by Naresh Bedi  / 50 mins

Cherub of the Mist unravels the mystery behind the secretive life of this little cherub of the treetops and brings alive the irresistible charms of Ailurus fulgens - the fire cat. This is first time the Red Pandas have been filmed in the wild, courting, mating, nest building and rearing their newly-born cubs.

Due to the forbidding terrain of its mountain habitat, Red Pandas have successfully eluded biologists and photographers even though the French naturalist Fredrick Cuvier discovered them in 1821. There is hardly any significant film or photographic record of the natural history of this species in the wild. This strikingly handsome bamboo eating carnivore, a taxonomic enigma, has been fighting its battle for survival in the eastern Himalayas alone.

Follow Dr. Pradhan’s involvement in the successful reintroduction of two panda, Mini and Sweety, in to the wilds of Singalila National Park. She has the distinction of being the first Indian biologist to undertake a scientific study of the ecology, status and feeding behaviour of wild Red Pandas. As we track the team of rangers led by Dr. Pradhan we capture the tremendous sense of anticipation and excitement accompanying this truly momentous occasion of wildlife conservation.

In these enchanting valleys, the seasons bring their own expressions and form a vivid backdrop for Mini and Sweety as the camera team records over 14 months the successful transition made by the two pandas from life in captivity to the wide expanse of the temperate forest. If the tragic death of Mini plunged the teams of researchers into abject misery, the birth of Sweety’s cub filled their hearts with unspeakable joy. Their project achieved its purpose and years of careful planning and hard work finally paid off.