Secret Life of Predators

Gr 5 Up—Although the four 48-minute programs on this DVD have rather provocative titles,"Wet," "Stealth," "Naked," and "Exposed," there is nothing inappropriate about it at all—if one doesn't worry about footage of polar bear mating. Focusing on how rough life can be for predators, the series includes a wide variety of animals, and what those animals need to do to survive in their environments. Since almost every animal preys on some other animal, the program's definition of predator includes everything from cheetahs to birds, from hedgehogs to wolves, even frogs and spiders. The usually impeccable National Geographic photography is better than ever. New technology allows for astonishing images. Smaller, remote cameras get right into the action, giving an animal's eye view on the ground, underwater, in the sky, and beneath the earth. The close-ups from inside a weasel's den are as amazing as the eagle's view of flight (the camera must have been attached to its neck). Young baboons playing with a remote camera lead to charming close-ups. Especially astonishing is footage of a pride of lions helping an elderly lioness with a deformity survive. The program does not shy away from showing the violence of nature, so be prepared to see adorable animals killed and eaten. This DVD may change the way students think of animals. By focusing on how they care for their families, the program also generates sympathy for creatures we sometimes think of as villains.—Geri Diorio, Ridgefield Library, CT