Tag archives for Nature
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America’s national parks are the backdrop of many stunning events that take place on the new mini-series Untamed Americas. These unparalleled places are the birthright of each and every one of us and they need to be protected. The National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, strives to preserve the nearly 400…
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Last week the Nat Geo Channel PR team spent a few days in Yellowstone for an Untamed Americas press junket. Several of the scenes featured in “Mountains” were filmed in the park – so naturally it was the perfect setting to screen the episode and experience firsthand the beauty and wildlife depicted in the series.…
Written by Toby Strong, Witness Cameraman. A week into our shoot and already there is a lot to tell. Myself (cameraman), Stuart (producer), Gianni (Edit Assistant) and Tracy (Editor) are based on the Southern fringes of the Kalahari Desert. We are filming a group of twenty-five meerkats, called “Whiskers”, led by Thundercat and Enili; the…
24/7 WILD: Filming the Lone Lioness and Her Cub
Posted by National Geographic Channels on May 7, 2012 
Written by Kiri Cashell – Researcher, Masai Mara Oh no here comes the rain again!! When it rains in the Mara everyone knows about it – it doesn’t just rain, it pours! Not one day has passed without the team seeing the ominous sight of thick, black, storm clouds raging over the horizon, and as…
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From a grizzly bear hunting in the Rockies to a bat that has a tongue longer than its body; from a killer mouse that howls at the moon to the spectacle of thousands of rays “flying” through the air; from jaguars hunting caimans to dolphins swimming around trees—the Americas are full of amazing surprises. Many…
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Above: Tagged mussels Most freshwater mussel species burrow in the bottoms of rivers and streams. They draw water inside their shells, breathing and filtering food with gills. When mussels move, they don’t move far – one hundred feet for a mussel is impressive – but they do have a muscular limb that assists in burrowing and…
Sepilok Forest is a protected area of wild jungle along the Kinabatangan River in Malaysian Borneo. Each year only 300 people are allowed access to a restricted study site deep within the forest. This reserve – situated in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary – is utilized by Red Ape Encounters, HUTAN and other research…
Deep in the tropical jungle wilderness of Gabon, red capped mangabeys swing through the trees and roam across the forest floor. This primate species is only found in a small area of central Africa, and very little is known about them. The red capped mangabey has unique markings, including a dark face, tufts of red…
In areas where winters are especially cold and harsh, certain animals have adapted to survive the chilliest conditions by hibernating. But as available hibernation sites may be limited in these zones, some species gather together in dens, caves, trees, cavities and burrows to fall into a deep winter slumber. By slipping into a state of…
Cold-blooded monitor lizards, like all reptiles, enjoy quiet moments of sunbathing. But it’s also in these tranquil daylight hours that monitor lizards exercise their firece hunting skills by running after prey, slashing at them with razor-sharp teeth and long claws. Monitor lizards generally feed on frogs, birds, snakes, crabs, fish, squirrels and other small animals, often…
Among the forested islands and wildlife-rich floodplains of Botswana lies the highest concentration of baboons in Africa. Get an inside look into the heart of baboon society.Swamp of the Baboons premieres Thursday December 16 at 8P et/pt on Nat Geo Wild. Meet some of the baboons… Boro: The Alpha When we join the swamp troop, Boro is…
As orangutans and humans are 96.4% the same genetically and share 28 distinct physical characteristics, it’s no wonder this magnificent creature’s name means person of the forest in Malay. One controversial study even concluded that orangutans – not chimpanzees – are our closest relatives. Some telltale signs of our red ape relatives? Densely enameled molar teeth with level surfaces…
There are more than 7,000 species of earthworms found across the globe. Depending on the species, they can grow to just an inch or reach two yards in length. They occur at different soil depths in temperate and tropical climates. Earthworms are one of nature’s most essential recyclers, obtaining nourishment from decomposing organic matter and dead animals in the…
A winter tick is the size of a grain of sand, but thousands of bloated ticks can drain a Moose of a lot of blood and transform the host into a pale-skinned, infested giant called a ghost moose. At the end of summer, ticks congregate by the thousands, waiting for an encounter with a tasty…
The Mountain Pride runs the show in South Africa’s Singita Game Reserve. Normally, when male lions reach three or four years, the dominate male boots them out of the pride—unwilling to tolerate sexual competition. But the Mountain Pride has no dominate male, so these teenage boys have remained at home. Now the mothers and sisters must work overtime to…
The Shiyane pack of wild dogs dwells in Africa’s Imfolozi Game Reserve. The pack must work together to ward off predators, defend their young, and make sure every pack-member gets fed. The cooperation and allegiance exhibited in the group hunt is fundamental to the Shiyane pack’s survival. If the Shiyane pack expands, a few dogs…
by Erwin NeumaierLine Producer, Project Naica, C/Producciones (Mexico) Naica is a place that commands respect. You might not feel it at first, but at some point, probably sooner rather than later, the cave will make it clear, especially if you’ve been there before and are feeling overconfident. This happened to part of the film crew…
by Denis McCreadyLine Producer, Naica II Production Inc. (Canada)Naica is a paradox.Contrary to many underground natural wonders, Naica is a surprising find. 300 meters deep, it has no natural openings to the surface, so it would have never been found if there hadn’t been the Industrias Peñoles mining complex operating there. Some caves require days…
By Charley Miller, Coordinating Producer Sitting on the plane, getting ready to take off on the flight to New Orleans, my head was full of project-related worries. Were we going to get access to boats we needed? Where were we going to sleep the next night? I had been working non-stop in the weeks leading…
With oil actively gushing into the Gulf’s waters, wildlife expert Mireya Mayor, together with adventure underwater cameraman Andy Casagrande, join the extensive mission to save struggling creatures at the center of the crisis. View photos of the rescue operations going on in the gulf. Saved from the Spill premieres Tuesday October 5 at 9P et/pt…
by Elliott Cowand Jr.Sound Recordist On April 20th 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform floating above 5,000 feet of water, 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana erupted in a fireball killing 11 crew members. Immediately following the BP oil spill, many were asking themselves the same questions. How bad is it? How long will it…
Miles from civilization, Dr. Enrich Sala leads a team of scientists along with resident explorer Mike Fay in search of ancient secrets and living treasure. An ecosystem virtually untouched and unchanged for over 200 years, these southern pacific reefs are full of coral, fish, and especially — sharks, most of which have never seen a human before. The…
by Diana DonnellyAssociate Producer For Nat Geo Amazing!, we try to take you around the world and back, but sometimes in the course of scouring the world for stories, we find ourselves much closer to home. For this episode, I ended up working with an expert underwater cinematographer located just a few miles from where I…
Glacier National Park, one of America’s most stunning natural environments, is going through a dramatic climate change. Global warming is rapidly melting the glaciers, of which only about 27 remain; and some scientists worry about the effects that a warmer climate may have on the native species. Hundreds of lakes, a variety of mountainous peaks,…
The earth 4 billions years ago: Water does not exist — the earth is a gigantic mass of molten rock. Comets formed of ice and dust rain down on the earth. They bring with them water that immediately evaporates. When the projectiles from space become fewer, the earth forms a solid crust as the temperature…
