Matt Hamilton

Snow blankets the trees and green lights dance in a star-filled sky. For a brief time during the festive season, our thoughts turn to a winter wonderland, far to the north. It’s a place best known to outsiders as Lapland, the magical home of Santa Claus. But far from the festive lights, Santa’s home is even more enchanting than you may realise.

The magical landscapes of Wales' ancient forests and rugged shores are famous for myth and legend. But the wildlife of Wales have extraordinary stories of their own. To survive the unpredictable, wild weather they must show what is known locally as "the dragon’s spirit."

About 50 Amazon parrots live rough on Stuttgart’s streets. They’re not built for the German winter- surviving there takes extraordinary adaptability. But, Stuttgart’s Amazons are far from unique. Parrots are appearing in cities all over the world…and they’re doing it in big numbers.

Tasmania lies on the Australian continent, but is a world apart. It is home to an extraordinary cast of black devils and white wallabies. Trees here tower to one hundred metres and green lights dance in the southern sky. As the last landfall heading south before Antarctica, Tasmania's isolation, cooler climate and distinct seasons influence everything.

Four naive young men journey to California in hopes of finding the truth about the infamous Rod Belding of Saved by the Bell (1989) fame.

From giant eagles to miniature falconets, meet the many species of raptors. Explore how they survive bitter winters, learn to hunt and undergo epic migrations. Their superpowers of flight, sight, hearing and smell give them dominance over the skies. See the extreme ways in which raptors conquer the toughest habitats on Earth. From snowy owls in the high Arctic to honey buzzards raiding hornet nests in Taiwan, raptors can hunt prey in any climate.

Green lights dance across a star-filled sky, and snowflakes sparkle on the trees. It is little wonder Lapland is famous as a realm of elves and flying reindeer, the magical home of Santa Claus. This northernmost region of mainland Europe, however, is a real place, with real animals such as reindeer, Great Gray owls, wolverines, eagles, wolves, musk oxen and Brown bears who live out their lives in the tundra and forest.

Forget what you think you know about pigs. These remarkable animals have talents we're only beginning to understand. See how pigs have conquered nearly every habitat on Earth, thanks to their remarkable senses, intelligence, and adaptability. From the islands of Indonesia to the beaches of the Bahamas to the frozen tundra of Siberia, meet eight-inch pygmy hogs, cheetah-avoiding warthogs, domesticated pigs with super senses, and more.