Schedule for Pluto TV Animals

Between Estonia and Finland

Between Estonia and Finland

The Baltic Sea is the youngest ocean in the world and first evolved after the last Ice Age. We think we know everything about it, yet still it has many surprises in store. Wind and waves still shape the shores of the Baltic Sea. The second episode presents a world comprising tens of thousands of islands, between Estonia, Gotland in Sweden and the Finnish Archipelago Sea. In the Autumn on Saaremaa, the largest Estonian island, nasal sounds can be heard from one corner to the next: The mating calls of the Moose. Huge bulls make their way to the traditional rutting areas in the south of the island. The landscape here is stony and riddled with countless bays. In the north, the Panga Cliff, a limestone wall of some 20 metres in height and more than 400 million years old. In the beginning of March, animal filmmaker Christoph Hauschild and his team accompany two seal researchers going about their work. Their destinations are two small islands in the Bay of Riga. A popular spot for grey seals. This is the first time that a film team has been allowed on the island. Just how many animals there are, can first be seen from the air. The beach is packed with young seals. The largest gathering in the Baltic Sea. The absence of pack ice forces the mothers to come here. Global warming has visibly changed the Baltic Sea as far as the Bay of Riga. The winters are simply too hot for the well-insulated young seals. So as not to overheat, they take dips in the cooling water. The underwater camera captures intimate moments and reveals just how playfully the youngsters enjoy the cool water. Just 200 kilometres to the west lies an ancient coral reef, Gotland. The Swedish island is like an ark in the central Baltic Sea. Much of the flora and fauna one otherwise only finds in Southern Europe can be found here on the second largest island in the Baltic Sea. Golden eagles breed here in the trees and in the spring, the ground is covered in orchids. 35 different varieties grow on Gotland.

2026-07-07 10:19:04 +0000 UTC2026-07-07 11:19:04 +0000 UTC(1h)
Coasts

Coasts

A cat shark out hunting, guillemots fearlessly jumping from the cliffs of Helgoland, the birth of a snow-white baby seal: the 2,400km of German coastlines are home to a unique diversity of species. Over thousands of years, the slow current of the North Sea has allowed silt to accumulate and form the unique world of the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009. Nowhere else in the world does such a landscape exist that, thanks to the tides, is in a constant state of change. On the Baltic Sea, it's above all the Bodden that are unique. They form a chain of shallow bodies of water connected to the sea by narrow channels. Here in the brackish water, only specialists can survive. The North Sea coast is famed for its extensive mud flats, the Halligen islands which are often submerged in winter and endless sandy beaches and dykes. Seals sun themselves on sandbanks and regenerate after the rigours of hunting. Plum in the middle of the North Sea, the cliffs of Helgoland are a paradise for seabirds like gannets, black-legged kittiwakes and guillemots. For the grey seals, the mating season begins in winter and with it fearsome battles between rival males. The largest bulls weigh in at 300kg and are the biggest mammals in Germany. Hunted mercilessly by fishermen competing for the same fish, for many years the seals had disappeared from Germany's coasts. Now they're under protection and are slowly returning. North and Baltic Seas have retained their original character. The Baltic has Darss, Rügen and Usedom, three of the most beautiful holiday destinations in the country and with the whitest beaches. In autumn, red deer stags stamp majestically along the sand against the foamy backdrop of the Baltic. Peregrine falcons, too, have made coast and islands their home.

2026-07-21 01:06:09 +0000 UTC2026-07-21 02:05:09 +0000 UTC(59m)
Western Ghats: Monsoon Mountains

Western Ghats: Monsoon Mountains

The Himalayas run across 2,500km of north India. he Himalayas' rugged highlands offer little direct refuge to humans, in the shadow below, over a billion people in India rely on the mountains for survival./ The western Ghats are a spine of mountains that lay claim to being one of the most bio-diverse places in the world. In the east tigers and wild dogs compete for prey in the dry forests. While the western Ghats hold the key to life across southern India.

2026-07-20 23:09:51 +0000 UTC2026-07-21 00:09:51 +0000 UTC(1h)
Episode 2

Episode 2

In this episode of the documentary series Andreas Kieling encounters the last gorillas in the mountain rainforests of the border areas between the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda and sets off in search of the perhaps most aggressive descendant of the dinosaurs, the saltwater crocodile, in Australia. With the help of local guides Andreas Kieling attempts to track down lions in a small region of India and encounters the elepahnt, the most hated at the same time most respected creature in Africa. Near Cape Town in Struis Bay, the filmmaker meets a woman who feeds seven stingrays each morning and evening.

2026-07-20 10:43:36 +0000 UTC2026-07-20 11:42:36 +0000 UTC(59m)
To the South

To the South

At the first part of his journey, the photographer is lucky to get some shots of rare animal species. Between the gaps of the rocky mountains he traces funny creatures: Pica. They look like a mixture between hamsters and rabbits. From his hideout Benny Rebel manages to observe impressive Ibexes, a kind of wild goats with huge horns. Equipped with a special microcopter and night shot camera traps he tries to get a sneak into the life of shy inhabitants of the steppe. In his adventure he encounters lonesome dromedary herds and discovers a spooky cave of hyenas. Rebel witnesses owls, snakes and lizards living between the antique ruins of the old Persian capital Persepolis. Benny Rebel also is interested in the relationship between men and nature. He meets not only ranger in the wild, but also visitors of the magnificent Persian gardens in the middle of rough deserts. Between the fountains of freshly sputtering water pelicans take a bath. Young and old people walk in the green paradises in front of attractive mosques. Unexpected the 43 year old photographer meets animal lovers on the roof tops of urban houses. The bet on the flying skills of their specific breed of pigeons. And like a house from a fairy tale seem the historical pigeon towers with their unique architecture housing more than ten thousands of birds. Finally Benny Rebel traces an Asiatic cheetah in the semi desert. Less than a hundred of the big cats are left in the wild. The nature conservationist and photographer decides to come closer to the dangerous carnivore.

2026-07-19 23:22:35 +0000 UTC2026-07-20 00:21:35 +0000 UTC(59m)
From Sardinia to Abruzzo

From Sardinia to Abruzzo

For many people, Sardinia is THE Mediterranean dream island: clichés like crystal-clear water and picturesque coastlines are reality here. Wild horses inhabit the vast unpopulated plateaux of Gesturi. In the adjacent high regions lies the kingdom of the imposing Mouflon. The curved horns of the male come in handy when battling over the females during rutting season. A breathtaking underwater world is hidden beneath the crystal clear water surrounding the island. Colourful fish, corals and sea snails live down here - as well as the basking shark! He can grow up to ten metres long, but he's completely harmless: with his huge mouth he only fishes microorganisms from the water. Sicily, off the coast at the tip of Italy's ‘boot', is the largest island in the Mediterranean. The island's most famous landmark is already visible from far-off: Etna, at 3340 metres the highest active volcano in Europe. Only 40 kilometres away another volcano looms high: Stromboli, which lies in the middle of the sea. It spews lava and fire at virtually minute intervals. From ancient times on, humans have feared the volcanoes of south Italy. Even today, there are 2500 year-old temple grounds still standing on Sicily. These days nature is re-claiming the age-old buildings – Mason bees and lizards inhabit the cracks and crevices, while lush flower meadows surround the ancient pillars. Abruzzo, lying level with Rome, is the wild heart of southern Italy. The rugged, uninhabited mountain world with its unspoilt beech forests make Abruzzo something special: this is Italy from its unfamiliar side! The inaccessible slopes are the territory of the extremely rare Apennine chamois. During rutting, the bucks engage in breakneck chases among the rocks.

2026-07-19 22:24:35 +0000 UTC2026-07-19 23:22:35 +0000 UTC(58m)