When it comes to natural history, few broadcasters and naturalists match up to David Attenborough. Born in London, Attenborough is one of the world’s most recognizable voices of the natural documentary. For over fifty years, he has been the voice of British natural programs and has been a champion of the BBC Natural History Unit, a department of the network dedicated to making TV and radio programs with a natural history or wildlife theme.

BBC Video has released six of Attenborough’s eighteen wildlife specials on the aptly named David Attenborough Wildlife Specials DVD set. This two-disc edition also features a pair of bonus features, one entitled “Great Natural Wonders of the World” and the other called “Greatest Wildlife Show on Earth.”

Each of the six specials is focused on a different animal. Attenborough narrates the specials with clarity and an obvious appreciation for the natural world, making him the ideal guide for the wonders of nature. The scenes and photography in each special are astonishing, as Attenborough and his crew journey around the world in search of the finest possible footage.

The specials featured on this set cover the polar bear, the crocodile, leopard, eagle, humpback whale, and the wolf. Each special generally focuses on the hunting process of each animal, as well as the mating process and various social interactions. The specials surpass most comparable documentaries by using the latest technology to gather some of the most astounding footage ever shown.

The polar bear piece, for instance, features particularly rare scenes of newborn cubs in the den. To capture this footage, the producers and cameraman were trapped on a floe of ice for around twenty hours. Other great shots include some stunning underwater glimpses of crocodiles and a dramatic bit of aerial photography capturing eagles dropping tortoises from great heights to crack the shells.

For the nature lover or for the casual observer, David Attenborough Wildlife Specials will be an impressive addition to a natural history library of documentaries. Attenborough expertly describes his subjects and his approach is never invasive. In fact, one friend remarked that while watching the piece on polar bears, he scarcely noticed the narrator.

This DVD set is a great find and contains wonderful footage throughout its over 280 minutes of film. From the humpback whale to the wolf and beyond, David Attenborough Wildlife Specials is a magnificent look at the natural world and the animals that live in it. I only hope more of the wildlife specials will see a DVD release soon.