• Air date: 18 Oct '06 8 episodes
      Natural World is a nature documentary television series broadcast annually on BBC Two and regarded by the BBC as its flagship natural history brand. It is currently the longest-running series in its genre on British television, with more than 400 episodes broadcast since its inception in 1983. Natural World is produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, but individual programmes can be in-house productions, collaborative productions with other broadcasters or films made and distributed by independent production companies and purchased by the BBC. Natural World programmes are often broadcast as PBS Nature episodes in the USA. Since 2008, most Natural World programmes have been shot and broadcast in high definition.
  • List of Episodes (8)
    • 1. The Last Lions of India

      18 Oct '06
      Documentary about Asiatic lions, which are completely different from African lions in both appearance and behaviour but are thriving in India. Their refuge is the Gir forest in Gujarat, and in the last 100 years their numbers have grown from 20 to over 300. They are now spreading out beyond the protection of the National Park, reclaiming lost territory and colonising new habitats. It's a rare conservation success story but one that brings new challenges to lions, naturalists and forestry staff.
    • 2. On the Trail of Tarka

      25 Oct '06
      Filmmakers Charlie Hamilton-James and Philippa Forrester went in search of otters on a short stretch of the River Torridge in Devon, immortalised 80 years ago by Henry Williamson in his famous novel Tarka the Otter. Over months of patient fieldwork they got to know and film a family of wild otters. The result is both a lyrical portrait of these shy creatures and a tribute to Williamson's skills as a writer and naturalist.
    • 3. Eye for an Elephant

      01 Nov '06
      Martyn Colbeck has spent 15 years scouring Africa for the ultimate images of the world's largest land creature- the African Elephant. Along the way he has learned how to read elephant minds, gain unsurpassed levels of trust and, so, achieve pictures of spectacular beauty and insight. An Eye For an Elephant charts the journeys Colbeck has made since he first became entranced by the magic and mystery of elephants after he arrived in Amboseli National Park in 1990 and met Echo, a young matriarch.
    • 4. Bear Man of Kamchatka

      08 Nov '06
      The incredible story of Charlie Russell - the man who has devoted his life to the grizzly bears of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Russian mafia killed Charlie's beloved bears but now he's back with four new cubs and he's trying to prove that Russia can live with its grizzlies. This film follows Charlie as he restarts the project, spending nine months living with the orphaned cubs as they become increasingly independent and make the crucial transition to the wild. But will he be able to keep them s
    • 5. The Falls of Iguacu

      15 Nov '06
      The film explores Iguacu National Park on the Brazilian-Argentine border, home to some of the largest waterfalls on Earth. The story follows animals native to this Atlantic rainforest habitat, including kamikaze-like swifts who live behind and fly through the thundering masses of falling water, as well as spotted jaguars and a family of coatis. The film also shows the struggle of park rangers to defend this threatened reserve from opportunistic exploitation.
    • 6. Africa's Desert Garden

      09 Jan '07
      This film chronicles the magical transformation of a landscape. Every spring, a barren stretch of land 100 km inland from South Africa’s west coast is briefly transformed into the largest flower show on the planet. Thousands of brightly colored species are pollinated by oil collecting bees within the few precious weeks before the blazing summer heat turns the garden to dust.
    • 9. Desert Lions

      04 Feb '05
      Many years ago lions thrived in the deserts of Namibia's Skeleton Coast, until they were exterminated by man. Six years ago maverick biologist Flip Stander discovered a tiny remnant population alive and well in nearby mountains, and started to study them. Their numbers have grown and they are now returning to the desert in increasing numbers. But if these lions are to continue roaming here, Flip will have to persuade local people that these lions are worth more alive than dead.
    • 10. Mississippi: Tales of the Last River Rat

      03 Feb '07
      A stunningly photographed portrait of the wildlife and landscape of the Mississippi River seen through the eyes of 'River Rat' Kenny Salwey, a legendary hunter, trapper and author who lives off the land and shares his watery haunts with beavers, snapping turtles, sturgeons, pelicans and eagles.