At nearly two metres tall, the cassowary rules this forest. ibid.
A little red flying fox … a wombat … kangaroos … dingoes … koalas … jumping spider … Reptiles: Australia has more species of them than any other continent … The wild budgerigar … Sharks: there are more species here than anywhere else on Earth … The Tasmanian devil … now endangered. ibid.
The driest inhabited continent on Earth. ibid.
Europe. Home to more than 700,000,000 people. This is a continent that has been transformed by humanity. It is a crowded world. But not all of it. There are still precious areas of wilderness, and living within them, some very surprising animals. Forests once covered 80% of Europe. Now only half of it remains. A brown bear: one of only 1,500 that are left in Finland’s forest. David Attenborough, Seven Worlds, One Planet V: Europe
Gibraltar: Home to Europe’s only monkeys. Barbary Macaques. Four family troops live here. ibid.
One continent on our planet changes more dramatically than any other: North America. Whole landscapes here can be transformed in a matter of minutes. And all life has to be ready to seize the moment. Getting it wrong can be disastrous. But time it correctly and there can be great rewards. This is a land of opportunity. David Attenborough, Seven Worlds, One Planet VI: North America
The coldest wilderness of all lies in the Arctic north … The Canadian lynx: no other kind of cat anywhere lives further north than this one. ibid.
Over 1,000 tornadoes touch down here every year. ibid.
A relative of the elephant: a manatee … Every autumn they need to find warmer waters. ibid.
Africa: no continent on Earth today has such spectacular wildlife. At its heart lies a vast tropical rainforest. Over a million square miles of wilderness, much of it still unexplored, even now. There are more animals and plants in these jungles than anywhere else on the continent. But even in this land of plenty, wildlife facing major challenges. David Attenborough, Seven Worlds, One Planet VII: Africa
Chimpanzees: the elders in this group know where to find the most nutritious food and how to extract it. But if they are to survive to adulthood the youngsters must learn these skills from their parents. ibid.
These lakes are now one of the richest freshwater habitats to be found anywhere ibid.
Hyenas from all over the Namib head to where the sand dunes meet hte sea: somewhere along this seemingly barren stretch of land there is food in great quantity: Cape fur seals: there are around 10,000 of them here. ibid.
Aardvark: it’s the world’s largest burrowing animal. Its sense of smell is extremely acute. Shovel-like claws and powerful legs enable it to dig down to depths of five or six metres. A full-grown aardvark needs to eat about fifty thousands termites every day. Termites are highly nutritious and full of moisture, and they can be collected here year-round. Aardvark are usually nocturnal … Aardvark here are close to starvation. Changes in the world’s climate are affecting many of Africa’s animals. ibid.
The natural world is full of colours. Colours that attract attention, colours that blend beautifully with their background, and colours that create extraordinary displays. There are few animals more brilliantly coloured than these scarlet macaws. Attenborough’s Life in Colour I, BBC 2021
The rocky hills of southern India – the stage is set for a performance of one of the most spectacular dances in the natural world: Peacocks are gathering. ibid.
Flowers have evolved these ultra-violent markings for the benefit of insects such as butterflies. ibid.
Some animals use their colours to help them hide and disappear into the background … Colour can both conceal and confuse. Attenborough’s Life in Colour II
One theory is that the [zebra’s] black and white stripes make it difficult for flies to judge the distances. ibid.
On a clear spring morning like this the dawn chorus is at its peak. There are surely few more enchanting natural soundscapes than this. But this avian choir does not sing for us. These are songs of seduction and weapons of war. Males are defending territory and attracting mates. Attenborough’s Wonder of Song ***** BBC 2022
Song 1: Mandagascan Indri lemur 1960s: Using my new equipment I made the first ever audio recording of the Indri … There are such things as battle songs. ibid.
Song 2 United Kingdom Great Tit 1970s: We suspected that songs could be weapons of war, but it was the next recording that proved it … Female great tits do not sing. ibid.
Song 3 Germany Nightingale 2010s: A male singing for a mate … females do not sing … Up to 250 songs … Better singers are better fathers. ibid.
Song 4 Australia Superb Lyrebird 1930s: Amazes me every time I hear it … The talent a lyrebird has for mimicry … at least 20 different species … [and] incorporates other sounds he hears in the forest. ibid.
Song 5 Australia Superb Fairy-Wren 1980s: It’s extremely promiscuous … It’s not just the male that sings. ibid.
Song 6 Bermuda Humpback Whale 1960s: This was the first time that anyone had ever identified the sound of a whale. ibid.
Song 7 Hawaii Kauai O O: There are few songs more haunting that this … since been declared extinct. ibid.
How many more songs have been lost on other parts of the planet? ibid.
Looking down on our planet it may come as a surprise to find just how much of it is blanketed in snow and ice. These vast frozen wildernesses cover more than a fifth of the Earth. David Attenborough, Frozen Planet s2e1: Frozen Worlds, BBC 2022
Our frozen wildernesses are disappearing at faster rates than ever before. ibid.
The largest frozen expanse on Earth: Antarctica. It’s twice the size of Australia. Here, temperatures fall to minus 80 degrees Centigrade. It’s the coldest place on Earth. There is only one animal here hardy enough to raise its family in winter: the Emperor Penguin. ibid.
Siberian tiger: now fewer than 500 remain in the wild. ibid.
In winter at the top of the planet lies an icy wilderness not of land but of frozen water: the Arctic Ocean. Its surface forms an almost solid platform that is bigger than the whole of the United States. David Attenborough, Frozen Planet s2e2: Frozen Ocean
Up in the mountains: every continent on Earth has such high snow fields. And each has its own community of animals that have adapted in their own to their crushing conditions that come with the cold. David Attenborough, Frozen Planet s2e3: Frozen Peaks
Golden Eagle: in winter there is just enough prey up [Alps] here, dead or alive, to sustain it. ibid.
At the far south of our planet lies the most hostile of the Earth’s frozen lands: Antarctica. Here, temperatures can fall to below minus 80 Celsius. And winds blow up to 200 miles an hour. Its icy centre is almost devoid of life. But on the edge of Antarctica, some creatures find a way not only to survive but to flourish. David Attenborough, Frozen Planet s2e4: Frozen South
Almost 200 years ago whilst walking these very paths in the English countryside and observing the banks and meadows near his home, Charles Darwin developed his groundbreaking ideas about evolution, casting a new light on the natural world and opening out eyes to its true wonder. David Attenborough, Planet Earth s3e1: Coasts, BBC 2023
The natural world continues to surprise us. But since Darwin’s time it has changed beyond recognition, transformed by a powerful force – us. We will see how animals are adapting in extraordinary ways to survive these new challenges they face. ibid.
In the Arctic monumental change is a regular event. Some visitors are arriving en masse attracted by the biggest seasonal transformation of any coast on earth. Over 300 billion tons of ice are melting, releasing nutrient-rich water. Extraordinary newcomers appear from the depths. ibid.
There are over a million miles of coastline around the world. Together they constitute the most varied habitat on the planet. ibid.
Much of our planet still remains unexplored. For most of it is covered by water. Every journey below the surface can reveal something extraordinary. More than a thousand new species are discovered here every year. The ocean is home to 80% of all animal life on Planet Earth. David Attenborough, Planet Earth s3e2: Ocean
A predatory lionfish on the hunt from shrimp and small fish. With so many places for its prey to hide, the lionfish has to be patient. ibid.
One of the shallow seas’ most extraordinary predators, the clown frog fish. ibid.
These fish are no easy meal: they are flying fish. ibid.
Tens of thousands of [Mobula] rays in a single shoal. ibid.
A glass squid. Completely transparent. Apart from its eyes and stomach. ibid.
Pearl octopus: This is the largest known gathering of octopus in the world … all here to lay their eggs. ibid.
The influence of these vents extends far beyond these chimneys. ibid.
This is Guelta d’Archei in central Africa, a hostile seemingly empty world. There is life here. But it exists at the very limits of survival. For this is a world with almost no water. Lands like these cover over a third of our planet. Here life is forced to do things differently. David Attenborough, Planet Earth s3e3: Deserts and Grasslands
So desert dwellers have had to evolve in remarkable ways.
A quarter of the world’s people live in arid lands. ibid.
Grasslands: they support the greatest concentrations of large animals to be found anywhere on the planet. Here nature is at its most spectacular. ibid.
The Eurasian Steppe, the largest grassland on Earth. It tests animals in a different way. Here the wind can blow at speeds of nearly 80 miles an hour. And temperatures can drop to below minus 30 degrees Celsius. ibid.