The Best TV Shows on Animal Planet

Every Animal Planet Show Ranked From Best To Worst

Leading the pack on Animal Planet are The Crocodile Hunter and Call of the Wild, with their initial broadcasts in 1997 and 2000. Our curated list, current as of December 2025, showcases over 20 of Animal Planet’s highest-rated series. Boasting a rich catalog, Animal Planet features more than 20 shows, with broadcasting dates ranging from 1997 to 2024.

  • Brotherhood of Lions
    Brotherhood of Lions (2024)10.0

    A story of the daily lives and struggles of five young lions in the Black Rock region of Kenya’s Masai Mara reserve. Born in 2017, the lions were given names by the Masai people to suit their personalities: Olumina, the lame one, is the most sexually active but has difficulty walking. Olosiadu, the stay-behind, is cautious and often isolates himself. Lorkulup, the tag-along, has a permanent runny nose that hinders him from hunting with his brothers. Orpadan, the hunter, is always in the lead and first to their prey. Oloborr, the sister-killer, is the strongest male and the boss of the group

  • The Crocodile Hunter Diaries
    The Crocodile Hunter Diaries (2002)9.0

    Discover Steve and Terri Irwin's life at the Australia Zoo and the incredible stories that unfold in front of the camera. From the birth of their daughter Bindi, to the amazing operations as they treat the wildest, most outrageous animals on the planet.

  • Too Cute
    Too Cute (2011)8.2

    Witness the miracle of cute, from a kitten's first tentative steps, to a puppy's first call to the wild. The first few months of their lives are an adorable adventure. These furry friends are simply too loveable, too curious, too cute!

  • Dogs 101
    Dogs 101 (2008)8.0

    Dogs 101 is a show that airs on the American cable TV channel Animal Planet. Dog trainers and breeding experts explored the advantages and disadvantages of various breeds of dogs.

  • How Do Animals Do That?
    How Do Animals Do That? (2019)8.0

    Animals do the most incredible things. They have super powers humans can only dream of. On How Do Animals Do That? new science and amazing demonstrations reveal the secrets of the animal world.

  • Monsters Inside Me
    Monsters Inside Me (2009)7.9

    Part horror movie, part medical detective story, find out what happens when people fall prey to an infection from a parasite, those nasty microscopic creatures found in water, soil and even in the air. Victims' stories are retold, including how doctors and scientists attempt to unravel each case before it's too late. Biologist Dan Riskin, assisted by doctors and experts who witnessed each case, leads the scientific discussion about each parasite.

  • Crikey! It's the Irwins
    Crikey! It's the Irwins (2018)7.9

    Follow Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin as they run the extraordinary Australia Zoo in the bushlands of northern Australia. Caring for over 1,200 animals, overseeing a world-class wildlife hospital, and conducting high-octane global conservation expeditions, the Irwins’ lives are full of adventure, fueled by their love of animals and passion for protecting them.

  • Pet Star
    Pet Star (2002)7.7

    Pet Star was a show on Animal Planet hosted by Mario Lopez. The show is a contest between owners and their trained pets who perform tricks. The tricks are graded by three celebrity judges on a scale of one to 10. In the end, the three pets with the highest score come out as finalists, and the audience votes on who is the episode's Pet Star. Then, at the end of the season, the winners compete to be the year's ULTIMATE PET STAR. The winner of a regular show gets $2,500, while the winner of the finals gets $25,000. There were many celebrity judges, including Gena Lee Nolin, Virginia Madsen, Will Estes, Lindsay Wagner, Matt Gallant, Mackenzie Phillips, Billy West, James Avery, George Wallace, Melissa Peterman, Christopher Rich, John O'Hurley, Vanessa Lengies, Dom Irrera, Carol Leifer, Andy Kindler, Melissa Rivers, Meshach Taylor, Kaley Cuoco, Rosa Blasi, Jeff Cesario, Karri Turner, Peter Scolari, Bruce Jenner, Fred Willard, Shari Belafonte, Josh Meyers, Lori Petty, Ben Stein, Richard Jeni, Ken Howard, Paul Gilmartin, Maria Menounos, Tempestt Bledsoe, David Brenner and Amy Davidson. Pet Star is based on the show Star Search. It is shown in the United Kingdom on Challenge.

  • Cats 101
    Cats 101 (2008)7.7

    Discover everything about your feline friend. This series highlights the frisky, feisty and contagiously cute behaviors that helped these cheeky creatures overtake dogs as the most popular pet in America. Learn about the various breeds, their genetic history, famous felines and quirky cat facts.

  • Meerkat Manor
    Meerkat Manor (2005)7.6

    Meerkat Manor is a British television programme produced by Oxford Scientific Films for Animal Planet International that premiered in September 2005 and ran for four series until its cancellation in August 2008. Blending more traditional animal documentary style footage with dramatic narration, the series told the story of the Whiskers, one of more than a dozen families of meerkats in the Kalahari Desert being studied as part of the Kalahari Meerkat Project, a long-term field study into the ecological causes and evolutionary consequences of the cooperative nature of meerkats. The original programme was narrated by Bill Nighy, with the narration redubbed by Mike Goldman for the Australian airings and Sean Astin for the American broadcasts. The fourth series, subtitled The Next Generation, saw Stockard Channing replacing Astin as the narrator in the American dubbing.

  • Tanked
    Tanked (2011)7.6

    Following the antics of two brothers-in-law as they run the largest aquarium manufacturing company in the nation, Tanked dunks viewers into the high-decibel, family-owned business of Acrylic Tank Manufacturing (ATM). Led by business partners, best friends and constant rivals Wayde King and Brett Raymer, this 13,000 square foot facility, located in Las Vegas, produces some of the most outrageous, larger-than-life and one-of-a-kind tanks for some of the most striking fish and clients around.

  • The Crocodile Hunter
    The Crocodile Hunter (1997)7.5

    Australian host Steve Irwin and his wife Terri run a wildlife refuge. Their shared passion is educating the world about wildlife, including the much feared crocodile and numerous venomous snakes. Steve's specialty is the capture and relocation of crocodiles. No animal appears too threatening to Steve, his true respect for animals is the foundation for everything he does.

  • My Cat from Hell
    My Cat from Hell (2011)7.4

    From cats that break up relationships to violent felines that put their owners in the hospital, cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy has seen it all. Follow Jackson as he brings his unique understanding of cats to desperate families on the verge of giving up on their furry companions.

  • River Monsters
    River Monsters (2009)7.3

    Extreme angler Jeremy Wade is on the hunt for fish with a taste for human flesh. This rip-roaring ride mixes action and adventure with mysteries, edge-of-the-seat chase and a battle of wills between man and nature.

  • Treehouse Masters
    Treehouse Masters (2013)6.8

    People who know and work with Pete Nelson describe him as a tree whisperer. For his part, Nelson lets the trees do the talking. He's a world-renowned treehouse designer and builder, and this series documents the work he and his team of craftsmen—including his son Charlie—do to create incredible homes and businesses in nature's canopy. Pete uses a combination of science and art to realize clients' sky-high aspirations of magnificent multi-bedroom treehouses with elaborate kitchens and bathrooms, or simpler, peaceful one-room escapes. Other backyard escapes featured in the series include a spa retreat, a brewery, and a honeymoon suite. "We awaken that inner child who dreams of living among the trees," Pete says.

  • The Last Alaskans
    The Last Alaskans (2015)6.8

    In 1980, the U.S. government banned new human occupation in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, a protected area, home to thousands of native animals and pristine terrain spanning roughly the size of South Carolina. Currently, only a handful of families spread across seven permitted cabins are allowed to remain in the refuge. Within less than 100 years, all remaining permits will reach expiration, and there will be no human presence left.

  • Jeremy Wade's Dark Waters
    Jeremy Wade's Dark Waters (2019)6.7

    Angler and biologist Jeremy Wade uncovers the bizarre, the weird and the mysterious as he investigates baffling, unsolved mysteries beneath the surface of dark waters.

  • Jeremy Wade's Mighty Rivers
    Jeremy Wade's Mighty Rivers (2018)6.3

    Jeremy Wade examines and explores some of the planet's largest waterways to understand how exploitation and pollution are contributing to the destruction of rivers that were once the lifeblood of communities.

  • Call of the Wild
    Call of the Wild (2000)5.9

    Call of the Wild is an adventure television series based on the best-selling novel of the same title by author Jack London. It was shown on Animal Planet. The thirteen episodes of Call of the Wild would later be released on DVD into 120 minute full length movie.

  • Finding Bigfoot
    Finding Bigfoot (2011)5.5

    From small towns in the South to remote areas of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, four eccentric but passionate members of the Bigfoot Field Research Organization (BFRO) embark on one single-minded mission - to find the elusive "creature" known as Bigfoot or the Sasquatch.