Invaders, The

When animals occupy new territory, they can wreak havoc. Coyotes in North America, African hippos in Colombia, Nutria rodents in the U.S. and feral pigs in Australia are overrunning environments where they don't belong.

Giant swamp rats are taking over the U.S. and destroying fragile ecosystems from Maryland to Oregon. The rodent, known as nutria, is native to Argentina, but was introduced to the U.S. during a "get-rich-quick" scheme to farm the animals for their fur. Now there are 20 million in Louisiana alone, and Nat Geo WILD is on the front lines with experts trying to curtail the invasive species.

Australia is being overrun by an invader. At as many as twenty-three million strong, feral pigs have already caused untold damage, and further destruction is inevitable if they're not stopped. Highly intelligent, hardy, and adaptable feral pigs are thriving in the land down-under. Here, they're endangering native species, spreading disease, destroying farmland, and even attacking people. Deliberately introduced by humans centuries ago, now its up to humans to keep their populations in check. Scientists and citizens are now resorting to a range of methods to defend their country.

Major cities in the United States are in the grip of an invisible invasion. More and more people are falling victim to one of mans oldest parasitic pests, one that lives in colonies hidden in our furniture and literally drinks our blood while we sleep: bed bugs. From apartments in New York to caves in Arizona, join researchers, entomologists and exterminators as they struggle to better understand bed bugs and find ways for us to survive the impending bed bug invasion.

As human development sprawls and moose populations expand, these largest members of all deer species are increasingly rubbing shoulders with mankind. While these animals, which can weigh up to 1800 pounds, usually avoid human interactions, they can become quite dangerous. Each year, more than 200 motorists in the U.S. die and another 29,000 are injured due to vehicle collisions with moose and other deer species. In Prince George, British Columbia, moose have even taken up residence just off airport runways. Follow renowned moose experts as they examine the problems moose can bring to communities - including attacks on humans - and explore how man and moose can live together peacefully.

Masters of stealth and hardwired to survive, coyotes have colonized many of the sprawling urban habitats of North America. Abundant food and protection from predators have allowed this adaptable animal to not only survive but thrive in our human world. While usually skittish, attacks on small pets have become more frequent. And in rare cases, these cunning predators attack humans. In California, a 2-year-old girl was dragged from a playground by a coyote. She survived, but a young woman hiking in Nova Scotia, was not so lucky. Now join researchers, scientists, trappers, and police officers as they try to determine the best ways to stay safe when living amongst these clever canines.