The Wild West - National Geographic for everyone in everywhere

Synopsis

Chasing the wild heart and soul of the American West. From the jagged peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the luminous sand dunes of the Mojave Desert and the majesty of California's golden coast, the American West has enticed countless pioneers with its wide-open spaces and the promise of possibility. But only the strongest settlers actually survived the passage westward. They had to be more than just "tough." Turns out, these people had to adopt the characteristics of the wildlife found there: resilience, ingenuity and a knack for survival in the face of challenge. In this three-hour blue-chip natural history series, we'll explore the Mountains, Deserts and Coasts of the American West and reveal how its wildlife, terrain and people share an indomitable spirit that has shaped our nation.

Episodes

Season 1

Gold Rush

Few legends are more significant in the American psyche than that of the Wild West. For the animals that populate the Pacific Coast, that mythic past remains a savage reality. The coast is the West's final frontier, and even today, the iconic figures of the Old West have their real life counterparts in the natural world: elephant seals settle their scores in blood, black and brown bears prospect for pink gold in the form of thousands of salmon, pioneer beavers are fired by a spirit of manifest destiny, and bobcats range the new world alone. This is the iconic West as it truly is, as Wild now as it was in the glory days of the cinematic past.

High Noon

In the barren deserts of the Wild West, Gila monsters have a show down on a ghost town Main Street, while a gang of Harris hawks pack-hunt among the cacti. Cannibalistic scorpions face off in the dunes, with pincers drawn - only one will make it out alive. Rattlers duel for the favors of the ladies, and a tribe of Native Americans test the endurance of their riders and horses on an epic race.

True Grit

Few legends are more significant in the American psyche than that of the Wild West. But for the animals that live in the jagged heart of the great Rocky Mountains, those myths are a savage reality. The mountains of the American West remain an epic stage, and even today, the iconic figures of the Old West have their real life counterparts in the animals that live there. A wolf gang preys on a moose calf and out here, only the strong will survive.