Paul Spillenger

On the harsh and unforgiving plains of central Namibia, Africa, a young honey badger named Grit has just left home to venture out in the great, wide world, but it won't be easy. Fewer than half of all young honey badgers survive their first few weeks on their own, as they deal with intense heat, starvation, and round-the-clock threats from the many predators of the savannah.

A team of scientist travels to the Northwestern Islands of Hawaii to uncover what threats the Hawaiian Monk Seals have undergone and what causes them to struggle with surviving paradise.

Surrounded by war-torn nations, the wilds of Gabon may be the last best hope for many of Africa's species.

A small but highly efficient killing machine - a hornet two inches long and with a wingspan up to three inches - lurks in the mountains of Japan. The voracious predator has a quarter-inch stinger that pumps out a dose of venom with an enzyme so strong it can dissolve human tissue. Just one of these hornets can kill 40 European honeybees a minute; a handful of the creatures can slaughter 30,000 European honeybees within hours, leaving a trail of severed insect heads and limbs. Someone who is stung by the hornet and doesn't receive proper treatment soon thereafter can die from the venom, which is powerful enough to disintegrate human flesh. About 40 people die each year after being stung by giant hornets, mainly as a result of an allergic reaction to the venom.

The majestic Alaskan brown bear is the largest predator in southeastern Alaska, but everywhere, its ancient haunts are under siege. As the modern world closes in, the great bear’s world is shrinking and encounters between humans and bears are on the rise. Join researcher LaVern Beier as he uses cutting edge technology to protect this extraordinary species. To observe them on their turf, without risking life and limb, LaVern attempts to deploy National Geographic’s CRITTERCAM. Until now, CRITTERCAM has been used almost exclusively on marine animals. Vern and his colleagues are on the cusp of a revolution in terrestrial field science…the opportunity to vicariously walk with bears into the deepest corners of their habitats, where even great hunters barely dare venture.

David Attenborough travels to the end of the earth, taking viewers on an extraordinary journey across the polar regions of our planet.

Animals That Changed History is a six part documentary series that details the contributions of animals to human development throughout history. The themed episodes focus on food, shelter, beasts of burden, companions, plagues, and muses. From medical breakthroughs using Australian inland taipan snake venom, to the portrayal of Ganesha, the elephant headed deity, Animals That Changed History explores just how significant animals have been to our world history.