Night of the Lion

Starts Nat Geo Wild, 13th September, 2010

Pierce through the darkness and encounter a hidden world previously unseen by human eyes in the premiere of Night of the Lion.

It is only once the sun has gone down beyond the horizon that the deadly lion truly comes to life, using scent and sound to stalk and kill its prey. But this night-time hunting routine has always been virtually impossible to capture on film - until now.

With the aid of new light-enhancing, heat-seeking technology, see how the starlight camera transforms pitch-black wilderness into an array of vibrant colours. Observe lions and their prey in crystal-clear detail as our team, at long last, gets the chance to properly study these untamed predators during their most active period. This film demonstrates not only how groundbreaking equipment can revolutionise wildlife programme making, but also the terrifying precision of the hunting lion after dark.

Mountain Gorilla

Sunday August 22nd, 8pm

Patrick Stewart narrates the story of the world's last mountain gorillas, protected by a dedicated band of humans who watch and care for them.

View preview clips and read about the individual Gorillas on the BBC website.

Natural World: The Himalayas

8 pm, BBC 2, 19th August 2010 &;
7:30 pm, BBC HD, 20th August 2010

 (photo copyright BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tj7j)

The wildlife of the most stunning mountain range in the world, home to Snow leopards, Himalayan wolves and Tibetan bears. Snow leopards stalk their prey among the highest peaks. Concealed by snowfall, the chase is watched by Golden Eagles circling above. On the harsh plains of the Tibetan plateau live extraordinary bears and square-faced foxes hunting small rodents to survive. In this world of extremes, the Himalayas reveal not only snow-capped mountains and fascinating animals but also a vital lifeline for humanity.

Producer: Mark Fletcher
Series Producer: Steve Greenwood
Series Editor: Tim Martin
www.bbc.co.uk/naturalworld

Natural World: Sea Otters - A Million Dollar Baby

BBC2, Thursday 12th August 2010

The trials and tribulations of a sea otter pup growing up on the coast of California.

The Californian sea otter is one of the rarest, and possibly cutest animals in the world. So when a sea otter mum decides to have her pup amongst the yachts of a millionaires' marina, it is a unique event. The mum must teach her baby how to dodge the boats and find the food in this busy harbour. However, the arrival of a tough male sea otter signals disaster for the family. When mum is attacked, the poor pup is left on her own and must fight for survival.

Sea Otter mothers are very protective of their pups and rarely let them out of their sight. Here the mother enjoys a rare peaceful moment when the pup falls asleep on her belly (Copyright: BBC).

Natural World: Echo an Unforgettable Elephant

BBC2, Thursday 5th August at 8.00pm.

A celebration of the life and legacy of Echo, the world's most famous elephant, who was born in 1945 and died in 2009, and who Natural World followed for the last 20 years of her life.

The timing of Echo's death could not be worse. The wise old matriarch had guided her family for half a century but the cruellest drought in living memory devastated her home under the shadow of Kilimanjaro. Will her 38-strong band of relatives and descendants overcome the loss of their leader, hunger and poachers to survive?

Presented by David Attenborough, editor Matt Meech, director Mike Birkhead and filmed by Martyn Colbeck. I wrote the music and Kate Gould is the solo cellist. Part of the BBC Natural World strand, series editor Tim Martin.

Echo on Wildlife Finder
Following on from the 4 stunning Natural Worlds filmed over the years of Echo's life - Wildlife Finder have launched a whole new section.  They've collated clips from all the programmes so you can now watch the best bits of Echo's personal story http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/characters/37