Today marks the 52nd anniversary of the very first Earth Day celebrated in 1970. Join millions around the world in showing some love and doing good for our planet, and discover the wonders of nature and wildlife this Earth Day with these seven documentaries available on Disney+.
Polar Bear (2022)
Launching exclusively on Disney+ in commemoration of Earth Day this year, Polar Bear follows a new mother polar bear as she teaches her cubs to navigate the harsh environment of the Arctic. This emotional documentary, premiering today on 22 April 2022, is helmed by Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson, the directing team behind Disneynature’s Penguins, and produced by Fothergill, Wilson, Jason Roberts, Keith Scholey and Roy Conli. Disney also announced that they will continue supporting Polar Bears International, a non-profit polar bear conservation organisation, in their efforts to help protect polar bear mothers, cubs and their habitats.
Growing Up Animal (2021)
Narrated by Emmy-nominated actress Tracee Ellis Ross, Growing Up Animal documents the extraordinary adventure of baby animals — chimps, sea lions, elephants, African wild dogs, lions and grizzlies — from the uncertainty of birth to their tentative first steps. The series sees the incredible transformation of different animals in each episode, telling the story of a mother’s instinct to nurture and her infant’s drive to survive.
Born Wild: The Next Generation (2020)
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day in 2020, Born Wild: The Next Generation is a one-hour documentary special that takes viewers on a journey around the globe to places in Australia, California, Canada, Hawaii, Minnesota, Sri Lanka and Kenya to witness and celebrate the diversity of baby animals, their families and habitats. It presents stories of hope and gives a revealing look at our planet’s next generation of baby animals and their ecosystems as they face daunting environmental changes. Featuring National Geographic Explorers and photographers, global superstar Chris Hemsworth and ABC News correspondents, the film is a tribute to our planet and the animals that inhabit it.
Hostile Planet (2019)
Hostile Planet is a six-episode series that explores the earth’s most brutal environments. Journey to the extremes of deep, high, cold, hot, wet and dry and discover the extraordinary ways in which animals have adapted to survive in the face of adversity. The world has changed more in the last 40 years than at any time before. This has made it a whole lot tougher for wildlife as they have to act fast in order to adapt, facing everything from intrinsically hostile habitats and harsh weather to the threat of predators and intense competition for resources.
Paradise Islands (2017)
Take a trip to the earth’s biologically richest tropical islands that lie between Asia and Australia as Paradise Islands tells the story of how the forces of the earth have shaped these islands and their wildlife, from tree kangaroos to tarsiers, and manta rays to mudskippers.
Born In China (2016)
Follow the stories of three animal families: a panda bear mother guiding her growing baby, a young golden snub-nosed monkey who feels displaced by his infant sister, and a mother snow leopard raising two cubs in one of the harshest environments on Earth. Featuring stunning imagery, the film navigates the vast terrain of China from the frigid mountains to the heart of the bamboo forest, and showcases intimate family moments captured on film for the first time ever.
Unlikely Animal Friends (2012)
As one might have guessed from the title, Unlikely Animal Friends documents heartwarming tales of unbreakable bonds between two animals of different species, or an animal and a human being. This series features the most unique, surprising, and loving animal friendships including the world’s smallest stallion and a dog, two rhinos that are guarded by a sheep, and a duck that improved a boy’s health!
