Life with Dylan

Category: NatGeoWild

  • Big Cat Week on Nat Geo WILD is Back with a Roar!

    Strength, speed, agility and beauty are words that I would use to describe many, if not all, of the big cat species. As one of the world’s most majestic predators, big cats are facing more danger than they are causing. These animals are incredible and one of the most beautiful species in the animal kingdom. Sadly, their numbers are rapidly declining as a result of habitat destruction, poaching, loss of prey, and trophy hunting. Creating awareness about these big cats and Causing an Uproar is something near and dear to my heart.

    Dylan and I were thrilled when Nat Geo WILD asked is we would like to preview the new episodes for this year. I can’t even begin to tell you how encouraging it is that National Geographic is continuing to shine a spotlight on these felines by bringing their stories into our homes with the Fourth Annual Big Cat Week. Talking about the Big Cat Initiative and Causing an Uproar is something that we try to do on a regular basis, so we are especially excited to share our thoughts on Nat Geo WILD’s most-watched week for the past three years!

    Big Cat Week kicks off on Friday, November 29, 2013 at 9 p.m. ET/PT with Man v Cheetah followed by Super Cat at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Both are great and really get you thinking about these magnificent cats.

    What do you think will happen when Tennessee Titans’ Chris Johnson – the NFL’s fastest running back – and Chicago Bears’ Devin Hester – the super agile wide receiver and kick returner – participate in the first ever race with a cheetah? Cheetahs are built for speed, but could these athletes have an advantage over the cheetah or will Chris and Devin be left in the dust?
    Who will win? Anything is possible on Man v Cheetah.

    What if you could take the best feature of all the big cats and combine them to create the ultimate Super Cat? What would your Super Cat look like? Think about it … the speed of a cheetah, the strength of a lion, the skill of a tiger, and the climbing ability of a leopard. That would be one amazing cat!

    Saturday, November 30, 2013 features two more new episodes that will challenge your skills as the hunted and the hunter. Killer Queen is a captivating documentary that follows lioness Manyari’s pride as they face the challenges of ensuring her cubs survival. Cougar v Wolf takes us on a journey with big cat wrangler Boone Smith as he tracks the cougar-wolf showdown through snow-covered mountains to pinpoint where the cougar-wolf conflicts occur the most often. Not something I would do … a little too close for my comfort.

    Small Roar – Photograph by Beverly Joubert 

    Now it just wouldn’t be Big Cat Week without a feature film from my favorite award-winning couple, Dereck and Beverly Joubert. Made exclusively for Nat Geo WILD, Game of Lions is nothing short of extraordinary. Young male lions must earn the right to be king and this film follows that fateful journey. The Jouberts have a style of storytelling unlike any other – their films are always moving and often heartbreaking – and at the same time unforgettable works of art. Game of Lions premieres on Sunday, December 1, 2013 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

    I can’t think of a better way to end Big Cat Week then with one of the most famous cougars of them all … Betty White! Her love of animals, quick-witted humor, and pure passion to create awareness made Betty White Goes Wild! an absolute joy to watch. Not to mention that she was visiting my two favorite places – the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. It was wonderful to see Betty interacting with the big cats that we know and love, especially Izu and Oshana.

    So sit back, relax, and get ready to learn more about the world’s most extraordinary big cat species.

    Stay connected and join the conversation by following Nat Geo WILD on twitter and Facebook. You can also follow the hashtags #BigCatWeek and #CauseanUproar

  • Jobs that Bite! on Nat Geo WILD – Are you up for the adventure?

    If you love animals and Nat Geo WILD as much as we do, then you are going to love the new series Jobs That Bite! Believe it or not, there is small percentage of people that absolutely love their jobs and lucky for us, Nat Geo WILD found a few of them. The result was Jobs that Bite! Host Jeremy Brandt will travel across the country visiting these American workers who truly love what they do for a living … even if the job bites … literally! 




    Recently Dylan and I were given the opportunity to preview the first two episodes of this new series and we think Jobs That Bite! is fantastic. Filled with just the right mixture of adventure, suspense, and quick-witted comments from Jeremy, this new series gives us a real behind the scenes look at some jobs that most of us would never think about. 


    I mean really, who thinks about giving a lion a dental exam or about how a zookeeper weighs a newborn giraffe? Think chimps are cute? Well, they are … but did you ever wonder about the safety precautions needed when working with chimpanzees? They can be quite mean and have been known to attack humans. Got a beehive in your walls? No problem, just call someone to remove it … but that is a Job that Bites! and a job that requires skill, patience, and a keen eye when looking for the queen bee. 

    Jeremy is willing to try just about anything, but I’m not so sure I would have helped perform a dental exam on a 400-pound lion!

    These Jobs That Bite! can be messy and dangerous, but as Jeremy Brandt discovers, they can also be very rewarding. Many of these jobs are not what you think of when asked What do you want to be when you grow up? … but the people who perform them are working hard every day to make life better for animals. 

    During the premiere episode, Jobs That Bite!: The Lion Dentist, Jeremy Brandt will get wild with some of the animals at the Lion Country Safari in Palm Beach, Florida and then travel to a goat farm ranch before heading to the Gulf of Mexico to board a shrimping boat. I promise it will be an adventure you won’t want to miss!

    Be sure to watch NatGeo WILD’s new series Jobs That Bite! Premiering Saturday, November 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

    You can find the Jobs That Bite! episode guide on the Nat Geo website. Future episodes include The Camel Milkman, Wild Jobs, and The Ostrich Cowboy. Make sure to set your DVR’s so you don’t miss a single episode.

    About Nat Geo Wild:
    For more than 30 years, National Geographic has been the leader in wildlife programming. The networks Nat Geo WILD and Nat Geo WILD HD, launched in 2010, offer intimate encounters with nature’s ferocious fighters and gentle creatures of land, sea and air that draw upon the cutting-edge work of the many explorers, filmmakers and scientists of the National Geographic Society.

  • Time to Get Wild with Nat Geo WILD & the return of America the Wild

    While most parents limit the amount of television their children watch, I have the complete opposite approach. You see, my son loves to watch educational shows and documentaries – especially the ones on Nat Geo WILD!



    Last night we had the opportunity to preview the season premiere episode of America the Wild: Monster Wolf and we loved every minute of it. In true Casey Anderson form, he had us both on the edge of our seats and holding our breath to see what would happen next. There were even a few times when my son said, “That’s insane!” and “Casey has the best job ever!”



    If you are not familiar with the series America the Wild or Casey Anderson, then you must tune in to the Nat Geo WILD channel this Sunday, August 18, 2013 at 10 p.m. ET/PT for the season premiere. This marks the fourth season of the popular series and I’m sure we are in for some amazing adventures.



    As a wildlife expert and naturalist, Casey Anderson lives and breathes wildlife. This season he will take us across North America to explore the lives of wolves, mountain lions, moose, bighorn sheep, and other elusive and endangered animals.



    In the premiere episode America the Wild: Monster Wolf, Casey ventures to Canada’s wild West Coast in search of clues to some unusual wolf behavior on Vancouver Island. Most wolves keep their distance from humans, but the wolves in Tofino are not like most wolves – because these wolves are approaching and in some instances attacking humans.



    Are these so-called “monster-wolves” purebred wolves, hybrid wolves, or some sort of wolf-dog breed? Be sure to watch this Sunday, August 18, 2013 to learn what truths Casey and his tracking skills discover about the wolves. I promise you will be glad you did.

    Casey Anderson watches a hungry hybrid wolf-dog tear apart an elk carcass at the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in New Mexico. Photo Credit: Grizzly Creek Films, LLC/Rick Smith



    Breathtaking scenery from a tree top and a bald eagle had me saying “Wow, that’s amazing”! Casey Anderson on a beach at night with a pack of hungry wolves and an animal carcass had me saying “Wow, that’s amazing”! No matter how you look at it, whether it be the film footage National Geographic is known for or the fearless adventures that Casey lives for, America the Wild is a must see for all wildlife enthusiasts.


    You can find America the Wild episode guide on the Nat Geo website. Future episodes include Mountian Lion vs. Bighorn, American Vampire, and Super Moose. Make sure to set your DVR’s so you don’t miss a single episode.

    About Nat Geo Wild:
    For more than 30 years, National Geographic has been the leader in wildlife programming. The networks Nat Geo WILD and Nat Geo WILD HD, launched in 2010, offer intimate encounters with nature’s ferocious fighters and gentle creatures of land, sea and air that draw upon the cutting-edge work of the many explorers, filmmakers and scientists of the National Geographic Society.



  • Lions and Tigers and more – Nat Geo WILD Big Cat Week Giveaway

    Are you watching Big Cat Week on Nat Geo WILD? So far we have seen two wonderful episodes – Snow Leopard of Afghanistan filled with hope and inspiration from a country that is often filled with death and sadness, and Attack of Big Cats filled with action-packed intrigue about the daily life of the elusive big cats.
    If you missed either of these Big Cat Week episodes be sure to check your local listings because they will air again later in the week.

    One of the main reasons I write this blog is to share information about endangered species with the hope of creating awareness and inspiring others to make a difference. So when I have the opportunity to give something away to my readers that not only educates, but also inspires them to “Cause an Uproar” … well, I just can’t say no.

    In honor of my favorite big cat, the tiger, and tonight’s Big Cat Week episode Tiger Dynasty, I am giving away a Nat Geo WILD Big Cat Week prize pack valued at $80 that will include: Plush Lion, Tiger or Lion hat scarf, Big Cats 2013 calendar, Cause an Uproar hat, and Just Lion Around onesie.

    Nat Geo WILD Big Cat Week Prize Pack

    Enter to win this Big Cat Week prize pack sponsored by Nat Geo WILD using the Rafflecopter entry form below. There are many ways to enter and you can use the tweet entry once a day. Winners will be selected on Sunday, December 16 at 11:59 p.m. PST and announced within 24 hours.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway
    //d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js

    Winners will be selected using Rafflecopter. I reserve the right to draw another winner if I am unable to get a mailing address in a timely manner. Giveaway is only open to residents of the contiguous US. Please make sure I can contact you to notify you if you have won (leaving a valid email address in your comment is a great way). Winners will first be announced on Life with Dylan’s Facebook page, so if you’re not a fan of us on Facebook, you may not know if you win.

  • Lions, Tigers & Leopards Oh my! Big Cat Week is coming on Nat Geo Wild

    It is no surprise that I love big cats – I think it is obvious that tigers are my favorite, but I love lions, leopards, jaguars and cheetahs too. They are all such beautiful animals. My son and I spend much of our television viewing hours watching Nat Geo Wild and I am constantly amazed at the cinematography.

    One of the items on our family bucket list is to travel to Africa and go on a real safari to see these animals up close in their natural habitat, so you can imagine how excited we were to see a segment on 60 minutes featuring award-winning filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert. The Jouberts have been photographing and filming Africa’s lions for 30 years now and living what some may call they perfect life. Their home sits in the middle of the Okavango Delta in Botswana and has the most amazing view. If you missed the segment you can see it here.

    This Sunday, December 9, kicks off the start of Big Cat Week on Nat Geo Wild – five nights of incredible big cat films, including some of the Joubert’s. These are stories told in a way that only National Geographic can tell them. Learn how these animals survive in a world that at times seems to be completely against them. Watch in amazement as you see human-like emotions on the faces of these big cats. If you love big cats like we do then I know you will be watching … and if you are new to Big Cat Week, I know you will not be disappointed.

    Be sure to read about National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiative and help Cause an Uproar!