In the next three episodes the journey moves into three radically different worlds where survival depends on mastering water, ice and extreme seasonal change. In the Amazon, giant river otters hunt as a family, black caimans ambush newly hatched turtles, army ants sweep through the forest in highly organized raids and a harpy eagle guards a vulnerable chick high above the jungle floor. The rainforest emerges as a vast living system, shaped by rivers, floods, towering trees and countless species competing for food, space and the chance to raise their young. The story then heads north to Alaska and Canada, where polar bears wait for sea ice, wolves struggle through blizzards, hares evade lynx and immense caribou herds cross dangerous meltwater rivers during their ancient migrations. Finally, along the Gulf Coast, flooded swamps and subtropical wetlands become the stage for black bears, alligators, manatees, burrowing owls and one of America’s rarest wild cats, the ocelot. From the frozen Arctic to the humid marshes of Louisiana, Florida and Texas, these episodes reveal how animals adapt to landscapes that can change completely from one season to the next.
A look at the unique habitat which is formed every year when the Amazon floods an area of forest the size of England. It creates a world that is home to turtles, caiman and giant otters, and where fish fly through the air and dolphins hunt amongst the tree tops.
The world of the armoured creatures is equally fascinating and bizarre. Galapagos giant tortoises solve the problem of making love in a suit of armour; a heated sea turtle orgy leaves females in mortal danger and we witness the explosive arrival of a baby pig-nosed turtle. Giant salt-water crocodiles crowd a flooded river-run to fish for mullet and a caiman leads her brood in a touching trek to a communal crèche.
Jungles provide the richest habitats on the planet - mysterious worlds of high drama where extraordinary animals attempt to survive in the most competitive place on earth. Flooded forests are home to caiman-hunting jaguars and strange dolphins that swim amongst the tree tops, while in the dense underworld, ninja frogs fight off wasps and flying dragons soar between trees. Acrobatic indri leap through the forests of Madagascar, while the jungle night conceals strange fungi and glow-in-the-dark creatures never filmed before.
The story then heads north to Alaska and Canada, where polar bears wait for sea ice, wolves struggle through blizzards, hares evade lynx and immense caribou herds cross dangerous meltwater rivers during their ancient migrations. Finally, along the Gulf Coast, flooded swamps and subtropical wetlands become the stage for black bears, alligators, manatees, burrowing owls and one of America’s rarest wild cats, the ocelot. From the frozen Arctic to the humid marshes of Louisiana, Florida and Texas, these episodes reveal how animals adapt to landscapes that can change completely from one season to the next.