Follow the adventures of three elephants across three very distinct African habitats. Their travels combine to tell the story of how these emotional and intelligent creatures evolved over millions of years to survive on the continent.

A veteran pair of osprey return home to a Connecticut saltmarsh. Over one summer they must battle their enemies, withstand the elements, and hunt hundreds and hundreds of fish, all to raise the next generation of sea raptors.

Test limits with jaguar cub Frida, who's honing her survival skills in Brazil's Caiman Lodge Reserve. Learn how to sneak with mum Gatuna, see sister Anouk help her hide from hungry interlopers, and go on a reckless solo trek that takes a lucky turn.

Welcome baby orangutan Topan, an orphan in need of a surrogate mom. Watch her learning journey in nursery school while her fellow students move through junior, senior, and wild-immersion schools. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Kasper preps for graduation.

Experience a roller coaster of emotions and growing pains as the sanctuary's orangutans move through six grades toward their release into the wild. Discover how Dilla's fate suddenly changes, and watch as big boy Beni goes on an unwelcome diet.

Observe blossoming friendships and interspecies bonds in nursery school, and peek inside a bromance among junior-school buds Valentino, Yutris and Madara. See distractible Beni lean into his love of food and get a beating from a more-senior pupil.

How close do you want to get to a lion? The staff must get close enough to place radio transmitting collars on them to keep track of the lion population.

The seas are alive with carnivores. Meet the sharks and rays who patrol the coral reefs, hunting down their prey. Learn about toxic fish who disguise themselves to ambush the unwary, and armoured predators who devour vulnerable targets.

Arabia's coral reefs are home to some of nature's most impressive illusionists. Creatures can pulsate with colour, transform in the blink of an eye, or perform riveting displays of showmanship. Because in these dangerous waters, disguise is crucial.

Off the coast of Oman, summer weather drives nutrients in from the ocean depths where they meet the Arabian sun, causing an explosion of life. Smaller fish spawn, filling the waters with eggs. This creates a buffet predators just can't resist.

It's summer in the Gulf of Oman. The scorching Arabian sun heats the shallow waters to 86 degrees boosting the growth of algae across a vast coral reef. This attracts thousands of hungry herbivores creating a fish versus fish turf war.

Survival in the forest means maintaining a delicate balance between growth and destruction and death and rebirth – a forest should be in a constant state of regeneration. When trees get too tall they block all the sunlight from hitting the ground, which means grasses and smaller shrubs can't grow, diminishing habitat for animals like elk, moose, caribou, and wolves.

For a great many species, the structures of group living are the most important for survival. Although social living is integral to many of the animals that call the Rocky Mountains home, no two species organize their society in the same way. Even among closely related species there can be drastic differences in social structure; communication, hierarchy, mating, and diet are all inextricably informed by specific environmental and genetic adaptations for group survival.

Hidden in the jungles of Sri Lanka is the toque macaque. Endemic to the island, these feisty group-living monkeys are found nowhere else on earth. And they are at the heart of the longest primate research project ever undertaken. Dr Wolfgang Dittus is on a quest to understand their complex society.

The Lilayi Elephant Nursery near Lusaka in Zambia is home to four orphan elephants. The two oldest, four-year- olds Musolole and Zambezi, have been here since they were just a few months old. These boisterous babies are out-growing the nursery and it's time to move to big school. Two hundred miles away, in the heart of Kafue National Park, lies elephant heaven – Camp Phoenix, the project's release facility, where older orphans are already adapting to life in the wild.

Kasanka National Park in Zambia is home to an unusual species of baboon. Kinda baboons have turned their backs on the aggressive displays of dominance usually associated with these large monkeys and lead altogether more peaceful lives. Living alongside one troop is a dedicated team of researchers whose mission it is to uncover these baboons' secrets and understand what makes them who they are.

Meet Madonna, a very special monkey. She's the first Kinda baboon ever to be studied from birth to adulthood and now, critically, she's looking for a mate. Only recently identified as a species in their own right, Kinda baboons are little known and little understood. But Madonna is helping change all that. She may just hold the key to unlocking the secrets of the Kinda's unique female-male relationships. These are baboons like no others.

Across Africa 97% of black rhinos have been killed for their horns. In 1997 the species was declared officially extinct in Zambia. But now, thanks to an ambitious reintroduction plan, they're back. Poaching hasn't gone away – their horns are still prized in Asian medicine. But a small, dedicated team are fighting to keep them safe. This is the frontline of conservation – it doesn't get any tougher.

Australia is home to the world's most toxic, venomous and dangerous creatures. From the oceans to the forest, swamps and deserts, it's a continent teeming with a hugely disproportionate number of creatures that can bite, poison or maim.

Low tide exposes a band of shore called the intertidal zone. It's a place of stunning extremes, attacked by hurricane force waves and exposed to baking heat. Creatures here have evolved in countless bizarre ways. Scientists explore this alien realm.

Meet the unlikely collaborators working to ensure mutual survival in the Kalahari Basin. Learn of an elephant clan's symbiotic link to fruiting anaboom trees, a meerkat's alliance with a feisty drongo bird, and more flora-and-fauna odd couples.

Thirst for rain alongside the animals of the Kalahari, as they endure a brutally dry year. Witness co-operation between elephant herds in their desperate search for water and meet a meerkat's strange babysitter, who helps the next generation survive.

As the dry season approaches, tensions rise on Lemur Island, both between rival gangs and within their own ranks. Get a view from the battlefield as the female leaders fiercely defend their turf, while their newborn infants cling to them for safety.

After the dry season lowers the waters, siblings Kimba and Maya risk crossing the river to search for their parents. They run the gauntlet of the densest populations of crocs and hippos in Africa, and face an even greater threat on the other side.

During the last few weeks of the dry season, the prides stick close to the only available water in the river. But in Luangwa, that proximity spells danger – especially when the scent of a hippo kill compels the Hollywoods to cross the river.

The all-female Hollywood pride have been in exile after being attacked by the four Nomad brothers. But their leader, Ava, decides to lead her family south to the heart of their territory for a showdown with the Nomads.

Low tide exposes a band of shore called the intertidal zone. It's a place of stunning extremes, attacked by hurricane force waves and exposed to baking heat. Creatures here have evolved in countless bizarre ways. Scientists explore this alien realm.

Meet the unlikely collaborators working to ensure mutual survival in the Kalahari Basin. Learn of an elephant clan's symbiotic link to fruiting anaboom trees, a meerkat's alliance with a feisty drongo bird, and more flora-and-fauna odd couples.

Thirst for rain alongside the animals of the Kalahari, as they endure a brutally dry year. Witness co-operation between elephant herds in their desperate search for water and meet a meerkat's strange babysitter, who helps the next generation survive.