Yellowstone Battle for Life

Over 640,000 years ago, the area that we know as Yellowstone National Park was the epicenter of a cataclysmic volcanic eruption—an eruption one thousand times larger than Mt. St. Helens. The eruption blasted away mountains, unearthed a vast ocean of lava and spewed hundreds of miles of debris into the atmosphere, burying half of the United States with deadly ash. Largely unknown today, this destructive super volcano is still active, turning the picturesque landscape of Yellowstone into one of the harshest environments on the planet. Brutally cold winters fade into majestic summers, but for the animals that call the park home—including Yellowstone’s great icons: the grey wolf, grizzly bear, buffalo and antelope—this unique and hostile land creates a daily, dramatic battle for survival. YELLOWSTONE captures the essence of this bitter and mercurial environment as it follows the animals that live in the midst of this treasured wilderness.

The famed national park’s aspect as a wildlife preserve is emphasized in this three-episode miniseries. The shows cover winter, spring and summer and center on the populations of wolves, grizzlies and herds of elk, moose and buffalo. As is characteristic with BBC nature shows, the presentation contains eye-catching visuals, a stirring orchestral soundtrack and dramatic narration, in this case by Peter Firth.

Shelf Talk: Yellowstone debuted in the U.S. on Animal Planet and scored a rating that was double that of the channel’s regular primetime programs. Libraries, schools and nature buffs looking to see vivid detail (especially in Blu-ray) are the target audience for the release.