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14 Episodes 1996 - 1997
Episode 1
Sun, Oct 13, 1996 60 mins
"Sperm Whales: The Real Moby Dick" follows encounters with the mammals off New Zealand and the Azores. Included: how the species returned from the brink of extinction at the hands of whalers; the whales' migratory habits; the creatures' ferocity when provoked. George Page hosts.
Episode 2
Sun, Oct 20, 1996 60 mins
Charting the declining fortunes of a pride of "Crater Lions" that lives in Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater. Included: lion attacks on buffaloes; a young cub's encounter with jackals; efforts to repopulate the pride; wildebeests, elephants. George Page hosts.
Episode 3
Sun, Nov 10, 1996 60 mins
Delving into the mysteries of the colorful monkeys called mandrills, as a troupe of the creatures are followed through the West African rainforests. Included: the travails of a lead male fighting off a rival; the females' role as group leaders; hammerhead bats and river martins.
Episode 4
Sun, Nov 17, 1996 60 mins
Exploring pigs, described by host George Page as "the world's most cosmopolitan characters," with a focus on their adaptability to a variety of environments. Included: pigs as pets; hunters stalking a "bearded" pig in Borneo.
Episode 5
Sun, Dec 8, 1996 60 mins
Following a family of elephants in Kenya's Amboseli National Park. Included: the family's matriarch giving birth, rescuing her kidnapped daughter and chasing away hyenas. Also: male and female mating rituals. George Page hosts.
Episode 6
Sun, Jan 12, 1997 60 mins
Observing wild buffaloes and gray wolves in the Canadian wilderness. Jeff and Sue Turner spent two years filming the ritual battles between these ancient adversaries in Wood Buffalo National Park, where the drama unfolds in the subarctic winter.
Episode 7
Sun, Feb 16, 1997 60 mins
Profiling the mahouts of southern India, who are skilled in the art of training wild elephants. Included: a journey north to stop herds of marauding elephants that are destroying villagers' crops and taking lives.
Episode 8
Sun, Feb 23, 1997 60 mins
Observing a society of ring-tailed lemurs on Madagascar, an island host George Page calls "a Noah's Ark of unique creatures" off the eastern coast of Africa. The catlike primates are seen in play and struggling for survival as newborns. Also: a female selects a mate.
Episode 9
Sun, Mar 9, 1997 60 mins
Tales of canine loyalty to humans, including segments illustrating how dogs detect people buried by avalanches, enhance the lives of prison inmates and offer "therapy" for seriously ill youngsters. Also: the use of dogs to assist people with disabilities; dog scouts and couriers.
Episode 10
Sun, Apr 13, 1997 60 mins
Profiling the bowerbird, an ingenious "architect" of the Australian rain forest that builds elaborate bowers of sticks to attract a female. Footage also includes the spiny echidna, which feasts on termite mounds; a bright blue crayfish; and carnivorous dingoes.
Episode 11
Sun, May 11, 1997 60 mins
The four-part "Spirits of the Jaguar" explores the human and natural histories of Central America and the Caribbean. Part 1 focuses on the region's animal and plant life, and its volcanic origins some 150 million years ago. Included: iguanas; crocodiles; fossilized tree sap that offers a record of ancient island life.
Episode 12
Mon, May 12, 1997 60 mins
Part 2 of "Spirits of the Jaguar" explores the "Forests of the Maya," where 1200 years ago an extraordinary civilization emerged in the Central American jungles. Included: Mayan ruins; exotic animals like the jaguar that permeated Mayan folklore; underground rivers and caves.
Episode 13
Tue, May 13, 1997 60 mins
Part 3 of "Spirits of the Jaguar" recounts the evolution of the Taino civilization. The Taino were the first inhabitants of the Caribbean some 2000 years ago, and their way of life was destroyed with the arrival of European explorers. The hour examines marine life that provided food for the Amerindians.
Episode 14
Wed, May 14, 1997 60 mins
"Spirits of the Jaguar" concludes with the story of the Aztec empire, which in the 1500s stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific in what is now Mexico. Footage includes scenes of hawks that once inspired Aztec myths, and ruins of pyramids and temples.