Thierry Berrod

Animals: Drugs, Sex and Fun!

It was long believed that animals only played to learn, only mated to reproduce and only took drugs by accident. But sometimes, they just do it for fun! Research has revealed that animals seek for pleasure just like humans do, and that there are many ways in which they enjoy themselves. Did you know that rats loved to play hide-and-seek? That primates played erotic games to ease tensions within their groups? Or that reindeers were quite fond of hallucinogenic mushrooms? Scientists show that this quest for pleasure – as wild as it can get – might even be a key of evolution and biodiversity! Combining the testimonies of international ethologists, scientific archives and sequences showing the animals in their natural habitats, this unusual documentary reveals the complexity of animal pleasure.

Animals: Drugs, Sex and Fun!

It was long believed that animals only played to learn, only mated to reproduce and only took drugs by accident. But sometimes, they just do it for fun! Research has revealed that animals seek for pleasure just like humans do, and that there are many ways in which they enjoy themselves. Did you know that rats loved to play hide-and-seek? That primates played erotic games to ease tensions within their groups? Or that reindeers were quite fond of hallucinogenic mushrooms? Scientists show that this quest for pleasure – as wild as it can get – might even be a key of evolution and biodiversity! Combining the testimonies of international ethologists, scientific archives and sequences showing the animals in their natural habitats, this unusual documentary reveals the complexity of animal pleasure.

Cougar: On the Trail of the Ghost Cat

In the heart of southern France there is a fog-prone area where, according to legend, a bloodthirsty creature wreaked havoc 250 years ago. A rumor is spreading again in this legendary place, as eyewitnesses report an animal with large paws and a long tail that crosses roads in a single leap - powerful enough to tear down a horse and leave it mutilated in the pasture. Is the Beast of Gévaudan back? The animal photographer Bruno Loisel has a supposedly more rational explanation. The animal that fits the descriptions could be a cougar, but this species of big cat is only native to America. In order to learn the proper techniques for tracking down the puma, he travels to Canada, where he accompanies a team of researchers dedicated to studying the shy, almost invisible predator. Will Bruno be able to use his findings to solve the mystery of the new beast of Gévaudan?

Urine's Superpowers

That smelly, pale yellow liquid that people flush down the toilet every day is an industrial fertilizer, a diagnostic tool, a medicine, a renewable energy resource; it is an inexhaustible substance that is produced daily in huge quantities. This is the golden story of urine.

Life on Us: A Microscopic Safari

This documentary is about microorganisms that live, compete, feed, and breed on the surface or in the depths of our bodies.