DocLights Documentaries

Easter, one of the biggest events in the religious calendar, celebrated by millions and steeped in customs and traditions. Chicks, bunnies, and lambs have become integral to our celebrations, but how have these animals become a part of Easter tradition?

Mini oceans inland, lakes are treasure troves of aquatic wonders, each zone, from the depths to the surface, the banks to the mud at the bottom, hosts its own animal communities of predators and prey. Fish, birds, insects, even mammals, enjoy the bounty of their freshwater home.

Whatever you think of pigs, you’re probably underestimating one of the world’s most amazing animals. A year with wild boars and their relatives reveals a tender and dedicated matriarchal society, playful youngsters, and powerful warriors

Ask what the most dangerous animal is and most will say a lion or tiger, and true, they have the power to kill, but far more people are killed by hippos or buffalo, even domestic cows, pigs, and especially dogs.

Like a sea of grass, the savannah, prairie, and meadows are among the most productive habitats on Earth, housing some of the greatest concentrations of big game and the most dramatic interactions of predator and prey.

All habitats present challenges to life, but few more so than the desert, but still, even here, life abounds, from little foxes to speed lizards and light-footed gazelles to huge camels. Each one finds its own ways to exploit and conserve food and water, creating new dramas every day.

Traveling north across the planet, eventually, you’ll run out of forest, a land too harsh for even trees to take root. This is tundra. But with dramatic seasonal changes, it offers rich rewards for those tough enough to take on the challenge.

How do you decide nature’s weirdest animal? Is it the sloth that hangs upside down and moves so slowly that moss grows in its fur? Is it a sea pen that sits rooted to the seabed in endless darkness and emitting its own glow?

Imagine if all waste just lay where it fell. We’d all be drowning in feces rotting plants and animal corpses, were it not for the cleanup crew. Often unfairly despised, we should see these animals, crabs, dung beetles, vultures and crows as our heroes, keeping us safe from diseases.

It’s tough out in nature, but many creatures are forced or choose to leave it all behind and seek a new life in the urban jungle. For some, it is life on the breadline, while others find a land of opportunity.

Germany has some of Europe’s most famous and exciting cities, but that’s nothing compared to its natural wonders for those willing to step off the beaten track. Great lakes and rivers teem with fish and birdlife, ancient and vast forests hide boars and lynx.