The Animal Extractors (National Geographic Channel)

The show offers plenty of animal-centric action, adventure, and suspense and could likely both entertain and educate tweens and older kids. But parents should preview the content before approving it for viewers younger than that, as the behavior of both the animals and their rescuers can be confusing -- and more than a little scary -- without ample background information. Expect to answer questions about animals' aggressive survival instincts, like scratching, clawing, and biting. You may also need to explain some of the experts' techniques that might seem cruel at first glance, including the use of tranquilizer guns, tagging and tattooing wildlife for tracking purposes, and using young animals' cries to draw their mothers into the open for capture. Take the opportunity to remind kids about the hazards of approaching any strange animal, and take note -- although the show's focus is on humane animal removal, the topic of euthanasia occasionally arises (in cases where state law allows it).

On the positive side, The Animal Extractors encourages kids to think about the negative effect that the ever-growing human population has on the environment and wildlife. The show touches on the hazards of urban sprawl and humans' careless lifestyles, as well as the dwindling natural wildlife habitats -- all of which is good fodder for family discussion.