0:00:10 > 0:00:14Looking down from two miles above the surface of the Earth,
0:00:14 > 0:00:20it's impossible not to be impressed by the sheer grandeur and splendour
0:00:20 > 0:00:23and power of the natural world.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30Ten years ago, in a television series called Planet Earth,
0:00:30 > 0:00:32we revealed many of those wonders.
0:00:35 > 0:00:40Planet Earth II brings you even closer to the lives of animals
0:00:40 > 0:00:41than ever before.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48With new technology and new insight,
0:00:48 > 0:00:52we can show wildlife dramas in completely new ways.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06In this programme, we celebrate some of the highlights of the series.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Journeying to every corner of the globe...
0:01:21 > 0:01:26..to reveal the extreme lengths animals go to in order to survive.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45And we also visit the newest habitat on Earth -
0:01:45 > 0:01:46our cities.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Now is a crucial time for the natural world,
0:01:55 > 0:02:00when our connection with nature is more important than ever before.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04This is Planet Earth II.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44The snow leopard.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53Seldom seen, the detail of their lives has long been a mystery.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02But now, at last, helped by the latest remote camera technology,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05we're getting closer to them than ever before.
0:03:12 > 0:03:18They are very rare - as few as four of them in 40 square miles.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21In the high mountains, there is simply not enough prey
0:03:21 > 0:03:22to sustain them.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30They live solitary lives.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Nonetheless, they are well aware of the presence and the movements
0:03:33 > 0:03:35of their neighbours,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38because they leave messages in a few special places.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44They rub particular rocks with their cheeks...
0:03:48 > 0:03:50..and then spray them with urine.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Their two perfumes create a unique signature.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06Any other leopard can know which of its neighbours passed this way
0:04:06 > 0:04:08without ever making direct contact.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47Life at extreme altitudes has shaped some of the toughest animals
0:04:47 > 0:04:48on the planet.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55In the Alps, Europe's highest peaks,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58it is winter and food is desperately short.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16A golden eagle has to spend every daylight hour
0:05:16 > 0:05:20scanning the slopes for something, somewhere to eat.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34Her seven-foot wingspan allows her to glide effortlessly
0:05:34 > 0:05:37for 100 miles in a single day.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51Her extraordinary eyes enable her to spot prey from two miles away.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03But she is not the only one who's looking for food.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08When she spots a chance, she must move fast.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16She can dive at 200mph -
0:06:16 > 0:06:18only a peregrine is faster.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56During winter, even eagles rely almost entirely on carrion.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02It's a dead fox, and it could sustain her for days.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Other scavengers must defer.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13The hungry crows soon regain their courage.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18They'll try any trick to steal a morsel.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29And they are annoyingly persistent.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54But this mob are the least of her worries.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04A bigger eagle takes control.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12But this kill is too important to give up.
0:08:15 > 0:08:16So she must fight.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34For the moment, she has won the carcass back...
0:08:36 > 0:08:39..but a kill like this will attract every eagle for miles around.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11As ever, the strongest wins the lion's share.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Unable to defend the carcass any longer,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20the first eagle must now continue its search.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24It may be many days before she feeds again.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Compared to the sparseness of the highest mountains,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34the jungle is full of opportunity.
0:09:36 > 0:09:37It is Eden.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43It covers less than 6% of the Earth's surface,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47but it's home to half of all the plants and animals on land.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Jungles are the richest places on Earth,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57because of one remarkable fact.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02They make their own weather.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Rain is the lifeblood of every jungle...
0:10:33 > 0:10:37..and all have to do their best to endure the daily downpour.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24These streams in Costa Rica are home to one of the most remarkable
0:11:24 > 0:11:26masters of disguise.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41A glass frog.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52A male, and tiny.
0:11:52 > 0:11:53No bigger than your fingernail...
0:11:55 > 0:11:58..and almost entirely transparent.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02As he needs to be.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Almost everything that walks past here could eat him.
0:12:10 > 0:12:11Even a cricket.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21His best chance is to stay absolutely still and trust
0:12:21 > 0:12:23that the cricket looks right through him.
0:12:45 > 0:12:46Danger passed...
0:12:48 > 0:12:49..and that's just as well.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Because he is a father...
0:12:57 > 0:13:00..and he is guarding some very precious eggs.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08For the last few weeks, females, one after the other,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11have visited him and entrusted him with their offspring.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Some are now almost ready to hatch.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25There are several clutches on the leaf, and those at the top,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28the most recently laid, are barely a day old.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38But in the jungle, there is always someone out to get you.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48This wasp is a specialist hunter of frogs' eggs.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54It has noticed the wriggling tadpoles at the bottom of the leaf.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03He mustn't move.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06The youngest eggs are the most vulnerable,
0:14:06 > 0:14:07and he can't guard them all.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31But these tadpoles are not as helpless as they might appear.
0:14:39 > 0:14:45Incredibly, the unhatched tadpoles can sense danger and the oldest
0:14:45 > 0:14:49and strongest wriggle free and drop into the stream below.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09The eggs at the top of the leaf, however,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11are still too young to hatch...
0:15:13 > 0:15:16..and now the wasps know they're there.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24But the male's back looks very like the youngest cluster of eggs...
0:15:29 > 0:15:31..and that seems to confuse the wasps.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58Using his own body as a decoy is a huge risk.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00The wasps' stings could kill him.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31He has managed to save most of his young.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39He'll have to remain on guard for another two weeks.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46But, in the jungle, just surviving the day can count as a success.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56There are hundreds of thousands of islands on the planet.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04The struggle to survive on these remote lands
0:17:04 > 0:17:07brings its own very particular problems.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23The tiny island of Escudo, off the coast of Panama.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Home to the pygmy three-toed sloth.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36This is a male, and life here suits him well.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Mangroves provide all the leaves he can eat,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46and there are no predators to worry him.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54Island life may seem idyllic, but it comes at a price.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59There are only a few hundred pygmy sloths in existence...
0:18:01 > 0:18:03..and he needs a mate.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07HIGH-PITCHED SQUEAL
0:18:07 > 0:18:09That is an enticing call...
0:18:11 > 0:18:13..from a female...
0:18:15 > 0:18:17..somewhere, out there.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23And this, for a sloth,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25is a quick reaction.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51The problem is, there's deep water between them.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56So what should any red-blooded sloth do?
0:19:02 > 0:19:03Swim, of course.
0:19:34 > 0:19:35Could this be her?
0:19:42 > 0:19:46He does his best to put on a turn of speed.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59But she's not the one.
0:19:59 > 0:20:00She already has a baby,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03and she won't mate again until it leaves her
0:20:03 > 0:20:05in about six months' time.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17Even life on a paradise island can have its limitations.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25But at least she can't be far away.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Islands can be sanctuaries for wildlife,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35but that doesn't mean that life is easy.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Some can be very challenging places indeed.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56There are islands still forming today,
0:20:56 > 0:20:58built by volcanoes.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Some erupt explosively.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15Others pour out rivers of molten rock -
0:21:15 > 0:21:16lava.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27In the last 50 years, ten new volcanic islands have been formed.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59Young volcanic islands can be tough places to survive.
0:22:03 > 0:22:08This is Fernandina, one of the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific.
0:22:11 > 0:22:17It is a desolate place, but the surrounding sea is rich with life.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25And the frontier between these two very different worlds is the home
0:22:25 > 0:22:27of one of the strangest of reptiles.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Seagoing iguanas.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39They are vegetarians,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41but since there is little food for them on land,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45marine iguanas graze on the sea floor.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52A big male like this one can dive to 30 metres and hold his breath
0:22:52 > 0:22:54for half an hour.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21It is an incredible adaptation
0:23:21 > 0:23:26that allows them to survive in a barren landscape.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Marine iguanas lay their eggs in sand.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47In June, when the hatchlings emerge, they are vulnerable.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54They must join the adults at the edge of the sea,
0:23:54 > 0:23:58but the journey will be a dangerous one.
0:24:22 > 0:24:23Racer snakes.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55The snakes missed their chance.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06But more babies are hatching...
0:25:11 > 0:25:15..and now the snakes are on the alert.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19This is the best feeding opportunity they will get all year.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39On flat ground, a baby iguana can outrun a racer snake...
0:25:41 > 0:25:43..but others are waiting in ambush.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Another hatchling has its first glimpse of a dangerous world.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15A snake's eyes aren't very good...
0:27:17 > 0:27:19..but they can detect movement.
0:27:20 > 0:27:25So if the hatchling keeps its nerve, it may just avoid detection.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59A near-miraculous escape.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10The lucky survivors can begin learning the unique way of life
0:29:10 > 0:29:12demanded by this hostile island.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25There are habitats on Earth
0:29:25 > 0:29:28where food seems abundant.
0:29:32 > 0:29:37One quarter of the land on Earth is covered by a single remarkable
0:29:37 > 0:29:38type of plant.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42Grass.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56On the plains of Africa,
0:29:56 > 0:30:00Jackson's widowbirds seek out the freshest grass stems,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03but this has nothing to do with finding food.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09This male wants a mate.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14He has grown elaborate breeding plumage for this moment...
0:30:16 > 0:30:19..but he needs a stage on which to show it off.
0:30:23 > 0:30:28By carefully selecting grass blades, each trimmed to the correct length,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31he is creating something very special.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48He needs an even surface...
0:30:50 > 0:30:51..and a centrepiece.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56The stage is set.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01His bachelor pad is sufficiently neat and tidy to attract a female.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06The problem is, can she see it?
0:31:10 > 0:31:11He has competition.
0:31:21 > 0:31:26It might take more than a little gardening to impress the ladies.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30Jumping is the right idea...
0:31:31 > 0:31:33..but he has misjudged the height of the grass.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45His rival makes it look easy.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11Time to raise his game.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49It's not only who jumps the highest,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52but who can keep doing so the longest.
0:33:00 > 0:33:05Unable to go the distance, his rivals drop out, one by one.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13Stamina has won him admirers.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18Now he can show off his courtship arena.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30And engage in a little romantic hide and seek.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46Finally, he's done enough.
0:33:53 > 0:33:54In the American Rockies,
0:33:54 > 0:33:59spring meadows that only a few weeks ago were buried in snow
0:33:59 > 0:34:02are now full of life.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18Bears have emerged from their winter dens.
0:34:22 > 0:34:23It's becoming warmer,
0:34:23 > 0:34:27and they are keen to shed their thick winter coats.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33Mothers show their cubs what to do about this.
0:34:44 > 0:34:45They'll soon catch on.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52Some trees, it seems, are particularly suitable for rubbing.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55Bears have their favourites,
0:34:55 > 0:34:58and will travel long distances to visit them.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04Some itches just have to be scratched.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29There are now 30 bears in this one valley.
0:35:35 > 0:35:41As they rub, each leaves an individual and recognisable scent.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48So the tree soon carries a list of who's around...
0:35:49 > 0:35:51..which might help individuals to avoid a fight.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56To best spread their scent,
0:35:56 > 0:35:58they really have to put their back into it.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42But the summer is short.
0:36:42 > 0:36:47Itches satisfactorily scratched, it's time to eat.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02Dawn in the high Andes.
0:37:10 > 0:37:15The sun's warmth brings some relief to animals living among these peaks.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21At over 12,000 feet,
0:37:21 > 0:37:25this is the highest flamingo colony in the world.
0:37:26 > 0:37:31At night, it gets so cold that even this salty water freezes over.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36And now the flamingos are trapped in the ice.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45Eventually, the sun thins the ice.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49But it's still a struggle for the flamingos to break free.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Walking on thin ice is always risky.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27And it's hard to retain one's dignity.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30Especially when you're wearing stilts.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46At these altitudes,
0:38:46 > 0:38:48the sun's power can quickly turn
0:38:48 > 0:38:51from salvation to threat.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57Out on the lake, there is nowhere to hide.
0:39:03 > 0:39:08The white crust of the soda lake reflects the sun's glare,
0:39:08 > 0:39:11and increases the impact of its ultraviolet rays.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20By midday, uncovered human skin will burn in four minutes.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29But this doesn't seem to bother the flamingos.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32In fact, they are on parade.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04During the breeding season,
0:40:04 > 0:40:08flamingos perform these peculiar courtship dances,
0:40:08 > 0:40:10even through the hottest time of the day.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20They're so eager, they don't even pause to feed.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42The rules are something of a mystery.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45But after a month of dancing, all the birds will have paired off
0:40:45 > 0:40:49and will be getting ready to mate.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58Up here, there are few other creatures to bother the flamingos,
0:40:58 > 0:41:04but then, few other creatures could even tolerate these conditions.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11Such extreme habitats require wildlife
0:41:11 > 0:41:13to be extraordinarily resilient.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21And nowhere more so than in the desert.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28With temperatures reaching almost 50 degrees Celsius,
0:41:28 > 0:41:31there's no escape from the scorching sun,
0:41:31 > 0:41:33the wind and the dust.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47This is the oldest desert in the world -
0:41:47 > 0:41:51the Namib, in south-west Africa.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00Life here, for the hunter, is as hard as it gets.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13A pride of lions.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15One of the very few that endures
0:42:15 > 0:42:19this desert's scorching temperatures and lack of water.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46These are desperate times.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53A dry riverbed on the edge of their territory.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59The only animals here are giraffe.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04But these one-ton giants could kill a lion with a single kick.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21Lions seldom tackle such formidable prey...
0:43:24 > 0:43:28..but this pride can't go on much longer without food.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00The whole pride must work together as a team if they're to succeed.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55The giraffe has the speed and stamina to outrun the pride.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00But it's being chased into a trap.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05Up ahead, the lead female waits.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18It's now up to her.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39Most lion hunts end in failure.
0:45:41 > 0:45:46But no lions fail more often than those that live in the desert.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58In the last 6,000 years,
0:45:58 > 0:46:01a new habitat has appeared,
0:46:03 > 0:46:09entirely designed and constructed by one species for its own purpose.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14We humans create homes for ourselves, cities -
0:46:14 > 0:46:19with consequences for wildlife, good and bad.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24One enterprising species of monkey
0:46:24 > 0:46:28has moved into the city of Jaipur in India.
0:46:30 > 0:46:31The Rhesus macaque.
0:46:36 > 0:46:40But how to get a share of all this juicy fruit?
0:46:47 > 0:46:49Every morning,
0:46:49 > 0:46:53the troop make the same journey through the urban jungle,
0:46:53 > 0:46:55just as human commuters do.
0:47:18 > 0:47:22Sometimes, inevitably, there are traffic jams.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49Once they get to the market, trouble begins.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13Being both intelligent and brazen
0:48:13 > 0:48:16is the key to beating human beings on their home turf.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56It's daylight robbery.
0:49:06 > 0:49:11In the city, conflict between man and animal might seem inevitable.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17We create these cities for ourselves,
0:49:17 > 0:49:19and some of the changes we introduce
0:49:19 > 0:49:21can be hard for animals to cope with.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28One of the greatest changes of recent times
0:49:28 > 0:49:33has come from a single invention made less than 140 years ago.
0:49:38 > 0:49:39Electric light.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44It has become more and more powerful...
0:49:46 > 0:49:48..filling our streets with light.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02It's everywhere in the city.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09The difference between day and night
0:50:09 > 0:50:12has become less and less perceptible.
0:50:22 > 0:50:26And that has a profound effect on the activities of wildlife.
0:50:31 > 0:50:35In the wilderness, light triggers all kinds of behaviour.
0:50:42 > 0:50:43On the night of the full moon,
0:50:43 > 0:50:47hundreds of tiny hawksbill turtle hatchlings emerge
0:50:47 > 0:50:50from the safety of their nest, deep in the sand.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56Their instinct is to reach the sea as quickly as possible.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03And their guide is the light of the full moon, reflected on the water.
0:51:11 > 0:51:12But this young hatchling...
0:51:13 > 0:51:14..is confused.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25It's going in the wrong direction.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33Bright light is coming from the land.
0:51:36 > 0:51:40And all these hatchlings are travelling up the beach towards it.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56The lights become more and more bewildering.
0:52:20 > 0:52:2380% of all hatchlings on this beach
0:52:23 > 0:52:27are now disoriented by the lights of the town.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50Roads bring many to their end.
0:53:05 > 0:53:09Hundreds get trapped in storm drains every night.
0:53:23 > 0:53:26Exhausted by the effort of travelling
0:53:26 > 0:53:27such a distance on land...
0:53:30 > 0:53:34..this hatchling's chances of surviving the night are slim.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49This turtle is one of the countless species
0:53:49 > 0:53:51that have been unable to adapt
0:53:51 > 0:53:55to the change brought about by the urban environment.
0:54:02 > 0:54:08Whether we choose to live in harmony with wildlife is up to us.
0:54:08 > 0:54:10But there is one city where that idea
0:54:10 > 0:54:13is being applied on a major scale -
0:54:16 > 0:54:17Singapore.
0:54:23 > 0:54:28Two million trees have been planted here in the last 45 years.
0:54:30 > 0:54:34This city is now richer in species than any other in the world.
0:54:38 > 0:54:42And this practice extends to all parts of the city.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47The waterways have been cleaned up
0:54:47 > 0:54:50and smooth-coated otters are coming back.
0:54:54 > 0:54:59But perhaps the most spectacular example of city greening
0:54:59 > 0:55:02is this grove of "super trees".
0:55:06 > 0:55:12These 150-feet-high metal structures are now full of life.
0:55:16 > 0:55:20Creepers have been planted to grow over the outermost branches.
0:55:23 > 0:55:29This is a new urban world that we have now designed and built
0:55:29 > 0:55:31with others in mind.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37Create the space and the animals will come.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49Is this a vision for our cities of the future?
0:55:58 > 0:56:01It could be possible to see wildlife thriving
0:56:01 > 0:56:04within our cities across the planet.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11We, after all, are the architects of the urban world.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15Looking down on this great metropolis,
0:56:15 > 0:56:20the ingenuity with which we continue to reshape the surface of our planet
0:56:20 > 0:56:21is very striking.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24It is also sobering.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27It reminds me of just how easy it is for us
0:56:27 > 0:56:30to lose our connection with the natural world.
0:56:31 > 0:56:36Yet it's on this connection that the future of both humanity
0:56:36 > 0:56:38and the natural world will depend.
0:56:40 > 0:56:45It's surely our responsibility to do everything within our power
0:56:45 > 0:56:49to create a planet that provides a home, not just for us,
0:56:49 > 0:56:52but for all life on Earth.