BBC Wildlife

New underwater filming techniques reveal more about the hunting behaviour of the great white shark.

Part of a series of one-off BBC wildlife specials to mark forty years of the BBC Natural History Unit, Polar bear: The Arctic Warrior is a fascinating celebration of these powerful and formidable predators - majestic in their natural habitat. A land of ice and blizzards, bleak and desolate, there can be few places as remote or as beautiful as the Arctic Circle. Punishing in the extreme, with a winter of perpetual darkness which is then replaced by months of blazing daylight, this BBC production was the first in-depth study of the polar bear in its harsh and unrelenting terrain. With little polar bear behaviour ever being caught on film before, world-renowned wildlife producer Martha Holmes, together with cameramen Doug Allan and Martin Saunders, recorded a number of groundbreaking sequences. In evocative scenes yearlings are seen imitating their parents as they crash into the dens of seal pups, hunt walruses and scavenge on vegetation and bird carcasses. With the dramatic backdrop of frozen ice fields and stunning underwater shots, the unique imagery is woven in with an informative commentary from David Attenborough. Winner of a Best Factual Photography BAFTA in 1998, Polar Bear: The Arctic Warrior provides a comprehensive insight into the day-to-day life of the world's largest land carnivore.

Crocodile: The Smiling Predator is a fascinating celebration of these powerful and formidable predators, using underwater and infra-red photography the production reveals new aspects of their behaviour never captured on film before. Part of a series of one-off BBC wildlife specials to mark forty years of the BBC's Natural History Unit, the production enlisted the talents of a number of award-winning cameramen, including the renowned photographer Martin Dohrn. The impressive cinematography is combined with an informative commentary from David Attenborough, providing an in-depth account of crocodilian life. Advanced night-time filming techniques see over one hundred crocodiles feeding co-operatively, as new hatchlings struggle to move and fearsome battles break out with lion prides. Doting parents, expressive communicators and sociable scavengers, a different side to these reptilian predators is put forth, which, together with the discovery of surprising new behaviour, provides a fresh insight into this long-fabled 'man-eater'.

State-of-the-art technology allows us unprecedented access to the nocturnal world of leopards, creatures that rely on their sharp senses of smell and hearing to capture prey. Rare glimpses of domestic life also shed light on mating and rearing cubs.

As Eagle takes flight with the world’s majestic birds of prey, David Attenborough says, “Few birds have captured the human imagination quite so powerfully as the eagle. Such admiration is a compliment to the perfection of its natural design.” Literally riding on the back of the leading star, the golden eagle, this Special embarks on a grand tour through 12 countries, and encounters 15 of the world’s species of eagles. Eagle flies alongside these kings of the air, stretching to the limits filming techniques first developed by producer John Downer for Supersense and Lifesense, and involving miniature cameras, model helicopters and gliders.

Humpback whales are the Pavarottis of the sea. Few sounds are more beautiful or moving than their underwater songs. This is the most studied of all the great whales, and now it seems that the long-held image of the gentle giant must change to one of a ferocious and opportunistic hunter. For the first time, Humpback Whale dives into the deep with this `hot-blooded’ killing machine.

Dangerous, powerful, but above all breath-takingly beautiful, tigers have for centuries sparked awe and admiration. Yet, it is their very uniqueness which has made them a prized object for hunters. This film could be the last complete portrait of tigers in the wild as there is a real chance they could be extinct within the next decade.

Edited from more than 3000 hours of footage, this documentary uses a remote camera disguised as a rock to observe cubs growing up into adult lions. It features their futile attempts to climb trees, the mayhem caused when they surround a hippo, and various encounters with other animals such as cobras, buffaloes and elephants. Narrated by David Attenborough.

Brown bears are some of the largest carnivores on Earth. They hunt alone except during seasonal spectacles such as salmon spawning which causes large numbers of bears to gather together. As well as fish, these fearsome predators can bring down moose, elk and even black bears. Brown bears spend nearly half their lives underground in a state of hibernation. Females even give birth and nurse a litter underground during the winter months, although they will lose a staggering 40% of their body weight in the process.

Gorillas live in central Africa and are the world's largest primates, with wild males weighing over 200kg. There are two species of gorilla, western and eastern, both of which have subspecies.

One of the most successful species on earth is also one of the least documented. Miniaturised cameras reveal the snakes’ world for the first time from their point of view. Head-mounted cameras capture gripping images of the world’s most dangerous snakes hunting and overcoming their prey. Using high-speed photography, x-ray imaging and state-of-the-art computer graphics, this is the most ambitious look at snakes attempted in television.

David Attenborough recounts his very personal experiences with the mountain gorillas of Rwanda. Ever since they were discovered over a century ago, these remarkable creatures have been threatened by loss of habitat, poaching, disease and political instability. But despite all odds their numbers have increased. David tells the extraordinary tale of how conservationists like Dian Fossey have battled to save the mountain gorilla from the brink of extinction.