1 00:00:33,855 --> 00:00:38,375 Earth is the only planet we know of where life exists. 2 00:00:41,295 --> 00:00:44,135 And, here, it does so in abundance. 3 00:00:49,095 --> 00:00:51,415 The jungle is Eden. 4 00:00:54,375 --> 00:00:57,974 It covers less than 6% of the Earth's surface 5 00:00:57,975 --> 00:01:00,134 but it's home to half of all 6 00:01:00,135 --> 00:01:01,975 the plants and animals on land. 7 00:01:06,495 --> 00:01:09,134 Jungles have just the right amount of light, 8 00:01:09,135 --> 00:01:14,535 water and nutrients, and they have had every day for millennia. 9 00:01:19,175 --> 00:01:21,975 Life here should be easy. 10 00:01:30,655 --> 00:01:32,375 This is an indri. 11 00:01:35,455 --> 00:01:37,215 It's a primate, like us. 12 00:01:38,335 --> 00:01:42,535 And these forests in Madagascar are its home. 13 00:01:49,735 --> 00:01:51,295 But to survive here... 14 00:01:52,455 --> 00:01:55,295 ...it has to face one major challenge. 15 00:02:01,495 --> 00:02:03,615 Paradise is crowded. 16 00:02:07,615 --> 00:02:09,895 Life fills every niche. 17 00:02:12,175 --> 00:02:17,534 And, at any one time, a staggering variety of species and countless 18 00:02:17,535 --> 00:02:22,095 individuals are striving for space and food. 19 00:02:31,455 --> 00:02:33,534 Like every jungle animal, 20 00:02:33,535 --> 00:02:37,094 indri have to find their own way to survive 21 00:02:37,095 --> 00:02:40,215 in the most competitive place on Earth. 22 00:02:43,135 --> 00:02:44,215 (INDRI WAILS) 23 00:02:46,535 --> 00:02:48,655 (INDRI WAILS) 24 00:03:05,375 --> 00:03:07,815 Jungles are complex places... 25 00:03:09,415 --> 00:03:14,815 ...tangled three-dimensional worlds created by lush tropical vegetation. 26 00:03:18,815 --> 00:03:24,095 90% of the animals here spend their whole lives up in the trees. 27 00:03:25,175 --> 00:03:28,855 And each of them has to find its own way of getting around. 28 00:03:32,215 --> 00:03:36,415 Hanging 100 feet above the ground, a spider monkey. 29 00:03:42,735 --> 00:03:46,814 They travel in family groups and find everything they need in the top 30 00:03:46,815 --> 00:03:48,455 storey of the jungle. 31 00:03:50,015 --> 00:03:53,055 Up here isn't a place for the faint-hearted. 32 00:03:56,495 --> 00:04:00,614 With long limbs and a prehensile tail that can grip like a hand, 33 00:04:00,615 --> 00:04:02,135 they're built for climbing. 34 00:04:08,895 --> 00:04:13,775 But imagine having to learn these skills as high up as this. 35 00:04:19,095 --> 00:04:22,975 One third of spider monkeys never make it to adulthood. 36 00:04:26,455 --> 00:04:29,215 This youngster is only a few months old. 37 00:04:31,575 --> 00:04:34,855 Her future depends on her ability to climb. 38 00:04:37,735 --> 00:04:41,134 Playing on a practice tree with her older brother and sister, 39 00:04:41,135 --> 00:04:44,695 she's already learning to use her tail as a safety line... 40 00:04:48,535 --> 00:04:51,095 ...under her father's close watch. 41 00:04:57,855 --> 00:04:59,815 (THEY CHATTER) 42 00:05:05,415 --> 00:05:09,454 She's keen to join in the game but she's the youngest and, 43 00:05:09,455 --> 00:05:12,615 as is the way of things, she's not always welcome. 44 00:05:16,375 --> 00:05:17,415 (SHE GIBBERS) 45 00:05:18,775 --> 00:05:21,735 So she chooses her own place to play. 46 00:05:27,855 --> 00:05:30,334 But not all trees are the same. 47 00:05:30,335 --> 00:05:34,095 This one is for more advanced climbers. 48 00:05:43,895 --> 00:05:46,215 Enthusiasm? Certainly! 49 00:05:51,095 --> 00:05:52,534 (SHE GIBBERS) 50 00:05:52,535 --> 00:05:53,575 Technique? 51 00:05:55,295 --> 00:05:57,174 (SHE CHATTERS) 52 00:05:57,175 --> 00:05:58,495 Room for improvement. 53 00:06:01,855 --> 00:06:05,934 Meanwhile, some of her family have moved on to look for a new patch of 54 00:06:05,935 --> 00:06:06,975 fresh food. 55 00:06:09,815 --> 00:06:12,695 The top of the canopy isn't for youngsters. 56 00:06:14,055 --> 00:06:19,214 But Father's not looking and the temptation to join the others is 57 00:06:19,215 --> 00:06:20,255 irresistible. 58 00:06:27,815 --> 00:06:30,014 She'll need to be careful. 59 00:06:30,015 --> 00:06:32,935 A fall from here would mean certain death. 60 00:06:40,975 --> 00:06:44,895 It's the first time she's been as high as this on her own. 61 00:06:56,335 --> 00:07:00,335 As she climbs still higher, the branches get thinner and thinner. 62 00:07:13,855 --> 00:07:15,375 (SHE SCREECHES) 63 00:07:17,015 --> 00:07:19,535 (SHE SCREECHES) 64 00:07:25,215 --> 00:07:26,775 Her tail has caught her... 65 00:07:27,775 --> 00:07:32,175 ...but now she's stuck in mid-air, unable to reach any other branch. 66 00:07:34,295 --> 00:07:35,695 (SHE SCREECHES) 67 00:07:45,375 --> 00:07:47,735 Father, however, was watching. 68 00:07:50,015 --> 00:07:54,014 He's big and strong enough to form a bridge with his body so that she can 69 00:07:54,015 --> 00:07:55,055 climb to safety. 70 00:08:26,055 --> 00:08:27,295 Lesson learned. 71 00:08:33,415 --> 00:08:37,455 But it's not just monkeys that live here, up in the treetops. 72 00:08:44,855 --> 00:08:50,535 And, if you are small, finding the right tree can mean a home for life. 73 00:08:56,455 --> 00:08:58,534 He's a Draco lizard. 74 00:08:58,535 --> 00:09:02,295 He's only the size of a pencil and he eats ants. 75 00:09:09,855 --> 00:09:14,734 This one tree could provide him with all he will ever need... 76 00:09:14,735 --> 00:09:16,575 a conveyor belt of food. 77 00:09:20,135 --> 00:09:22,575 It's a perfect place to settle down. 78 00:09:29,415 --> 00:09:31,015 Well, it would be... 79 00:09:33,495 --> 00:09:35,095 ...but there's already someone here. 80 00:09:44,655 --> 00:09:48,334 This larger male is the tree's owner. 81 00:09:48,335 --> 00:09:50,495 And Dracos don't share. 82 00:09:58,695 --> 00:10:01,815 The owner's flag is a warning. 83 00:10:05,295 --> 00:10:07,815 Trespassers won't be tolerated. 84 00:10:10,375 --> 00:10:12,175 The owner's not only intimidating... 85 00:10:14,855 --> 00:10:16,575 ...he's prepared to battle. 86 00:10:29,535 --> 00:10:30,575 A dead end. 87 00:10:32,695 --> 00:10:34,735 Safety is a long way away. 88 00:10:37,615 --> 00:10:39,135 Now he must choose. 89 00:10:41,015 --> 00:10:42,055 Fight... 90 00:10:45,655 --> 00:10:47,095 ...or flee? 91 00:11:03,975 --> 00:11:08,815 Only in the jungle do you find lizards that can soar like dragons. 92 00:11:12,615 --> 00:11:16,375 He can travel over 100 feet in a single leap. 93 00:11:18,535 --> 00:11:22,295 It's a very fast and efficient way to move through the jungle. 94 00:11:29,975 --> 00:11:34,855 Maybe this new tree will have food and no resident owner. 95 00:11:43,215 --> 00:11:46,855 Everything in the jungle has to compete for space. 96 00:11:52,095 --> 00:11:55,175 Only 2% of the sun's rays reach the ground... 97 00:11:56,135 --> 00:11:58,574 ...so even the plants must battle for the light 98 00:11:58,575 --> 00:12:00,135 they need if they're to grow. 99 00:12:07,535 --> 00:12:12,095 300 years ago, this Hura tree began its race for light. 100 00:12:14,055 --> 00:12:19,414 And every day since, it has absorbed the water and sunshine it needed to 101 00:12:19,415 --> 00:12:21,495 grow into a giant. 102 00:12:30,535 --> 00:12:34,935 It has succeeded in doing what every tree must do to survive... 103 00:12:36,575 --> 00:12:39,055 ...rise above the gloom of the jungle floor. 104 00:12:47,335 --> 00:12:51,455 And, what is more, its success has given life to others. 105 00:13:01,735 --> 00:13:05,615 Its branches now carry 1,000 other plants. 106 00:13:09,455 --> 00:13:11,174 These particular ferns, 107 00:13:11,175 --> 00:13:15,495 figs and orchids live only on the branches of other trees. 108 00:13:20,575 --> 00:13:24,535 1,000 plants growing on one single tree. 109 00:13:26,735 --> 00:13:30,975 Throughout the forest, this story is repeated endless times. 110 00:13:35,375 --> 00:13:37,854 As a consequence, jungles are home 111 00:13:37,855 --> 00:13:41,775 to more species of plants than anywhere else on Earth. 112 00:13:42,815 --> 00:13:47,015 And they, in turn, support a wealth of animals. 113 00:13:52,535 --> 00:13:56,855 In Ecuador, the competition is at its most intense. 114 00:13:58,855 --> 00:14:02,215 Here, there are 100 species of hummingbirds alone... 115 00:14:05,295 --> 00:14:07,135 ...all fighting for nectar. 116 00:14:09,895 --> 00:14:13,454 Each flower only has a small amount at any one time, 117 00:14:13,455 --> 00:14:15,695 and so it's first come, first served. 118 00:14:20,495 --> 00:14:25,334 One hummingbird has gone to great lengths to avoid conflict 119 00:14:25,335 --> 00:14:26,855 with other species. 120 00:14:30,975 --> 00:14:35,735 Swordbills are the only bird with a beak longer than their body. 121 00:14:38,655 --> 00:14:42,774 And some flowers are too elongated for the other 99 species of 122 00:14:42,775 --> 00:14:45,095 hummingbirds here to feed from them. 123 00:14:57,655 --> 00:15:00,414 A swordbill's extraordinary beak, however, 124 00:15:00,415 --> 00:15:03,455 enables it to reach the places that others can't... 125 00:15:07,535 --> 00:15:11,655 ...the top of this flower, where the sweet nectar is produced. 126 00:15:13,415 --> 00:15:17,975 It has found a solution that means it doesn't have to join the fight. 127 00:15:20,935 --> 00:15:24,974 And, as each long flower blooms, it gives the swordbill a fresh supply 128 00:15:24,975 --> 00:15:27,095 of food all to itself. 129 00:15:42,895 --> 00:15:46,855 But having a beak longer than your body does have its drawbacks. 130 00:15:51,735 --> 00:15:54,375 For a start, it's tricky to keep it clean. 131 00:16:06,855 --> 00:16:10,495 Harder still, how do you preen your body feathers? 132 00:16:13,455 --> 00:16:14,974 Unlike the other hummers, 133 00:16:14,975 --> 00:16:18,215 swordbills can't reach their feathers with their beak. 134 00:16:25,735 --> 00:16:28,935 The only option, a good old scratch. 135 00:16:47,735 --> 00:16:49,735 It's a little unrefined... 136 00:16:52,215 --> 00:16:56,455 ...but a small price to pay for an exclusive food supply... 137 00:17:00,055 --> 00:17:04,814 ...especially when feeding times are only too frequently interrupted 138 00:17:04,815 --> 00:17:06,854 by storms. 139 00:17:06,855 --> 00:17:10,615 (THUNDER RUMBLES) 140 00:17:14,295 --> 00:17:16,974 Jungles are the richest places on Earth 141 00:17:16,975 --> 00:17:19,335 because of one remarkable fact... 142 00:17:22,615 --> 00:17:24,455 ...they make their own weather. 143 00:17:30,335 --> 00:17:34,735 Every day, water rises from the surface of the leaves as vapour. 144 00:17:37,095 --> 00:17:40,255 It's as if the trees breathe out clouds. 145 00:17:43,215 --> 00:17:46,335 They gather over the forest until, finally... 146 00:17:49,255 --> 00:17:50,295 ...they burst. 147 00:18:05,175 --> 00:18:08,855 Rain is the lifeblood of every jungle. 148 00:18:18,335 --> 00:18:22,335 And all have to do their best to endure the daily downpour. 149 00:19:05,135 --> 00:19:08,414 In some jungles, like here in Brazil, 150 00:19:08,415 --> 00:19:12,774 it rains so much that, for part of the year, the trees are 151 00:19:12,775 --> 00:19:14,455 almost totally submerged. 152 00:19:23,335 --> 00:19:27,175 The forest floor is 30 feet below the water's surface. 153 00:19:30,455 --> 00:19:36,455 This is a mysterious world, a place few people have ever explored. 154 00:19:45,415 --> 00:19:49,615 We have much to discover about the animals for which this is home... 155 00:19:53,855 --> 00:19:59,135 ...including some you might never expect to find amongst trees. 156 00:20:12,895 --> 00:20:17,775 Here, 1,000 miles from the sea, are dolphins. 157 00:20:23,095 --> 00:20:28,015 A newly identified species of river dolphin found nowhere else on Earth. 158 00:20:40,735 --> 00:20:41,774 (DOLPHIN WHISTLES) 159 00:20:41,775 --> 00:20:46,774 In these black, tangled waters, they have become almost totally blind, 160 00:20:46,775 --> 00:20:48,854 so they move slowly, 161 00:20:48,855 --> 00:20:53,535 carefully using their sonar to scan the forest floor for fish. 162 00:20:59,175 --> 00:21:02,495 If this forest can hide a new species of dolphin... 163 00:21:03,935 --> 00:21:06,815 ...what else might there be here, awaiting discovery? 164 00:21:12,775 --> 00:21:15,454 At the shallow margins of the flooded jungle, 165 00:21:15,455 --> 00:21:18,335 rivers flow through lush vegetation. 166 00:21:22,215 --> 00:21:26,535 Here, food is so abundant, it supports giants. 167 00:21:29,175 --> 00:21:31,935 Capybara, the biggest rodents in the world... 168 00:21:34,615 --> 00:21:35,655 (GRUNTING) 169 00:21:37,935 --> 00:21:40,255 ...giant otters the size of a man... 170 00:21:41,495 --> 00:21:42,695 (THEY SQUEAK) 171 00:21:45,415 --> 00:21:47,654 ...and the rulers of these rivers... 172 00:21:47,655 --> 00:21:49,014 (SPLASH) 173 00:21:49,015 --> 00:21:50,055 ...caiman. 174 00:21:51,815 --> 00:21:54,734 They grow to ten feet long and kill anything 175 00:21:54,735 --> 00:21:56,735 they get between their jaws. 176 00:22:02,575 --> 00:22:05,215 But there are more artful hunters... 177 00:22:07,135 --> 00:22:09,695 ...drawn here from the surrounding forest. 178 00:22:21,975 --> 00:22:25,735 A jaguar, the supreme jungle predator. 179 00:22:33,135 --> 00:22:35,895 The river marks the edge of his territory... 180 00:22:37,975 --> 00:22:40,535 ...but here he has competition. 181 00:22:43,055 --> 00:22:44,855 (THEY GROWL) 182 00:22:45,975 --> 00:22:48,775 (THEY ROAR) 183 00:22:57,255 --> 00:23:00,135 (THEY GROWL) 184 00:23:02,895 --> 00:23:05,455 He's now in the territory of a female. 185 00:23:11,175 --> 00:23:15,015 She has ruled this stretch of river for five years. 186 00:23:17,455 --> 00:23:19,935 This is her place to hunt. 187 00:23:49,495 --> 00:23:52,455 Capybara are strong and wary. 188 00:23:55,815 --> 00:23:57,695 The key is stealth. 189 00:24:16,055 --> 00:24:20,535 She needs to get within three feet if she's to pounce. 190 00:24:43,335 --> 00:24:44,495 Not this time. 191 00:24:55,455 --> 00:24:57,415 She's not the only female here. 192 00:24:59,375 --> 00:25:03,575 Each part of this jungle's edge is ruled by a different queen. 193 00:25:14,575 --> 00:25:19,535 Few places on Earth have enough food to support so many big cats. 194 00:25:24,415 --> 00:25:26,655 (LOW GROWL) 195 00:25:45,575 --> 00:25:47,935 The male hunts in a different way. 196 00:25:55,535 --> 00:25:59,615 Weighing almost 300 lbs, it's hard to be stealthy... 197 00:26:02,695 --> 00:26:05,814 ...and with so many other jaguars around, 198 00:26:05,815 --> 00:26:08,575 he doesn't bother with wary capybara. 199 00:26:14,935 --> 00:26:17,135 He seeks a different prey. 200 00:26:40,375 --> 00:26:43,294 He's become a killer 201 00:26:43,295 --> 00:26:44,735 of killers. 202 00:27:10,495 --> 00:27:15,255 Jaguars have the most powerful bite of any cat. 203 00:27:18,735 --> 00:27:22,175 And he knows the caiman's most vulnerable point... 204 00:27:24,055 --> 00:27:25,935 ...the back of its skull. 205 00:27:27,575 --> 00:27:29,695 (CRUNCHING) 206 00:27:53,655 --> 00:27:57,694 Hunters living in the dense understorey of the jungle 207 00:27:57,695 --> 00:28:00,175 come in all shapes and sizes. 208 00:28:02,535 --> 00:28:04,695 But they share a problem. 209 00:28:10,895 --> 00:28:14,695 How to tell what is a plant, and what is prey. 210 00:28:18,055 --> 00:28:22,334 This is a game of hide and seek that can be won or lost 211 00:28:22,335 --> 00:28:24,055 in the blink of an eye. 212 00:28:54,255 --> 00:28:57,894 The long contest between predator and prey 213 00:28:57,895 --> 00:29:01,535 has produced mimicry of astounding accuracy. 214 00:29:19,055 --> 00:29:23,495 A leaf-tailed gecko masquerading as lichen. 215 00:29:48,735 --> 00:29:52,895 Some animals take camouflage a stage further still... 216 00:29:57,215 --> 00:29:59,294 ...and these streams in Costa Rica 217 00:29:59,295 --> 00:30:02,055 are home to one of the most remarkable. 218 00:30:12,975 --> 00:30:14,815 A glass frog. 219 00:30:22,655 --> 00:30:28,454 A male, and tiny, no bigger than your fingernail 220 00:30:28,455 --> 00:30:31,655 and almost entirely transparent... 221 00:30:33,695 --> 00:30:35,255 ...as he needs to be. 222 00:30:38,375 --> 00:30:43,534 Almost everything that walks past here could eat him, 223 00:30:43,535 --> 00:30:45,055 even a cricket. 224 00:30:49,815 --> 00:30:54,174 His best chance is to stay absolutely still and trust that 225 00:30:54,175 --> 00:30:56,255 the cricket looks right through him. 226 00:31:18,375 --> 00:31:21,254 Danger passed, 227 00:31:21,255 --> 00:31:24,694 and that's just as well, 228 00:31:24,695 --> 00:31:27,775 because he is a father... 229 00:31:30,775 --> 00:31:33,415 ...and he's guarding some very precious eggs. 230 00:31:37,615 --> 00:31:41,214 For the last few weeks, females, one after the other, 231 00:31:41,215 --> 00:31:44,495 have visited him and entrusted him with their offspring. 232 00:31:47,775 --> 00:31:50,535 Some are now almost ready to hatch. 233 00:31:54,735 --> 00:31:58,374 There are several clutches on the leaf, and those at the top, 234 00:31:58,375 --> 00:32:01,735 the most recently laid, are barely a day old. 235 00:32:07,815 --> 00:32:11,375 But in the jungle, there's always someone out to get you. 236 00:32:17,615 --> 00:32:22,135 This wasp is a specialist hunter of frogs' eggs. 237 00:32:24,095 --> 00:32:28,335 It's noticed the wriggling tadpoles at the bottom of the leaf. 238 00:32:34,015 --> 00:32:35,215 He mustn't move. 239 00:32:36,375 --> 00:32:39,254 The youngest eggs are the most vulnerable, 240 00:32:39,255 --> 00:32:40,855 and he can't guard them all. 241 00:33:00,775 --> 00:33:04,655 But these tadpoles are not as helpless as they might appear. 242 00:33:12,975 --> 00:33:17,454 Incredibly, the unhatched tadpoles can sense danger, 243 00:33:17,455 --> 00:33:22,455 and the oldest and strongest wriggle free and drop into the stream below. 244 00:33:40,255 --> 00:33:42,974 The eggs at the top of the leaf, however, 245 00:33:42,975 --> 00:33:46,694 are still too young to hatch, 246 00:33:46,695 --> 00:33:49,095 and now the wasps know they're there. 247 00:33:53,335 --> 00:33:57,895 But the male's back looks very like the youngest cluster of eggs... 248 00:34:02,375 --> 00:34:04,775 ...and that seems to confuse the wasps. 249 00:34:27,215 --> 00:34:30,575 Using his own body as a decoy is a huge risk. 250 00:34:31,655 --> 00:34:33,575 The wasp stings could kill him. 251 00:35:01,575 --> 00:35:04,775 He's managed to save most of his young. 252 00:35:09,215 --> 00:35:14,294 He'll have to remain on guard for another two weeks, 253 00:35:14,295 --> 00:35:19,295 but in the jungle, just surviving the day can count as a success. 254 00:35:33,775 --> 00:35:35,414 With the coming of the night, 255 00:35:35,415 --> 00:35:39,095 a new cast of jungle characters takes to the stage. 256 00:35:43,175 --> 00:35:47,455 Flying insects begin to glow as they search for mates. 257 00:35:51,815 --> 00:35:56,535 Fungi, unlike plants, thrive in the darkness of the forest floor. 258 00:35:59,615 --> 00:36:03,494 They're hidden until they begin to develop the incredible structures 259 00:36:03,495 --> 00:36:05,095 with which they reproduce. 260 00:36:08,255 --> 00:36:11,854 Each releases millions of microscopic spores 261 00:36:11,855 --> 00:36:14,015 that drift invisibly away. 262 00:36:19,575 --> 00:36:24,214 Many have fruiting bodies that reach upwards to catch any feeble current 263 00:36:24,215 --> 00:36:26,295 there might be in the clammy air. 264 00:36:30,735 --> 00:36:33,774 But this one, as it grows, 265 00:36:33,775 --> 00:36:35,215 becomes luminous. 266 00:36:47,855 --> 00:36:51,495 Why fungi light up has remained a mystery... 267 00:36:58,295 --> 00:36:59,535 ...until now. 268 00:37:08,175 --> 00:37:11,654 Scientists studying the brightest fungi in the world 269 00:37:11,655 --> 00:37:13,975 think they may have an answer. 270 00:37:19,095 --> 00:37:22,215 Like a beacon, the light attracts insects. 271 00:37:28,855 --> 00:37:30,815 From far and wide. 272 00:37:38,935 --> 00:37:43,494 To this click beetle, a bright light means only one thing... 273 00:37:43,495 --> 00:37:46,974 a female click beetle, 274 00:37:46,975 --> 00:37:48,495 so he flashes in reply. 275 00:38:00,455 --> 00:38:03,255 But he doesn't get the reception he was expecting. 276 00:38:08,095 --> 00:38:13,215 Confused, he starts searching for a female, and that helps the fungus. 277 00:38:15,295 --> 00:38:19,415 By the time he gives up, he's covered in the fungus's spores. 278 00:38:21,135 --> 00:38:23,734 And, as he continues his quest for a female, 279 00:38:23,735 --> 00:38:26,935 he carries these spores to other parts of the forest. 280 00:38:30,455 --> 00:38:35,015 And there are even stranger things glowing in the jungle night. 281 00:38:38,855 --> 00:38:43,775 These are the multicoloured lights of a railroad worm. 282 00:38:45,135 --> 00:38:49,935 It's not really a worm, but a poisonous, caterpillar-like beetle. 283 00:38:53,455 --> 00:38:56,895 The yellow lights warn other creatures to keep out of its way. 284 00:39:06,375 --> 00:39:09,295 It's hunting for millipedes. 285 00:39:19,375 --> 00:39:24,175 When it finds the trail of one, it switches off its yellow lights. 286 00:39:30,575 --> 00:39:33,935 Now it only has a red light on its head. 287 00:39:39,415 --> 00:39:42,295 Millipedes can't see red light. 288 00:39:47,375 --> 00:39:52,935 So, to them, the railroad worm in stealth mode is virtually invisible. 289 00:40:05,535 --> 00:40:08,055 And that is the end of the millipede. 290 00:40:20,495 --> 00:40:24,454 Competition in the jungles forces animals to specialise 291 00:40:24,455 --> 00:40:27,494 in every aspect of their life, 292 00:40:27,495 --> 00:40:29,055 including courtship. 293 00:40:31,535 --> 00:40:36,134 This has produced some of the most beautiful and elaborate displays 294 00:40:36,135 --> 00:40:37,615 on the planet. 295 00:40:39,975 --> 00:40:45,414 - (BIRD SQUAWKS) - A male red bird-of-paradise, 296 00:40:45,415 --> 00:40:49,015 competing to attract a female by dancing. 297 00:40:50,895 --> 00:40:53,255 One has come to survey what's on offer. 298 00:41:11,295 --> 00:41:13,254 She is an independent lady, 299 00:41:13,255 --> 00:41:18,454 and she will select whichever male takes her fancy. 300 00:41:18,455 --> 00:41:20,655 (BIRDS SQUAWKING) 301 00:41:34,415 --> 00:41:35,815 She makes her choice. 302 00:41:54,295 --> 00:41:57,255 But now she doesn't seem quite so sure. 303 00:42:05,575 --> 00:42:10,495 No? Perhaps he's just a little too keen. 304 00:42:23,815 --> 00:42:26,095 Maybe he'll have better luck tomorrow. 305 00:42:35,335 --> 00:42:38,695 Red birds-of-paradise display in the treetops. 306 00:42:41,935 --> 00:42:45,975 Other members of the family dance in the gloom of the forest floor. 307 00:42:49,295 --> 00:42:52,655 This is a Wilson's bird-of-paradise. 308 00:42:54,175 --> 00:42:57,495 He's brightly coloured, but about the size of a sparrow. 309 00:43:01,215 --> 00:43:06,014 He's lived most of his life alone, but now he's an adult, 310 00:43:06,015 --> 00:43:08,615 and he too needs to attract a mate. 311 00:43:13,135 --> 00:43:16,055 This little patch of light might help him do so. 312 00:43:22,535 --> 00:43:25,654 First, he tidies things up. 313 00:43:25,655 --> 00:43:30,654 Showing off in this jumble of leaves wouldn't be easy, 314 00:43:30,655 --> 00:43:34,975 and his beauty will stand out better against a plain background. 315 00:43:43,015 --> 00:43:47,654 He doesn't want bright leaves to divert a visitor's attention. 316 00:43:47,655 --> 00:43:49,055 They all need to go. 317 00:43:52,815 --> 00:43:54,255 Even the green ones. 318 00:43:57,135 --> 00:43:58,975 Especially the green ones. 319 00:44:08,575 --> 00:44:11,094 His stage is set. 320 00:44:11,095 --> 00:44:14,574 A central pole, and a little patch of light. 321 00:44:14,575 --> 00:44:15,615 It's perfect. 322 00:44:19,695 --> 00:44:23,014 And now, he must hope a female hears his call. 323 00:44:23,015 --> 00:44:24,695 (HIGH-PITCHED SQUAWKING) 324 00:44:34,575 --> 00:44:36,775 He can wait here for weeks on end. 325 00:44:46,695 --> 00:44:48,695 At last, a female. 326 00:44:51,495 --> 00:44:53,775 Time to take up position. 327 00:44:56,175 --> 00:44:59,695 She will judge him by the brightness of his feathers. 328 00:45:05,415 --> 00:45:08,174 But for the female to see him at his best, 329 00:45:08,175 --> 00:45:13,774 he needs her to perch directly above his stage, 330 00:45:13,775 --> 00:45:15,175 under the light. 331 00:45:18,735 --> 00:45:22,015 This might be his only chance to shine. 332 00:45:28,575 --> 00:45:33,094 Now, when she's looking directly down on him, he reveals a display 333 00:45:33,095 --> 00:45:34,935 for her eyes only. 334 00:45:40,975 --> 00:45:43,414 In the gloom of the forest floor, 335 00:45:43,415 --> 00:45:47,215 he is a dazzling blaze of iridescent green. 336 00:45:48,975 --> 00:45:51,775 The brightest leaf in the forest. 337 00:46:00,295 --> 00:46:01,895 And that does the trick. 338 00:46:12,015 --> 00:46:16,254 Each animal must find its own way of surviving the competition 339 00:46:16,255 --> 00:46:17,775 of the jungle. 340 00:46:30,455 --> 00:46:35,054 This crowded world is so full of invention that almost all kinds 341 00:46:35,055 --> 00:46:39,415 of animals on land can trace their origins back here... 342 00:46:44,375 --> 00:46:45,975 ...including us. 343 00:46:49,455 --> 00:46:54,255 These forests in Madagascar are home to one of our distant cousins. 344 00:46:58,415 --> 00:47:03,254 This female indri has fought to keep this particular patch of forest 345 00:47:03,255 --> 00:47:06,654 safe for herself and her family. 346 00:47:06,655 --> 00:47:10,055 (HIGH-PITCHED SHRIEKS) 347 00:47:16,375 --> 00:47:20,494 Every morning, the family come together to sing, 348 00:47:20,495 --> 00:47:24,455 their way of reminding others that this is their home. 349 00:47:30,775 --> 00:47:34,214 Indri are so closely adapted to living here 350 00:47:34,215 --> 00:47:37,095 that now they can live nowhere else. 351 00:47:40,975 --> 00:47:46,134 For them and the billions of animals with whom they share their home, 352 00:47:46,135 --> 00:47:48,655 the jungle is a sanctuary. 353 00:47:52,975 --> 00:47:54,815 But this is changing. 354 00:47:58,855 --> 00:48:02,734 Even in the ten years since the head of this family was born, 355 00:48:02,735 --> 00:48:06,774 one million hectares of the rainforest have been destroyed 356 00:48:06,775 --> 00:48:10,334 in Madagascar alone, 357 00:48:10,335 --> 00:48:14,055 and, with it, half the indri families that once lived there. 358 00:48:19,695 --> 00:48:24,334 The local people say the indris are our brothers and their song is 359 00:48:24,335 --> 00:48:28,415 a call to remind us that we, too, once depended on the jungle. 360 00:48:37,655 --> 00:48:41,815 This Eden is still a place of wonder and magic. 361 00:48:47,095 --> 00:48:50,855 Something, surely, worth protecting. 362 00:49:08,655 --> 00:49:12,454 Jungles are still some of the least explored places on Earth, 363 00:49:12,455 --> 00:49:14,854 and with good reason. 364 00:49:14,855 --> 00:49:16,815 They are testing places to work. 365 00:49:20,495 --> 00:49:23,094 Here in the flooded forests of Brazil, 366 00:49:23,095 --> 00:49:27,535 the team are on the trail of a newly discovered species of river dolphin. 367 00:49:29,215 --> 00:49:33,095 So little is known about it that just finding it will be a challenge. 368 00:49:34,735 --> 00:49:40,774 Their base for five weeks is a hut on the only bit of dry land around, 369 00:49:40,775 --> 00:49:43,134 but it's already occupied. 370 00:49:43,135 --> 00:49:45,694 It appears someone's been making a nest. 371 00:49:45,695 --> 00:49:47,014 A resident rat. 372 00:49:47,015 --> 00:49:51,134 - Hello, little rat. - And on the food cupboard... 373 00:49:51,135 --> 00:49:53,975 Hello. Are you a bit shy? 374 00:49:58,375 --> 00:50:02,055 If the housemates are hostile, the hitchhikers are even worse. 375 00:50:04,495 --> 00:50:06,055 A large spider. 376 00:50:07,295 --> 00:50:08,535 Oh, my God. 377 00:50:09,935 --> 00:50:13,774 And a colony of aggressive red ants looking for a ride. 378 00:50:13,775 --> 00:50:15,814 Shall we knock into them? 379 00:50:15,815 --> 00:50:19,534 They'll board the boat like a bunch of pirates, 380 00:50:19,535 --> 00:50:20,975 and they'll gnaw our faces off. 381 00:50:24,295 --> 00:50:26,054 That might not be quite true, 382 00:50:26,055 --> 00:50:29,535 but intimidating animals are the least of their problems. 383 00:50:31,975 --> 00:50:34,414 The flooded forest is not only vast, 384 00:50:34,415 --> 00:50:38,974 it's impenetrable, and this new species of dolphin could be anywhere 385 00:50:38,975 --> 00:50:43,215 in 150,000 square miles of tangled treetops. 386 00:50:45,535 --> 00:50:47,015 But the crew have a plan. 387 00:50:48,295 --> 00:50:51,814 Dolphins use sound to find their way through the flooded forest 388 00:50:51,815 --> 00:50:53,855 by making clicks. Sonar. 389 00:50:54,975 --> 00:50:58,894 Waterproof microphones allow the crew to eavesdrop on the dolphins, 390 00:50:58,895 --> 00:51:00,455 and so follow them. 391 00:51:04,295 --> 00:51:06,215 But that's easier said than done. 392 00:51:10,375 --> 00:51:12,854 So, this is the clear path. 393 00:51:12,855 --> 00:51:15,655 Can you see it? There. 394 00:51:22,775 --> 00:51:26,294 It takes them a week to get their first glimpse of this new species, 395 00:51:26,295 --> 00:51:28,855 and even then, it lasts less than a second. 396 00:51:32,215 --> 00:51:34,575 There appears to be only one dolphin. 397 00:51:38,655 --> 00:51:42,415 And, frustratingly, it can pop up anywhere without warning. 398 00:51:45,335 --> 00:51:48,254 Been looking through the water and seeing bodies kind of appear 399 00:51:48,255 --> 00:51:52,055 out of the murk, and then disappear again. 400 00:51:54,975 --> 00:51:58,815 Eventually, the dolphin leads the crew to an open gap in the forest. 401 00:52:09,455 --> 00:52:11,895 We made it! Yay! 402 00:52:15,255 --> 00:52:18,575 Here, at last, there may be a chance of getting something in the can. 403 00:52:26,095 --> 00:52:30,695 Their first shot, but again, a single breath, and then it's gone. 404 00:52:35,775 --> 00:52:38,814 - Hello, you. - With the dolphin as close as this, 405 00:52:38,815 --> 00:52:41,334 the crew can try a different technique... 406 00:52:41,335 --> 00:52:43,895 towing an underwater camera behind the boat. 407 00:52:47,495 --> 00:52:50,295 Dolphin literally just came up parallel to it. 408 00:52:51,415 --> 00:52:54,814 The problem is that the water is so murky, that the dolphin is 409 00:52:54,815 --> 00:52:57,855 almost invisible, even when right next to the camera. 410 00:53:05,255 --> 00:53:07,854 However, now the dolphin is in this channel, 411 00:53:07,855 --> 00:53:09,695 the crew can try a different tack. 412 00:53:18,495 --> 00:53:21,055 Michael Sanderson is a drone operator. 413 00:53:24,295 --> 00:53:26,454 As long as the dolphin's in open water, 414 00:53:26,455 --> 00:53:28,775 it might be possible to follow it from the air. 415 00:53:32,815 --> 00:53:35,454 We've worked out the dolphins seem to be here, 416 00:53:35,455 --> 00:53:39,495 and we can do the drone work, so this is our kind of best bet. 417 00:53:40,495 --> 00:53:43,214 Leaving Michael and his drone on the sand spit, 418 00:53:43,215 --> 00:53:45,175 the crew head back to open water. 419 00:53:46,415 --> 00:53:49,135 But this is called the flooded forest for a reason. 420 00:53:52,175 --> 00:53:54,174 The rain here can be torrential, 421 00:53:54,175 --> 00:53:56,974 and although storms normally pass quickly, 422 00:53:56,975 --> 00:53:59,175 this one is clearly not a normal storm. 423 00:54:04,615 --> 00:54:06,494 Is it not working? 424 00:54:06,495 --> 00:54:09,414 The motor has broken, and with the boat flooding, 425 00:54:09,415 --> 00:54:10,935 the crew must head for the bank. 426 00:54:17,255 --> 00:54:19,134 It looked like the rainstorm was going to pass, 427 00:54:19,135 --> 00:54:22,334 and it hasn't passed at all. It's very, very heavy, 428 00:54:22,335 --> 00:54:24,655 and I'm soaked through to the skin. 429 00:54:28,655 --> 00:54:32,334 They're stranded, the kit is getting drenched, 430 00:54:32,335 --> 00:54:35,694 trees are falling, and Michael is trapped somewhere down-river. 431 00:54:35,695 --> 00:54:39,534 This is the hardest rain I've ever seen in my life. 432 00:54:39,535 --> 00:54:43,214 - It's incredible. - I'm hoping Michael's all right. 433 00:54:43,215 --> 00:54:46,494 And there's been tree fall all up around behind us. 434 00:54:46,495 --> 00:54:49,374 Michael's down there on a tiny little sand spit, 435 00:54:49,375 --> 00:54:52,615 with the other boat, with his opticopter out. 436 00:54:53,855 --> 00:54:55,255 Kind of scary. 437 00:54:57,655 --> 00:54:58,894 After two hours, 438 00:54:58,895 --> 00:55:02,534 a break in the storm gives Michael a chance to rejoin the team. 439 00:55:02,535 --> 00:55:06,614 Just got caught in one of the heaviest storms I've ever seen. 440 00:55:06,615 --> 00:55:11,734 Got up to this much water on the tarp, and the other one, so 441 00:55:11,735 --> 00:55:14,334 I don't know if this is going to live any more, 442 00:55:14,335 --> 00:55:16,974 because that was on the floor. 443 00:55:16,975 --> 00:55:20,294 It looks like it's game over for the drone. 444 00:55:20,295 --> 00:55:22,415 Yeah, it was pretty scary, wasn't it? 445 00:55:24,455 --> 00:55:28,255 Over the next 12 hours, the storm returns again and again. 446 00:55:29,855 --> 00:55:31,614 If this bad weather continues, 447 00:55:31,615 --> 00:55:34,575 the crew may not be able to get back out to the dolphin. 448 00:55:40,175 --> 00:55:42,894 The next morning, 449 00:55:42,895 --> 00:55:46,215 clear skies, and the drone might be fixable. 450 00:55:47,215 --> 00:55:50,694 But the longer it takes, the more chance that the dolphin 451 00:55:50,695 --> 00:55:53,814 will have returned to the flooded forest, 452 00:55:53,815 --> 00:55:55,695 and then it'll be back to square one. 453 00:55:58,415 --> 00:56:00,455 But finally, their luck is in. 454 00:56:02,735 --> 00:56:04,335 The dolphin is still there. 455 00:56:06,975 --> 00:56:09,294 For the first time, they have a chance to film 456 00:56:09,295 --> 00:56:12,614 from the water and the air, and finally discover 457 00:56:12,615 --> 00:56:15,015 what this elusive animal is really doing. 458 00:56:16,695 --> 00:56:19,814 They were in the boat and they were looking around and going, 459 00:56:19,815 --> 00:56:22,054 "Yeah, there are some bubbles." 460 00:56:22,055 --> 00:56:25,934 We were flying with the drone and we could see dolphins, 461 00:56:25,935 --> 00:56:30,574 and while they thought they could only see one dolphin, we saw five. 462 00:56:30,575 --> 00:56:32,694 And they had no idea. 463 00:56:32,695 --> 00:56:35,934 The crew are surprised to find these dolphins aren't solitary, 464 00:56:35,935 --> 00:56:38,694 but come together to hunt as a team. 465 00:56:38,695 --> 00:56:41,854 You're starting to see stuff with the drone that you suddenly go, 466 00:56:41,855 --> 00:56:44,174 "I thought there was one dolphin there," and 467 00:56:44,175 --> 00:56:47,974 then you count that there are five and then you're looking in one place 468 00:56:47,975 --> 00:56:50,694 and they're all behind you, laughing at you. 469 00:56:50,695 --> 00:56:54,134 This new perspective has given the crew a first glimpse 470 00:56:54,135 --> 00:56:56,174 into a mysterious jungle animal 471 00:56:56,175 --> 00:56:59,655 in one of the least-known corners of the Earth. 472 00:57:08,135 --> 00:57:12,615 Next time... a land of extremes that pushes life to the limit. 473 00:57:14,855 --> 00:57:18,495 Animals have extraordinary ways of dealing with the hostile conditions. 474 00:57:20,215 --> 00:57:24,694 Creating the most epic survival stories on Earth. 475 00:57:24,695 --> 00:57:26,335 These are deserts.