Geographic Offers Videos on Grizzlies, Horses, Rapids

An entertaining and informative alternative to watching and re-watching old movies is science and nature videos.

Three recent National Geographic releases are eye- and mind-filling, every bit as captivating as the previous 19 titles. They are available at National Geographic ((800) 638-4077) if your neighborhood outlet doesn’t have them. All are 60 minutes long and priced at $29.98 (Vestron):

--”The Grizzlies”: A fascinating portrait of this powerful, intelligent and short-tempered creature from Yellowstone Park to the ranges of Alaska, with lots of breathtaking footage and facts. These big brown animals grow to about a ton but weigh a mere pound at birth; they can dash 50 yards in 3 seconds and can pick up the scent of food a couple of miles away (80 % of their diet is made up of berries, nuts, roots and greens). But where there used to be 50,000 grizzlies, now only about 900 are left in the contiguous 48 states, more than 200 of those in Yellowstone.

--”Himalayan River Run”: For those who have seen enough of people climbing toward the peak of Nepal’s Mt. Everest, this cassette offers the flip side: Five men drop more than 14,000 feet while negotiating the turbulent and icy white waters of the Dudh Kosi (Milk) River. Three tons of equipment had to be carried more than 100 miles before the descent could begin. At one stretch the men and their kayaks battled a stretch of 80 miles of white water that fell more than 11,000 feet. They spilled through the rocks and gorges so rapidly it seemed as if they had no time to think. The journey, covering 450 miles, took eight weeks.

--”Ballad of the Irish Horse”: Ireland’s horses--wild stallions, thoroughbreds and work ponies-- are still a vital part of Irish work, play and history. The climate and rich emerald grasses lend themselves to splendid photography. The devotion of the Irish to the horse, which in this video seems to be part of the landscape, is amazing.

It was in Ireland that steeplechase racing was born, when in 1752 two men raced horses across fields and over fences from the church steeple in one town to the steeple in another. Show jumping originated in Dublin.