In “Nepal’s Rainforests – In the Realm of the Red Panda” on January 16th at 8:15 p.m. on ORF 2
Vienna (OTS) – Viewed from the ice-covered peaks of the Himalayas, the sky often seems closer than the valley. Dense forests thrive on the slopes of the 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. Hardly filmed in the wild so far, the world of the red panda opens up in the “Universum” documentary “Nepal’s Rainforests – In the Realm of the Red Panda” by Axel Gebauer on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at 8:15 p.m. on ORF 2 as an exotic wonderland. A habitat full of flowering plants and misty jungles, which it shares with rare animals such as leopards, tragopans and takins.
The giant panda with its striking black and white fur is world famous. But only a few know its namesake: the little or red panda. Both are only very distantly related to each other, but share a culinary preference for bamboo. The locals call the rare animals “Ponja”, “bamboo eater”. This gave rise to the name “Panda”.
Little pandas live very secluded lives in areas between around 1,500 and 4,000 meters above sea level. 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 around 10,000 wild animals left. The impassable realm of the lesser panda is characterized by the monsoon, which brings months of rain and transforms the lush forests into an enchanted misty world. Although lesser pandas are classified as predators, their diet is mainly plant-based, rarely small animals and eggs. Bamboo shoots are their main source of food, which they must consume in large quantities as bamboo has little nutritional value. Therefore, the animals spend most of the day resting in the forks of the treetops to save energy.
Whether fire fox, cat bear or golden dog – little pandas have many names. Their origins have not yet been scientifically clarified. They are probably the only representatives of their own marten family. In their immediate neighborhood, Hanuman langurs exercise through magnolia trees, tragopan pheasants court court, which shimmer in all the colors of the rainbow, and the world’s smallest land mammal, the Etruscan shrew, goes hunting. Takines climb the steep walls effortlessly on almost vertical ground. This species of ungulate has a special “brake” on its hoof.
The documentary follows the female panda Tashi through a whole year. Having hardly ever been filmed in the wild, the film provides insights into the little-known way of life of this rare animal species. The “Universum” production captures the everyday search for food, choosing a partner and raising offspring in impressive images. It shows the not always smooth coexistence with forest neighbors, such as loud gangs of monkeys, as well as the special defense strategies against unpleasant residents such as leopards and ruffed bears. The growth of a small female panda is documented in detail – from the first opening of her eyes to the first walk in the forest in the shadow of the 8,000 meter high peaks. The red pandas’ limited habitat is increasingly threatened by deforestation and poaching. The “universe” portrait makes it clear how urgent it is to quickly tighten protective regulations.