Survival: Tales from the Wild

Islands can be home to the most extreme examples of life and the some of the most dramatic landscapes. Natural selection fuels evolution in the most extraordinary way. Isolated for hundreds of thousands of years, pockets of individuals survive, thrive and adapt to fill all available niches fuelling a rapid development of new species. Wildest Islands, a stunning five-part series featuring the world’s most spectacular island locations. Dive into the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean; journey through the lush forests of Zanzibar; discover the unspoilt environs of the Hebrides; and uncover the enduring wonders of the Galapagos Islands as Wildest Islands investigates the rich history of these pristine paradises.

Documentary series examining the most dangerous and most feared animals on the planet.

One force determines a country's fate more than any other: Water. Austria's love-affair with water has given her unique and amazing landscapes and biospheres, carved out by Alpine glaciers, ancient seas and mighty rivers, home to iconic animals like eagles, ibex, otters and deer. But this country has wildlife surprises, too. The days are gone when raging oceans brought giant sharks to her primeval shores, but there's an odd little survivor from those times: a three-eyed hermaphrodite, maybe the oldest animal on the planet. The tadpole shrimp lives in pools and puddles, until they dry out. Its eggs can stay dormant for decades or centuries, till water brings them to life. At a pinch, an adult can even fertilize itself - a single survivor guaranteeing future generations. Goldeneye ducks breed in abandoned woodpecker holes high in trees. Once the last sibling has hatched, the ducklings follow their mother in a leap of faith of up to ten meters to the river below. Two months later, they will finally learn to fly! The Bullhead, a fish that will never master the art of swimming, lives in brooks and creeks at up to 2,000 meters. It claws its way upstream, digging its fins into the gravelly riverbed. From ice caves, crystalline mountain springs and spectacular waterfalls, down to Lake Neusiedl, world-famous bird sanctuary on the edge of the endless Eurasian steppe: This epic two-part documentary celebrates Austria's most precious landscapes and her wildlife's unrivaled beauty.

David Attenborough reveals the surprising truth about the cold-blooded lives of reptiles and amphibians. These animals are as dramatic, as colourful and as tender as any other animals.