0:00:02 > 0:00:03Welcome to my Nightmares of Nature.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05DOG HOWLS
0:00:07 > 0:00:10I'm Naomi Wilkinson
0:00:10 > 0:00:14and I'm coming face-to-face with the nightmares of the animal world.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19The ones that make your spine tingle...
0:00:21 > 0:00:23..your heart beat faster...
0:00:25 > 0:00:27..and your blood run cold.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Are they truly terrifying?
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Or is there a twist in the tale?
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Come with me, as I shine a light
0:00:37 > 0:00:40on wildlife's deepest, darkest secrets...
0:00:41 > 0:00:45..and see if you can guess which will be my worst nightmare.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52This time, I am really heading off the beaten track,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55into the heart of one of the oldest and richest
0:00:55 > 0:00:58rainforests in the world, on the tropical island of Borneo.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03'Borneo is the third-largest island in the world,
0:01:03 > 0:01:07'lying in the heart of the South China Sea, in South East Asia.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12'And I'm venturing up north, to the Malaysian state of Sabah.'
0:01:14 > 0:01:16If there is one place that really puts the fear into me,
0:01:16 > 0:01:18it's rainforests.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21They are full of biting bugs and all sorts of scary beasts.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28'In my mind' behind every leaf,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31'there lucks a potential eye-popping terror.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Argh. I'm going to have to be brave,
0:01:38 > 0:01:43cos I know I'm going to be facing some of my worst-ever nightmares.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46'I bump into a brute of a bear with a serious bite...
0:01:46 > 0:01:50There, she just ripped that open. That is scarily impressive.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54'..the crew give me the creeps with a nocturnal bug bonanza...
0:01:58 > 0:02:02'..and I meet an iconic animal facing a nightmare of its own.'
0:02:02 > 0:02:03Are you having fun?
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Whee.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11'But first of all, I'm meeting up with a man
0:02:11 > 0:02:13'with a real head for heights.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15'This is Tim.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21'And he's a climbing and caving expert,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23'who's visited Borneo many times.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27'But he's not here to show me the creatures up in the canopy.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31'He's going to be my guide on a heart-stopping underground adventure,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35'an abseil into one of the biggest caves in the world.'
0:02:40 > 0:02:43OK, well, this is, this is it.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46Whoa. That is an ominous big black hole.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47That's enormous.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Down the bottom, there's one of the biggest chambers,
0:02:50 > 0:02:51cave chambers, in the world.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55- So, this is only a small part of it? - This is only a small part of it.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57I can't see the bottom.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Oh, my word.
0:03:02 > 0:03:03'This is Simud Hitam,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07'part of the world-famous Gomantong cave system.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10'And to abseil safely into this ginormous cavern
0:03:10 > 0:03:13'requires all sorts of equipment.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17'But in this particular cave, it is not just ropes that we need.'
0:03:17 > 0:03:19I was expecting a harness. What is this?
0:03:19 > 0:03:23- This is a suit and it's got elasticated...- A suit?
0:03:23 > 0:03:26..elasticated wrists and elasticated ankles.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28What do I need this for?
0:03:28 > 0:03:30It's a bit of protection.
0:03:31 > 0:03:32Are there bugs down there?
0:03:32 > 0:03:34A few.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Great.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40'Looks like the nightmares are going to come thick and fast.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44'Not only have I got to drop 100m straight down,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48'I need a suit to protect me from what's waiting at the bottom.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52'But for now, I've got something worse to contend with.
0:03:52 > 0:03:53'Going over the edge!'
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Whoa!
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Good job. Keep your legs straight. That's great.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03- Straight legs, straight legs. - Straight legs. That's lovely.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- Oh, I'm scared.- OK, hold it there.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09'And one look at the hole below me takes my breath away.'
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14What do I do now?
0:04:14 > 0:04:15Now, we are now...
0:04:15 > 0:04:18That is so impressive.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21This is crazy. It's like a film set.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Oh. Oh.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31That is such an impressive sight.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34- I've never seen anything like it. - It's a long way down, isn't it?
0:04:34 > 0:04:37All the light streaming through. That's amazing.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Here, we are about 80m.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Oh, just hanging precariously at the top.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Yeah. Like a spider on a thread.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46'And we are dangling alongside
0:04:46 > 0:04:50'some of the cave's own high-rise residents.'
0:04:50 > 0:04:52And we are right by some little birds' nests.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55- What birds are these? - Yes, these, these are cave swiftlets
0:04:55 > 0:04:58and they build these little nests on the wall.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00It's to stay away from predators.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04'But it isn't just swiftlets that call this place home.'
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Over there in that dome,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11those are bats
0:05:11 > 0:05:14and there are more bats in here than there are swifts.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17There's a million swifts and there's two million bats.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21- A lot of life here, then?- Yeah.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24'But I am about to discover there is a downside to this
0:05:24 > 0:05:26'being such an attractive home.'
0:05:26 > 0:05:29With all these bats in here,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31they do produce a lot of waste
0:05:31 > 0:05:34and I'm just going to turn you round a bit
0:05:34 > 0:05:38because over there is the biggest pile of bat poo in the world.
0:05:40 > 0:05:41That is bat poo?
0:05:41 > 0:05:44That is all bat poo and the only way out now is just to keep
0:05:44 > 0:05:47going down, so we've got to go down to it.
0:05:47 > 0:05:48Into it?
0:05:48 > 0:05:53Into it and the additional thing is, it is seething with insects.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58'This thick layer of bat poo has attracted the most unbelievable
0:05:58 > 0:06:01'mass of revolting creepy-crawlies and cockroaches
0:06:01 > 0:06:04'you could ever imagine.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06'An ever-shifting skin of yuk,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08'spread right across the cave floor.'
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Oh, how nice.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15That's why we are wearing the suits.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Thank goodness we are wearing a suit. Oh, dear.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Are you sure we can't go back up?
0:06:23 > 0:06:26'I thought I was brave just doing the abseil.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29'Now I have to contend with this nightmare, as well.'
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Ew.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42'Heart-thumping abseil over.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46'Now for the next part of my cavernous nightmare.'
0:06:46 > 0:06:48It's huge.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49Stupendous, isn't it?
0:06:49 > 0:06:50Oh.
0:06:53 > 0:06:54Now, when you get close,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58- you start to realise... - It's all moving!
0:06:58 > 0:07:00That whole thing is moving.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Oh! Look at it on there. Look on the side there.
0:07:02 > 0:07:03Yeah.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04Oh!
0:07:06 > 0:07:12'Utterly revolving and Tim wants me to take an even closer look.'
0:07:12 > 0:07:13We are going to cross here.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Argh!
0:07:17 > 0:07:18This is not my favourite place now.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23This is stunning.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25- Stunning?- It's just... - It's not the word I'd use!
0:07:25 > 0:07:27..seething mass of cockroaches.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30What are they all doing?
0:07:30 > 0:07:32They are all eating the poo
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and eating the stuff that's in it.
0:07:35 > 0:07:36They haven't eaten very much.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Ha-ha. I wonder how big it would be if they weren't there.
0:07:40 > 0:07:41Yeah.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43So, it's all a sort of big web.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45The birds go out during the day and catch insects
0:07:45 > 0:07:47and then come in and poo.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50The bats go out at night and catch insects and come in and poo
0:07:50 > 0:07:51and it all falls here,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54and then, these insects eat it all
0:07:54 > 0:07:57and then there is other things that eat them.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01This is a lot of people's worst nightmare, isn't it?
0:08:01 > 0:08:02It is, yes!
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Argh! I'm on the poo!
0:08:07 > 0:08:09That is going to give me nightmares tonight.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Ooh!
0:08:11 > 0:08:14I've never seen anything like it.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Wow. It's totally horrible.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Ew! Look at that!
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Oh, it's like a horror film.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24This is just awful.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27They're everywhere. They're crawling all over me.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30I did enjoy that abseil, but this is disgusting.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34A giant pile of bug-infested bat poo.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38This is right up there as one of my worst nightmares ever.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39Time to get out of here.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Ew!
0:08:45 > 0:08:46'In the forest of Borneo,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50'animals have found a myriad of ways to make a living.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52'Some use stealth...
0:08:53 > 0:08:54'..others speed...
0:08:55 > 0:08:59'..but sometimes, what you need is power.'
0:08:59 > 0:09:02They might not look it, but this is a type of grass.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04A very strong type of grass.
0:09:04 > 0:09:05It's bamboo.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09Weight for weight, it is stronger than concrete and steel.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Ooh. I give up. I can't do it.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23But there is an animal living in these forests that can smash
0:09:23 > 0:09:25it to smithereens.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36'This is Wong and he runs a sanctuary for this particular animal.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45'By hiding food inside bamboo, he is mimicking what these animals
0:09:45 > 0:09:48'would have to do to find food in the wild.'
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Treats are set. Let's see if this works.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01'Now we all need is the performer.'
0:10:01 > 0:10:03I can hear some leaves moving...
0:10:05 > 0:10:07..twigs cracking.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14There, there, there. See, gleams of black object?
0:10:16 > 0:10:18They have smelt the food, for sure.
0:10:21 > 0:10:22These are sun bears
0:10:22 > 0:10:25and when you think of bears, you probably think of the grizzlies
0:10:25 > 0:10:28in North America, but there are many different species across the world.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Here in the rainforests of Borneo, it's this one.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34But like any bear, they are built like bulldozers.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40'They are not just immensely powerful.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42'Equipped with a set of lethal,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45'dagger-like claws over 10cm long
0:10:45 > 0:10:47'and teeth the size of a tiger's,
0:10:47 > 0:10:51'these bears have weapons that would give anyone nightmares.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54'But why are they called sun bears?'
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Do you see their chest patch?
0:10:57 > 0:10:59- Yes.- The chest patch
0:10:59 > 0:11:02come in all different kinds of shapes and patterns,
0:11:02 > 0:11:07including the shape that looks like eclipse sun or upside-down sun.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Sunrise, sunset.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11How powerful are they?
0:11:11 > 0:11:13They are very powerful.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17- They pretty much can chew through everything in the forest.- Really?
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Here it comes.
0:11:21 > 0:11:22Time to see it in action.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28He's coming straight for the food.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Look at this.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Yeah, she's going to get it.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Smell that out straight away,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36knows there is something inside.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39How is she going to get to it?
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Ah, starting to use her teeth now.
0:11:45 > 0:11:46Look, she just ripped that open.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49That is scarily impressive.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57She popped it open - pop - like a Christmas cracker.
0:11:57 > 0:11:5830 seconds, is it?
0:12:00 > 0:12:04You see how strong is the bamboo and yet, for them, it is like nothing.
0:12:04 > 0:12:05Yeah.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Yeah, there's your treat.
0:12:07 > 0:12:08Yum, yum.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Why do they need to be able to chew through such thick wood?
0:12:12 > 0:12:16Because they are full inside those sticks of wood.
0:12:16 > 0:12:17They look for honey.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Bees have honey, so whenever they find a bee hive,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24although it is inside a hardwood tree trunk,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28they will still rip apart, chew, chew, and get the honey eventually.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31- So it's a combination of claws and teeth?- Absolutely.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33- They stick it in.- Yeah.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Yeah, I wouldn't want to encounter a grumpy one by mistake.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38- That would be quite scary.- Yeah.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41'Wong decides to up the ante, to demonstrate these bears'
0:12:41 > 0:12:44'cracking skills using coconuts.'
0:12:46 > 0:12:48If you have ever tried to crack open a coconut,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50you'll know just how difficult this is.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55So this... Yeah, making light work of that.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Here we go.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00- Yeah, she is cracking it now. - Oh, and the juice has come out.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Mm. Yummy.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Could do with a sun bear in my kitchen, to help me open coconuts.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10They're powerful, yes. But they are also ever-so endearing.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13That is one of the sweetest things I've seen.
0:13:13 > 0:13:14Sun bear drinking a coconut.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19'Using a combination of claws, jaws and power,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22'they can break into pretty much anything in the forest,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26'to find a wealth of bugs, bees and larvae.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28'But for those really hard to reach spots,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31'they rely on an even more astonishing tool.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38'And a cylinder lined with honey is all one needs to demonstrate.'
0:13:38 > 0:13:39Look what we've got for you?
0:13:39 > 0:13:42So from there, they can maybe get to the honey.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Yep.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46NAOMI LAUGHS
0:13:47 > 0:13:50It's like a long pink sock.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52That is quite astonishing.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54'And stretching over 25cm,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56'their titanic tongues help them lick
0:13:56 > 0:14:00'out all sorts of tasty treats hidden in the depths of a treehole.'
0:14:02 > 0:14:04That's amazing.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05Oh, that is a happy face.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13This is so funny, with its comedy tongue as long as a sock,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16but this bulldozer of a beast, with its huge claws
0:14:16 > 0:14:18and tree-chomping jaws, could
0:14:18 > 0:14:22just smash the competition and take the title as my biggest nightmare.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27'For some of this jungle adventure,
0:14:27 > 0:14:31'we have been lucky enough to stay at the Danau Girang Research Station
0:14:31 > 0:14:34'in the heart of one of Borneo's richest rainforests..
0:14:37 > 0:14:38We're pretty remote here.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41There is no television to keep us entertained,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43so I thought, let's go traditional, maybe play a game of cards
0:14:43 > 0:14:46or charades, but, no, the crew have got other ideas.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50They want to go out on a big bug hunt, to look for giant insects.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02'It's at night when the insect world comes alive in the forest.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05'And setting a gigantic trap is our researcher, Tom.
0:15:10 > 0:15:11'The aim -
0:15:11 > 0:15:15'to try and attract as many insects as possible.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18'And it looks like it's worked.'
0:15:18 > 0:15:19Hi, Tom.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Hi. Look how amazing this is.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23What delights do we have here?
0:15:23 > 0:15:26We've got all sorts. I mean, this has only been up two hours
0:15:26 > 0:15:28and look how much we've got already.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32'A white sheet, lit by a powerful light, is simple, but very effective.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36'The variety of creatures is astounding,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38'but what on Earth are they all?'
0:15:39 > 0:15:41This one is a cicada.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44So, you know those sounds you hear in the jungle in daytime,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46the really loud noises? That's what these guys make.
0:15:46 > 0:15:47Heard them on holiday a lot.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50The males will call with that really loud sound,
0:15:50 > 0:15:51which is a membrane they vibrate.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53CICADA CALLS
0:15:55 > 0:15:57They are cool, aren't they? I like their eyes.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59We've got a dragonfly here.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Wow, that one is beautiful.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06So, these are the apex predators around here.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09It's been flying around the light, catching lots of little micro moths.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12So, other insects are capitalising on all these smaller insects
0:16:12 > 0:16:13- being here and eating them? - Definitely.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15The mantises definitely are.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17It's so busy. Look at it.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18It's like wa-wa-wa!
0:16:18 > 0:16:20The mantises are like the ninjas of this sheet,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22trying to catch all sorts, but I think he's a bit
0:16:22 > 0:16:25confused as to what to catch, due to their huge number.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Yeah, he's got a massive all-you-can-eat buffet on offer.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31But when they catch something, they'll grab it with those
0:16:31 > 0:16:33praying forearms and drag it in
0:16:33 > 0:16:37and eat, headfirst, alive, the prey.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40That's a nightmare, isn't it?
0:16:40 > 0:16:42look at these tiny little tiddlers.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44- Bright yellow...- Moths.- .. moths?
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Yeah. The sheet seems to be one of their favourite things.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50There's loads and loads of them. Some are tiny.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Have you seen this one? As small as that.
0:16:53 > 0:16:54What? That's a moth?
0:16:54 > 0:16:57There's an ant next to it. It's not much bigger than the ant.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01'But there are some much more impressive specimens.'
0:17:01 > 0:17:03This is another moth. As you can see, it is much different
0:17:03 > 0:17:05size to some of the smaller ones.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Yeah, and it's got these, sort of, quite tatty-looking wings,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I guess, to look like a leaf.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Yeah, exactly. They are mimicking the dead leaves.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16- If you look at something like this, for instance.- Yeah.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18You can see exactly how that would blend in.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22- Yeah, perfect camouflage. I like that one.- Yeah.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26'This huge variety of insects is testament to how rich these
0:17:26 > 0:17:29'rainforests are and for a good reason.'
0:17:29 > 0:17:33In Borneo, it's some of the oldest rainforests in the world,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35which means that it supports some of the most
0:17:35 > 0:17:37amount of species in the world.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41Some trees have about 1,000 species of insect, just on one tree.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44'And it's not just the numbers that are impressive.'
0:17:44 > 0:17:47They've got some of the biggest insects in the world here.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50One of them is a stick insect, which is about half a metre long.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52It's the longest insect in the world.
0:17:52 > 0:17:53- How long?!- 50cm long.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00'The longer we stay, the busier, or should I say, "buzzier", it gets.'
0:18:00 > 0:18:03God, they make big buzzes, when they go past your ears, don't they?
0:18:03 > 0:18:05- Bzzz.- Hold my hand. - They keep flying into my face.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Sorry. I am listening, I promise.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Ooh!
0:18:10 > 0:18:12When you're near the light,
0:18:12 > 0:18:14they all just buzz around your head, don't they?
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Ooh, ooh, ooh.
0:18:16 > 0:18:17Was that a grasshopper?
0:18:17 > 0:18:19The mantis is back.
0:18:19 > 0:18:20Oh, good. I like him.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Leave us alone.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29'As if.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33'I have never quite managed to get an insect to follow instructions.'
0:18:35 > 0:18:37I'm having so much fun.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42It's on my forehead. What is it? What is it?!
0:18:42 > 0:18:45It's a beetle. It's one of those little green...
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Thank you. Didn't even flinch.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Meeting one insect at a time, not too much of a problem.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Meeting all of these, all together,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02well, that could fly off with the title of my worst nightmare.
0:19:03 > 0:19:04Oh, thanks, Tom.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Yeah. Well, I guess we ought to call it a night.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08So, you can have your bed sheet back, Naomi.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10What? Tom!
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Nightmares of Nature isn't always about an animal's scary
0:19:16 > 0:19:20attributes. Sometimes the nightmares of the natural world are down to us.
0:19:20 > 0:19:21We're the problem.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26'The staff at Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre look after an animal
0:19:26 > 0:19:31'that has been struggling to cope with a rapidly-changing world.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33'I've teamed up with head vet Laura.'
0:19:37 > 0:19:39'She is going to introduce me
0:19:39 > 0:19:43'to some special orphans, about to have their daily health check.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45'Baby orang-utans.'
0:19:45 > 0:19:47NAOMI GASPS
0:19:47 > 0:19:49This is Goman.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- Goman?- Yes. Goman is two years old.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Two. Hello, Goman.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00OOh! I want to give you a cuddle.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05- So, first of all, he gets weighed?- Yes.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Don't want to get weighed.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10'These endearing apes are one of our closest relatives,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13'susceptible to the same diseases we are.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16'So we all wear masks to protect them - and us.'
0:20:16 > 0:20:19So this is just a few health checks you have to do, to make sure
0:20:19 > 0:20:20- they're all right?- Yes.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23So tiny.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25So, Goman is a male, about two years old.
0:20:25 > 0:20:26Two years old.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28He was rescued from Gomandu.
0:20:28 > 0:20:29Why are they here?
0:20:29 > 0:20:33Most them, the baby here because they are orphan.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Most of the case, the mother has died.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41'Huge areas of rainforest have been cleared in Borneo in the last
0:20:41 > 0:20:45'30 years to make way for agriculture, especially palm oil.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49'Many orang-utans have lost their home
0:20:49 > 0:20:53'and some have, sadly, been orphaned in the process.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56'Without care, these babies wouldn't survive,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59'but at the sanctuary, they are in great hands.'
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Do they mind these checks?
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Ah, I guess they are used to it, as we do it every day.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09'With Goman's health check complete,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13'time for the next one, who is the youngest of them all.'
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Oh, my goodness, so tiny. How old is this one?
0:21:16 > 0:21:21- Sepilok is about one years old.- One.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Oh, it's OK, it's OK.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Oh, it must be a bit scary.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Oh, my goodness, these are cute.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32May I feed...
0:21:32 > 0:21:34- What is this one called?- Sepilok.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Sepilok. Ah, there you go.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42Just like a little human baby, having milk in a bottle.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Oh.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46I'm guessing they need a lot of care.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Yes, similar to human baby, the feeding now is about every six
0:21:50 > 0:21:53hours, but when they are below six months old, it's every two hours.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55You have to wake up and feed the babies.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57That's intense.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00'And with one of the longest childhoods in the animal kingdom,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03'Laura and her team will have to care for Sepilok
0:22:03 > 0:22:06'for at least the next seven or eight years.'
0:22:08 > 0:22:11This is melting my heart. You are so gorgeous.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Oh, it absolutely breaks my heart to think he's lost his home
0:22:14 > 0:22:16and his mum.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Thank goodness the staff here are doing such a good job
0:22:18 > 0:22:19looking after all his needs.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24'And what a baby orang-utan needs is play time.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29'One of the most important skills for them to master is climbing.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33'Breakfast over, it's time to take Sepilok to the jungle gym.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37'But that's easier said than done.'
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Don't pull my trousers off, please. That would be a nightmare.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47'Like any excited child, Goman is in his element,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49'but Sepilok isn't so sure.'
0:22:52 > 0:22:55There we go. Wahey.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58There we go. Oh, so scared.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Poor little thing.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06Scary world, if you're a little baby orang-utan left on your own.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09'Sometimes to get the desired results,
0:23:09 > 0:23:12'these orphans need a little tough love.'
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Because now they are trying to attract out attentions,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17to get to help them,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19but we have to be strict with them.
0:23:19 > 0:23:20We not going to help them.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22They have to do it on their own sometimes.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24To be kind.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27We've got to leave him to figure out how to do this.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30'To encourage Sepilok to play with the other orangs,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32'we head to the other side of the gym.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34'And it works a treat.'
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Ah, here he comes. Come on Sepi.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39'He soon gets into the swing of things.'
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Ah, look at you.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Looking much happier now.
0:23:46 > 0:23:47Good.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51By right, at this age, they will learn from their mother,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53but there is no mother around to learn from,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56so they learn from the older orang-utans
0:23:56 > 0:23:57that they come across.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Sepilok is getting on absolutely fine now, look.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07We just ignored him for a bit and he decided,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09"I'll go and play with my mates."
0:24:09 > 0:24:10Little superstar.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18'It's another success for Laura
0:24:18 > 0:24:21'and the big ambition she has for each and every one of them.'
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Ultimately, what are your hopes with this project?
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Of course, each of the orang-utans that come to the centre,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31we hope that one day, we will be able to return them
0:24:31 > 0:24:32back to the wild. All of them. Yeah.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36So, if it's possible, every orang-utan that you meet would go
0:24:36 > 0:24:38- back to the wild?- Yes.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40How fantastic.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43It's easy to see that's where they belong.
0:24:43 > 0:24:44Are you having fun?
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Whee!
0:24:52 > 0:24:55These poor little things have had such a desperate start in life,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59but Laura and her team have high hopes for every single one.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07'In the last 50 years, the staff here have managed to rehabilitate
0:25:07 > 0:25:09'hundreds of orang-utans
0:25:09 > 0:25:13'and many have been released into a nearby forest reserve.'
0:25:13 > 0:25:17Ah, they're here already. Masks on.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20'And I'm about to meet some of the successful graduates.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23'At around nine years old,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26'these orang-utans are the equivalent of teenagers.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31'At this tender age the staff still like to give them a little support.'
0:25:31 > 0:25:34So they are still getting a tiny little bit of support
0:25:34 > 0:25:38from the staff here, but not a lot because all the rest of the time
0:25:38 > 0:25:42they are living an independent life, finding their own food.
0:25:42 > 0:25:43'With an easy meal on offer,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47'I'm soon being stepmum to a pair of teenager orangs.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05'It's a magic meeting for us all.'
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Steve's made a new friend.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22It's so sad to think about how deforestation is having such
0:26:22 > 0:26:25a huge impact on these magnificent apes
0:26:25 > 0:26:28and all the other fantastic wildlife that need these forests to survive.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31But it is heart-warming to see the valuable results of all
0:26:31 > 0:26:34the staff here at Sepilok.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35Thank you very much.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38And how nice is it to see these tiny orphans now
0:26:38 > 0:26:42fending for themselves and living a wild life where they belong.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54My jungle adventures here in Borneo are coming to an end,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56so it is that time for me to try and decide which
0:26:56 > 0:26:59nightmare of nature has been my most frightening forest encounter.
0:26:59 > 0:27:04Was it the bamboo smashing brute, the tongue-tastic sun bear?
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Look, she just ripped that open. That is scarily impressive.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Was it coming face-to-face with a mass of mini-beasts
0:27:12 > 0:27:13and mammoth moths?
0:27:16 > 0:27:19There's something on my forehead. What is it? What is it?
0:27:19 > 0:27:25Or was it my cave ordeal landing on a mountain of bug-infested bat poo?
0:27:25 > 0:27:26Ew. Look, it's all moving.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32This is a lot of people's worst nightmare, isn't it?
0:27:32 > 0:27:35You're probably thinking, how can anything beat a bat poo-infested
0:27:35 > 0:27:38bug bonanza? That was absolutely gross
0:27:38 > 0:27:40but I've been moved by a greater nightmare -
0:27:40 > 0:27:44the plight of the orang-utans and hearing their very sad story.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Surely, when you lose your home and your mum,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48that's the greatest nightmare of all.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58- Want to hold this cicada?- Erm?
0:27:58 > 0:28:00They can't, they can't bite, they eat sap.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Bit weird looking, aren't they? Come on, then.
0:28:03 > 0:28:04Come and say, "Hi."
0:28:04 > 0:28:05Oh!
0:28:08 > 0:28:10It made a noise, as well. Sorry. Sorry.