The "Nature" crew follows a unit of Chinese nature photographers to a beautiful, lush valley in the eastern Himalayas, situated in Yunnan Province, where they locate a group of families of snub-nosed snow monkeys and decide to focus on two new-born baby males whom they determine to be half-brothers. The episode then follows the progress of the babies over the next six months through fall and winter. One of the babies, dubbed a "prince" by the narrator (BD Wong), is cosseted by his mother with parenting help from the others in her family, while the other baby is practically abandoned by his mother and only occasionally cared for by his father and some of the other adults in his group. Tragedy strikes when a rival tribe led by an alpha male "pirate king," in the words of the narrator, descends on the valley and basically takes over this group of families. Left to fend for himself, the second baby figures out how to survive on the ample pickings of the valley's vegetation and stays near enough the group to occasionally meet and play with his brother on those rare occasions when the brother is allowed out of his mother's protective grasp. It has a happier ending than many "Nature" episodes and gives us a beautifully photographed look at endearing monkey toddlers who each have distinct personalities. We occasionally see the valley's human inhabitants, a group of Tibetans who herd yaks and live chiefly on foodstuffs derived from yak butter. As more Chinese discover the valley and find ways to enter it and harvest some of the herbs growing there, we are left to ponder the fate of these snow monkeys as the outside world encroaches.
2 Reviews
An intimate experience of a family of unique monkeys thru harshest Hymalayan to steamy Shangri-La.
marcia-arts14 February 2016
-- A beautiful narration for this amazing film ~ by the gifted B.D. Wong, is one of the best I have ever enjoyed!!
-- These rare monkeys were recently discovered in the harsh regions of the Himalayas. Chinese scientists sent a team of trackers & film-makers to record the lives & to map their range ... so that they can begin to understand the individuals & the troops and to protect the monkeys. (In the process they found (at extreme hi altitudes), a lush, warm valley dense with flowering plants, trees & nourishing fruit! ... Enjoy!
-- note: I rarely find work of this caliber... I've already seen it 3 times and expect to see it more!
-- These rare monkeys were recently discovered in the harsh regions of the Himalayas. Chinese scientists sent a team of trackers & film-makers to record the lives & to map their range ... so that they can begin to understand the individuals & the troops and to protect the monkeys. (In the process they found (at extreme hi altitudes), a lush, warm valley dense with flowering plants, trees & nourishing fruit! ... Enjoy!
-- note: I rarely find work of this caliber... I've already seen it 3 times and expect to see it more!
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