Natural World Saison 3 Épisode 9

David Attenborough sets out on a journey across the seven continents in search of the most impressive and inspiring natural wonders of our planet.

A meditative exploration of the violent struggle for independence in southeast Asia and butterfly metamorphosis. Framed by excerpts from Sylvia Plath’s poem “Tulips,” A Partial History of the Natural World, 1965 reminds us that comfort is a privilege and denial of the suffering of others is not an option. Scored by a 1965 performance of Bartok’s “Solo for Violin 3.”

The Isle of Man sits at the heart of the Irish Sea, easily overlooked but of great importance to the many species of birds, mammals and fish that call its hills, glens and seas home. From the huge and majestic Basking Sharks that feed in the plankton rich waters every summer, to the tiny wrens nesting in the many stone walls that criss-cross the landscape, this small Island is a sanctuary for wildlife

The Grand Canyon is a unique area, painstakingly carved into stone by one single river over a period of millions of years. Inch by inch. The result is a canyon of indescribable and unique beauty. A canyon that overcomes some 4000 metres from the summit of its highest elevation, to the banks of the Colorado, thereby embracing five climate zones.This is also why the Grand Canyon can boast an unrivalled density of flora and fauna. Desert and mountain dwellers live here in the immediate vicinity, sharing a unique biosphere.Nowhere else can the geological era be so perfectly determined by means of the rock formations adjacent to the ancient paths, that lead from the edge of the canyon to the riverbanks of the Colorado.2 billion years of Earth’s history made comprehensible. For this reason alone, the Grand Canyon is rightfully a World Natural Heritage Site worthy of protection and an ideal symbiosis of economy and ecology.

A documentary on the making of 'Cool Hand Luke' (1967).

The Grand Canyon in Arizona is truly one of the world's great natural wonders; it encompasses 2,000 squere miles, reaches a mile down into the earth and spreads ten miles across. Few geological formations evoke such an intense emotional response. This great chasm not only awes our senses, it harbors a multitude of wildlife: mule deer, moutain lions, coyotes, bighorn sheep, wild turkey, blue heron and desert tortoises. The Grand Canyon is also home to the kaibab squirrel, found nowhere else on the planet. More than 2,000 years ago, the Anasazi Indians lived in this region. Our program includes an exclusive segment on Shaman's Gallery, where many Anasazi rock paintings have been preserved. Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the Grand Canyon a national park in 1908, saying "do nothing to mar its grandeur, keep it for your children, your children's children, and all who come after you."

Many years ago, lions thrived in the Namib Desert along the Skeleton Coast, while they are not destroyed people. Six years ago, an independent biologist Flip Stander found their small population, the remainder in the nearby mountains, and began to study them. Eventually their numbers increased, and they began to return to the desert. But to the lions continued to live here, Flip has to convince local residents that these lions are more alive than dead.

A documentary exploring the possible ecological and atmospheric consequences of nuclear war, particularly as they would be expressed in a "nuclear winter."

Like angels fallen from heaven, never before have so many naturally perfect models appeared together in one show. These captivating and exotic women, straight from the pages of Mystique Magazine, will only be showing you what the good lord gave 'em. They're all real. They're 100% natural. For these 14 beautiful women, you could say perfection comes naturally.

David Attenborough's entertaining romp through the world of monkeys has a serious side: for when we look at monkeys we can see ourselves. From memory to morality, from 'crying wolf' to politics, monkeys are our basic blueprint. Pygmy marmosets 'farm' tree sap; bearded capuchins in Brazil develop a production line for extracting palm nuts; white-faced capuchins in Costa Rica tenderly nurse the victims of battle; and in the Ethiopian highlands, a deposed gelada baboon has got the blues.

By the end of the Ice Age - only ten thousand years ago - many great mammals had died out. The woolly mammoth, the dire wolf, the saber-tooth cat and others disappeared as a result of severe climatic changes that engulfed the planet. And yet other animals persevered. Today, they go on in dwindling numbers as the last of the Ice Age survivors. Scientists are piecing together their past while others work to safeguard the future of these living relics. Despite climate changes over the past 15,000 years and human predation, their descendants persist in a few unspoiled regions of the globe.

Featuring a unique conversation between The Queen and Sir David Attenborough as they walked in the garden at Buckingham Palace last summer, a landmark documentary will explore the ambition of a remarkable new initiative - a vast network of native forests across Britain and the Commonwealth, protected forever in The Queen's name.

Sir David Attenborough looks back at the unparalleled changes in natural history that he has witnessed during his 60-year career.