Do you have an unlikely animal friend? Or two animals of different species that are best friends? Or did you go to extremes to rescue a helpless animal?
National Geographic WILD is looking for your stories!
For submissions, please email photos, a short description of your “Unlikely Animal Friends” story and your contact details to: unlikelyanimalfriends@gmail.com.
Watch a clip of a past episode below:
Cesar stands alongside Hugo with a picturesque California palm tree backdrop. Hugo, an English Bulldog, has aggressive tendencies that Cesar hope to help. (Photo by: MPH - Emery/Sumner Joint Ventures)
Nat Geo WILD has two shows all about dogs premiering on January 7th.
The Dog Whisperer follows Cesar Milan as he tries to neutralize tense situations between dogs. In the first episode (starting at 8pm ET/PT), two Jack Russell terriers named Ruby and Jinx have lived together for years but have begun fighting aggressively every time they are anywhere near each other. In the second episode (starting at 9pm ET/PT), Cesar travels to Santa Barbara to meet Hugo, a 3-year-old bulldog with a major mean streak.
Watch a clip below of Hugo the bulldog after Cesar has worked with him.
Philly Undercover is a new six-part series in which the PSPCA’s undercover police team works to eliminate dogfighting and protect all animals from abuse and neglect. In a sneak preview on January 7 at 10pm ET/PT, a covert surveillance operation with the PSPCA undercover team leads to one of the biggest dogfighting busts in Philadelphia’s history — 14 suspects are arrested, and several horribly neglected, abused and injured dogs are rescued. In the second episode on Monday, January 9 at 9pm ET/PT (the show’s regular night and time), the team rescues 41 dogs from five properties across Philadelphia.
On Saturday, July 30 at 10pm, Nat Geo WILD is airing a fascinating program called The Lady with 700 Cats, which chronicles the day in the life of Lynea Lattanzio, a woman who runs a no-kill, no-cage cat rescue in California. It is possibly the largest cat sanctuary in the world with over 700 cats freely roaming indoors and outdoors on the property’s 12 acres. Lynea is a colorful character, who speaks her mind and doesn’t mince words. Everyday she and her staff must care for cats, nurse sick ones to health, and interact with people who want to abandon their pets.
Deadly 60 follows Steve Backshall and his camera crew as they seek out the deadliest animals on the planet. Monday will have two episodes airing back to back at 10 and 10:30 on Nat Geo Wild. In the first episode Steve travels to Namibia to meet leopards, lions, and spiders. In the second Steve heads to Thailand to observe king cobras, big cats, and the Topay gecko.
At the Bergin University of Canine Studies, experts are training dogs how to read. Dr. Bergin developed a system of teaching the dogs complex tasks, starting as early as three and a half weeks of age. (Photo credit: © Adina Pliskin)
On Monday, February 21, Nat Geo WILD is featuring a 3-hour special about dogs working in various fields from medicine to border patrol.
8pm: Blue-Collar Dogs: Canine MD
The first hour is dedicated to dogs in medical fields.
9pm: Blue-Collar Dogs: Border Hounds
The second hour focuses on dogs helping U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.
10pm: Blue-Collar Dogs: New York Police
The third hour showcases the New York Police Department’s K-9 squad.
Dr. Brady Barr speaking at the Garde Arts Center.
The editors of Animal Fact Guide had the pleasure of attending a talk this evening given by Dr. Brady Barr at the Garde Arts Center in New London, CT. As a herpetologist with the National Geographic Society, Barr has experienced a multitude of close encounters with reptiles in the wild.
In one entertaining story, Barr recounted an episode where his team was trying to measure the speed of Komodo dragons using a radar gun. His role was to run around with strings of goat meat tied around his waist to entice the large reptiles to give chase. And chase they did! Barr was chased left and right by the dragons, who took turns wearing him out. Finally, out of breath, Barr took refuge up high in a tree. Komodo dragons can be extremely dangerous creatures as their mouths are filled with many strains of bacteria, making their bite very hazardous.
Although Barr works with many reptiles, including salamanders, geckos, turtles, and snakes, his main passion is with crocodilian species: crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gharials.
On many occasions, Barr has gotten up close and personal with crocodiles, often called upon to relocate “nuisance” animals. Barr and his team have captured many crocodiles known to attack people and have relocated the animals to wildlife preserves and zoos. By doing so, Barr saves the creatures from being exterminated by the locals.
Throughout his presentation, Barr stressed the importance of conservation, noting that many reptile species are at high risk of extinction.
To learn more about Barr and his adventures, watch Dangerous Encounters on Nat Geo WILD. You can also buy the Best of Dangerous Encounters with Brady Barr DVD from Amazon.
Monday, December 6 kicks off Big Cat Week on the Nat Geo WILD channel — seven nights of programs dedicated to the world’s fiercest felines. The event is an extension of the Big Cats Initiative, a long-term commitment by the National Geographic Society and Nat Geo WILD to stop poaching, save habitat, and raise the call that big steps are needed to save big cats around the world.
Photo by Beverly Joubert
Don’t miss the premieres of these films:
Big Cat Odyssey: Monday, December 6, at 9pm ET/PT
Award-winning filmmakers and National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence Dereck and Beverly Joubert set out 30 years ago on a quest to get close to big cats. Big Cat Odyssey chronicles their meticulous work over three decades of filming, photographing and documenting the behavior of big cat species in Botswana.
Photo by Beverly Joubert
The video below depicts the attack of a buffalo by a whole pride of lions.
Leopard Queen: Tuesday, December 7, at 9pm ET/PT
Filmmaker John Varty, who filmed a wild female leopard for 17 years, opens an extraordinary window into the lives of Africa’s most secretive big cat. Leopard Queen follows the life of “Manana,” a wild leopard whose territory spans the heart of the Londolozi Game Reserve in South Africa.
Photo by Susanne Baden
In the video below, watch Manana as a cub, exploring the world around her and learning essential survival skills.
Lion Warriors: Wednesday, December 8, at 9pm ET/PT
In the Great Plains below Mt. Kilimanjaro in Kenya, Maasai warriors have a centuries-old tradition of killing the lions that kill their cattle. But now only about 2000 lions are left in the country (and the number is dropping), so Maasai elders and chiefs have forbidden the warriors to kill them. Wildlife filmmaker Kire Godal, with the support of executive producers Dereck and Beverly Joubert, captures firsthand the struggle of these modern-day warriors, who are reinventing their traditions to help save the lions they once prided themselves on killing.
Photo by Richard Jones
The video below shows the initiation of two Maasai teens where they will officially become warriors and men.
Lions on the Edge: Thursday, December 9, at 9PM ET/PT
Ruaha National Park in Tanzania used to be a true paradise for wildlife gathered around the rich Ruaha riverbanks. Now, the worst drought in decades is pushing all the animals on a march to find water. The animals follow the dry riverbed upstream for water, while circling prides of lions position themselves close by, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Watch the hunting strategies of the lion pride as they attack a herd of zebras in the video below.
Also featured during Big Cat Week are two specials that take place in Botswana’s Okavango Delta: Eye of the Leopard, which captures the life of a female leopard, from cub to feared predator, and Relentless Enemies, which focuses on the fight for survival of highly specialized lions that prey almost exclusively on buffalo.
An oil impacted Brown pelican being cleaned at a Wildlife Rehabilitation center in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. (Photo Credit: USFWS/Greg Thompson)
National Geographic is once again at the forefront in documenting conservation efforts. This time their cameras turn to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
From National Geographic:
With oil actively gushing into the Gulf’s waters, National Geographic Explorer and 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. Dive into the sludgy mess across the Gulf region with Mireya and Andy as they work to rescue pelicans, sea turtles, dolphins and many other creatures that use the Gulf as a migration superhighway. Along the way, they investigate the science behind the toxins and the anticipated impact they will have on coastal life for years to come. From the marshlands of Louisiana to the beaches and coral reefs of Florida — the beloved home state of both Mireya and Andy — watch their race to protect the injured creatures from an uncertain future, and follow their investigation after the oil spill was ultimately contained.
Tune into Nat Geo Wild on Tuesday, October 5 at 9pm ET/PT for Saved from the Spill.
Next Monday, September 27 at 9pm ET/PT, Expedition Wild with Casey Anderson will return to Nat Geo Wild. The first episode takes place in Yellowstone National Park during the spring.
From National Geographic:
In Yellowstone National Park, baby season is in full swing, and Casey is prepared for the unpredictable. As grizzlies devour elk calves, vigilant mothers must defend their vulnerable newborns from aggressive predators. Witness the animals learning new skills as newborn bighorn sheep traverse treacherous cliffs and young bison learn to swim. Casey sets out to find ravenous bears as they emerge from their dens, and witnesses a feathered family drama while introducing an orphaned great horned owlet to new siblings. The long winter may be over, but the spring drama is no less wild!
Watch a video of baby bighorn sheep and baby pronghorns:
Watch a video of Casey placing an orphaned great horned owlet with a new family:
Kevin Richardson in the Kingdom of the White Lion reserve, Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo Credit: © Renegade Pictures)
Kevin Richardson, a self-taught animal behaviorist, introduces you life on a lion compound in Lion Ranger, premiering tonight September 6, 2010 at 9pm ET/PT on Nat Geo Wild. In the first episode, we meet Kaiser’s Pride, the biggest pride in the Kingdom of the Great White Lion and home to three rare white lions.
In the video below, Kevin receives three new young lions and welcomes them into the compound. Will the rest of the lions be as accepting?
Watch a video of the new lions meeting a special member of Bandit’s pride:
In this video, a lion cub is found dead in the enclosure. What was the cause of such a violent death?