0:00:33 > 0:00:36This is the newest habitat on Earth.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44It's here that animals have to contend with the greatest change
0:00:44 > 0:00:46that is happening to the face of our planet.
0:00:53 > 0:00:54In this decade,
0:00:54 > 0:00:59the urban environment is predicted to grow by nearly 30%.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06It may appear hostile to animal life...
0:01:07 > 0:01:12..but for the bold, this is a world of surprising opportunity.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Jodhpur, India.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35A gang of bachelor male langurs
0:01:35 > 0:01:39has come to challenge the resident alpha male.
0:01:39 > 0:01:40LANGUR GROWLS
0:01:45 > 0:01:49This alpha rules over a valuable urban territory.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57But maintaining dominance here is a constant struggle.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07The bachelors have united to try and overthrow him.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17If they win, one of the challengers
0:02:17 > 0:02:21will take over the alpha's troop of females...
0:02:21 > 0:02:23and may kill his infants.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30There are 15 males in this bachelor group.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36The alpha must evict every single one of them from his territory.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54He has chased half the bachelors away...
0:02:55 > 0:02:59..but a splinter group has looped back and is harassing his females.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Once again, he has to battle.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Finally, he manages to expel them all.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51He returns home victorious,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54but with a serious wound on his right leg.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03It's a hard life for him in the city.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Keeping the intruders away is a daily challenge.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14But it's worth it.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16For these urban territories
0:04:16 > 0:04:20are probably the best langur territories in the world.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25They're filled with rich feeding grounds.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36Here in the temple gardens, the langurs have, over centuries,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38developed a surprising relationship.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45One that guarantees them
0:04:45 > 0:04:48a constantly replenished source of food.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07The people here associate langurs
0:05:07 > 0:05:11with the Hindu god Lord Hanuman and revere them.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20They're given all the food they can eat.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37And this high-energy diet has led to a baby boom.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Female langurs in this city give birth to twice as many young
0:05:45 > 0:05:47as their forest counterparts.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51This mother is so well fed
0:05:51 > 0:05:56that her rich milk can support something rarely seen in the wild -
0:05:56 > 0:05:57twins.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05And all these babies can create troops
0:06:05 > 0:06:09that are far larger than those found in the forest nearby.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13With less time spent looking for food,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15there is more time for play.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30The rewards of living in a city can be huge.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34The challenge is to find your niche.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39POLICE SIREN WAILS
0:06:43 > 0:06:44New York City.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54This densely built-up landscape is as unnatural as anywhere on Earth.
0:06:59 > 0:07:05And yet this wild peregrine falcon looks out onto an ideal habitat.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Strange as it may seem,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21this vastly altered landscape replicates the conditions
0:07:21 > 0:07:23in which peregrines evolved.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31The towering buildings have a multitude of ledges
0:07:31 > 0:07:34on which falcons can nest...
0:07:35 > 0:07:39..and the high perches that they need to catch the wind.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47New York City has the highest density of nesting peregrines
0:07:47 > 0:07:50anywhere on the planet.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02Winds striking the sides of the skyscrapers are deflected upwards
0:08:02 > 0:08:04and can help the birds gain height.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13And the great areas of concrete roasting in the sun create thermals
0:08:13 > 0:08:18so that, with very little effort, the birds can soar over the city.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29And so many peregrines can live here
0:08:29 > 0:08:34because, down at street level, there is a lot of potential prey.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56Diving from height, the falcons can reach speeds of over 200mph.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05But their prey stay down low and close to the buildings.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Too risky, the peregrine pulls out of his stoop.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22But the effort is not wasted.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26The falcons need to flush their prey into the open.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30And Manhattan is surrounded by water.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Out here, the odds change,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38and in the peregrines' favour.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33With abundant prey here all year round,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36it has taken only 40 years
0:10:36 > 0:10:39for these falcons to establish themselves here.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46And now, among skyscrapers,
0:10:46 > 0:10:51they are more successful than their cousins living in the wilderness.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03Mumbai in India is home to over 20 million people.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08And there are predators here that, though rarely seen,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10are rightly feared.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20Carnivores, lured by the prospect of plentiful unsuspecting prey,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22are on the prowl.
0:11:33 > 0:11:34A leopard.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39Every night, under the cover of darkness, they come out to hunt.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44These are big animals
0:11:44 > 0:11:48and they're looking for large prey to satisfy their hunger.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52TELEVISION PLAYS IN BACKGROUND
0:11:56 > 0:12:00To catch more than a glimpse of them and reveal their hunting behaviour,
0:12:00 > 0:12:02you need night-vision cameras.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17Leopards have attacked almost 200 people here
0:12:17 > 0:12:19in the last 25 years.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41But humans are not their usual prey.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46These leopards are on the hunt for something else.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05Pigs.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13These leopards prefer to hunt the domestic animals
0:13:13 > 0:13:17that people have brought to the city in considerable numbers.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23PIG GRUNTS
0:13:35 > 0:13:38The pigs keep their family close.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14The ceaseless noise of the city plays to their advantage.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17It conceals their approach.
0:14:18 > 0:14:23And the leopards are using this cover to hunt all over the city.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26PIGS SQUEAL
0:14:43 > 0:14:46This is a thriving population.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50In fact, the highest concentration of leopards in the world
0:14:50 > 0:14:51is right here.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59BELL TOLLS
0:14:59 > 0:15:02It's not only the abundance of food
0:15:02 > 0:15:04that attracts wild animals to cities.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15They're usually several degrees warmer
0:15:15 > 0:15:17than the surrounding countryside.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20And here in Rome in December,
0:15:20 > 0:15:24one animal is taking full advantage of this extra heat.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26And it's leaving its mark.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31In a single winter's day,
0:15:31 > 0:15:36ten tonnes of its droppings rain down on the city.
0:15:43 > 0:15:44Starlings.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50In the evening, they come back to the warmth of the city
0:15:50 > 0:15:53after feeding in the neighbouring countryside.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58They must return to their roosting trees,
0:15:58 > 0:16:02but the first to do so are at the highest risk
0:16:02 > 0:16:04of being caught by birds of prey.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11So they wait for others to arrive.
0:16:11 > 0:16:12There's safety in numbers.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17As daylight fades,
0:16:17 > 0:16:21the sky fills with a staggering one million starlings.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29And then follows one of nature's great spectaculars.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15How, or indeed why, they perform these marvellous aerobatics,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18we still do not fully understand.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Eventually, en masse, they brave the descent
0:17:32 > 0:17:36and fill the branches of their favourite trees.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43On these cold winter nights,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45the city's extra warmth can mean the difference
0:17:45 > 0:17:48between life and death.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05A city, of course, can provide not only shelter and abundant food,
0:18:05 > 0:18:07but glamour.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13These varied objects have been carefully chosen by a bird
0:18:13 > 0:18:16for their brightness and their colour.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21This great bowerbird has spent over a decade
0:18:21 > 0:18:25building this collection of mostly man-made objects.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Out on a golf course in Townsville, Australia,
0:18:32 > 0:18:36he's putting the final touches to his enormous bower
0:18:36 > 0:18:39that he hopes will impress a visiting female.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50He spends two hours each day rearranging his prized objects.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00Perhaps that would look a little better over there.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05But it seems that something is missing.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Instead of going into town to collect new objects,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14he's decided to raid his neighbour's bower.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19A clothes peg - excellent.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27And a shiny toy car.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33It's a risky game if you get caught.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38The owner is back.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40BIRDS SCREECH
0:19:46 > 0:19:50There is one bower where the risk is worth it.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54A particular object has caught his eye.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00You'll have to wait for the owner to leave.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14This is his chance.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18A real treasure - a scarlet heart.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Got it!
0:20:28 > 0:20:31The stage is now set for female visitors.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41His luck may be in.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52The seduction can now begin.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59He's showing off his best goods.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Perhaps a little plastic piping?
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Or maybe a bit of coloured string?
0:21:15 > 0:21:19But his guest doesn't seem to be paying much attention.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29A fork...
0:21:29 > 0:21:30madam?
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Nothing seems to be working.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Something is just not quite right here.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52But he still has one trick up his sleeve -
0:21:52 > 0:21:53the scarlet heart.
0:22:18 > 0:22:24As a final thrill, he expands the pink crest on the back of his head,
0:22:24 > 0:22:26the sign of his adulthood.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29But he's made a mistake.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33This is not a female,
0:22:33 > 0:22:37but a young male who hasn't yet developed that head crest.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40And he's making off with the scarlet heart.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46It's not easy finding sex in the city.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54Raising a family in the city is not easy either.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58It's springtime in Toronto
0:22:58 > 0:23:01and this mother raccoon has exchanged
0:23:01 > 0:23:04her native treetops for rooftops.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Since giving birth two months ago,
0:23:16 > 0:23:20she's kept her offspring safe and warm inside a chimney.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Now, her young have outgrown their nursery.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32This is her first major challenge as a mother.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38The time has come to move to a new home.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42She needs to get her youngster to ground level.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47But, instead of an easy climb down a tree,
0:23:47 > 0:23:52she is faced with a vertical drop with little to cling onto.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Her baby's first glimpse of the urban world...
0:24:03 > 0:24:06..from a terrifying 30 feet up.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28RACCOON CUB WHINES
0:24:37 > 0:24:40This is the last of her litter to be brought down.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45Its siblings are already busy exploring the area.
0:24:46 > 0:24:47And they have much to learn.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55This one has fallen into a back alley and is trapped.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01Mother comes to the rescue and demonstrates what must be done.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20CUBS CHITTER
0:25:24 > 0:25:25That's the way.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Raccoons are opportunists.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37And they're eager to explore.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45But they'll have to learn very quickly
0:25:45 > 0:25:49how to get along in this strange new environment,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51so full of hazards.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Mother comes to the rescue once more.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07Urban raccoons are now demonstrably better at problem-solving
0:26:07 > 0:26:09than their country cousins.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18When the feeding opportunities are this good,
0:26:18 > 0:26:22the time spent working out how to get to it is well worth it.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36The complexity of urban life...
0:26:37 > 0:26:39..favours the clever.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51But to compete with humanity during daylight hours
0:26:51 > 0:26:53takes more than just intelligence.
0:26:58 > 0:26:59It takes nerve.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04One enterprising species of monkey
0:27:04 > 0:27:08has moved into the city of Jaipur in India...
0:27:11 > 0:27:13..the rhesus macaque.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21But how to get a share of all this juicy fruit?
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Every morning, the troop make the same journey
0:27:33 > 0:27:37through the urban jungle, just as human commuters do.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Sometimes, inevitably, there are traffic jams.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31Once they get to the market, trouble begins.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Being both intelligent and brazen
0:28:54 > 0:28:59is the key to beating human beings on their home turf.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22MAN SHOUTS
0:29:36 > 0:29:38It's daylight robbery.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52There are some animals that most would consider too dangerous
0:29:52 > 0:29:54to tolerate in the city.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00Spotted hyenas.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03HYENAS HOWL
0:30:03 > 0:30:06They're feared throughout their range.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16In the outskirts of Harar in Ethiopia,
0:30:16 > 0:30:21two clans are coming face-to-face to battle over a prized resource.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30There are about 60 hyenas in each clan
0:30:30 > 0:30:32and they're well matched.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01After three hours of posturing back and forth,
0:31:01 > 0:31:05the losers retreat and the victors head to claim their prize.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16They have been fighting over access to the city.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Once inside the city walls, they head for one place.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45And they know exactly how to get there.
0:32:12 > 0:32:13HYENA GROWLS
0:32:17 > 0:32:20The ancient meat market.
0:32:23 > 0:32:28The scent of all these carcasses lies heavy in the air.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54This tradition goes back over 400 years.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58The human butchers put out the bones they don't need
0:32:58 > 0:33:01and these hyenas deal with them.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06They're the only animals that can.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10No other here has such powerful, bone-crushing jaws.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16And this relationship between man and beast
0:33:16 > 0:33:18has now been taken a step further.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22HE WHISTLES
0:33:22 > 0:33:26Yusuf is calling the hyenas to his house.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38He and his forefathers, going back five generations,
0:33:38 > 0:33:41have been feeding the hyenas...
0:33:41 > 0:33:43..by hand.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49The inhabitants of this town believe that hyenas provide
0:33:49 > 0:33:51another very important service -
0:33:51 > 0:33:56eating the bad spirits that haunt the streets.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06These are wild and ferocious animals,
0:34:06 > 0:34:08but once within these city walls,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11they behave in a completely different way.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15Throughout the rest of Africa,
0:34:15 > 0:34:19spotted hyenas are feared because they kill livestock,
0:34:19 > 0:34:20sometimes even children.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26They are, perhaps, the most vilified animal on our planet.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33However, here in Harar,
0:34:33 > 0:34:36their relationship with people is entirely peaceful.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42They have won the trust of man.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53Losing its fear of humans
0:34:53 > 0:34:57has enabled one animal to spread into cities everywhere,
0:34:57 > 0:34:59and in huge numbers.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11Pigeons are by far the most successful urban bird.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16BELL TOLLS
0:35:17 > 0:35:20Here in Albi in the South of France,
0:35:20 > 0:35:23the pigeons come to the river to bathe.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26They need to preen their flight feathers,
0:35:26 > 0:35:28clean off the city dust...
0:35:28 > 0:35:30and cool themselves down.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39DRAMATIC MUSIC
0:35:51 > 0:35:53But death lies in wait.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59A predator that has taken advantage of the very thing
0:35:59 > 0:36:01that has led to the pigeon's success...
0:36:03 > 0:36:04..their lack of fear.
0:36:08 > 0:36:09As the pigeons bathe,
0:36:09 > 0:36:14oil from their plumage flows downstream and is detected.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28A monstrous wels catfish.
0:36:30 > 0:36:36Introduced here just 40 years ago, they have proliferated...
0:36:37 > 0:36:40..virtually exterminated the local fish stocks...
0:36:42 > 0:36:45..and they've now developed a taste for pigeon.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50Their eyesight is poor,
0:36:50 > 0:36:54so they use their barbels to sense the movements of their victims.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53This is a radical new hunting strategy
0:37:53 > 0:37:56for what is normally a bottom-dwelling fish.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14After 1,000 years of living in this city,
0:38:14 > 0:38:18pigeons are now having to learn to avoid a fish.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29Our cities are always changing, sometimes very swiftly.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35And animals must cope with the changes...
0:38:35 > 0:38:36or disappear.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41One of the greatest changes in recent times
0:38:41 > 0:38:46has come from a single invention made less than 140 years ago.
0:38:51 > 0:38:52Electric light.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57It has become more and more powerful...
0:39:00 > 0:39:02..filling our streets with light.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15It's everywhere in the city.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19It even goes underground.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41The difference between day and night
0:39:41 > 0:39:43is becoming less and less perceptible.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57And that has a profound effect on the activities of wildlife.
0:40:02 > 0:40:07In the wilderness, light triggers all kinds of behaviour.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14On the night of the full moon,
0:40:14 > 0:40:18hundreds of tiny hawksbill turtle hatchlings
0:40:18 > 0:40:21emerge from the safety of their nests deep in the sand.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28Their instinct is to reach the sea as quickly as possible.
0:40:30 > 0:40:35And their guide is the light of the full moon reflected on the water.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46But this young hatchling is confused.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57It's going in the wrong direction.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04Bright light is coming from the land...
0:41:04 > 0:41:06LOUD MUSIC PLAYS IN DISTANCE
0:41:07 > 0:41:12..and all these hatchlings are travelling up the beach towards it.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21Predators are ready to take advantage.
0:41:22 > 0:41:27Crabs now make their burrows directly beneath the beach lights
0:41:27 > 0:41:30and wait for their prey to come to them.
0:41:52 > 0:41:57Even if a hatchling escapes, they're still in peril.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09The lights become more and more bewildering.
0:42:32 > 0:42:3680% of all hatchlings on this beach
0:42:36 > 0:42:39are now disorientated by the lights of the town.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02Roads bring many to their end.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21Hundreds get trapped in storm drains every night.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37Exhausted by the effort
0:43:37 > 0:43:39of travelling such a distance on land...
0:43:42 > 0:43:46..this hatchling's chances of surviving the night are slim.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01This turtle is one of the countless species
0:44:01 > 0:44:04that have been unable to adapt to the change
0:44:04 > 0:44:07brought about by the urban environment.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21Only a small number of animals
0:44:21 > 0:44:24have managed to find ways of living alongside us.
0:44:27 > 0:44:31And every ten years, an area the size of Britain
0:44:31 > 0:44:34disappears under a jungle of concrete.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46But it doesn't have to be like this.
0:44:49 > 0:44:54Could it not be possible to build cities more in harmony with nature?
0:45:01 > 0:45:06How, and whether, we decide to invite the wildlife back
0:45:06 > 0:45:07is up to us.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14This tree is rising nearly 30 storeys.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17It's one of almost 800 being planted
0:45:17 > 0:45:20to create a vertical forest in Milan.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28This number of living trees
0:45:28 > 0:45:31would normally fill two hectares of woodland
0:45:31 > 0:45:34but here, they occupy one tenth of that area.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39Greening the walls and roofs of our buildings
0:45:39 > 0:45:44could create a rich and extensive habitat if we wanted it to do so.
0:45:47 > 0:45:52There is one city where that idea is being applied on a major scale -
0:45:52 > 0:45:54Singapore.
0:45:55 > 0:46:00Two million trees have been planted here in the last 45 years.
0:46:02 > 0:46:07This city is now richer in species than any other in the world.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17And this practice extends to all parts of the city.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21The waterways have been cleaned up
0:46:21 > 0:46:23and smooth-coated otters are coming back.
0:46:29 > 0:46:34But perhaps the most spectacular example of city greening
0:46:34 > 0:46:37is this grove of super trees.
0:46:40 > 0:46:47These 150-feet-high metal structures are now full of life.
0:46:48 > 0:46:52Creepers have been planted to grow over the outermost branches.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58This is a new urban world
0:46:58 > 0:47:01that we have now designed and built
0:47:01 > 0:47:03with others in mind.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08Create the space
0:47:08 > 0:47:10and the animals will come.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21Is this a vision of our cities of the future?
0:47:30 > 0:47:35It could be possible to see wildlife thriving within our cities
0:47:35 > 0:47:37across the planet.
0:47:39 > 0:47:44We, after all, are the architects of the urban world.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49Now, over half of us live in an urban environment.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52My home, too, is here in the city of London.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56Looking down on this great metropolis,
0:47:56 > 0:48:00the ingenuity with which we continue to reshape the surface of our planet
0:48:00 > 0:48:02is very striking.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05But it's also sobering.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08It reminds me of just how easy it is for us
0:48:08 > 0:48:11to lose our connection with the natural world.
0:48:12 > 0:48:17Yet it's on this connection that the future of both humanity
0:48:17 > 0:48:19and the natural world will depend.
0:48:20 > 0:48:25It's surely our responsibility to do everything within our power
0:48:25 > 0:48:30to create a planet that provides a home not just for us,
0:48:30 > 0:48:33but for all life on Earth.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19For a wildlife film crew,
0:49:19 > 0:49:24working in the urban environment was an altogether different experience.
0:49:24 > 0:49:28Two crews set off on two very different missions.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31It's Mark and Louis's first time in India.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34Bus, there's mopeds, and we're not stopping, we're going...
0:49:34 > 0:49:36Oh, my God!
0:49:36 > 0:49:38Yep, we're in India.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42Along with the rest of the team,
0:49:42 > 0:49:44they hope to film up close and personal
0:49:44 > 0:49:47with the monkeys that have come from the wild
0:49:47 > 0:49:49to live in the hustle and bustle of the city.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54I can't believe these macaques have left the peace and quiet
0:49:54 > 0:49:56for this mayhem, but they're fine here.
0:49:56 > 0:49:58In fact, they're probably a bit more comfortable
0:49:58 > 0:49:59than I am with this noise.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01- CAR HORN BLARES - Yeah, yeah.
0:50:03 > 0:50:07And to get into the monkey's world, Mark will be using a new rig
0:50:07 > 0:50:09that stabilises the camera
0:50:09 > 0:50:11and allows him to get right into the action.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16I think Mark and Louis have got a big challenge
0:50:16 > 0:50:19to be wielding thousands of pounds' worth of camera equipment
0:50:19 > 0:50:21down at the street level.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23Rather them than me!
0:50:23 > 0:50:27You've got a lady with cauliflowers passing on your left, Mark.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30- Just pull me aside. - On your left.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32I'm more used to a jungle, if I'm honest!
0:50:34 > 0:50:37But this is a jungle all of its own, just with people instead of trees.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39It's impossible!
0:50:40 > 0:50:43700 miles south in Mumbai,
0:50:43 > 0:50:45cameraman Gordon Buchanan will have to take on
0:50:45 > 0:50:48a completely different filming approach
0:50:48 > 0:50:51if he's to capture an urban leopard hunt.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56It's amazing to think that standing here, surrounded by people,
0:50:56 > 0:51:01all this kind of human activity, that within...
0:51:01 > 0:51:04half a mile, maybe even less, there will be leopards.
0:51:04 > 0:51:09Only glimpses of these cats have been caught on camera
0:51:09 > 0:51:13and just to locate them, he'll need new infrared camera traps.
0:51:13 > 0:51:14Are you happy with the composition?
0:51:14 > 0:51:16Good. What about you?
0:51:16 > 0:51:18Right. Correct shutter speed?
0:51:18 > 0:51:20CHILD LAUGHS
0:51:20 > 0:51:23Gordon is hoping that these camera traps will reveal
0:51:23 > 0:51:25where they're on the prowl.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33For the monkey team, finding the animals seems easy...
0:51:33 > 0:51:35Rob, Rob, Rob.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38..but keeping up with them is a different matter.
0:51:41 > 0:51:42Almost started on that.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46Ooh! They didn't put that on the hazard assessment!
0:51:46 > 0:51:47- They did as a matter of fact. - Cow in the groin?
0:51:47 > 0:51:49Cow in the groin.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52They're much tougher and more granitey than the monkeys
0:51:52 > 0:51:56I've filmed in the wild. They're not frightened of us.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58They're, um, I mean look at this.
0:51:59 > 0:52:03He's taking on pigs, he's taking on goats, he's taking on cows,
0:52:03 > 0:52:05he's taking on me any time he wants to.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08But with monkeys this brazen,
0:52:08 > 0:52:11Mark is able to follow the troop at street level.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17To capture their movements in their rooftop world,
0:52:17 > 0:52:22they need to run a cable between buildings and fly a camera along it
0:52:22 > 0:52:25and that calls for some inventive rigging.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30I've got this soft satsuma here
0:52:30 > 0:52:34and I've got to lob it to the team on the other side over there.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36We're going to lob it from rooftop to rooftop.
0:52:36 > 0:52:41We've made sure there's no-one on the rooftops and it's safe to do it.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43Are you ready? OK.
0:52:48 > 0:52:49OK. Good.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52That's good. I got it into the courtyard.
0:52:52 > 0:52:53So, that's perfect.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58I think our cable run at the moment is about 60 metres.
0:52:59 > 0:53:02We can travel the whole length while panning and tilting
0:53:02 > 0:53:04and really looking at everything we want to.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06It should give us some really dynamic, stunning shots.
0:53:06 > 0:53:10The team is getting an insight at all levels
0:53:10 > 0:53:12into the monkeys' mischievous lives...
0:53:21 > 0:53:26..and are starting to figure out the routes they use to cross the city.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29And over the course of weeks,
0:53:29 > 0:53:32the macaques become all too familiar with the crew.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35All right, little monkey!
0:53:35 > 0:53:37All right, little monkey. All right.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41They're now fully embedded in the troop
0:53:41 > 0:53:44and Mark is able to film right amongst them.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46These guys at the moment are magic.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49We've got monkeys behaving naturally, it's fantastic.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55- That's good, Louis.- Very nice, guys. - Thank you.- Very nice.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59Back in Mumbai, the camera traps are revealing
0:53:59 > 0:54:01where the leopards are coming out.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07But to stand any chance of capturing them hunting in the city,
0:54:07 > 0:54:11Gordon will need to use the latest thermal camera technology.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18BAND PLAYS
0:54:25 > 0:54:26FIREWORK EXPLODES
0:54:27 > 0:54:30- (WHISPERING)- I can't imagine that leopard's going to come
0:54:30 > 0:54:31with all this going on.
0:54:33 > 0:54:37Relative silence eventually descends.
0:54:37 > 0:54:41OK, I picked up some movement behind some bushes on the camera.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43It's just a sort of a twinkling of light.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45It's something warm-blooded.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49There we go.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53A leopard.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55You dancer! Look at that!
0:54:57 > 0:55:00It definitely knows that I'm here.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04That's a type of sighting that you'd have to wait
0:55:04 > 0:55:07for weeks and weeks to get a leopard that close.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09And so early on.
0:55:11 > 0:55:12Over the next month,
0:55:12 > 0:55:15this camera enables Gordon to see into the darkness
0:55:15 > 0:55:20and be the first person to film an urban leopard hunt.
0:55:23 > 0:55:25But it's only at the end of the trip
0:55:25 > 0:55:28that he has his most memorable encounter.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30- (WHISPERING)- Look at the size of him!
0:55:31 > 0:55:34He's coming up. He's coming up. He's coming up.
0:55:36 > 0:55:39My goodness, look at that!
0:55:39 > 0:55:42He's about three metres in front of me.
0:55:44 > 0:55:46Jesus!
0:56:12 > 0:56:14My heart is racing!
0:56:15 > 0:56:17That was close!
0:56:20 > 0:56:23That's the closest I've ever been to a leopard.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31That's often the case with urban wildlife,
0:56:31 > 0:56:34is that it's the presence of human beings
0:56:34 > 0:56:38that allows certain animals to do well.
0:56:39 > 0:56:42And I suppose it's just incredible
0:56:42 > 0:56:45that one of those animals is the leopard.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54It isn't just Gordon getting an insight
0:56:54 > 0:56:58into the surprising wildlife encounters possible in the city.
0:56:59 > 0:57:01It's in Jodhpur, filming the langurs,
0:57:01 > 0:57:06that the monkey team really see the extraordinary relationship
0:57:06 > 0:57:09between humans and animals in Indian cities.
0:57:09 > 0:57:11They're so tolerant, they're amazing.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19And it makes a strong impression on them.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21Oh, it's beautiful.
0:57:22 > 0:57:23Yeah, that is beautiful.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28I mean, coming to India, this is what you realise,
0:57:28 > 0:57:33that if you let your wildlife into the city and you really embrace it,
0:57:33 > 0:57:35then this is the reward you get.
0:57:35 > 0:57:41I mean, this phenomenal connection with incredible creatures,
0:57:41 > 0:57:44and that...that just feels wonderful.
0:57:45 > 0:57:47It was a surprising revelation
0:57:47 > 0:57:50that it was in cities where the film crews
0:57:50 > 0:57:54had some of their most extraordinary encounters with wild animals.