Untamed China with Nigel Marven — Season 1

Over half of China's plant and animal species live in Yunnan Province in the far southwest of the country. Marven goes there to explore the ancient city of Dali and the surrounding mountains and forests. He meets some bizarre and deadly reptiles and amphibians; goes on a very unusual fishing trip; enjoys the fairy-tale lifecycle of butterflies; and gets up close to highly-endangered Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys.

In the northern province of Xinjiang, Marven explores three of the most spectacular deserts in China. He searches for the extremely rare wild Bactrian camel in the Gobi; rolls down the vast dunes of the Taklamikan; and hunts for the extraordinary long-eared jerboa in the Kalimaly.

The Xishuangbanna Reserve in southern Yunnan is a land of giants. In the steamy jungles, Marven comes face-to-face with China's largest lizard, the world's biggest species of moth, a super-sized serpent, and a massive bamboo rat. But will he manage to track down the biggest giant of all, one of China's last remaining Asian elephants?

Beginning at Balangshan Pass, five-kilometres high in Sichuan's Heavenly Mountains, Marven embarks upon a journey to find one of China's most captivating animals in the wild: the red panda. He plays with giant panda cubs at Chengdu's world-famous breeding centre; meets cheeky macaques; and goes out spotlighting to find creatures of the night.

Marven explores the vast grasslands of Inner Mongolia. These rolling plains – once home to Genghis Khan and his army of horse warriors – are now inhabited by the elegant demoiselle crane, an ancient tribe that has a close relationship with a surprising animal, and speedy lizards and venomous snakes.

Marven travels on the highest altitude railway on Earth in search of the rare and elusive Tibetan antelope. He also finds some charming black-lipped pikas, bears witness to herds of beautiful wild ass called kiang, watches a Tibetan fox and her cubs, and comes face to face with a massive wild yak.