A new wildlife documentary series, Animal Genius, premieres on National Geographic on September 8, 2024, with episodes available to stream on Hulu the following day. The show explores the extraordinary survival strategies of various animal species, revealing hidden brilliance in the natural world.
Presented by Nat Geo Explorer and wildlife biologist Liz Bonnin, the series looks at the latest scientific insights into animal behaviour and teamwork. In the first episode, Bonnin travels to Africa’s Kalahari Desert to observe the complex social structure of meerkats. She gets up close with meerkat pups taking their first tentative steps outside their burrow, learning how their unique language keeps the family safe from desert predators.
The episode also highlights the remarkable teamwork of Matabele ants, which care for their injured comrades after battles with termites, providing first aid and support. In Mexico, Bonnin discovers the synchronised hatching of baby sea turtles and, through underground recordings, listeners are given insight into the turtles’ enchanting in-egg communications.
The series also features a segment on Mexican molly fish, which perform a dazzling display to avoid dive-bombing kingfishers in a television first.
