Species UK
Over the course of years, we follow the dramatic life of Gober, the orang-utan mother. This is a scarcely believable but true story from Sumatra, the large Indonesian island. Gober is first noticed by conservationists when she struggles to meet her daily nutritional needs. It soon becomes clear that she is suffering from creeping sight loss, and her daughter will still be dependent on her for years to come.
Horse breeder Scott Engstrom has been trying for years to prove that the Apaloosa, a rare horse breed, came from Asia and not Spain. With only 109 true Appaloosas left in the world, the question is vital.
Samadhi is an ancient Sanskrit word meaning “we are one”. Through seven extraordinary stories of pure love and friendship, this film shows that the only existing barriers between humans and animals are actually those we have created ourselves. From the forests of Germany, where Tatjana was “adopted” by a pack of wolves, to the junglesof Borneo, where Shaulé’s best friend is a tiger, we will discover the magic of these unpredictable but deeply moving relationships.
The Shannon is Ireland’s greatest geographical landmark and the longest river in these islands. For 340 kilometers the river carves its way south through the heart of the country almost splitting Ireland in two. It is both a barrier and highway. On its journey, the Shannon passes through a huge palette of rural landscapes. “On a River in Ireland” offers a portrait of Ireland’s greatest geographical feature, using a lot of techniques and showing never before filmed Irish sequences and stories.
To the eclipse of the sun to Indonesia – In Indonesia the astronomer Gernot Meiser is hunting for the total solar eclipse. The search for the ideal vantage point for the fascinating natural phenomenon takes him across the island state. He witnesses a volcanic eruption, traverses the jungle, spice farms and tea plantations and finally lands on the Moluccas. Here, together with the local population, he experiences the unique heavenly phenomenon and captures it in spectacular pictures.
The darkest night of Scandinavia – In Europe, the special challenge is to find a clear night sky without light pollution. The journey takes us to the far north of Scandinavia. The astrofotographer arrives at Europe’s largest dugout dune, Rabjerg Mile, and finally to the Polar region, where spectacular northern lights complement the view of a starry sky – as our ancestors had experienced thousands of years ago.
In Chile we accompany the Iranian Babak Tafreshi on a trip to the Atacama Desert. It is considered to be the driest desert on Earth outside the polar regions: the best place in the world to observe the starry sky of the southern hemisphere. Babak is a master of his subject. His pictures show the Milky Way in a breathtaking way, but also the moon and stars seem to dance elegantly over the sky tent in his pictures.
Veganism is the new lifestyle of a young, healthy generation. Restaurants serve vegan haute cuisine, recipes for vegan cakes flood the Internet. It’s also a money-making area for research and business. Countless ways of replacing milk, eggs and sausage enter the market. But few realize that the manufacturing process involves biotechnology and additives. Being vegan without knowing about nutrients can lead to deficiencies, even death. Are we really on the threshold of a new, sustainable diet?
In this film, first-time father and prize-winning journalist Benoît Bringer investigates whether we should still eat meat. As the population grows and the pressure to provide cheap food increases, there has been a drive towards relentless productivity and industrialized farming. Animal cruelty, major health issues and environmental damage are inevitable consequences. We can all see the problem. But are there alternatives?
We investigate the commercialization of the natural world. Protecting our planet has become big business with companies promoting new environmental markets. This involves species banking, where investors buy up vast swathes of land, full of endangered species, to enable them to sell 'nature credits'. Companies whose actions destroy the environment are now obliged to buy these credits and new financial centres have sprung up, specializing in this trade.
This riveting documentary film explores the issues of loss of ecologically sensitive lands and the place and future of zoos in the twenty first century. The story revolves around the expansion plans of the Oakland Zoo into the ecologically sensitive park lands of beautiful Knowland Park. One of the many ironies revealed in this film is the Oakland's Zoo's intention to build a native California exhibit by destroying irreplaceable native Californian lands.
Take a close-up look at the amazing prehistoric crocodiles of Australia's tropical north.
Efforts to save this delightful endangered species of bandicoots, Sydney City to Surf fun run with the Two Tims, Canberra by bike: National Portrait Gallery, the Stromlo sporting complex and a Family of swans under the gaze of Federal Parliament.
About 6.5 million bats have died in the last six years in North America. A disease is driving the Little Brown Bats to extinction and causes mass mortalities among other bat species. The epidemic is still a riddle, but bat-experts piece together information like criminal investigators. The ingenuity of the scientists is captured through astonishing experiments and groundbreaking technology in an effort to understand this mysterious disease and learn more about this common yet unknown animal.
These child prodigies of the animal kingdom have feathers and beaks – and very special skills! The Keas of New Zealand like testing their brains and challenging tourists: they unscrew bottle-tops and tear open rucksacks. In New Caledonia crows are able to produce a whole set of tools, each designed for a particular purpose – the most intricate tool culture in the animal kingdom! These high flyers compete against each other: Keas vs Crows - the ultimate avian I.Q. test, with surprising results.
Unscrupulous investors, speculating on the disappearance of rare animals, and increased demand for animal products from Asia are pushing endangered animals into extinction. Worldwide, the illegal trade in endangered animals is booming. No longer just the work of individuals or small gangs, it is now dominated by well-organised and equipped international cartels. Wildlife poaching has become the most lucrative illegal business, after the trade in drugs and weapons...
«Bastion of the Giants» takes the world into an engrossing journey of the lives of Asian Elephants, and the stunning bio-diverse North Eastern jungles of India around the river Brahmaputra. The challenges of the survival of the Asian Elephant and other endangered species including Bengal Tigers, Indian Rhinos and more, with intense human animal conflicts as human populations explode around these ecological hotspots and ancient elephant lands.
When a female barn-owl's home - an old disused barn - is demolished, she has to seek a new place to live. On the way, flying through forests and across grasslands, she encounters most of the common owl species in Central Europe: long- and short- eared owls, little, tawny and eagle owls, some she can live peace- fully beside, others she must shun or risk becoming their prey. During her journey, the film shows how owls fly so silently and hunt so efficiently.
Butterflies are often synonymized with warm summer days, unspoiled nature and a healthy environment. Its miraculous transformation from caterpillar to remarkable winged beauty has been a point of constant intrigue. However, in the last few years, many have observed a decrease in the butterfly population. A much-discussed topic in the entomological society is the decline of the insect populace, but to what extent is this topic relevant to our beloved butterflies?
Every year from late March to early April, large migrating flocks of egrets and herons arrive from Japan and settle in North East China to nest, mate and rear their young.
