Destination WILD

Raccoons that live in cities and towns are much more successful than their country cousins. In fact, they’re thriving with us. Their knack for mischief has earned them a reputation, but there’s way more to raccoons than just trashcan thievery. They are smart, adaptable and equipped with an array of incredible senses that allow them to maximize every opportunity humans provide. From using our sewer systems as underground highways, to infiltrating our chimneys and attics for den sites, they have become the ultimate urban operators. Take a look into a year in the life of the furry masked bandits that not only live in your neighborhood, but know it better than you do.

The furry denizens of any American backyard often go unnoticed, but their feats of agility, intelligence and imagination deserve a closer look. Tree squirrels are quite common in suburban backyards. Not only do squirrels survive and cohabitate with humans, but they appear to thrive in our shared spaces. Witness the mental and physical attributes that make it all possible. Squirrels cache and hoard food to prepare for hard times but any time away from the safety of the canopy is spent negotiating natural and manmade dangers — often in competition with rival squirrels. We analyze each skill and discover how everyday rodents morph to become Super Squirrels.

Vilified as vermin by some and admired for its pluckiness by others, the fox ignites passions like few other predators. Join us as we investigate how we interact with foxes in our everyday world. We’ll look at whether England’s cities are being overrun by foxes, and highlight some of the stranger fox encounters, like the man who has fallen in love with his pet fox, and one woman’s audacious house guest. We’ll also follow foxes fitted with GPS collars and chart their clandestine forays into the night. Find out how they interact with humans and whether they’re able to survive such close human contact.

Hidden beneath the ocean’s surface lies a secret Eden where ancient species still thrive in dazzling abundance. Far to the east of India and Indonesia, Palau sits alone at the edge of the vast Pacific, an archipelago of more than 200 islands. Along its shoulders flourish some of the richest coral reefs left on earth. Here, a vast array of underwater creatures, including nudibranchs, cone snails, cuttlefish and the banded sea snake seek shelter from the open water.

Bumblebees: the chubby, fuzzy cousins of the bee species. These amusing harbingers of spring are much friendlier than their relatives — the wasps — and are the most social members of their species. Join us as we take a closer look at their behavior, understand their biology, experience their unique abilities and marvel at their survival techniques. Compared with honeybees, these social insects have been poorly researched, although they’re at home in temperate regions throughout the Northern Hemisphere and South America. A few tropical species form colonies that last several years, but elsewhere only the summer’s new queens survive into the next spring. So the colonies remain small — typically about 50 to 500 individuals — and there is no need to store honey for hibernation, a fact that has kept honey-loving gourmets like us away from their often underground nests.

Since the dawn of time, the garden has epitomized paradise. Not surprisingly, we call paradise the Garden of Eden. And yet, gardens are fashioned and designed by the hand of man. With the help of nature, we create a world of beguiling scents and colors … but many of the creatures living in our gardens go unnoticed. They carry out their lives in private, hidden from our eyes in a secret little world right under out feet. From the shy and elusive to the colorful and flamboyant, our gardens are just a little piece of paradise.

Welcome to the end of the earth. Patagonia has stood relatively undisturbed for years. Living in this harsh landscape are some of the most astonishing creatures, like the guanaco, elephant seal, rhea, penguin and armadillo, who have learned to survive despite the endless, punishing winds. With snowy mountain peaks, icy glaciers and petrified forests, Patagonia is a mystical land of extremes where only nature's toughest endure.

The Himalayas stretch 1,500 miles across Asia, a formidable wall of rock and snow with peaks 5 miles high. Beginning in Pakistan in winter, and journeying from west to east through the seasons, this film reveals the Himalayas’ wild side, from mountaineering monkeys to primitive hot springs snakes, high-altitude spiders to predatory golden eagles, as well as billions of people who rely on the Himalayas for monsoon rains and fertile soil.

Do you ever wonder what spiders are up to in your home? In an ambitious experiment that could be straight out of a horror film, a team of spider breeders and experts are taking us on a tour through a house that has been filled with hundreds of spiders to reveal the extraordinary secret lives of these fascinating creatures. We tend to despise and fear these eight-legged critters even though they rid our houses of flies and other disease- carrying pests, but now we’re revealing a hidden world of drama, bloodshed and exquisite beauty. You’ll never look at spiders in quite the same way again.

Madagascar is a bizarre landscape of giant baobab groves and dense tropical jungles but it's also home to over 100 species of weird and wonderful lemurs.

Sheltered by an ancient land mass that was forged by volcanoes, the nutrient-rich waters around the Canary Islands attract a huge variety of life. A small pod of short-finned pilot whales have journeyed a long way from the southern waters to rest in this unique ecosystem, and they will call these waters home for the next few months. But the ecosystem’s current inhabitants will have to adapt to these new neighbors, who have earned themselves the nickname the “cheetahs of the deep” for their ability to dive to depths of hundreds of feet at high speed.

Scientific buoys immersed in the abyss off the coast of the French Riviera enable us to make for the very first time a detailed scientific study of the largest bony fish in the world, the giant oarfish, the creature likely behind the myth of the Sea Serpent.

Few human beings will ever see the world that hides below the surface of the Okavango Delta. Fearsome crocodiles and dangerous hippos guard these waters, and only the bravest dare venture below. We’re taking a risk and revealing an underwater wilderness that abounds with life and diversity. We’ll follow the journey of an epic winter flood as it courses down the delta and transforms this underwater world.

Australia: an isolated island continent unlike anywhere else in the world and home to one of the most controversial predators on the planet — the dingo. Join dingo expert Dr. Brad Purcell of the University of Western Sydney, who has spent the past eight years studying dingo packs in the Blue Mountains, as he follows a pack of these wild dogs and reveals how they raise their young, hunt their prey and survive in the Australian landscape.

Discover one of nature’s last great mysteries in The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos, a miraculous story of love, courage and survival. In a place like no other on the planet, the dramatic and desolate Lake Natron in northern Tanzania, witness a spectacle unlike anything you’ve seen before: a million crimson-winged flamingos arrive to continue the circle of life. Focusing on the adventures of a single chick and set against a backdrop of never-before-filmed landscapes, the film is a visually stunning journey into the life and struggles of the mysterious and inspiring flamingo.

The Mata Atlantica — a forest older and richer than the Amazon — harbors animals found nowhere else in the world. Explore the creatures that inhabit this forest, including the muriqui monkeys and the swifts that live behind the raging Iguazu Falls.

The largest rain forest in the world still holds many secrets. The harpy eagle is the world's biggest bird of prey, capable of hunting and killing monkeys. But the biggest vegetation consumers in the forest are leaf-cutter ants — they harvest the green wealth of the forest. The rivers become flooded every year, sneaking their borders deep into the forest. Piraracu, a strange primordial monster fish, hunts among the trees. Another fish uniquely lays its eggs on the leaves above the flooded forest. As the water retreats, smaller fish play out life-or-death scenes in the shrinking lakes and lagoons. They have even found ways of escaping tiny puddles and returning to the river. The Amazon still has the power to surprise.

The Pantanal switches from grassland to swamp and back each year with the seasonal rains — one of the most dramatic changes of any habitat on earth. Meet the jaguars that rule this beautiful and bizarre world.

A snake family rules reptilian streets with impressive firepower and a fearsome reputation. Equipped with an array of deadly weapons and a bad attitude, the cobra family instills fear and chaos throughout the wilds of Africa and Asia. But who brings what to the table? The Godfather rules the Asian beat, Romeo runs operations along the waterways of Africa, the Capo and the Sniper do all the dirty work and the Faker is the out-of-town cousin with a growing reputation.

The world is full of angry birds. Some lock talons over food while others wrestle for mates. For birds, anger and aggression are key to survival. Every day is a battle, and being angry can be the difference between life and death. This is no game. And these are the challenges that face the real angry birds.

Eagles are dramatic predators that have inspired myths and legends for millennia. Though at the top of their food chain, they battle for survival and work tirelessly to raise their young. Powerful. Diverse. Agile. This is an epic story of conquest for one individual. But what does it take to become a ruler of the skies?

Brazil’s coast stretches almost 5,000 miles and spans from the cool temperate waters of the south to the majestic mouth of the Amazon, from the equator and beyond, with a large number of remote islands off the coast. Creatures of all types and sizes call this coast home. From spinner dolphins to venomous snakes, explore the coast’s most exotic residents.

The grassland that covers the central region of Brazil is one of that country’s least-known habitats, and is home to some of the most extraordinary animals on earth. The maned wolf is a long-legged and strange predator — it sometimes feeds on fruit while at other times it hunts insects and rodents. The giant anteater is the most charmingly ridiculous animal on earth — it feeds on termites using a hugely long tongue. Termites build dramatic mounds that dot the landscape. Capuchin monkeys live on the cliffs that overlook the scrub and grassland. Discover Brazil’s beautiful and surprising secrets.

Where does human consciousness come from? The answer could be found within the complex social structures of monkeys. Monkeys have vivid imaginations, good memories and the ability to learn. They can communicate, and their complex social web is both sophisticated and multicultural. Studies are revealing that they share some of the characteristics and traits that are common within our human societies. It becomes apparent that the core of human behavior can be found within even the simplest monkey. Language, love, guilt, envy, generosity and anger are all present in this fascinating story of cunning, expertise and resourcefulness.

There are few places on earth more forbidding and beautiful than Baja, Mexico.

Follow the first few months of two fur seal pups lives while they fight for survival off the coast of New Zealand.

The scorching interior of the world’s oldest continent is home to the toughest kangaroo on the planet, the mighty Red. You won’t want to miss extremely rare footage of a red kangaroo birth and specialized in-pouch cameras that capture an intimate portrait of Red’s development. We are also introduced to the kangaroo’s formidable neighbors through close encounters with wedge-tailed eagles, dingoes, venomous snakes and giant monitor lizards. This is a story of survival against the odds and what it takes to endure drought, heat wave and bushfire.

The Alps’ lofty mountain world is a holiday destination from January to December, but there is an unknown side to the picturesque vacation spot. Using the latest technology, our cameras summit lofty peaks and dive into ice-cold lakes to reveal zones of life and death. We’re talking real-world Life Below Zero here. The lakes’ abyss includes ghostly shipwrecks complete with ghastly residents, medieval trees felled by too much snow and fascinating sea life. High up on the mountaintops we meet the animals that breathe this rare air including lynx, the poisonous asp viper and the stone eagle. This alpine tour brings an entirely new perspective to one of Europe’s most fascinating landscapes.

Arab emirs called it the Great River; today it is called the Guadalquivir and it flows for 400 miles from the Carzola mountain range in Spain to the Atlantic Ocean. Together with a lone fox, we embark on the ultimate reality road trip along the banks of the Guadalquivir, from the snow-covered summits to the seashore, enjoying the greatest biodiversity in Europe. The fox’s goal is safer ground, and on his way he meets a motley crew of animals including an Iberian lynx, golden eagle, spider crab, dragonflies and sturgeon. This spectacular variety of landscapes and fauna is a must-see.

It's March - late summer in the Kalahari desert. Decision time for the old matriarchs of the herd. This summer, the rains just haven't materialized, and the nutritious desert is drying early. If you're an elephant you need a lot of water, so you have to plan ahead' The older members know that they have to move to survive.

Twenty years of drought has turned the Boteti River into Botswana dust. The animals that live here endure hardship to stay alive and must adapt their behavior to survive. Herds of zebra fight over water, crocodiles dig tunnels to stay cool and elephants practice water conservation. Now for the first time in 30 years, rain has fallen, sending a stream of water through the riverbed. After years of extreme drought, the Boteti has returned in all its glory, transforming the landscape and bringing dramatic changes to the resident animals. It’s like when the contestants on “Survivor” get a food reward — buckle up for a wild ride.

Explore the stark landscape, frigid sea and wild animals in Franz Josef Land, one of the most remote and inhospitable places on Earth. National Geographic Pristine Seas Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala leads a group of scientists and adventurers on the first international scientific expedition to Franz Josef Land. His team will work with some of Russia’s most formidable biologists, geomorphologists and ornithologists to see how climate change is affecting this untouched world.

Russia’s Far East is a wild and isolated realm that was closed to outsiders by the Soviet military for most of the past hundred years, but wildlife was left to flourish. Compelled by the instinct to reproduce, millions of salmon journey to Russia’s remote Kamchatka Peninsula every summer, drawing some 10,000 grizzly bears to its shores. Journey with us to this harsh and beautiful terrain to find Northern fur seals, the artic fox and Steller’s sea eagle.

The world is full of predators, but not all are big and showy. Lurking in the shadows, the little killers can be just as deadly. They often go unnoticed, but with cunning tactics and unmatched skills, they are the true masters of the hunt. Thanks to the tricks of their trades, they have conquered every corner of the globe. In meerkat clans, it’s all about family bonds. Raccoon dogs, on the other hand, go solo. And for fishing owls, it’s about relying on your partner to help with the hunt. With their specialized tactics, all of these tiny hunters are lethal predators. We tend to have a natural respect for big predators — but pound for pound, it’s the little killers that really pack a punch!

An extraordinary and entertaining portrait of one of Africa’s true icons reveals the secret lives of giraffes — the tallest animal on earth.