Wildest Islands of Indonesia
★ 8 · 2016 · 60m · Documentary
The islands of Indonesia remain a wild paradise. This series explores the incredible wildlife of this extraordinary environment and reveals the remarkable ways in which life has been created, adapted, and reborn over millions of years.
Episodes
1. Kingdom of Giants44m · How have Indonesia’s remote and mysterious islands become home to so many of the natural world’s most extraordinary giants? From a unique species of elephant, and the world’s longest snake, to a crab almost a metre wide that climbs trees, these islands harbour a baffling number of large animals. And surrounded by teeming oceans, Indonesia is also home to the biggest fish on earth. It’s 17,000 islands include many diverse habitats, including the planet’s oldest rainforests, and over 120 active volcanoes. But how have the giant animals that have colonized these islands adapted in order to survive? And what happens when huge species collide, in this Kingdom of Giants?
2. Islands of the Monsoon44m · Cloaked in tropical rainforest and warmed by clear blue seas Indonesia is a paradise for a unique range of species. Although much of the island chain receives sporadic rain throughout the year, this alone wouldn’t be enough to sustain the region’s rich abundance of life. Fortunately, Indonesia lies in the heart of monsoon territory, and we discover how creatures have learnt to thrive and capitalize on some of the most powerful rainstorms on the planet.
3. Volcano Nation44m · The island chain of Indonesia is home to more active volcanoes than any other country in the world. Yet somehow, instead of posing a threat – this volcanic activity is a source of life. The 130 volcanoes have transformed the islands from isolated mountains of hot lava, to lush jungle homes. For millions of years rich fertile ash has supported pristine rainforests, allowing life to flourish. Indonesia’s 17,000 islands house more mammals than anywhere else in the world. Those residents have uniquely adapted to the specific demands of life in the furnace. From birds that lay their eggs in volcanic ash, to bears that can climb the world’s tallest trees and bearded pigs that wallow in Borneo’s Mud Volcano.
4. Secret Worlds44m · Scattered across the warm South China Sea, Indonesia’s islands are a melting pot for evolution and diversity. Here, rich forests, rivers and coastlines have offered pockets of isolation, enabling animals to develop incredible behaviours and looks. From deep below the ocean surface, to the vaulted canopies of Borneo’s tallest trees, we discover the amazing hidden worlds of some of the planets most fascinating creatures.
5. Dragon's Domain44m · Indonesia’s enduring heat provides energy for it’s reptilian residents to thrive, and so much so, they outnumber it’s mammalian inhabitants. From the heady heights of the forest canopy to the warm waters of the coral filled seas, they have evolved unique and awe inspiring bodyforms for travelling through their environment as well as eye catching and tender ways of securing a mate. Some use brute force and large teeth to take down prey whilst others administer a deadly dose of venom into their victim. Across the thousands of islands of Indonesia, we discover how this mosaic of habitats has become a dragons’ domain.More Like This
David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities
2013 · ★ 7.3
Sir David shines the spotlight on some of nature’s evolutionary anomalies and reveals how these curious animals continue to baffle and fascinate.
More info →
Kingdom of Plants
2012 · ★ 7.8
Sir David discovers a microscopic world that’s invisible to the naked eye, where insects feed and breed, where flowers fluoresce and where plants communicate with each other and with animals using scent and sound.
More info →
Queens
2024 · ★ 7.8
In six remote and beautiful places on our planet are queendoms run by the most powerful leaders in the animal world. These queens are sisters, single mothers, grandmothers. This documentary series tells their stories of resilience, strength, love and loss for the first time.
More info →
The Crocodile Hunter
1997 · ★ 7.6
Australian host Steve Irwin and his wife Terri run a wildlife refuge. Their shared passion is educating the world about wildlife, including the much feared crocodile and numerous venomous snakes. Steve's specialty is the capture and relocation of crocodiles. No animal appears too threatening to Steve, his true respect for animals is the foundation for everything he does.
More info →
Scotland: The New Wild
2023 · ★ 10
Series showcasing Scotland's wildlife, habitats and scenery. Scotland is moving into a new age of the Wild. Driven by the passion of youth and a spirit of innovation, the re-wilding of the Nation has become a flagship issue for the 21st Century. With a new appreciation of the wild and its wildlife the future of Scotland’s most iconic habitats may be wilder than we could ever imagine …..
More info →
Meerkat Manor
2005 · ★ 7.6
Meerkat Manor is a British television programme produced by Oxford Scientific Films for Animal Planet International that premiered in September 2005 and ran for four series until its cancellation in August 2008. Blending more traditional animal documentary style footage with dramatic narration, the series told the story of the Whiskers, one of more than a dozen families of meerkats in the Kalahari Desert being studied as part of the Kalahari Meerkat Project, a long-term field study into the ecological causes and evolutionary consequences of the cooperative nature of meerkats. The original programme was narrated by Bill Nighy, with the narration redubbed by Mike Goldman for the Australian airings and Sean Astin for the American broadcasts. The fourth series, subtitled The Next Generation, saw Stockard Channing replacing Astin as the narrator in the American dubbing.
More info →
