Wildlife Animals
Wildlife Videos
Videos related to wildlife and wild animals.
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John Denver - The Wildlife Concert
Self-professed "singer of the American West" John Denver shines in this heartfelt, 1995 live concert to benefit the Wildlife Conservation Society. Favorite songs such as "Rocky Mountain High," "Wild Montana Skies," and "Fly Away" are moving and gain fresh perspective from brief comments by Denver. Lesser-known songs like "Eagles and Horses" and "You Say the Battle Is Over" celebrate the spirit of animals and nature while underlining the importance of preservation. Succinct interview clips express Denver's commitment to nature: exploring man's basic hunger for the wild, the dichotomy between the uncultivated and the city, and the power of the individual to effect preservation and change. Striking though brief footage of wild animals like horses, eagles, penguins, and elephants in their natural habitats serve as bookends to the presentation. The Wildlife Concert is a reflective and moving musical celebration of the American West. --Tami Horiuchi
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National Geographic's African Wildlife
Gorgeously spectacular nature footage, much of it shot at shockingly close range, is presented in great abundance in this National Geographic production. Filmed at Namibia's Etosha National Park in southwest Africa, this video takes a relaxed look at a wide selection of wildlife, including zebras, cheetahs, wildebeest, lions, and elephants. The goal is to show all facets of animal life, and scenes of violent encounters between species are balanced with touching scenes of young animals at play. In one stunning sequence, a wildebeest is shown giving birth. Her calf soon stands and takes his first wobbly steps, the informative narration noting that by the end of the day he'll "be running with the herd." Rare footage of a lioness teaching her cubs to finish off a wild pig she has wounded is riveting, as it shows graphically how the lioness will not assist so that her cubs, clumsy though they are, will learn to kill on their own. This video would be worth watching just for the exquisite cinematography, but its thoughtful organization and intelligent narration make it both a visual treat and an education in how animals really live on the African plains. --Robert J. McNamara
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National Geographic's Antarctic Wildlife Adventure
In this 60-minute documentary, National Geographic accompanies a family of naturalists on a quiet journey through islands around the northern tip of Antarctica. The family members, seasoned Antarctic explorers, study bustling penguin colonies to gauge the general environmental health of the peninsula. Interestingly, the film reveals that scientists are the primary threat to Antarctica's ecology--in some areas, rusting shipwrecks and abandoned oil drums from scientific expeditions litter the landscape. Unlike most National Geographic features, this film favors character studies over geology--we learn quite a bit about the family's three sons, but little about the formation of the "last continent." The camera work is somewhat uninspired (perhaps due to the restrictions of filming from the boat), but there are some excellent close-ups of humpback whales surfacing around the small vessel. Penguin lovers will also enjoy the ample footage of their favorite amiable black-and-white birds. --Claire Campbell
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National Geographic's Wildlife Warriors
People share the spotlight with Africa's wild animals in this disturbing look at poachers who hunt big game and the soldiers who hunt them. Shot in Botswana, where the government had the military track down a gang of illegal hunters after they killed the country's last known black rhino in 1990, this 55-minute video follows the soldiers' training, their hunt, and the result. There is some humor as the soldiers act upon orders to peacefully remove snakes and abandon their camp to thirsty elephants, but overall the tone is as mature and grim as the subject matter. Narrator Keith David poses difficult questions: Is it right to put animal life above human life? Should confiscated ivory be sold to fund the antipoaching effort? Photographed by Dereck and Beverly Joubert, this video contains many graphic shots of ravaged elephants and rhinos and a sequence that ends with the discovery of two dead humans. --Kimberly Heinrichs
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