Product Details

• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Nat'l Geographic Vid
• VHS Release Date: July 8, 1997
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304475845
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #299,894 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Secrets of the Wild Panda follows in the tradition of National Geographic's best biographies, which profile scientists and the animals they study around the world. Much like Jane Goodall: My Life with the Chimpanzees, this video offers viewers a full portrait of both the humans and the animals involved, in this case, a Chinese scientist who has spent 10 years in the remote mountains of central China studying the elusive panda bear. He is searching for clues that may help this animal defy extinction. Since zoologists have had no luck with panda reproduction in captivity, the animals must be saved in the wild. One in 10 pandas lives in captivity, and these bears are, by far, the most popular and profitable of zoo animals. Shy and seldom aggressive, pandas eat for 14 hours a day and consume more than 80 pounds of bamboo. But in China the bears' food source is being taken away. In fact, their forest range has declined by half since about 1980. Amazingly, the Chinese scientist and his student make a rare discovery of a newborn cub, which they hope will teach them how panda babies survive. They name her Hope and her mother, Double Lucky. A riddle remains unsolved in how these humans can touch the infant panda without causing the mother to reject her like other species might. While this video focuses on the pandas, viewers will also learn a bit about Chinese geography and culture. Most noteworthy is the scientist's passion for pandas; through him we all have the opportunity to learn about this reclusive and endangered animal. --Cristina Del Sesto

Product Description

Hope for their survival rests in our hands...Come with National Geographic to the remote Qin Ling mountains of central China where, amidst the steep cliffs and bamboo forests, a remarkable research team has spent ten longs years with wild pandas. Their work is critical now, because these well-known creatures are in dire jeopardy. The offspring of captive pandas are rare and sickly compared to those naturally raised, and scientists race to discover why before their habitats and populations disappear. Watch the scientists make their critical discovery, a tiny seven-week-old cub they name Xi Wang, and see for the first time the nurturing behavior of a female panda. For more than a year, in harsh conditions, the team tracks and observes the mother and her cub, documenting its scientifically crucial development to maturity. Xi Wang means Hope, for the study of her life may well save her entire species - revealing how to improve their survival rate in the wild and their care in captivity. Already she has revealed many SECRETS OF THE WILD PANDA.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very engaging, September 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: National Geographic's Secrets of the Wild Panda [VHS] (VHS Tape)

my four year old daughter and I found this channel surfing on public television. She was totally enagaged. As she was born in China, I ordered it and it is a regular watch for after dinner. It is interesting (baby pandas bark, did you know that?) and as is typical with National Geographic, beautifully filmed.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and moving, July 2, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: National Geographic's Secrets of the Wild Panda [VHS] (VHS Tape)

My 18-month-old son absolutely loves this video. As soon as he hears the music, he runs to the TV with a smile on his face. I think he loves the beauty and charm of the pandas, and I think he really responds to the care and affection on the faces of the scientists who study these gentle creatures. As for me, I really enjoy the literate narration and the close-up filming that allows us to feel the emotions of the scientists. My son watches this video at least twice a day, and this documentary is so well done that I still enjoy watching it with him. (We're on week 4, at least, so at 2+ viewings per day, we've seen this at least 56 times!)