An Anaconda hides among the brush, waiting to strike...

Watch the awesome power of Anacondas during Super Snake this Saturday at 8p, followed by the highly-accliamed Relentless Enemies.

All during this week's Wild Saturday. Only on the National Geographic Channel.

Last night, Best of NGC Week displayed the mysteries and beauty that make up our earth. Friday night brings you inside three seperate African Tribes, The Dinka, The Hamar, and The Wodaabe. All three have distinct differences and all three are full of rich cultural traditions.

Friday -

8p Tribal Secrets: "The Dinka"
The Dinka live deep in southern Sudan, the largest country in Africa. NGC takes viewers to this remote landscape of Africa to show us customs and traditions at the very heart of their cattle-centric culture, including showering under urinating cows.

9p Tribal Secrets: "The Hamar"
The Hamar live among the bush covered hills of southern Ethiopia. NGC takes viewers to this remote land to show us two life-changing challenges at the very heart of their culture—a rite of passage to manhood and putting a father’s uneasy spirit to rest.

10p Tribal Secrets:"The Wodaabe"
The area where the Sahara meets the southern grasslands of West Africa is home to the Wodaabe. They are a nomadic tribe numbering perhaps 65,000 in Niger and are among the last Nomads remaining in Africa.

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Photograph by Beverly Joubert

Legadema wrestles with a fellow leopard in Mombo, Botswana

Eye of the Leopard provides an intimate view into the life of Legadema, a young leopard growing up in Mombo, Botswana.

Eye of The Leopard airs this Saturday at 8p et/pt.

Last night, Best of NGC Week showed the development and interaction of multiples in womb through revolutionary 4-D imagery. Tonight view the Earth like you have never seen. Experience the power of the planet's elements through Destructive Forces, then take a deep dive in to the ocean to see the wonders that make 70% of the globe with Ocean Realm. Finally go even deeper and glimpse at the worlds most powerful engine, Earth's core in Born of Fire. All of these Amazing Planet stories begin tonight at 8p and remember to check back tomorrow for the final day of Best of NGC Week.

Thursday -

8p Amazing Planet: "Destructive Forces"
Wind, water, and ice are the natural elements that have eroded and rebuilt the Earth. Now, take a geological journey through time to examine these destructive forces and the impact they have had on the planet.

9p Amazing Planet: "Ocean Realm"
Plunge into the great seas for an in-depth look at the substance that covers more than 70 percent of Earth's surface: water. The seas nurture life and hide wonders in their depths, but they can also wreak unimaginable destruction.

10p Amazing Planet:"Born of Fire"
Go deep into Earth's core for a glimpse of this unstoppable engine of creation and destruction. Explore Earth's beginnings from space rubble circling in a slow gravitational dance some 4.5 billion years ago, and examine its future millions of years from now.

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On Tuesday night, Best of NGC Week took you along side Lisa Ling, as she gave an inside look at one of the worlds most secretive countries and you were able to witness U.S. Air Force Cpt. O'Grady use his instincts to survive behind enemy lines. Finally the cause of Amelia Earhart's disapperance is still a mystery, but we inched closer to an answer with last nights evidence.

Tonight follow the development of twins, triplets and a set of identical quads within the womb. It begins tonight at 8p and remember to check back to see the day's line-up, view clips, look at photos and more.

Wednesday -

8p & 10p "In The Womb: Multiples" Follow the development of fraternal twins, identical twins, triplets, and a very rare set of identical quads in their quest for survival. Through revolutionary 4D scans, witness unique footage of multiple fetuses interacting with each other before birth.

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Last night, Best of NGC Week took you from the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979 to the streets of North Hollywood. Tuesday carries on with an inside look at the culture of North Korea to U.S. Air Force Cpt. O'Grady narrow escape in Serbia to finding the cause of Amelia Earhart's disapperance. It begins tonight at 8p and remember to check back to see the day's line-up, view clips, look at photos and more.

Tuesday -

8p Explorer: "Inside North Korea"
Cross into North Korea, one the most secretive nations on Earth, for an extremely rare glimpse of the country and its absolute dictator Kim Jong II known as the "Dear Leader," who rules the country as a god-king.

9p Critical Situation: "Downed Pilot" Premiere
In 1995, U.S. Air Force Cpt. O'Grady was patrolling the skies above war-torn Bosnia when a Serb missile hit his fighter jet. Upon impact, O'Grady was safely ejected, but his parachute sailed into hostile territory and gunmen were on his trail.

10p Undercover History:"Where's Amelia Earhart"
In 1937, world famous aviator Amelia Earhart is closing in on her record-setting attempt to fly around world. Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, she vanishes without a trace. Her fate is one of the most fiercely debated mysteries of all time.

Enter the Best of NGC Week Sweepstakes to win a collection of Apple products loaded with NGC Programs

Monday marks the beginning of the Best of NGC Week here at the National Geographic Channel. Relive all the unforgettable specials and all the amazing series. It all starts tonight at 8p and remember to check back to see the day's line-up, view clips, look at photos and more.

Monday -

8p Final Report: "Iran Hostage Crisis"
On November 4, 1979, 66 Americans in Tehran, Iran are taken hostage. The U.S. makes several unsuccessful attempts to secure the release of the hostages. The hostages are held captive for 444 days before their freedom is secured.

9p Final Report: "Bombing Over Lockerbie"
On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing everyone on board. Investigators suspect terrorism and are soon following clues recovered from a debris field over 845 square miles.

10p Critical Situation: "North Hollywood Shootout"
One of the most dramatic police gun battles ever waged on American soil took place in Hollywood in 1997. Go inside the violent stand-off as the bandits fire over 1,100 rounds of ammunition and shoot nine police officers and two civilians.

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The Artic Fox uses its winter coat to blend itself in to the Artic pasture. It waits patiently for the best time to strike mice, voles and other prey beneath the snow.

Watch the eternal struggle of species that inhabit the Artic Norwegien Islands during this week's airing of Planet Carnivore: Polar Bears.
It all starts this Sunday at 7p et/pt.

Critical Situation: North Hollywood Shootout Premieres Tues., June 12 9p et/pt Break it down Witness one of the most intense shootouts in history. Watch a Preview Go inside the series: Critical Situation

Greg Chapman - Research

There are many weeks here at the channel that I look through the on-air schedule and get very excited about a new show. Trying to contain some of my excitement and realizing that I need to act professional while at work; I graciously head off to our communications department or our channel media library to see if by chance I can get sneak peak. I stumbled on this idea when Eye of the Leopard was premiering, then with Galapagos, and more recently Inside the Green Berets. All great shows that did not leave me disappointed.

However, there hasn’t been a series that I have been anticipating more then Critical Situation simply because of the wide ranging topics it plans to cover.

Critical Situation is a dissection of some of the most high action-adrenaline pumping events in recent history. It takes an event and allows you to see it unfold through survivor testimonials and state of the art CGI graphics. Take for instance tonight’s premiere of Critical Situation: North Hollywood Shootout. It traces bullets flying, cops chasing and breaks down the detailed plans of two menacing bank robbers. My favorite moment of the episode would have to be the CGI analysis of the semi-automatic weapons firing and how eventually it led to the downfall of one of the criminals. What more could you ask for?

Needless to say I couldn’t believe all the detailed information that was packed in the hour that I took a sneak peak at the second episode airing next week, Downed Pilot. After watching the second episode, I realized that I should probably try and restrain my excitement from watching the rest of the series and give myself a nice surprise each week.

Photograph by Andy B. Casagrande IV

Whales aren't the only species able to breach ocean waters. Great White Sharks can accelerate up to 25 miles per hour while they're attacking prey.

Planet Carnivore: Sharks airs at 8p during this week's Wild Saturday only on the National Geographic Channel.

Shark Battleground: The Red Triangle Premieres Sat., June 9, 9p et/pt Top Of the Food Chain Watch as Great White Sharks go on the hunt. Watch a Preview >>

Tom Horton - Producer

Over the past 20 years I have produced 31 one-hour shark films and my first shark program led to the Shark Week series. This new program, for Michael Hoff Productions of Emeryville, California, titled “Shark Battleground: Red Triangle” deals with the high number of shark attacks that occur along the California Coast stretching from Monterey Bay 135 miles north to Bodega Bay, and then out west 30 miles to the Farallon Islands.

Although there are only a few fatalities from Great White Shark attacks each year, along the California Coast, there are more white shark attacks in this area then any comparable location anywhere on earth. Thus, the press has termed this area the “Red Triangle."

To produce the documentary we searched for the most recent shark attack victims we could find to learn from them their reaction to being attacked. Interestingly, some were very willing to be interviewed on-camera, but others refused to tell of their experiences. Those who refused just did not want to be reminded of their terrifying experience, and those that we did talk with still remembered every detail of their attack, their instant reaction and the details of their rescue.

Worldwide most shark attacks by Great White Sharks have been on surfers, with fewer attacks on divers and swimmers. Scientists speculate that the white shark is searching for its favorite food; seals and sea lions when it comes upon a human in or on the surface. This is especially true during the period of October to January along the California Coast when the seal and sea lion pups are birthing, and learning to swim and forage for prey. An example of an ideal shark meal is the baby elephant seal. The elephant seal pups can gain from a birth weight of 70 pounds, to over 250 pounds in the first 30 days, and over 50 percent of their weight is fat, the perfect food for a great white shark.

Slowly, swimming at a depth of from 15 to 30 feet, the white shark is looking up toward the surface for seals and sea lions. Suddenly, they spot a surfer with the long shape of an elephant seal, and whose arms and legs resemble the seals flippers. Quickly the white shark attacks from below and deals a tremendous bite to the potential prey. But, just as quickly the shark seems to realize that this prey has very little fat content, and usually the shark will back away and continue their quest. It’s not really a case of “mistaken identity”, but it does seem to be an exploratory “taste” and release sequence. Scientists call this type of attack a “Bite and spit.”

During our program we interviewed 5 shark attack victims. One of these was Megan Halavais who was surfing at Salmon Creek just north of Bodega Bay. Megan is a twenty year old surfer with lots of experience who, over a number of years of ocean swimming and surfing, had never seen a shark, and certainly not a Great White Shark.

We met Megan at Bodega Bay and she took us down to the beach where she had been attacked. We asked her if she would allow us to film her surfing, and to tell us about her attack and her reaction. Megan is young, full of energy and full of fun, but even though the shark nearly took her leg of, Megan laughed about her near death experience, but she also slightly trembled as she told her story.

I spoke with and met others who had been attacked. Although they too did not feel that the sharks were stalking humans, their experience was so emotional that they did not want to be interviewed on-camera. In a way the sudden deadly attack by such a massive predator had ruined their feeling of being free in the ocean. Surfing just wouldn’t be the same for them and even though they continued to surf, they did not go as often, and there was always the though of those massive jaws waiting just under the surface.