The transition between childhood and adulthood is no easy feat for humans and animals alike. These awkward years see creatures evolving physically and socially, clumsily learning to fend for themselves with all the pitfalls of being young, fool

Could you survive 8 months of isolation?

Dec 6th, 2018 26m 58s

This week we’re taking you to the southernmost continent on the planet: Antarctica. This is where cameraman Lindsay McCrae and his team spent 10 months filming emperor penguins for Dynasties. As it was impossible for the crew to leave their loc

The man whose life was saved by honey bees

Nov 29th, 2018 26m 40s

Beginnings. Join the crew from the BBC Studios series Dynasties on a journey to Senegal, home of Fongoli chimps. Each year, these chimps brave intense wildfires that ruin their homes. Destructive though they seem, these wildfires are actually p

Ghosts

Dec 20th, 2022 38m 35s

The show takes a spooky turn as we go on a ghost hunt through the natural world. Sebastian shares his adventures finding fossils – the traces of animals that once lived, and Rutendo talks about her experiences in The Cradle of Humankind, the So

Order and chaos

Dec 13th, 2022 29m 10s

The difference between order and chaos can depend on your perspective. The systems and processes that drive the natural world might seem random in close-up, whether it’s an ant wandering around near its nest, or a wildebeest charging through th

Rhythm

Dec 6th, 2022 37m 43s

Sebastian is not afraid to admit that he lacks natural rhythm. But Rutendo thinks he’s too hard on himself – perhaps the world is just out of sync with him. Besides, every living thing is built upon natural rhythms, from our response to night a

Individuals

Nov 29th, 2022 30m 16s

In an age of individualism, sometimes we are more connected than we think. And the same is true for everything on the planet. Rutendo and Sebastian explore the question of how and why we define an individual, a colony, or a group, across the an

Threat

Nov 22nd, 2022 36m 11s

It’s a scary world out there, as we explore how everything on the planet – from humankind to glaciers – must be able to respond to threat in order to survive. Sebastian surprises Rutendo with a story of the time he lived in Japan and took up fe

Reflections

Nov 15th, 2022 27m 58s

Light and reflection are crucial across the animal kingdom, and sometimes they interact in strange and surprising ways. Rutendo tells Sebastian about the time she carried out a classic experiment, the mirror test, with lions, during her PhD. So

Defenders of the Earth

Nov 8th, 2022 39m 52s

Sebastian and Rutendo celebrate nature’s defenders in all their forms. They argue that vultures should get more credit for their vital role as scavengers. Their super-acidic stomachs kill off deadly bacteria, like anthrax, that accumulates onro

Whose Story?

Nov 1st, 2022 33m 25s

Rutendo and Sebastian are looking at stories and whether it matters who is telling them. Paula Kahumbu is a renowned conservationist and film-maker in Kenya who wants to see more African stories told by Africans for Africans. “It's really impor

Pulling Power

Oct 24th, 2022 39m 33s

We explore the invisible pulling powers of nature through the forces of smell, sound and gravity.In Greece, desert ants start their lives underground in total darkness. Void of landmarks and sun they initially learn to orient themselves using t

Death

Oct 17th, 2022 36m 24s

Rutendo and Sebastian explore death and its role in the natural world. For Sebastian, death is a permanent state, a complete end to a life. But for Rutendo and her family, death is just a temporary parting. Around the world burial customs diffe

Superpowers

Oct 10th, 2022 31m 23s

Rutendo and Sebastian get to indulge their passions for nature AND superheroes, as they look at real-life superpowers in nature.Rutendo explores how these superpowers inspire fictional worlds and heroes with Mike McHargue, a science advisor/wor

Safari

Oct 3rd, 2022 34m 48s

You don’t need to be on an African Savanna to enjoy a safari. Rutendo and Sebastian explore how to have a nature adventure wherever you are. On the isle of Bute in Scotland, Nature Instagrammer Lucy Lapwing takes us on an immersive walk throug

Trailer

Series trailer

Sep 26th, 2022 2m 22s

Each week the BBC Earth podcast brings you entertainment, humour, an abundance of amazing animal stories and unbelievable unheard sounds. Explore the world of animals with superpowers, deep dive into death, hear from heroes passionately protect

Finding what doesn't want to be found

1 Apr 13th, 2021 32m 37s

In the final episode of series 4, we’re digging into some of the more elusive corners of our planet.To begin, we’re on a bear hunt deep in the Bornean rainforest. Guiding us is Siew Te Wong, who is the world’s foremost authority on a bear we kn

Saving the world's rarest marine mammal

Apr 6th, 2021 32m 7s

In this episode, we’re delving into the topic of extinction. We'll be finding out about some of the animals who are critically endangered, meeting the people trying to rescue them, and exploring species who may be able to make miraculous comeba

The artists of the animal kingdom

Mar 30th, 2021 28m 44s

In this episode, we’re displaying the most impressive artists of the animal kingdom. From tiny visual masterpieces, to animals that can dance to a beat, we’re shining a spotlight on the art that can be found in nature.Deep in the Amazon rainfor

I became part of a lionesses family

Mar 23rd, 2021 31m 55s

While nature is full of beauty and wonder, it also has a deadly side. In this episode, we're getting a brush with death and exploring how nature can be both a source of comfort and a source of danger.Prosanta Chakrabarty spends his time studyin

What the deep ocean can teach us about life

Mar 16th, 2021 26m 6s

We’re exploring the parts of our world that require us to look a little deeper. From the depths of our oceans to the canopies that grace our skylines, we’ll be venturing into unfamiliar pockets of nature with the people who have carved a life o

The desert rocks that 'sing'

Mar 14th, 2021 27m 8s

We’re exploring the boundary between our world and the world of myth, mysticism, and magic. We’ll discover how some of the customs and practices from our ancient ancestors continue to influence our relationship with the natural world today.To b

The man-made forest that led to extinction

Feb 9th, 2021 27m 53s

There are few places on our planet that have not in some way been shaped by humans. We’re looking at how, for better or worse, we’ve made a mark on our world, and whether it’s possible to escape the influence of us.To begin, we travel to Aldabr

A wombat ate my homework

Feb 2nd, 2021 33m 16s

We’re exploring the theme of recovery, delving into times when we’ve stepped in to help save our natural world, and looking at the moments when it’s come to our rescue too. We’ll be starting off in the sea off the West Coast of Africa where a c

Saving a species through sound

Jan 26th, 2021 32m 20s

In this week’s episode of the BBC Earth podcast we’ll be looking to solve some of the natural world’s mysteries.Starting off in North West Honduras, we’ll hear from ethnobiologist and sound artist Ben Mirin who set out to discover the voice of