1. Alpine Zoos and You
This moving, family documentary goes behind the scenes at The Big Bear Alpine Zoo, which is only one of two high elevation, Alpine Zoos in the United States.
2. The World According to Tippi (Le monde selon Tippi)
Tippi is no ordinary child. She believes that she has the gift of talking to animals and that they are like brothers to her. 'I speak to them with my mind, or through my eyes, my heart or my soul, and I see that they understand and answer me.' Tippi is the daughter of French filmmakers and wildlife photographers, Alain Degre and Sylvie Robert, who have captured her on film with some of Africa's most beautiful and dangerous animals. Tippi shares her thoughts and wisdom on Africa, its people and the animals she has come to know and love. Often her wisdom is beyond her years, and her innocence and obvious rapport with the animals is both fascinating and charming.
It has an average vote of 9 on TMDB.
3. Savages: The Story of Human Zoos (Sauvages, au cœur des zoos humains)
For more than a century the great colonial powers put human beings, taken by force from their native lands, on show as entertainment, just like animals in zoos; a shameful, outrageous and savage treatment of people who were considered subhuman.
It has an average vote of 7.8 on TMDB.
4. Koko: The Gorilla Who Talks to People
Documentary telling the extraordinary story of Koko, the only 'talking' gorilla in the world, and her lifelong relationship with Penny Patterson. Project Koko started as a PhD project to teach sign language to a baby gorilla, but as Koko began to communicate with Penny, an intense bond formed between them. Penny has now been with Koko for over 40 years and claims Koko can reveal fresh insights into the workings of an animal's mind. Koko's unique life with Penny has been filmed every step of the way. Over 2,000 hours of footage chart the most dramatic moments - Penny's battle to keep Koko from being taken back to the zoo in which she was born, Penny's clash with academic critics who doubted her claims and the image of Koko mourning the death of her kitten.
It has an average vote of 7.6 on TMDB.
5. Arkadia
In a world where farming is mechanized and farm animals are fed with products coming from across the globe, a young shepherd is trying to keep his practice sustainable by using ancestral ways to raise his flock.
6. A Cage for Two (Клітка для двох)
Documentary offers a look at the historical development, establishment and artistic transformations of the Ukrainian Circus as a cultural phenomenon of the 20 century.
7. Madman's dictionary
(Madman's dictionary)
8. An Apology to Elephants
Elephants are among the most majestic and intelligent creatures on Earth--but for hundreds of years, they have suffered at the hands of humans. Narrated by Lily Tomlin, this documentary short traces our long history with elephants and explores the many problems that arise when they are brought to live in captivity in zoos and circuses.
It has an average vote of 8 on TMDB.
9. A Day in the Life of a Farmed Animal
A collective project empowering people to speak up for the stories of farmed animals, with footage from 10+ countries, to raise awareness about the unnecessary suffering those animals go through every day, telling their intimate and truthful story.
It has an average vote of 10 on TMDB.
10. Guinea Pig Diaries
Guinea Pig Diaries is an unfiltered look into the lives of guinea pigs and the people who adore them, breed them, show them, and rescue them.
11. Decade of Discovery
Chris Packham presents, mentioning others that didn't quite make the list, his favorite top ten animal - and plant species from the half million discovered in the first decade of the 21st century. The animals include the most endangered African monkey, a lemur , a mouse-size and -resembling relative of the elephant, a Caribean island-adapted sloth, a shark which 'walks coral reefs on an arm', the largest mega-stick, a deep sea jellyfish without tentacles and a jungle gecko mutation happening in Malaysian state Perlis in order to flee serpent predation into caves. Plant species include a giant Venus-flytrap on Palawan and the largest ever orchid from Peru.
12. Life in the Air
Flight is the ultimate superpower, an extraordinary ability that humans can only dream of. Yet an astonishing number of animals have mastered the skies. Now, new technology allows us to join them in their previously hidden world, ‘flying’ alongside these gravity-defying animals and experiencing their unique point of view. With exceptional skills and breath-taking design, creatures ranging from frogs to fish, from spiders to squirrels, spend their lives mid-air. Life in the Air captures this extraordinary animal behaviour and reveals – in incredible detail – the amazing science of flight.
It has an average vote of 9 on TMDB.
13. Land of the Bears (Terre des ours)
Set in the wilderness of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the land of legends and the kingdom of wild brown bears, we follow the daily adventures of five wild brown bears.
It has an average vote of 7.5 on TMDB.
14. Cats, Birds and Fishes
Some champion exhibits from the National Cat Club Show and the Combined Bird and Aquaria Show, described by W. Cox-Ife, F. Hopkins, and L.C. Mandeville.
15. Island of Lemurs: Madagascar
The incredible true story of nature’s greatest explorers—lemurs. Through footage captured with IMAX 3D, audiences go on a spectacular journey to the remote and wondrous world of Madagascar. Join trailblazing scientist Patricia Wright on her lifelong mission to help these strange and adorable creatures survive in the modern world.
It has an average vote of 6.2 on TMDB.
16. Naledi: A Baby Elephant's Tale
The incredible, true-life story of a baby elephant born into a rescue camp in the wilderness of Botswana. When she's suddenly orphaned at one month of age, it's up to the men who look after her herd to save her life.
It has an average vote of 6.2 on TMDB.
17. The First Canines
An aspiring photojournalist takes a trip to Julian, CA to learn about the history of two wolf species and what caused their population decline throughout history.
It has an average vote of 8 on TMDB.
18. Aquarium (Aquarium)
Turn your TV into an ultra-sharp aquarium. Shot in 4K Ultra High Definition! Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of aquaristics. In the world's largest pet shop - at Zajac Zoo in Duisburg - we have selected 9 highlights for you from over 1,000 saltwater aquariums and presented them at the highest technical level. This Blu-ray Disc was produced with RED EPIC cameras in 4K Ultra HD, in a resolution 4 times higher than Full HD. The recordings offer unprecedented brilliance and stunning plasticity, created for the latest generation of UHD, plasma, LED and OLED TVs. Enjoy picture quality in perfection, pin sharp, indescribably plastic and ultra-realistic. Perfect for presentation on 4K UHD TVs!
19. Totilas: Paard en Fenomeen! (Totilas: Paard en Fenomeen!)
(Totilas: Paard en Fenomeen!)
20. Through the Garden Gate
After a career filming across five continents, EMMY and BAFTA winning wildlife cameraman Stephen de Vere returns to the English countryside, to explore the hidden world beyond the garden gate. From playful fox cubs to the barn owl tending to her chicks, explore the extraordinary world waiting beyond the garden gate. The film is a personal view, giving an insight into what it’s like being a wildlife cameraman and reminding us that you don’t have to travel to all corners of the world to get close to nature.
It has an average vote of 9 on TMDB.