01x05 - Jungles

[bunniefuu]

[majestic music]

[chirping]

[David] A mother orangutan in Borneo

is building her bed for the night.

[soft music]

First, a mattress of fresh leaves.

[music]

Her young son, a few branches below,

is getting to work on his own bunk,

[music]

not entirely successfully.

[music]

It will take her almost
a decade to prepare him

for independence.

[baby monkey grunts]

Like many youngsters,

he decides that
his mother's bed is preferable

[music]

and climbs up for a cuddle.

[music]

It takes years to perfect jungle living

and all rainforest parents
learn to rely on the trees

to protect and provide for them.

[music]

[soft music]

Bhutan,

the Himalayan kingdom

where the forests
are regarded as sacred.

[music]

The jungles here provide a refuge

for many rare species.

[music]

Among them are some of our planet's

most dedicated parents.

[music]

Rufous-necked hornbills.

Male and female pair for life

and each year, they renew their bond.

Raising a hornbill chick takes teamwork.

The first step is to secure a good home.

[soft music]

Unlike most birds,

hornbills don't make nests,

but prefer a hole in a tree.

[music]

Fortunately, the ancient
forests of Bhutan

contain plenty of options.

[music]

Once the pair have found one
that seems suitable,

the female starts collecting mud

from the forest floor.

[music]

With it, she builds a barrier
across the entrance

that will prevent any
strangers from getting in,

[music]

but she is now imprisoned

and she will remain so
for the next hundred days.

[music]

She will be totally reliant
on her partner for food.

[music]

He had better be up to it.

[music]

Fruit forms the bulk of his offerings.

The caterpillar is a welcome treat,

once carefully prepared.

[music]

Most of the time,

the food is gratefully received

[music]

but not always.

[music]

But then...

[soft music]

one beak becomes two.

[music]

Their growing chick is thriving,

but the nursery

is becoming increasingly cramped

and a touch grubby.

Dad does his best to keep
them both properly fed...

[insects buzzing]

...but conditions inside the nest

are now almost unbearable.

[insects buzzing]

Finally, after three months
of imprisonment,

she decides the time has come to leave

and to introduce her chick
to the outside world.

[curious music]

The male now starts to withhold food...

a clear sign that he, too,
thinks that the time has come.

[music]

He starts to chip away at the baked mud.

[knocks]

The slight muscles are stiff and weak.

[music]

Inch by inch, she squeezes her way out.

[soft music]

Freedom again.

[music]

Her chick, however, needs more time.

[music]

All his parents can do now is watch.

The chick's journey inevitably
has to begin

with a leap of faith.

[music]

He is ungainly and awkward,

[music]

but that could have been a lot worse.

[music]

They will remain by his side
for the next six months.

[distant grunts]

For some parents,
finding a suitable home

is just the start of
a very long journey.

[grunts]

Learning the intricacies of the jungle

can take a lifetime.

And in the forests of Borneo,

the amount of food on offer
varies hugely each year.

Orangutans have
an encyclopedic knowledge

of the forests.

They not only know which
plants are safe to eat,

but when and where to look for them.

[grunts]

This knowledge is passed down
to their young

and today's lesson begins
with a pandanus plant.

A meal of its leaves

is an excellent way to start the day.

[curious music]

Bebe is an experienced mother

and has been giving her son, Bias,

daily lessons for the last seven years.

[music]

Orangutan are mostly solitary animals.

[music]

If Bias is eventually
to survive on his own,

Bebe has a lot of work to do.

She will need to show him

everything the forest has to offer,

[music]

including where to find over


[music]

Like all orangs,

Bebe is vulnerable on the ground,

but down here there is important food...

termites.

They are packed with nutrients,

an important supplement
for their regular diet.

Bias isn't yet brave enough
to sample them,

but at least he's paying attention.

[music]

There is no shortage of leaves,

but even so,

he wants those particular ones
that his mother is eating

[music]

and she is beginning
to find that very irritating.

[music]

[baby orang screams]

Eventually, he gets the message

and finds a branch of his own.

[soft music] [chirping]

[David] Large fig trees are few

and far between and you have to know

when they will be full of fruit

if you are not to make
unnecessary journeys.

[music]

They've timed their visit perfectly,

hundreds of figs are beginning to ripen.

Bebe has devoted nearly
a decade of her life

to each of her children.

Bias is approaching
the end of his training

and will soon need
to branch out on his own.

[music]

Leaving his devoted mother

will be one of the most
difficult moments in his life.

[music]

And he isn't quite ready for it yet.

[music]

[organs grunting]

[soft music]

[soft waterfall]

Iguazu National Park in Argentina.

[soft music]

The mother coati,

is in her nest with a litter of kits.

[coati whining]

She has looked after them
with great care

since the day they were born,

but now they are close to independence

and she's able to start
foraging further.

[coati whining]

Coatis live in tight social groups

and the adults take turns
to care for each other's young

[music]

and keep them out of harm's way.

[music]

As one mother disappears
into the canopy,

the other is left in charge,

and she is going to have
her work cut out.

[music]

The kits are just about
manageable when in the trees,

but once on the ground,
it becomes total chaos.

[coatis chirping] [lively music]

[coatis chirping]

It's a babysitter's nightmare.

[music]

[coatis chirping]

[distant waterfall]

Meanwhile, the other female
is enjoying some quiet time

on the other side of the river.

She calls to the group...

[water flowing]

but the babysitter knows that the kits

would find it difficult
to make the crossing.

[music]

They have become separated.

[low-key suspense music]

The babysitter, however, has an idea.

She has learned to use something

that previous generations didn't have...

[soft music]

a bridge...

[people chatter]

[soft music]

[coatis chirping]

[David] She just has to get
the youngsters

across it unscathed.

[music]

The babysitter rounds up
the final straggler

and carries him to safety.

[music]

[coatis chirping]

[music]

With the group reunited,

everyone has had quite enough
adventure for one day.

[music]

By sharing parental responsibilities,

these coati now successfully
raise more offspring

than they could ever do on their own.

[soft music]

[David] Jungle parents have
to be endlessly resourceful

[chirping]

and the forests of Jamaica
are now home to a creature

whose ancestors were once ocean goers,

but who now live
in the tiny pools of water

that form at the base of jungle plants.

[soft music]

This is a mother bromeliad crab,

[music]

but her new home isn't perfect.

It requires constant maintenance.

[curious music]

Dead leaves fall into it
and that just won't do.

[music]

The leaves have got to be removed.

[music]

For her growing brood,
nothing is too much trouble.

[music]

Cleaning the nursery is just the start.

[music]

For the first ten days,

the tiny crabs don't have hard shells

and are easily picked off
by hungry predators.

[music]

[low-key suspense music]

They're totally defenseless.

Fortunately, their industrious
mother knows just the thing.

[soft music]

The forest is littered with
snail shells rich in calcium.

[music]

She drops a few into the nursery pool,

where they will dissolve

and can then be reabsorbed
by the tiny crablets,

helping them to toughen up.

[music]

Managing her nursery pool
is a daily battle.

Too many leaves,

more shells to find,

and each day,

she risks losing more of her brood.

[music]

[soft music]

When, eventually,

the youngster shells have hardened,

she has to provide them with food.

[music]

She doesn't leave the safety
of her bromeliad home,

but relies on food coming to her.

A millipede in search of
a meal of decomposing leaves.

[music]

She readies herself.

[music intensifies]

It won't be easy,

but there's a bounty to be had.

[music]

She eventually gets to grips
with her capture

and breaks it up into bite sized chunks.

[music]

The body of the millipede
will not only feed

her whole family,

but will also help to further strengthen

the crablet's shells.

[music]

The Crablets love the guts best.

[music]

The mother crab has managed
to create an environment

that suits her family,

but some jungles
are now being transformed

in ways that make raising
young almost impossible.

[chirping]

The Karst forests of southern China.

The limestone peaks are home

to one of the rarest of monkeys

[tense music]

the white-headed langur.

[music]

This infant is one
of the last of his kind.

It's precious not just to his mother,

but for the future
of his entire species.

A ledge high up these vertical cliffs

may be a safe place to sleep,

but it's less than perfect as a nursery.

[baby monkey screeches]

Traveling around up here
is not for the inexperienced,

but, eventually,

all langurs must learn
to master the rock face.

[music]

Fortunately, there are plenty of others

willing to lend a hand.

[music]

Young langurs can spend
as much as a third

of their time under the care
of other females.

[music]

Around mid-morning, the group begin

their daily descent
to the base of their pinnacle.

One false step here could be fatal...

[low-key tense music]

...but this is the place
where their mothers

find their food...

[music]

...whilst their babies
are free to develop

their climbing skills.

[music]

Langurs need a variety
of fresh leaves every day.

Not long ago, the troop had
a much larger forest territory

but they have become isolated
on their rocky island...

[melancholic music]

which is now entirely
surrounded by farmland.

[music]

The patches of jungle that remain

have become increasingly rare.

[music]

[monkey grunts]

[low-key suspense music]

[David] A couple of outsiders
have been spotted

approaching through the fields.

[music]

[honks]

Looking to take over the island.

[music]

Rival males will k*ll
the offspring of others...

[monkey grunts]

so the mothers quickly
get out of the way

and retreat to the safety of the cliffs.

[music]

Leaving the rest of the troop
to resist the attack.

[intense music]

[monkey grunts]

The intruders have been
repelled for now...

[tense music]

but not everyone has gone unscathed.

[music]

The troop begin the long climb back up.

The mother and her precious
cargo carefully work

their way up the cliff.

[soft music]

The wards are near vertical
and the holds razor thin.

[soft music]

These langurs have adapted
to this perilous habitat

and their island refuge

provides the mother and her baby

with a safe haven for now,

but one day,
the youngster will be forced

to leave his mother's family

and establish a territory of his own

and that will not be easy.

[music]

Forest habitat is being
lost all over the world,

but nowhere is this more pronounced

than in the Brazilian Amazon.

[tense music]

Every year, vast swathes of jungle

are deliberately set on fire,

leaving millions of animal
parents homeless.

Many are forced to find refuge
in nearby patches of forest.

[chirping]

Among them are particularly
rare and seldom seen creature,

an Amazonian tapir,
a close relative of rhinos

and South America's largest land mammal.

[water moving]

A young calf sticks close by her side.

[water moving]

They are in search of a new territory,

which has the resources
they need to survive.

[soft music]

Finding enough vegetation
to eat is not a problem,

[music]

but many jungle plants
lack crucial minerals

and some contain
a mix of toxic chemicals.

[music]

Over time, these toxins can
build up in a tapir's body.

Eventually, some need
to seek out a remedy.

[soft music]

She leads her young calf upstream

in the hope of finding the cure.

[music]

The female knew where to go
in the patch of forest

where she was born,

but as her former territory
continues to burn behind her,

she's forced to look for somewhere new.

[music]

[soft music]

[David] As night falls,
the jungle comes alive.

[music]

[monkey wining]

[David] Using her keen sense of smell,

she cautiously guides her
calf through the forest.

[music]

The more animals they encounter,

the closer they are likely
to be to their destination.

[music]

[sniffs]

She can smell something
familiar in the darkness.

[music]

Clay...

the remedy that she
and her calf so badly need.

[soft music]

It's thought the clay
neutralizes the toxins and

provides essential minerals
lacking in their diet.

Others arrive,

all searching for the same thing,

the particular chemical
compounds within this clay.

[music]

As more tapir arrive,
they dig into the soil,

making it accessible to other,
less powerful species.

[music]

The location of this clay lick

is a crucial part
of the calf's education.

There are unique sites
like this all over the Amazon,

including many that have not
yet been identified by humans.

[chirping]

Even the most remote forests on Earth

are no longer immune
from modern disturbances.

[chirping]

The Daintree in northern Australia,

dinosaurs once lived here.

[curious music]

And their feathered descendants

still prowl the understory today.

A cassowary.

This one is nicknamed crinkle.

[music]

He's nearly 45 years old

and like all cassowary fathers

he has the responsibility
of rearing the young.

[music]

Success is never guaranteed

and this year is tougher than ever.

It's the middle of the dry season.

[music]

Crinkle's head casque
helps him shed heat quickly

[music]

but his chicks have no such defense.

In these temperatures,
they need to drink

almost every day if they're to survive,

but it has hardly rained for months.

[music]

Their forest is parched

and many of the river beds are dry.

[chirping]

[tense music]

Crinkle breaks up some fruit
for his chicks,

but it won't sustain them for long.

[bird chirping]

[music]

He must find water.

There is a remote pool at the far limit

of his territory.

[music]

The journey there is risky,

but his chicks are hungry and thirsty

and increasingly desperate.

[music]

Even in a good year,

only 50% of cassowary chicks survive.

[music]

He urges them on.

[music]

They must be cautious.

The search for water

is drawing other animals into the area.

[feral pigs oinks]

Feral pigs introduced by humans

are now abundant in these forests.

Following their scent,

wild dingoes are also moving in.

[music]

Both of these animals

are known to k*ll cassowary chicks.

Crinkle is by no means defenseless,

his razor sharp talons
are effective weapons,

but he will be unable to save his chicks

if they don't find water soon.

[music]

[music fades]

[soft music]

[David] At last...

[water splashing]

and for now, they are alone.

[soft music]

The oasis provides precious relief...

[music]

and what is more,

the quandong tree here is full of fruit,

a food much relished by cassowaries.

[music]

And in return,

the cassowary distribute
the seeds around the forest,

helping the trees to spread.

[music]

All over the world,

animals and trees depend on each other,

but there are some trees that do

more than we ever thought possible.

[chirping]

[soft music]

A 200 year old ajo tree in Costa Rica

covered in golden blooms.

[music]

As one of the largest trees in the area,

it has unrestricted access to the sun.

However, for the saplings
growing on the forest floor,

collecting the relatively
little light that filters down

isn't quite so easy...

but the ajo tree's influence is great.

[music]

Its immense canopy absorbs the sunlight,

using its energy to synthesize sugars

in its leaves,

which then circulate
through its branches

right down to its roots.

Here, it collaborates
with microscopic fungi

and it distributes excess nutrients

to the tiny saplings nearby.

[music]

This underground network enables trees

to support the next generation.

[music]

These complex relationships
take years to establish

[music]

and it's clear that as trees age,

they become increasingly
important for the forest,

acting as protectors and providers

for the whole ecosystem.

[music]

A cavity in the ajo's ancient
trunk provides a home

for a family of bats...

[music]

[bat chirping]

...and thousands of insects
visit it each day.

[music]

This ajo is a keystone of the forest,

[music]

but it's not unique.

[music]

The world over, such giant individuals

play a pivotal role
in their respective forests.

[music]

They are the key to a healthy jungle.

[music]

From the majestic Meranti in Borneo

to the giant kapok in Brazil,

trees like these provide homes

for a huge variety of animal families.

[music]

Entire neighborhoods
depend on them for food.

[music]

They are the center of their community

[music]

and are vital to all parents

who make their homes in jungles.