“Animal Genius” Premieres on National Geographic September 8 @ 10PM/9c and Streams Next Day on Hulu

Nat Geo Explorer and Wildlife Biologist Liz Bonnin Reveals the Science Behind Animals’ Extraordinary Abilities to Survive, Showcasing the Hidden Brilliance of Meerkats, Sea Turtles, and More.

Nat Geo Explorer and Wildlife Biologist Liz Bonnin travels the world in search of the genius ways animals survive. Teaming up with world-leading experts, Bonnin unpacks the latest science about animals that we only thought we knew and discovers the secrets behind the most astonishing feats of teamwork.

In Africa’s Kalahari Desert, Bonnin gets eye to eye with tiny meerkat pups that are taking their first steps outside their burrow, revealing the complex language that keeps the whole family safe from desert predators. Elsewhere in Africa, Matabele ants take teamwork to another level. After battling with termites, the ants haul injured comrades back to their nest, where they perform first aid on the wounded.

On the beaches of Mexico, Bonnin discovers how baby sea turtles hatch in unison. Eavesdropping on an underground nest reveals an enchanting conversation between the turtles while they’re still inside their eggs. And, in a television first, thousands of Mexican molly fish perform a dazzling display to evade dive-bombing kingfishers.

About Liz Bonnin

Nat Geo Explorer and Wildlife Biologist Liz Bonnin is a biochemistry graduate with a master’s degree in wild animal biology, during which she carried out a research project on the diet of tigers in Nepal. Since then, the science, natural history, and environmental broadcaster has presented over 40 primetime television programs, including the BBC’s BAFTA-winning “Blue Planet Live,” “Super Smart Animals” and “Galapagos,” a three-part series that saw her document groundbreaking scientific research while descending to a depth of 1,000 meters in a submersible – the deepest anyone had gone on the archipelago. Other work includes her landmark documentary “Drowning in Plastic,” which investigated the ocean plastic crisis and raised public debate on this important topic. It has won both a prestigious RTS Award and a Grierson Award. Her most recent projects include “Our Changing Planet,” which began airing on BBC One in the spring of 2022. The series is a definitive seven-year diary documenting the fight to save our planet’s most threatened ecosystems. Bonnin also hosted the BBC Radio 5 Live podcast “What Planet Are We On?,” exploring climate change and our relationship with the natural world and included guests David Attenborough, Idris Elba and Christiana Figueres. More recently, she hosted a six-part podcast on the story of the Mariana Dam collapse – the worst environmental disaster in Brazil’s history – and the fight for justice since, which has led to the case being brought to the U.K. courts. Bonnin regularly speaks at and hosts science, natural history and environmental events, including the National Science and Engineering Competition, the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards, and New Scientist Live. She was elected the first female president of The Wildlife Trusts in the U.K. and was recently awarded an honorary fellowship of the British Science Association. She is also frequently invited to speak to the business sector about the systemic transformation needed to create a healthy planet and sustainable future. Bonnin is a recipient of the National Geographic Society’s 2024 Wayfinder Award.