0:00:02 > 0:00:03The monsoon.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05THUNDERCLAP
0:00:05 > 0:00:07The greatest weather system on Earth.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12The giver of life...
0:00:13 > 0:00:15..and the destroyer.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21Shaping magical lands
0:00:21 > 0:00:23from the Himalayas
0:00:23 > 0:00:25to Australia.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Its impact felt by giants,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32the exquisite
0:00:32 > 0:00:34and the bizarre,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37where spectacular nature
0:00:37 > 0:00:39meets the planet's most vibrant cultures.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51It all happens in one of the most crowded parts of the planet.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00This is the story of people and nature
0:01:00 > 0:01:02living side by side.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08A story of the struggles they face
0:01:08 > 0:01:10and of powerful beliefs
0:01:10 > 0:01:13which link the ancient to the present day.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18THUNDERCLAPS
0:01:40 > 0:01:42A Hindu temple, Mangalore, southern India.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50It's the height of the monsoon,
0:01:50 > 0:01:53and today is Nag Panchami -
0:01:53 > 0:01:56the day Hindus worship snakes.
0:01:58 > 0:01:59Venomous snakes.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03During the Indian monsoon,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05rains flush them into the paths of people.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14Until recently, live cobras were widely worshipped in temples.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25It's just one example of the close and complex relationship
0:02:25 > 0:02:27between nature
0:02:27 > 0:02:30and the people of the monsoon.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Our story traces back to when humans first spread
0:02:52 > 0:02:54across the lands of the monsoon.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02The Philippine island of Palawan, near Borneo.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Here lives a community whose lives and beliefs
0:03:07 > 0:03:10are an insight into how people have lived with nature
0:03:10 > 0:03:12for thousands of years.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Rolito and his sister Maria.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20FLUTTER OF INSECTS' WINGS
0:03:20 > 0:03:24To them, the natural world is full of spirits,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27and nature provides almost everything they need.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Monsoon storms are approaching
0:03:35 > 0:03:37and Tata is getting prepared.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43To him, even the clouds have spirits
0:03:43 > 0:03:45and they can be vengeful.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49THUNDERCLAPS
0:03:54 > 0:03:57He must keep his family safe from harm.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08ROLLING THUNDER
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Their wooden shack isn't designed to survive the malevolent storms.
0:04:42 > 0:04:43For the months of the monsoon,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46they will live as their ancestors did -
0:04:46 > 0:04:49as hunter-gatherers in a cave,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53relying on what the forest provides.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55PELTING RAIN, ROLLING THUNDER
0:04:55 > 0:05:01BIRDSONG
0:05:03 > 0:05:07When hunting, Tata wears a loincloth,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09as clothes get wet and rub
0:05:09 > 0:05:11and can snare on thorns.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Joined by his father-in-law and brother,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18they use rattan vine to make a hunting weapon.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28The rattan has hooked spines that pierce flesh
0:05:28 > 0:05:30and are hard to dislodge.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52The Palawan hunters believe their very survival
0:05:52 > 0:05:55is in the hands of the spirits all around them -
0:05:55 > 0:05:56in the rocks,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59the water,
0:05:59 > 0:06:00the trees.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04The spirits are their guardians,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07but can also inflict great hardship.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23If the hunt is to be successful,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26they need the spirits' blessing.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59First, they must flush out their prey...
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Bats.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08As they try to escape,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Tata is waiting.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12BATS SCREECH
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Bat kebab.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Together with a few tubers,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51it's a nourishing meal for the whole family.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56FAMILY CHATS TOGETHER
0:08:02 > 0:08:04And there's nothing like a family meal
0:08:04 > 0:08:07for elders to hand down their wisdom.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Worship of natural spirits is considered to be
0:08:40 > 0:08:42the world's oldest belief system.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Perhaps this is how everyone once lived
0:08:47 > 0:08:49across the lands of the monsoon.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00But around 10,000 years ago, everything changed.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08People discovered a new way to survive the extremes of the monsoon,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12all thanks to a wild marshland grass...
0:09:13 > 0:09:14Rice.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17The perfect monsoon crop.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22It's planted at the time of the flood.
0:09:24 > 0:09:29The grains can then be stored and eaten throughout the dry season.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Agriculture spread rapidly from southern China,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37across the whole region.
0:09:43 > 0:09:49On its riches were built the region's first towns and cities.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55But this progress came at a cost.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03For the first time, wildlife was expelled from the land...
0:10:05 > 0:10:07..profoundly changing the relationship
0:10:07 > 0:10:10between humans and nature.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18In northeast India, the monsoon rains have been and gone.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23ELEPHANTS RUMBLING
0:10:28 > 0:10:32These elephants are hungry -
0:10:32 > 0:10:35each needs over 100 kilos of food a day.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Asian elephants are forest creatures,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47but the best food now lies beyond the forest's edge.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14The crop must be guarded right through the night.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22But the fields are extensive
0:11:22 > 0:11:25and the elephants could be anywhere.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32THROATY RUMBLING
0:11:35 > 0:11:37DEEP RUMBLE
0:11:37 > 0:11:40A group of farmers on an all-night vigil.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52SLOW, DEEP RUMBLING
0:12:11 > 0:12:14ELEPHANTS RUMBLE
0:12:14 > 0:12:16MEN SHOUT
0:12:17 > 0:12:20SHOUTING ESCALATES
0:12:26 > 0:12:30MEN SHOUT ALL REPEATEDLY
0:12:40 > 0:12:43MEN BEAT ON METAL
0:12:50 > 0:12:53The elephants have seen it all before.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57And besides, they haven't finished their dinner.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59ELEPHANT TRUMPETS LOUDLY
0:13:02 > 0:13:06This night alone, the herd could devour enough rice
0:13:06 > 0:13:08to feed over 1,000 people.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15So the villagers can't afford to stand by
0:13:15 > 0:13:18and just watch their livelihood being destroyed.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32But these are unpredictable beasts.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Every year across India,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41elephants kill up to 400 people
0:13:41 > 0:13:43in conflicts like this.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46MEN SHOUT AND BEAT METAL
0:13:46 > 0:13:49ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
0:13:58 > 0:14:01ELEPHANT RUMBLES LOUDLY
0:14:01 > 0:14:04WILD SHOUTING
0:14:06 > 0:14:09SHOUTS AND BANGING CONTINUE
0:14:14 > 0:14:17The same scene will play out every night,
0:14:17 > 0:14:19until the harvest is in.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23It's a battle as old as agriculture itself.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32You might think that, with the rise of agriculture,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35respect for nature would have been lost entirely.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40But it didn't quite turn out that way.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52Along with rice and civilisation came something new -
0:14:52 > 0:14:54organised religion.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04By the River Tak in Thailand,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Kewalin her friends
0:15:06 > 0:15:10are preparing for an annual Buddhist festival -
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Loi Krathong.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19But they are making offerings to a goddess of nature -
0:15:19 > 0:15:21the goddess of the river.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Their prayers are to give thanks
0:15:35 > 0:15:38for all that the monsoon waters have provided.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54In the northern city of Chiang Mai,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58the festival is celebrated with tens of thousands of sky lanterns.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40Loi Krathong has its origins in the Hindu Festival of Lights.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Hinduism and Buddhism -
0:16:47 > 0:16:51two religions that flourished in the monsoon lands.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Both with great reverence for water
0:16:54 > 0:16:57and, indeed, for all of nature.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12And in some places,
0:17:12 > 0:17:14religion would have a profound effect
0:17:14 > 0:17:17on the conflict between people and wildlife.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32The Thar desert of Rajasthan in northwest India
0:17:32 > 0:17:35is a tough place to survive.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41It is only made habitable by a brief monsoon season.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Now, with the rains long gone,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50heat and drought are intensifying.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57A small group of Indian gazelles -
0:17:57 > 0:17:59chinkara.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08They can stay alive without water for up to three weeks -
0:18:08 > 0:18:11they get by on the sap inside the plants they browse.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Over 68 million people also live in Rajasthan.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Food is scarce and the water sources are shrinking.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49But even a chinkara has to drink eventually.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Stealing is a dangerous act.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Luckily for this gazelle,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32she lives among the Bishnoi people.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Bishnoi is a religion founded around 300 years ago.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53To Bishnoi followers, all living things are sacred.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58They willingly share their water
0:19:58 > 0:20:01and their harvest with wildlife.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10Here, where the monsoon climate is harshest,
0:20:10 > 0:20:15compassion and generosity to all living things is most pronounced.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Bishnoi texts forbid the harming of any living thing.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Only fallen branches may be used for firewood,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42for even the trees are sacred.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54The strength of Bishnoi devotion is revealed by an event
0:20:54 > 0:20:58that occurred a long time ago, in this very grove.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Sukramji understands the importance
0:21:04 > 0:21:08of this defining moment in Bishnoi history,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12when their extraordinary devotion to nature
0:21:12 > 0:21:14was put to the ultimate test.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29HE SPEAKS IN LOCAL LANGUAGE
0:22:31 > 0:22:34When news of the slaughter reached the ruler of Jodhpur,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36he felt ashamed.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41So he decreed that all trees growing on Bishnoi land
0:22:41 > 0:22:43be protected.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47A law which stands to this day.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59And so, Bishnoi land remains bountiful,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02supporting more humans and animals
0:23:02 > 0:23:04than any other desert region in the world.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23But Bishnoi is a religion
0:23:23 > 0:23:27still centred in the Thar desert of northwest India.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33- THUNDERCLAPS - So what about the rest of the country?
0:23:36 > 0:23:39The dominant religion in India has long been Hinduism.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45And Hinduism has had a profound effect on the relationship
0:23:45 > 0:23:47between people and nature,
0:23:47 > 0:23:49right across the country.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57Sometimes in nature, the smallest of creatures
0:23:57 > 0:23:59have the biggest stories to tell.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07In southern India, the monsoon rains have brought relief
0:24:07 > 0:24:10and streams are flowing again.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15On the rocks in the middle,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17you can find tiny frogs -
0:24:17 > 0:24:19no bigger than a paper clip.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23HIGH-PITCHED CROAKS
0:24:23 > 0:24:28His calls have to compete with the noise of the stream...
0:24:33 > 0:24:36..so to claim a rock as his own,
0:24:36 > 0:24:38he uses semaphore.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47He's a foot-flagging frog.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51It's a signal to rivals to keep away.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07But what's so extraordinary
0:25:07 > 0:25:11is that while this little frog may never see a human,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13it almost certainly owes its survival
0:25:13 > 0:25:15to their religious beliefs.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21And this is how.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26It's Nag Panchami,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29the holy day when Hindus worship snakes.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36In the countryside,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Savita is helping her uncles make their offering.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Because of this shrine,
0:26:32 > 0:26:36the entire woodland is sacred.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38The snakes, and everything within it,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40are protected.
0:26:46 > 0:26:53In India, foot-flagging frogs mostly live and breed in sacred groves,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57which is why they owe their continued existence
0:26:57 > 0:26:59to Hindu devotion.
0:27:03 > 0:27:08Traditionally, every Indian village had its own sacred grove.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13And there's scientific evidence
0:27:13 > 0:27:16that this vast network has been crucial
0:27:16 > 0:27:20for protecting much of India's biodiversity.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29So religion seems to have been central to the relationship
0:27:29 > 0:27:33between people and nature for thousands of years.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38But a few hundred years ago,
0:27:38 > 0:27:43that relationship was threatened like never before.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46THUNDERCLAPS
0:27:49 > 0:27:54European traders were drawn to the bounty of the monsoon lands,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57from India to Australia...
0:27:59 > 0:28:03..culminating in the biggest empire the world has ever seen.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08ARCHIVE REPORTAGE: A mighty, powerful, impressive structure -
0:28:08 > 0:28:11such was Victoria's empire.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Millions upon millions,
0:28:13 > 0:28:17all together under the flag upon which "the sun never sets".
0:28:21 > 0:28:25The newcomers didn't regard the wildlife as sacred.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35They were more likely to treat it as vermin.
0:28:51 > 0:28:52In just a few decades,
0:28:52 > 0:28:5580,000 Indian tigers were killed.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02But what the newcomers were really after
0:29:02 > 0:29:05was the land.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15Forests were cleared,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18the timber harvested to build ships and railways
0:29:18 > 0:29:22and the land planted with cash crops -
0:29:22 > 0:29:24tea and cotton.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Now, for the first time,
0:29:31 > 0:29:35the lands of the monsoon were supplying produce worldwide
0:29:35 > 0:29:37on an industrial scale.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44Millions of people were sucked into this massive new enterprise.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53It was part of the transition
0:29:53 > 0:29:55that led to the world we know today.
0:30:05 > 0:30:11Less than 2,000 Indian tigers now survive in isolated reserves.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19And a fraction of India's native forests remain.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30Across the whole monsoon region,
0:30:30 > 0:30:35global trade and travel have transformed the landscape...
0:30:38 > 0:30:41..and the relationship between humans and nature.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49Perhaps the changes that have swept through the region
0:30:49 > 0:30:52can be symbolised by the fate of one animal,
0:30:52 > 0:30:56that once ranged from Burma to Indonesia.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07Siamese crocodiles inspired legends of dragons.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23But their habitat was destroyed
0:31:23 > 0:31:26and they were hunted for their hides
0:31:26 > 0:31:28to near extinction.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41A few survived in captivity.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48But these youngsters are special.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52They are of wild blood.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58Recently, a new population was discovered,
0:31:58 > 0:32:01breeding in a remote forest in Cambodia.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07This conservation team brought some eggs to the safety of a sanctuary.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14In the wild, few crocs survive to adulthood,
0:32:14 > 0:32:17but these are now big enough to make a go of it.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23So they are being returned to the rivers of their native forest.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30They have an arduous journey ahead.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41Bikes are the only vehicles capable of the bone-shaking journey.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51Once, this was all Siamese crocodile habitat -
0:32:51 > 0:32:55they lived in rain-fed rivers and lakes
0:32:55 > 0:32:59and migrated out through flooded forests during the monsoon.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10The team that has nurtured these crocodiles
0:33:10 > 0:33:14hope that the species will once again rule the wetlands.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21They are taking the youngsters into the heart
0:33:21 > 0:33:25of the largest remaining forest in mainland southeast Asia -
0:33:25 > 0:33:29the Cardamom Mountains of southern Cambodia.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01Siamese crocodiles survived in these remote valleys
0:34:01 > 0:34:05because the local people regard them as sacred.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10They believe that if one dies,
0:34:10 > 0:34:14misfortune will befall the village -
0:34:14 > 0:34:17so they will guard the crocodiles closely.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22PRIEST SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:35:04 > 0:35:08Crocodiles can live for more than 70 years,
0:35:08 > 0:35:13and each year, a female can lay up to 50 eggs,
0:35:13 > 0:35:17so these crocs could found a new dynasty.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28But being sacred may no longer be enough,
0:35:28 > 0:35:31for the needs of crocodiles don't easily align
0:35:31 > 0:35:33with the needs of modern Cambodia.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44Cambodians need electricity.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54Developments like these introduce a risk -
0:35:54 > 0:35:58they open up access for illegal logging.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04To some, it's the price of progress.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09But lose the trees
0:36:09 > 0:36:12and the monsoon itself may take revenge.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16REPORTER: Towns and temples were destroyed by landslides.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Northern India, during the monsoon of 2013.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Similar scenes have become increasingly common
0:36:37 > 0:36:39across the monsoon region.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43REPORTER: Illegal loggers have scarred the Philippines
0:36:43 > 0:36:44in recent years,
0:36:44 > 0:36:47their removal of trees making the soil unstable,
0:36:47 > 0:36:49worsening the floods by adding tonnes of logs and rocks
0:36:49 > 0:36:51to the torrent.
0:36:55 > 0:37:00Healthy forests bind the soil together and prevent floods.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04They also remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
0:37:08 > 0:37:14Based on scientific calculations, the forests of southeast Asia
0:37:14 > 0:37:18provide services worth over 1 trillion every year.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22And all for free.
0:37:24 > 0:37:29But the global demand for hardwood timber just keeps growing.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45And the forests of southeast Asia
0:37:45 > 0:37:48contain some of the best-quality timber on Earth.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Teak, ebony and rosewood
0:38:01 > 0:38:06are wanted for furniture and building materials,
0:38:06 > 0:38:09from doorframes to plywood.
0:38:22 > 0:38:27Wood from these forests ends up in homes all over the world.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04So is this the end of the special relationship
0:39:04 > 0:39:07between nature and the people of the monsoon?
0:39:15 > 0:39:18Here in Deramakot Forest Reserve in Malaysian Borneo,
0:39:18 > 0:39:20all is not as it seems.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27Foresters are trialling a technique
0:39:27 > 0:39:29called Reduced Impact Logging.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41They are very selective -
0:39:41 > 0:39:44they don't cut trees that are too young or old.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49And fruiting trees - valuable for wildlife -
0:39:49 > 0:39:51are marked for protection.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59They don't flatten the whole forest,
0:39:59 > 0:40:02but extract individual logs
0:40:02 > 0:40:04so the forest can quickly recover.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16Even access trails will be engulfed by new growth.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Once harvested, each forest sector
0:40:21 > 0:40:24will be left alone for 40 years.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30Ditches are cut across the bare trails
0:40:30 > 0:40:32to prevent the soils being washed away
0:40:32 > 0:40:34by the monsoon rains.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39Deramakot turns a profit,
0:40:39 > 0:40:43while also protecting the forest for the future.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50But can wildlife really thrive alongside the bulldozers?
0:41:02 > 0:41:05Scientists are keen to find out.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13It's at night that many forest animals should be active.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23A porcupine.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30So there is life in these forests.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36But what about the top predators?
0:41:38 > 0:41:42Cats would be a good sign of a healthy forest,
0:41:42 > 0:41:45because they sit at the top of the food chain -
0:41:45 > 0:41:48if there isn't enough prey for them,
0:41:48 > 0:41:50cats won't be here.
0:42:03 > 0:42:08Borneo's cats are notoriously elusive,
0:42:08 > 0:42:11but there's no denying the evidence of a camera trap.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20Snapshots reveal a rich population,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23and among them, leopard cats,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26and even Borneo's largest cat -
0:42:26 > 0:42:27the clouded leopard.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33In fact, the scientists recorded all 21
0:42:33 > 0:42:36of Borneo's lowland carnivore species.
0:42:38 > 0:42:43So a commercial forest can also be prime wildlife habitat.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53It's all down to HOW it's harvested.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02But now, there is a new conflict in the tropics
0:43:02 > 0:43:06that may be a greater challenge than anything that's gone before.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13Where they're still intact,
0:43:13 > 0:43:18the forests of tropical southeast Asia are luxuriant jungles,
0:43:18 > 0:43:22among the oldest in the world,
0:43:22 > 0:43:26and home to one of our closest relatives.
0:43:35 > 0:43:39A Sumatran orang-utan, with her two-week-old baby.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45It will take up to ten years for her to teach him all he needs to know
0:43:45 > 0:43:48to survive in this jungle.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53They will spend their lives up in the canopy -
0:43:53 > 0:43:57their kind has evolved never to travel on the ground,
0:43:57 > 0:44:00for tigers also inhabit these forests.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10But around them, the forest is being cleared.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14BUZZING OF CHAIN SAWS
0:44:14 > 0:44:18The land is wanted for a new monsoon wonder-crop...
0:44:23 > 0:44:24Oil palms.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28Global demand for vegetable oil
0:44:28 > 0:44:30has more than doubled in the past 20 years.
0:44:32 > 0:44:36And oil palms produce at least five times more oil per hectare
0:44:36 > 0:44:38than other major oil crops.
0:44:43 > 0:44:45Their oil is so versatile,
0:44:45 > 0:44:50it's found in a high proportion of the products in any supermarket -
0:44:50 > 0:44:53everything from biscuits to washing powder.
0:44:55 > 0:45:00It's perhaps the biggest agricultural revolution since rice,
0:45:00 > 0:45:03this time supplying the whole world.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09But it's been responsible for the destruction of rainforests
0:45:09 > 0:45:12throughout tropical southeast Asia.
0:45:17 > 0:45:21This mother orang-utan and her five-year-old infant
0:45:21 > 0:45:24are living in a remaining fragment of jungle.
0:45:27 > 0:45:31The oil palms that now surround them
0:45:31 > 0:45:33have no branches to support their weight,
0:45:33 > 0:45:38so they're stranded, with no means of reaching fruiting trees
0:45:38 > 0:45:39or other orang-utans.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47If they stay here, they will probably die.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52So a rescue mission is launched.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01The team carry guns loaded with tranquiliser.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40She's been hit.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42MEN SHOUT IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:46:46 > 0:46:49The drug will take effect within 10 minutes.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09The aim is not to hurt her,
0:47:09 > 0:47:12but she's going to fall from the tree.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43Rico is a vet.
0:47:43 > 0:47:47He checks the orang-utan hasn't been injured by the fall.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00She's in good health.
0:48:26 > 0:48:27While the mother sleeps,
0:48:27 > 0:48:31her infant is also darted and caught.
0:48:35 > 0:48:37She may not feel it when she wakes,
0:48:37 > 0:48:40but she's a lucky orang-utan.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51The plan is to release her and her infant
0:48:51 > 0:48:54in a national park where they will be safe.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57THUNDERCLAPS
0:49:00 > 0:49:03It's a long drive through a landscape
0:49:03 > 0:49:06dominated by the palm industry.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11But there could just be a glimmer of hope
0:49:11 > 0:49:14for orang-utans and their forests.
0:49:16 > 0:49:20Global concern from consumers has prompted some producers
0:49:20 > 0:49:26to commit to sustainable palm oil production,
0:49:26 > 0:49:30planting on land already claimed for agriculture,
0:49:30 > 0:49:32without clearing any more forests.
0:49:41 > 0:49:46So perhaps the people of the monsoon can find ways
0:49:46 > 0:49:49to meet the world's demand for palm oil and timber
0:49:49 > 0:49:52that minimise conflict with wildlife.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25The special relationship
0:50:25 > 0:50:29between nature and the people of the monsoon
0:50:29 > 0:50:30lives on.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37Thanks to the monsoon's bounty,
0:50:37 > 0:50:41a richness of cultures and wildlife still flourishes here.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45There have been huge challenges,
0:50:45 > 0:50:49especially in modern times.
0:50:53 > 0:50:57But the future of the region, and all that live here,
0:50:57 > 0:51:00no longer depends only on the humanity and compassion
0:51:00 > 0:51:02of local people.
0:51:03 > 0:51:07Now, through global trade, we are all connected
0:51:07 > 0:51:10to this wonderful, exotic world,
0:51:10 > 0:51:13and have a part to play in its future.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37For producer and cameraman Jon Clay,
0:51:37 > 0:51:39filming an orang-utan rescue
0:51:39 > 0:51:42was to be his most challenging shoot.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45He's joining an experienced team
0:51:45 > 0:51:49who have rescued more than 50 of these great apes.
0:51:49 > 0:51:51It was a real baptism of fire.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53The moment I was there, they were ready.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55They were out there, catching orang-utan.
0:52:07 > 0:52:11This forest will soon be chopped down to make way for palm oil.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16The rescue team need to move the orang-utan before it's too late.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18These guys are amazing.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20They are so good at what they do.
0:52:20 > 0:52:22Number one priority - the orang-utan.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25I'm just there to film what I can.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28To get the orang-utan into a safe position,
0:52:28 > 0:52:29they bang the trees.
0:52:31 > 0:52:32On the ground,
0:52:32 > 0:52:35it's tough for Jon and the crew to keep up.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38And it's fast! The rescue team are following the orang-utan -
0:52:38 > 0:52:40and they're better at it than I was.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42And we were trying to follow them.
0:52:45 > 0:52:49It takes two hours to get the orang-utan into a safe position -
0:52:49 > 0:52:51ready for the tranquiliser.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57TRANQUILISER GUN FIRES
0:53:02 > 0:53:05The team get ready to catch.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08Suddenly, the orang-utan fell out of the tree.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14At that point, my heart went out to that orang-utan -
0:53:14 > 0:53:20I guess because there is something about an orang-utan that is so human.
0:53:20 > 0:53:22It brought it home to me,
0:53:22 > 0:53:24what an important job the team are doing.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27Because if these guys weren't doing this,
0:53:27 > 0:53:30this orang-utan would have no future.
0:53:31 > 0:53:35But the most difficult rescue the team had ever faced
0:53:35 > 0:53:37was still to come.
0:53:39 > 0:53:40They receive an urgent call.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45We filmed in a scene of devastation.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48Just one after another,
0:53:48 > 0:53:50trees were coming down in front of our very eyes.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54And then, on the other side,
0:53:54 > 0:53:56was all the freshly planted palm oil.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58BUZZ OF CHAIN SAWS
0:53:58 > 0:54:03A short distance away, in a tiny patch of remaining forest,
0:54:03 > 0:54:06the team find a mother and her baby.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08With the chain saws approaching,
0:54:08 > 0:54:10time is running out.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14WALKIE-TALKIE COMMS
0:54:17 > 0:54:20Throwing branches is a sign that she's scared.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23The team need to act fast.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25The guys are trying to get a clear line of sight, to get a shot,
0:54:25 > 0:54:28but they are also worried if it falls...
0:54:28 > 0:54:31That's a pretty deep river right beneath there.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33SHOUTS AND HAND-CLAPPING
0:54:33 > 0:54:36Vet Rico's loaded the dart with the smallest adult dose.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40This could be his best chance.
0:54:47 > 0:54:48It's a hit
0:54:55 > 0:54:57Jon tries to keep up.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02They must get a net precisely into position,
0:55:02 > 0:55:04before they fall.
0:55:04 > 0:55:05Suddenly,
0:55:05 > 0:55:07there's an almighty splash,
0:55:07 > 0:55:09and commotion.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11GUIDE SHOUTS IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:55:11 > 0:55:13A guide rushes down the bank beside me
0:55:13 > 0:55:16and splashes into the river.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18It's chaos.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20SHOUTING
0:55:20 > 0:55:21And what had happened
0:55:21 > 0:55:25is the dart had not hit the mother orang-utan -
0:55:25 > 0:55:27it had hit the baby.
0:55:29 > 0:55:33It was a real medical emergency situation.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38Yeah, I guess it is touch and go.
0:55:54 > 0:55:56The guys are doing everything they can.
0:56:09 > 0:56:13I didn't think that orang-utan was going to live.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15I didn't think it had a chance.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21And at that point, I really didn't know if I should keep filming.
0:56:23 > 0:56:25Because it felt...
0:56:26 > 0:56:28..it was...
0:56:29 > 0:56:31It was too tragic.
0:56:38 > 0:56:42And yet, amazingly, they brought it round.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45WALKIE-TALKIE COMMS
0:56:52 > 0:56:56If the best opportunity that orang-utan had
0:56:56 > 0:56:58was to go through that,
0:56:58 > 0:57:00then...something's got to be wrong.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12That was the toughest thing for me to see.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14Such a close call.
0:57:15 > 0:57:16Erm...
0:57:16 > 0:57:19But at the same time, it really brought it home
0:57:19 > 0:57:23just how critical the situation is for orang-utans.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28With her baby out of danger,
0:57:28 > 0:57:32the team turned their attention back to the mother.
0:57:33 > 0:57:37They work into the night to reunite mum and baby.
0:57:39 > 0:57:41You know, I was there to film,
0:57:41 > 0:57:44but, actually, when it comes to it,
0:57:44 > 0:57:45and you meet the guys on the ground
0:57:45 > 0:57:48who are dedicating their lives to saving an animal,
0:57:48 > 0:57:51it was inspiring and humbling to see that.
0:58:14 > 0:58:16Good luck.
0:58:24 > 0:58:27ANIMAL AND BIRD NOISES