Natural World

E01

Episode 1

The Lost Elephants of Timbuktu

2001-10-07

David Attenborough narrates this documentary following young research student Anne Orlando as she sets out on an unforgettable adventure, hoping to solve the mysteries surrounding a herd of elephants that inhabit the desert south of the fabled city of Timbuktu. How do they survive the arid conditions? Why do they disappear for two months each year? And why do they make an annual journey across the desert?

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Episode 2

Yellowstone: America's Sacred Wilderness

2001-10-14

Park ranger Paul Schullery presents a personal account of life in America's Yellowstone Park. After wolves were reintroduced to the park, he watched the natural order establish itself, as wolves hunted down elk parents and grizzly bears stalked their fawns.

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Episode 3

Wild Nights

2001-10-21

Simon King attempts to win the trust of shy and elusive night-time animals including badgers, foxes and owls, in an attempt to reveal the natural world on our doorstep.

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E04

Episode 4

Hotel Heliconia

2001-11-04

The Heliconia plant provides food and shelter for a wide variety of jungle creatures and also produces some of the most stunning flowers on earth

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Episode 5

Night Stalkers

2001-11-18

This documentary introduces us to the variety of bats found in the rainforests of Central America. Fringe-lipped, Fishing, fruit and the notorious vampire bat are amongst the line up.

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Episode 6

Treasure Islands

2001-11-25

Documentary on the wildlife of the Channel Islands.

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E07

Episode 7

Leopard Hunters

2001-12-02

Wildlife documentary featuring the Asiatic leopards of Yala in the south of Sri Lanka. This unique and revealing film shows the secretive spotted cats fighting crocodiles and bears, and three cubs surviving the perils of growing up in the jungle.

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E08

Episode 8

War Wrecks of the Coral Sea

2001-12-09

Exploring shipwrecks in the Solomon Islands and Truk Lagoon that have been transformed into spectacular living reefs following the destruction of World War Two. Featuring the testimony of those involved in the conflict

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Episode 9

The Alps

2001-12-16

Documentary focusing on the wildlife of the European Alps, a spectacular wilderness area in the heart of the world's most densely settled continent. Carved by ice-age glaciers and invaded by animals adapted to life in harsh conditions, such as bears, wolves, golden eagles and ibex, the region is much more than a vast arena of ski slopes. Narrated by Andrew Sachs.

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E10

Episode 10

A Wild Dog's Story

2002-01-20

Documentary following Newky, an African wild dog, over five years. Told through the personal recollections of wild-dog researcher Dr 'Tico' McNutt and set against the spectacular wilderness of Botswana's Okavango delta, Newky's story is a poignant tale of survival against the odds for one of the world's most endangered and fascinating creatures.

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Episode 12

Killer Whales of Monterey Bay

2002-01-27

Andrew Sachs narrates a programme focusing on the killer whales of Monterey Bay, fierce and nomadic hunters capable of taking down prey as big as a grey whale. As well as capturing the killers in their natural habitat, underwater film makers Paul and Gracie Atkins also uncover a secret that may threaten the whales' existence.

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E13

Episode 13

The Canine Conspiracy

2002-02-24

The programme follows a puppy through the first year of its life and its willful destruction of the owner's property : which nearly led to the rebellious hound's expulsion from the family home. Producer Mark Flowers reveals the manipulative nature of the mutt and how the four-legged beast may have manipulated people for thousands of years, casting doubt on the notion of the dog as man's best friend. Have humans unwittingly become victims of a canine conspiracy?

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E14

Episode 14

The Cat Connection

2002-03-03

The secret life of the cat, examining the Jekyll and Hyde nature of the feline, which is a ruthless predator in the wild. Filmed in several countries, the programme explains what place the creature has in history, asking why it's the most popular domesticated pet in Britain and the USA.

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Episode 15

Top Bat

2002-03-10

Rebecca Hosking presents an insight into the world of vampire bats, observing them in their natural habitat. She reveals that despite their dark reputation, they possess amazing abilities, including seeing in the dark and echo-location - technology which could benefit humans with impaired vision

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Episode 16

Amazon: Super River

2002-03-17

A look at the biggest river system on the planet, the Amazon, which rises as a small stream high in the Andes and ends over 6,000 miles away in the Atlantic Ocean. Holding a fifth of the Earth's river water, the Amazon floods an area larger than England and supports an unbeatable array of wildlife. The Amazon Basin is home to thousands of types of fish, including air-breathing species and the deadly piranha.

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Episode 17

Rhinos: Built to Last?

2002-03-24

Robert Lindsay narrates a documentary which focuses on the plight of the rhino, a notoriously feisty and well-armoured animal that is both revered and feared by humans. Hunted for its horn to the verge of extinction in the last century, this programme looks at whether the rhino is capable of staging a comeback

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