A new TV series by NHK, Life force: evolution never ends started last night. This is a special series program broadcasted for six weeks every Sundays at 9 pm.
Life force is a nature documentary like Life series by BBC. The picutures present some of the most rare animals on earth and their life. The camera work is brilliant. NHK spent three years to film the animals and the changes in life events through seasons are beautifully presented. They use a high-speed camera to capture the quick movements of animals.
What, however, is very interesting is that the Japanese version of this program has a totall different title, Hotspots: the last paradise. NHK explains on its web page that the program shows endangered animals in so-called biodiversity hotspots. It's true that the regions that the program cover are designated as biodiversity hotspots, but the content of the program is more about the evolution of animals than the biodiversity at risk. In fact, NHK fails to mention about the key characteristics of hotspots that they are the most threatened and fragle ecosystems. NHK says on its webpage that biodiversity hotspots are modern-day Noah's ark and a paradice for animals. I think this is a big mistake and suppresses the fact that hotspots are threatened ecosystems and require urgent conservation actions.
For many people in Japan, this may be the first time that they hear biodiversity hotstpots. It is unfortunate that no scientifically valid explantion of the terminology is given in the program.
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