‘Nature’ explores successful squirrels, African dogs and snow bears

“Nature” shows the world from an animal point of view each Wednesday at 7 p.m. this fall.

Sept. 26

“Owl Power” – Using the camera technology, computer graphics, x-rays and ultra-microscopes available in the modern world, take a new look at owls in more detail than ever before. The real stories behind how they hunt, how their vision and hearing work, and how they fly so silently are influencing 21st-century technology and design, from high-tech aircraft and submarines to innovative hearing aids. Watch via Passport.

Oct. 3

“Animal Misfits” – Alongside the fastest, strongest, smartest animals are nature’s misfits, odd, bizarre and unlikely creatures that at first glance seem ill-equipped for survival. Left at the starting line in the race for life, these are the apparent losers in the story of evolution, yet somehow they manage to cling to life and in some cases even thrive. “Animal Misfits” reveals some surprising details about how evolution really works, demonstrating that all animals are remarkably well-adapted to their chosen way of life. Watch online.

Oct. 10

“Animal Reunions” – Feel the emotion as keepers and carers reunite with the wild animals that were once in their care to learn whether the close interspecies bonds that developed over many years in refuges and orphanages have stood the test of time. Watch via Passport.

Oct. 24

“Super Cats: Extreme Lives” – Meet the planet’s ultimate cats. Cheetahs are the fastest animal on land. A snow leopard searches for a mate in the Himalaya. The Canada lynx lives farther north than any cat. An African leopard fights to raise a cub in the worst drought in decades. Watch via Passport.

Oct. 31

“Super Cats: Cats in Every Corner” – Discover how cats have conquered the world, thriving in almost every landscape on Earth, from fishing cats in the wetlands of Asia, to a pregnant jaguar in Costa Rica, to margays in Central American treetops, to a swamp tiger on the Indian shore. Watch online.

Nov. 7

“Super Cats: Science and Secrets” – See how new technologies help uncover some cats’ most intimate secrets, including the cheetah’s gymnastic abilities and why lions are able to hunt cooperatively. Conservationists are fighting to protect the most endangered species around the globe. Watch online.

Nov. 14

“A Squirrel’s Guide to Success” – Join some of the world’s top squirrel scientists who are making groundbreaking discoveries, from the fox squirrel who can remember the location of 9,000 nuts, to the gray squirrel whose treetop leaps are the basis of new designs in robotics. Watch online.

Nov. 21

“Dogs in the Land of Lions” – See into the heart of an African wild dog family. When lions kill her mate, a wild dog mother must raise two generations of pups all on her own. Witness her loyalty and selflessness in this intimate portrayal of motherhood, filmed over two years. Watch online.

Nov. 28

“Snow Bears” – Travel to the Arctic to follow the life-changing journey of two newborn polar bear cubs as they leave their den for the first time. Bravely led by their mother, the cubs must make the perilous voyage to the sea to feed. Actress Kate Winslet narrates. Can’t get enough of polar bear cubs? Get the DVD and a plush bear to cuddle.