Animal Planet Explores Life On Some Of The World’s Wildest Islands From Scotland To The Solomon Islands

I'm sure this series would be really, really interesting. Just look at those stark landscapes captured in beautiful pictures! Let's watch! 

Press Release:

Islands can be home to the most extreme examples of life and the some of the most dramatic landscapes. Natural selection fuels evolution in the most extraordinary way. Isolated for hundreds of thousands of years, pockets of individuals survive, thrive and adapt to fill all available niches fuelling a rapid development of new species. Animal Planet presents WILDEST ISLANDS, a stunning five-part series featuring the world’s most spectacular island locations, every Tuesday from December 4 at 9:00 p.m. Dive into the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean; journey through the lush forests of Zanzibar; discover the unspoilt environs of the Hebrides; and uncover the enduring wonders of the Galapagos Islands as WILDEST ISLANDS investigates the rich history of these pristine paradises. WILDEST ISLANDS encores every Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Saturday at midnight and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

WILDEST ISLANDS combines the fascinating stories of the people and animals who call these jewels home. On WILDEST ISLANDS, explore the extremes and rarest of life in these distinctive landscapes. From the rare Red Colobus Monkey, leatherback turtles, armadillos, monkeys and manatees of the Caribbean, to the puffins, basking sharks, otters and corncrakes of the Scottish Hebrides, discover how a variety of amazing species have adapted to island life. Meet the people who have also found ingenious ways to survive and thrive in these remote locations, developing skills, traditions and beliefs that make their island communities unique. Gain an in-depth understanding of these astonishing environments and experience the breath-taking sceneries, remarkable details and colourful cultures that exist throughout the planet's islands.

From Africa to Europe to Oceania to South America, WILDEST ISLANDS delves into what makes these remote isles special. Soak in the beauty of these jewels on the following episodes of WILDEST ISLANDS:

ZANZIBAR

The Zanzibar Archipelago is approximately 35km off shore from the Tanzania mainland and only six degrees south of the Equator. There are countless forested islands, sandbars, and coral reefs, and is the only home in the world of the rare Red Colobus Monkey, the Sykes monkey and certain bush babies, Pemba flying foxes, duikers and hyraxes as well as a whole other wealth of wildlife including Vervet Monkeys, Mozambique Cobras, Bush Crabs, Red-eyed Doves, Mangrove King Fishers, tortoises, and many others.

Throughout history Zanzibar has been an international gateway attracting visitors and settlers from Europe and the Middle East creating a unique cultural mix with the people of Africa.

THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

This island paradise has easily become one of Ecuador’s most famous destinations. People are drawn to its rare marine fauna and endless stretches of white beaches. The Galapagos Islands are made up of 13 main volcanic islands, six smaller islands, and 107 rocks and islets. What makes these islands so exceptional is that most of the land mass is a nature preserve. The volcanic islands of the Galapagos are as diverse in their geography as they are in their wildlife.

CARIBBEAN

Uncover the secret wild side of the Caribbean. Under the cover of darkness, giant leatherback turtles visit Trinidad’s beaches to lay their eggs. Dominica’s volcanic heritage gives it fertile soils, making the island rich in flowering plants. These provide food for some of the Caribbean’s fastest movers: hummingbirds.

The Caribbean’s coral reefs are one of its richest treasures. Many of the species that find shelter here are found nowhere else. These warm, calm waters provide sanctuary for ocean giants too. Humpback whales travel thousands of miles to raise their young in the Caribbean Sea.

As summer approaches, these sun-drenched islands become an altogether darker place. The Caribbean is in the firing line of some of the most ferocious storms on earth. Hurricanes bring waves up to 20 metres high, sometimes destroying the reefs themselves. A troop of lobsters undergoes a night-time march to safety.

SRI LANKA

Uncover how all life in Sri Lanka centers on one precious resource: water. Unusually, two different monsoons visit the island each year, drenching the windswept coastal plains with weeks of torrential rain. For the rest of the year, the animals of the plains must endure months of drought. Elephants numbering in their hundreds gather on the shores of a vast lake in search of water. Bold Sri Lankan leopards stalk spotted deers visiting waterholes. Mugger crocodiles, confined within small pools, choose the dry season to mate. Bee-eaters dig nesting tunnels in the dusty ground, and troops of toque macaques battle for status and hierarchy in the island’s ancient Buddhist monuments.

The plains rise sharply to the central highlands, where the peaks tower 2,000 metres above sea level. Up here, there’s no shortage of water all year round, and this drives diversity, just like in a rainforest. A staggering number of animals in these mysterious cloud forests are found nowhere else on earth. Purple-faced langur monkeys have grown particularly thick coats to deal with the extreme weather. Tiny pygmy lizards give birth to live young to protect them from the cold. As October approaches, the monsoon finally arrives, bringing abundant food, and relief for the animals that live on the plains.

THE HEBRIDES

The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago made up of approximately 500 islands off the west coast of Scotland. The area is an isolated, awe-inspiring, unspoilt land with a wide variety of rare and iconic species such as the puffin, golden eagle, basking shark, whale, dolphin, otter and corncrake. The fertile machair lands lining the West Coast become a beautiful carpet of rare and colourful wild flowers in summer. The craggy cliffs are teeming with breeding sea birds and the shores are home to one of the densest populations of otters in North West Europe. The sea lochs of the Hebrides are unsurpassable in their beauty and abundance.