In the Pantanal wetland, jaguars grow larger and in greater number than anywhere in the world, and when the dry season comes and animals crowd closer to the Cuiaba River, this stealthy hunter goes on the attack. Witness life in Jaguarland, where a king must be ready to fight to keep his crown, two young brothers hone their skills, and a young female plays cat and mouse with wily rodents. Then see how local ranchers have learned to coexist with jaguars, which once threatened their livelihoods, by establishing ecotourism as a new revenue stream.
The island of Barro Colorado in the Panama Canal is full of mysteries, some involving the wide diversity of wildlife, and some involving the island itself. Every year, hundreds of scientists and students come here to uncover the rainforest's secrets, but this year is very different. The island is running dry and no one knows why. Follow several research teams as they observe, experiment, and conduct research in this pristine habitat, and most pressing of all, try to find out what happened to the rain and when it will come again.
Relatively few people know that along with authoring the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson also compiled his own text, drawn carefully from passages extracted out of the New Testament, that he titled "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth." The book, which focused on the ethical teachings of Jesus, was a private undertaking for Jefferson and never made public in his lifetime. Now, experts at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History are meticulously conserving this fragile volume, page by brittle page. Along the way, they discover subtle hidden clues to Jefferson himself.
From M16 rifles to Huey helicopters, the Vietnam War launched weapons that went on to become legendary. This is the untold story of one such weapon built not by the Pentagon, but by teenage soldiers trying to keep themselves alive: the gun truck. Through interviews and home movies, meet the U.S. Army's unsung heroes: the self-made, five-ton, moving monsters that defended convoys from enemy attack and went on to influence today's combat tactics.
Ireland's history is steeped in religion and mystery. Why did its people stop worshipping the earth 5,000 years ago? Did St. Patrick really act alone in converting the Irish to Christianity in the 5th century? Historians, astronomers, and other scientists believe answers to these and other questions lie in the stars. Discover the role that celestial occurrences have played in Irish religious beliefs and practices as we explore ancient hallowed sites and even the heavens above.
It's pups versus ghosts in these 7 haunted adventures, including a double episode aboard a ghostly pirate ship. Join the PAW Patrol in a spooky cabin, a bat cave, a corn maze, and even on a mission to find out who's haunting the Lookout!
Get stoked for a high-flying, adrenaline-fueled adventure. Explore the underground movement that's helping Native American youth throughout the U.S. soar above life's challenges, one half-pipe at a time.
An investigation into physicist Stephen Hawking's theory that humans should leave Earth to make a new home on another planet; scientists explore what it would take to formulate an interstellar escape plan and colonize outer space.
A colorful portrait of Uganda's gamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, a place where orphaned and rescued chimpanzees - victims of the illegal exotic pet and bushmeat trades - are given a second chance at life in a community of chimps.
In just half a century, the human population has doubled to 7.4 billion, and during that time, astronaut and satellite photos have been capturing the startling changes on our planet. See how humans have made their mark reshaping the planet in our quest for new sources of food, power, and shelter. From glimmering new megacities like Shenzhen, China to areas affected by climate change like Mt. Kilimanjaro and Florida, witness Earth's changing look--the spectacular and the shocking--from 250 miles up.
During the rainy season in Africa, a herd of buffalo can create thousands of pounds of waste in a day, which would be an environmental disaster if not for the dung beetle. These extraordinary insects depend on waste to survive. They eat it, attract mates with it, and raise families in it. Although dung beetles are critical to the ecosystem, they don't have it easy. Every day, they must avoid being trampled, evade predators like bullfrogs, honey badgers, and rock monitor lizards, and rival dung beetle families desperate for the same fecal prize.
North of the Himalayas and three miles above sea level stretches a land barely glimpsed by the outside world: the Tibetan Plateau. Here, packs of wolves, herds of chiru antelope, and small families of pika struggle to survive and raise their young in one of the harshest environments on Earth. Spend a year in this land of extremes and follow its creatures, from the top of the food chain to the bottom, as they embark on dangerous migrations, dodge diving predators, and adapt to the plateau's thin air, impossible terrain, and punishing weather.
On the 10th anniversary of US Airways Flight 1549's miraculous landing on the Hudson River, Smithsonian Channel revisits the event to explore the impact of bird strikes in aviation accidents. See first-person accounts from survivors, flight safety experts, and leading scientists in the fields of ornithology and wildlife management as Bird vs. Plane: Miracle on the Hudson highlights the groundbreaking work to prevent future occurrences.
After the devastating attacks of 9/11, New York City needed to rebuild itself, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. The site where the Twin Towers once stood was now a gaping pit, and the entire world watched to see what, if anything, could fill the void. Witness the story of One World Trade Center, one of the most significant, and dangerous, construction jobs ever launched. From brazen designs and heated debates to dangerous tasks at dizzying heights, we detail every step of this towering, poignant achievement.