At December 1 our two-part documentary is released. The first part of Experience Earth: "Tiere im Rausch" airs on Monday at 8:15 pm on ARD! Both parts will be shown simultaneously in the ARD-Mediathekt.

Intoxicated animals - this inevitably brings to mind the 1974 film "The Funny World of Animals" (Jamie Uys) and social media posts that allegedly show drunk elephants or monkeys, drugged-up cats after snacking on catnip or even dolphins that are supposedly intoxicated with the poison of puffer fish. But what is really going on with these intoxicated animals?

"Animals in a frenzy" - Part 1

Chimpanzees have been observed filling their stomachs with fermented star apples. Do our closest relatives like alcohol and are they aware of its effects and consequences? Biologist Aleksey Maro is investigating this in Uganda. He is testing the alcohol content in the fruit and in the chimpanzees' urine: as much as a beer or two glasses of wine?

This elaborately shot nature film not only discovers the secret of "intoxication in the rainforest" but also explores a small "high society" in nature: dolphins who play with the danger of a narcotic nerve poison carried by puffer fish. Lemurs who get high on a poisonous millipede to protect their health and risk their lives in the process. Beetles that act as "drug dealers" and make an entire ant colony dependent and docile with a mysterious substance. And cats who indulge in a relaxing quarter-hour trip thanks to the beguiling effect of Nepeta Cataria mint.

"Animals in a frenzy: the trip continues" - Part 2

In the second part, we are on the trail of the jaguar. For generations, indigenous communities have said that the big cat chews on the psychedelic ayahuasca vine. Ethnobotanist Rocio Alarcón wants to find out what this story is all about.

From South America to Namibia - to one of the most fearless animals in the world: the honey badger. It seems immune to what paralyzes others: scorpion venom. And yet it shows symptoms similar to intoxication. In Slovakia, hundreds of swans were killed in a poppy field. They became victims of a drug hell in which humans are not innocent. The New Zealand Kererū, a large fruit pigeon, also regularly makes headlines when it flies drunk. And the legendary fly agaric? While flies are stunned by it, reindeer do not show mushroom intoxication, but they are intoxicated by something else.

These are familiar or completely alien states, triggered by toxic substances found in nature. Intoxicating images soberly observe how it manifests itself, the intoxication in the animal?

Broadcast date

After almost 2 years in production, we are delighted to finally announce the broadcast of the two documentaries. The authors Susanne Krauß and Robert Sigl have worked on the films with heart and soul. We would like to thank the entire team for their strong collaboration, even in challenging situations. On December 1 at 8:15 p.m., the first part of "Tiere im Rausch" will be broadcast on ARD. The sequel "Tiere im Rausch - der Trip geht weiter" will be available in the media library on the same day. Further news and broadcasting information will of course be published via our News Section on Facebook or Instagram.