Nature - Season 33 (2014)

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.

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.

As the ice shrinks in the Arctic, polar bears are struggling to survive in a fast melting world. Although classified a marine mammal, the polar bear is not adapted to hunting in the water. And it is certainly no match for the world's greatest aquatic hunter -- the killer whale. In the last few years, scientists have noted an ever-growing number of killer whales in Arctic waters in the summer months. More and more have been attracted to these hunting grounds by the growing expanse of open water. They attack the same prey as the polar bears: seals, narwhal, belugas and ...

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In the heart of the Antarctic Peninsula there's a unique British post office staffed by a dedicated team and surrounded by jaw-dropping scenery that includes 3,000 gentoo penguins. Every summer, this particular colony of penguins returns from an intensive spell of deep sea fishing to its breeding grounds alongside the post office, trekking nearly two miles across sea ice and snow to get there when the weather is especially bad. They rush to find a partner, build a nest, lay eggs and protect those eggs from predators, and then finally get down to the task of raising ...

For centuries, the mysterious nighttime lives and uncanny hunting skills of owls have made them fascinating hallmarks of children's stories and folk tales the world over. But what actually makes owls so special? Bird trainers Lloyd and Rose Buck and their very special family of owls, eagles, falcons, geese, pigeons, and two newly-hatched barn owls - Luna and Lily - provide a rare opportunity to learn more about these unique birds. Using the latest in camera technology, computer graphics, x-rays and super-sensitive microphones, we can take a brand new look at owls in ...

Ecologist Chris Morgan (Bears of the Last Frontier) travels to the jungles of Northern Sumatra to document the work being done to save its population of wild orangutans, quickly dwindling due to deforestation. Morgan spends time with orphaned orangs at a rehabilitation center, observing the process of teaching them the skills they'll need to be released back into the wild. But to truly understand the complexity of wild orangutan society and learn exactly what the young orangs would have learned from their mothers in the wild, Morgan must go farther. He joins a team of...

Bird nests come in all shapes and sizes, crafted from a diversity of materials, including fur, grasses, leaves, mosses, sticks and twigs, bones, wool, mud and spider silk. Quite a few contain man-made materials -- twine, bits of wire, even plastic bags. Each is a work of art, built with just a beak! All over the world, birds in the wild arrive at diverse nesting grounds to collect, compete for, reject, steal and begin to build with carefully selected materials, crafting homes for the task of protecting their eggs and raising their young.

Finding a good base of operations is key to successfully raising a family. One must find the right stream or tree, the right building materials, neighbors and sometimes tenants. In the wild, every home is a unique DIY project, every head of household a designer and engineer. Cameras chart the building plans and progress of beavers, tortoises, hummingbirds and woodrats, examining layouts and cross sections, evaluating the technical specs of their structures, documenting their problem-solving skills. Animal architecture provides insights into animal consciousness, ...

For some animals, living in the midst of huge colonies of their own kind is the most secure and rewarding housing arrangement. Icelandic puffins form nesting colonies of more than a million, providing shared information about food sources and reducing the odds of attacks on individual birds. But colonies are useful for predators, too. Social spiders in Ecuador work together to capture prey 20 times the size an individual might subdue on its own. For others, communal living provides multi-generational care-giving options or the opportunity to build enormous cities like...

This is the true story of a family of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys living in the highest forests in the world. Only recently discovered, snub-nosed monkeys are hauntingly beautiful primates, gentler than others of their kind. Elfin-like, they seem both childlike and wise beyond their years. The family is led by a formidable fighter and his fighting force who guard a troop of 8-10 families. The survival of this unique monkey society, formed in response to the hardships of the Himalayas, depends on strong defensive strategies and the cooperation and interdependence of them...

In every animal's life, there comes a time when it must stand on its own, and face the world alone. For a few, this happens just moments after birth, others have the advantage of home schooling under the watchful eye. But growing up is never easy, and finding food, avoiding predators and making friends does not always come naturally. These are the trials of young animals all over the world, as they prepare to leave home.

One of the most overlooked ecosystems in the America West is a massive sea of sagebrush that stretches across 11 states. This spartan landscape supports more than 170 species of birds and mammals. Among those that have adapted to survive here are the Greater Sage-Grouse. Today, they must contend with wells and pipelines tapping the resources buried deep below. The sagebrush and the grouse carry on, but they're losing ground.