DavidAttenborough爵士在这个迷人的自然纪录片中讲述在马达加斯加岛上生活的各种不同物种。因为远离非洲大陆，马达加斯加多年来未被发现，它的孤立使之成为进化的温床，本纪录片研究了各种在此陆地上土生土长的动物和植物。SirDavidAttenboroughnarratesthisfascinatingnaturedocumentaryserieswhichprofilesthevarietyofdifferentspeciesthatliveontheislandofMadagascar.BecauseofitsdistanceawayfromtheAfricancontinent,Madagascarremainedundiscoveredformanyyearsanditsisolationfrommanhasallowedittobecomeahotbedofevolution.ThisseriesexaminesthevariousdifferentanimalsandplantsthatareindigenoustoMadagascarandthereasonwhichsetitapartfromanywhereelseontheplanet.Episode1:IslandofMarvelsLength:00:59:02Madagascar,theworld’soldestisland,brokeofffromAfricaandIndiaandhasbeenonitsownformorethan70millionyears.Insplendidisolation,ithasevolveditsveryownwildlife-morethan80percentofitisfoundnowhereelse.Andthatwildlifeisquiteextraordinary.Inthisepisode,werevealtheisland’smostbizarreanddramaticplaces,andtheuniquewildlifethathasmadeitshomeineach,thankstothegeologyandisolationofthisAlice-in-Wonderlandworld.Thestarsarethelemurs,Madagascar’sownprimates.Afamilyofindrisleapslikegymnastsamongrainforesttrees;andcrownedlemursscamperaroundMadagascar’sweirdestlandscape,therazor-sharplimestonetsingy,whichlookslikesomethingfromanotherplanet.Andsifakas,ghostlywhitelemurs,movelikeballerinasacrosstheforestfloor.Madagascar’swildlifeisfamouslystrange.Brightredgiraffe-neckedweevilsusetheirneckstobuildleafnestswiththecomplexityoforigami.Chameleonsstalktheforests,nonemoreintriguingthanthepygmychameleon,theworld’ssmallestreptile,delicatelycourtingafemaleinitsgiantworld.Thefearsomefossa,Madagascar’sonlybigmammalpredator,looksforamate-15metresupatree.Andinthesouthern’spinydesert’,aspiderhaulsanemptysnailshell,30timesitsownweight,upintoabushasashelter;somethingneverbeforefilmed,andpossiblyneverobservedinthewildbefore.Attheendoftheepisode,wego’behindthecamera’,torevealthechallengesofcapturingthebehaviourofthelittle-knownwildlifeofthisisland.Howdoyougoaboutfilmingarare,secretivelemurthatlivesinthemiddleofMadagascar’sbiggestlake?Episode2:LostWorldsLength:00:59:05DavidAttenboroughtellsthestoryofoneofthemostintriguingwildplacesonearth:Madagascar,ahugeislandofdramaticlandscapes,wherethewildlifeisstrangeandunique;someofithasbeenfilmedfortheveryfirsttime.Inthisepisode,wetraveldeepintoMadagascar’smostluxuriantlandscape;therainforeststhatcloaktheisland’seasternmountains.Remoteandmysterious,thislittle-knownregionoftoweringpeaksandprecipitousescarpmentsishometooverhalfofallMadagascar’suniquespecies.NarratedbyDavidAttenborough,thissecondepisodeshowcasesanamazingcollectionofwildlife,manyofwhichhaveneverbeforebeenfilmed.Cyanide-eatinglemurs,cannibalisticfrogs,meat-eatingplants,crypticleaf-tailedgeckos,tadpole-eatingwasps,tunnel-diggingchameleonsandhouse-proudflycatchersarejustsomeoftheweirdandwonderfulwildlifefeaturedinthisprogramme.Alongthiscoast,everycliffandvalleyislikealostworldwherenaturehasrunriot.AmongstthebouldersfieldsoftheAndringitraHighlands,afewhardytroopsofringtailedlemursmaketheirhome.Moreathomeinthehotsouthernforests,theseekeoutalivingatthetopofthecoldestmountainontheisland.Tofightthesub-zerocoldtheyhavedevelopedthickcoatsandcanonlysurvivethefreezingnightsbyhuddlingtogetherinrockycrevices.Inthishigh’desert’,theymusteatcactiformoisture.Butdescendjustafewhundredmetresandit’saverydifferentworld,wheredenseforestsarepermanentlyshroudedinclouds.TheMarojejyMassifisthelastsanctuaryofoneofMadagascar’srarestlemurs,theelusive,ghostlywhitesilkysifaka.TherearethoughttobeonlytwohundredoftheseplayfulandendearingcreaturesleftonEarth.Episode3:LandofHeatandDustLength:00:58:30Madagascarisanislandofextremes.Whiletheeastiscloakedinsoakingrainforest,thewestandsouthisalmostadesert.Thisisascorchinglandscapewhereitmightnotrainforninemonthsoftheyear,andsomeyearsnotatall.Tolivehere,youhavetobeaspecialist.Theanimalsandplantsofthedrysouthernlandsarestrangerandmoremysteriousthanonanyotherpartoftheisland,andtheirstrategiesforsurvivingthedrynessareextraordinary.Verreaux’ssifaka,akindoflemur,livesinMadagascar’s’spinyforest’wheretreeshavesavagespikes,andsomedriptoxicchemicals.Amongstthebulboustreesofthebaobabforests,huge-eyedmouselemurs,theworld’ssmallestprimates,emergeatnighttofeedonthesugarydroppingsofbizarrefluffybugs.Whenatlasttherainscome,everythingchanges.Labord’schameleonistheshortest-livedlandvertebrateintheworld.Thisstrikinganimallivesjust12weeksfromhatchingtoadulthood.Itspentninemonthsinaneggandhasonlythreemonthstopackintherestofitslife.TheseanimalsarealluniquetoMadagascar,andexquisitelyadaptedtotheisland’sseasonalchanges.Butthisisnottheironlychallenge.MuchofMadagascar’sextraordinarywildlifeisunderthreat,fromhuntingandlossofhabitat,andnonemoresothaninthesouthoftheisland.DavidAttenboroughsays,’WearestillunravellingthemysteriesofMadagascar’swildlife.Howtragicitwouldbe,toloseitbeforewe’veevenunderstoodit’.Episode4:AttenboroughandtheGiantEggLength:00:58:47DavidAttenboroughreturnstotheislandofMadagascaronaverypersonalquest.In1960hevisitedtheislandtofilmoneofhisfirsteverwildlifeseries,ZooQuest.Whilsthewasthere,heacquiredagiantegg.Itwastheeggofanextinctbirdknownasthe’elephantbird’-thelargestbirdthateverlived.Ithasbeenoneofhismosttreasuredpossessionseversince.Fiftyyearsolder,henowreturnstotheislandtofindoutmoreaboutthisamazingcreatureandtoseehowtheislandhaschanged.Couldtheelephantbird’sfateprovidelessonsthatmayhelpprotectMadagascar’sremainingwildlife?UsingZooQuestarchiveandspeciallyshotlocationfootage,thisfilmfollowsDavidasherevisitsscenesfromhisyouthandmeetspeopleatthefrontlineofwildlifeprotection.Onhisreturn,scientistsatOxfordUniversityareabletorevealforthefirsttimehowoldDavid’seggactuallyis-andwhatthatmighttellusaboutthelegendaryelephantbird.
