Modern Dinosaurs

The Kiwi is a bird that has thrown out the rulebook of bird biology. It doesn't fly, lives in the dark, and resembles a mammal more than anything bird-like. But how did a flightless bird find itself on islands in the middle of the ocean? Distant relatives from the cassowary to the moa hold surprising clues to the kiwi's own history - and why it evolved to be such an odd bird.

Sixty five million years ago, a meteor hit the earth near Mexico killing nearly all life on the planet. Out of the ashes, one hardy reptile managed to survive in New Zealand: the tuatara. With a third eye and no ears, tuatara are some of the most bizarre reptiles on the planet. Yet today, they are on the verge of dying out. How did the tuatara survive when most dinosaurs were driven to extinction?

New Zealand's dramatic landscape is no easy ride; the islands have been violently forged by volcanism and earthquakes to create some of the most unique environments on the planet. From predators that glow in the dark to the world's most intelligent parrot, wildlife must adapt or die. How have New Zealand's animals adapted to one of the most geologically unstable places on the planet?

Most parrots are colourful and fly in noisy flocks, but New Zealand's kakapo breaks all the rules. It's been called the strangest parrot in the world. How did it get to be so bizarre? In search of clues we'll venture to one of its last refuges. With only 154 kakapo left, a hardy team of researchers is attempting to preserve this dying lineage in a race against time.

Many of New Zealand's native animals share an unusual trait - they're living giants.These islands are home to insects that grow as big as rats, the largest birds to ever live,carnivorous snails as big as a fist, and a two metre long lake monster - the long fin eel.

The creatures living in the oceans around New Zealand's are hardy survivors who have met every challenge thrown at them. With the extinction of marine dinosaurs, an evolutionary door opened to allow sharks, whales, and other creatures to thrive.