Animal Planet Documentaries

The Last Dragon, known as Dragons : A Fantasy Made Real in the United States, and also known as Dragon's World in other countries, is a docudrama made by Animal Planet that is described as the story of "the natural history of the most extraordinary creature that never existed". It posits the theoretical evolution of dragons from the Cretaceous period up to the 15th century, and theories about what dragon life and behaviour might have been like if they had existed and evolved. It uses the premise that the ubiquity of dragons in world mythology suggests that dragons could have existed. They are a species that are scientifically feasible and could have evolved, although they did not. The dragons featured in the show were designed by John Sibbick. The program switches between two stories. The first uses CGI to show the dragons in their natural habitat throughout history. The second shows the story of a modern day scientist at a museum, Dr. Tanner, who believes in dragons. When the frozen remains of an unknown creature are discovered in the Carpathian mountains, Tanner, and two colleagues from the museum, undertake the task to examine the specimen to try to save his reputation. Once there, they discover that the creature is a dragon. Tanner and his colleagues set about working out how it lived and died.

With the help of local guides, wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan travels to the frozen, harsh landscape of Ussuriland, Russia to track down a tiger named Amba.

What would happen if the world were suddenly without people – if humans vanished off the face of the earth? How would nature react - and how swiftly? This is science fact, not fiction. This habitat is REAL. The species we see are not cartoon characters, but representatives of a living legacy, involved in a genuine drama still unfolding today. The film takes place at the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, hastily abandoned by panic-stricken humans 20 years ago. On April 25/26th 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant located 80 miles north of Kiev in the former USSR (now Ukraine) lost control of one of its 4 reactors. At 1:23am the resulting chain reaction created a series of explosions. A devastating fireball blew off the reactor's heavy steel and concrete lid. In the immediate aftermath more than 30 died. Highly radioactive fall-out flooded everything within a 20-mile radius: 35,000 cattle and 135,000 people had to be evacuated. Only wild animals remained. While humans have made life in this land impossible for themselves, animals have found a way. They have not just survived: they have thrived.

From the woman who thinks of her cats as her babies to the shut-in trying to save the world one cat at a time, dating coach Alyson Mischel brings her expertise to cat ladies of all types to help them get off the couch and into the world of dating.

Zach McGowan narrates the story of a group of men hunting down a huge Crocodile that has been terrorizing a area of the Philippines.

For the first time, this documentary reveals the unknown true stories of survivors and the working dogs who saved lives at Ground Zero during the September 11, 2001 crisis and aftermath. More than three hundred dogs were part of the rescue and recovery operation, going where it was impossible for humans to follow. The occasional dog collapsed from exhaustion but none of them gave up. Most of these four-legged heroes are now retired but they leave behind a story that must be told. Blind office worker Michael Hingson had to trust his seeing-eye dog Roselle on a treacherous descent of 78 flights of stairs to escape only moments before the towers collapsed. Lt. David Lim of the NY Port Authority Police was called to duty with his explosive detector dog Sirius. Genelle Guzman-McMillan, the last remaining survivor of 9/11, was pinned under the rubble for 27 hours after the buildings collapsed before being found by recovery dogs.

The hunt for a mythic animal once thought to have been extinct for 65 million years: the coelacanth. It can be found 120 metres beneath the ocean off the wild coast of South Africa. French scientists and South African scientists teamed up with experienced Trimix divers, including Peter Timm, who discovered the coelacanths in Sodwana Bay in 2000 and award-winning underwater photographer Mr Laurent Ballesta and his advanced technical dive team to bring you this eye-opening documentary.

"The Hunt For Hogzilla" follows a group of men from Eastern North Carolina whose life mission is to locate Hogzilla, the legendary part boar/part bear beast that’s been terrorizing that area.

THE CANNIBAL IN THE JUNGLE follows the story of an American scientist who was convicted of killing and cannibalizing two colleagues in the jungles of Flores, Indonesia in 1977. Branded “The American Cannibal” by the press during his trial, Dr. Timothy Darrow defended himself by claiming a mythic human-ape creature was responsible for the murders.

Adventurers, wildlife fanatics and good friends Rene and Wayne travel to Patagonia in search of a very special, unique puma. Encountering a host of other interesting critters along the way, they remain true to their quest of finding the elusive "No Tail."

The ferocious Tasmanian Tiger was declared extinct 80 years ago, yet sightings are still reported. A trio of experts venture into Tasmania's undeveloped wilderness in search of one of the most unique and terrifying predators ever to walk the earth.

Northern Australia is under siege from giant man-eating saltwater crocs, and Paul Bedard is on the hunt for a true monster, a 20 foot killer terrifying the residents of a cattle ranch.

Everyone loves puppies. They're the fuzzy warm-spots in our lives that make everything better when they aren't chewing on shoes or peeing on the carpet. This hilarious, heart-warming look at everything puppy is the cure to the holiday blues.

Considered the Jewel of Central America, Costa Rica is one of the most diverse places on earth. Sandwiched between two seas and two continents, nowhere else has so many different habitats squeezed into such a small space.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Alive with Magic will feature interviews with the creators and caretakers of this theme park who share conservation messages, reveal immersive encounters with wildlife, as well as peek into the natural habitats of the animals who call Disney’s Animal Kingdom home. The TV special also showcases the can’t-miss attractions and entertainment at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as it transforms from a day-into-nighttime park. There’s also exclusive footage of the new Pandora – The World of Avatar, including interviews with iconic filmmaker James Cameron whose vision of flying on a banshee and sailing through a bioluminescent rainforest becomes a reality.