PBS Nature . The Himalayas.

Documentary looking at the wildlife of the most stunning mountain range in the world, home to snow leopards, Himalayan wolves and Tibetan bears.

Snow leopards stalk their prey among the highest peaks. Concealed by snowfall, the chase is watched by golden eagles circling above. On the harsh plains of the Tibetan plateau live extraordinary bears and square-faced foxes hunting small rodents to survive. In the alpine forests, dancing pheasants have even influenced rival border guards in their ritualistic displays. Valleys carved by glacial waters lead to hillsides covered by paddy fields containing the lifeline to the East, rice. In this world of extremes, the Himalayas reveal not only snow-capped mountains and fascinating animals but also a vital lifeline for humanity.

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Ants - Nature's Secret Power

What animal has achieved immortality? 
What animal is the most warlike? 
What animal has the greatest supercity on the planet? 
Not man but ants. 
They are the real success story. It is only their tiny size and our vanity that allows us to hold onto the myth of our supremacy. Ants rule the planet. They are found in more habitats from far northern Finland to the sweltering tropics. The largest colony known of these insects is in Japan, where 306 million ants, with 1 million queens, in 45,000 colonies spread over 270 hectares. The fiercest warriors on earth are the slave maker ants. Other ants have barracks and sentry posts to protect themselves against surprise attack. Bert Hoelldobler, friend of world renowned scientist Edward Wilson, is a world authority on these amazing animals. He has dedicated his life, travelling around the world, to understand these. Through his eyes and his words we will be transported into the world of the ants. A world more wonderful and bizarre than any science fiction. "Ants" will reveal this alien world for the first time, in the company of a true authority and enthusiast. Winner of: International Wildlife Film Festival Missoula (USA): "Best TV-Program" and "Best Educational Value" & NaturVision 2005: Best International Contribution. 

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Best Camera

Alien Insect: Praying Mantis

The film enters the world of a real-life alien -  the praying mantis, and shows the life cycle and behavior of the most formidable and rarest representatives of the mantis family, including several that have never been filmed before.

World-wide, there exist some 2,200 species of this bizarre insect family, most of them in the subtropical and tropical zones, a few in the temperate zones of the Old an the New World. Wherever they live and whatever their size, they share one gruesome feature: Every mantis is a perfect killing machine, a living steel trap.

 Anything but prayerful, mantises prey on everything that moves and can be overwhelmed. 

This macro documentary shows the life cycle and behavior of the most formidable and rarest representatives of the mantis family, including several that have never beeen filmed before.

'Praying Mantis' is another blue-chip production from the master workshop of award-winning filmmaker Kurt Muendl. Programmes like 'An Everyday Monster' about the house fly, 'Shadow hunters' about scorpions or 'Messengers of the Gods' about butterflies have made the macro expert world-renowned. His most recent film about the Iceman has also been featured as a movie. 'Praying Mantis' promises to be another first-grade macro masterpiece.

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