0:00:32 > 0:00:38This is our planet's hothouse - the jungle, the tropical rainforest.
0:00:40 > 0:00:48Forests like these occupy only 3% of the land, yet they're home to over half of the world's species.
0:00:49 > 0:00:57But how do so many different kinds of plants and animals find the space here to live alongside one another?
0:01:09 > 0:01:15On the dark, humid forest floor, the jungle appears to be lifeless.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Often the only signs of life are what you hear.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22BIRD SCREECHES
0:01:26 > 0:01:30A male blue bird of paradise is advertising for a mate.
0:01:32 > 0:01:40It's quite a performance, but he's not the only bird of paradise here keen to make an impression.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44There are nearly 40 different kinds on the island of New Guinea,
0:01:44 > 0:01:48each with a display seemingly more bizarre than the rest.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51BIRD WHOOPS
0:01:55 > 0:01:56BIRD SQUAWKS
0:01:56 > 0:01:59A rifle bird of paradise.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05BIRD SQUAWKS
0:02:09 > 0:02:14Like many jungle animals, birds of paradise avoid competing with each other,
0:02:14 > 0:02:20and these do so by living in different parts of this jungle-covered island.
0:02:24 > 0:02:31The six plumed bird of paradise displays in his special clearing on the forest floor.
0:02:37 > 0:02:43The magnificent bird of paradise favours the low branches of bushes.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50His female is modestly dressed.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59BIRD CHIRPS
0:03:01 > 0:03:05The male has a good set of lungs, but he'll have to do more than
0:03:05 > 0:03:09flutter his eyelids if he wants to impress her.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18It'll all depend on his performance.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27The females may be dull looking but they're very picky.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31And it's time for a really close inspection.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40His right side looks fine, but what about his left?
0:03:45 > 0:03:49Pretty impressive, but is he magnificent enough?
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Oh, dear! Her departure says it all.
0:03:55 > 0:04:02Generations of choosy females have driven the evolution of these remarkable displays.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07The more extravagant a male is the more likely he'll be noticed.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09CLICKING
0:04:32 > 0:04:38New Guinea lies in a warm tropical belt that girdles our planet around the equator.
0:04:38 > 0:04:45With abundant rainfall and twelve hours of daylight, 365 days a year,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48it's here that rainforests flourish.
0:04:53 > 0:04:59Surprisingly, only 2% of the sunlight filters down to the forest floor.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Down here, seedlings struggle to grow.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08But the gloom is not eternal.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11CREAKING AND SNAPPING
0:05:19 > 0:05:22LOUD CREAKING
0:05:40 > 0:05:45The death of a forest giant is always saddening
0:05:45 > 0:05:49but it has to happen if the forest is to remain healthy.
0:05:50 > 0:05:56The sudden blaze of sunlight will bring life to the forest floor.
0:05:59 > 0:06:06A single hectare of rainforest may contain as many as 250 species of tree.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09That's nearly ten times the number that grow in Britain.
0:06:09 > 0:06:14And the thirst for light triggers a race for a place in the sun.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31There's no time to waste.
0:06:31 > 0:06:37A seed that may have fallen only a few days ago now bursts through the leaf litter.
0:06:50 > 0:06:56With so many competitors, getting a good start is critical.
0:06:58 > 0:07:06But each plant has its own particular strategy for making the most of this rare opportunity.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09The seeds of hardwoods are quick to germinate,
0:07:09 > 0:07:14but like the fabled tortoise, their strategy is to be slow and steady.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23Vines and other climbers put all their energy into rapid vertical
0:07:23 > 0:07:28growth rather than girth, though they'll need to be well supported.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39The climbers' strategy looks chaotic, but there's method in their madness.
0:07:39 > 0:07:45Their growing tips circle like lassos, searching out anchors for their spindly stems.
0:07:52 > 0:07:58They put coils in their tendrils so that if their support moves they will stretch and not snap.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05But the front runners at this stage, the first to fill the clearing,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08are pioneers like the macarangas.
0:08:08 > 0:08:15Their immense leaves capture huge amounts of sunlight, so fuelling their growth.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24As a result, the macarangas grow a remarkable
0:08:24 > 0:08:28eight metres a year, surging ahead of almost all their rivals.
0:08:41 > 0:08:47In the race for the top spot, hundreds will start, yet few will ever reach the finishing line,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51their growth cut short by the diminishing light.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58In less than four years the gap will have gone,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01but that's not the end of the race.
0:09:09 > 0:09:15The ultimate winners are the tortoises, the slow and steady hardwoods.
0:09:17 > 0:09:24When the short-lived pioneers have fallen, it's the hardwoods that take their place
0:09:24 > 0:09:26and a 50 metre giant, like this one,
0:09:26 > 0:09:31may keep its place in the sun for another two hundred years.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11At the top is the canopy, the engine room of the jungle.
0:10:11 > 0:10:17It's up here that most of the animal life in a rainforest can be found.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22But despite the apparent abundance of vegetable food,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25gathering it is seldom easy.
0:10:38 > 0:10:44With no real seasons, each tree flowers or fruits at a different time
0:10:44 > 0:10:49of the year, which means that food is very widely spaced.
0:10:53 > 0:11:00Monkeys, like these tamarins, must search the canopy for all kinds of food if they're to survive.
0:11:03 > 0:11:10But across the world's rainforests there's one type of fruiting tree that always delivers -
0:11:10 > 0:11:12the fig.
0:11:20 > 0:11:27Wherever they grow, figs are a magnet for a great diversity of animals.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34In the Amazon, the first to appear are the spider monkeys.
0:11:34 > 0:11:41These large primates are big fig eaters, but they won't have the tree to themselves for long.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Others will want a share.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Like the diminutive emperor tamarins.
0:11:51 > 0:11:57The tamarins love figs too, but being petite means they're easily scared off.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11Squirrel monkeys are also small but they have strength in numbers.
0:12:14 > 0:12:20Their timeshare on the tree may be short, so their tactics are more smash and grab.
0:12:29 > 0:12:35Capuchin monkeys are the bully boys in these forests and they want the ripe figs for themselves.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57Figs are one of the few trees that fruit the year round
0:12:57 > 0:13:04so when other food is scarce these fruits are always available somewhere or other.
0:13:06 > 0:13:13Even for leaf eaters, like howler monkeys, the ripe figs are just too good to miss.
0:13:18 > 0:13:24And howlers are too big for the capuchins to chase off.
0:13:26 > 0:13:32Figs are so popular that as many as 44 different kinds of bird and monkey
0:13:32 > 0:13:37have been seen working a shift system on a single tree.
0:13:45 > 0:13:51Because fruiting trees are so valuable, many monkeys are territorial.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55And if you live in the tree tops, there's perhaps no better way of
0:13:55 > 0:13:58staking your claim to a territory than this.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01GIBBON WHOOPS
0:14:04 > 0:14:10The calls of the siamang gibbons begin as a duet between the dominant male and female.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25The rest of their family soon join in
0:14:25 > 0:14:29and it results in a frenzy of activity.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32RAPID WHOOPING
0:14:36 > 0:14:42The calls can carry over a mile and their message is clear.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45WHOOPING GROWS LOUDER
0:14:46 > 0:14:53They tell any neighbouring siamangs, "This is our territory - keep out."
0:15:02 > 0:15:07Up here, the calls of siamang gibbons seem to dominate the airwaves
0:15:07 > 0:15:13but with the jungle's incredible diversity there are countless others trying to be heard too.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15WHOOPING
0:15:15 > 0:15:19BIRD CALLS
0:15:19 > 0:15:23Every layer seems to beat to a different tune.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26CHIRPING
0:15:30 > 0:15:32HOOTING
0:15:37 > 0:15:39BIRDS CHIRP
0:15:41 > 0:15:45In the early morning, the forest's chorus is particularly rich.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Sounds travel further in the cooler air.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52LOW WHOOPING
0:15:52 > 0:15:57But few calls can penetrate as far through the dense vegetation
0:15:57 > 0:16:03as this one - the deep bass solo of a male orang-utan.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06LOW WHOOPING
0:16:18 > 0:16:25In the middle of the day, little stirs in the jungle and the hot dense air muffles the sound.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33As the afternoon wears on, a different set of players begin to warm up.
0:16:36 > 0:16:42Insects work in harmony, timing their calls to fall between the notes of others.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46INSECTS CHIRP AND WHIRR
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Many singers stick to precise schedules.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Right on cue, the six o'clock cicada.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59HIGH-PITCHED DRONE
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Night brings out a whole new orchestra.
0:17:27 > 0:17:33OVERLAPPING FROG CALLS
0:17:36 > 0:17:40The cacophony of competing calls seems deafening to us,
0:17:40 > 0:17:46but frogs' ears are tuned to hear only the calls of their own kind.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49FROGS CROAK
0:17:53 > 0:17:57The songs of courtship echo from all around.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14Male gliding leaf frogs leap from the tree tops.
0:18:48 > 0:18:54To slow their descent, they use their huge webbed feet as parachutes.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03These large tree frogs spend most of their lives
0:19:03 > 0:19:07in the high canopy and only come down when it's time to breed.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17Once settled, they begin to serenade their unseen females.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33Now it's time for the females to make their move.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40There's no shortage of suitors, but this female
0:19:40 > 0:19:42has already made her choice.
0:19:42 > 0:19:48She's heading toward the loudest call, because loud calls come from big frogs,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51and big is best.
0:19:51 > 0:19:56But to reach him she must run the gauntlet of a gang of smaller suitors.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01Their only chance of mating is to make a sneaky interception.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11He's scored, but with more females arriving all the time,
0:20:11 > 0:20:15it's not over until the fat frog stops singing.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26Feet so vital for gliding are now put to other uses.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Two's company.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Three's...inconvenient.
0:20:35 > 0:20:40But, in any case, all male frogs are equipped with dry thumbs
0:20:40 > 0:20:46which enable them to get a vice-like grip on their moist partners.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50It's a case of first come first served.
0:20:58 > 0:21:03Living in such a humid environment means jungle frogs are less tied to
0:21:03 > 0:21:08puddles and pools and these even lay their eggs out of water.
0:21:17 > 0:21:24There's little chance of them drying out, and up here they're safer from predators.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36Surprisingly, it doesn't rain every day in a rainforest,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40but more still falls here than anywhere else on earth,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43on average over two metres a year.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58A single tree can suck up hundreds of tons of water each year.
0:22:00 > 0:22:05But the trees can't use all this water, so much of it returns
0:22:05 > 0:22:09to the air as vapour, forming mist and clouds.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20In the Amazon, the largest unbroken stretch of rainforest in the world,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23half of all the rainwater that falls
0:22:23 > 0:22:26comes from clouds produced by the trees themselves.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01With so much rain, it's not surprising that many of
0:23:01 > 0:23:05the world's largest rivers are found in rainforests.
0:23:21 > 0:23:26Inside the forest, the high humidity creates the perfect conditions
0:23:26 > 0:23:31for a strange world where life is built on decay.
0:23:43 > 0:23:51Amoeba-like slime moulds cruise the surface, feeding on bacteria and rotting vegetation.
0:24:06 > 0:24:11Fungi also flourish on decay.
0:24:11 > 0:24:17These are the fruiting bodies of the fungi, the only visible sign
0:24:17 > 0:24:22of a vast underground network of fungal filaments.
0:24:52 > 0:24:58In temperate forests, the build-up of leaf litter creates rich stores of nutrients.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00That, however, doesn't happen here.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Nutrients that reach the soil are leeched out by the rain,
0:25:08 > 0:25:13but fungi are connected to tree roots by their underground filaments
0:25:13 > 0:25:15and by quickly consuming the dead
0:25:15 > 0:25:20they help to recycle crucial minerals straight back into the trees.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32And this recycling happens faster here than anywhere else on the planet.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56There are thought to be nearly a million different types of fungi
0:25:56 > 0:26:01in the tropics, the vast majority still unknown to science.
0:26:07 > 0:26:14But one thing's for certain - without fungi, rainforests could not exist.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Nothing goes to waste in a rainforest.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32The fungi become food for others, like these beetle larvae.
0:26:37 > 0:26:44Finding the fungus isn't a problem for the grubs since their caring parents actually show them the way.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02Incredibly, 80% of all insects live in jungles.
0:27:02 > 0:27:09Few are more successful than the ants - there can be eight million individuals in a single hectare.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15But jungle ants don't have it all their own way.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26These bullet ants are showing some worrying symptoms.
0:27:26 > 0:27:32Spores from a parasitic fungus called cordyceps
0:27:32 > 0:27:35have infiltrated their bodies and their minds.
0:27:40 > 0:27:45Its infected brain directs this ant upwards.
0:27:47 > 0:27:52Then, utterly disorientated, it grips a stem with its mandibles.
0:27:52 > 0:27:58Those afflicted that are discovered by the workers are quickly taken away
0:27:58 > 0:28:00and dumped far away from the colony.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05It seems extreme, but this is the reason why.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Like something out of science fiction,
0:28:10 > 0:28:15the fruiting body of the cordyceps erupts from the ant's head.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33It can take three weeks to grow
0:28:33 > 0:28:38and when finished the deadly spores will burst from its tip.
0:28:38 > 0:28:43Then any ant in the vicinity will be in serious risk of death.
0:28:44 > 0:28:50The fungus is so virulent it can wipe out whole colonies of ants.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53And it's not just ants that fall victim to this killer.
0:28:55 > 0:29:00There are literally thousands of different types of cordyceps fungi
0:29:00 > 0:29:05and, remarkably, each specialises on just one species.
0:29:40 > 0:29:45But these attacks do have a positive effect on the jungle's diversity
0:29:45 > 0:29:52since parasites like these stop any one group of animal getting the upper hand.
0:29:52 > 0:29:59The more numerous a species becomes, the more likely it will be attacked by its nemesis, a cordyceps fungus.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25With so much competition,
0:30:25 > 0:30:29jungles have become the home of the specialist
0:30:29 > 0:30:34and this animal, from the island of Borneo, is one of the most unusual.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37It's a colugo, or flying lemur,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40though this is something of a misnomer
0:30:40 > 0:30:44as it doesn't actually fly and it certainly isn't a lemur.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48In fact, nobody's quite sure who its closest relative is.
0:31:07 > 0:31:13The colugo depends on a diet of young leaves, and to find enough of them
0:31:13 > 0:31:16it must move from tree to tree.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19The leaves are not very nutritious
0:31:19 > 0:31:23but then getting around doesn't use much energy.
0:31:29 > 0:31:34In a single night, a colugo might have to travel as far as two miles,
0:31:34 > 0:31:40but that task is made easier by its superior gliding skills.
0:32:10 > 0:32:15The secret of success in the competitive jungle is specialising
0:32:15 > 0:32:21and this has led to the evolution of some very intimate relationships between plants and animals.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27These are pitcher plants, also from Borneo.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37Adapted to living in very low nutrient soils, the pitcher plant
0:32:37 > 0:32:42gets most of its nourishment from insects lured to nectar glands
0:32:42 > 0:32:44on the underside of the lids.
0:32:46 > 0:32:51Once on board, the waxy sides of the pitcher ensure there's little chance of escape.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58Most slip to a watery grave.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10At the bottom of the pitcher, glands secrete enzymes
0:33:10 > 0:33:15which help to digest the corpses, so feeding the plant.
0:33:15 > 0:33:20But not all visitors have a fatal attraction to the pitchers.
0:33:21 > 0:33:27The red crab spider spends its entire life in the pitchers, hanging on with threads of silk.
0:33:37 > 0:33:42Instead of building a web, it relies on the water-filled pitcher to trap its food.
0:33:45 > 0:33:50When an ant falls in, the spider simply waits for it to drown
0:33:50 > 0:33:54and then abseils down for a spot of fishing.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05Alive, this ant would be far too dangerous for the spider to tackle,
0:34:05 > 0:34:11so using the pitchers as traps means it can get bigger meals.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15And the spider doesn't rob the pitcher of everything.
0:34:15 > 0:34:23The digested remains of its booty will end up in the water, providing instant food for the plant.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Other food, like mosquito larvae,
0:34:30 > 0:34:35seems to be out of reach, but the spider has another surprising trick.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38By taking its own air supply, trapped in a bubble,
0:34:38 > 0:34:43the crab spider can actually dive to the very bottom of the pitcher.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48Once the prey is captured,
0:34:48 > 0:34:53the spider hauls itself back up its silken safety line.
0:34:59 > 0:35:06The pitcher is a one stop shop for this spider, but it's not alone.
0:35:06 > 0:35:11In a jungle, there's competition for everything, even a small water-filled pitcher plant.
0:35:27 > 0:35:32Such specialists create the jungle's remarkable diversity.
0:35:32 > 0:35:37But finding enough food to survive is so challenging that most animals
0:35:37 > 0:35:41living here tend to be small, though there are exceptions.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52This is the Congo in Africa.
0:35:52 > 0:35:58It's a vast wilderness, and the least explored of all jungles.
0:36:00 > 0:36:06From up here, the forest looks similar to the ones that grow in the Amazon or South East Asia,
0:36:06 > 0:36:11but down below there are some unexpected sights.
0:36:27 > 0:36:33Criss-crossing this forest are countless miles of highways,
0:36:33 > 0:36:36and they were made by something big.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48Forest elephants roam great distances
0:36:48 > 0:36:50in their search for food,
0:36:50 > 0:36:53but to survive they must emerge
0:36:53 > 0:36:55from the gloom of the forest.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59And clearings like this one
0:36:59 > 0:37:03are a magnet for elephants from far and wide.
0:37:57 > 0:38:02These elephants live in much smaller groups than their savannah cousins.
0:38:02 > 0:38:08This might be the first time that one group will have seen another for a month.
0:38:17 > 0:38:24For the adult males, it's a welcome break in an otherwise largely solitary existence.
0:38:32 > 0:38:37And they're not the only animals attracted to the clearing.
0:38:38 > 0:38:44Forest buffalos and red river hogs are also regular visitors,
0:38:44 > 0:38:49as are bongos, which are very difficult to see outside these clearings.
0:38:49 > 0:38:54All these large forest animals have come here to collect
0:38:54 > 0:38:59an essential element of their diet that lies buried beneath the mud.
0:39:03 > 0:39:08And the elephant's trunk is the perfect tool for reaching it.
0:39:22 > 0:39:28To get what they seek, the prospecting elephants must first blow away the covering layer of silt.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53Satisfaction at last!
0:39:57 > 0:40:05They're collecting a particular kind of clay that contains vital minerals scarce in their natural diet.
0:40:05 > 0:40:12It may be mud, but there's just nothing quite like it for enriching the blood.
0:40:12 > 0:40:19The clay also helps to absorb the toxins found in many leaves that the elephants eat.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27There are other benefits to coming here.
0:40:27 > 0:40:34These clearings are the only places where the forest elephants can get together in such numbers.
0:40:34 > 0:40:39When they return to the forest, they will have to go their separate ways once more.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02If large animals are rare in jungles,
0:41:02 > 0:41:08then groups of large animals actually living together are even rarer.
0:41:26 > 0:41:32This posse of hunters is not only formidable, it's also very large.
0:41:51 > 0:41:59In their search for food, chimpanzees move effortlessly between the forest floor and the canopy.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02They're one of the few jungle animals able to do so.
0:42:16 > 0:42:24Figs are a vital part of a chimpanzee's diet and some just can't seem to get enough of them.
0:42:33 > 0:42:38But there's something special about this stretch of forest in Uganda.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41Fruit is actually abundant.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51And a lot of food supports lots of chimps.
0:43:07 > 0:43:14At 150 strong, this community of chimps is the biggest yet found in Africa.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18Their numbers are so large that they need a big territory,
0:43:18 > 0:43:21lots of fig trees, and they're willing to fight for it.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25HIGH-PITCHED WHOOPING
0:43:28 > 0:43:30THEY GRUNT
0:43:30 > 0:43:36These calls announce the start of a raid into land controlled by their neighbours.
0:43:43 > 0:43:49As they leave their core zone, the patrol goes silent, occasionally stopping to listen.
0:43:54 > 0:43:59Signs of the enemy are detected and examined closely.
0:44:13 > 0:44:18The chimp militia are now at the very edge of their territory.
0:44:18 > 0:44:22All need to be on maximum alert.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33They must wait and listen.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53DISTANT SCREECH
0:44:53 > 0:44:58An unfamiliar chimp call raises the tension.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00It's an uncertain time.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04The size of the rival group is as yet unknown.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11Not far away, their neighbours are feeding in a fig tree,
0:45:11 > 0:45:15oblivious to the approaching dangers.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19The patrol moves off with a sense of purpose.
0:45:19 > 0:45:24They must remain silent until they close in on their rivals.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37CHIMPS SCREECH The attack is on!
0:45:39 > 0:45:45To intimidate their opponents, the aggressors scream and drum on buttress roots.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51SCREECHING
0:46:04 > 0:46:07Several males corner an enemy female.
0:46:07 > 0:46:12It's a ferocious attack and she's lucky to escape with her life.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32Others are not so fortunate.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35CHIMP WHOOPS
0:46:37 > 0:46:41The battle won, a grisly scene unfolds.
0:46:42 > 0:46:46An enemy youngster has been caught and killed.
0:46:46 > 0:46:50The carcass is shared between members of the group and eaten.
0:46:54 > 0:46:59Killing a competitor makes sense if you want to protect your food supply.
0:47:02 > 0:47:07But exactly why they cannibalise the dead chimp is not fully understood.
0:47:09 > 0:47:14It may simply be a chance for some extra protein.
0:47:24 > 0:47:31Teamwork has brought this group of chimps great success, but they'll soon reach the limits of their power.
0:47:33 > 0:47:40The competition for resources ensures that no one species dominates the jungle.
0:47:45 > 0:47:50The rainforests' great diversity has come at a cost.
0:47:50 > 0:47:58It has made them the most finely balanced ecosystems in the world, only too easily upset and destroyed
0:47:58 > 0:48:03by that other great ape, the chimpanzee's closest relative...
0:48:03 > 0:48:04ourselves.
0:48:22 > 0:48:28Filming unique behaviour for the first time often means long periods in hides.
0:48:28 > 0:48:36And nothing demanded more patience than cameraman Paul Stewart's trip to film displaying birds of paradise.
0:48:42 > 0:48:46The location for the bird of paradise filming was the Tari valley
0:48:46 > 0:48:50in the remote jungle-covered highlands of New Guinea,
0:48:50 > 0:48:55a place completely cut off from the outside world until the 1950s.
0:48:56 > 0:49:03It's home to the Huli people whose support was going to be vital to the success of this shoot.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08After negotiating with the local landowners
0:49:08 > 0:49:12for access to the neighbouring jungle, the team were ready to begin.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16The first job was building the hides.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19This had to be done quickly to avoid disturbing the bird.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25Each bird of paradise has its own favourite display site.
0:49:25 > 0:49:32Finding them would have been almost impossible without local expert Joseph Tano.
0:49:32 > 0:49:40The plan was to film three species of birds of paradise here, which meant setting up three different hides.
0:49:43 > 0:49:48The next morning, the team were up bright and very early.
0:49:48 > 0:49:52It seems the bird of paradise is the original early bird.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55It displays very, very early in the morning
0:49:55 > 0:50:00and that means we have to get up even earlier, normally about 3.45.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03If we don't get up earlier than the bird we're gonna scare it
0:50:03 > 0:50:07and that means eight hours sat in a hide for no reason.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09ENGINE STRAINS
0:50:12 > 0:50:16Obstacles to progress appeared sooner than expected.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20Look at what the bridge is made of. It's not gonna support...
0:50:20 > 0:50:24I don't think that's gonna support the truck!
0:50:24 > 0:50:31With the vehicle stuck, the last part of the journey had to be made on foot.
0:50:31 > 0:50:35Arriving later than planned meant extra care was needed
0:50:35 > 0:50:39getting into the hide if the birds were not to be disturbed.
0:50:39 > 0:50:45- Paul's solitary vigil was about to begin.- You might think that
0:50:45 > 0:50:49to film something as showy and exotic looking as a bird of paradise
0:50:49 > 0:50:52you'd need to trek into the deepest, thickest rainforest.
0:50:52 > 0:50:58Funnily enough, Paul's hide is just at the bottom of this field about 100 metres away.
0:50:58 > 0:51:03It's funny that while we have bluetits in our back garden, the Hulis have birds of paradise.
0:51:03 > 0:51:07For the next six hours, Paul sat in the hide.
0:51:07 > 0:51:13And at midday, when there was no chance of disturbing the birds, it was time for an update.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21Good news or bad news?
0:51:21 > 0:51:24- Good news first.- Good news it's not scared of the hide.
0:51:24 > 0:51:28Bad news we're in the wrong place. So we're gonna have to move it.
0:51:28 > 0:51:32Need to do it quick before it moves off.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37It's really frustrating - I can see it,
0:51:37 > 0:51:41if I crouch down there, it's somewhere in a line up here,
0:51:41 > 0:51:45but I couldn't move the camera to it. It would've been way too noisy.
0:51:45 > 0:51:52While the hide was being moved, the rest of the crew busied themselves with some bridge building.
0:51:52 > 0:51:57Well, due to the incident this morning, we've decided to do some running repairs to this bridge.
0:51:57 > 0:52:03Unfortunately, these beautifully hewn planks won't necessary be here in the morning, since the original
0:52:03 > 0:52:09planks were taken by an enterprising local to build a house, apparently, and this is premium firewood.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13The gaps filled,
0:52:13 > 0:52:18a man and his pig were willing to give it the once over.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20The pig looked none too sure.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26Back at the hide,
0:52:26 > 0:52:29things were looking up. Here at least was one
0:52:29 > 0:52:35of the birds of paradise the team wanted to film - the male six plumed bird of paradise.
0:52:37 > 0:52:44But Paul needed him to display and he wasn't going to do that unless a female showed up.
0:52:44 > 0:52:49So both bird and cameraman were now waiting for the girls.
0:52:49 > 0:52:55Exactly how long they would both have to wait was anyone's guess.
0:52:57 > 0:53:01Hours ticked by without any development
0:53:01 > 0:53:04and the boredom was beginning to take its toll.
0:53:04 > 0:53:09One of the things about sitting in a hide for eight hours in a day is
0:53:09 > 0:53:13that you start to mull things over in your head
0:53:13 > 0:53:18and it's the classic scenario where a song that you don't particularly like, or in fact even hate,
0:53:18 > 0:53:24comes into your head, and while I was waiting for these birds of paradise I had...
0:53:24 > 0:53:29it was kind of a one hit wonder from the '80s which was My Bird of Paradise, I just sit and wait...
0:53:29 > 0:53:32# Sweet bird of paradise... #
0:53:35 > 0:53:41And it was going around and around and around and it was like my own brain was sabotaging me.
0:53:46 > 0:53:54The male kept busy tidying up his display site, but sadly all his efforts went unnoticed.
0:53:58 > 0:54:02Ten days went by without a hint of a female
0:54:02 > 0:54:07and when things go wrong one can't help speculating why.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10Was it the weather or the amount of food in the forest?
0:54:13 > 0:54:17I think one of the problems is that,
0:54:17 > 0:54:23with the lack of rain, the fruits haven't ripened, now we've got rain and it's getting a bit warmer,
0:54:23 > 0:54:25I think the fruits may ripen,
0:54:25 > 0:54:28and we're going to get all three species in one day.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30- Yes.- You reckon?
0:54:30 > 0:54:36I think optimism's good, Paul, because otherwise we sink into despair.
0:54:38 > 0:54:44Judging from some of the looks, the Huli seem to share our disappointments.
0:54:44 > 0:54:48But there were other things to feel positive about.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50The bridge remained intact.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56And when the truck got stuck in another rut,
0:54:56 > 0:55:00there was a group of villagers only too willing to help out.
0:55:00 > 0:55:05If only the female birds of paradise could be half as obliging.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14Paul had now spent
0:55:14 > 0:55:16more than 90 hours in this hide.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19# My bird of paradise... #
0:55:19 > 0:55:26But if birds of paradise weren't in the displaying mood, that wasn't true of the Hulis.
0:55:26 > 0:55:31Just a short distance from where Paul sat, a festival was taking place.
0:55:34 > 0:55:40The Hulis have been using birds of paradise feathers in their headdresses for centuries
0:55:40 > 0:55:44and their traditional dance has an unmistakable similarity
0:55:44 > 0:55:48to that performed by the original owners of the feathers.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51SINGING AND DRUMMING
0:56:03 > 0:56:10It was certainly very impressive, though naturally no substitute for the real thing.
0:56:10 > 0:56:15A hundred hours on, both Paul and his subject were becoming
0:56:15 > 0:56:18equally frustrated by the lack of females.
0:56:18 > 0:56:22# Sweet bird of paradise... #
0:56:25 > 0:56:28The shoot was beginning to go down,
0:56:28 > 0:56:34and news that the team now had to film the displays of three birds of paradise in one week
0:56:34 > 0:56:36filtered back to the locals.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40LAUGHTER
0:56:41 > 0:56:44All very amusing, unless you were Paul.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51I'm surprised he's not a gibbering wreck by now.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55He's had 8 to 9 hours in a hide a day, for just under five weeks.
0:56:55 > 0:56:59I think he's had about five filming opportunities.
0:56:59 > 0:57:03I mean, even by the standards of wildlife filming, that shows a high degree of patience.
0:57:03 > 0:57:09And the siting of one hide meant he actually had to stand up for about a week, most of that in the rain.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12I mean, that seems more like a cruel and unusual punishment
0:57:12 > 0:57:16than an opportunity to film one of the great natural spectacles.
0:57:18 > 0:57:22Fortunately, when it comes to wildlife filming, patience
0:57:22 > 0:57:27sometimes pays off and a female bird of paradise finally appeared.
0:57:30 > 0:57:36120 hours on, it was at last something to dance about.
0:57:44 > 0:57:50Filming the displays of the other species was barely any easier.
0:57:52 > 0:57:57And after nearly 300 hours in hides, one can only wonder how many times
0:57:57 > 0:58:01Paul sang My Bird of Paradise to himself.
0:58:01 > 0:58:03# My bird of paradise... #
0:58:05 > 0:58:09Subtitles by Suzanne Macdonald Red Bee Media Ltd 2006
0:58:09 > 0:58:13Email: subtitling@bbc.co.uk