Planet Earths Extraordinary Diverse Life Up Close

Some scientists believe that if nothing is done, between a third and half of all species on earth could disappear by the end of the century.

The series 1000 Days for the Planet offers a troubling overview of the situation

00:00:00 - Episode 1

Located off the coast of Costa Rica, Cocos island is one of the most spectacular diving sites in the world. But the abundance of sharks in this protected marine reserve attracts poachers. Though park rangers are watchful, illegal fishing boats enter the reserve at night to fish for sharks and other fish. Costa Rica law does not make it easy to prosecute the poachers, who continue to threaten the fragile balance of this unique marine environment.

00:43:02 - Episode 2

Humpback whales have one of the most complex songs of all animals. Scientists do not yet know exactly what they mean, but males sing vigorously during the breeding season on Silver Bank, in the Dominican Republic. Scientists from the oceanographic schooner Sedna IV slip into the crystal-clear water with them to try and unravel the mystery of one of the most spectacular sonic phenomena in the animal kingdom.

01:26:05 - Episode 3

The sloth is a strange animal that spends most of its life hanging from branches in the treetops. It takes a good eye to spot these camouflage artists, but biologist Bryson Voirin has spent his life studying them. He equips them with radio collars to track their movements on Barro Colorado Island, the world's foremost tropical forest research centre, located in the middle of the Panama Canal. But it is on Escudo de Veraguas Island that Voirin's research takes an unexpected turn.