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13 Episodes 2014 - 2015
Episode 1
Wed, Oct 22, 2014 57 mins
The Season 33 premiere spotlights such quirky creatures as the giant panda, which eats 16 hours a day; and the big-headed mole rat of Ethiopia's Bale Mountains, which unlike other mole rats heads above ground to eat. Also: an ant-sized chameleon; the mudskipper fish, which can live out of water; the deep-sea nautilus; New Zealand's kakapo, a flightless parrot; and the Arctic woolly bear caterpillar, which spends most of its life frozen.
Episode 2
Wed, Nov 5, 2014 57 mins
The story of an orphaned sloth named Velcro and the journalist who raised it for two years. Also: information about sloths and sloth society; and the increase in sloth sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers throughout the Americas.
Episode 3
Wed, Nov 19, 2014 57 mins
A look at one consequence of the Arctic ice melt: more killer whales during the summer. The increase may negatively impact the polar bear, as the orca hunts the same prey, including seals, narwhal, belugas and bowhead whales.
Episode 4
Wed, Jan 7, 2015 57 mins
An exploration of the flora and fauna in France, including wolves, wild boar and bears.
Episode 5
Wed, Jan 28, 2015 57 mins
A look at a colony of 3000 gentoo penguins that gathers each November near the Port Lockroy post office on the Antarctic Peninsula. The birds find mates, build nests, raise their young—and become a tourist attraction for cruise-ship passengers from around the world.
Episode 6
Wed, Feb 18, 2015 57 mins
An examination of owls, including how they hunt; how their vision and hearing work; how they fly so silently; and their influence on aircraft, submarines and hearing aids.
Episode 7
Wed, Feb 25, 2015 57 mins
Ecologist Chris Morgan travels to northern Sumatra, where the wild orangutan population is dwindling because of deforestation. He visits with orphaned orangutans at rehabilitation centers; and observes orangutans that live in a peat swamp forest known as Suaq Balimbing, which is part of a World Heritage Site.
Episode 8
Wed, Apr 8, 2015 57 mins
A three-part look at animal homes begins with bird nests, which come in all shapes and sizes. The domiciles are constructed from a variety of natural materials, including grass, leaves, sticks and twigs; and, sometimes, man-made materials, such as twine, wire and plastic bags.
Episode 9
Wed, Apr 15, 2015 57 mins
Part 2 of 3. The importance of location for a home is explored via the choices made by beavers, tortoises and wood rats. Also: animated blueprints and tiny cameras track the progress of their construction efforts and reveal the technical specs of the structures.
Episode 10
Wed, Apr 22, 2015 57 mins
Conclusion. Communal living arrangements, which can occur out of both necessity and security, are examined. Icelandic puffins, for example, form nesting colonies of more than a million; and share the space with other birds, lessening the odds that individuals will be attacked. Social spiders in Ecuador, on the other hand, band together to subdue large prey. Also: leaf-cutter ants in Costa Rica, which build complex, acre-wide cities and societies.
Episode 11
Wed, Apr 29, 2015 57 mins
The Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys of the Himalayas are examined through the prism of one group, which consists of eight to 10 families.
Episode 12
Wed, May 13, 2015 57 mins
A look at the challenges young animals face. While some are nurtured by their mothers or mentors, others must fend for themselves almost immediately after birth. Included: finding food; avoiding predators; and making friends.
Episode 13
Wed, May 20, 2015 57 mins
The life of the greater sage-grouse, which lives on the "sagebrush sea" that stretches across 11 states in the American West, is detailed. Other featured creatures include the golden eagle, great-horned owl, cavity-nesting bluebirds and American kestrel.