July 2: Black Mamba
Track the fastest and most aggressive snake on Earth. The wet season means peak activity for the black mambas of South Africa, and mamba specialist Donald Strydom comes face-to face with these predators to relocate and collect their neurotoxin venom.
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July 9: Return of the Firecat
Deep in the forbidding terrain of its Himalayan habitat, the Firecat has remained hidden from scientists and filmmakers for hundreds of years. This beautiful animal, also known as the Red Panda, is threatened by the destruction of its unique environment and now faces extinction. In this extraordinary film, viewers will join two Red Pandas as they make the difficult transition from a life in captivity to one of freedom in the temperate forests of India. The future of the species rides on their success in the wild.
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July 16: Sea of Snakes
For the first time, the Niueian Sea Snake's behavior can be seen through breathtaking up close and personal observations. More toxic than the King Cobra, they can kill a human with just one bite. Yet strangely enough, a human bitten by this subspecies has never been recorded. These snakes live in harmony with the native island people, yet they remain to be virtually unstudied. Sea of Snakes intertwines native legend about the species with first ever-documented accounts of its behavior. Dr. Bryan Fry, a toxicologist and expert in venom research, attempts to uncover the mystery of these snakes. He dives through underwater Indonesian caves to documents their behavior, allowing us to witness for the first time a clutch of eggs in the wild. Dr. Fry endeavors to dangerously milk the snake's lethal venom. With venom samples he hopes to understand it's chemical properties, develop an anti-venom, and even utilize it in tests for potential epilepsy and leukemia treatment.
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July 23: A Man Among Orcas
A thousand miles off the coast of South Africa lie the Crozet Islands, an archipelago battered by wind, rain and sea. The storm ravaged shores are patrolled by killer whales, scouring the surf for the islands' wild inhabitants: elephant seals and king penguins. Filmmaker David Reichert explores the interactions between the three species and in the process begins to form his own remarkable relationship with the whales, one that he hopes will encourage a reversal of the species' descent into extinction.
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July 30: King Cobra and I
Dynamic American herpetologist and Elvis fanatic Romulus Whittaker has launched a personal quest to protect the largest venomous snake known to man: the King cobra. As the compelling story unfolds viewers join Romulus on his quest to create a sanctuary for captive bred cobras, but first he must find a mate for his largest snake, Elvis. The task is wrought with danger as Romulus, though allergic to anti-venom, rescues a large female from a home in an Indian village. The female snake, aptly named Priscilla, ultimately breeds with Elvis and their offspring are released into the world's first King Cobra wildlife sanctuary.
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August 6: Polar Bear Alcatraz
Subzero temperatures and barren landscapes make Wrangel Island an inhospitable environment for all but the hardiest individuals. For several weeks every summer the pack ice surrounding Wrangel retreats, stranding hundreds of polar bears on her rocky shores. As food supplies on the island begin to dwindle, filmmaker Arne Naevra and polar bear expert Nikita Ovsyanikov find themselves embroiled in the story of an orphaned polar bear cub. The cub's struggle for survival becomes the struggle of an entire population, but this touching film closes with an offering of hope for the planet's largest land carnivore.
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August 13: Kalahari Supercat
In the Kalahari Desert, where resources are few and competition fierce, the Kalahari leopard has become one of the most elusive and secretive cats in existence. Kalahari Supercat offers the audience a rare glimpse into the leopard's world through the story of Montrosse, a female leopard, and her struggle to rear her cubs. This dramatic film offers valuable insight into both leopard behavior and their interaction with other big cats in this harsh environment, allowing viewers to grasp the leopard's role in their precarious environment and see for themselves how this supercat struggles to survive.
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August 20: Wolverine Revealed
Hidden in the snow-covered forests of Finland lurks one of the most elusive creatures on earth, the wolverine. Other than its aggressive reputation spawned from its amazing ability to hunt and take down prey five times its size at 30 miles per hour, much about this maligned species is covered in a shroud of mystery. This awe-inspiring tale follows a female wolverine’s battle against the elements to raise her three cubs to adulthood. With the constant threats of natural predators and humans her battle is by no means an easy one.
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August 27: Elephant Family
Driven across a continent by thirst, a matriarch leads her family on a harrowing journey of survival through the dry African savannah. This one-hour film examines the amazing bonds that are formed between the members of elephant herds, bonds which tie them to generations past and present. This beautiful film will lead audiences on an emotional journey as they discover that elephants are not simply wild beasts, but animals that like us experience the raw emotions of both love and loss.
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September 3: Global Wolf
Mankind's fear of the wolf has bestowed upon it an almost mythical status, but has also contributed to its endangerment. Though a companion of humans for more than twelve thousand years, it has been considered a pest and a liability by livestock farmers. This program examines man's relationship with these dynamic hunters around the globe, from the snowcapped mountains of Alaska to the deserts of India and everywhere in between. This film endeavors to compel man to come to grips with his fears of this valuable animal and appreciate the amazingly adaptable virtues of the maligned wolf.
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September 10: Butaan: The Lost Dragon
The elusive Butaan lizard is one of the most endangered lizards on the planet. The reptile ranges up to seven feet in length, making it the largest fruit-eating lizard on the planet. Until recently this species had never been filmed in the wild. It's master evasive skills make it nearly impossible to study without injuring the population. This program documents a quest to collect footage of the Butaan Monitor Lizard in the wild. The endeavor gives us the ability to understand their movement, habits, communication, and behavior. If footage can be collected, environmentalists can raise awareness and attract support to protect the diminishing numbers of this important keystone species.
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September 17: Gorilla Encounters
The soaring mountains of the Central African Republic are home to rare, beautiful giants. But the lowland gorillas of central Africa have grown hostile towards humans, refusing to allow people to approach them. Now, in an effort to develop ecotourism in the area and save the gorillas from extinction, young Italian scientist Chloe Chipoletta has created a means of acclimating the massive apes to the presence of people. Gorilla Encounters explores her efforts to save these critically endangered animals from disappearing from the face of the earth forever.
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September 24: Lost Elephants of Timbuktu
Follow the migration of over 100 African elephants, cut off from others of their species by the parched Sahara, on a 700-mile trek in search of food and water. Their symbiotic relationship with indigenous nomads is a model of tolerance and respect.
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