Documentary and Reportage | universe
Universe: The rainforests of Nepal – In the kingdom of the red panda
The giant panda with its striking black and white fur is world famous. But few know its namesake: the little or red panda. Both are very distantly related, but they share a culinary preference for bamboo. Seen from the ice-capped peaks of the Himalayas, the sky often appears closer than the valley. Dense forests thrive on the slopes of mountain giants – seemingly endless and difficult for humans to penetrate. These remote forest areas are the perfect habitat for a particularly shy animal: the red panda. Hidden in the dense rhododendron forests and bamboo jungles of the Himalayas, their habitat lies between Nepal, Bhutan, India and China. Today there are only about 10,000 wild animals left. The lesser panda's impassable kingdom is characterized by monsoons, which bring months of rain and transform the lush forests into a misty, enchanted world. In the immediate vicinity, Hanuman langurs do gymnastics through magnolias, tragopan pheasants, which shine in all the colors of the rainbow, court and the smallest land mammal in the world, the Etruscan shrew, go hunting.
A documentary by Axel Gebauer
Image source: ORF/NDR Naturfilm and Axel Gebauer, Wildlife Filming&Photography/Axel Gebauer