38x03 - Undercover in the Jungle

[bunniefuu]

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NARRATOR: One family...

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Countless faces.

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Monkeys...

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Lemurs...

apes.

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A family that is found in almost
every habitat on the planet.

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Each has its own unique
strategy for survival.

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Meet the primates.

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[Wind blowing]

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NARRATOR:
Virunga, Central Africa.

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These volcanic slopes are home

to one of the planet's
biggest primates.

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A silverback mountain gorilla.

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He's well over twice the
weight of an average man...

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And over 4,000 times bigger
than the smallest primate.

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His displays of strength

keep intruders and
challengers at bay...

and him at the top.

It's no surprise gorillas
have a fearsome reputation.

The silverback's
aggression maintains order

in gorilla family life.

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This male has been
very successful.

He's ruled his group
of 14 for six years.

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He's in the prime of his life.

But not everybody shows
him the respect he deserves.

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[Gorilla grunts]

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There really is no escape.

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He's a climbing frame...

a drum...

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A trampoline.

He's a jungle gym.

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But his tolerance could
be a deliberate tactic.

The latest research shows
that, for an alpha male,

there's more to success

than just aggressive
displays of power.

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He's strong...

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But also gentle.

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Attentive...

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Even playful.

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The females seem to find
his softer side irresistible.

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Caring fathers raise up to
five times as many infants.

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For primates, family matters.

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Across the world, there are over


species of primates.

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And we're constantly
discovering more

about their diverse adaptations.

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Spider monkeys are born
for a life in the highest canopy,

with a tail that works
like an extra arm.

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Howler monkeys,
the loudest primate.

[Howler monkey calling loudly]

In fact, one of the
loudest animals on land.

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The strange aye-aye

has a unique, bony middle finger

so sensitive it can locate
grubs hidden in the tree trunks.

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Colorful forest monkeys...

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Acrobatic urban residents.

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Primates come in
all shapes and sizes.

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The canyons of Northeast Brazil.

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Home to one of the
world's smartest monkeys.

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Bearded capuchins.

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This large troop of 40
sleeps in the caves at the top,

safe from predators.

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But that means they have a
daily descent of over 600 feet

just to find anything to eat.

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It's the peak of the dry season.

There's been no
rainfall for 8 months.

[Monkey sniffs]

There is some food here.

Lizards are a source
of protein and water.

But to catch them,
you need to be smart.

[Tapping]

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Capuchins have mastered a
skill few other animals have.

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They make and use tools...

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Tailor-made for every job.

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These sticks are perfect
for hunting in crevices.

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And capuchins will tackle
pretty much anything edible,

stinger and all.

[Capuchins trilling]

But they have an even
more ingenious strategy

that gives them
access to a superfood.

Wild cashews.

The nuts inside are
rich in fats and minerals,

but the shells are almost
impossible to break into...

unless you're a capuchin.

[Capuchins chittering]

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The adults make it look easy.

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By age 5, this youngster
has learned the basics.

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But that hammer's too small.

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That's a better size, but...

he's still got to get
the angle just right.

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Finally!

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No capuchin is born
with these abilities.

They have to be learned,

passed down from
generation to generation.

We've recently discovered
that capuchins have been

using stone tools here
for at least 3,000 years.

And this is one of the key
reasons why they can survive

in such an inhospitable
environment.

By living together,

family groups can teach
one another how to survive.

And when it really counts,
they also back each other up.

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A yellow baboon is on the run.

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Somehow, he's escaped
the leopard's first attack.

But the cat is
still on his trail.

His hope is that he
won't be discovered.

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[Leopard growling]

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♪

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The game is up.

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Baboons can elude most
predators in the trees.

But not a leopard.

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[Calling in distance]

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Fortunately, this
baboon has got backup.

[Leopard growls]

[Baboons calling]

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His family.

Yellow baboons are
one of the few animals

that dare to
challenge a leopard.

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[Baboons grunting]

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The boldest males try
to distract the attacker.

[Baboons call]

But the leopard is relentless.

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[Baboons call]

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[Calling continues]

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[Leopard growls]

[Body thuds]

[Calling continues]

The fall leaves him
injured and disoriented.

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But he might just
have a chance...

[Baboons calling]

if the leopard can
be kept at bay.

[Calling continues]

His family is not backing down.

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[Leopard growls]

They'll hold the leopard
here for as long as they can.

♪

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Remarkably, this baboon
has survived his ordeal.

Thanks to his family's bravery.

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[Baboons calling]

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The secret to baboon success
is that they work together.

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[Thunder rumbles]

Primates are
excellent collaborators,

but they will also turn
to ruthless exploitation,

if it can give them an edge.

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And there are few sneakier
than these lion-tailed macaques.

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Here in Southern India, monsoon
rains bring on jackfruit season.

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These enormous, 22-pound hulks

are the largest tree fruit
in the world... a feast.

But until they're ripe, they
remain completely inedible.

The macaques, unfortunately,

find it hard to tell which
ones are ready to eat.

Luckily, help is at hand.

♪

These giant Malabar squirrels
have a keen sense of smell,

which leads them
to the ripest fruits.

[Squirrel chitters]

The macaques watch
the squirrels' every move.

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Then they try to muscle in.

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When the squirrels
hold their ground...

the macaques have another trick

to get their ripe fruit to-go.

They know that the squirrels
won't follow them down

to the ground.

This tactic gives the monkeys
access to the pick of the bunch.

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The squirrels do get
their turn eventually.

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Although, even then,
the macaques can't seem

to let them enjoy
their share in peace

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Across the Indian
Ocean is Madagascar...

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Land of the lemurs.

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They live nowhere else.

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[Lemur calls]

[Lemurs calling]

Isolated for millions of years,

they've evolved into more
than a hundred different species,

making up a fifth
of all primates.

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[Lemur snoring]

In the northwest of the island,

soaring daytime temperatures
mean it's siesta time...

[Lemur snoring]

for a family of
blue-eyed black lemurs.

Although, only the
males are black.

The females are brown...

but still blue-eyed.

Every female is
carrying an infant.

They're in the midst of
their seasonal baby boom.

The adults snatch any
opportunity for a rest.

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But the infants
have other ideas.

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The males can slip
away for peace and quiet.

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But the females are left to
deal with boisterous youngsters.

[Baby lemurs squeal]

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At a month old,

the infants still rely on
their mothers for milk...

and their daily wash.

Like many primates,

lemurs are prone to
ticks and other parasites.

But as well as
grooming each other...

this group has developed
a more ingenious means

of keeping pests at bay.

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Self-medication.

When these carpenter
ants feel under attack,

they spray formic acid, which
the lemurs put to good use.

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This behavior has only
just been discovered...

but it seems that
rubbing this acid,

mixed with a bit of
spit, onto their fur

acts as an effective
"tick repellent."

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They've learned to access
their own jungle pharmacy.

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The only possible
side-effect seems to be...

yet more drowsiness.

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Luckily, this time
the youngsters

are also ready for a rest.

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Or maybe not.

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[Waves crashing]

Isolated off Africa's west coast

is the tropical island of Bioko.

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It's one of the
last strongholds...

of perhaps the least-known
primate in the world.

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A shy forest monkey that
rarely ventures out in the open,

unless there's good reason.

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[Monkey grunting]

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Scientists think
this is a candidate

for the largest
monkey in the world.

But so few have been
studied, no one's sure.

This is a drill.

A battle-scarred male.

He's past his prime and
now pretty much toothless.

Getting into this bounty
is going to be hard.

Kicked out of the family group,

he's forced to live out
his final years alone.

Combing the beach for food.

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Deep inside the forest.

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Things couldn't
be more different.

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For the rest of the
troop, a giant fruiting tree

provides more than
enough for everyone.

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A group that might be 50 strong.

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[Drills chittering, grunting]

Drill society is ruled by
alpha males in peak condition.

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Adult males that can't
compete are not tolerated.

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This old male is now an exile.

And he's not the only
one keeping a low profile.

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A much younger male,
not ready to be an alpha,

is skulking around the beach.

[Drill chuffs]

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And he's showing off
something the old boy is lacking.

Massive canine teeth.

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The youngster puts them
to work on the coconut.

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That's how it's done!

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To survive as a
toothless outcast,

the old male has
adopted a new strategy.

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Scavenging.

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It's still a bit
of a mouthful...

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But it seems an old
drill can learn new tricks.

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Adaptability and resilience
are primate hallmarks.

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[Thunder rumbles]

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In the wet season in the Amazon,

the entire forest is
swamped by floodwater.

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But there's one bizarre monkey
that takes it all in its stride.

The bald-headed, white uakari.

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These seed and
fruit-eating specialists

must constantly change and
adapt their diet, season by season.

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This also means they
must spend more of their day

on the move than
any other monkey.

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Finding enough to eat keeps
them constantly roaming,

suspended above the floodwaters,

through this tangled
canopy maze.

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In the dry season
here in Senegal,

a chimpanzee troop can survive

thanks to their elders' memory
of hidden water supplies...

in every corner
of their territory.

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Lifesaving knowledge they
pass on to the next generation.

[Monkeys screeching]

Snub-nosed monkeys
in China survive higher

than any other wild primate.

[Monkey calls]

Up to 15,000 feet.

They're well-adapted to the
thin air found at this altitude.

And their snub noses
aren't prone to frostbite

in the freezing cold.

[Monkey calls]

Such adaptations
allow primates to exploit

the most unexpected
opportunities.

[Insects chirping]

Winter in South Africa.

As the sun sets, the
night shift starts to stir.

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Bushbabies are rather
different-looking primates.

[Bushbabies chittering]

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And being nocturnal, they're
more often heard than seen.

[Elephant trumpets]

For their size, they have the
largest ears of any primate,

which tune in to the
sounds of the African night.

[Elephant trumpeting]

It's a jungle out there...

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Well, almost.

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[Tiger growls]

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This is Pretoria Zoo.

[Insect buzzing]

But these bushbabies are wild.

[Creatures calling]

Although it might seem a
dangerous place for an animal

that could fit in a pint glass,

there is something in
these zoo gardens that,

for a bushbaby, is irresistible.

They usually catch
insects on the wing,

but in winter, there aren't
enough insects around.

What they really want is nectar.

To get it, they've learned to
find their way around the zoo,

all 200 acres of it.

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And they have an
unusual trick to help them.

They smear sticky drops of
urine onto their hands and feet

to leave a scent trail and
to give them extra grip...

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Before they jump to lightspeed.

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Elastic tendons in their
legs act like catapults,

firing them 10 times
their body length.

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A bushbaby needs to be careful.

Cats, snakes, and owls,
would all make a meal of them.

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Good thing that, here,

most of the hunters
are safely behind bars.

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Even so, this bushbaby's
smart enough not to hang around.

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At last. Jackpot!

Bird of Paradise flowers.

These native plants
grow in abundance here,

and they're full
of syrupy nectar.

A high-energy drink that
will keep this bushbaby

fueled all night.

[Vehicle approaching]

When feeding time's over

bushbabies can also precisely

retrace their
scented urine trails

back to the family nest.

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Until they head back to
the zoo again tomorrow.

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For many primates, living
alongside humans is a challenge.

But it's a skill that at least
one family has mastered...

The macaques.

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They are the widest
spread group of monkeys,

ranging across
Asia, North Africa,

and Southern Europe.

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These long-tailed
macaques in Thailand

have learned to pluck human
hair to use as dental floss.

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WOMAN: Hey!

NARRATOR: And this population
in Bali has gone one step further.

[Macaque screeches]

They've learned to barter...

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Only giving up their loot

in exchange for the
highest value foods.

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But there is one place where
the relationship is very different.

It's cherished.

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One of the most sacred sites
in Kathmandu's City of Temples

is Swayambhunath stupa.

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A troop of rhesus
macaques joins the throng

of early morning
worshipers, looking for food.

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But here, the macaques
don't need to steal.

They simply take
their positions and wait.

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These monkeys are
worshipped as gods.

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They have charmed us and take
full advantage of our adoration.

Once they're full, the
group has time to relax.

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But it isn't long before the
youngsters start to get bored.

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[Macaque screeches]

[Water splashes]

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And of course, once one goes in,

they all want to
take the plunge!

[Macaques screeching]

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They seem to
double-dare one another

to increasingly
outlandish leaps.

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Finally, the Senior Swim
gets their chance to cool off.

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But the old girls do make
a rather irresistible target.

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This temple troop is thriving.

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In a world increasingly
shaped by humans...

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Exploiting their revered status

is the ultimate
strategy for survival...

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Making these rhesus macaques...

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One of the most
successful members...

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Of this extraordinary
animal family.

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Next time...

Family is everything
for the primates.

Every triumph is shared
and every drama, too.

Discover how this
remarkable family

conquered the planet
working together.

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