Animal Legends

Animal Legends

At three unique locations around the globe, this documentary series follows people who tell ancient stories and myths about the animals native to their area, and takes us on an exciting journey through the breathtaking landscape of Namibia, the endless frozen deserts of Greenland and the tropical Amazon.

Episode 1 - Of Lions and Men
For thousands of years, the San, the native bushmen of Namibia, lived as hunter-gatherers, in harmony with a breathtaking, but often hostile landscape. Many of their ancient myths and legends tell of a time when the souls of humans and animals had not yet been separated. Lions have always played an important role in these traditional stories, but now since many San live in villages and keep livestock, they find themselves increasingly in conflict with the big cats.

Episode 2 - Hunters of the Light
Nine-year-old Dani lives in a small village on the wild east coast of Greenland. Together with his father and great uncle, he is setting out on a journey to hunt musk ox. The two men are among the last hunters in Greenland, who still travel by dog sled. On their journey, Dani experiences the breathtaking landscapes, the Northern Lights dancing in the night sky and learns how important it is to look after and respect animals. The ancient myths and fairytales of the Inuit are woven into this fascinating journey.

Episode 3 - The Children of the Pink Dolphin
The native peoples of the Amazon consider the river dolphin, or boto as it is known, to be sacred, a messenger from the water goddess. In fact the boto is a mysterious animal. No one knows how many still exist as they tend to live in inaccessible areas of the Amazon and mankind is constantly destroying its habitat and with it the livelihood of the Amazon people. Even though Silvio left his remote village at quite an early age to move to Manaus to study, he still holds strongly to these ancient myths and legends that surround the boto. The more he encounters these dolphins on his travels on the world's largest river, the more fascinated he is by them.