Saving the Earth

Animals in the Wild: DVDs

These award-winning and classic wildlife DVDs show the world of Nature in intimate and compelling detail as very few have been privileged to see in person.

Here are productions from Nature, Natural Geographic, the Discovery Channel, PBS, IMAX Studios, Animal Planet, Miramax, Sony, the BBC -- as well as many talented independent film producers.

Dedicated cinematographers and crews devote weeks, months and years waiting for perfect shots of fascinating wildlife behavior, and then edit out all the waiting (and the cold, the heat, the bugs) for those of us viewing at home.

We also get to see action made possible only by the latest advances in equipment, from special cameras and lenses to ultralight aircraft able to fly slowly next to a flock of migrating birds.

A good wildlife documentary takes you into the world of the animals, with just enough scientific commentary to help you fully understand the behavior you are seeing. A bonus of these fine films is the natural vista of unspoiled wilderness that is the backdrop for all the action.

These films and videos are the best in wildlife viewing. Enjoy!

Recommended DVDs on Animals in the Wild

Africa the Serengeti (DVD)
George Casey, dir.

This spectacular DVD takes you on an extraordinary journey to view The Great Migration -- more than two million wildebeests, zebras and antelopes in their annual 500-mile trek across the Serengeti Plains, with lions and other great predators stalking them along the way. Filmed entirely on location in Kenya and Tanzania, with stunning vistas and dynamic aerial photography.
2005, Razor

Africa's Wildlife Collection (6 DVD set)

Witness the realities of birth, death, and survival in the wilds of Africa. Through extraordinary close-up encounters, see first-hand how zebras, rhinos, crocodiles, elephants, gorillas, leopards, lions, and other African wildlife survive and thrive in their unforgiving habitats.
2007, National Geographic

Attenborough in Paradise and Other Personal Voyages
(2 DVD set)

Travel with Sir David Attenborough on some of his favorite journeys: witness the magnificent birds of paradise in New Guinea; see the Bowerbirds - the only animals who in nature create works of art - in the Australian rain forests; learn about the history and purpose of musical communication in the natural world, with humpback whales and songbirds. Throughout, Attenborough brings his lively intelligence and entertaining manner to investigating fascinating mysteries of Nature.
2007, BBC Warner

BBC Atlas of the Natural World - Africa/Europe
(6 DVD set)

This comprehensive survey of life on Earth brings together four landmark BBC series: Wild Africa; Congo;The First Eden; and Europe: a Natural History. Enjoy over 12 hours of programming reaching back over three billion years. Examine the birth of these vast continents from the dawn of time; see the diverse natural beauty and wildlife of these continents; and learn how the rise of human civilization has forever changed the landscape.
2007, BBC Warner

BBC Atlas of the Natural World - Land of the Eagle
(2 DVD set)

This four part history of North America shows its transition from home to Native American peoples to the present day, combining the bracing facts of animal extinctions, deforestation and habitat loss with the BBC's remarkable cinematography of wolves, grizzlies, snakes, beavers, birds and other animals in the wild.
2006, BBC Warner

BBC Atlas of the Natural World
Western Hemisphere and Anarctica (6 DVD set)

Learn of the natural history of Central America in the 4-part Spirits of the Jaguar; see the eye-opening ecological history of North America in Land of the Eagle (4 parts); enjoy the dazzling nature photography in the 4-part series Wild South America; and tour Antartica is the 6-part series Life in the Freezer. 18 hours viewing time.
2006, BBC Warner

BBC Atlas of the Natural World - Wild South America
(2 DVD set)

Witness firsthand the staggering natural beauty of this vast continent that was once joined to Australia, and is home to a wide variety of fascinating flora and fauna. South America is home to the world's largest mountain chain (the Andes) and the world's largest river (the Amazon). This DVD is a comprehensive survey of its natural wonders, wildlife and native peoples.
2006, BBC Warner

Being Caribou (DVD)

This compelling film shows environmentalist Leanne Allison and husband wildlife biologist Karsten Heuer, as they follow the Porcupine caribou herd on its five-month, 1000-mile annual trek from the central Yukon to coastal Alaska and back. They follow the herd through a wild and remote landscape, skiing across mountains, swimming icy rivers and traveling through swarms of mosquitoes. They encounter grizzly bears, wolves and other wildlife as they experience the awe-inspiring beauty of the landscape. A film of beauty and courage.
2007, Reel Indies

The Blue Planet and Seas of Life
(5-DVD Special Edition)

Winner of 2 Emmy Awards, The Blue Planet is the definitive exploration of the marine world, chronicling the mysteries of the deep in ways never before imagined. Six and one-half hours of viewing time includes 80 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage.
2007, BBC Warner

Denali - Alaska's Great Wilderness (DVD)

Nature photographer Bruce Reitherman lives beneath the Northern Lights for a year to capture the landscape and wildlife of this "living Eden" on film. He experiences 40-degree below zero weather, soars above jagged mountain peaks by ski-plane, and is chased into a tree by a grizzly bear. He highlights the animals of the park as they live their lives through the four seasons.
2005, PBS

Echo of the Elephants (DVD)

Witness some of the most moving and intimate elephant behavior ever captured on film. Elephant expert Cynthia Moss studied the elephants of Kenya's Amboseli National Park for 20 years, and in this DVD she tells the story of Echo, the grand matriarch of the herd. The viewer observes firsthand mating struggles, difficult births, a baby elephant's first steps, mischievous children, kidnappings, emotional reunions, and occasionally, the death of a member of the herd.
2005, Questar

Emperors of the Ice (DVD)

In the frozen wilderness of Antarctica, where oceans ice over and just staying alive is an achievement, one creature has perfected the art of survival - the Emperor penguin. Emperor penguins are sublimely built to conquer the cold, but in a world threatened by climate change, can they take the heat? Using Crittercam, scientists take a virtual ride under the ice with the Emperor penguin to study the impact of climate change on the penguin's world.
2007, National Geographic

Eye of the Leopard (DVD)

Eye of the Leopard takes viewers on an enthralling journey deep into the rarely-seen lives of leopards. It is a journey of birth, life and death as a mother leopard and her first suriviving cub of six fight off marauding baboons and elude scavenging hyenas in a constant struggle for survival. Narrated by Oscar winner Jeremy Irons.
2007, National Geographic

Galapagos (DVD)

In these volcanic islands off the west coast of Ecuador we see a living laboratory of life, both geological and biological. The westernmost islands are still rising above the sea, while the eastern islands are sinking, ultimately to disappear below the surface. Between the two are the middle islands - fertile, lush lands that contain an incredible diversity of life and inspired Darwin to first formulate his theory of evolution. This beautifully filmed journey highlights the exotic wildlife in the midst of gorgeous scenery.
2007, BBC Warner

Great Apes (DVD)

Over the past 100 years, humans discovered and nearly destroyed the gorilla. Great Apes details how a few gifted people changed the world's perception of gorillas. Archival footage and beautiful cinematography reveal the unique relationship between pioneers of animal understanding and the wild animals sharing 98 percent of their DNA with humans. Film exerpts profile the work of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Adrian De Shriver.
2006, PBS

Great Journeys (DVD)

This entertaining look at animal migration studies the migration patterns of a large number of species, showing how and why these great journeys take place. Hunting, survival habits, and mating behavior are shown in beautiful cinematography.
1999, Sling Shot

Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees (DVD)
David Lickley, dir.

Jane Goodall, who has studied chimpanzees over 40 years, narrates this absorbing documentary. Chimps, like gorillas, share 98% of their DNA with humans; this film shows many behavioral similarities as well. We see chimpanzees on the ground and in trees, playing, grooming, teaching - even "fishing" for termites and ants using a stick for a tool. Includes behind the scenes footage of the filmmaking process.
2003, Sling Shot

Koko - A Conversation With Koko (DVD)
Nigel Cole, dir.

This engaging story documents the incredible development of Koko, a gorilla who learned American Sign Language and understood spoken English. Witness Koko expressing wants and needs and also creativity and complex, human-like emotions. After being told that her pet kitten died in an accident, Koko demonstrates deep and sincere sadness when left alone that night. Koko maintained a deep, decades-long friendship with her human teacher and playmate, Dr. Penny Patterson. The film addresses the basic questions of the nature and possibility of true inter-species communication. Narrated by Martin Sheen.
2004, Questar

Last Stand of the Great Bear (DVD)

Embark on a 250-mile adventure through unspoiled rainforest along the coast of British Columbia. It is here that bear-hunting wolves take to the sea, grizzlies clash in titanic battles, and wild salmon are the pulsing lifeblood of an entire ecosystem. As this precious habitat faces an uncertain future, threatened by chainsaws and fish farms, a team of dedicated scientists is racing to prove that it must be protected.
2006, National Geographic

A Last Wild Salmon (DVD)
Ken Jubenvill, dir.

This underwater documentary follows the life of one wild salmon as it survives against impossible odds, battling natural and human forces. The film begins with one of Nature's most astonishing performances - the ancient spawning ritual - and follows each step of development in the salmon's life. A Last Wild Salmon portrays the life and the truth of a Pacific Northwest salmon with incredible accuracy, featuring a run of salmon that has since become extinct. A compelling story.
2004, Watervisions

Life in the Undergrowth (2 DVD set)

This extraordinary BBC series sets a new standard of excellence in wildlife cinematography, utilizing the latest advances in macrophotography. We see cave-dwelling millipedes so large they can capture bats in mid-flight; the nocturnal fluorescence of scorpions as they perform a mating dance; the mysterious 17-year life cycle of the cicada; swarming antler moths; desert locusts and many more startling insect behaviors. The series is filled with scientific information on these mysterious and seemingly alien creatures upon whom so much of life on Earth ultimately depends.
2006, BBC Warner

The Life of Birds (3 DVD set)

The definitive series on the most colorful, popular and perfectly adapted creatures on earth, The Life of Birds traverses the globe, covering 42 countries and examining over 300 different species. Pushing filming technology to the limits, new behavior is brought to the screen in staggering detail. Infrared cameras find oilbirds deep in pitch-black caves; ultra-slowmotion film unravels the complexities of bird flight; and ultraviolet cameras reveal the world from a bird's point of view. Ten hours viewing time.
2002, BBC Warner

Life in the Freezer (DVD)

Antarctica is the wildest, coldest, most isolated continent on Earth; encrusted in 90% of the world's ice, its 5.4 million square miles are doubled each winter by the freezing of the seas. Though the average temperature at the South Pole is -56, this inhospitable landscape is home to a surprisingly rich variety of wildlife. The BBC camera teams braved mountainous seas, 100 mph blizzards, plummeting temperatures and glaciers the size of cathedrals to capture the majesty of Antarctica both on land and underwater. In this starkly beautiful landscape, they discover penguins by the millions, whales by the thousands, half the world's seal population and numberless seabirds.
2005, BBC Warner

The Living Planet - A Portrait of the Earth
(4 DVD set)

This first-class BBC documentary spans the globe with portraits of the major geographical regions that offer a home to wildlife. Even in the most hostile of environments, from volcanic furnaces to the frozen world of high mountains and tundra, life maintains a foothold. Breathtaking cinematography shows us our fellow inhabitants of Earth - from penguins to polar bears, lions to scorpions, oaks to eagles, and all the life below the ocean's surface. The series ends with an impassioned environmental appeal that rings truer today than ever before.
2003, WEA

March of the Penguins (DVD)
Luc Jacquet, dir.

This wildlife classic captures the life cycle of Emperor penguins in Antarctica. The film focuses on a colony of hundreds of Emperors as they return, in a single-file overland march of 70 miles or more, to their frozen breeding ground, far inland from the oceans where they thrive. We see the intensity of the penguins' breeding cycle, and their treacherous task of protecting eggs and hatchlings in temperatures as low as 128 degrees below zero. A marvel of wildlife cinematography, showing us a wild and beautiful world and the incredible survival skills of these animals.
2005, Warner

Masters of the Arctic Ice (DVD)

Journey to the top of the world to witness first-hand how the planet's changing climate is affecting the creatures that inhabit the icy Arctic. See how the quickly-melting Arctic ice affects the survival skills of ringed seals, polar bears, and narwhals. These Arctic creatures have become masters at negotiating the perils of this frozen world, but their dependence on the ice is also their greatest vulnerability. See how the resourceful creatures of the Arctic are learning to adapt -- from their own point of view.
2007, National Geographic

Meerkat Manor - Complete First Season
(4 DVD Set)

This documentary drama/animal soap opera series follows a real family of loveable and interesting meerkats in the Kalahari Desert, South Africa. Flower is the leader and dominant female of the clan. Zaphod is her partner and dominant male; Youssarian is Zaphod's younger brother and Flower's ex-lover. There is plenty of drama as we follow a year in the life of this intriguing group. There are fights with an archrival group, the Lazuli; storms; death; family politics; and the disappearance of a meerkat we had gotten to know very well.
2006, Discovery Channel

Meerkat Manor - Complete Second Season
(4 DVD Set)

State of the art camera technology above and below ground tracks the animals' movements 24 hours a day, showing the complex social arrangements of the meerkat tribe. From vicious fights with rival gangs to infighting within the group, snake attacks, births of two dozen pups, and tragic deaths Meerkat Manor includes animal behavior never recorded before.
2007, Animal Planet

Microcosmos (DVD)
Marie Pérennou, dir.

Using revolutionary cameras we are shown the daily life of insects as never before. A magnificent army of worker ants race to stock their larder, while trying to avoid becoming a feisty pheasant's dinner. There's a caterpillar traffic jam, a frog's bout with a rain storm, the remarkable birth of a mosquito, and the amazing transformation from caterpiller to butterfly. With its tiny cast of thousands there's no doubt that "Mother Nature remains the greatest special effects wizard of all." New York Times
2005, Miramax

Mountain Gorilla (DVD)
Adrian Warren, dir.

Filmed in the lush mountain cloud forests of Rwanda, Mountain Gorilla provides an amazing encounter with this highly social species. Eat, nap, travel, eat, interact, eat: that's a typical routine for adult gorillas. But for rambunctious 3-year olds, the routine is more like play, play, play as they tumble, swing, wrestle and twirl. Overseeing all of the troop's activities is the proud, massive silverback male whose dominance is unchallenged - until a young silverback tries to exert his newfound sense of power.
Outstanding Film Documentary - the Genesis Awards
2002, IMAX

National Geographic: The Wildlife Collection
(4 DVD set)


This set of favorites includes the best of National Geographic's wildlife programs. Included are: In Search of the Jaguar; Whales in Crisis; Last Stand of the Great Bear; and Eternal Enemies: Lions and Hyenas. Recommended.
2006, National Geographic

Nature: Great Hunters (6 DVD set)

Enjoy ten hours of wildlife viewing with this boxed set of Nature's greatest: Sharks; Sharks and Crocs; Leopards and Lions; Big Cats; Reptiles; and Raptor Force.
2007, Questar

Ocean Odyssey (DVD)

This enthralling exploration shows the undersea world through the eyes of the world's largest predator, the sperm whale. Following a young male from infancy to old age, the marinescape comes vividly to life: the deep canyons, the underwater volcanoes, and the spectacular mountain ranges. The inhabitants of the opaque depths are impressive - black dragonfish that cast an eerie red glow, jellyfish shaped like giant footballs - but the whale is only interested in one creature, the colossal squid. When the two meet, it is the ocean's ultimate battle.
2006, BBC Warner

Planet Earth & The Blue Planet Seas of Life
(Special Collector's Edition - 10 DVD Set)
Alastair Fothergill, producer

BBC natural history producer Alastair Fothergill spent the last ten years producing two of the most stunningly beautiful series ever created. Seas of Life is the definitive exploration of the marine world, chronicling the mysteries of the deep, coastline populations, sea mammals, tidal and climatic influences, and the complete biological system that revolves around the world's oceans. Planet Earth uses high definition photography and revolutionary ultra-high speed cameras to produce the ultimate portrait of our planet - capturing rare action, impossible locations and intimate moments with our planet's best loved, wildest and most elusive creatures. Sixteen hours of viewing time, including many extra features.
2007, BBC Warner

Private Lives of Dolphins (DVD)

This engaging documentary film focuses on bottlenose dolphins, and explores their intelligence, social structure, communication, mating -- even politics. They demonstrate fascinating synchronous behavior as well as cooperation with other dolphin communities.
2006, WGBH Boston

Relentless Enemies (DVD)


The great lions of the Tsaro pride are larger and more fearsome than typical lions; with thick necks and heavy chests they are built to wade through water and hunt in places other big cats normally avoid. The viewer watches - up close and from the air - as this pride preys upon a large buffalo herd trapped on an island, who are forced to devise defensive tactics and eventually learn to fight back.
2007, National Geographic

In Search of the Jaguar (DVD)

Biologist Alan Rabinowitz battles time and adversity to save these endangered cats. Venture deep into the wilds of Brazil, Belize, and Panama with this dedicate wildlife advocate as he pursues these elusive predators, and fights to protect even more jaguar habitat than he already has. Narrated by Glenn Close.
2006, National Geographic

Whales in Crisis (DVD)

Few creatures are as mysterious and captivating as the whale. This film takes the viewer to the front lines of whale conservation to observe the struggle to save a pod of pilot whales in the Florida Keys; the groundbreaking work of a scientist risking life and limb in the Arctic; and the controversy over military sonar. An intimate look at four types of whales: pilots, humpbacks, bowheads and orcas.
2006, National Geographic

Wildebeest - The Great African Migration (DVD)

The annual wildebeest migration in Serengeti is a spectacle of life and death witnessed by few humans. This film shows the greatest migration of land animals on the planet, in vivid, riveting detail. The migration, a million and a half strong, is plagued with predators: cheetahs, hyenas, wild dogs, leopards, lions and crocodiles take their toll of the weak. But just as in every year, the wildebeest complete their great migration while birthing an incredible half a million young along the way.
2005, Reel Productions

Winged Migration (DVD)
Jacques Perrin, dir.

The viewer enjoys an astonishing bird's eye view as camera crews use ultralight planes, gliders, helicopters and balloons to fly alongside, above, below and in front of their subjects - a rich variety of bird migrations through 40 countries and each of the seven continents. This is a film of staggering beauty and consuming interest.
2005, Sony Pictures

Wolves: A Legend Returns to Yellowstone (DVD)
David Douglas, dir.

This classic nature film invites you to run with the pack for a wolf's-eye view. Witness the unfolding saga of hardships and affection, losses and triumphs, and the controversy surrounding the decision to reintroduce wolves back into the heart of the West.
2007, National Geographic

World of Raptors (DVD)

This intimate guide to American birds of prey portrays the majestic power and beauty of North America's falcons, hawks and eagles in all their wild glory. Filled with spectacular aerial photography, World of Raptors follows internationally renowned bird authority, Morley Nelson, on an odyssey of natural discovery. Narrated by Joanne Woodward.
2003, STS Media

World's Last Great Places Collection (6 DVD set)

Explore some of the most remote, fascinating, and unspoiled environments on Earth in this classic nature series. Be captivated by exotic wildlife and see magnificent vistas few humans have ever witnessed. The film explores the Galapagos Islands, Madagascar, Africa's Okavanga Delta, the Sonoran Desert, Baja California, the Arctic and more.
2007, National Geographic