Understanding the Natural World • 2012 • episode "S1E2" • Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild

Category: Nature

David Attenborough reviews the scientific discoveries that have transformed our view of life on earth during his lifetime. How and where did life first begin? How do continents move? How do animals communicate? And why do they behave the way they do? Sir Attenborough shares his memories of the scientists and the breakthroughs that helped shape his own career. He also recalls some of his most memorable attempts to bring new science to a television audience - by standing in the shadow of an erupting volcano as lumps of hot lava crashed around him, by being charged by a group of armed New Guinean tribesmen and the extraordinary sight of chimps hunting monkeys, captured on camera for the first time by Attenborough and his team.

Make a donation

Buy a brother a hot coffee? Or a cold beer?

Hope you're finding these documentaries fascinating and eye-opening. It's just me, working hard behind the scenes to bring you this enriching content.

Running and maintaining a website like this takes time and resources. That's why I'm reaching out to you. If you appreciate what I do and would like to support my efforts, would you consider "buying me a coffee"?

Donation addresses

BTC: bc1q8ldskxh4x9qnddhcrgcun8rtvddeldm2a07r2v

ETH: 0x5CCAAA1afc5c5D814129d99277dDb5A979672116

With your donation through , you can show your appreciation and help me keep this project going. Every contribution, no matter how small, makes a significant impact. It goes directly towards covering server costs.

Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild • 2012 • 3 episodes •

Life on Camera

Sir David Attenborough gives his unique perspective on over half a century of innovation in wildlife filmmaking. He revisits key places and events in his filming career, reminisces with his old photos and reflects on memorable wildlife footage - including him catching a komodo dragon and swimming with dolphins. Returning to his old haunts in Borneo he recalls the challenges of filming in a bat cave and shows how with modern technology we can now see in the dark.

2012 • Nature

Understanding the Natural World

Understanding the Natural World

David Attenborough reviews the scientific discoveries that have transformed our view of life on earth during his lifetime. How and where did life first begin? How do continents move? How do animals communicate? And why do they behave the way they do? Sir Attenborough shares his memories of the scientists and the breakthroughs that helped shape his own career. He also recalls some of his most memorable attempts to bring new science to a television audience - by standing in the shadow of an erupting volcano as lumps of hot lava crashed around him, by being charged by a group of armed New Guinean tribesmen and the extraordinary sight of chimps hunting monkeys, captured on camera for the first time by Attenborough and his team.

2012 • Nature

Our Fragile Planet

Our Fragile Planet

In the final film, he reflects on the dramatic impact that humankind has had on the natural world within his own lifetime. He tells the surprising and deeply personal story of the changes he has seen, of the pioneering conservationists with who he has worked - and of the global revolution in attitudes towards nature that has taken place within the last six decades. In a journey that takes him from the London Zoo to the jungles of Borneo, Attenborough reveals what inspired him to become a conservationist. He remembers classic encounters with mountain gorillas, blue whales and the giant tortoise, Lonesome George. These are all characters that have helped to change public attitudes to the natural world.

2012 • Nature

You might also like

Victors of the Dry Lands

Victors of the Dry Lands

This episode is devoted to the evolution of reptiles. They are not as restricted as their amphibian ancestors, since they can survive in the hottest climates. The reason is their scaly, practically watertight skin. The scales protect the body from wear and tear and in the case of some species of lizard, such as the Australian thorny devil, serve to protect from attack. The horned iguana from the West Indies is also one of the most heavily armoured. The skin is rich in pigment cells, which provide effective means of camouflage, and the chameleon is a well-known example. Temperature control is important to reptiles: they cant generate body heat internally or sweat to keep cool.

7/13 • Life on Earth • 1979 • Nature

Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes

Follow the adventures of the filmmakers behind "Big Pacific". This "Making Of" special explores the highlights and challenges of wildlife filmmaking.

S1E5 • Big Pacific • 2017 • Nature

Friends and Rivals

Friends and Rivals

From vampire bats to baboons, Sir David Attenborough investigates the importance of recognising friends and respecting the power of rivals throughout the animal kingdom.

9/12 • Trials of Life • 1990 • Nature

Open Ocean

David Attenborough narrates a natural history of the oceans. The deadly game of hide-and-seek played by the sea's charismatic hunters - whales, shark and billfish.

S1E3 • Blue Planet I • 2001 • Nature

Forest Animals

Forests and woodlands are the green lungs of the Earth and vital to mankind's survival. The air we breathe, the timbers we build with... the medicines we take. The list of benefits they provide is exhaustive. As is the list of other animals making a meal of these resource-rich environments.

S1E3 • World's Greatest Animal Encounters • 2020 • Nature

Crowded Skies

With the help of some surprising creatures from around the world, this series sets out to discover how animals take to the air, defying the force all airborne animals must conquer, gravity. Part 3: Crowded Skies This episode features a creature that creates sound out of thin air with the world's fastest courtship display and arguably the world's most aggressive bird. In a South American jungle, there's 'hunt and evasion' flying during the night, as bats and moths fight for the upper hand in one of the world's oldest arms races. Plus a camera films a giant flock to unlock the secrets that keep half a million birds from colliding in the same air space.

S1E3 • Life in the Air • 2016 • Nature