Another episode from the National Geographic Living Edens series, that was made from 1997-2003.
This one looks at nature and culture in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, which has a variety of terrain, stretching from the high and barren plateaus to the lush tropics.
It is once again a very sympathetic look at Buddhist culture and its interaction with the wildlife and landscapes where it is situated, where there is a much greater balance in the eco-system and hunting is forbidden.
Throughout the film we return to an unknown traditional painter at work as he paints a canvas full of the kingdom’s wildlife, which we then switch to in real life.
Starting in the high plateaus of the mountains and moving gradually down to the foothills, we see a variety of creatures: bhariyal, vultures, red pandas, deer, buffalo, golden langur, horn-bills and elephants.
The whole is framed within a traditional Buddhist story of the four harmonious friends, which tells how an elephant, monkey, rabbit and a bird help each other and live in harmony.
