Customer Reviews

Living Edens - Madagascar: A World Apart [VHS]

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This video contains nature photography at its finest. The Living Eden series as a whole is excellent, but this one especially stands out, as it takes you for a bird's, bug's, or lemur's eye tour of the "Eighth Continent" (the name given by Peter Tyson in his excellent book of that name, which I also highly recommend).

Touring the island's rain forests, dry forests, unique spiny deserts, wetlands, mountains, and the tsingy region (area of bizarre razor-sharp limestone pinnacles that lie as close together as trees in a forest), the filmmakers present you with extraordinary glimpses of a variety of vertebrates and invertebrates and the habitats they live in. Watch a playful ringtail lemur family as it feeds, snoozes, or basks in the morning sun, youngsters frolicing around with other playmates from the troop. Witness the return of life in the island's arid regions with the coming of the rainy season, as frogs vigorously pursue mates while fat-tailed dwarf lemurs emerge from months of aestivation in tree hollows and Madagascar kingfishers feed on the rich bounty of insects and fish. Be a part of the drama of the hunt for prey as the island's largest carnivore, the cat-like mongoose relative known as the fossa, chases a family of lemurs from tree to tree in hot pursuit. Particularly fascinating is the coverage of the island's rich chameleon fauna, the bulk of the world's species, as you see that their color-changing abilities are not generally for hiding but for signaling intentions to rivals and potential mates in often bold displays of color and pattern. Other animals covered include birds of prey, snakes, walking sticks, mantises, butterflies, turtles, and iguanas.

Though showing unspoiled Eden-like paradise, the video touches on the fact that the vast majority of the island has been deforested and many species are either very rare or extinct due to massive habitat destruction. One scene of such devastation is shown at the end as men deliberately burn some papyrus marshland around the island's largest lake, home to one of the rarest of lemur species, a type of "bamboo lemur." Dwelling in the reedbeds around the island, it is poignant and touching to watch these lemurs call out to another and attempt to flee the approaching flames.

Stay tune for the credits, which include footage of the filmmakers in action over the rough terrain of the island, dealing with the waterways, harsh terrain, and the local wildlife. Particularly amusing were shots of local animal reactions to the fimmakers and their equipment.

Super views of Madagascar landscape. Fun and educational at the same time. Lots of creatures to watch - lots of sounds. It is a great video!

This is one of my favorite videos in the "Living Edens" series...and I've seen them all! The film makers went to great lengths to portray the uniqueness of the wildlife and environment of Madagascar. Maya Angelou's narration is wonderful. If you enjoy nature documentaries, this one is a great choice for the whole family.

This video is wonderful! You travel thru luscious rainforest to find amazing indigenous creatures that take your breath away. You learn all about their biology, behavior & conservation issues - all presented in such an entertaining & riveting way. I actually watched it twice back-to-back because it really is a great trip to another land that I wanted to re-live over & again!

A+++++ This is an AMAZING video. It captivates audiences of all ages and keeps them waiting for the next unique, jaw-dropping shot. Trust me, if you are at all curious about madagascar, you WILL want this video!

During a recent documentary film festival in Antananarivo, the capital of madagascar, this film wowed viewers for its amazing camera-work and phenomenal interpretation of the daily lives of some of Madagascar's most endangered fauna. Capturing incredible scenes ranging from mating to feeding to playing, "Madagascar: A World Apart" accurately tells numerous stories about the habits of the big red island's endemic fauna. In this film you will see the bizarre Aye-aye feeding on grubs hidden in rotten trees from an incredible inside-the-tree perspective, watch the rare Fosa, Madagascar's largest carnivore, stalk lemurs through the tree tops, and you will feel very small as remarkable camera work reveals the intricate workings of the lives of many of Madagascar's unique insects. The film travels through many of Madagascar's unique ecosystems, from the lush rainforests of the Masoala Peninsula, to the spiny forest of the southwest. If you are interested in Madagascar's biodiversity, this film is a must-see.