From March to November 2006, BBC aired 11 episodes of Planet Earth – a monumental nature documentary, taking the viewers on a breathtaking journey across the full length and breadth of the globe. The multimillion pound budget was spent wisely to get an expert team and top-notch technology and together, they captured some never-before spectacular footage of flora and fauna from different habitats. Now that popular and highly enlightening TV series is being presented as a 5-DVD box set and it is a welcome addition to the home video-world.

One doesn’t have to be a nature enthusiast or an environmentalist to appreciate the beauty and significance of this series. Watching some wonderful natural sights like a polar bear coming out of his burrow after a six month hibernation, a pack of wild dogs hunting a deer in tandem, mountain-goats grazing on a sheer cliff, a snow leopard making its kill, penguins conducting a concerted march, gazelles going on a miles-long migration, a white shark snapping up on its prey and dolphins frolicking in water makes us understand how diverse and beautiful our planet really is. From the heights of Himalayas to the deserts of Sahara to the rain-forests of South America to the depths of the Atlantic to the freezing cold of the Arctic- each region has its own story to tell, its own living trophies to display.

But the aim of this series is not just to display those natural wonders. David Attenborough’s insightful commentary and the interspersing expert-interviews make us aware that how so many species of animals and plants have now come on the verge of extinction. Human-induced problems like global warming, deforestation, pollution and poaching are now threatening to destroy the bewitching biodiversity of our world and the day is not far, when the human race itself may face the same fate. Planet Earth is a must-watch series- watch it with your family! It informs, it educates and yes, it entertains, too!