Super Cute Animals
Gordon Buchanan goes to meet the world's cutest animals to reveal their hidden biology and find out why people have such a strong emotional response to them.
There are all sorts of incredible species of animal in the world, but there are a few that we think are special. We love them for their big eyes or furry faces but we also fall for the sounds they make and the way they move - who doesn't love a waddling penguin? These animals have become online celebrities, with millions of us finding and sharing videos every day - a tiny snoring hummingbird or a sneezing panda is just too cute not to share.
Gordon Buchanan has dedicated his life to filming wildlife. He wants to understand why we have such a strong emotional response to these particular species. Why a baby panda makes us go all gooey or why a squeaking frog got over 11 million internet hits. Travelling to meet these super cute animals, he reveals the surprising science behind each of the animals we love so much, starting with one of the most iconic animals on the planet, the giant panda. The panda's beautiful markings set it apart, but it's that big round oversized head that makes it so unusual. Although we find the teddy bear look incredibly appealing, for the panda, the size of its head tells the story of millions of years of evolution and survival.
Gordon also meets the fennec fox, with big ears that look sweet but are actually crucial to the fennec's survival out in the Sahara. He travels to Kenya to meet young elephants learning how to perfect their trunk skills and discovers the surprising secret behind a penguin's comic waddle. He hangs out with Eli, a five-year-old chimpanzee whose giggle can give us new information about our own evolution, and discovers just why snoring can help a tiny hummingbird conserve enough energy to make it through the night.
Last on
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Why are baby animals so cute?
We are drawn affectionately and smiling, to their cute noses, fluffy faces and features.
Clips
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Super furry animals
Duration: 02:40
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Web exclusive: A script-reading with a chimp
Duration: 00:32
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Web exclusive: The ultimate cute response test!
Duration: 00:31
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A surprising squeak and a sweet little snore
Duration: 01:39
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
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00:00Lily Allen
As Long As I Got You
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00:01George Ezra
Cassy O'
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00:03Paloma Faith
Ready For The Good Life
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00:07The The
This is the day
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00:28George Ezra
Barcelona
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00:28George Ezra
Barcelona
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00:33Kimberly Anne
Girl next door
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Gordon Buchanan |
| Producer | Chloe Pearne |
| Director | Chloe Pearne |
| Series Producer | Sam Hodgson |
Broadcasts
Sun 15 Feb 2015 18:00- Tue 10 Mar 2015 09:05
- Mon 6 Apr 2015 16:45
- Wed 27 Jul 2016 14:25
- Sat 14 Jul 2018 09:00
- Wed 29 May 2019 16:15
- Mon 17 Feb 2020 14:00
- Sat 22 Feb 2020 11:00BBC Two Wales & Wales HD only
- Fri 11 Nov 2022 15:30BBC Two except Scotland
- Sat 2 Sep 2023 10:00BBC Two except Scotland
- Fri 22 Mar 2024 15:00BBC Two except Scotland
Featured in...
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How strong is your cute response?
Test your cute response in our quiz designed to get your dopamine firing.
Super cute facts
Fact files about the creatures featured in Super Cute Animals.