Cities: Nature's New Wild

The world's cities are growing at a faster rate than any other habitat on the planet. And while most of us imagine them to be concrete jungles devoid of nature, for animals of all shapes and sizes they are just a new habitat filled with new and surprising opportunity. With similar needs to humans, these wild animals face similar challenges, and like us, if they play their cards right, they can find everything they need in the city. With the natural world shrinking, and our urban centres continuing to grow, adapting to life in the city has never been more important. This first episode of examines what it takes for these wild residents to thrive in the newest and fastest changing habitat on the planet. From smooth-coated otters at home in Singapore to huge colonies of megabats in Adelaide, and reticulated pythons living on the streets of Bangkok, experience our cities through fresh eyes - the eyes of the animals that live in them, and discover a wilder side to a world we think we know.

This episode explores whether the secret to an animal's success in this fast-changing world is to keep one foot in the wild and one in the city, becoming a wild commuter. Leaving the wilderness they must overcome the unique challenges that the urban world throws at them to benefit from the opportunities on offer. Many animals displaced from their natural habitat are now using their wild skill set in the city to help fulfil their needs. Could this be the beginning of a new and very modern migration?

As cities are built, animals are pushed out of their natural homes. Today, these 'wild outcasts' find themselves fighting for their place in a land that once belonged to them. In this episode we feature elephants in Sri Lanka, a troop of capuchin on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, an Amsterdam heron called Kiri, Florida manatees, swiftlets in Indonesia and the surprising story of a population of tiny foxes on a Californian island. This hopeful but realistic episode culminates with the return of charismatic humpback whales as they breach against the New York skyline.