Lemmings from Heaven

From: Rebecca Sheir
Length: 04:24

UnDisney-fying a tiny critter of huge -- and heavenly -- importance. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: Lemmings from Heaven
From: Rebecca Sheir

Lemmings_small The first thing you should know about lemmings is they don't commit mass suicide by jumping off cliffs. No matter what Walt Disney's told you in his documentaries. Wildlife cinematographer Mario Benassi has filmed everything from jaguars in Mexico to vipers in Costa Rica to gorillas in Rwanda. These days, he's based in Haines, Alaska, where he helps run Kroschel Films Wildlife Center, a 60-acre park where visitors can view numerous species of Alaskan wildlife -- including a little-known, little-seen, but hugely important Arctic critter that Alaska Natives believe could very well be from heaven.

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Piece Description

The first thing you should know about lemmings is they don't commit mass suicide by jumping off cliffs. No matter what Walt Disney's told you in his documentaries. Wildlife cinematographer Mario Benassi has filmed everything from jaguars in Mexico to vipers in Costa Rica to gorillas in Rwanda. These days, he's based in Haines, Alaska, where he helps run Kroschel Films Wildlife Center, a 60-acre park where visitors can view numerous species of Alaskan wildlife -- including a little-known, little-seen, but hugely important Arctic critter that Alaska Natives believe could very well be from heaven.