Natural World is BBC Two’s classic wildlife series which tells in depth stories of incredible animals featuring award winning photography in some of the most extraordinary places in the world. Episode Pandas of The Sleeping Dragon – A rare look at giant pandas in their natural habitat in Central China. Wolong Shan, in Sichuan province is China’s main panda reserve, which is home to giant and red pandas and giant salamanders, as well as golden monkeys. Focuses on the predicament of the giant panda and on the lesser known red panda. The giant panda’s digestive system is more suited to meat eating yet, because it feeds almost exclusively on bamboo, which has a low nutritional value, the animal must feed virtually around the clock to survive. Other animals that live in the forests include parrot bills, bamboo rats, golden monkeys, tufted deer, wild dogs, golden pheasants and the takin, a distant relative of the musk ox. The giant salamander, known as the water dragon, the world’s largest amphibian is also to be found in the area. Natural World was initiated in 1983 as a wildlife specific spin-off to The World About Us, itself a long running documentary strand on BBC Two. David Attenborough has maintained a close association with Natural World throughout its long history, narrating or presenting around 50 episodes to date. In 2008, on the series 25th anniversary, he commented “I have no doubt that Natural World is not only the doyen and founding member of the 50-minute natural history genre but is still the one with the best and most distinguished record.
