Into the Wild

Komodo dragons can grow up to ten feet long and weigh over two hundred and fifty pounds. And most often they spend their time roaming the forest in search of deer, pig and other large game. This unique monitor is actually far more advanced than a dinosaur and most of today's reptiles as well. Although crocodiles are larger, they are primitive and sluggish by comparison.

We'll take you inside the world of the lion. First, we'll visit a group of lions, otherwise known as a pride. The pride is what sets the lion apart from all other cats. It's the social structure provided by evolution that ensures the quality of the gene pool and the successful rearing of young. We'll follow a pride over eight months and see how the relationships within it benefit the species.

Over 65 million years ago canines and felines split from a common ancestor on the path of evolution...then about 20 million years ago the felines began to diverge into the many species of cats that we know today. Their design has been so successful that basic cat anatomy hasn't changed in the last 10 million years.

Over the millions of years of all the world's continents, Africa has become the land of the hooved animal. Each species has developed its own mechanisms for feeding, mating, rearing young, and surviving. We've come to South Africa to follow the giraffe and other uniquely evolved hooved animals in the wild. Take a look into the lives of hooved species.

The waterhole is Africa's oasis of life during the dry season. When the rains end in April it may not rain again for up to seven long months. Many water sources dry up completely. Even now at the end of the rainy season when water is abundant everywhere, many species base their lives around the waterhole. We'll watch this ever-changing area and the lives of the animals that depend on it.

Into The Wild takes a close up look at one of nature's most fearsome, yet commonly misunderstood animals, the bear. Technically the Alaskan Brown Bear and the inland Grizzly of Alaska are the same species but in both size and temperament the animals could hardly be further apart. Join us for an intimate study of the bear and its differing species.

Orangutans are the world's largest tree dwelling primates. Males may weigh up to three hundred pounds and measure six feet in length. Millions of years of evolution have fashioned the orangutan into a kind arboreal specialist. We'll journey to the island of Sumatra to observe these fascinating apes where they are most at home; over sixty feet above the ground.

Looking at modern Bangkok today, a city of nearly 8 million people, it's hard to imagine Thailand as the country of the elephant. The nation has had a long and close relationship with the giant mammal since ancient times. In fact, no animal has had a more significant impact on Thailand's human culture and beliefs than the elephant. Take a close up look at both species of elephants.

The mountains of Montana are only one of the many habitats where the bobcat lives. The cat is found in areas diverse as the deserts of Arizona, the marshlands of Georgia, and the forests of Maine. In the snowbound forests of North America, the lynx, as a predator, has no equal. Watch as these animals make their way in these alpine habitats.

The world of nature is a fascinating place to explore anytime of the year. Spring is when the animal kingdom gets a breath of new life, as another generation is born. This is nature's most critical time. For, the future of the species is dependent on the survival, and successful rearing, of new members - who will, ultimately, carry on the genes.

Southwest Thailand lies Cancrachon, the nation's largest national park covering 1125 square miles and home to some of the country's most unusual snakes. The unique long nosed tree snake is superbly camoflouged. It's horizontal pupils are aligned with grooves along the head for superior unobstructed frontal vision. The Siamese cobra is one of the deadliest snakes in the world.

Originally, ferrets were found from the southwestern US to the southern regions of Alaska. But as humans killed off prairie dogs, and converted their grassland habitats to farmland and housing developments, the ferrets disappeared. By 1987, there were only 18 black footed ferrets left in the world. A massive effort was launched to save the remnants of the population.

The Grizzly, claw length on a grizzly bear can range from 2 to 6 inches. Grizzly bears are frequently seen foraging in open areas. Their aggressive disposition is well suited to such a habitat, where they can't get away quickly should an intruder approach. Ungulates, such as this elk, are difficult for a grizzly to catch, but less difficult to kill.

The wild dog is the most successful predator in Africa. Still, there are less than 2500 wild dogs left in the world and nearly one third of them live here in Botswana. Evolution has designed the wild dog to fill an important niche in the ecosystem using a complex pack structure and an efficient system of hunting.

The harp seal has been on earth for nearly 20 million years. Every spring, a new generation is born here on the ice floes in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The pups start out as helpless bundles of fur lying on the ice, but in this harsh environment they must mature quickly. The much larger hood seal also gives birth on the ice, but the baby's nurse for only four days before being left on their own.

Besides the obvious fact that the Proboscis Monkey is one of the most unusual looking creatures on the planet, in many ways, it's also one of the most interesting members of the primate world. But, unfortunately, at the same time, with a very shy nature and a highly specific habitat requirement, it's also in danger of extinction in the near future. We look at members of the primate family.

Shark! The very word strikes fear into most of us. They are one of the most numerous and successful carnivores on earth. At the top is the Great White Shark...Together with the highly intelligent killer whale, these extraordinary predators command the seas across the globe. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They have evolved and adapted over millions of years to become potent killers.

The Okavango River never reaches the sea. Instead it spills over the sands of the Kalihary basin, creating the Okavango delta in Botswana. This vast southern African oasis, is one of the most remote and untouched wilderness areas on the planet, and one of the richest wildlife havens in the world. It brings life and sustenance to a vast population of wildlife.

Today, the Gray wolf is back. Off the southern coast of Australia lies the island of Tasmania, home of the small, but fiercely aggressive Tasmanian devil. We'll watch these devils as they feed on, and fight over, a deceased wombat. Last seen in 1936 and declared extinct in 1986, the Tasmanian tiger was once top predator on the island. We'll take a look back at this fascinating creature.

We'll be traveling across Thailand to seek out some of the most unusual predators in the world. The Earth tiger tarantula that preys on insects and small animals using large fangs to hold and inject paralyzing venom.....the Asian purple centipede, armed with poison claws that hunt small mammals and even birds. The predators that roam Asia's tropical forest are legendary.