As the world's fastest land animal, cheetahs are the odds-on favorite in almost any footrace. After all, they can accelerate to freeway speeds in just a step or two. But in the dry scrublands of southern Africa, the fast felines are falling behind in the most important contest they've ever entered: the race for survival.
We may think of ourselves as the most intelligent beings on the planet, yet it seems there is a great deal we can learn from our fellow creatures. Their understanding of the world pre-dates our own, and carries with it extraordinary abilities to heal, communicate, and transform our lives.
In the extreme conditions of Alaska’s great Iditarod sled dog race, almost no factor is more important than the relationship forged between the mushers and their dogs. Their extraordinary bond can mean more than win or lose – it can mean life or death.
They gallop and trot, whinny and neigh, capturing our imagination -- and our hearts. Indeed, horses are said to have done more to change human history than any other domestic animal, once upon a time carrying explorers to new frontiers and mighty armies to great conquests.
Though cats appear aloof to the uninitiated, individual owners tell stories revealing that cats are capable of amazing acts of courage, stamina, resourcefulness, and loyalty.
Jutting into the North Pacific from Siberia, Kamchatka is a rugged peninsula of volcanic craters and steep valleys. While its impenetrability once made Kamchatka the perfect home of a notorious Soviet prison camp, its isolation also has kept it a haven for one of Earth's last giants, the grizzly bear.
Uncover the variety of activity, both human and natural, that occurs on the slopes of active volcanoes. See the surprising number of animals that survive and thrive alongside these fiery natural phenomena