1 00:00:20,645 --> 00:00:22,772 Just 50 years ago, 2 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,276 we finally ventured to the moon. 3 00:00:40,331 --> 00:00:45,795 For the very first time, we looked back at our own planet. 4 00:00:53,344 --> 00:00:58,683 Since then, the human population has more than doubled. 5 00:01:04,189 --> 00:01:08,610 This series will celebrate the natural wonders that remain 6 00:01:09,569 --> 00:01:12,280 and reveal what we must preserve 7 00:01:12,655 --> 00:01:16,868 to ensure people and nature thrive. 8 00:01:34,552 --> 00:01:36,805 This is a tropical forest. 9 00:01:38,181 --> 00:01:39,599 A rain forest. 10 00:01:40,141 --> 00:01:42,310 The richest habitat on Earth. 11 00:01:44,938 --> 00:01:48,900 Exactly how many species rain forests contain is unknown, 12 00:01:49,567 --> 00:01:51,528 but it runs into millions. 13 00:01:52,737 --> 00:01:54,948 And new ones are discovered every week. 14 00:02:00,578 --> 00:02:05,416 There are some, like this clouded leopard, we still know virtually nothing about. 15 00:02:15,802 --> 00:02:19,222 Although they cover just seven percent of the world's land area, 16 00:02:19,597 --> 00:02:23,726 jungles play a vital role in the health of the planet. 17 00:02:42,203 --> 00:02:45,456 In the heart of Africa lies the Congo. 18 00:02:49,252 --> 00:02:53,923 It is our planet's youngest rain forest, a mere 18,000 years old, 19 00:02:54,465 --> 00:02:58,261 and it's the jungle with more big animals than any other. 20 00:03:17,322 --> 00:03:19,949 A family of lowland gorillas. 21 00:03:24,037 --> 00:03:27,165 They're led by this silverback, the dominant male. 22 00:03:33,046 --> 00:03:36,049 He's as tall as a man, but twice the weight. 23 00:03:37,634 --> 00:03:40,220 His family depend on him for survival. 24 00:03:44,224 --> 00:03:47,518 As their guardian, he must keep a lookout for danger. 25 00:03:57,153 --> 00:04:01,115 A rival male might usurp him and tear his family apart. 26 00:04:03,826 --> 00:04:07,705 But there is one threat beyond his control. 27 00:04:10,166 --> 00:04:11,584 In the last 20 years, 28 00:04:11,834 --> 00:04:16,089 poaching for bushmeat has halved the Congo's gorilla population. 29 00:04:29,060 --> 00:04:32,146 His kind are now critically endangered. 30 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:53,167 It's only a forest elephant, which needn't concern the silverback. 31 00:05:01,050 --> 00:05:04,887 But the elephant has reason to be wary of poachers too. 32 00:05:08,474 --> 00:05:11,644 Their long straight tusks are even more sought after 33 00:05:11,728 --> 00:05:14,022 than those of their grassland cousins. 34 00:05:22,113 --> 00:05:23,406 He follows paths 35 00:05:23,573 --> 00:05:26,326 made by generations of elephants before him, 36 00:05:26,784 --> 00:05:28,119 searching for food. 37 00:05:34,375 --> 00:05:38,921 Like the elephant, the silverback's family will travel several kilometers a day, 38 00:05:39,047 --> 00:05:41,007 looking for fruits and seeds. 39 00:05:45,970 --> 00:05:49,599 They and the elephants are the gardeners of this jungle. 40 00:05:50,683 --> 00:05:52,268 The seed dispersers. 41 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:56,272 And many of the trees here 42 00:05:56,356 --> 00:05:59,233 owe their existence to these large animals. 43 00:06:05,948 --> 00:06:10,703 Here, all paths eventually lead to Mbeli Bai. 44 00:06:18,586 --> 00:06:22,799 Open areas like this are a unique feature of the Congo's jungles, 45 00:06:22,882 --> 00:06:26,552 and there are more than a hundred dotted throughout the forest. 46 00:06:30,348 --> 00:06:35,269 Known as bais, these clearings attract many of the jungle's inhabitants. 47 00:06:47,698 --> 00:06:50,743 The silverback cautiously leads the way, 48 00:06:52,537 --> 00:06:54,539 but his family are close behind. 49 00:07:20,064 --> 00:07:24,235 The gorillas come to feed on aquatic plants rich in salt, 50 00:07:24,694 --> 00:07:27,780 a mineral in short supply inside the forest, 51 00:07:28,489 --> 00:07:30,324 but crucial to their survival. 52 00:07:43,588 --> 00:07:47,967 Elephants mine salts from the mud using their trunks. 53 00:07:56,225 --> 00:07:58,936 Or just drink the mineral-enriched water. 54 00:08:06,444 --> 00:08:09,822 The silverback's family are not the only gorillas here. 55 00:08:11,365 --> 00:08:14,577 Nearly 200 others also use this bai, 56 00:08:15,661 --> 00:08:18,748 as well as more than 530 elephants, 57 00:08:19,457 --> 00:08:22,126 a measure of Mbeli's importance. 58 00:08:29,175 --> 00:08:33,221 For the elephants, the bais have another vital role. 59 00:08:37,141 --> 00:08:38,684 Most of their lives are spent 60 00:08:38,768 --> 00:08:41,979 roaming the vast forested interior on their own, 61 00:08:43,064 --> 00:08:46,442 so it's only here they get a chance to meet others. 62 00:08:55,284 --> 00:08:59,872 Unlike most of the Congo's other bais, Mbeli is well protected, 63 00:09:00,081 --> 00:09:02,250 making it a refuge from poaching. 64 00:09:06,629 --> 00:09:10,132 It's only when they leave that the danger returns. 65 00:09:14,011 --> 00:09:16,889 And as the Congo's main seed dispersers, 66 00:09:17,306 --> 00:09:21,352 the loss of its megafauna could have a far-reaching impact 67 00:09:21,561 --> 00:09:26,232 on the future of our planet's second-largest rain forest. 68 00:09:35,700 --> 00:09:37,326 Jungles may look the same, 69 00:09:37,660 --> 00:09:40,955 but each is home to a unique cast of characters. 70 00:09:45,209 --> 00:09:48,754 New Guinea is the world's largest jungle-covered island, 71 00:09:49,213 --> 00:09:51,716 and more than half of its plants and animals 72 00:09:51,799 --> 00:09:54,176 are found nowhere else on Earth. 73 00:09:58,806 --> 00:10:02,810 Its turbulent geological past has shaped this vast island 74 00:10:02,893 --> 00:10:06,981 into a dramatic landscape of mountains and valleys. 75 00:10:11,527 --> 00:10:15,197 A process that isolated one species from another. 76 00:10:19,076 --> 00:10:20,536 Separated in this way, 77 00:10:20,620 --> 00:10:24,123 New Guinea's animals have become truly bizarre. 78 00:10:27,335 --> 00:10:29,879 The male twelve-wired bird-of-paradise 79 00:10:30,004 --> 00:10:33,924 is the only bird in the world that has tail ornaments like this, 80 00:10:35,551 --> 00:10:39,138 used to tickle the face of a prospective mate. 81 00:10:41,974 --> 00:10:43,934 From one crow-like ancestor, 82 00:10:44,060 --> 00:10:48,314 birds-of-paradise have evolved into 40 different kinds. 83 00:10:50,524 --> 00:10:53,486 Every corner of this island has its own version. 84 00:10:55,863 --> 00:10:59,659 Meet the black sicklebill of New Guinea's highlands... 85 00:11:04,038 --> 00:11:07,875 ...able to morph into some very un-birdlike shapes. 86 00:11:16,050 --> 00:11:21,430 Each male bird-of-paradise has a unique display for attracting mates, 87 00:11:22,431 --> 00:11:24,600 and none is more extraordinary 88 00:11:24,850 --> 00:11:28,062 than the one that takes place on this stage. 89 00:11:33,359 --> 00:11:37,738 For the owner, a western parotia, there's work to be done first. 90 00:11:41,242 --> 00:11:45,079 Every morning, he clears his court of the night's fallen debris. 91 00:11:50,126 --> 00:11:53,879 It's a vital chore if he wants to attract a mate. 92 00:11:56,882 --> 00:11:59,844 Females only visit the tidiest courts, 93 00:12:03,264 --> 00:12:06,559 so one rogue leaf might ruin his chances. 94 00:12:16,861 --> 00:12:17,861 Perfect. 95 00:12:19,238 --> 00:12:21,824 His obsessive housework pays off, 96 00:12:23,033 --> 00:12:25,536 and a female drops in for a closer look. 97 00:12:27,288 --> 00:12:29,832 Now is his chance to really impress, 98 00:12:30,916 --> 00:12:32,293 but it won't be easy. 99 00:12:34,170 --> 00:12:35,588 Females are very fussy, 100 00:12:36,130 --> 00:12:39,133 and she'll expect his carefully choreographed routine 101 00:12:39,258 --> 00:12:40,258 to be faultless. 102 00:12:42,178 --> 00:12:44,138 He opens with a bow. 103 00:12:46,182 --> 00:12:48,851 Next, his blue eye must flash yellow. 104 00:12:52,521 --> 00:12:53,981 So far, so good. 105 00:12:55,941 --> 00:12:58,027 He has all the moves. 106 00:12:59,862 --> 00:13:01,155 Fancy footwork. 107 00:13:04,366 --> 00:13:05,910 The whirling dervish. 108 00:13:12,708 --> 00:13:15,836 The head plume shuffle, with spin. 109 00:13:18,923 --> 00:13:21,509 Her erect head feathers and quivering wings 110 00:13:21,592 --> 00:13:23,511 are a very encouraging sign. 111 00:13:32,311 --> 00:13:35,689 His sidestep and head bob look good from any angle, 112 00:13:37,233 --> 00:13:38,484 but his crowning glory 113 00:13:38,651 --> 00:13:41,987 can only be appreciated from her perspective. 114 00:13:44,406 --> 00:13:45,406 Wait for it. 115 00:13:47,243 --> 00:13:50,454 There it is. A flash of his iridescent throat patch. 116 00:13:53,624 --> 00:13:55,501 Her excitement grows. 117 00:14:12,685 --> 00:14:14,562 His performance has been a triumph, 118 00:14:17,523 --> 00:14:19,525 and he wins her approval. 119 00:14:27,908 --> 00:14:32,246 New Guinea's isolation has created a unique variety of animals, 120 00:14:34,164 --> 00:14:37,543 but the age of a forest has an even greater impact 121 00:14:37,626 --> 00:14:39,962 on the diversity of life it contains. 122 00:14:43,674 --> 00:14:46,385 The jungles of Borneo, in Southeast Asia, 123 00:14:46,677 --> 00:14:50,848 have grown here for nearly 130 million years, 124 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:54,059 making them the oldest on Earth. 125 00:14:59,648 --> 00:15:03,235 This limestone mountaintop in Borneo's highlands 126 00:15:03,694 --> 00:15:05,654 was originally formed under the sea. 127 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:12,036 Time and rain has slowly shaped this jungle fortress 128 00:15:12,244 --> 00:15:14,747 into these 40-meter towers. 129 00:15:25,299 --> 00:15:29,261 The great age of this island's jungle is best illustrated 130 00:15:29,511 --> 00:15:32,514 by one of the oldest predators on Earth. 131 00:15:43,067 --> 00:15:44,652 A velvet worm. 132 00:15:46,070 --> 00:15:49,323 Completely at home on the humid forest floor. 133 00:15:53,035 --> 00:15:55,746 They've been here since the age of the dinosaurs, 134 00:15:56,038 --> 00:15:58,999 and have remained virtually unchanged. 135 00:16:05,965 --> 00:16:10,052 It detects its insect prey through vibration and touch. 136 00:16:11,804 --> 00:16:13,597 But with no turn of speed, 137 00:16:14,014 --> 00:16:17,017 how does it capture these fleet-footed critters? 138 00:16:20,688 --> 00:16:22,898 The answer is stranger than fiction. 139 00:16:28,779 --> 00:16:30,072 Glue guns. 140 00:16:34,368 --> 00:16:36,412 The sticky slime hardens on impact, 141 00:16:38,247 --> 00:16:40,124 trapping the luckless insect. 142 00:16:41,542 --> 00:16:45,045 The velvet worm will inject the cockroach with digestive saliva, 143 00:16:45,921 --> 00:16:48,507 and then suck out its insides. 144 00:16:55,556 --> 00:17:00,477 The high humidity of the forest floor isn't just good for velvet worms. 145 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:08,777 It's perfect for fungi, too, 146 00:17:10,654 --> 00:17:14,366 and Borneo's ancient jungles are rich in species. 147 00:17:26,962 --> 00:17:28,797 By decomposing the dead, 148 00:17:29,423 --> 00:17:34,136 the slime molds and fungi recycle scarce nutrients. 149 00:17:50,527 --> 00:17:55,949 Time has made Borneo's jungles extraordinarily rich and diverse. 150 00:17:57,785 --> 00:18:00,454 Here, in just a few hectares of forest, 151 00:18:00,913 --> 00:18:04,917 there may be more kinds of plants than in the whole of Europe, 152 00:18:08,629 --> 00:18:12,424 including some of the most specialized on Earth. 153 00:18:18,847 --> 00:18:20,015 Over several weeks, 154 00:18:20,099 --> 00:18:25,145 these growing tips inflate to form jugs or pitchers. 155 00:18:34,655 --> 00:18:38,075 There are 39 kinds of pitcher plant in Borneo, 156 00:18:38,575 --> 00:18:41,078 and most are found nowhere else. 157 00:18:44,373 --> 00:18:49,753 To get the nutrients they need to survive, pitcher plants rely on animals, 158 00:18:50,504 --> 00:18:52,548 often in surprising ways. 159 00:18:57,344 --> 00:19:02,266 This is the mountain treeshrew, an animal found only in Borneo. 160 00:19:12,151 --> 00:19:15,779 Every morning, the treeshrew visits his neighborhood pitchers. 161 00:19:17,114 --> 00:19:19,241 It depends on the sugary solution 162 00:19:19,366 --> 00:19:22,452 that exudes from hairs on the pitcher's lid. 163 00:19:25,455 --> 00:19:28,750 When he's licked this lid dry, he'll move to another. 164 00:19:31,712 --> 00:19:33,422 And then another. 165 00:19:38,635 --> 00:19:42,723 Eventually, all that sugar can have only one result. 166 00:19:50,272 --> 00:19:54,568 In return for the free food, the treeshrew leaves a gift. 167 00:19:56,069 --> 00:19:58,071 Fertilizer for the plant. 168 00:20:00,490 --> 00:20:03,368 All that's needed is an afternoon shower 169 00:20:03,452 --> 00:20:07,164 to flush the shrew poo into the pitcher's bowl. 170 00:20:13,295 --> 00:20:17,090 Without these added nitrates, the plant couldn't survive. 171 00:20:19,384 --> 00:20:24,431 And the quest for nutrients has led some pitchers down a sinister path. 172 00:20:28,894 --> 00:20:30,854 A gracilis pitcher plant 173 00:20:31,230 --> 00:20:35,734 attracts ants to the underside of its lid with drops of nectar. 174 00:20:37,819 --> 00:20:40,656 But what do the ants give in return? 175 00:20:43,909 --> 00:20:47,287 It's a story that also depends on rain. 176 00:20:50,082 --> 00:20:51,625 The force of the raindrops 177 00:20:51,708 --> 00:20:54,378 make it impossible for the ants to hold on. 178 00:21:01,176 --> 00:21:05,222 It's the plant world's only springboard trap. 179 00:21:06,890 --> 00:21:10,560 This pitcher plant feeds on ant bodies. 180 00:21:18,443 --> 00:21:21,613 All pitcher plants depend on animals for survival, 181 00:21:23,282 --> 00:21:26,868 and one has even gone into business with a bat. 182 00:21:29,496 --> 00:21:32,624 The woolly bat finds hemsleyana pitchers 183 00:21:32,874 --> 00:21:38,338 because the plant's broad back wall reflects the bat's ultrasound. 184 00:21:44,303 --> 00:21:48,348 The tube-like pitchers are the perfect roosting site. 185 00:21:52,436 --> 00:21:55,230 The pitcher provides secure accommodation 186 00:21:55,689 --> 00:21:59,651 and the plant is enriched by its guest's deposits. 187 00:22:04,072 --> 00:22:07,868 Relationships like these have taken millions of years to evolve, 188 00:22:08,368 --> 00:22:11,246 but many could be gone in a decade. 189 00:22:14,916 --> 00:22:20,005 In the last 50 years, Borneo has lost over half of its jungle. 190 00:22:23,550 --> 00:22:25,260 And it's even worse 191 00:22:25,344 --> 00:22:27,971 on the neighboring islands of the Philippines. 192 00:22:30,307 --> 00:22:34,227 Here, 90 percent of the primary rain forest has gone. 193 00:22:41,068 --> 00:22:46,490 What's left is the last refuge for the world's rarest bird of prey. 194 00:22:47,616 --> 00:22:49,826 The mighty Philippines eagle. 195 00:22:56,958 --> 00:22:59,628 With just 400 pairs remaining, 196 00:22:59,920 --> 00:23:03,173 a chick on a nest is a very scarce sight. 197 00:23:07,344 --> 00:23:10,472 Scientists have tracked the mother since she was a year old. 198 00:23:11,223 --> 00:23:14,643 Now aged ten, this is her first chick. 199 00:23:22,317 --> 00:23:26,029 It's four months old, already nearly a meter tall, 200 00:23:26,822 --> 00:23:28,740 and increasingly confident. 201 00:23:31,493 --> 00:23:34,996 Although Mother still likes to give a helping hand. 202 00:23:42,671 --> 00:23:45,215 The chick is very demanding. 203 00:23:48,802 --> 00:23:51,346 She expects regular food drops, 204 00:23:52,097 --> 00:23:56,935 but, like a toddler having a tantrum, she doesn't want any help at mealtimes. 205 00:24:01,273 --> 00:24:04,025 Already, she's the same size as her father 206 00:24:04,484 --> 00:24:06,528 and too big to argue with. 207 00:24:08,530 --> 00:24:11,283 But if his youngster is to take her next steps, 208 00:24:11,533 --> 00:24:14,744 he knows it's time for some tough love. 209 00:24:16,204 --> 00:24:19,249 From now on, visits will be less frequent. 210 00:24:30,927 --> 00:24:34,764 The parents drop by with an occasional food parcel, 211 00:24:37,642 --> 00:24:41,104 but a small fruit bat isn't much to get excited about. 212 00:24:48,695 --> 00:24:49,779 It's confusing 213 00:24:49,863 --> 00:24:53,950 when your parents don't visit as frequently as they once did. 214 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:06,630 Every day, she calls, 215 00:25:08,298 --> 00:25:10,383 but no one is paying any attention. 216 00:25:15,639 --> 00:25:16,639 She's hungry, 217 00:25:17,974 --> 00:25:20,352 and all that's left are scraps. 218 00:25:26,274 --> 00:25:29,236 It's time to become a proper eagle. 219 00:25:34,241 --> 00:25:38,453 Flapping strengthens flight muscles in two-meter wings. 220 00:25:43,124 --> 00:25:46,586 Wings that will be used to carry off her hefty prey. 221 00:25:51,841 --> 00:25:54,803 Though that skill is still some time off. 222 00:25:59,975 --> 00:26:03,728 So far, she's never ventured beyond the security of her nest. 223 00:26:08,984 --> 00:26:10,485 And with good reason. 224 00:26:15,532 --> 00:26:18,868 There's a 70-meter drop to the forest floor. 225 00:26:24,082 --> 00:26:25,667 A fall would be fatal. 226 00:26:32,966 --> 00:26:37,053 It's a nervous moment, but she must persevere. 227 00:26:39,556 --> 00:26:42,350 Right now, she's all toes and talons. 228 00:26:52,569 --> 00:26:58,325 Sudden gusts of wind are not helpful when balancing over a death-defying drop, 229 00:27:00,952 --> 00:27:03,705 and the daily downpours don't make it any easier. 230 00:27:14,257 --> 00:27:18,845 Every day, she gets a little stronger and more confident. 231 00:27:25,101 --> 00:27:30,398 Then, the day comes when confidence finally matches know-how. 232 00:27:48,249 --> 00:27:51,503 Now is the moment to reach for the sky. 233 00:28:00,470 --> 00:28:03,515 Her first ever flight from her nest tree. 234 00:28:07,227 --> 00:28:10,980 It'll be nearly a year before she's fully independent. 235 00:28:13,066 --> 00:28:16,319 Then, her survival will depend on finding a territory 236 00:28:16,903 --> 00:28:19,781 with large stretches of unspoilt jungle. 237 00:28:26,496 --> 00:28:28,456 In the Philippines' fragmented forest, 238 00:28:28,665 --> 00:28:32,669 there's just too little prey for a supersized eagle. 239 00:28:36,756 --> 00:28:40,719 But there is one jungle whose size is still legendary. 240 00:28:45,098 --> 00:28:49,144 The Amazon basin is over 3,000 kilometers across 241 00:28:49,477 --> 00:28:53,732 and home to half of our planet's remaining rain forest. 242 00:29:00,697 --> 00:29:04,743 But there are challenges for those living in the Amazon's deep interior. 243 00:29:14,377 --> 00:29:16,087 Black spider monkeys, 244 00:29:17,630 --> 00:29:19,841 with eyes on a salt lick. 245 00:29:23,887 --> 00:29:27,932 Being so far from the sea, salt is in short supply here, 246 00:29:28,683 --> 00:29:31,352 so a visit to a lick is essential. 247 00:29:36,191 --> 00:29:40,236 But first, they must be sure there are no predators lurking below. 248 00:29:42,864 --> 00:29:45,450 A harmless agouti is a good sign. 249 00:29:54,334 --> 00:29:58,338 This is the only time a spider monkey ever sets foot on the ground. 250 00:30:04,052 --> 00:30:05,887 And if you have your head in a hole, 251 00:30:07,597 --> 00:30:08,973 best to have a lookout. 252 00:30:11,726 --> 00:30:14,604 Monkeys can't survive without these minerals, 253 00:30:15,855 --> 00:30:17,524 and predators know it. 254 00:30:22,946 --> 00:30:24,864 A warning from the lookout. 255 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:37,168 It's not a false alarm. 256 00:30:41,548 --> 00:30:42,548 A jaguar. 257 00:30:44,676 --> 00:30:47,846 Rarely seen, but the Amazon's top predator. 258 00:30:56,104 --> 00:30:59,607 With the jaguar gone, the monkeys return, 259 00:31:01,025 --> 00:31:02,527 but it's a risk. 260 00:31:03,194 --> 00:31:06,155 Nobody knows when the predator will be back. 261 00:31:13,705 --> 00:31:18,126 It's not just spider monkeys for whom fear must give way to need. 262 00:31:19,794 --> 00:31:23,965 In the Amazon, salt licks are as vital as an oasis in a desert. 263 00:31:31,097 --> 00:31:33,182 Noises could be friend or foe, 264 00:31:33,266 --> 00:31:36,936 so every visitor must remain poised for flight. 265 00:32:00,460 --> 00:32:01,961 It's a false alarm. 266 00:32:02,337 --> 00:32:04,505 Just the harmless agouti again. 267 00:32:10,094 --> 00:32:14,557 In the Amazon, every animal group has more species than anywhere else. 268 00:32:17,644 --> 00:32:19,479 And that includes frogs. 269 00:32:22,941 --> 00:32:26,611 There are thought to be over a thousand different kinds of them here, 270 00:32:30,615 --> 00:32:33,493 and new ones are still being discovered. 271 00:32:49,801 --> 00:32:52,971 Frogs are an indicator of a healthy forest, 272 00:32:54,347 --> 00:32:59,727 but its most important residents are the jungle's smallest inhabitants. 273 00:33:16,953 --> 00:33:21,833 There are thought to be over two million kinds of insect in the Amazon. 274 00:33:23,501 --> 00:33:25,670 These are the most numerous. 275 00:33:30,842 --> 00:33:35,054 A colony of leafcutter ants can run into the millions. 276 00:33:41,310 --> 00:33:45,356 Each colony is a superorganism with a collective function... 277 00:33:46,607 --> 00:33:51,070 to gather leaves and carry them back to their underground nests. 278 00:34:13,176 --> 00:34:15,595 Within the territory of a leafcutter colony, 279 00:34:15,678 --> 00:34:21,684 as much as a fifth of all new plant growth will be harvested by the ants. 280 00:34:23,519 --> 00:34:26,564 Slicing through leaves with specialized mandibles, 281 00:34:26,856 --> 00:34:32,070 they produce high frequency vibrations, which stiffens the leaf, 282 00:34:32,904 --> 00:34:34,280 making it easier to cut. 283 00:34:36,491 --> 00:34:41,162 Working together, they can strip a tree bare in 24 hours. 284 00:34:52,090 --> 00:34:56,385 The trick is holding on to your leaf as you fall. 285 00:35:01,140 --> 00:35:02,892 Easier said than done. 286 00:35:04,644 --> 00:35:08,022 But best not to return to the nest empty-handed. 287 00:35:15,655 --> 00:35:19,075 A leafcutter colony is like a mega-herbivore, 288 00:35:19,325 --> 00:35:21,828 not dissimilar to an elephant in the Congo, 289 00:35:21,911 --> 00:35:25,998 and their impact on the ecosystem is just as important. 290 00:35:28,709 --> 00:35:32,046 The ants follow scent trails back to the nest, 291 00:35:35,383 --> 00:35:37,552 dodging unexpected obstacles. 292 00:35:42,056 --> 00:35:47,061 But to increase efficiency, the ants keep their paths clear of debris. 293 00:36:04,495 --> 00:36:08,082 A leafcutter nest can be up to eight meters deep 294 00:36:08,291 --> 00:36:11,419 and have thousands of interconnected chambers. 295 00:36:15,089 --> 00:36:18,134 The workers carry the freshly harvested leaves 296 00:36:18,342 --> 00:36:20,845 to special rooms for processing. 297 00:36:23,848 --> 00:36:28,686 The leaves are not food, but used to create gardens of fungus, 298 00:36:28,769 --> 00:36:30,646 which they feed to their larvae. 299 00:36:35,693 --> 00:36:40,823 The success of the colony depends on keeping their gardens disease-free. 300 00:36:42,033 --> 00:36:46,787 So, the ants have teamed up with bacteria to help control pathogens, 301 00:36:46,954 --> 00:36:49,248 which would destroy their precious fungi. 302 00:36:53,377 --> 00:36:54,837 Scientists now believe 303 00:36:54,921 --> 00:36:59,300 these bacteria could provide new solutions to human diseases. 304 00:37:03,221 --> 00:37:05,473 But as successful as these ants are, 305 00:37:05,681 --> 00:37:11,604 the rain forest's diversity depends on no one species gaining the upper hand. 306 00:37:18,903 --> 00:37:21,572 Here, ants don't have it all their own way. 307 00:37:25,034 --> 00:37:27,245 This one is behaving oddly. 308 00:37:32,708 --> 00:37:35,336 It seems compelled to climb upwards, 309 00:37:35,753 --> 00:37:39,048 and is already several meters above the forest floor. 310 00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:43,844 Something has taken control of its movements, 311 00:37:44,178 --> 00:37:47,431 like a puppeteer pulling at the strings of a marionette. 312 00:37:54,063 --> 00:37:58,943 There's just one final act, for which the ant has no choice. 313 00:38:03,656 --> 00:38:08,995 It must find a place to bite down, tethering it to the vegetation. 314 00:38:24,343 --> 00:38:26,762 With the ant in its death grip, 315 00:38:27,179 --> 00:38:31,517 a parasitic fungus, Cordyceps, erupts from its body. 316 00:38:41,485 --> 00:38:46,240 Finally, the fruiting body of the fungus bursts from its head. 317 00:39:01,172 --> 00:39:05,843 From this bulbous container, spores will be cast into the air currents, 318 00:39:05,926 --> 00:39:09,055 where they will claim more ant victims. 319 00:39:13,476 --> 00:39:15,061 But it's not just ants. 320 00:39:15,853 --> 00:39:19,315 Many others are infected by the Cordyceps fungus. 321 00:39:38,459 --> 00:39:40,544 The more numerous a species is, 322 00:39:40,628 --> 00:39:44,965 the more likely it is to fall victim to the killer fungus. 323 00:39:52,390 --> 00:39:57,269 Checks and balances like these means no one species can ever dominate, 324 00:39:58,270 --> 00:40:01,482 so protecting the jungle's incredible diversity. 325 00:40:15,121 --> 00:40:19,417 But today, the diversity of the world's rain forests 326 00:40:19,625 --> 00:40:22,253 is falling at an alarming rate, 327 00:40:23,129 --> 00:40:25,005 and that is because of us. 328 00:40:29,093 --> 00:40:34,974 We have now replaced up to 27 million hectares of virgin jungle 329 00:40:35,349 --> 00:40:37,810 with a single species of tree. 330 00:40:42,398 --> 00:40:44,233 This is oil palm, 331 00:40:44,900 --> 00:40:47,194 one of the world's most productive crops. 332 00:40:48,571 --> 00:40:49,864 But these monocultures 333 00:40:49,947 --> 00:40:55,494 support only a fraction of the diversity found in primary rain forests, 334 00:40:56,370 --> 00:40:59,540 and it is pushing many animals to extinction. 335 00:41:04,003 --> 00:41:07,506 In the swamp forests of northern Sumatra, in Indonesia, 336 00:41:07,882 --> 00:41:11,760 time is running out for one of our closest ancestors. 337 00:41:14,305 --> 00:41:15,598 The orangutan. 338 00:41:21,061 --> 00:41:25,858 A baby orangutan takes more than ten years to become independent. 339 00:41:28,319 --> 00:41:30,654 Everything must be learned from its mother. 340 00:41:31,739 --> 00:41:34,992 Like how to bridge the gaps between trees. 341 00:41:40,831 --> 00:41:43,292 Survival depends on each orang 342 00:41:43,375 --> 00:41:46,462 understanding its patch of forest perfectly. 343 00:41:49,381 --> 00:41:53,636 Watching scientists have named this pair Ellie and Eden. 344 00:41:56,347 --> 00:41:57,973 Ellie is 18 years old, 345 00:41:59,975 --> 00:42:02,770 and Eden, her first baby, is three. 346 00:42:07,608 --> 00:42:11,403 Right now, he needs a little bit of encouragement. 347 00:42:20,829 --> 00:42:22,373 Like all orangutans, 348 00:42:22,831 --> 00:42:25,584 Ellie has a mental map of her surroundings, 349 00:42:26,377 --> 00:42:29,838 including the location of every fruiting tree. 350 00:42:34,969 --> 00:42:37,137 Eden needs to learn this, too, 351 00:42:37,721 --> 00:42:41,517 but for now, he must watch everything his mother does, 352 00:42:42,977 --> 00:42:47,690 learning not just what's edible but also how to eat it. 353 00:42:58,659 --> 00:43:02,037 Every day is a new lesson for Eden. 354 00:43:06,125 --> 00:43:11,130 Here, ants are a big part of their diet, and there's a knack to gathering them. 355 00:43:15,718 --> 00:43:19,471 Once tangled in Ellie's fur, they're easy to pick off. 356 00:43:23,976 --> 00:43:28,314 For little Eden, it's all about watching and learning. 357 00:43:35,029 --> 00:43:38,741 Eden's cousin, Louis, is more experienced. 358 00:43:40,200 --> 00:43:41,577 Four years older than Eden, 359 00:43:42,119 --> 00:43:44,455 he can move through the branches with ease. 360 00:43:55,215 --> 00:43:57,885 It's taken a few years to master, 361 00:43:58,802 --> 00:44:02,473 and it's clearly a skill he feels is worth showing off. 362 00:44:13,275 --> 00:44:18,697 Conquering the treetops is just stage one in an orangutan's education. 363 00:44:19,198 --> 00:44:22,159 To survive, Louis must learn more. 364 00:44:24,870 --> 00:44:26,038 Much more. 365 00:44:29,416 --> 00:44:32,336 His mother, Lisa, has found a rotten tree trunk 366 00:44:32,920 --> 00:44:34,630 with lots of ants. 367 00:44:35,839 --> 00:44:40,052 But this anting opportunity requires more know-how. 368 00:44:41,512 --> 00:44:44,973 To get them, Lisa must break sections off. 369 00:44:50,979 --> 00:44:53,899 At his age, Louis must do more than watch. 370 00:44:56,860 --> 00:44:57,945 He must copy. 371 00:45:16,004 --> 00:45:17,005 Not a bad effort. 372 00:45:21,885 --> 00:45:26,974 But even at the age of seven, he's yet to master the art of ant capture. 373 00:45:33,105 --> 00:45:35,107 Louis has much to learn. 374 00:45:39,653 --> 00:45:44,074 Pluto, on the other hand, graduated a long time ago. 375 00:45:46,118 --> 00:45:48,829 Thirty years old and nearly a hundred kilograms, 376 00:45:49,163 --> 00:45:51,123 he is king of this jungle. 377 00:45:54,042 --> 00:45:57,129 His cheek flanges are a sign of power, 378 00:45:58,172 --> 00:46:00,257 something for Louis to aspire to. 379 00:46:06,013 --> 00:46:08,974 Pluto is constantly on the lookout for food, 380 00:46:10,726 --> 00:46:13,729 and he's just spotted a promising opportunity. 381 00:46:16,774 --> 00:46:19,860 These wasps mean one thing to him. 382 00:46:21,653 --> 00:46:23,155 Tasty grubs. 383 00:46:28,410 --> 00:46:33,123 To get at them, he favors a smash-and-grab technique. 384 00:46:39,254 --> 00:46:43,300 His thick fur protects him from most of the angry wasps, 385 00:46:43,801 --> 00:46:46,762 but the rewards are worth risking a few stings. 386 00:46:52,434 --> 00:46:54,353 Louis keeps his distance. 387 00:46:57,981 --> 00:47:00,609 He would need to be a lot bigger and hairier 388 00:47:00,776 --> 00:47:02,820 before he could do battle with wasps. 389 00:47:10,327 --> 00:47:15,123 But here, there's one trick that can take half a lifetime to get to grips with. 390 00:47:22,464 --> 00:47:27,094 Louis' mother, Lisa, has learned how to make tools from sticks, 391 00:47:27,469 --> 00:47:29,388 to winkle out insects. 392 00:47:31,598 --> 00:47:33,141 The orangutans living here 393 00:47:33,308 --> 00:47:36,728 are the only ones in the world to have discovered this skill. 394 00:47:40,357 --> 00:47:42,359 Louis must try and learn it too, 395 00:47:42,442 --> 00:47:46,113 but it may be another eight years before he's as good as his mother. 396 00:47:49,366 --> 00:47:52,369 This long education has made orangutans 397 00:47:52,452 --> 00:47:56,206 particularly vulnerable to changes taking place in their forest. 398 00:48:01,420 --> 00:48:06,341 It's now estimated that we lose 100 orangutans every week 399 00:48:06,800 --> 00:48:08,468 from human activity. 400 00:48:17,728 --> 00:48:23,400 Louis and Eden's generation could be the last wild orangutan. 401 00:48:28,530 --> 00:48:33,744 When Pluto was their age, his jungle home stretched to the horizon. 402 00:48:39,625 --> 00:48:41,084 Not anymore. 403 00:48:44,338 --> 00:48:46,256 In the last four decades, 404 00:48:46,673 --> 00:48:50,636 the pristine lowland jungle that orangutans depend on 405 00:48:51,219 --> 00:48:55,474 has declined by a staggering 75 percent. 406 00:48:58,727 --> 00:49:02,189 Across the world, we are losing tropical forest 407 00:49:02,439 --> 00:49:07,110 at the rate of nearly 15 million hectares every year, 408 00:49:08,362 --> 00:49:12,574 and with it, the planet's treasure trove of diversity. 409 00:49:15,535 --> 00:49:21,917 Jungles store and capture more carbon than any other habitat on land. 410 00:49:23,168 --> 00:49:24,920 They cool our planet, 411 00:49:25,837 --> 00:49:27,798 provide food and medicines. 412 00:49:29,633 --> 00:49:32,052 We lose them at our peril. 413 00:49:43,981 --> 00:49:46,191 Please visit ourplanet.com 414 00:49:46,441 --> 00:49:50,487 to discover what we need to do now to protect our jungles. 415 00:49:53,281 --> 00:49:59,204 ♪ I can hear the whole world Singing together ♪ 416 00:50:01,790 --> 00:50:07,713 ♪ I can hear the whole world Say it's now or never ♪ 417 00:50:10,507 --> 00:50:14,803 ♪ 'Cause it's not too late If we change our ways ♪ 418 00:50:14,886 --> 00:50:18,390 ♪ And connect the dots to our problems ♪ 419 00:50:18,807 --> 00:50:24,479 ♪ I can hear the whole world Say we're in this together ♪ 420 00:50:24,938 --> 00:50:26,648 ♪ We're in this together ♪