals survive in one of Africa's most surreal landscapes. It's a tale of loyalty and sacrifice, of home and exile, of death and new life, in southern Africa's largest zebra population.