National Geographic Animals & Nature

National Geographic's Dr. John Francis and Crittercam series host Dr. Mike Heithaus join biologist John Calambokidis on an extraordinary expedition to answer questions about the largest animal on the planet: the blue whale. At home in the oceans of the world, blue whales are wide-ranging and elusive - and therefore very challenging to study. With hydrophones, Crittercam and a research vessel that's little more than a rubber raft, John C., John F., and Mike strike out for the open ocean, hoping for a close encounter with the largest, loudest and possibly most mysterious creature in the sea.

Using Crittercam technology, National Geographic unlocks some of the endangered dugong's secrets. Where do they feed, and what food do they prefer? How do they avoid becoming a meal for a tiger shark? While dugong and manatee populations around the world are in perilous decline, the dugongs in this part of Australia are thriving. Is it what they're doing when we can't see them underwater? Is it a strategy to avoid shark attack? Is it food choice, or something special in this habitat? Answering any of these questions could help save this endangered species in other habitats around the world.

Standing over 3 feet tall, the emperor penguin is the largest diving bird on the planet. The only species to breed during the Antarctic winter, emperor penguins are sublimely built to conquer the cold. But in a world threatened by global climate change, can they take the heat? Join National Geographic as we travel to the frozen desert of Antarctica to explore the emperor's realm on the ice and beyond.

In northern Kenya, lions have begun to break into bomas, corrals made of densely woven vegetation, and take cattle. The people of the region are poor and their cattle are their wealth and means of life. Why have the lions suddenly started doing this? Predator expert Dr. Lawrence Frank hopes to use National Geographic's CRITTERCAM, a portable camera and research device, to enter the territory of the elusive lions on the high plateau of northern Kenya. But this is the first terrestrial deployment for Crittercam. Can it take the beating of a 300 pound lion, and will it go where no one has ever gone?

Measuring 16 feet long and weighing over a ton, many call the crocodile the last surviving giant of the dinosaur age. While crocodiles are one of the world's strongest and most feared predators, they are also extremely tender and protective parents. Travel to Africa's Grumeti River in Tanzania where one of the largest croc populations thrives. Watch in suspense as a herd of thirsty wildebeest approach the crocodile-infested river to drink, unaware of the cold-blooded reptiles lurking at the water's edge. With National Geographic's slow-motion photography, you will witness thrilling scenes as the powerful beast dominates the waterway with its huge tail and crushing jaws.

In 1922, American paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews led an archeological expedition into Mongolia's Gobi Desert and uncovered one of the richest dinosaur graveyards in the world. Political conflicts forced him to leave before he had even scratched the surface of the treasure below. In 1997, two paleontologists from the American Museum of Natural History were finally allowed to return, retracing Chapman's steps and unearthing some groundbreaking finds of their own. With spectacular on-location filming, archival footage from Chapman's expedition and impressive computer animation, join National Geographic for an amazing journey back in time to a lost world where ancient giants once roamed.

Never-before-seen footage, much of it filmed at night, takes you into the mysterious world of Botswana's lions and hyenas. Their intense, even vicious, clashes go beyond competition, almost as if the animals were nurturing a blood feud.

Join National Geographic for never-before-seen footage - much of it filmed at night - that delves into the mysterious world of Botswana's lions and hyenas. Their intense, even vicious clashes go beyond competition, almost as if the animals were nurturing a blood feud.

National Geographic takes an exclusive in-depth look at current conditions facing the endangered mountain gorilla in war-torn Rwanda. National Geographic has teamed up with scientists from the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (DFGFI) to reestablish contact with the highly endangered mountain gorillas of Rwanda. For two years, the gorillas' home - Volcanoes National Park - was closed because of violent unrest that threatened the region. The gorillas that roam the rain forest were left unprotected, at the mercy of poachers and gunfire. When the park finally reopened this past summer, National Geographic became the first film crew in the world allowed back in to assess the damage and see how the gorillas are faring. The key to the gorillas' survival is the health of their habitat. By using cutting edge, remote-sensing technology to map Volcanoes National Park, National Geographic is helping to support pioneering research and usher in a new era of gorilla conservation. Coinciding with DFGFI scientists on the ground, a team of experts from Idaho-based Earth Search Sciences, Inc. flew a groundbreaking mission to Rwanda. Using hyperspectral imaging technology that was first developed by NASA, the Probe 1 instrument is attached to a fixed wing plane. The two hundred pound device analyzes light waves reflected from ground objects, creating an ultra-high resolution map that will provide scientists with the most accurate data ever recorded. National Geographic has exclusive coverage of the mapping mission and the results of the aerial survey. National Geographic first chronicled the work of anthropologist Dian Fossey in the 1970's. While studying the gorillas, Fossey was able to develop such a trusting relationship that, eventually, they allowed her to sit among them. Although she was mysteriously murdered in 1985, Fossey's legacy continues as her intimate observations provide the foundation for modern gorilla research and conservation. Join National Geographic for an exclusive in-depth look at the current conditions facing Dian Fossey's beloved and endangered mountain gorillas in war-torn Rwanda.

In 1869, John Wesley Powell set out with a crew of nine down the uncharted Green and Colorado Rivers. The men struggled for survival throughout their adventure. Featuring spectacular footage of the Grand Canyon, National Geographic uses the journals of Powell and two of his men to tell the tale of their historic voyage.

North America's freshwater seas are jewels of the continent that have been squandered by decades of human abuse. Today, concerned groups attempt to repair past damage and confront new threats to these waters. Join National Geographic for a glimpse into this growing problem and learn about working solutions.

After decades of wary co-existence between bears and humans, a rash of attacks stuns the remote island of Kodiak, Alaska. What is happening on Kodiak Island? Why are the hunters becoming the hunted? Explore the evidence with National Geographic.

In the face of his own threatening illness, the jaguars' greatest protector is battling time and adversity to save these endangered cats. Join National Geographic as we venture deep into the wilds of Brazil, Belize, and Panama with biologist Alan Rabinowitz as he pursues these elusive predators - and fights to protect even more jaguar habitat than he already has. Narrated by actress Glenn Close.

A rare and fascinating study of the enormous jungle cats, Land of the Tiger features spectacular National Geographic footage of tigers stalking their prey, caring for their young, swimming, playing...and fighting - as well as glimpses of the other animals with which the tiger shares his domains. Come as close as you dare to these wild cats in all their royal splendor.

An attorney proposes a 20-year-old Gorilla and a 4-year-old human be equals under the law.

In many parts of Africa the elephant and man are on a collision course. As fields and homes and highways invade the elephant’s domain, he becomes man’s rival, inspiring hatred and fear. National Geographic explores the elephant's last stand battle against the spread of civilizaion in Kenya.

Florida's Everglades boasts an extraordinary collection of reptiles, including two deadly predators--the American crocodile and the alligator. In LORDS OF THE EVERGLADES, filmmakers compare and contrast the lives of a pod of fresh-water alligators with salt-water crocodiles, revealing crucial differences between the two species and the distinct environments they inhabit.

As elusive as it is charming, the black lion tamarin faces the threat of extinction. Native to Brazil, the monkeys depend on the country’s rainforest habitat for survival, so their plight worsens as more and more rainforest disappears. A successful captive breeding program for black lion tamarins in the Jersey zoo, located in the Channel Islands, offers promise for wild tamarin populations. Dominic Wormell, who runs the New World Primates section of the zoo, plays a crucial role in the plan. Working with a husband-and-wife conservation team in Brazil, Dominic will release tamarins bred at the British zoo into the wilds of Brazil. The success of the program hinges on finding just the right wild, dominant female to swap with the dominant captive female, so that once the group is released, she can lead the captive-bred tamarins in the ways of the wilderness.

Discover the power, mystery, and romance of horses, one of nature's most magnificent creations. The mystical bond between humans and horses has endured throughout the ages. Travel back in time 4,000 years to the magic moment when the relationship between man and horse was forever changed. Thrill to wild stallions sparring on the Western plains, marvel at the high-stepping display of the Spanish horse, and hear hooves thundering like heartbeats as rare horses are reintroduced to their Mongolian home. Horses have been our faithful servants, our tireless comrades, and our loyal friends. National Geographic offers a privileged look at the many ways that horses have captured our imaginations and our hearts.

In the 4.5 billion year history of Earth, a mere 10 million years seems rather insignificant--the equivalent of two months in the life of a 75 year-old man. Yet, during a 10 to 20 million year stretch of time, beginning about 540 million years ago, life evolved at an explosive rate. National Geographic reveals theories and findings about the rapid appearance of new animals during what scientists call the "Cambrian Explosion."

Behind the beautiful shapes and colors of seashells is the story of how a group of animals called mollusks evolved in order to survive. The wide variety of mollusks includes clams, oysters, snails, mussels, squid, and octopus. The word mollusk comes from Latin meaning "soft," a good description of the group's fleshy bodies. Of course, in an ocean filled with predators, a soft body is easily eaten. The early mollusks that happened to develop hard shells not only managed to survive but also succeeded in launching an ever-escalating 500 million year old battle between themselves and their predators. Join National Geographic as evolutionary Biologist Geerat Vermeij studies how mollusks succeeded in the ocean's arms race.

Countless visitors flock to Cozumel Island, this small, sultry oceanic land mass sits just 12 miles off of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and is home to several endemic species of birds, reptiles and mammals. However, there is one uninvited guest that has been recently wreaking havoc on the island but is unable to leave: the Boa constrictor. Although the island has a range of wildlife, these boas were not part of Cozumel’s original biodiviersity recipe. Sightings of boas have only been reported over the past thirty years – a mere fraction of time on the ecological scale. National Geographic’s constrictor expert Jesus Rivas teams up with local researchers to study the origin, and the consequences, of this reptilian disaster - before it gets any worse.

Join a rattlesnake expert to learn how America's largest venomous snake—the diamondback—has been able to thrive in the wake of human encroachment.

In Southeast Asia, countless people are bitten every year by the dreaded Malayan pit viper. Join National Geographic and watch as Dr. Jenny Daltry travels to Cambodia, where she'll meet people who have felt the painful bite of this snake and its digestive venom.

The name black mamba strikes fear in the hearts of all those who hear it. Why? Reaching speeds of us to seven miles per hour, it is the fastest snake in the world. Renowned and feared throughout its African homeland, it is an aggressive snake that can spring up and strike at head level. Join National Geographic and witness the the feared black mamba as it strikes to kill.

Power lines down, amazingly high speed winds, and deadly cold temperatures raged through the eastern United States with one violent bang. Storm of the Century presents an up close and personal look into the terrifying effects of these acts of nature. National Geographic has compiled shattering footage of some of the worst catastrophe’s to hit the Florida’s Gulf Coast and all the way to Canada. Witness one family’s horrible ordeal to survive a 12-foot-high storm surge that wipes away what was supposed to be a happy weekend. Experience these deadly forces of nature that we truly have no control over in National Geographic’s Storm of the Century.

Across the world, plants and animals are silently finding their way into places where they don't belong. These interlopers, called invasive species, have enormous powers — they spread disease, they devour our buildings. Some are destroying the very land under our feet. Odds are these species that evolved in one place and now live destructively in another may have even infiltrated your own backyard. Join actor Edward Norton to uncover mysterious threats to the environment caused by invasive species.

Around the world, from the forests of Venezuela to Yellowstone’s majestic wilderness to the Caribbean’s coral reefs, researchers are discovering predators play a vital role in the health of our natural systems. Knowing this, should we learn to live with predators? Can we? Join National Geographic to see how predators impact your life and discover why others think these animals are so vital. Hosted by Edward Norton.

Swarms are large collections of animals on the move, and they can gather in unimaginable numbers.

Swarms are large collections of animals on the move, and they can gather in unimaginable numbers.

National Geographic provides an intimate look at our feline friend. Worshiped as a symbol of life in ancient Egypt, and coveted by sea captains and farmers for centuries, the cat is one of the most beloved animal in history. Through the ages, it was the cat's extraordinary ability to hunt and kill rodents that endeared it to humans. Today, cats are adored for their beauty and unique personalities. Nevertheless, the soul of a killer still lurks inside every kitty. In the time it takes to watch this film, house cats in the United States will catch as many as 100,000 small mammals and more than 30,000 birds. From the county parks of Florida to the outback of Australia, domestic cats and their feral cousins are stalking some creatures to the brink of extinction. What is your cat doing when it slips out of the house? You'll learn more about your pet than you might want to know!

Explore everything from top predators missing out on their prey, to fragile newborns and beautiful underwater creatures trying to survive in the natural world.

Learn about baby anacondas, predator-surviving tadpoles and guillemots diving from cliff to ocean.

National Geographic explores the intelligence, unusual behavior, and predatory habits of animals around the world. Examine how chimps make and use tools, and then witness unusual animal behavior when a tiger steals his kill back from thieving crocodiles--and drags the large carcass while swimming. Lastly, experience shocking insect predation as 30 hornets massacre 30,000 bees by sheer force, a huge centipede and a mouse battle it out, and a different set of bees obliterate hornets by vibrating their bodies up to a high temperature, effectively cooking the hornets… and stopping one degree short of cooking themselves.

Explore the lifestyles, competitions, and predation techniques of various animals around the world, including the demanding life of a termite queen continuously producing millions of eggs, newborn loggerhead turtles on the quest for safe waters, and the shocking visual tale of orcas snatching sea lion pups off the shore.

Experience the man o' war's world, the chatty Beluga whale and the worm that lives in sea lettuce.

National Geographic explores funny, intense, and macho situations of various animals around the world. Comical moments include trout appearing to sing as they spawn, an elephant seal mom and pup exchanging sweet vocalizations, and otters sliding down snow-covered hills. Then, witness rainforest insects engaged in a feeding frenzy and a baby beluga whale struggling to get back to sea when a low tide strands it onshore. Lastly, explore how bottlenose dolphins bully their females and youngsters, a cobra and a monitor lizard battle over an egg breakfast and white-bellied sea eagles link talons and whirl dramatically through the air as they plummet towards Earth.

Animals' victories can depend on split-second analysis, where strength can be defeated by strategy.

Catch an exclusive glimpse of newly documented animal behavior of gorillas, sharks, polar bears and walruses.

Explore the amazing landscapes and wildlife of Africa, Alaska, South America, and Japan.

National Geographic's Wild Chronicles goes on a river expedition to Makira, a remote and virtually undisturbed region of Madagascar, with a team of scientists who are in for one wild ride. The team must negotiate unexplored rapids, brave dangerous waterfalls, and portage through dense forests to reach the vast biological riches that lie deep in the jungle ahead. Wild Chronicles also follows a tale in Uganda where mongoose pups are disappearing under mysterious circumstances. Researchers are using a special camera developed by National Geographic to catch the culprit in the act. When the footage reveals critical clues from inside the den, one desperate mongoose mother becomes the prime suspect in a string of murders.

When a young coyote named Cain is cast out by his pack, he must learn to survive in a wilderness both beautiful and treacherous. As the coyote's journey unfolds, he'll encounter a large cast of wildlife characters in what has been called America's own Serengeti. Set against the natural beauty of Yellowstone's changing seasons, from the steamy geysers in winter to the raging fires of summer, Cain's year-long adventure of hardship and triumph will culminate in a final life-or-death confrontation with his original pack.

This fierce force of nature can snap trees as if they were twigs, reduce houses to rubble, and kill anyone unlucky enough to stand in the way. Hear terrifying stories of being buried alive. Watch as a wall of white roars forward, then stops short just feet from the cameraman. Learn the danger signs of an avalanche, and find out what to do if you're caught in one. Fly with the experts who drop explosives on snow-laden mountains to study made-to-order avalanches and relive some of history's worst avalanches, including a deadly American tragedy in Washington State. Only National Geographic offers this inside-the-avalanche look at the dramatic human stories, surprising science, and powerful history.