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Arts & Culture

WILD METROPOLIS

Otter family traveling through an underpass in Singapore.
Courtesy of Bernard Seah
Otter family traveling through an underpass in Singapore.

Encore Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. on KPBS 2 / On Demand

Watch now with KPBS Passport!

Discover the extraordinary animals adapting to life in the world’s most loved cities in WILD METROPOLIS, a new three-part series.

The series reveals the world’s most extraordinary wildlife living in the newest and fastest changing habitat on the planet – cities. This innovative series features a diverse cast of animals that are adjusting to this new world better than we could have predicted, not only applying their natural-born skills and abilities to life in the city, but also making amazing physical or behavioral adaptations.

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From humpback whales breaching against New York’s skyline, to penguins nesting in Cape Town, explore our most-loved and familiar cities through the eyes of the animals that live in them, and discover a wilder side to a world we think we know.

A humpback whale spyhops off Rockaway Peninsula with the Empire State Building in the background Sept. 23, 2013 in the Rockaway Beach neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
Photo by Artie Raslich/Getty Images. Courtesy of PBS
A humpback whale spyhops off Rockaway Peninsula with the Empire State Building in the background Sept. 23, 2013 in the Rockaway Beach neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.

EPISODE GUIDE:

Episode 1: “Residents” - Saturday, Aug. 14 at 11 a.m. on KPBS 2

From pythons in Bangkok to otters in Singapore, cities may seem unlikely havens for wildlife, but for animals able to adapt, the urban world is filled with opportunity.

Episode 2: “Commuters” - Saturday, Aug. 14 at Noon on KPBS 2

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In a modern migration, animals travel in and out of cities to find food, shelter or to start a family. See if the secret to success in a fast-changing world is commuting.

Episode 3: “Survivors” - Saturday, Aug. 14 at 1 p.m. on KPBS 2

As the urban world grows animals are displaced from land that belonged to them. From herons to humpback whales, follow the captivating stories of wild survivors.

This hopeful but realistic episode culminates with the return of charismatic ocean giants to the world’s most iconic city, as humpback whales breach against the New York skyline.

Watch On Your Schedule:

Watch the series on demand with KPBS Passport, for members who give $60+ annually (or $5+ per month), using your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire or Chromecast. Learn how to activate your benefit now.

The program DVD is available for purchase at ShopPBS.org.

A waddle of African penguins commuting through Cape Town, South Africa.
Courtesy of BBC/Alex Lanchester
A waddle of African penguins commuting through Cape Town, South Africa.

Credits:

WILD METROPOLIS is presented in conjunction with BBC Studios. Series Producer: Matt Brandon. Executive Producer: Roger Webb.