0:00:02 > 0:00:03The monsoon...
0:00:04 > 0:00:07..the greatest weather system on Earth.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Giver of life...
0:00:12 > 0:00:14and the destroyer.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21Shaping magical lands
0:00:21 > 0:00:25from the Himalayas to Australia.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Its impact felt by giants...
0:00:30 > 0:00:32..the exquisite...
0:00:32 > 0:00:34and the bizarre -
0:00:34 > 0:00:39where spectacular nature meets the planet's most vibrant cultures.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51Now, we journey into the tropical heart of the monsoon.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55A place of remote islands...
0:00:55 > 0:00:59where the monsoon collides with the fires of the underworld...
0:01:02 > 0:01:06..creating homes for some of the most wondrous and peculiar
0:01:06 > 0:01:07species on the planet.
0:01:34 > 0:01:39Sulawesi, a lush island, straddling the equator.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Deep in the forest, there's a new arrival.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11He is a crested black macaque.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17And he is growing up in an unusual family.
0:02:21 > 0:02:27Crested black macaques like to live in extraordinary large groups,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29sometimes numbering over 100.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36But what sets them apart is their character...
0:02:37 > 0:02:41..something that's intimately connected to their home.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51Crested black macaques live only in northern Sulawesi,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55in rich forests that sit directly in the path of the monsoon.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Torrential rains batter the forest for months on end.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20But it is thanks to these monsoon rains
0:03:20 > 0:03:24that this baby will develop behaviours
0:03:24 > 0:03:28which, more than other monkeys, we might recognise in ourselves.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39But first, the youngsters have a lot to learn.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Starting with the monkey basics -
0:03:47 > 0:03:50like perfecting their climbing techniques.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01But most important for the crested black macaque
0:04:01 > 0:04:04is to learn their code of etiquette.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Lip smacking is a request for a hug,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13showing a desire to be friends.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Blowing kisses and sharing cuddles
0:04:22 > 0:04:25is not only reserved for close family.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Anyone in the troop can join in.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31They are amongst the most affectionate monkeys on the planet.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37One reason is that with the coming of each monsoon,
0:04:37 > 0:04:39the forest presents a banquet.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Over 100 varieties of fruit.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58There is more than enough to go round.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06So much that they don't need to fight over it.
0:05:07 > 0:05:13Instead, they put their energy into the good things in life -
0:05:13 > 0:05:16friendships and exploring their forest home.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25A discovery draws them all close.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38A tiny casualty on the forest floor.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49Sometimes, their sensitive behaviour can seem touchingly human.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01The monkeys' character is a result
0:06:01 > 0:06:05of the riches that the monsoon brings -
0:06:05 > 0:06:07life with abundant food.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15But in these islands, the effects of this great weather system
0:06:15 > 0:06:21are not always so benevolent.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Like a giant letter K,
0:06:25 > 0:06:29Sulawesi sits at the epicentre of the monsoon region.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Lying to the south-east is Australia
0:06:35 > 0:06:39and far to the northwest is continental Asia.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45For much of the year, it seems that Sulawesi is swamped in cloud.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47But there is an annual rhythm.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52From December, moist winds blow from Asia,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55bringing very heavy rain from the north.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Then from June, they blow from Australia,
0:06:59 > 0:07:01bringing more rains from the south.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06So most islands between the two continents
0:07:06 > 0:07:09get monsoon rain not just once, but twice a year.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25It's November. The monsoon winds are about to change again.
0:07:42 > 0:07:48It's a race against time for another of Sulawesi's unique residents.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50BIRD CRIES
0:07:50 > 0:07:53A maleo.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01They are normally creatures of the forest.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05But once a year, they hit the beach.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10It's breeding season.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13But instead of spending all that time sitting on a nest,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16maleos use solar power...
0:08:20 > 0:08:24..burying the eggs in sand warmed by the sun.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30So eggs can only be laid between monsoons.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33And there is not much time left.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40One couple has secured a prime spot.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Away from the water and safe from the coming storms.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52But two late arrivals spell trouble.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04The early birds have to dig fast.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08But their new neighbours make the job twice as hard.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19It's frustrating work.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40At last, the hole is deep enough for her to lay.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46A maleo's egg is five times larger than a hen's.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50It must provide enough energy for the chick to grow quickly,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52fight to the surface
0:09:52 > 0:09:54and survive the oncoming monsoon.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58Job done.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05But is it too late?
0:10:07 > 0:10:11As the monsoon clouds arrive, beach temperatures will plummet.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19The latecomers may have lost the race against time here.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25But Sulawesi's maleos don't rely on solar power alone.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Deep in the forest, the ground stirs.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Hatched from an egg buried a metre deep...
0:10:56 > 0:10:58..a maleo chick.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02His parents had an ingenious way to beat the monsoon.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13They've discovered underfloor heating.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Sulawesi is pocked with hot springs.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Water, superheated by several hundred degrees,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28rises up from deep fissures in the Earth.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36The island, and hundreds of its neighbours,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39sit above great cracks in the Earth's mantle,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43and the consequences are explosive.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21It's part of what is known as the Ring of Fire.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Five tectonic plates shifting below the sea
0:12:28 > 0:12:29in continual collision,
0:12:29 > 0:12:34creating island after volcanic island.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43All pushed up directly into the path of the monsoon.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52When the monsoon winds collide with a large volcanic mountain,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56moist air is forced upwards, forming immense clouds.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03And the result, arriving in great deluges,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05is even more rain.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44But this heady combination of volcano and monsoon
0:13:44 > 0:13:47has another dramatic effect...
0:13:49 > 0:13:51..impacting both wildlife and people.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02Java, legendary as one of the most fertile of the Spice Islands.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Yet at its heart lies a mysterious and deadly place.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Each morning, fog drenches the land.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29But when the intense sun burns it off, it reveals no rainforest.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39This is the Sand Sea.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52And once a year, pilgrims risk their lives to come here.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Sarina and her family are Tengger people,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05descendants of a great Hindu empire
0:15:05 > 0:15:09that once stretched from Sumatra to New Guinea.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Now their traditional culture survives
0:15:24 > 0:15:27only around the edges of the Sand Sea.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Today, they are gathering for a time-honoured ritual,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42observed for over six centuries.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56It's a ritual that for some, in the past, proved fatal.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09But Sarina's family, like most Tengger, are farmers,
0:16:09 > 0:16:13and believe that the success of their next harvest hangs on this day.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31The climb is steep and treacherous.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39As many as 3,000 people will ascend to the narrow rim.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52This is what Sarina's family have come to honour.
0:16:53 > 0:16:59Mount Bromo - a vast and still very active volcano.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Daily, Bromo belches rocks and sulphurous gas.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06It could erupt at any time.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13The Tengger risk all to bring sacrifices for a Volcano God.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Legend has it that, once, these sacrifices were human.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46But these sacrifices aren't made out of fear.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52They're made in gratitude for a rich harvest.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Though not much makes it into the Volcano God's belly.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10For those who dare to enter the mouth of the volcano,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13anything caught is said to be a blessing.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19The catchers risk their lives.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26The angle of the slope is up to 80 degrees.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37One slip, and the sacrifice might be human after all.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53The chicken escapes the fire...
0:18:56 > 0:18:58..but not the frying pan.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10The Tengger are deadly serious about thanking their Volcano God,
0:19:10 > 0:19:11and they have good reason.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18What seems a desert is not made of sand,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21but ash and cinder.
0:19:27 > 0:19:32The entire Sand Sea sits within a giant volcanic crater...
0:19:34 > 0:19:38..first created by an immense eruption nearly a million years ago,
0:19:38 > 0:19:43with Bromo and four other volcanoes nestling at its centre.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52Plants are smothered so regularly that little can survive.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00But just beyond the crater...
0:20:02 > 0:20:05..the Tenggers' farms are lush...
0:20:07 > 0:20:10..the result of the volcano's bounty meeting the monsoon.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18Volcanic ash is rich in minerals and nutrients, vital for all life.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25With each eruption, plumes of ash are scattered far and wide
0:20:25 > 0:20:26by the monsoon winds...
0:20:26 > 0:20:30fertilising millions of hectares of Javan soil.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Such is the immense yield of food
0:20:35 > 0:20:38that 140 million people live on this one island.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43That's the same as the whole of Russia.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55It's the double dose of monsoon rains
0:20:55 > 0:20:58plus an endless supply of nutritious ash
0:20:58 > 0:21:02that has driven the evolution of rich and bountiful life
0:21:02 > 0:21:05across these tropical volcanic islands...
0:21:11 > 0:21:14But there is a strange and wonderful exception.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18The island of Borneo.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Home to the oldest rainforests on Earth...
0:21:31 > 0:21:34..and yet they seem strangely empty...
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Mammals are seldom seen.
0:21:42 > 0:21:43Their calls rarely heard.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52What life is found
0:21:52 > 0:21:54is secretive...
0:21:54 > 0:21:58and often, very odd.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04A giant Bornean red leech, and it's hungry.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Without mammals to provide a meal,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13this forest is like a desert for a bloodsucker.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21But the leech has risen to the challenge...
0:22:21 > 0:22:23with deadly effect.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38The heavy rains trigger the emergence of another giant.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45A Bornean blue earthworm, 70 centimetres long.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52It follows an irresistible chemical trail...
0:22:55 > 0:22:57..to find a mate.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22But leaving trails in this forest is dangerous.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39The leech has an extremely sensitive mouth.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47It tastes its way towards its prey.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Feeling up and down the worm's body,
0:24:33 > 0:24:34it searches for an end.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44And it starts to suck.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00The worm fights back
0:25:00 > 0:25:02but there is no escape.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10The leech sucks its prey down like spaghetti,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12crushing the worm with its muscular throat.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00It will be a whole month before this leech needs to hunt again.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09The giant leech's evolution from parasite to worm-killer
0:26:09 > 0:26:13is just one of nature's answers to the problems of living on Borneo.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Here, life is under extreme pressure.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29Despite all appearances, these forests are impoverished.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Starved...by of all things, the monsoon itself.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42On Borneo, there are no live volcanoes.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48So there are no regular deposits of mineral-rich ash to feed the land.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54What there is, in abundance, is rain.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21Monsoons have drenched this land for 130 million years,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24continually flushing nutrients away.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31So without volcanic ash to replenish the goodness,
0:27:31 > 0:27:35the monsoon has rendered Borneo's ancient soils infertile.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43Yet somehow, the world's tallest rainforest trees grow here.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51At first glance, the tall trees suggest abundance.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55But this is an illusion.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01They have simply evolved to become super-efficient
0:28:01 > 0:28:05at gathering minuscule trace amounts of nutrients...
0:28:05 > 0:28:07before the monsoon can wash them away.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20They lock these nutrients up in giant fortresses
0:28:20 > 0:28:23that serve to protect their hard-won gains.
0:28:33 > 0:28:38So the challenge for any animal is to break into these fortresses.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Faced with such a monumental challenge,
0:28:46 > 0:28:48life on Borneo has responded,
0:28:48 > 0:28:52in an explosion of strangeness and beauty.
0:29:05 > 0:29:10With the arrival of each monsoon, butterfly numbers boom.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49A lifeline for one tiny predator.
0:30:02 > 0:30:07The Bornean falconet is the smallest bird of prey in the world,
0:30:07 > 0:30:09no heavier than a sparrow.
0:30:16 > 0:30:21This pair has three voracious chicks that need small prey in abundance.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Butterflies are just right.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41The chicks demand over ten an hour.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51Without the monsoonal butterfly glut,
0:30:51 > 0:30:54the falconets couldn't raise their young.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06But eating butterflies here can be dangerous.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17A Nephila spider, joining the monsoon banquet.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31For her prey, there is no chance of escape.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36Her web is strong enough to hold small birds.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45But she recognises this catch.
0:31:49 > 0:31:50She snips at her web.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57She's caught a tiger butterfly.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02And he is utterly toxic.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06Butterfly predators need to learn this.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12But his poison protection is ultimately due to the way
0:32:12 > 0:32:16that the monsoon has starved these forests,
0:32:16 > 0:32:20forcing the trees to battle to protect their nutrients.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29A minuscule caterpillar, emerged from a butterfly's egg,
0:32:29 > 0:32:31laid just after the rains.
0:32:33 > 0:32:34Food surrounds him...
0:32:35 > 0:32:38..but he faces a formidable problem.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43The tree guards its nutrients with fatal poisons.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48He begins to chew...
0:32:48 > 0:32:50but he's not eating.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55He is excavating a trench.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01The plant fights back, oozing a noxious sap.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06But the caterpillar has created a barrier.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11The sap, pumped from the stem, can't reach him.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Finally he finishes his circle.
0:33:20 > 0:33:21The heist is complete.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28The portion inside is now isolated and safe to eat.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36As he grows, he raids the tree's reserves time and again.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48Each time, he ingests tiny traces of poison.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52And with each dose, his resistance builds.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Until eventually, he achieves complete immunity.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Now the caterpillar can gorge himself.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15He has harnessed the tree's defences for himself.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19Protected by the poisons in his body,
0:34:19 > 0:34:21no predator could safely eat him...
0:34:22 > 0:34:25..and his ostentatious warning colours
0:34:25 > 0:34:28ensure that they won't even try.
0:34:37 > 0:34:43Safe in his cocoon, with poisons coursing through his veins,
0:34:43 > 0:34:46the insect is completely protected...
0:34:48 > 0:34:50..through his development...
0:34:51 > 0:34:54..and into his second life...
0:34:54 > 0:34:56as a tiger butterfly.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10Across the forest, millions of similar battles rage
0:35:10 > 0:35:12in an arms race over nutrients.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16With each generation,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19the caterpillar armies improve their strategies...
0:35:20 > 0:35:24..while the plants constantly refine their chemical weaponry...
0:35:31 > 0:35:34..resulting in a poison army of oddities.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44And a toxic forest with leaves indigestible to most creatures...
0:35:47 > 0:35:49..especially mammals.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59But there is one peculiar resident
0:35:59 > 0:36:02with extraordinary powers of digestion.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Proboscis monkeys.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18They are named after their strange, tumescent noses
0:36:18 > 0:36:23but proboscis have also been called the cows of the canopy.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27They are the only primate with a digestive system
0:36:27 > 0:36:32equipped to chew the cud.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43To minimise the level of any poison in their bodies,
0:36:43 > 0:36:46no one plant can dominate their diet,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49so they are constantly on the move
0:36:49 > 0:36:53and then pick only the youngest, less-toxic leaves.
0:37:08 > 0:37:13Their immense bellies are packed with a very long, extended gut
0:37:13 > 0:37:16and a complex stomach with four separate chambers
0:37:16 > 0:37:20that take 50 hours to digest dinner.
0:37:25 > 0:37:31And despite all this, most of the forest's foliage
0:37:31 > 0:37:34is too difficult to digest.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37In this nutrient war, driven by the monsoon,
0:37:37 > 0:37:39the trees are runaway winners.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46They not only dictate the bodies and lifestyles of these monkeys,
0:37:46 > 0:37:51but ensure that the density of mammals is kept low.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59But even these fortress trees have one inevitable weakness.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04Eventually every leaf must die...
0:38:05 > 0:38:09..leaking away precious nutrients...
0:38:10 > 0:38:13..drip-feeding them to the forest floor...
0:38:17 > 0:38:19..where a voracious horde waits to pounce.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29With each monsoon shower,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32microbes and fungi burst into action,
0:38:32 > 0:38:34bloating on the decay...
0:38:38 > 0:38:43..softening the dead vegetation for legions of competing creatures.
0:38:52 > 0:38:53The race for nutrients
0:38:53 > 0:38:57makes this one of the most competitive environments on Earth.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09But there's one creature that's faster and more efficient
0:39:09 > 0:39:11at consuming the leaves than anything else.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22Processionary termites.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26Termites recycle a staggering one-quarter
0:39:26 > 0:39:28of all the leaf litter on Borneo.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33They tear into the leaves...
0:39:35 > 0:39:37..to create tiny food parcels
0:39:37 > 0:39:41that are hauled back to the colony
0:39:41 > 0:39:43in a tireless relay.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54They are amassing a priceless bounty.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01Soldier termites flank the column on high alert...
0:40:04 > 0:40:09..armed with helmet-like heads that squirt noxious chemicals.
0:40:11 > 0:40:16In less than two hours - before anything else can get a look-in -
0:40:16 > 0:40:17the leaf has gone.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Marched portion by portion into their underground nests.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50A vital supply of nutrients, returned to the soil...
0:40:53 > 0:40:57..only to be rapidly sucked back up and locked away again
0:40:57 > 0:41:01in the giant fortress bodies of the ancient trees.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10The competition for nutrients in this impoverished land,
0:41:10 > 0:41:12washed by the heavy monsoons,
0:41:12 > 0:41:17has, over millions of years, created a unique array of life.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29But there is one place on Borneo
0:41:29 > 0:41:32where the monsoon is more extreme than anywhere else...
0:41:34 > 0:41:39..where it rains every single day.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Mount Kinabalu.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50The highest peak in Borneo.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58It towers 4,000 metres high...
0:42:01 > 0:42:05..causing immense clouds to form almost continually.
0:42:30 > 0:42:31Over millions of years,
0:42:31 > 0:42:35the rain has scoured and shaped the rocks of Kinabalu...
0:42:37 > 0:42:40..creating an alien landscape,
0:42:40 > 0:42:44and washing away any trace of nutrients.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49But the bigger the challenge the monsoon presents,
0:42:49 > 0:42:52the more ingenious is life's response.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01Just below the peaks...
0:43:01 > 0:43:05a myriad of unique orchids flourishes.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16Their roots reach out into the winds
0:43:16 > 0:43:20to catch trace nutrients dissolved in mountain mists.
0:43:31 > 0:43:37Over a metre wide, rafflesia is the world's largest flower...
0:43:39 > 0:43:43..yet it has no roots, stems or leaves of its own.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49It's a parasite - stealing its nutrients from other plants.
0:43:52 > 0:43:56And most bizarre of all - the pitcher plants.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21Their leaves have evolved to become deep cups,
0:44:21 > 0:44:24filled with digestive juices.
0:44:26 > 0:44:30The stomach-like vessels hang across the forest...
0:44:32 > 0:44:34..waiting for food.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41Some have become leaf catchers.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48The decomposing soup inside feeds the plant.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05Others have become carnivores.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15Their colours and scents lure insects
0:45:15 > 0:45:18to a sugary nectar that's too tempting to pass by.
0:45:23 > 0:45:24But it's a trap.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32Insects quickly slip on the wet rim
0:45:32 > 0:45:34and tumble into the deadly liquid.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41Their drowned bodies decay
0:45:41 > 0:45:44in the enzyme-rich juice of the killer plants.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51But some pitchers need more than just insects.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58A giant amongst carnivorous plants,
0:45:58 > 0:46:01the Kinabalu giant pitcher.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06It's over 30 centimetres tall
0:46:06 > 0:46:09and holds up to two litres of liquid.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16It patiently waits for something warm-blooded.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39A hungry tree shrew.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47The mosses provide moisture for a quick drink
0:46:47 > 0:46:49but she needs a meal.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05There is something sweet on the air.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19The scent of the giant pitcher plant lures her closer.
0:47:23 > 0:47:24It's irresistible.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30To get a good lick of sugar,
0:47:30 > 0:47:33she'll need to climb on to the rim.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54One slip and she'll fall.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03PLOP!
0:48:03 > 0:48:06But the shrew knows what she's doing.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10The plant offers its tasty treat
0:48:10 > 0:48:13in exchange for an important deposit.
0:48:16 > 0:48:17A dose of perfect fertiliser
0:48:17 > 0:48:21that the giant pitcher so desperately needs for growth.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29Tree shrews are territorial.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31By leaving her droppings,
0:48:31 > 0:48:35she's signalling to other shrews that this plant is taken.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42It is one of the most extraordinary relationships
0:48:42 > 0:48:45between plant and mammal anywhere...
0:48:47 > 0:48:51..come about only because of the extraordinary evolutionary pressure
0:48:51 > 0:48:54from the monsoon here on Mount Kinabalu.
0:49:00 > 0:49:01The life found on Borneo
0:49:01 > 0:49:05must count amongst some of the most unusual on the planet.
0:49:07 > 0:49:11And this is just one of almost 20,000 islands
0:49:11 > 0:49:16in the vast archipelago of which Sulawesi and Java also belong.
0:49:19 > 0:49:21Each a world of its own,
0:49:21 > 0:49:26filled with strange inhabitants and wonderful adaptations to life
0:49:26 > 0:49:31trapped in the very heart of the monsoon.
0:49:51 > 0:49:55Mount Kinabalu towers more than 4,000 metres
0:49:55 > 0:49:57over the island of Borneo.
0:49:59 > 0:50:04The monsoon team's goal is to reveal the strange and dynamic world
0:50:04 > 0:50:08of this mystical mountain,
0:50:08 > 0:50:10and in the ancient forests on its slopes,
0:50:10 > 0:50:13they are on the trail of a legendary predator.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18One that remains a mystery to science...
0:50:20 > 0:50:22..the giant red leech.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26To find the leech,
0:50:26 > 0:50:29the crew first need to find its prey...
0:50:30 > 0:50:32..a giant worm.
0:50:32 > 0:50:34We're now at 3,000 metres high.
0:50:34 > 0:50:40Apparently, this is where the Kinabalu giant blue worm thrives.
0:50:47 > 0:50:52Scientist Alim Biun discovers a telltale clue -
0:50:52 > 0:50:56a huge worm cast, surely created by a monster.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05That is like an English earthworm. It could be a giant blue.
0:51:05 > 0:51:10- Yes, yes.- It is. It is a giant blue.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13- How long does it take to get from that...?- Nobody knows.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16- Nobody has studied it.- Really? Nobody knows.
0:51:16 > 0:51:20Frustratingly, there's no sign of its fully-grown relatives.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25So Paul and Richard decide to head for the summit
0:51:25 > 0:51:28to capture crucial shots of monsoon clouds
0:51:28 > 0:51:30sweeping over the mountain.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36It's a 1am start from their camp.
0:51:36 > 0:51:40They reach the top, hoping for glorious dawn light.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47But all they catch is a fleeting glimpse of the landscape.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50One of the problems is that we are here to try and film clouds,
0:51:50 > 0:51:52the monsoon,
0:51:52 > 0:51:55but actually, for 75% of the time, you are actually in it,
0:51:55 > 0:51:56and while you're in it, you can see it.
0:51:56 > 0:52:03- Hence the wait.- Yeah. The big long wait.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12Day after day, they scale the rocky peaks
0:52:12 > 0:52:15in the hope of striking lucky.
0:52:16 > 0:52:20After a week, there's still no sign of a break in the weather.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25But their luck is about to change.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29Lower down the mountain, they
0:52:29 > 0:52:31discover another strange giant -
0:52:31 > 0:52:35a pitcher plant, and the tree shrew
0:52:35 > 0:52:38that it has a special relationship with.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41They're in the last place the crew expected.
0:52:41 > 0:52:47Turns out that the best place to film these tree shrews is literally
0:52:47 > 0:52:5115 metres from where we were staying.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54Shrews are normally incredibly shy
0:52:54 > 0:52:57but here they are used to seeing climbers.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01Even with the crew watching,
0:53:01 > 0:53:04they continue to go about their routine visits
0:53:04 > 0:53:08to lick the giant pitcher and make a deposit.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12It's an incredible opportunity and Paul wants to attempt
0:53:12 > 0:53:14a shot that just wouldn't be possible
0:53:14 > 0:53:16with nervous shrews elsewhere.
0:53:16 > 0:53:18We have been given special permission
0:53:18 > 0:53:20to cut the base of one of these
0:53:20 > 0:53:25large pitchers so that I can attach this small camera inside.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28So I am just going to stick this on here like this.
0:53:29 > 0:53:33With a bit of luck, the tree shrew will poo straight onto my lens.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49And he is jumping on.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55I can see him looking as well.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01PLOP!
0:54:01 > 0:54:03Fantastic. Yes.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10That's him off. Yes. Got it. Brilliant shot.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13It's a world first.
0:54:13 > 0:54:14Oh, yes.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22With time running out, the team head back to the top.
0:54:23 > 0:54:27So once again, we're climbing in the rain.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32We have been up and down this mountain ten times.
0:54:41 > 0:54:42THUNDER RUMBLES
0:54:42 > 0:54:44I just heard some thunder.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52The storm is rapidly intensifying,
0:54:52 > 0:54:55and the crew have to take cover immediately.
0:54:55 > 0:54:58The only shelter is a narrow gully.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05Alim, how long do you think this will last for?
0:55:19 > 0:55:23It's going to be dark pretty soon so we have decided to abandon some
0:55:23 > 0:55:25kit here on the mountain and head back to camp.
0:55:25 > 0:55:26It is going to be pretty dodgy
0:55:26 > 0:55:29because that is very slippy out there.
0:55:32 > 0:55:36Surrounded by thick cloud, it's easy to get lost.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38In recent years, people have gone missing
0:55:38 > 0:55:40from these slippery slopes.
0:55:43 > 0:55:48But for the team, it turns out that this cloud has a silver lining.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55Further down the mountain, the heavy monsoon rains
0:55:55 > 0:55:58have triggered an emergence of subterranean giants.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05- Look at this.- Yes. Wow.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08How many is that that we have collected so far?
0:56:08 > 0:56:11- More than 10.- More than 10? Nice.
0:56:13 > 0:56:14And where there are giant worms,
0:56:14 > 0:56:18Alim thinks that there should be giant leeches on the hunt.
0:56:22 > 0:56:23That's huge!
0:56:26 > 0:56:29- This is the adult.- Wow!
0:56:29 > 0:56:30And it's quite hard to determine
0:56:30 > 0:56:32whether they're males or females.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34Nobody has studied that so far.
0:56:34 > 0:56:35Does this suck blood?
0:56:35 > 0:56:38No, no, no. That's only looking for earthworms.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43It would be impossible to film these animals without the help
0:56:43 > 0:56:45of Alim and his team.
0:56:45 > 0:56:49In return, the crew help him to gain a valuable insight
0:56:49 > 0:56:52into the lives of these mysterious giants,
0:56:52 > 0:56:56by filming this rarely seen behaviour for the very first time.
0:57:01 > 0:57:04But just as the crew plan to leave the mountain,
0:57:04 > 0:57:06there is an unexpected break in the weather.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12Dawn reveals a clear morning.
0:57:23 > 0:57:26So I've come to the summit of Mount Kinabalu.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29I'm the highest person between the Himalayas and Papua New Guinea
0:57:29 > 0:57:32and on a day like today, you can really appreciate the beauty
0:57:32 > 0:57:35and it just looks absolutely spectacular.
0:57:37 > 0:57:39Using time-lapse photography,
0:57:39 > 0:57:41the clouds are sped up,
0:57:41 > 0:57:46bringing to life to this mountain at the heart of the monsoon.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02Next time, the lands of the monsoon
0:58:02 > 0:58:06make up one of the busiest and most productive regions on Earth.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11This is an epic story of a relationship
0:58:11 > 0:58:13between the people who live here
0:58:13 > 0:58:16and the bountiful nature that surrounds them...
0:58:21 > 0:58:24..from ancient times,
0:58:24 > 0:58:27through the challenges of the modern world and into the future.