0:00:03 > 0:00:05Burma.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Cut off from the world for 50 years.
0:00:13 > 0:00:14A mysterious land.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18A land of secrets.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25Home to half of mainland Southeast Asia's remaining forests.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29It's rumoured to be teeming with iconic animals.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36This is one big question mark when it comes to scientific exploration.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38These forests could be the last refuge
0:00:38 > 0:00:42to some magnificent creatures that are being wiped out
0:00:42 > 0:00:43across the world.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45As it opens up to democracy,
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Burma will have to choose the fate of its forests.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56There, there, there, there! What is that?
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Now, for the first time, a team of scientists
0:01:00 > 0:01:02and wildlife film-makers are venturing
0:01:02 > 0:01:03deep into Burma's jungles.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Did you see that? There they are. I'm shaking.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12They will catalogue its forgotten wildlife...
0:01:13 > 0:01:15..and give Burma's government a report
0:01:15 > 0:01:17to help get these forests protected.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22So very, very, very, very lucky.
0:01:24 > 0:01:25It's a race against time,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29as the world eyes up Burma's natural riches.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31We've got fire in front of us and then fire here
0:01:31 > 0:01:32and then fire behind us.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Oh, God, this isn't good!
0:01:36 > 0:01:37What they discover
0:01:37 > 0:01:42could change the future of Burma's wilds forever.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46Watch this, watch this, watch this...whoa!
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Burma's forests are not just important to Burma.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52They're not just important to Asia.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Burma's forests are important for the world.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Burma's forests are largely unexplored and inaccessible.
0:02:13 > 0:02:14Potentially a haven
0:02:14 > 0:02:17for Asia's endangered animals.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21Unlike its neighbours, nearly half the country is wilderness.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23But only 3% is protected under law.
0:02:26 > 0:02:27The survey team
0:02:27 > 0:02:29hopes their report on the wildlife here
0:02:29 > 0:02:31will persuade Burma to protect more.
0:02:37 > 0:02:38Joining forces for the expedition
0:02:38 > 0:02:40are two specialist wildlife filmmakers -
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Gordon Buchanan....
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Oh, look down there.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47..and Justine Evans.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50See if I can get a viewpoint from up here.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54They're joined by a team of scientists.
0:02:54 > 0:02:55Entomologist Ross Piper...
0:02:57 > 0:02:59That's a fantastic creature.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02..mammal expert Darrin Lunde...
0:03:03 > 0:03:05I don't know how fast these guys could dig,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08but I'm going to try to keep up with them.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12..and a group of Burmese biologists with vital local knowledge.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Yes, yes!
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Against the odds, they've already discovered Asian elephants
0:03:21 > 0:03:23thriving in the south.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Elsewhere in Asia, they are severely endangered.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32The team aims to protect not just elephants,
0:03:32 > 0:03:33but whole ecosystems.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42Now they're pushing deeper into Burma's uncharted forests.
0:03:45 > 0:03:46Their mission -
0:03:46 > 0:03:49to find as many different species as possible.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Measuring the forest's diversity
0:03:52 > 0:03:54will help make the case for its protection.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Top of their list are three animals that are rapidly disappearing
0:04:00 > 0:04:01from the rest of Asia.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05The endangered sun bear...
0:04:08 > 0:04:09..and two rare cats -
0:04:09 > 0:04:12the little-known Asian golden cat
0:04:12 > 0:04:15and the clouded leopard.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20The team is heading to an isolated mountain range.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23A place so remote it has never been properly studied -
0:04:23 > 0:04:24Salu.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28They hope to find one of the most pristine
0:04:28 > 0:04:30and intact forests in Burma.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39The only way in is on foot.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43Local Rakhine villagers will act as guides
0:04:43 > 0:04:47and help carry the team's two tonnes of specialist equipment.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52They know this forest intimately
0:04:52 > 0:04:55and will help the team find Salu's rarest animals.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01Entomologist Ross is confident
0:05:01 > 0:05:04they'll make some spectacular discoveries.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07No-one's really been here to document the wildlife,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09so we're going to be the first to do that
0:05:09 > 0:05:11and there's a real sense of anticipation
0:05:11 > 0:05:13amongst the scientists here about what we're going to find.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18For the Rakhine people, the expedition's arrival
0:05:18 > 0:05:21is a sure sign that Burma is changing.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Their once isolated world is becoming more accessible.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Burma, also known as Myanmar,
0:05:31 > 0:05:33began its exile in 1962
0:05:33 > 0:05:35when General Ne Win staged a coup.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42He locked down the country with brute force.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Decades of military rule followed.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Despite years of protests, Burma was shut away from the developed world.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Now that's changed.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Democracy has brought new hope.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07But freedom comes at a cost.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09There are fears that hunters
0:06:09 > 0:06:13are already targeting Burma's unprotected forests.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Base camp is on the banks of the Salu river,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23in the heart of the forest.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29This place is a fantastic choice for a base camp.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32What you want to do is heighten your chance of seeing
0:06:32 > 0:06:35as many different animals as possible, and this place is great.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37You've got a range of different habitats.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40You've got the river, riverine forest, forested mountain slopes
0:06:40 > 0:06:43and right even up on the ridge, entirely covered in trees.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49The team's goal is to prove this forest is so unique,
0:06:49 > 0:06:50it's worth protecting.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55They must find as many species as possible,
0:06:55 > 0:06:57ideally some that are new to science.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03In this remote forest, the team expects diversity to be high.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10As well as searching for insects, Ross will oversee the survey.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16The team will feed information back to me.
0:07:16 > 0:07:17I can collate it all
0:07:17 > 0:07:20and we can build up a picture of what animals are living here.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22This survey, once it's completed,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25will give the Burmese government the information they need
0:07:25 > 0:07:26to protect these forests.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32The forest covers 650 square miles,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35with different animals in different areas.
0:07:35 > 0:07:36The team splits up.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Gordon and his guides are searching for the extremely rare sun bear.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00They hope to pick up their trail on these thickly forested ridges.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05It already feels quite different,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08even just being on the hill above camp.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Camp is down there -
0:08:11 > 0:08:14a little row of tents.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17This habitat is separated vertically.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21The higher we climb in elevation, there's all these subtle changes,
0:08:21 > 0:08:23so there's change in different plants,
0:08:23 > 0:08:25change in different trees,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27and as you would expect, there's a change in animals.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30And that's the whole reason we're climbing up onto this ridge,
0:08:30 > 0:08:32because animals we'd expect to find up here
0:08:32 > 0:08:34are going to be different from the animals
0:08:34 > 0:08:36that the rest of the team are going to find down there.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43These peaks offer rich pickings for sun bears,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46with plenty of insects and fruiting trees.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Across the rest of Asia,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56sun bears are victims of deforestation.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Their population has dropped 30% in the last three decades.
0:09:02 > 0:09:03Salu could be a vital refuge,
0:09:03 > 0:09:07but to prove it, Gordon must find evidence of a breeding population.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Up there is a tangle of branches,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17and what that is...
0:09:18 > 0:09:21It's a sun bear nest.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Sun bears will go up into the trees,
0:09:23 > 0:09:24and like chimpanzees do,
0:09:24 > 0:09:26they'll break the branches
0:09:26 > 0:09:27and form a little platform.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29And you can sleep up there.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32So, this is a place where a sun bear has been
0:09:32 > 0:09:36and there's always a chance that they could come back.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39See here, there's some scratch marks here where the bear
0:09:39 > 0:09:42has climbed up, well, actually, even higher.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Sleeping up in a nest like this for a sun bear
0:09:46 > 0:09:47is quite a wise place to go
0:09:47 > 0:09:50because there's probably going to be leopards up around here.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53There's Asiatic black bear, which is a much bigger bear species,
0:09:53 > 0:09:58so a sun bear would want to keep off a path like this,
0:09:58 > 0:10:00up nice and high, so anything,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02any threat, could pass below him and not even know he was here.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Locals believe sun bears use these paths to move around.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14So Gordon's first job is to set up motion-triggered cameras.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21For the next two weeks, he will check them every day.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Down in the valleys, Justine is also setting camera traps.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Her mission is to film Salu's wild cats.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38She's after two of Asia's rarest and most beautiful cats -
0:10:38 > 0:10:40the golden cat
0:10:40 > 0:10:42and the clouded leopard.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Both feed on the forest's smaller creatures.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49So if the cats are thriving, the whole forest is.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Catching them on camera won't be easy.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Now, this is looking pretty good.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00I'm seeing here there's a bit of bamboo that's fallen down
0:11:00 > 0:11:04and then there's lots of scrub here and low-lying branches,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07so if I was an animal and I was walking down there,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10I wouldn't try and pick my way through all of that.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12I'd probably just prefer to come through here.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Most animals will take the path of least resistance,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16especially cats.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Cats do like it easy. They like a good path.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22You know, in many parts of the world where you get big cats,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25you often see them on drivable tracks,
0:11:25 > 0:11:27so I think this just looks like a really good bet.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Gordon and Justine's remote cameras will be on 24/7.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37They're the team's best chance of recording these elusive creatures.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47Meanwhile, the scientists begin their search for smaller animals.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Smithsonian mammal expert Darrin Lunde
0:11:52 > 0:11:54plans to catch as many species as possible
0:11:54 > 0:11:56in the short time they have.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59I'm looking to put a pitfall trap line in here
0:11:59 > 0:12:02and I'm just going to cut a swathe through
0:12:02 > 0:12:04and then we're going to dig holes
0:12:04 > 0:12:07and we're going to sink buckets down into the holes
0:12:07 > 0:12:10and we're going to run a plastic fence through the centre of them
0:12:10 > 0:12:13and what that does is, animals that are moving
0:12:13 > 0:12:17from one side of the forest, or just moving through this forest,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19they're going to encounter that fence,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22they're going to run along it, trying to get around it,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26and many of them are going to fall into these pitfall buckets.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30And we may very well find something that's new. We'll see.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36Finding species new to science will help the team prove
0:12:36 > 0:12:38how valuable this forest is.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41The pitfall traps could be their best hope.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49The team also needs to catalogue the canopy.
0:12:52 > 0:12:53And Ross is heading into the treetops.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59This is fantastic, to be so high above this forest
0:12:59 > 0:13:00and seeing so far as I can now.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02It gives you an unparalleled view
0:13:02 > 0:13:04of where we are at the moment.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05You just see
0:13:05 > 0:13:07ridge after ridge of forest.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Insects are drawn to bright lights.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14This white sheet will lure them in.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Ross can survey the insect population without moving at all.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23All he has to do is wait.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32At night, the remote cameras switch to infrared.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35INTENSE BUZZING AND CHIRPING
0:13:41 > 0:13:43The forest is alive with sound.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Ross gets his first results.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52There's lots of species.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Down here is crawling with all sorts of beetle species.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57The thing is, I'm also attracting
0:13:57 > 0:13:59these big bees and a few wasps as well.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03I'm also starting to get some cicadas now.
0:14:03 > 0:14:04And listen to that.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07CLICKING AND BUZZING
0:14:09 > 0:14:11That sounds positively electronic.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Cicadas are amongst the loudest animals there are.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Some of them can be about 120 decibels.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21It's all about trying to find a mate.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23So they'll just sit up high up in the trees,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26making these really peculiar sounds,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28in the hope of trying to find a female.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Cicadas produce their intense noises...
0:14:33 > 0:14:36..with a pair of plates on the bottom of their abdomen.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Now, they vibrate these really quickly
0:14:39 > 0:14:41to produce the intense sounds.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Insects are a vital part of the forest food chain.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Small animals like these are prey for larger predators.
0:14:56 > 0:14:57Urgh!
0:14:59 > 0:15:01This...this is a burying beetle.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05These really stink. They stink like a decomposing corpse,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08but they have a really important function.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12So any small animal that dies on the ground down there,
0:15:12 > 0:15:14these find the body and bury it
0:15:14 > 0:15:18and their larvae live on it and that's what they eat.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20So the thing is, if it weren't for creatures like this,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22we'd be ankle-deep in all sorts of corpses.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25INSECTS CHIRP AND BUZZ
0:15:26 > 0:15:29In just one hour, Ross has recorded 50 species.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31And more are coming in every second.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36There are some incredible mimics on this sheet.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39This moth, for example, is mimicking a wasp.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41It does this because all other animals know
0:15:41 > 0:15:43that wasps are dangerous, they have a sting.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48So this strategy keeps this moth safe from its own predators.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52You see that again and again with some of the animals on here.
0:15:54 > 0:15:55And look at this longhorn beetle.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58It will blend in completely.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00You wouldn't see it if it was on the bark of a tree.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02You see, also the weird thing about this one
0:16:02 > 0:16:04are these big pompoms on the antenna.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Now, this is probably used in courtship.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Ross's insect survey is the team's first evidence
0:16:13 > 0:16:15of a rich and diverse forest.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25Back in base camp,
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Justine is keen to find out what the locals know about Salu's wild cats.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Any of these cats...
0:16:35 > 0:16:37We have a golden cat here, this one?
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Any of the other ones?
0:16:40 > 0:16:42TRANSLATION:
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Is it possible, do you think, to film them, though?
0:17:03 > 0:17:06The locals doubt she'll film cats.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09And they also have distressing news about sun bears.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44I'm surprised that things like sun bear are being taken for trade.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49And somewhere quite remote like this, you know, it feels like,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51you know, that this international trade
0:17:51 > 0:17:54is just permeating everywhere globally.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56You know, it's a disease that you just can't escape.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02The team's survey may be too little, too late.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17ANIMALS WHOOP AND CHIRP
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Next morning, the team sets out with a new sense of urgency.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37The forest is already under threat.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40The more species they can find, the better their chance
0:18:40 > 0:18:42of getting it protected.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58If poachers ARE hunting sun bears here,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Gordon's search may be doomed.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03These shy and persecuted creatures could already be gone.
0:19:05 > 0:19:06Only the camera traps will tell.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Look at this hog badger here.
0:19:11 > 0:19:12He's a generalist
0:19:12 > 0:19:14rather than a specialist.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16He will eat practically anything.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20He'll be eating insects, he'll be eating reptiles and amphibians
0:19:20 > 0:19:22if he can find them.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24He'll eat small mammals if he can get hold of them.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Very strange-looking animal.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30It's a kind of tropical slant on a very familiar-looking creature.
0:19:32 > 0:19:33What's that?
0:19:33 > 0:19:35Oh, look!
0:19:35 > 0:19:36A sun bear!
0:19:36 > 0:19:40That...is...amazing!
0:19:48 > 0:19:51There is still at least one bear here.
0:19:52 > 0:19:53Gordon is on the right track.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06This animal spends its entire waking life looking for insects,
0:20:06 > 0:20:10looking for honey, looking for fruit. And you only get that fruit
0:20:10 > 0:20:14and that honey and those insects in places that are intact.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19I've actually looked for these bears many times before
0:20:19 > 0:20:22and I've never ever seen one.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26The sun bear
0:20:26 > 0:20:30has this cryptic character that has never really properly
0:20:30 > 0:20:31been caught on film.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Much of their life is still a mystery.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38So to catch a brief glimpse of a sun bear
0:20:38 > 0:20:41is really very, very special indeed.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Sun bears are rapidly disappearing from Asia.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Their forest habitat is vanishing.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Poachers are hunting them.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00This bear is Gordon's first success,
0:21:00 > 0:21:02but he still has work to do.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09He needs to find evidence that there's a population of bears here.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17While Gordon continues his search on the ridge,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20two miles south, Justine scours the valley.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26This thing's very funny. It just explodes.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Justine is still looking for wild cats.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Lots of animals come to drink at the river.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41The cats come here to hunt them.
0:21:41 > 0:21:46If she waits long enough, she may catch them on film.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50The good thing is, it's the dry season,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53so this river will attract a lot of animals
0:21:53 > 0:21:57coming off the hills, especially at night when it's cooler,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00or first thing in the morning, last thing at night.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05Now she must wait. She'll stay here for four days.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08You do need quite a long time in the hide,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11because everything has to settle down.
0:22:11 > 0:22:12You've got to get quiet
0:22:12 > 0:22:17and then everything that I may have disturbed coming in here
0:22:17 > 0:22:20has to sort of calm down and want to come back.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23With all of you lot leaving, that will be really helpful,
0:22:23 > 0:22:27because things might get the idea that the human commotion
0:22:27 > 0:22:30has all gone, left back downriver.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34Cats are nocturnal.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Justine must switch her body clock
0:22:37 > 0:22:38and be primed for nightfall.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53At the moment, it's really quiet out there. I could hear a pin drop.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Justine knows she must stay alert night after night.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04And be prepared for her mind to play tricks on her.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06WATER GURGLES
0:23:06 > 0:23:10The sound of the river makes an ever-changing sound
0:23:10 > 0:23:14and sometimes it sounds like something completely different,
0:23:14 > 0:23:19like voices or somebody creeping up to the hide.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21It can get quite spooky.
0:23:24 > 0:23:25Justine settles in for a long wait.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Back in base camp,
0:23:38 > 0:23:40the science team is making progress.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43They're cataloguing several species an hour.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50For Darrin, that means regularly checking his pitfall trap line.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Big spider.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02And it's big and I don't want to mess with that!
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Urgh! There.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07Look at that.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11I've got a nice centipede. Wow, they're fast! Whoo-oh-oh!
0:24:15 > 0:24:17OK, look at this.
0:24:17 > 0:24:18Wow.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22I think what we've got here is a snake.
0:24:22 > 0:24:23In fact, I know it's a snake,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25but it looks like
0:24:25 > 0:24:29a very rare kind of snake called a blind snake
0:24:29 > 0:24:31and they're usually underground
0:24:31 > 0:24:34and I think because we did a lot of digging here,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36we may have disturbed its burrow and chased it
0:24:36 > 0:24:40up on the ground and caught it in this pitfall trap.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44I am pretty excited about this, because although I study mammals
0:24:44 > 0:24:46and small mammals in particular,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49I happen to know that this is a spectacular find.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Blind snakes, burrowing snakes, you just don't find them
0:24:52 > 0:24:54unless you really do a lot of digging.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56And we got very lucky, I think.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Um...
0:24:58 > 0:25:03I can't remember if these guys are venomous or not,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06so I want to put my glove on
0:25:06 > 0:25:10and I'm going to collect it and show it to Ross.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Wow, look at that thing! All right, here we go.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14In it goes.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16I don't want to lose it.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Got it in and I got it covered. Pow!
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Hey, Ross, I got something for you!
0:25:22 > 0:25:26- What is it? In a tin? - Wait till you see this.
0:25:26 > 0:25:27That looks foreboding.
0:25:31 > 0:25:32Hang on.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Do you want something to open it with?
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Uh, yeah, here.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Oh, my word! Oh, it's one of the blind snakes!
0:25:39 > 0:25:41- Yep. - Oh, my word, that's fantastic!
0:25:41 > 0:25:44- Isn't it incredible?- Yeah, yeah, I've never seen one.- No.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47- Are these venomous?- No, no, no, no. - Look at that, right?
0:25:47 > 0:25:50- These are really difficult to find. - I know. They're underground.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53- Yeah, yeah.- Are they blind? - Yeah, almost completely blind.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Almost completely blind.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57So I think they just rely on just touch, really,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00and maybe vibrations in the soil.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06These things are very similar to the ancestors
0:26:06 > 0:26:08of all the living snakes.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11You'd see that... You'd think that was an earthworm, wouldn't you?
0:26:11 > 0:26:13- Right, it looks very worm-like. - Yeah, yeah.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Look at the way this is moving here. I mean, it's difficult
0:26:16 > 0:26:18to make out which is the head and which is the tail.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22You know, I think this to me looks like some form of defence.
0:26:22 > 0:26:23I know this is an amazing find,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26but just how amazing is it? I mean how...?
0:26:26 > 0:26:29So little is known about these reptiles.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33I mean, you could find individual species that are restricted
0:26:33 > 0:26:36to individual valley systems like we are in at the moment,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39so there's every possibility this could be unknown to science.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42- That's a brilliant find.- I know, it's great.- Awesome, yeah.
0:26:42 > 0:26:43Yeah, that's the best.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Yeah, that's the best thing I've seen so far.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Unique creatures like this snake can only survive
0:26:50 > 0:26:53if Burma chooses to save its forests.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Finding species new to science
0:27:04 > 0:27:06is a key part of the team's mission.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13And after four days, the list is already looking strong.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18I don't like using the word "cute", but that is cute!
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Up on the ridge, Gordon is still searching for proof
0:27:31 > 0:27:34there's a breeding population of sun bears here.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47Rather worryingly, there's a fire that's sprung up
0:27:47 > 0:27:48just off this side of the ridge.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51CRACKLING AND POPPING
0:27:51 > 0:27:52You can hear it crackling away.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55That's all the bamboo burning and popping.
0:27:57 > 0:27:58That's not good.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01The wildlife will be able to hear that popping,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04they'll be able to smell the smoke that's drifting through
0:28:04 > 0:28:07and they may well have headed out of this area,
0:28:07 > 0:28:08but I think...
0:28:08 > 0:28:11I don't know. I think it's worth taking the risk
0:28:11 > 0:28:14and just hoping that the fire skirts round this side
0:28:14 > 0:28:16and that there are still some animals up here.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29That is not good. OK.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Whoa!
0:28:32 > 0:28:34That's going to cut us off.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Right, quite seriously, we're going to have to move pretty sharpish.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49We're heading back to base camp
0:28:49 > 0:28:52and the fire seems to be blocking our way.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55It's to the right, ahead of us and to the left of us,
0:28:55 > 0:28:57so I just want to move
0:28:57 > 0:29:00at least so I can see the flames and see if we can get past.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05Oh, look at this. This is all completely gone.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07Jeez!
0:29:11 > 0:29:14OK, it's right here. Let's move off the path.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17We're kind of blocked in here. Um...
0:29:17 > 0:29:19BLEEP
0:29:22 > 0:29:23We've got fire in front of us
0:29:23 > 0:29:25and then fire here and then fire behind us.
0:29:29 > 0:29:30BLEEP
0:29:30 > 0:29:32This way, this way.
0:29:38 > 0:29:43Actually, this is... this is a safe zone.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47It's already been torched,
0:29:47 > 0:29:49so the fire's not going to come through here
0:29:49 > 0:29:52and I think it's... I think it's behind us.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56It's just clouds of smoke and burnt bamboo floating up through the air.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03And that's the big danger... Some of those bits of bamboo
0:30:03 > 0:30:06will be alight and they drop somewhere
0:30:06 > 0:30:09and ignite a whole other part of the forest.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12That's why it's so dangerous. That's why we've got to get off here.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17The fire will drive all the animals off the ridge.
0:30:25 > 0:30:26In many parts of Asia,
0:30:26 > 0:30:29hunters set fires to catch rare species
0:30:29 > 0:30:31for the illegal wildlife trade.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39This fire could have started naturally.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41It could have been started by poachers.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46On this side, you can hear the fire burning away,
0:30:46 > 0:30:48wood cracking and popping.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53On this side, you can hear
0:30:53 > 0:30:56all the noises of the jungle - insects and birds.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58CHIRPING AND BUZZING
0:30:58 > 0:31:02You look out over this landscape, it's all green and serene
0:31:02 > 0:31:03and on this side,
0:31:03 > 0:31:07you've got a fire that is hungry and consuming the forest.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10And this is kind of where Burma stands at the moment.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13This is Burma as it is at the moment,
0:31:13 > 0:31:14and this is the rest of the world,
0:31:14 > 0:31:18hungry and consuming, wanting to eat up these forests.
0:31:30 > 0:31:35Less than a mile away, down in the valley, life goes on undisturbed.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45Another day is over. The science team takes stock of their progress.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50So far they have found 100 species,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53and two that are potentially new to science.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58- Is this from a dung beetle? - It is, yeah, yeah.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01This is a... I think it's a dung ball
0:32:01 > 0:32:03made by one of the elephant dung beetles.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06Inside, though, I think there's either a larva or a pupa
0:32:06 > 0:32:08of the dung beetle.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11That's a beauty, isn't it? Fantastic little thing.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15And what about these black tips here on the fingers?
0:32:15 > 0:32:18I don't know. I've never seen it on a toad before,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20but they feel almost a bit like claws, don't they?
0:32:20 > 0:32:23Identifying animals in the field is hard,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25so compiling the finished list will take time,
0:32:25 > 0:32:27but the team's spirit is high.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Exciting.
0:32:31 > 0:32:32So this is a false vampire bat?
0:32:32 > 0:32:34Yeah, false vampire bat.
0:32:34 > 0:32:35OK.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37It feeds on small mammals,
0:32:37 > 0:32:41fishes and large insects.
0:32:41 > 0:32:42- Oh, really?- Yes.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45Darrin also has a new mammal to add to the list.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51- You know what that is? - No. Some manner of rat?
0:32:51 > 0:32:53It's a bamboo rat. I've seen bamboo rats,
0:32:53 > 0:32:56but this is the lesser bamboo rat
0:32:56 > 0:32:59and it's about half the size of the ones that I've seen.
0:32:59 > 0:33:00- Half the size?- Yeah, yeah.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04This is a very small species of bamboo rat
0:33:04 > 0:33:06and I've never seen these before
0:33:06 > 0:33:08and I was hoping to find one here, and I have.
0:33:10 > 0:33:11I don't know what he was doing.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14Normally they're underground during the day.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16They burrow under bamboo
0:33:16 > 0:33:17and they feed on bamboo roots
0:33:17 > 0:33:19and usually only come out at night.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22It's quite chunky as well, isn't it?
0:33:22 > 0:33:26They have massive heads and the reason why their head is so big is
0:33:26 > 0:33:28it's almost all muscle,
0:33:28 > 0:33:31which is used to power those jaws for digging.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34They can close the skin behind their front teeth
0:33:34 > 0:33:39and they can actually dig without ingesting any of the dirt.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42You see they have small ears, which are almost completely buried,
0:33:42 > 0:33:43buried in their fur.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45They have very tiny, tiny eyes,
0:33:45 > 0:33:47because they don't need them underground.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49Looks like a massive hamster.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51That's what it looks like!
0:33:59 > 0:34:03Upriver, Justine is not having so much luck.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05She's spent two days in her hide,
0:34:05 > 0:34:07but seen no cats at all.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26It's the middle of the night
0:34:26 > 0:34:29and I'm finding it very hard to stay awake now.
0:34:29 > 0:34:30Nothing has been going on.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32I haven't seen anything.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36And the chances of me seeing something just sitting here
0:34:36 > 0:34:38is quite unlikely,
0:34:38 > 0:34:39so maybe it's more of a job
0:34:39 > 0:34:43for camera traps that can sit out there for 24 hours a day
0:34:43 > 0:34:45without feeling tired like I am now.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00The next day,
0:35:00 > 0:35:02news of the ridge fire spreads.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05Gordon calls an emergency meeting.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09If the fire was started deliberately,
0:35:09 > 0:35:13Salu's forests are in more danger than anyone thought.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15Gordon wants to investigate.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23Justine will take over Gordon's hunt for breeding sun bears
0:35:23 > 0:35:25as well as searching for her cats.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28That means setting more camera traps -
0:35:28 > 0:35:3020 of them.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32With just five days left,
0:35:32 > 0:35:35the science team must work even harder
0:35:35 > 0:35:38to make sure the survey is as complete as possible.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54Gordon leaves base camp to visit the region's head monk.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05SOFT CHANTING
0:36:06 > 0:36:09Buddhist monks play a vital role in the community here.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21Gordon is hoping for information on the fires and hunting in Salu.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33How many years have you been living here?
0:36:33 > 0:36:35SPEAKS IN DIALECT
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Five years. So with your religion,
0:36:37 > 0:36:39what's your attitude
0:36:39 > 0:36:42towards the wild animals that are living in the forest?
0:36:42 > 0:36:45TRANSLATION:
0:37:00 > 0:37:04On some of the ridges, you can see the smoke and fire.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06Do you know where those fires come from?
0:37:32 > 0:37:35It seems almost certain the fire was started by hunters.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39Gordon leaves with a new mission -
0:37:39 > 0:37:42to find out how widespread the animal trade has become.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49Back at base camp, the survey team has work to do.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Look at that. The colours on these are just amazing.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07So far, they've recorded 150 bird species
0:38:07 > 0:38:09within a few hundred yards of camp.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12And they're still finding more.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25Some, like the pied hornbill,
0:38:25 > 0:38:29are a strong indicator of an intact forest.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39It's a result that exceeds everyone's expectations.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Ross is targeting butterflies.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52They're a good measure of the forest's diversity...
0:38:52 > 0:38:53if he can catch them.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03They're so quick!
0:39:05 > 0:39:07Ohhhh!
0:39:15 > 0:39:18See - look at that! That's fantastic. I've never seen this before.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21This has got a crazy defence.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25It's pushed these huge plumes out of its abdomen.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27It looks like two big pompoms.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30So these look like hugely specialised anal glands that are...
0:39:30 > 0:39:33They must be emitting some really noxious odour.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35So if anything tries to attack this,
0:39:35 > 0:39:38it's going to get a nose full of whatever's being disseminated
0:39:38 > 0:39:39by these plumes here.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43And it's got these distinctive white spots on the thorax
0:39:43 > 0:39:45and around the head.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47These all suggest that this is going to be pretty noxious,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50so if anything tries to eat these, it's going to be really distasteful
0:39:50 > 0:39:51and perhaps even poisonous.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53They're quite difficult to catch,
0:39:53 > 0:39:55so I'm pleased to have actually snagged one at last.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01Ross is finding a wide diversity of butterflies.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04There is a huge population of them here.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10Now these ones... This is interesting.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13When it's resting on the ground, it mimics a dead leaf.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16That's fantastic camouflage.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18You can even see on the hind wings here
0:40:18 > 0:40:21what looks like the stalk of a dead leaf.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Just the patterning all over the leaf.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27You even get spots, what look like fungal spots, on these.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29That's fantastic mimicry.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Look at that.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41Now this one, believe it or not,
0:40:41 > 0:40:47makes its predators think that its tail is actually its head,
0:40:47 > 0:40:49because it's got false eye spots
0:40:49 > 0:40:51and an also false antenna here.
0:40:53 > 0:40:54Now, a predator sees these
0:40:54 > 0:40:56and if it does attack,
0:40:56 > 0:40:57it might go for the tail,
0:40:57 > 0:40:59which can be sacrificed,
0:40:59 > 0:41:00instead of the head.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02This is a really good little find.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05In just 10 days,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08Ross has recorded over 300 insect species.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16Proof that this forest supports a rich web of life.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34But one vital element of the survey is still missing.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37The wild cats.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49Justine has made no progress.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52It's possible the cats have already been hunted out of the forest.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58All their hopes are pinned on the camera traps.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04All right, and what have we got here? Wow, look at that!
0:42:04 > 0:42:07That's a water monitor, isn't it? That's huge.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09It looks like at least...
0:42:09 > 0:42:11These roots here.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13- ..six foot?- Yeah.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Could be, to the tip of its tail.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Five. Yeah. All right, a civet.
0:42:18 > 0:42:19He's lovely.
0:42:19 > 0:42:20It's a large, large Indian.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23It's got very distinct markings on the neck and the tail.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26So would they be eating rodents and that sort of thing?
0:42:26 > 0:42:30- It'd be eating whatever they... whatever they can eat.- Yeah.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33The cameras reveal a rich food chain.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37There's plenty of prey for cats,
0:42:37 > 0:42:40but so far, there's no evidence they're here.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47We haven't seen any cats on the camera traps yet,
0:42:47 > 0:42:50- but they must be out there. - Yeah, yeah, I agree.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00Cats are top predators.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02They perform an important role
0:43:02 > 0:43:03in the forest ecosystem.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07Without them, the balance of life here will be affected.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17If hunters have already wiped out some of Salu's rarest animals,
0:43:17 > 0:43:20the forest's future is uncertain.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Following his conversation with the monk,
0:43:30 > 0:43:34Gordon wants to find out how badly Burma's forests
0:43:34 > 0:43:36are being hit by illegal hunting.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39He's come to a notorious border town to investigate.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45I do feel really nervous about coming here.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49This is called Special Region 4.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51It's a five-square-mile patch
0:43:51 > 0:43:55that is run by militia army, Chinese gangs,
0:43:55 > 0:43:58and it's a place without Burmese law
0:43:58 > 0:44:01and no international law here.
0:44:03 > 0:44:04Gordon is in Mong La,
0:44:04 > 0:44:07near the borders with Laos, Thailand and China.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11It's thought to be one of the major centres of wildlife trade in Asia.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18And Burma's forests provide its main supplies.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23The demand for illegal wildlife
0:44:23 > 0:44:27is very much a black hole when it comes to all sorts of animals.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30Animals that are used in traditional medicines.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34There's lots of beliefs about the properties that tiger bones,
0:44:34 > 0:44:36tiger skins, lots of other wildlife have
0:44:36 > 0:44:40in Chinese traditional medicine...
0:44:40 > 0:44:43and most of it's absolutely bogus.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46What I really want to find is just evidence
0:44:46 > 0:44:50of protected species being traded in the market down here.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55It wouldn't be safe to film openly,
0:44:55 > 0:44:57so Gordon and the producer wear hidden cameras.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04You can buy almost anything in this market.
0:45:04 > 0:45:06Stalls of fruit and vegetables
0:45:06 > 0:45:09sit next to live forest animals being sold as food.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19Are they leopard?
0:45:21 > 0:45:22What is it - leopard?
0:45:25 > 0:45:28Hmm. Wow.
0:45:32 > 0:45:33How much is it?
0:45:37 > 0:45:39What's that?
0:45:43 > 0:45:46Oh, elephant. Oh, that's a trunk.
0:45:49 > 0:45:50Jeez.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56That's really shocking to see carved-up bits of elephant.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59Really shocking. I mean, it's shocking to see all of it,
0:45:59 > 0:46:00but I think maybe just something...
0:46:00 > 0:46:06Yeah, you don't expect to see an elephant hacked to pieces
0:46:06 > 0:46:10and showing up in the market, sold off in...little slabs.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12Now, a lot of these sort of bones,
0:46:12 > 0:46:14the skulls of cats here,
0:46:14 > 0:46:16bear skulls in there...
0:46:16 > 0:46:18There's all these little skeletons.
0:46:18 > 0:46:19God knows what they are.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23When you think of this kind of illegal trade in endangered animals,
0:46:23 > 0:46:25you think it's all kind of completely undercover,
0:46:25 > 0:46:28but it's not - it's completely out in the open here.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30It's as usual to see tiger parts
0:46:30 > 0:46:34as it is to see fruit and vegetables being bought and sold.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36These things are bear...
0:46:36 > 0:46:37bear gall bladder.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40Oh, it's like these things can cure some...
0:46:41 > 0:46:43..some kind of ailment.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46A lot of it, it's just about you taking on the power
0:46:46 > 0:46:49of the animal you're consuming.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56It's just an absolute orgy of animal parts.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00You know, this is like every single...
0:47:00 > 0:47:01every single living thing
0:47:01 > 0:47:05that we see in the forest can show up here...dead.
0:47:05 > 0:47:07And there's everything, absolutely...
0:47:07 > 0:47:10You know, there's not a single species
0:47:10 > 0:47:14that isn't represented here in some way, shape or form.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17It just really is so depressing.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26Further undercover filming reveals an Asiatic black bear factory.
0:47:28 > 0:47:32The owners siphon bile from their gall bladders twice every day.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37A kilo of bile can sell for over 2,500 dollars,
0:47:37 > 0:47:39for use in Chinese medicine.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42It's a booming business.
0:47:57 > 0:48:01To supply this demand, they've got to actually search a vast area.
0:48:01 > 0:48:07So pretty much, I'd say all of Burma is suffering because of this market.
0:48:07 > 0:48:08It's not like growing vegetables,
0:48:08 > 0:48:10it's not manufacturing cakes and sweets.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12This is a kind of limited resource
0:48:12 > 0:48:15and many of these animals are on the very edge of extinction.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17There's absolutely no way...
0:48:17 > 0:48:19It's so depressing, because there's no way
0:48:19 > 0:48:21that some of these animals will sustain that.
0:48:21 > 0:48:22But it just seems...
0:48:22 > 0:48:28such a kind of monumental waste of... of life.
0:48:31 > 0:48:33Demand for animal products in Asia is increasing
0:48:33 > 0:48:37and the rarer the animal, the more valuable it becomes.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41Burma's forests will need rigorous protection
0:48:41 > 0:48:43if their wildlife is to survive.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55But the forests of Salu
0:48:55 > 0:48:58are isolated and hard to reach.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00Here, there's still hope.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15The survey has already revealed a dazzling array of species.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19But now, with only one day left,
0:49:19 > 0:49:21Justine's mission is still in doubt.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25She needs proof that Gordon's sun bears are breeding.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33- Justine.- What have you got?
0:49:33 > 0:49:35Yeah, here are some footprints of sun bear.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37Ah, these are sun bear?
0:49:37 > 0:49:39Here is the hind leg.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41You can see the pad there,
0:49:41 > 0:49:44the length and the toes.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47- And there's a left and there's a right.- Mm-hm.- Yeah.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52It's a promising sign, but she's no closer to proving
0:49:52 > 0:49:54there's a population of sun bears here.
0:49:58 > 0:50:00And she still hasn't found her wild cats.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08She heads out to make one final round of the cameras.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12In the forest near base camp,
0:50:12 > 0:50:15Darrin is checking his pitfall traps for the last time.
0:50:25 > 0:50:26OK.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31Oh, whoa, look at that!
0:50:31 > 0:50:33Right under the leaf! There's a shrew.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36And this is one of the bigger shrews.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38They could get half that size,
0:50:38 > 0:50:41less than half that size. This one's fairly big.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43They're not rodents. They're not mice.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45They have lots of teeth,
0:50:45 > 0:50:49but they're a tiny little predator that's hunting insects.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51They have such a high metabolism
0:50:51 > 0:50:53that they really need to eat every few hours.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56They need to eat constantly. They wake up in the night,
0:50:56 > 0:50:58they wake up during the day.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00They're going where the insects are.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05It's not a species Darrin has encountered before.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07It could even be new to science.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11It's impossible to know what species it is.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13Very easily, it could be something new.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16And actually, of all of the mammals that I've seen here,
0:51:16 > 0:51:20this is the most likely to be something completely unknown.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23I just want to get a little close to this bucket
0:51:23 > 0:51:27and I just want to take this all in. I just want to watch this guy.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30This is worth all of the effort of putting these pitfall traps in.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36Finding a potential new mammal species
0:51:36 > 0:51:38is very rare in the modern world.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47It highlights how important these forests could be.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54When we first came here, all we had was a blank page.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56We didn't have an idea of what wildlife was going to be found.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59But look at this now - this massive list of different animals.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02Mammals alone, we've seen just over 30 species.
0:52:02 > 0:52:04Birds, just over 150.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07Then a huge number of different arthropods -
0:52:07 > 0:52:10you know, insects and spiders, that sort of thing.
0:52:10 > 0:52:11It's a really good diversity of things.
0:52:11 > 0:52:15And I just think, you know, there's so much more to find out here.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17You could spend months or even years in places like this,
0:52:17 > 0:52:19just documenting the wildlife.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23The team has proof the forest is diverse.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26But, without evidence of breeding sun bears,
0:52:26 > 0:52:29clouded leopards and golden cats,
0:52:29 > 0:52:32their survey may not make a strong enough impact
0:52:32 > 0:52:34with Burma's policy makers.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53It's the team's final night in Salu.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56Justine gathers the locals
0:52:56 > 0:52:58to watch the last of the remote camera footage.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05It's a rare opportunity for them
0:53:05 > 0:53:07to see the animals they share the forest with.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13Look!
0:53:13 > 0:53:17One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight...
0:53:17 > 0:53:18nine...
0:53:18 > 0:53:21ten, 11...
0:53:21 > 0:53:22Another one!
0:53:22 > 0:53:2412.
0:53:24 > 0:53:25Ah, look!
0:53:27 > 0:53:29See?
0:53:29 > 0:53:32EXCITED CHAT AND LAUGHTER
0:53:37 > 0:53:39Macaques.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43They just love the macaques! They just think they're the funniest.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45Oh, wild dog.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47Dhole, dhole.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50I mean, we've got the dhole here and one's just lying on the path.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52The other one's trying to bite the camera trap!
0:53:52 > 0:53:54And it's...
0:53:56 > 0:53:58You're just seeing a pack at work.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04Like the cats, dholes are top predators.
0:54:04 > 0:54:09If they can live here, perhaps the cats can too.
0:54:09 > 0:54:10Oh, it's having a good go!
0:54:10 > 0:54:12- And it's... - SHE GROWLS
0:54:12 > 0:54:14..biting it.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18They're incredibly inquisitive, aren't they?
0:54:18 > 0:54:20LAUGHTER
0:54:23 > 0:54:25Oh! Oh, look!
0:54:26 > 0:54:28Golden cat.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31He's beautiful.
0:54:31 > 0:54:35At last, the moment Justine has been hoping for.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37An endangered Asian golden cat.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44Do they think...? Do you think it's a tiger?
0:54:44 > 0:54:48No, no. Golden cat, yeah.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52Also known as the fire tiger,
0:54:52 > 0:54:55many revere it as the protector of the forest.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07Yeah, they're beautiful. The white tip on its tail.
0:55:07 > 0:55:08Isn't it pretty?
0:55:11 > 0:55:13Oh!
0:55:13 > 0:55:15Ooh! Clouded leopard.
0:55:19 > 0:55:20Mmm.
0:55:29 > 0:55:30Aaah!
0:55:41 > 0:55:43Clouded leopards are rarely seen,
0:55:43 > 0:55:45let alone filmed.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48They are fast vanishing from the rest of Asia.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58Has anyone seen one before?
0:55:58 > 0:56:00No, they've never seen it.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02No?
0:56:05 > 0:56:07Two of Asia's rarest cats,
0:56:07 > 0:56:10caught on film in a single forest.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18Animals in desperate need of protection.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26It's a powerful addition to the survey.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31But the camera traps
0:56:31 > 0:56:32have another surprise in store.
0:56:34 > 0:56:35Oh!
0:56:35 > 0:56:36Two sun bear!
0:56:36 > 0:56:39Two together.
0:56:39 > 0:56:43Is that a male and a female?
0:56:43 > 0:56:44He's turned around to look at the camera.
0:56:47 > 0:56:50Finding a pair of sun bears is crucial evidence
0:56:50 > 0:56:52that they're breeding.
0:56:52 > 0:56:55Perhaps in these forests, there is hope.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06The team has documented some of Asia's rarest animals.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12They have proved that Salu's forests are rich,
0:57:12 > 0:57:13diverse,
0:57:13 > 0:57:15and in need of protection.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21And they have seen first-hand the dangers
0:57:21 > 0:57:23the forests face.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27The most important thing about this place is that it is intact,
0:57:27 > 0:57:31it's special, it is so very precious
0:57:31 > 0:57:33and it needs to be protected.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36Elsewhere in Asia, habitats are shrinking,
0:57:36 > 0:57:39species are being lost at an alarming rate.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42If we want those species to survive into the future,
0:57:42 > 0:57:44we need to provide them a home.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50The richness of Salu is no longer in question.
0:57:51 > 0:57:53Its future is.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03Next time, the team embarks on its final mission -
0:58:03 > 0:58:06the search for the most iconic animal of them all...
0:58:06 > 0:58:08the tiger.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12HE SPEAKS IN DIALECT
0:58:12 > 0:58:14Is he saying that he saw it?
0:58:14 > 0:58:18These guys have seen a tiger walking through their camp last night.
0:58:18 > 0:58:20That is...that's amazing!
0:58:31 > 0:58:33Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd