The large blue butterfly (Phengaris arion), the largest and rarest of the UK’s blue butterflies, has a remarkable lifecycle. It relies entirely on a single species of red ant (Myrmica sabuleti) to survive. In the third episode of the BBC TV series Wild Isles, Grasslands, David Attenborough narrates a chilling chain of events. “This caterpillar is one of the very few in the […]
Tag: David Attenborough
A hippo is dying of thirst in Botswana. But a pride of lions guards the water hole
In Botswana’s Okavango delta, deep floodwater can dry to dust in months. Thirsty animals seek out water holes for a much-needed drink – but this brings them into dangerous proximity with others. And in one episode of the BBC TV series Natural World, the film crew follow a group of hippos as they deal with the […]
“Never-before-seen animal behaviour, new locations, new science.” Watch first clip of David Attenborough narrating “blockbuster” BBC series
The Blue Planet, broadcast in 2001, was the first natural history series to comprehensively showcase the life that teems within our oceans. Then in 2017, its follow-up created a phenomenon known as the ‘Blue Planet effect’. British universities reported an increase in applications for marine biology courses, and the series helped spark a movement against single-use plastic – which […]
David Attenborough narrates ruthless, shocking footage of orcas kidnapping a vulnerable humpback whale calf right under its poor mother’s nose…
In a display of sophisticated predatory behaviour, three orcas were seen using a highly strategic hunting method to ‘kidnap’ a young humpback whale, from under its mother’s nose. This entirely new tactic had never been seen before by scientists and was documented by a camera team for the first time for the BBC’s 2024 documentary series, Mammals, narrated […]
“It has huge back legs armed with dagger-like claws that can reach 12cm long.” 10 bonkers birds that break the rules of nature
While there are plenty of weird birds to be found in the natural world, this avian selection is particularly extraordinary. From the only bird that hibernates, to the bird that can kick a human to death, here are 10 birds that defy the norms of nature. Birds that break nature’s rules Livingstone’s turaco The bird with metal […]
“As the great whites move in for the kill, the seals do something astonishing.”
In the waters off Robberg, South Africa, Cape fur seals benefit from powerful ocean currents that bring in plentiful amounts of fish. The Robberg Peninsula is home to thousands of this seal species, which is endemic to South Africa, who don’t need to swim out too far for a meal. However, the huge shoals of fish also […]
Watch agonising BBC footage of deadly crocodiles attacking animals oblivious to the danger not once, but twice… You will be yelling at the screen
Watch incredible BBC footage of wildebeests at the water’s edge going back into crocodile-infested waters, narrated by David Attenborough The wildebeest migration of the Serengeti-Masai Mara ecosystem is an incredible natural event, where over 1.4 million wildebeest, alongside zebra and antelope, travel hundreds of miles together, stopping when they can to drink along the way. It’s at […]
Rhino review – Tom Hardy channels David Attenborough in mission to save Kenya’s rhinos
Here is a rare wildlife success story. The world’s black rhino population has plummeted to just over 6,000 as rhinos are pushed to the brink of extinction by habitat loss and poaching. But conservation efforts have resulted in a rhino comeback in Kenya, where numbers are growing in fenced-off sanctuaries known as conservancies that employ […]