Episode
Natural World: Buddha, Bees and the Giant Hornet Queen
Overview
The Giant Japanese Hornet is the fiercest looking insect on earth, and one of the deadliest. This film follows the remarkable life of one giant hornet queen, as she emerges from hibernation and starts to build up a colony in an old temple garden. Her army of warriors terrorise the beautiful mountain valley in their constant struggle to find food for their hungry grubs. In a series of dramatic pitched battles, the giant hornets massacre thousands of bees, but victory isn't always assured - one local honeybee fights back thanks to a remarkable defensive strategy, and suddenly it is the hornets that are dying. A beekeeper monk bears witness to the rising power of the giant hornet colony, and despite the hornet's attacks on his own bees, he reveals a deep respect for these incredible predators.
Details
- Series
- Natural World
- Season
- Season 26
- Episode
- Episode 4
- Air date
- 2007-04-25
Episode context
Buddha, Bees and the Giant Hornet Queen is Episode 4 in Season 26 of Natural World. It aired on 2007-04-25.
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Episode 3: Moose on the Loose
Anchorage capital city of Alaska is the wildest city on Earth thanks to its dramatic wildlife. Alongside 260,000 people are up to 1,000 moose, 200 black bears and 60 grizzlies as well as large numbers of beavers, ravens and eagles. Managing this urban menagerie is all in a day's work for rangers Rick and Jesse. They believe that people and large dangerous animals can live in one city and through the groundbreaking Alaska Fish and Game project they're determined to prove it.
Episode 5: Hawaii - Message in the Waves
Nature documentary featuring the wildlife of Hawaii's famous surf zone and the surfers and scientists who are fighting to protect it. Turtles, dolphins, monk seals and albatrosses all have to cope with the growing number of people using the island beaches, but now animals face a new threat from washed-up plastic. A varied bunch of island characters, including born-and-bred Hawaiian musician Jack Johnson, make it clear that these beautiful islands have a powerful message for us all.
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This film, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, looks at the controversy surrounding the plight of the tiger. Can they come back from the brink of extinction again?
Episode 6: Invasion of the Crocodiles
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Biologist Adam Britton tries to find out why the crocs have suddenly become such a problem
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Episode 7: The Bloodhound and the Beardie
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Episode 10: Gabon - Forests of the Future
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Episode 11: Wye - Voices from the Valley
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