You have seen the promos and previews across your channels this past week. And now, the day has arrived where National Geographic Channel will present a 7 part mini-series, “Great Migrations” featuring some never-before-seen footage of the earth’s greatest species migrating from place-to-place. One of the most interesting parts I have seen was elephants holding a funeral for one of their own. Truly moving. And also, a tremendous at a 60 mph sandstorm in Africa. This is what high definition was made for and I hope you have the opportunity to DVR this series if you can’t watch the show “live” starting at 8 p.m. East and West, 7 in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions on Sunday.
Let’s provide previews of the first two shows on Sunday.
Premieres Sunday, November 7 at 8pm ET/PTFor these animals, moving literally means survival. In this hour, witness the dramatic migration of Christmas Island’s red crab, dinner plate-sized creatures that travel en masse from interior forests to mate on the beaches and deliver their young, braving intense battles with ferocious yellow ants; the heartbreaking moment a wildebeest calf falls prey to crocodiles as her mother helplessly watches from the river’s edge, all part of the arduous 300-mile journey the wildebeest make each year across Kenya and Tanzania, with danger lurking at every turn; the monarch butterfly’s annual journey in North America that takes four generations to complete; and the marvel of the sperm whale, who may travel more than a million miles in a lifetime.
Video “Red Crab Marathon” – Red crab males must endure a harrowing journey towards the sea — facing yellow crazy ants and traffic along the way.Video “Mantis vs. Monarch” – The final leg of the Monarch’s journey is studded by the threatening hungry mouths of praying mantises.Video “Perpetual Motion” – Despite the many dangers that await, many species are beginning their instinctual migratory treks through Africa.
Video “Beastly River Battle” – A tragic and violent scene plays out as wildebeest herds attempt to cross a river teeming with crocs.
And here’s a look at what you’ll see in the next program immediately following at 9 p.m. East/West.
Premieres Sunday, November 7 at 9pm ET/PTThe stories of species’ need to reproduce, the obstacles they overcome and the distances they travel to ensure future generations, are awe inspiring. Viewers will witness history as they see, for the first time in nearly 30 years, that the white-eared kob is alive and well in war-torn Sudan and performing a deadly, yet comical-looking mating ritual. This episode also features stunning footage of little red flying foxes soaring across the skies of Australia with their young wrapped in their mothers’ translucent wings; hard-working army ants on the floors of a Costa Rican rain forest, where the females and their brood of 200,000 larvae demand 30,000 prey corpses a day; and remarkable feeding and breeding behaviors of elephant seals, penguins and black-browed albatross in the Falkland Islands – all creatures that must leave the sea and find land to breed.Video “Sudan Kob Singles Bar” – After a long journey, kobs begin their mating rituals – using their urine as love letters.Video “New Height of Slaughter” – Army ants must feed their queen and larvae with over 30,000 insect corpses a night.Video “Struggling to Mate” – Species upon species converge in the Falkland Islands to end their migratory journeys in mating and birth.Video “Elephant Seal Wars” – Elephant seal bulls fight for the title of beachmaster — and control of all the harems on the beach.
For some reason, I can’t embed videos. I’m thinking I’ve probably reached my memory limit here. In any event, Great Migrations will air Sunday nights in November on National Geographic Channel.
