Starting at 8 p.m. on Monday, May 5, tune in to join a troop of snow monkeys ready to face the world on Nature, followed by a penguin’s dramatic story of life and death on Wild, then watch tiger cubs learning new skills on Tiger-Spy in the Jungle.
Nature: Snow Monkeys (8:00 p.m.)
In the frigid valleys of Japan’s Shiga Highlands, a troop of snow monkeys make their way and raise their families in a complex society of rank and privilege where each knows their place. Their leader is still new to the job and something of a solitary grouch. But one little monkey, innocently unaware of his own lowly social rank, reaches out to this lonely leader, forming a bond with him that manages over time to warm his less than sunny disposition. It is a rare and remarkable gesture that alters both their lives.
Wild! Penguins Under Siege (9:00 p.m.)
This is one penguin’s dramatic story of life and death, set against the backdrop of one of the harshest coastlines in the world, the Skeleton Coast of South Western Africa. Lucy and Sam are vulnerable penguin chicks born in a harsh environment where dangers await them at every turn. Watch their dramatic story unfold in this illuminating look at the daily lives of these African penguins and whether or not they will survive against impossible odds.
Tiger – Spy in the Jungle (10:00 p.m.)
The half-grown cubs are learning the hunting and fighting skills they will need as adults. Play-fighting erupts between them - it looks nasty, but their claws are never drawn. These bouts of boxing, caught on ele-cams, create an extraordinary spectacle. When they are not eating, playing or fighting, the cubs sleep - and tigers love water, so a water hole is the perfect spot to cool off on a steaming day. The spy-cams also show that the jungle pools are a magnet for a whole array of forest animals, including wild boars and sloth bears.