THIRTEEN's Nature Brings Viewers on a Journey Across the Globe, Revealing Stories of Heartbreak and Triumph in the Natural World, in New Season on PBS

Naledi: One Little Elephant kicks off Nature's 36th season on PBS, Wednesday, October 4 at 8 p.m. (check local listings). The program follows the story of Naledi, an orphaned African baby elephant who must come to grips with the loss of her mother and learn to accept the care of her human guardians.

As the season continues, Nature visits destinations, in the U.S. and abroad, to bring viewers unique perspectives on the lives and behaviors of a diverse lineup of wildlife. Utilizing cutting-edge filmmaking technologies, the series illuminates the complexities of the natural world and humans' relationship to it.

New documentaries in Nature Season 36 include:

Naledi: One Little Elephant – Wednesday, October 4 at 8 p.m.
Defending the lives of Africa's elephants from poachers and human development can be a thankless and desperate job for their caretakers and researchers.  But when an elephant orphan is in need of a new family, it changes everything.  Born inside an elephant sanctuary in the wilderness of Botswana, Naledi the baby elephant loses her mother and faces the world alone.  It is now up to a team of guardians to help save her life, urge her to survive, and help find her place in the herd.  Join Nature on a heartwarming journey from tragedy to triumph, as Naledi faces loss and rejection with the men who desperately race to defend her entire species while struggling to save her life.

Fox Tales – Wednesday, October 11 at 8 p.m.
On a high ridge in Newfoundland, Canada, nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the borders of an old grove forest, a Red fox, the matron of her family group, gives birth yet again.  Follow the pups as they grow and learn to hunt, adapt, and survive.  Explore the family dynamic of these clever creatures as bonds are formed.  But the vixen knows that not all her cubs will inherit these tall trees, crystal lakes, and the ocean spray.  Before the snows come again, she will have to banish some of her offspring for the good of the family.  We also hear from scientists in Madison, Wisconsin and Bristol, England, about their studies on urban Red foxes who are facing a much different challenge than their Canadian counterparts.  And another scientist tracks how Red foxes are moving out to the Arctic tundra and surviving in one of the harshest landscapes.

Charlie and the Curious Otters – Wednesday, October 25 at 8 p.m.
Otters can be found on nearly every continent, but their amazing and powerful physical abilities are surprisingly unknown to us.  Covering up to 25 miles a day on ground and swimming a quarter mile without coming up for air, otters are the ultimate predator on both land and water.  But they are also endangered.  They fear people and remain elusive as otters are hunted for sport and fur.  However, otters are survivors – not one of 13 otter species have become extinct.  Otter conservationist and wildlife filmmaker Charlie Hamilton James follows the story of three, inquisitive river otter orphans in Wisconsin and visits various otters all over the globe.  Join Charlie on his expedition as he captures never-seen-before behavior of curious otters on footage and uncovers the secrets to their survival using some groundbreaking experiments, cool cameras, and anatomical CGI.

H Is for Hawk: A New Chapter – Wednesday, November 1 at 8 p.m.
Helen Macdonald's international best-selling book H Is for Hawk told the story of a grieving daughter who found healing after her father's death, in the form of a goshawk named Mabel.  The goshawk is one of Mother Nature's own fighter jets, capable of finding and killing its prey with the speed of a lightning bolt.  For the first time since Mabel's death, Macdonald tries again to train another one of these secretive birds of prey and intimately explores the family life of its wild counterparts in the Northern English forests.

The Cheetah Children – Wednesday, November 8 at 8 p.m.
Life on the African plains is a constant struggle, but for a single mother rearing her offspring, the odds seem to be stacked against them.  This is an inspiring tale about motherhood and family, as we follow a cheetah family on the grasslands through the eyes of conservationist and cameraman Kim Wolhuter.  The mother is completely on her own, protecting her five newborn cubs and teaching them how to hunt some of the continent's fastest game.  Watch as the inquisitive cubs explore the world around them and discover their place in the forests of Zimbabwe.  Over time, two sister cubs survive and develop into brave and successful predators ensuring their species will give birth to another generation.

Nature's Miniature Miracles – Wednesday, November 22 at 8 p.m.
Great things come in small packages, and animals are no exception to the rule.  From a tiny sengi, the "cheetah" of the shrew world, to a hummingbird who travels thousands of miles north each year, from a small shark that walks on land, to an army of baby turtles instinctively racing to the safety of the open ocean.  We will travel across the world, through the vast savannah to the rocky plateau, and down to the depths of the seas, to shine a light on these tiny survivors of the animal kingdom.  It is a great big world out there, but for these animals, size does not matter.

Animals with Cameras (three-part series) – 2018
Get a front row seat for an experience like no other.  Animals with Cameras showcases the animal kingdom through the eyes of the creatures that live there.  Using the latest techniques and scientific engineering, fly through the clouds like an eagle, plunge into the ocean with a seal, and swing through the trees surrounded by monkeys.  Our cameramen take a step back and let the animals themselves take us through the complex world they call home.  We will be privy to their secret lives like never before and uncover some truly unprecedented behavior through their eyes.

Nature pioneered a television genre that is now widely emulated in the broadcast industry.  Throughout its history, the series has brought the natural world to millions of viewers and been consistently among the most-watched primetime series on public television. 

Nature has won more than 700 honors from the television industry, the international wildlife film communities and environmental organizations, including 17 Emmys and three Peabodys. The series received two of the wildlife film industry's highest honors: the Christopher Parsons Outstanding Achievement Award, given by the Wildscreen Festival, and the Grand Teton Award, given by the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival. The International Wildlife Film Festival honored Nature executive producer Fred Kaufman with its Lifetime Achievement Award for Media.

PBS.org/nature is the award-winning web companion to Nature, featuring fulls episodes, filmmaker interviews, podcasts, teacher's guides and more.

Nature is a production of THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC for WNET and PBS. Fred Kaufman is executive producer. Bill Murphy is series producer.

Support for Nature is made possible in part by the Arnhold Family in memory of Clarisse Arnhold, the Halmi Family in memory of Robert Halmi, Sr., Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, the Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, the Lillian Goldman Charitable Trust, the Filomen M. D'Agostino Foundation, Rosalind P. Walter, Sandra Atlas Bass, by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and by the nation's public television stations.

About WNET
WNET is America's flagship PBS station and parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21. WNET also operates NJTV, the statewide public media network in New Jersey. Through its broadcast channels, three cable services (THIRTEEN PBSKids, Create and World) and online streaming sites, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to more than five million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings. WNET's groundbreaking series for children and young adults include Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase as well as Mission US, the award-winning interactive history game. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Theater Close-Up, NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams and MetroFocus, the daily multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. In addition, WNET produces online-only programming including the award-winning series about gender identity, First Person, and an intergenerational look at tech and pop culture, The Chatterbox with Kevin and Grandma Lill. In 2015, THIRTEEN launched Passport, an online streaming service which allows members to see new and archival THIRTEEN and PBS programming anytime, anywhere: www.thirteen.org/passport.

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