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The Best Episodes of Natural World Season 21

Every episode of Natural World Season 21 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Natural World Season 21!

The Best Episodes of Natural World Season 21

Natural World is a nature documentary television series broadcast annually on BBC Two and regarded by the BBC as its flagship natural history brand. It...
  1. Background image for My Halcyon River
    8.6/10(10 votes)

    #1 - My Halcyon River

    S21:E6

    An idyllic British river: misty dawns, dancing mayflies, lazy trout and fluffy chicks paddling under the watchful gaze of their parents. "My Halcyon River" is an intimate portrait of a secret world where otters hunt on the midnight current, mink lie in wait to ambush unwary victims and gleaming kingfishers pierce the water to spear their prey. These dramas, both mortal and touching are revealed through the eyes of a man who has loved the river since he was a boy, cameraman Charlie Hamilton-James.

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  2. Background image for Cats Under the Serengeti Stars
    7.3/10(7 votes)

    #2 - Cats Under the Serengeti Stars

    S21:E9

    Cameras capture the events of a night on the African plains, revealing the fascinating lives of nocturnal creatures from hunting caracals to the complexities of hyena politics.

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  3. Background image for Meerkats: Part of the Team
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #3 - Meerkats: Part of the Team

    S21:E1

    Documentary following a family of meerkats living in Tswalu National Park in South Africa. The ultimate team players, meerkats survive in harsh conditions by looking out for each other and constantly scanning the horizon for predators such as cobras, cheetah and martial eagles.

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    Director:Simon King
    Writer:N/A
  4. Background image for Danger in Tiger Paradise
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #4 - Danger in Tiger Paradise

    S21:E2

    Valmik Thapar returns to Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan to witness the progress of Machli, a tigress he has followed for four years. It's been a while since he last saw her and she now has two cubs, but with their father gone, presumed dead, she faces a new challenge - protecting her offspring from the males that are trying to establish themselves in the area

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    Director:Mike Birkhead
    Writer:N/A
  5. Background image for Falklands: Flying Devils
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #5 - Falklands: Flying Devils

    S21:E3

    Film makers Jane Watson and Mark Smith observe a colony of aggressive caracaras, rare birds of prey on a stormy island in the South Atlantic.

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    Writer:N/A
  6. Background image for The Crossing
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #6 - The Crossing

    S21:E4

    A tense and spectacular drama unfolds as thousands of zebras, wildebeest and gazelles take on hungry crocodiles and lions at the Mara River in Africa.

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
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  8. Background image for Death Trap
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #7 - Death Trap

    S21:E5

    The wildlife of the Pacific Coast. Offshore are whales, seals and sharks, on land, grizzlies, and in the air bald eagles. All wait to catch some of the many fish attempting to reach their spawning grounds.

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  9. Background image for Killer Ants
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #8 - Killer Ants

    S21:E7

    Documentary about predator ants. While big predators bask in their own spotlight, tiny assassins are lurking in the shadows, waiting to attack. The driver ants of Africa can devour a horse in one day, while the jack jumper ant of Tasmania can kill a man with a single sting.

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    Director:Martin Dohrn
    Writer:N/A
  10. Background image for A Life with Cougars
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    #9 - A Life with Cougars

    S21:E8

    Canadian wildlife film-makers Jeff and Sue Turner's documentary about the cougar, one of North America's fiercest predators. Jeff and Sue were unaware that they lived among cougars until a family dog was killed on the doorstep of their home. Very little is known or understood about these carnivores, so the Turners devoted an entire winter to tracking and catching these elusive creatures on film.

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    Writer:N/A
  11. Background image for Wild Women of Viramba
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #10 - Wild Women of Viramba

    S21:E10

    Almost every day for the past 25 years, the Viramba troop of yellow baboons have been accompanied by scientists in one of the most extensive primate research projects ever conducted. Researcher Holly Carroll has come to understand the troop, which is controlled by its female members. She discovered that they had established a strict hierarchy in order to keep daily life running smoothly. Interestingly, female offspring automatically inherit their mother's rank. Research into the lives of these 'wild women' of Viramba shows that living in a group can work if all members cooperate. Life in Mikumi National Park is certainly not easy but their inherited hierarchy means there is little need for these baboons to fight.

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  12. Background image for Killer Bees: Taming the Swarm
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #11 - Killer Bees: Taming the Swarm

    S21:E11

    Documentary about the Africanised honey bee, a notorious killer bee that has spread across the world causing devastation in the natural world. Is there any way of taming this lethal force of nature?

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    Writer:N/A
  13. Background image for Highgrove: A Prince's Legacy
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #12 - Highgrove: A Prince's Legacy

    S21:E12

    David Attenborough narrates this documentary charting a year in the running of Highgrove, home to the Prince of Wales, who takes an active part in the management of the organic garden and estate. Prince Charles is seen monitoring the garden's upkeep, working on the land, planting a new woodland area for the spring and hedge-laying in winter

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    Director:Sarah Pitt
    Writer:N/A
  14. Background image for Flying Home
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #13 - Flying Home

    S21:E13

    A look at Operation Migration, a major project aimed at introducing rare whooping cranes back into the eastern USA by rearing chicks in captivity and then sending them out into the wild.

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A
  15. Background image for The Elephant, The Emperor and Butterfly Tree
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #14 - The Elephant, The Emperor and Butterfly Tree

    S21:E14

    A startling look at the two most destructive animals in South Africa and how their habits are a story of life, death and cooperation. The elephant, the Emperor Moth and the Mopane tree form the backbone of life on the African plains. This delicate ecological triangle determines the livelihood of all the other creatures in its system. The Mopane tree is under attack from rampaging elephants, but even more damaging is the Mopane worm, the caterpillar of the beautiful Emperor Moth. They gather in hoards and strip the trees of their leaves in minutes. But the worms are food for a host of animals - even humans - and the trees are home to a number of unpleasant creatures. What holds the delicate balance in check?

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    Director:Neil Curry
  16. Background image for Indonesia: Fire Islands
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #15 - Indonesia: Fire Islands

    S21:E15

    No description available

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    Director:N/A
    Writer:N/A

Season 21 Ratings Summary

"My Halcyon River" is the best rated episode of "Natural World" season 21. It scored 8.6/10 based on 10 votes. Directed by Philippa Forrester, Charlie Hamilton James and written by N/A, it aired on 11/24/2002. This episode is rated 1.3 points higher than the second-best, "Cats Under the Serengeti Stars".