Nat Geo WILD Launches First Digital Series

06 Jul 2016, 00:00 AM EDT

wild_life With Bertie Gregory Launches
Wednesday, Aug. 3, on Nat Geo WILD’s YouTube Channel and
NationalGeographic.com

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#BertieGregory–Nat Geo WILD inspires people to let the wild in every day. The network
is dedicated to creating content for animal lovers everywhere to enjoy,
whether it’s on TV, in magazines, or in books. Now, Nat Geo WILD is
bringing the wild online with the launch of its first-ever digital
series, wild_life With Bertie Gregory, premiering Wednesday, Aug.
3, on the network’s YouTube
Channel, as well as on NationalGeographic.com.

Join 22-year-old wildlife filmmaker Bertie Gregory (@bertiegregory)
as he journeys to the west coast of Vancouver Island in search of the
elusive coastal wolves, a species that inhabits one of the last places
on the planet where a wild forest meets a wild ocean. For more
information, visit natgeowild.com
or our press site www.foxflash.com,
or follow us on Twitter and Instagram using @natgeowild or on Facebook
at facebook.com/natgeowild.

For a sneak peek of the series, click
here.

“This series is as much about the adventure to get the shot as it is
about the shot itself,” said Gregory. “I’m taking viewers into the wild
and getting up close and personal with Canada’s sexiest coastal
predators. The camera is always rolling. It’s raw. It’s real. It’s
intimate. And I’m excited to be a part of Nat Geo WILD’s first venture
into the digital space.”

Over the course of 16 episodes, Gregory finds that tracking down these
wolves proves to be harder than expected … but he’s not giving up. He
also attempts to get face to face with some of the other charismatic
species that live along this pristine coastline. Each episode features
Gregory’s encounters with epic animals, including humpback whales, bald
eagles and black bears. He occasionally gets closer than anticipated, as
he must untangle himself from a few sticky situations, like ending up
with his head in the jaws of a playful 2,000-pound sea lion.

“We are thrilled to extend the WILD brand beyond television to reach our
audiences wherever they are,” said Geoff Daniels, executive vice
president and general manager, Nat Geo WILD. “Bertie is a great
ambassador for us, and his adventures in this new series will be
celebrated across National Geographic’s many platforms, including
SnapChat, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Nat Geo LIVE! and more.”

About Bertie Gregory:

Bertie Gregory is a 22-year-old wildlife filmmaker and photographer.
Originally from South West England, Bertie has been obsessed with nature
and photography since childhood, when he would sneak off to take photos
of the local wildlife. With talent and work ethic well beyond his years,
Gregory is already making waves in the filmmaking and photography
community. He has previously been named a National Geographic Young
Explorer, the Zenith Scientific Exploration Society Explorer 2015 and
the Youth Outdoor Photographer of the Year, among other recognitions.
Gregory is currently on assignment as a filmmaker to his mentor and
renowned National Geographic photographer Steve Winter.

Episodes Include:

wild_life: Welcome to Vancouver Island (wt)
Premieres
Wednesday, Aug. 3
In the first episode of wild_life With
Bertie Gregory, Bertie heads to Vancouver Island, British
Columbia, where he prepares to spend three months in the wild filming
the epic animals that call this place home. While he’s hoping to come
across the many awesome species that inhabit this coastline, his main
goal is to catch a glimpse of the island’s elusive coastal wolves. Along
the way, Bertie runs into some surprising locals, from bald eagles to
bears, sea lions to salmon and otters to orca. Every encounter will be a
new adventure.

wild_life: Finding a Flippin’ Bear (wt)
Premieres
Wednesday, Aug. 10
While looking for signs of coastal wolves,
Bertie Gregory stumbles across some rather odd behavior — a male black
bear flipping massive rocks along the coastline. As Bertie gets closer,
he realizes that this clever bear has figured out a way to score an easy
meal. Underneath every rock are tasty crabs, and the bear can smell them
… all he has to do is flip over a few boulders.

wild_life: Bald Eagles (wt)
Premieres
Wednesday, Aug. 17
Wildlife photographer Bertie Gregory
encounters one of the most majestic birds of prey — the bald eagle. Bald
eagles may be America’s de facto mascot, but they also have a secret
talent — snatching fish from the open waters. These skilled hunters have
vision about five times sharper than our own and can reach speeds of up
to 75 miles per hour when diving for their prey. Join Bertie as he gets
up close and personal with these bald eagles as they show off their
lightning-fast hunting skills.

wild_life: Hide and Seek (wt)
Premieres
Wednesday, Aug. 24
After weeks of roaming around the pristine
landscape of Vancouver Island in search of the mysterious coastal
wolves, wildlife photographer Bertie Gregory is trying a different
method. Instead of chasing footprints through the woods, he’s putting
down roots and spending a week in a hide in hopes that the wolves come
to him. The ghostlike wolves elude Bertie yet again, but his time is
well spent as he spots everything from herons to barred owls.

wild_life: Searching for Sea Otters (wt)
Premieres
Wednesday, Aug. 31
Bertie Gregory has spotted mischievous sea
otters playing in the kelp forests offshore. The only trick now is
getting to them. During low tide, Bertie sneaks out past the tidal pools
to watch the otters play in the surf. These otters are a welcome sight,
as the fur trade once nearly drove them to extinction on Vancouver
Island.

wild_life was produced for Nat Geo WILD by National Geographic
Partners’ digital team. For National Geographic Partners, editor in
chief for National Geographic Magazine and editorial director for
National Geographic Partners is Susan Goldberg, director of digital
video is James Williams, senior producer is Stephanie Atlas,
producer/editor/writer is Alex Wenchel and producer is Bertie Gregory.
For Nat Geo WILD, executive vice president and general manager is Geoff
Daniels and senior vice president of development and production is Janet
Han Vissering.

National Geographic Channels

The National Geographic Channels (The Channels) form the television and
production arm of National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between
21st Century Fox and the National Geographic Society. As a global leader
in premium science, adventure and exploration programming, the Channels
include: National Geographic Channel (NGC), Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo People
and Nat Geo MUNDO. Additionally, the Channels also run the in-house
television production unit, National Geographic Studios. The Channels
contribute to the National Geographic Society’s commitment to
exploration, conservation and education with entertaining, innovative
programming from A-level talent around the world, and with profits that
help support the society’s mission. Globally, NGC is available in more
than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages, and Nat Geo
WILD is available in 131 countries and 38 languages. National Geographic
Partners is also a leader in social media, with a fan base of 250
million people across all of its social pages. NGC contributes over 55
million social media fans globally on Facebook alone. For more
information, visit www.natgeotv.com
and www.natgeowild.com.