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As Seen on TBS
On Madagascar, only the birds may come and go as they please. Natives say that even the souls of the dead may not leave but transform themselves into lemurs, whales or fish. Creatures isolated for centuries have reproduced in amazing variety - in fact, two-thirds of all the chameleon and lizard species on earth are found here. Once a refuge for pirates, this island off the east coast of Africa now provides safe haven for another voyager of the high seas, Jacques Cousteau. To Cousteau and his fellow travelers, the entire island seems haunted by mischievous animal-bound spirits. Most feared of them all is the aye-aye - the world's rarest mammal - which ancient superstition has dubbed evil. Caught unawares by the Cousteau cameras, its true nature is revealed. Inland, a cave dive results in an even more surprising encounter with a prehistoric and blind cave fish. Trading scuba gear for miner's lamps and hiking boots, the explorers go underground to penetrate the Ankarana. Like a giant bed of nails, the impregnable fortress of jagged hills rises from the heart of Madagascar. These cliffs of ancient coral sharpened by water and wind enclose virgin forest - a small pocket of primeval time captive in a stone prison. Join Jacques Cousteau as he rediscovers an island so rich in natural abundance, it may have no parallel on Earth.
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2009 DVD Releases
Africa