Nature MARATHON

Gelada baboons in the Ethiopian highlands.

Credit: Courtesy of ©Chadden Hunter

Tune in as Nature examines amazing creatures and their astonishing lives.

The evening begins on Monday, March 12 at 7 p.m. with Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air and Born Wild: First Days of Life at 8 p.m. Finally, discover what makes winners and losers in the animal dating game at 9 p.m. with What Females Want and What Males Will Do on WXXI World (DT21.2/cable 524).

Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air - Scientists study these remarkable birds like never before by using the latest technology to begin understanding hummingbirds in the wild. 

Born Wild: First Days of Life - Across the animal kingdom, some of the most essential lessons — and the most extreme challenges — occur in the first moments of life. From ostrich to orangutan, egg sac to live birth, infanticide to matricide, the diversity of behaviors between parent and progeny is as great as the diversity of life on our planet.

What Females Want and What Males Will Do - In the animal world, females decide. But their decisions may not always be what others expect. What is it they are looking for? Monogamy? Variety? A special sound or smell? A touch of red? Babysitting skills? It could be any or all of the above. Apparently, there’s nothing a male won’t do for the right to mate with a female — dance, sing, make music, fight, overdress, change body colors, develop astonishing anatomy, illuminate, even agree to be eaten alive.