Walking with Beasts

Infobox Television
show_name = Walking with Beasts
genre = Documentary
runtime = 30 min.
developer = Andrew Wilks
producer = Jasper James
executive_producer = Tim Haines
starring = Karyn Drane, Cory Generoux, Lorne Duquette, Delvin Opissinow, Vernon Knight, Miltos Yerolemou, Rena Ermine, and Samantha Seager as "primitive humans"
narrated = Kenneth Branagh
theme_music_composer = Ben Bartlett
country = UK
location = Java, Florida, Mexico, Arizona, South Africa, Great Rift Valley, Brazil, Yukon
language = English
network = Discovery Channel
first_aired = November 15, 2001
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 6
list_episodes = Walking with Beasts#Episodes
related = Walking with Dinosaurs, Walking with Monsters
website = http://www.abc.net.au/beasts/

"Walking with Beasts" is a 2001 six-part television documentary produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom, narrated by Kenneth Branagh. In North America it has been retitled "Walking with Prehistoric Beasts", and the original Discovery Channel broadcast was narrated by Stockard Channing. Like its predecessor, "Walking with Dinosaurs", it recreates life in the Cenozoic by using a combination of both Computer-generated imagery and animatronics. Also like its predecessor, it was re-edited and re-narrated as a second "season" of Prehistoric Planet for the Discovery Kids lineup.

Some of the concepts it illustrates are the evolution of whales, the evolution of the horse, and the evolution of humans.

Episodes

"New Dawn"

Film location: Java

49 Million Years Ago - Early Eocene — Germany

The first episode depicts the warm tropical world of the early Eocene which was 16 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs. In this world, birds, including the six foot carnivorous "Gastornis", rule the world, while mammals are still very small. The setting is near the Messel Pit in Germany. Due to volcanic activity, sudden bulk escapes of carbon dioxide trapped underneath lakes are a hazard.The episode centers around a "Leptictidium" family foraging for food. The "Leptictidium" is a small leaping shrew-like mammal. While the family is foraging, a female "Gastornis" successfully hunts down a "Propalaeotherium" and defends her territory from another "Gastornis". Unfortunately, while the "Gastornis" is out hunting, a horde of large ants (known as "Formicium") ambush its egg,just starting to hatch. When the night arrives, we see a band of lemur-like "Godinotia", socializing in the dark.The episode also shows the "Ambulocetus", or the "walking whale", lying in ambush for its prey, both on land and underneath the water. Although it looks like a mammalian crocodile, the episode explains that from the "Ambulocetus", all the whales would eventually evolve. It tries to attack the "Leptictidium" and "Propalaeotherium", but fails. It finally manages to catch a small carnivore in the dark of the night.The episode ends with an earth tremor unleashing trapped carbon dioxide out from underneath the lake, suffocating most of the surrounding life (but the "Leptictidium" featured are lucky this time)
*Tamandua
*"Ambulocetus"
*"Gastornis"
*"Godinotia"
*"Leptictidium"
*"Propalaeotherium"
*"Formicium"
*"Machaeroides"
*Tree frog
*dragonfly
*lizard
*Grey squirrel
*crocodile
*Garter snake
*bark beetle

"Whale Killer"

Filming Location: Florida & Mexico

36 Million Years Ago - Late Eocene — Pakistan and Egypt

The second episode is set in late Eocene, when the polar caps froze over and drastically changed the Earth's ocean currents and climate. The first part of the episode explains how an early whale, "Basilosaurus" mates and how the world is changing into an ocean famine. On land there is an "Andrewsarchus" driven to the beach to feed on turtles. the narrator explains that "Andrewsarchus", the largest mammal predator ever to walk the earth is a sheep in wolf's clothing. Back in the ocean, a starving mother "Basilosaurus" is forced to hunt in the mangrove swamps. Unable to catch the early monkey "Apidium", she is then hunting a "Moeritherium". The "Moeritherium" crawls on to land, but in the mangroves, land does not last long. However the "Moeritherium" escapes and the "Basilosaurus" returns to the sea. The cast moves on to land where a herd of "Embolotherium" struggle to survive: one of their calves dies and two "Andrewsarchus" feast on it but the mother "Embolotherium" drives them away because she has a strong bond with her offspring, even if it is dead. Back in the sea the mother "Basilosaurus" preys on a group of "Dorudon" and is successful. The episode ends with the mother "Basilosaurus" swimming with her newborn calf.

* "Dorudon"
* "Basilosaurus"
* "Moeritherium"
* "Andrewsarchus"
* "Apidium"
* "Embolotherium"
* Snaggletooth shark
* sea turtle
* crab
* herring
* tuna
* squid

"Land of Giants"

Filming Location: Mexico and Arizona (Grand Canyon)

28 Million Years Ago - Late Oligocene — Mongolia

The third episode takes place during the late Oligocene, in Mongolia, where there were seasonal rains followed by a long drought. It tells the story of a mother "Indricotherium", a massive hornless rhinoceros that was the largest land mammal to have ever lived. The episode first shows the mother Indricotherium giving birth, and then tending to the male calf as it matures. While giving birth, the mother defends the helpless calf from several "Hyaenodon", large creodont predators. Also, the mother's old calf tries to come back but is chased away. It gives a snapshot into the future of the calf. The mother raises her calf for three years, but eventually chases him away after she mates with another male. The episode then chronicles the young Indricotherium travels until it reaches adulthood, including encounters with "Cynodictis", and large aggressive "Entelodon", which are distant relatives to the modern-day pig.

*"Hyaenodon"
*"Chalicotherium"
*"Cynodictis"
*"Entelodon"
*"Indricotherium"

"Next of Kin"

Filming Locations: South Africa, and the Great Rift Valley

3.2 Million Years Ago - Late Pliocene — Ethiopia

The fourth episode takes place in the Great Rift Valley in eastern Africa. The climate has changed, and now great grasslands have replaced trees. The episode focuses around a tribe of small hominids known as "Australopithecus", one of the first apes able to walk upright and a close ancestor to humans. The "Australopithecus" has evolved to walk upright so as to better maneuver the plains as well as the climb the trees. However, it notes that although the "Australopithecus" looks human, it still only has the mind the size of a chimpanzee's.Some of the topics explored in the episode are the close social bonds among the tribe, how they use grooming as a means of communication, and how they work together to forage for food and to defend one another from attacks from such animals as an angry male "Deinotherium" and the predator "Dinofelis". It touches upon how competing tribes of "Australopithecus" war among one another, although most of fighting is for show. It also explains the hierarchy in the tribe among the males (who are much larger than the females) and tells a story of how the dominating male is eventually overcome by another male, who wins the right to feed first at a carrion and to mate with the females. Another story tells of a young "Australopithecus" (nicknamed "Blue") who tries to fit into the tribe after he is orphaned. In this episode, some homage is paid to the film "" (namely, two tribes of Australopithecus fighting over water, and the tribe driving off a hungry Dinofelis using tools).

*"Ancylotherium"
*"Australopithecus"
*"Deinotherium"
*"Dinofelis"
*"Sivatherium"
*Jackal
*White Rhinoceros
*Griffon Vulture
*Warthog
*Zebra Carcass

"Sabre-tooth"

Filming Location: Brazil

1 Million Years Ago - Early Pleistocene — Argentina

The fifth episode shows the strange fauna of the isolated continent of South America and explores the effects of the Great American Interchange, which had happened 1.5 million years earlier. Since South America had drifted apart from Antarctica 30 million years ago, many unique mammals had evolved, including the "Doedicurus:" an armoured glyptodont that had a cannon ball-sized spiked club on a bony tail; the "Macrauchenia," a long-limbed litoptern, somewhat resembling a humpless camel with a short trunk; and "Megatherium", a very large ground sloth. Before the continents of South America and North America collided, an 8 foot tall predatory "Terror Bird", "Phorusrhacos," had reigned as top predator. However, the great cats, migrating from the north, soon displaced them as top predators.The episode focuses on a male "Smilodon," a sabre-toothed cat, named Half Tooth, whose leadership of a pride is threatened by two males who are brothers and work together against him. The rival males ultimately chase off Half Tooth (actually Half Tooth backs off wisely without any serious injuries, feeling that the two males would be too strong for him), kill his cubs, and take over his pride. Next, the episode shows the "Smilodon" cats hunting down "Macrauchenia" and trying to protect the young from the two brothers (in vain) . In the background, "Terror Birds" still hunt, but give way to the "Smilodon". However, a "Megatherium",who wanted to eat meat as diet supplement, charges the pride of "Smilodon", in order to eat some of the carrion. In the process, the "Megatherium" kills the dominant rival male, enabling Half Tooth to return, kill the other male and reclaim his territory.

*"Doedicurus"
*"Macrauchenia"
*"Megatherium"
*"Phorusrhacos"
*"Smilodon"
*"Toxodon"

"Mammoth Journey"

Filming locations: Yukon, Canada

30,000 Years Ago - Late Pleistocene — dry bed of the North Sea and the Swiss Alps

The sixth episode takes place during the last Ice Age. It starts in the peak of the summer. The North Sea has become a grassy plain because the ice at the polar caps has caused the sea levels to drop significantly. Grazing on the plain are herds of Woolly mammoth, Saiga antelope, and European bison. A clan of humans (Cro-Magnons) is also there spending the summer. The central focus of the episode is the migration of the herd of mammoth as they travel 400 kilometers from the North Sea to the Swiss Alps for the winter and then back again in the spring.

As the mammoth herd migrates south, the episode shows two large deer, the "Megaloceros," fighting for rights to a harem of females. As the male "Megaloceros" fight, a group of humans ambushes them, killing one . A mother mammoth and her baby are separated from the herd, but survive a stalking Cave Lion. Eventually the herd of mammoth reach the Swiss Alps and the mother mammoth and baby rejoin the herd.

The episode also depicts a clan of Neanderthals, who have especially evolved to survive in the cold climate. One is charged by a woolly rhinoceros, but escapes, in part because of his stocky constitution. The climax of the episode is when the clan of Neanderthals attack the herd of mammoth as they turn back to the north. The Neanderthals are gifted hunters who are able to chase a couple of mammoths off a cliff by using fire and weapons.

The episode ends in a Victorian museum with people looking at various skeletons of some of the animals featured in the series. The final words of the narrator are: "We have since built museums to celebrate the past, and spend decades studying prehistoric lives. And if all this has taught us anything, it is this: "no" species lasts forever." The camera then pulls back through the roof of the museum until the whole world is visible.Then we are looking at a road and a cart pulled by modern day horses drives past the screen, a whinny is heard, and the cart reverses across the screen followed by a herd of mammoths.

*Cave lion
*Neanderthal
*Cro-Magnon
*Megaloceros
*Mammoth
*Woolly Rhinoceros
*Saiga Antelope
*Wisent
*Mosquito
*Gray wolf

Companion book

A companion book was written by Tim Haines to accompany the first screening of the series in 2001. Unlike "Walking with Dinosaurs", this book is more accurate in describing each episode, and there are no interesting setting changes. On the other hand, as with "Walking with Dinosaurs", the written version of "Walking With Beasts" elaborated on the background for each story, went further in explaining the science on which much of the program as based, and included descriptions of several animals not identified or featured in the series.

Deviations from the series

*In the beginning of the episode "New Dawn", the female "Gastornis" tries to capture a "Leptictidium" after the small animal confronted another one of its kind; in the book, the "Gastornis" attack comes later during the day, when the "Leptictidium" is out with its young instead - there's no confrontation between the two "Leptictidium".
*In the book, the "Ambulocetus" co-exists more or less peacefully with the crocodiles, even getting into a tug-of-war over an animal it had killed. In the tv program, there is no confrontation with the crocodiles; in fact, the crocodile that the "Ambulocetus" swam up to got quickly away from the animal.
*In the tv program, the ant attack does not bother the grazing "Propalaeotherium". In the book, the "Propalaeotherium" are some of the first creatures to escape from the ant swarm; also, unlike the TV program, some ants do bite a young "Leptictidium" in the book, only to be eaten by the "Leptictidium" mother.
*In the book, after the "Gastornis" captured and ate one of the "Propalaeotherium", it returns to its nest and gets bitten by the ants as well, unlike the program, where it doesn't occur. Also, some of the flying ants (absent from the tv program) get eaten by the "Godinotia" during the night, and the animal captured by the "Ambulocetus" during the night is a creodont, rather than a "Cynodictis".
*In the episode "Whale Killer", the "Dorudon" mob the female "Basilosaurus" near the end of the episode, while in the book, they do it in the beginning of the chapter. Consequently, the "Basilosaurus" mating takes place not in the beginning of the book chapter, as it took place in the program, but later on, after the "Dorudon" encounter.
*In the book, the "Andrewsarchus" manage to successfully steal the dead "Embolotherium" calf, while in the program, the mother manages to keep them away from its' dead offspring. Also, it takes place before the "Basilosaurus" comes to the mangroves, rather than later, as in the TV program. Plus, the encounter of a solitary "Andrewsarchus" with the sea turtles comes after the encounter with the "Embolotherium", while in the TV program, it was in reverse.
*In the book, before coming to the mangroves, the "Basilosaurus" encounters some "Isurus" sharks, but gives them a wide berth. It also encounters some sea cows. Neither encounter takes place in the TV program.
*In the program, a shark jumps out of the water to catch an "Apidium". In the book, the "Apidium" falls in the water first.
*In the book, the "Land of the Giants" chapter opens with an old "Hyaenodon" chasing some "Cynodictis" away from its kill. In the tv program, it begins with the "Indricotherium" female giving birth.
*In the TV program, the "Chalicotherium" is killed by a single "Hyaenodon", who is later driven off by several "Entelodon". In the book, the "Chalicotherium" is killed by two "Hyaenodon", and they drive off a lone "Entelodon" instead.
*In the book, the whole "Cynodictis" family drowns, while in the TV program the mother survives. Also, in the TV program, the episode ends with the "Indricotherium" calf driving off an "Entelodon", while in the book it is a "Hyaenodon" instead.
*In the book's chapter "The Prey's Revenge" ("Next of Kin" episode) the old male is called Greybeard rather than Grey, and the younger male is named Bruiser, not Hercules. Also, the fight for dominance is won by Bruiser (Hercules) without any use of a stick, unlike in the TV program; also, in the book, the "Australopithecus" are much more aggressive and promiscuous than on TV.
*In the TV program, Greybeard's (Grey's) group are forced off by a rival group of "Australopithecus" - in the book the rivals briefly retreated when charged by Greybeard, something that did not happen on TV.
*In the book, the "Deinotherium" is spotted just in time, and the whole group is able to brachiate away from the animal, while in the program, the "Deinotherium" "trees" them instead; also, Babble (the "Australopithecus" female) is able to save her offspring, and not get chased into a tree.
*The scene with Blue searching through "Deinotherium" dung is absent from the TV program, same for the scenes where Blue is playing with Babble's baby, and where Bruiser (Hercules) intervenes before Babble can hurt Blue too much.
*In the program, Blackeye finds an ostrich egg, but Greybeard (Grey) steals it from her. In the book, Bruiser (Hercules) finds the egg first and breaks it (unlike the TV program) instead.
*In the book, the two males finally fight because a new female comes to the group; in the TV program, the two males finally fight over the picking rights for a zebra carcass instead, apparently to appease feminists.
*In the program, the "Dinofelis" manages to separate Blue from the rest of the "Australopithecus" - in the book, it actually pursues them up their tree, and the "Australopithecus" fight the cat off due to their mutual protection, not to protect Blue.
*The episode "Saber Tooth" is named "Sabre-Tooth World" in the book. Also, in the beginning of the episode, it is Half Tooth who scares away the "Phorusrhacos", while in the book it is a female "Smilodon" instead.
*In the book the "Doedicurus" mating fight comes before Half Tooth is challenged by the brothers, while in the TV program it is afterwards. Consequently, Half Tooth's encountar with the "Megatherium" occurs after the fight, and there's only one "Megatherium", while in the program there are two.
*In the book, after the brothers take over the pride, the oldest female "Smilodon" also dies; plus a female's willingness to mate causes two brothers to fight.
*In the TV program, a lone "Phorusrhacos" kills a young "Macrauchenia"; in the book, there are two "Phrusrhacos", and they kill a Toxodon calf. Also, the encounter between Half Tooth and a male "Macrauchenia" does not occur in the book.
*In the book, both "Smilodon" brothers confront the "Megatherium", though only one gets killed; also, the attack of the "Phorusrhacos" on a young "Doedicurus" does not take place in the program.
*In the program, the last brother dies shortly after Half Tooth defeats him. In the book, both he and Half Tooth survive.
*The episode "Mammoth Journey" (named "A Mammoth's Journey" in the book) begins with a female mammoth falling into a lake through the ice. In the book, though, this occurs later, with a male mammoth, as the book's chapter describes the mammoths startling a group of humans instead.
*In the book, humans kill a single "Megaloceros", while in the program, they attack two (but one escapes). Also, one of them gets hurt by the "Megaloceros" in the process. [A similar scene takes place in Walking with Cavemen.]
*In the program, the Neanderthal manages to escape the "Coelodonta" without too much pain; in the book, the "Coelodonta" breaks his hip and leg. Also, the book does not have the scene where two "Coelodonta" confront each other in the spring.
*In the book, at least one Neanderthal is killed by a mammoth, when they ambush the herd at a cliff's edge; also, only one mammoth is killed, when in the program there were two.
*In the program, the confrontation between the two mammoth males comes in the beginning, in the book it is at the end of the chapter.

ee also

"Walking with Beasts" is part of a series of BBC documentaries that also include:
*"Walking with Dinosaurs" (1999)
*"Walking with Monsters" (2005), depicting life before the dinosaursThe following are "Walking With... series" specials:
*"Sea Monsters"
*"The Ballad of Big Al"
*"Chased By Dinosaurs"
*"Prehistoric Park"

In other media

The BBC released a computer game called Operation Salvage based on this series. It involved travelling back in time to save the beasts from villains who were trying to capture them.

Artistic touch

The animals sometimes interact with the camera by breaking the fourth wall:
*When the "Formicium" attack the "Gastornis" chick, some swarm over the camera.
*In the second episode, several "Apidium" hastily climb down the camera during the shark attack.
*Also in the second episode, the "Basilosaurus"' fluke occasionally hits the camera.
*When the "Entelodon" are fighting,they kick dirt on the camera.
*An "Indricotherium" aggressively rushes and knocks down the camera at the end of "Land of Giants" which it appeared in. To date, this is one of the largest interactions with the audience.
*A troop of "Australopithecus" throw rocks, one rock splitting the camera.
*A Smilodon Scratches the camera lense during a fight.
*A young mammoth sprays mud on the camera.

Censorship

The R1 BBC America release of the DVD blurs out a scene depicting mating Australopithecus.

Trivia

* The fourth episode "Next of Kin" is called "The Prey's Revenge" in the book.
* The video game "Wildlife Park 2" depicts "Entelodon" and "Gastornis" as it is in the show. * The 2001 remake of the lost world features a Entelodon that is identical to the walking with beast one.

Notes

ee also

*Prehistoric Park
*Walking with Dinosaurs
*Walking with Monsters
*Sea Monsters

External links

* [http://www.abc.net.au/beasts/ Australian copy of the (now-down) BBC site]