1 00:00:01,700 --> 00:00:05,560 WATER SPLASHES I've just caught a baby crocodile. 2 00:00:05,560 --> 00:00:07,960 CROCODILE SQUEAKS Well, I never expected to see 3 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:09,120 such a thing in my life. 4 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,600 I've always loved the natural world. 5 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:17,400 I'm constantly planting trees in my garden. 6 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:22,680 And recently, I adopted three orphan orangutans in Borneo. 7 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,600 So when the opportunity came along to combine my passions, 8 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:29,360 I leapt at the chance. 9 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:30,880 WOMAN CHUCKLES 10 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,640 Now I'm going on a jungle adventure to Borneo, 11 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:38,040 to one of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world... 12 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,320 It is spectacular. 13 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:42,880 ..to explore the astonishing wildlife 14 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:46,200 that flourishes in this unique environment... 15 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:49,400 and along its coastline. 16 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,440 From the tallest tropical trees in the world 17 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:54,840 to life in the undergrowth... 18 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,080 Tonight, Matthew, I'm going to be dung beetle. 19 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:00,360 ..and everything in between. 20 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:06,880 I'll meet the orangutans I love in their jungle home 21 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:09,720 and in a centre that cares for orphans. 22 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:14,160 Aww. Please hold my hand. 23 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,040 From the most extraordinary creatures... 24 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:18,960 No, you can't have the whole wrist. 25 00:01:18,960 --> 00:01:21,760 ..to the smallest and deadliest. Ooh, ooh! 26 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,080 MAN: Hold, he's going for your jugular, let me get him. 27 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:25,480 Oh. MAN CHUCKLES 28 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:27,840 There. From the scariest... 29 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:29,600 CROCODILE GROWLS 30 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:34,360 ..to the most spectacular... 31 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:36,160 GASPS WHISPERS: Look at that bat. 32 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:38,880 ..I'll discover how each of them 33 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,200 has a key role to play in this wonderful place. 34 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:45,960 And I'll meet the people fighting to restore the forest... 35 00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:48,880 from the damage that's being done. 36 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:50,400 People call me Papa Bear. 37 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,480 I raise bear cubs, you know. Is it true? Papa Bear? 38 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:57,160 I'll help to reintroduce orphans back into the wild. 39 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:03,000 All these creatures are doing extraordinary things for us. 40 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:07,000 This orangutan up here could be affecting global climate. 41 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:11,120 You're great, my girl. Aww. 42 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:13,920 It's all happening in my Wild Borneo Adventure. 43 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,000 I've travelled 7,000 miles to Borneo, 44 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,240 the world's third largest island, 45 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:29,200 to explore this unique and diverse environment. 46 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:32,800 My jumping off point for my Wild Borneo Adventure is 47 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,360 Kota Kinabalu on the West Coast. 48 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:39,520 It's the gateway to 49 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:44,000 one of the last remaining untouched rainforests in the world. 50 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,400 It is home to a host of wildlife and insects 51 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:52,360 and it's one of the two places on the planet 52 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:54,440 where the orangutan lives. 53 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:58,840 I love these great apes and I can't wait to see one in the wild. 54 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:06,600 I'm here with my chap, conservationist David Mills. 55 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:11,320 I heard not very long ago about the age of the rainforests here. 56 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,720 I mean, they are millions and millions of years old. 57 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:16,120 That'll be thrilling 58 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:20,480 and also, I saw a programme about the destruction of the rainforests, 59 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:22,840 but there is another side to it, 60 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:25,080 the people who are actually conserving it. 61 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:26,320 I long to hear about that. 62 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:28,200 And animals. Lots of animals. The animals? 63 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,000 Orangutan. We're going to see orangutans. 64 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:31,800 Don't forget the hornbills. 65 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:33,760 I like a slow loris myself. And sun bears. 66 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,360 We're going to see the sun bears. SHE GASPS 67 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:40,200 It doesn't get much better than this. Wildlife and champagne. 68 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:43,680 Cheers. HE CHUCKLES 69 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,800 That good? A good couple of these 70 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:52,720 and I'll be anyhow. HE LAUGHS 71 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:55,200 Two more, please, barman. LAUGHTER 72 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:04,480 I'm told that the best way of 73 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:09,120 experiencing the rainforest for the first time is to see it from above. 74 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:11,160 Can't quite believe we're here. 75 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,080 And what we're going to see, what we are going to find out. 76 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:15,840 What we're going to discover. 77 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:20,240 The taxi's here. We have to go. 78 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:32,040 My guide is ecologist Dr Glenn Reynolds. 79 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,400 He's been working here for more than 20 years. 80 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:40,520 We're travelling 125 miles from the coast to the heart of the forest. 81 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:48,600 At first, the landscape is filled with 82 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,480 logged forest and palm oil plantations. 83 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:54,280 Look at this road. So close to us. 84 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:03,760 But after 45 minutes flying... we come to a ridge. 85 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:05,120 GASPS 86 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,240 And the landscape is transformed. 87 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:16,160 It's the start of the jungle and leads to our destination, 88 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,200 Danum Valley. 89 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:20,800 Danum Valley is the finest lowland rainforest 90 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,520 that there is left standing in Southeast Asia. 91 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:29,160 Not only has never been logged, it's not hunted. 92 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,320 There's no settlements anywhere near Danum Valley, 93 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:33,280 which is very, very unusual now. 94 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:42,640 I've heard these forests are old, but I want to know exactly how old. 95 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:44,400 These forests are amongst 96 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,760 the oldest tropical rainforests anywhere on the planet 97 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:51,280 so they're well over 100 million years old. 98 00:05:51,280 --> 00:05:52,760 That's astonishing. 99 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:56,160 Well, it must mean there were dinosaurs here at one time. 100 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:01,080 The very oldest tree's 101 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:04,520 probably around about 1,000 years old, perhaps. 102 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:08,560 But its great age isn't the only thing that's impressing me. 103 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:11,200 I've arrived when the forest is putting on 104 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,400 a particularly impressive show. 105 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:15,280 These trees that you see 106 00:06:15,280 --> 00:06:17,560 that are slightly paler in colour... Yes. 107 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:19,960 ..with sort of a white-ish blush... Yes. 108 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:22,560 ..these are flowering trees. Look at that! 109 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:26,120 These flowering events only occur every ten or more years. 110 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,240 It is spectacular. 111 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:34,840 I never imagined that it's quite so overpowering to look at. 112 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:38,640 It is like flying over broccoli. 113 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:40,600 It's like nothing I've ever seen before. 114 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:46,440 After three quarters of an hour, we reach our destination, 115 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:50,080 the Danum Valley Lodge, our home for the next few days. 116 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:54,520 And from here, we're going to learn about several research projects. 117 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:02,800 I'm hoping to see the creatures 118 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,520 that are unique to this part of the forest. 119 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:11,480 It's so unexplored, that every year new species are being discovered. 120 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:16,200 I know it's going to be tough, with temperatures reaching 42 degrees, 121 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:18,840 and with humidity approaching 90%, 122 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:22,280 but surrounded by exotic animals and wonderful trees, 123 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:24,800 I can't wait to get started. 124 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:42,680 GIBBONS HOOT 125 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:48,880 It's dawn... 126 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:51,800 and the song of the gibbons echoes through the forest. 127 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:57,560 Zoologist Jedediah Brodie 128 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,600 is one of the many scientists I'll be working with, 129 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:02,920 who are experts in their field 130 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:07,880 and he is my guide as we search for the orangutan. 131 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:13,120 WHISPERS: What? Erm... If you look up this way, 132 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:17,640 and the top of this tree, there's a big fern right here, 133 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:20,600 up on the top of that is a big male orangutan. 134 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:21,960 SHE GASPS 135 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:29,200 Orangutan translates as 136 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:33,200 person of the forest, and I can see why. 137 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:38,240 These gentle giants actually share 97% of their DNA with us. 138 00:08:39,560 --> 00:08:41,920 Their numbers have halved recently, 139 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:44,600 they could be extinct by the end of the century. 140 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:49,760 They're very solitary, but they do some really interesting sounds, 141 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:51,000 and I've actually got 142 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:52,440 some recordings here... Oh! 143 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:54,320 ..if you want to hear it. WHISPERS: I'd love it. 144 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:57,440 This is this fellow. 145 00:08:57,440 --> 00:08:59,200 Oh, and his relation. Yes. 146 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,400 OK, tell me what you think this one's doing. 147 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:07,080 ORANGUTAN HUMS, JUDI COPIES, AND JEDEDIAH LAUGHS 148 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,720 Hey, that was a good impression. HUMMING CONTINUES 149 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:13,400 SHE COPIES AND HE LAUGHS 150 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:17,880 Might he answer? You're very good, 151 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:21,080 you're clearly trained in this. So this is called their long call 152 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:23,560 and it's what the big mature males do, 153 00:09:23,560 --> 00:09:26,360 and it's to warn other males, 154 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:27,440 "I'm going that way, 155 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:29,240 you guys get out of the way." Move to one side. 156 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:34,440 And also, if there are females that are receptive, "Come this way." 157 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:36,640 How fantastic! 158 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:37,680 Yeah. 159 00:09:37,680 --> 00:09:39,920 David is joining us to discover 160 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:44,280 how these magnificent creatures are helping to save the planet. 161 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:45,440 You recognise this? 162 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:49,280 I would have said that was a fig, but it's not, is it? 163 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:51,680 It's not a fig. Inside... 164 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:55,560 ..is the white flesh. Ah! 165 00:09:55,560 --> 00:09:59,000 People call this the Queen of fruits, it's just delicious, 166 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:00,400 so would you like to try some? 167 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:01,720 Okey dokey. 168 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:06,920 Ooh. Mmm. 169 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:09,440 How wise. Good. 170 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:10,960 JEDEDIAH CHUCKLES Mmm. 171 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:12,120 How incredible. 172 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:15,320 And then you've got the seed, 173 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:17,080 which then is dispersed 174 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:19,800 by their... Exactly. 175 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,760 Scientists believe that by spreading seeds, 176 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:27,280 it plays a vital part in the growth of these large trees. 177 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:30,920 These trees absorb harmful carbon from the atmosphere. 178 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:35,000 And if the orangutans went, then so would the trees. 179 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,760 It would be the equivalent of 600 million passenger vehicles 180 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:43,400 putting carbon into the atmosphere. So it's potentially a huge effect. 181 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:45,840 So, you know, just this, this orangutan up here, 182 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:49,600 sitting in the tree, munching on fruits and pooping them out 183 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:51,880 could be affecting global climate. 184 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:56,240 He's so relaxed, isn't he? 185 00:10:58,080 --> 00:10:59,360 Takes your breath away. 186 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:32,360 I'll see more of the orangutans later. 187 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:34,200 After such a wonderful encounter, 188 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:39,800 I'm discovering that the rainforest is a constant surprise. 189 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,160 And I'm not alone. 190 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:45,600 My old friend Tony Kirkham, Head of Trees at Kew Gardens, 191 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:46,960 is also here in Borneo. 192 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,920 Like me, he's discovering that every part of the day is special 193 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:57,640 and dusk is no exception. 194 00:11:57,640 --> 00:11:58,800 BIRDS CHIRPING 195 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:04,960 At 6 o'clock sharp, the 6 o'clock cicada starts up. 196 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:06,600 CICADA SIREN 197 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:08,960 You could set your watch by them. 198 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:12,200 But it's only the start of a symphony. 199 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:17,800 I meet Tony just as the orchestra warms up. 200 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:19,000 What do you think that is? 201 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:20,720 Well... 202 00:12:22,680 --> 00:12:24,880 It's a funny noise. It's like a trumpet, isn't it? 203 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:26,880 I've heard it a lot. Yeah. 204 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:28,320 CICADA SIREN There it is. 205 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:31,280 That cannot be somebody rubbing their legs together. 206 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:37,160 If it is, I want to meet them. 207 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:42,400 Yeah, see, it's coming from over there now. 208 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:46,040 And that was just the overture. 209 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:52,880 SQUAWKING What the hell is that? What's that? 210 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:54,360 Hornbill? Eh? 211 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:57,920 Oh! Oh, there! Look at that! 212 00:12:57,920 --> 00:12:58,920 Marvellous. 213 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:02,000 Fantastic. 214 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:07,440 As night falls, the natural symphony builds to a wonderful crescendo, 215 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:10,160 played by a host of insects. 216 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:13,360 Nail cicadas... HIGH-PITCH CRYING 217 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,160 ..grasshoppers... SQUEAKING 218 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:19,000 ..and crickets. CHIRPING 219 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:27,440 This is an extraordinary time, when the forest really comes alive. 220 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:28,920 And that's what I've been waiting for. 221 00:13:58,530 --> 00:14:01,690 I've already been amazed by the rainforest, 222 00:14:01,690 --> 00:14:04,890 but seeing it in daylight is only half the story. 223 00:14:07,290 --> 00:14:11,850 The other half doesn't even come out until night time. 224 00:14:11,850 --> 00:14:14,210 So I've travelled to a research station 225 00:14:14,210 --> 00:14:17,890 to see the nocturnal creatures in action. 226 00:14:17,890 --> 00:14:22,370 Some of its smallest inhabitants are amongst the most important. 227 00:14:22,370 --> 00:14:25,490 But to get up close and personal with these elusive creatures 228 00:14:25,490 --> 00:14:27,690 is almost impossible. 229 00:14:27,690 --> 00:14:32,530 According to naturalist Chien Lee, the only way is to set up a trap. 230 00:14:32,530 --> 00:14:33,930 Isn't that amazing? 231 00:14:33,930 --> 00:14:38,130 But in this one, nobody gets hurt, just a bit dazzled. 232 00:14:40,770 --> 00:14:45,010 It's thought there are about 80,000 different types of insect in Borneo. 233 00:14:45,010 --> 00:14:48,410 About one tenth of the amount on the rest of the planet. 234 00:14:49,770 --> 00:14:53,250 Look at this one right here, this is a, a hawk moth. 235 00:14:54,410 --> 00:14:56,650 And one of the main predators of 236 00:14:56,650 --> 00:14:58,970 all the moths here are bats. Yes. 237 00:14:58,970 --> 00:15:05,250 The hawk moths most ingeniously are actually able to produce ultrasound, 238 00:15:05,250 --> 00:15:09,330 which interferes with the echo location of the calls of the bats. 239 00:15:09,330 --> 00:15:13,090 So that the bats actually lose track of where the moth is. 240 00:15:13,090 --> 00:15:16,890 One of the most impressive creatures in Chien's trap 241 00:15:16,890 --> 00:15:18,370 is the Atlas Beetle. 242 00:15:18,370 --> 00:15:20,410 Oh! SHE GASPS 243 00:15:20,410 --> 00:15:22,930 Oh. He's just clawing on. He clings on. 244 00:15:22,930 --> 00:15:25,450 Yeah, they have these grappling hook-like claws. 245 00:15:25,450 --> 00:15:27,730 Stick. You see that? 246 00:15:27,730 --> 00:15:30,610 Oh, he's beautiful. Careful, they have very sharp claws. 247 00:15:30,610 --> 00:15:32,530 His claws are impressive, 248 00:15:32,530 --> 00:15:35,170 but it's his horns that really steal the show. 249 00:15:35,170 --> 00:15:38,650 They have these long horns to have combat with other males 250 00:15:38,650 --> 00:15:40,450 so they can compete for the female. 251 00:15:40,450 --> 00:15:42,450 And you see that this one, 252 00:15:42,450 --> 00:15:47,250 he's able to scoop up the other male and throw him off of a branch. 253 00:15:47,250 --> 00:15:48,570 Very beautiful thing. 254 00:15:48,570 --> 00:15:50,490 Gosh, very, very beautiful. Yeah. 255 00:15:52,090 --> 00:15:55,850 I've heard the 6 o'clock cicadas, but Chien wants to show me 256 00:15:55,850 --> 00:15:58,730 one of its even noisier cousins. 257 00:15:58,730 --> 00:16:00,170 This is a cicada. Is it? 258 00:16:00,170 --> 00:16:02,370 Oh, we have many, many different kinds of cicadas. 259 00:16:02,370 --> 00:16:04,730 It's only the males that make the noise. 260 00:16:04,730 --> 00:16:06,170 Yes. Listen to this one. 261 00:16:06,170 --> 00:16:09,650 MAKES A BUZZING NOISE Oh! 262 00:16:14,130 --> 00:16:15,330 No. HE LAUGHS 263 00:16:17,330 --> 00:16:19,450 What's he making that sound with? 264 00:16:20,530 --> 00:16:23,370 Two plates right here on the underside 265 00:16:23,370 --> 00:16:26,730 and they actually have muscles to snap these, 266 00:16:26,730 --> 00:16:31,010 like flipping a piece of plastic backwards and forwards. 267 00:16:31,010 --> 00:16:36,530 So cicadas feed on the, the sap of trees 268 00:16:36,530 --> 00:16:39,930 and they suck out all the juices that come out. 269 00:16:39,930 --> 00:16:44,290 But to get rid of the excess fluid, they squirt it out their rear end. 270 00:16:44,290 --> 00:16:47,530 So sometimes if you're standing under a tree with a lot of cicadas, 271 00:16:47,530 --> 00:16:51,250 it feels like it's raining because all that water just comes down. 272 00:16:53,450 --> 00:16:55,490 Oh, I think it's beautiful. 273 00:16:55,490 --> 00:16:57,690 I think it's beautiful. Mm. 274 00:16:57,690 --> 00:16:59,650 CICADA MAKES BUZZING NOISE AGAIN AND HE LAUGHS 275 00:17:01,690 --> 00:17:03,170 He's happy right here. 276 00:17:03,170 --> 00:17:04,890 Another jungle musician 277 00:17:04,890 --> 00:17:08,010 is a super-sized relative of the grasshopper. 278 00:17:08,010 --> 00:17:09,210 The giant katydid. 279 00:17:09,210 --> 00:17:12,970 So they make their sounds by rubbing the top of their wings together 280 00:17:12,970 --> 00:17:15,850 and you can see it happen right here. Oh. 281 00:17:15,850 --> 00:17:17,570 KATYDID MAKES CLICKING SOUND, JUDI GASPS 282 00:17:17,570 --> 00:17:22,170 Oh, he's got me. Spines, yeah. It's OK. 283 00:17:22,170 --> 00:17:24,970 This is a praying mantis. Oh, is he? 284 00:17:24,970 --> 00:17:26,130 Oh. Oh, hello. 285 00:17:26,130 --> 00:17:28,690 Oh, he likes you. 286 00:17:28,690 --> 00:17:30,970 I'm fond of insects, but there is a limit. 287 00:17:30,970 --> 00:17:33,170 All right, he's going for your jugular. 288 00:17:33,170 --> 00:17:34,650 HE LAUGHS 289 00:17:34,650 --> 00:17:38,930 We are rightly worried about losing the orangutans from the rainforest, 290 00:17:38,930 --> 00:17:41,970 but the insects are just as important. 291 00:17:41,970 --> 00:17:43,130 Look at that. 292 00:17:43,130 --> 00:17:45,410 That's translucent, isn't it? 293 00:17:45,410 --> 00:17:47,970 If insects were suddenly wiped out, 294 00:17:47,970 --> 00:17:52,530 the whole ecosystem of the forest would just collapse. 295 00:17:52,530 --> 00:17:54,530 Yeah, they're essential to the rainforest. 296 00:17:54,530 --> 00:17:59,530 I... am completely... at a loss for words. 297 00:18:03,810 --> 00:18:09,850 David and I are keeping a diary of our amazing experiences in Borneo. 298 00:18:09,850 --> 00:18:13,090 But there are so many that it's hard to keep up. 299 00:18:13,090 --> 00:18:15,330 We haven't written today's yet 300 00:18:15,330 --> 00:18:17,490 and so what's today? Sunday. 301 00:18:17,490 --> 00:18:19,090 Sunday, right. 302 00:18:19,090 --> 00:18:20,210 You have to keep asking 303 00:18:20,210 --> 00:18:22,130 what day of the week it is. I have no idea. 304 00:18:22,130 --> 00:18:23,650 No idea. I think it's Sunday. 305 00:18:23,650 --> 00:18:25,850 The noise of the insects... 306 00:18:25,850 --> 00:18:28,770 The 6 o'clock cicada. Yeah, on the dot. 307 00:18:28,770 --> 00:18:34,090 On the dot. But also, you said, "That's our fan making that noise." 308 00:18:34,090 --> 00:18:35,650 I did. And it wasn't. 309 00:18:35,650 --> 00:18:39,130 It was... It was that very, very... 310 00:18:39,130 --> 00:18:42,090 So loud. ..unbelievably loud cicada. 311 00:18:42,090 --> 00:18:44,290 Yeah. With a trumpet under his arm, 312 00:18:44,290 --> 00:18:45,810 I think (!) It was, yeah. 313 00:18:50,730 --> 00:18:52,370 I'll never forget it. 314 00:18:52,370 --> 00:18:55,810 BIRD CHIRPS 315 00:19:01,210 --> 00:19:03,130 I've seen the orangutans and the insects, 316 00:19:03,130 --> 00:19:05,650 but none of them would be here without the trees. 317 00:19:07,130 --> 00:19:10,890 Borneo is home to the largest tropical trees on the planet. 318 00:19:10,890 --> 00:19:13,650 The world's tallest was recently discovered here. 319 00:19:13,650 --> 00:19:16,410 It's more than 330ft tall. 320 00:19:16,410 --> 00:19:19,810 That's nearly twice the height of Nelson's Column. 321 00:19:21,290 --> 00:19:23,650 In order to get close to one of these trees, 322 00:19:23,650 --> 00:19:26,130 I'm travelling deeper into the jungle. 323 00:19:27,610 --> 00:19:30,690 I'm keen for Glenn Reynolds to introduce me to 324 00:19:30,690 --> 00:19:33,610 one of these magnificent specimens. 325 00:19:33,610 --> 00:19:38,210 It's a dipterocarp. A tree with a two-winged seed. 326 00:19:39,370 --> 00:19:42,810 This tree is probably 500 years old. 327 00:19:42,810 --> 00:19:45,050 That is an amazing height. It's tremendous, isn't it? 328 00:19:48,290 --> 00:19:50,570 These buttress roots are characteristic 329 00:19:50,570 --> 00:19:52,970 of, er, of tropical trees. 330 00:19:52,970 --> 00:19:54,690 What you do get in these forests 331 00:19:54,690 --> 00:19:57,050 are these tremendous downdraughts of wind, 332 00:19:57,050 --> 00:20:00,210 these gusts of wind that, er, 333 00:20:00,210 --> 00:20:01,970 that can knock even the largest trees over. 334 00:20:01,970 --> 00:20:07,010 So the rainforest species develop these enormous buttress roots, 335 00:20:07,010 --> 00:20:11,810 which, er, keep the tree upright, so buttress it like a giant cathedral. 336 00:20:13,130 --> 00:20:14,410 Beautiful. 337 00:20:21,850 --> 00:20:25,850 Everything about these trees seems to be gigantic. 338 00:20:25,850 --> 00:20:28,090 These are some dipterocarp seeds. 339 00:20:28,090 --> 00:20:31,370 SHE GASPS Oh, what a beautiful colour! 340 00:20:31,370 --> 00:20:35,130 Aren't they just? So you can see why they're called dipteroarps, 341 00:20:35,130 --> 00:20:37,770 so two, two-winged seed. 342 00:20:37,770 --> 00:20:39,490 HE CHUCKLES So... 343 00:20:39,490 --> 00:20:41,530 Isn't that beautiful? Yeah, isn't it lovely? 344 00:20:41,530 --> 00:20:43,490 So it's a bit like a, sort of a sycamore on acid, 345 00:20:43,490 --> 00:20:44,530 if you like. Yes. 346 00:20:44,530 --> 00:20:46,250 When you thrust these things up in the air, 347 00:20:46,250 --> 00:20:47,410 see if we can get it to do it. 348 00:20:49,130 --> 00:20:52,890 Oh. Down they come with a twirl. 349 00:20:52,890 --> 00:20:55,890 Oh, how amazing! 350 00:21:04,930 --> 00:21:08,330 Glenn tells me these trees contain a treasure 351 00:21:08,330 --> 00:21:12,010 that was once the most-prized resource in Borneo. 352 00:21:12,010 --> 00:21:17,370 One of the other major export crops was this, which is resin. 353 00:21:18,370 --> 00:21:23,210 Resin is a protective liquid that seals trees' wounds 354 00:21:23,210 --> 00:21:27,010 by seeping from the bark and eventually fossilises, 355 00:21:27,010 --> 00:21:28,650 to form a kind of amber. 356 00:21:28,650 --> 00:21:33,170 Resin is used for fillings of teeth, would you believe? 357 00:21:33,170 --> 00:21:35,130 So we've all got a bit of Borneo in us, 358 00:21:35,130 --> 00:21:38,290 if you have got root canal feelings. I have not got quite enough. 359 00:21:38,290 --> 00:21:40,570 HE LAUGHS Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Very unpleasant. 360 00:21:40,570 --> 00:21:43,370 Perhaps you can do a quick... Yeah, I'll try (!) Open up (!) 361 00:21:43,370 --> 00:21:46,450 LAUGHTER This particular species 362 00:21:46,450 --> 00:21:47,570 has a lovely smell. 363 00:21:50,090 --> 00:21:52,050 Oh, I can smell it now. Yeah. 364 00:21:52,050 --> 00:21:54,490 Oh, that's lovely. That's a lovely smell. 365 00:21:54,490 --> 00:21:57,490 Yeah, so you, erm, yeah, so it's used in incense as well. 366 00:21:57,490 --> 00:22:00,250 I was going to say that actually is like incense. 367 00:22:00,250 --> 00:22:02,730 It's rather lovely stuff. 368 00:22:02,730 --> 00:22:05,610 All of a sudden, we're joined by a cheeky fellow 369 00:22:05,610 --> 00:22:08,650 who doesn't seem to be bothered by us at all. 370 00:22:08,650 --> 00:22:10,850 This little chap here is an agamid lizard, 371 00:22:10,850 --> 00:22:13,850 who is sitting there very obligingly. 372 00:22:13,850 --> 00:22:16,130 Doesn't mind, does he? He's obviously in acting. 373 00:22:16,130 --> 00:22:18,730 He's totally unfazed by us, isn't he? 374 00:22:18,730 --> 00:22:20,330 Yeah. He is. Or she. 375 00:22:21,650 --> 00:22:26,290 Many of the animals here see the trees as high-rise apartment blocks 376 00:22:26,290 --> 00:22:28,370 and live on different floors. 377 00:22:28,370 --> 00:22:31,610 These very large trees are incredibly important. 378 00:22:31,610 --> 00:22:34,850 They support a whole range of different species. 379 00:22:34,850 --> 00:22:37,090 What, they're actually living there? Living there. 380 00:22:37,090 --> 00:22:41,130 So ants, termites, earthworms, a range of other invertebrates. 381 00:22:41,130 --> 00:22:43,370 The canopy is very poorly studied 382 00:22:43,370 --> 00:22:45,330 because it's so difficult to get up there. 383 00:22:45,330 --> 00:22:46,890 Erm, but we think that 384 00:22:46,890 --> 00:22:52,890 somewhere between 25 and 30% of the total biodiversity in a rainforest 385 00:22:52,890 --> 00:22:56,330 is up there, so it's incredibly important. 386 00:22:56,330 --> 00:23:02,090 So perhaps later, you might like to have a bit of a closer, closer look. 387 00:23:02,090 --> 00:23:03,970 I'd love to. You mean up there? 388 00:23:03,970 --> 00:23:05,610 Up there. Ooh! 389 00:23:06,930 --> 00:23:08,690 Yes, I would. Super. 390 00:23:10,530 --> 00:23:15,770 Just listen. And just look. It's the straightness of all of them. 391 00:23:15,770 --> 00:23:20,010 All of the trees. And of course, the height. 392 00:23:20,010 --> 00:23:25,890 But it's... simply... well, it takes your breath away. 393 00:23:25,890 --> 00:23:30,330 It's not like anything... I've ever experienced before. 394 00:23:49,690 --> 00:23:52,810 I'm told the tropical rainforest in Borneo 395 00:23:52,810 --> 00:23:55,890 is home to 288 types of mammal, 396 00:23:55,890 --> 00:24:00,490 more than 300 types of bird, and thousands of insects. 397 00:24:00,490 --> 00:24:04,450 It's thought to have more plants and creatures per square mile 398 00:24:04,450 --> 00:24:05,930 than any other place on the planet. 399 00:24:06,970 --> 00:24:09,690 So who clears up after them all? 400 00:24:09,690 --> 00:24:13,970 To find out, I have come to see scientist Eleanor Slade. 401 00:24:13,970 --> 00:24:16,890 So, someone told me this morning 402 00:24:16,890 --> 00:24:19,930 that there was an orangutan somewhere around here. 403 00:24:19,930 --> 00:24:22,610 We're on the trail of the creatures 404 00:24:22,610 --> 00:24:25,570 that are the janitors of the rainforest, 405 00:24:25,570 --> 00:24:27,810 the eccentric dung beetle. 406 00:24:27,810 --> 00:24:29,970 Ah, here we go. 407 00:24:29,970 --> 00:24:32,010 Yeah. There we are. 408 00:24:32,010 --> 00:24:34,650 So these are the rolling dung beetles. 409 00:24:34,650 --> 00:24:38,890 So here you can see him rolling his dung using the back legs. 410 00:24:38,890 --> 00:24:40,770 I know, upside down? Yep. 411 00:24:40,770 --> 00:24:42,130 Facing the wrong way. 412 00:24:44,010 --> 00:24:46,570 Incredible! So whenever they find a dung pile, 413 00:24:46,570 --> 00:24:49,450 like this pile of orangutan dung, 414 00:24:49,450 --> 00:24:52,130 then they fly down and locate it with their antennae, 415 00:24:52,130 --> 00:24:54,770 and then roll their dung ball off. Yes, of course, 416 00:24:54,770 --> 00:24:57,690 you forget that they can fly. Yes. 417 00:24:57,690 --> 00:25:01,170 You think they're just walking all of the time backwards. 418 00:25:01,170 --> 00:25:04,490 They, erm, cut out the ball with their back legs 419 00:25:04,490 --> 00:25:06,930 and shape it into a ball shape. 420 00:25:06,930 --> 00:25:09,370 It's quite... I think they're very, very skilled. 421 00:25:09,370 --> 00:25:12,490 I mean, they're unbelievably strong, aren't they? 422 00:25:12,490 --> 00:25:14,690 Yeah, they're incredibly strong. 423 00:25:14,690 --> 00:25:18,650 So they can move up to 1,000 times their own body weight. 424 00:25:18,650 --> 00:25:20,610 SHE GASPS So that's the equivalent of 425 00:25:20,610 --> 00:25:24,170 six double-decker buses, like if you were, 426 00:25:24,170 --> 00:25:26,970 imagine pushing six double decker buses up a hill, 427 00:25:26,970 --> 00:25:29,450 that's what these guys are doing. 428 00:25:29,450 --> 00:25:32,570 Back at the lodge, Eleanor wants to introduce me 429 00:25:32,570 --> 00:25:35,050 to some more of my new-found friends, 430 00:25:35,050 --> 00:25:37,770 to explain why they bury poo. 431 00:25:37,770 --> 00:25:40,690 This is the biggest dung beetle that we have in Borneo. 432 00:25:40,690 --> 00:25:42,250 Do you want to hold him? Can I? 433 00:25:42,250 --> 00:25:45,210 Yeah. He's, erm, he's quite strong. 434 00:25:45,210 --> 00:25:47,090 Oh, he's very strong. Yeah, he won't hurt you, 435 00:25:47,090 --> 00:25:49,490 he's just trying to bury down. Well, of course he's strong. 436 00:25:49,490 --> 00:25:54,010 These delightful dung beetles aren't just hypomanic cleaners, 437 00:25:54,010 --> 00:25:56,370 there's method in their madness. 438 00:25:56,370 --> 00:25:58,130 So they spend most of their time 439 00:25:58,130 --> 00:26:01,810 actually, erm, underground in the soil, burying their dung balls, 440 00:26:01,810 --> 00:26:04,450 feeding off the dung, and laying their eggs in the dung. 441 00:26:04,450 --> 00:26:06,690 I thought it was always getting rid of something, 442 00:26:06,690 --> 00:26:08,490 I didn't realise it was where he lived. 443 00:26:08,490 --> 00:26:11,130 Yeah, yeah. Or where they lay their eggs. 444 00:26:11,130 --> 00:26:15,610 One of the characteristics of male dung beetles is their horns, 445 00:26:15,610 --> 00:26:18,170 some more ornate than others. 446 00:26:18,170 --> 00:26:20,570 This is my favourite dung beetle here, I think. 447 00:26:20,570 --> 00:26:22,770 Could you pick him out in a crowd, you mean? 448 00:26:22,770 --> 00:26:24,690 Yes. Not this particular one. 449 00:26:24,690 --> 00:26:27,770 This particular one, yes, he's my favourite, he's called Bob. 450 00:26:27,770 --> 00:26:29,050 Yes, of course. 451 00:26:29,050 --> 00:26:31,970 So this one doesn't occur anywhere else in the world. 452 00:26:31,970 --> 00:26:34,770 He's good, Bob, isn't he? I can see why he's your favourite. 453 00:26:34,770 --> 00:26:36,330 Would you like to keep him? I can see, 454 00:26:36,330 --> 00:26:38,330 I can see exactly why he's your favourite. 455 00:26:38,330 --> 00:26:42,210 He seems to really like you. And me, him. 456 00:26:42,210 --> 00:26:43,890 Yes, you can see, once you've seen them, 457 00:26:43,890 --> 00:26:45,610 then they're incredibly charismatic, 458 00:26:45,610 --> 00:26:47,050 and they're kind of cute as well 459 00:26:47,050 --> 00:26:49,330 with their little antennae and their big horns, 460 00:26:49,330 --> 00:26:53,170 but they're also, of course, very, very important for the ecosystems. 461 00:26:53,170 --> 00:26:57,010 By removing the dung, they help increase the nutrients in the soil. 462 00:26:57,010 --> 00:26:58,770 And that means... And they bury it. 463 00:26:58,770 --> 00:26:59,970 Yeah, and then bury it 464 00:26:59,970 --> 00:27:03,770 so the microbes that produce methane can't be active. 465 00:27:03,770 --> 00:27:05,770 So they might actually help with, erm, 466 00:27:05,770 --> 00:27:07,450 with sort of global warming and things. 467 00:27:07,450 --> 00:27:08,850 Tonight, Matthew, I'm going to be 468 00:27:08,850 --> 00:27:11,050 a dung beetle. LAUGHTER 469 00:27:11,050 --> 00:27:15,010 Oh, I like him very, very much. Oh! 470 00:27:15,010 --> 00:27:16,370 Oh, he's gone! He's gone! 471 00:27:16,370 --> 00:27:17,970 ELEANOR CHUCKLES 472 00:27:17,970 --> 00:27:20,370 Is that all right? Yeah, yeah, that's fine. 473 00:27:20,370 --> 00:27:23,850 Will he come back? He might come and visit you. 474 00:27:23,850 --> 00:27:28,730 Bob and his friends are the ultimate rainforest cleaners. 475 00:27:28,730 --> 00:27:31,450 They even make life better for all of us. 476 00:27:31,450 --> 00:27:34,090 Without them, we'd literally be knee-deep in poo. 477 00:27:36,810 --> 00:27:38,810 Well, it's just as well... 478 00:27:38,810 --> 00:27:41,130 they're around. Yeah, it is. 479 00:27:41,130 --> 00:27:42,690 Good heavens. 480 00:27:49,410 --> 00:27:53,490 This jungle is already beyond my wildest dreams. 481 00:27:53,490 --> 00:27:57,770 Around every corner there's always an extraordinary creature. 482 00:27:59,490 --> 00:28:00,690 ELEPHANT BLOWS ITS TRUMPET 483 00:28:02,290 --> 00:28:05,770 But I never guessed what I was going to do next. 484 00:28:15,900 --> 00:28:20,540 Today's the big day. I'm about to ascend into the jungle canopy 485 00:28:20,540 --> 00:28:23,420 with my friend Tony Kirkham. 486 00:28:25,220 --> 00:28:28,420 There are 2km of ropes 487 00:28:28,420 --> 00:28:30,140 in this tree at present. Really? 488 00:28:30,140 --> 00:28:32,940 So they're gonna pull us up. Yeah. 489 00:28:32,940 --> 00:28:34,940 Together, we're going to discover 490 00:28:34,940 --> 00:28:38,580 what goes on in the upper storeys of this multi-layered Eden. 491 00:28:40,900 --> 00:28:44,780 Tony's climbed a lot of trees, but for me, it's a first. 492 00:28:47,740 --> 00:28:51,140 We're being helped by one of the best rope-rigging teams 493 00:28:51,140 --> 00:28:52,660 in southeast Asia. 494 00:28:53,980 --> 00:28:56,820 I know how a Shire horse feels. THEY LAUGH 495 00:28:58,460 --> 00:29:00,260 It's getting pretty exciting. 496 00:29:00,260 --> 00:29:05,300 I'm about to be hauled up a tree that's over 250ft tall... 497 00:29:05,300 --> 00:29:06,900 Are you ready? Here we go. Yeah. 498 00:29:08,100 --> 00:29:09,980 Have fun up there. BOTH: Thank you. 499 00:29:09,980 --> 00:29:12,580 ..that's actually taller than Nelson's Column. 500 00:29:20,100 --> 00:29:25,860 This is where it all goes on. It certainly is. Look at it. 501 00:29:25,860 --> 00:29:28,300 Isn't it amazing? Just look at it. 502 00:29:28,300 --> 00:29:30,100 I haven't even got there yet 503 00:29:30,100 --> 00:29:33,180 and I feel as if I'm entering another world. 504 00:29:33,180 --> 00:29:38,060 Waiting for us in the canopy is scientist Tom Fale. 505 00:29:38,060 --> 00:29:41,300 Right, we're just going to go through some fronds. 506 00:29:41,300 --> 00:29:45,700 Judi... OK. Yes. 507 00:29:45,700 --> 00:29:47,660 Look who's here. I haven't seen anyone for a bit. 508 00:29:47,660 --> 00:29:49,540 Hello. Oh, hi, Tom. 509 00:29:49,540 --> 00:29:52,540 Welcome to the rainforest canopy. TOM LAUGHS 510 00:29:52,540 --> 00:29:55,540 This is amazing, Judi, isn't it... It is beautiful, this. 511 00:29:55,540 --> 00:29:56,820 ..what we're looking at here? 512 00:29:56,820 --> 00:29:58,140 That's right. Incredible. 513 00:29:58,140 --> 00:30:00,740 These ferns are home to most of the animals that live in the canopy. 514 00:30:00,740 --> 00:30:02,340 Beautiful fronds. 515 00:30:02,340 --> 00:30:06,860 The shine on them. And full of bits of... dead foliage. 516 00:30:06,860 --> 00:30:08,780 That's right. This is really valuable habitat 517 00:30:08,780 --> 00:30:10,460 for animals to come and live in. Yeah. 518 00:30:10,460 --> 00:30:12,340 In one single fern, you can have 519 00:30:12,340 --> 00:30:15,460 up to 40,000 individual insects. SHE GASPS 520 00:30:15,460 --> 00:30:18,100 Suddenly now we're getting an entirely different perspective 521 00:30:18,100 --> 00:30:21,020 by coming up from the bottom. 522 00:30:21,020 --> 00:30:23,860 But it's not only insects that live up here. 523 00:30:23,860 --> 00:30:28,140 This is an amazing habitat for lots of different animals. 524 00:30:28,140 --> 00:30:30,900 Looks like the kind of right level... Mm. 525 00:30:30,900 --> 00:30:32,260 ..for the orangutans... Yes. 526 00:30:32,260 --> 00:30:34,460 ..to sit up there and eat... Yes, yes, of course. 527 00:30:34,460 --> 00:30:36,060 Animals that live up in the canopy 528 00:30:36,060 --> 00:30:39,860 can move around between the different trees. Oh, yeah. Yeah. 529 00:30:39,860 --> 00:30:43,620 One of the most unexpected animals is a frog. 530 00:30:43,620 --> 00:30:48,820 The Harlequin Tree Frog spends most of its life above the forest floor. 531 00:30:48,820 --> 00:30:53,540 It has webbed feet that allow it to parachute from tree to tree. 532 00:30:53,540 --> 00:30:56,580 The Draco Lizard rarely reaches the ground. 533 00:30:56,580 --> 00:30:58,540 When it's hunted by a tree snake, 534 00:30:58,540 --> 00:31:03,420 the flaps of skin on its body allow it to glide out of danger. 535 00:31:06,540 --> 00:31:10,260 But perhaps the weirdest of all is the kubong. 536 00:31:10,260 --> 00:31:14,740 It's a gliding mammal that has an enormous blanket of furry skin 537 00:31:14,740 --> 00:31:17,140 that extends like a wing suit. 538 00:31:17,140 --> 00:31:19,980 It can travel 100 yards in one leap. 539 00:31:25,140 --> 00:31:28,460 I feel incredibly privileged. 540 00:31:29,820 --> 00:31:32,580 I feel I know the rainforest quite well now. 541 00:31:32,580 --> 00:31:34,100 TONY AND TOM LAUGH 542 00:31:37,780 --> 00:31:39,940 I'm living up there now. MAN LAUGHS 543 00:31:39,940 --> 00:31:41,100 Spectacular. 544 00:31:42,660 --> 00:31:46,260 Tom wants to show me one of the most surprising creatures 545 00:31:46,260 --> 00:31:49,620 that lives up this tree, but because it's a potential killer, 546 00:31:49,620 --> 00:31:52,260 he's going to show me on the ground. 547 00:31:52,260 --> 00:31:54,500 I want you to take a grip a bit further back 548 00:31:54,500 --> 00:31:56,860 because we don't want her running up my arm. 549 00:31:56,860 --> 00:31:58,940 No. Not your arm. 550 00:31:58,940 --> 00:32:02,340 This centipede injects poison into its victims. 551 00:32:04,540 --> 00:32:08,380 Only a few inches long, it's been known to kill a human being. 552 00:32:08,380 --> 00:32:10,580 No wonder Tom's a bit nervous. 553 00:32:10,580 --> 00:32:13,140 Yes. Ooh, ooh! There you go. 554 00:32:13,140 --> 00:32:17,380 If the centipede is the super villain of the tree fern, 555 00:32:17,380 --> 00:32:20,940 Tom has found an ant that has superhero powers. 556 00:32:20,940 --> 00:32:24,100 What we could call a Spiderman ant 557 00:32:24,100 --> 00:32:26,820 is squirting foam. Oh, yes! 558 00:32:29,020 --> 00:32:31,820 This is to stop other insects from attacking them, 559 00:32:31,820 --> 00:32:34,740 say, another ant colony tries to invade their colony, 560 00:32:34,740 --> 00:32:37,700 they spray them like this and it'll stop them from, 561 00:32:37,700 --> 00:32:40,500 it'll get them all gummed up, stop them from being able to attack. 562 00:32:40,500 --> 00:32:42,900 And that must be highly effective. 563 00:32:42,900 --> 00:32:44,580 Yes, it can completely glue up 564 00:32:44,580 --> 00:32:48,020 any other insect that tries to attack these ants. 565 00:33:14,500 --> 00:33:17,860 All these weird and wonderful animals thrive 566 00:33:17,860 --> 00:33:23,060 in this magical, mysterious forest, but how secure is their future? 567 00:33:23,060 --> 00:33:27,780 Tonight David and I are meeting scientist Greg Asner. 568 00:33:27,780 --> 00:33:30,340 We're at the pictures. Yeah, we're gonna see movie tonight. 569 00:33:31,420 --> 00:33:35,180 He uses planes, packed with the latest technology, 570 00:33:35,180 --> 00:33:37,700 to scan the forest of north Borneo 571 00:33:37,700 --> 00:33:40,380 and reveal it in a completely new way. 572 00:33:42,420 --> 00:33:46,660 This image shows 150 square miles of jungle. 573 00:33:46,660 --> 00:33:49,820 He uses a new kind of high-tech scanner 574 00:33:49,820 --> 00:33:53,260 to reveal just how rich the rainforest is. 575 00:33:54,540 --> 00:33:58,980 Each shade of colour is a different species of tree. 576 00:33:58,980 --> 00:34:03,300 Amazingly, there are 3,000 tree types in Borneo. 577 00:34:06,900 --> 00:34:12,340 Even though tropical rainforests cover only 5% of the planet, 578 00:34:12,340 --> 00:34:16,180 they contain nearly half of all tree species. 579 00:34:16,180 --> 00:34:21,340 It's mind-blowing because we get to see just how diverse this forest is. 580 00:34:21,340 --> 00:34:23,940 Here in Danum Valley, in this area, 581 00:34:23,940 --> 00:34:26,620 we can have 300 species in a single hectare. 582 00:34:26,620 --> 00:34:28,420 SHE GASPS Really? 583 00:34:28,420 --> 00:34:32,860 And to give you an idea, there are about 30 tree species in the UK. 584 00:34:32,860 --> 00:34:34,420 It's... No comparison. 585 00:34:34,420 --> 00:34:37,500 No comparison at all. 586 00:34:37,500 --> 00:34:41,140 But Greg's work also reveals the threat we all face 587 00:34:41,140 --> 00:34:43,420 if we lose the jungle. 588 00:34:43,420 --> 00:34:46,700 Tropical rainforests hoover up harmful carbon 589 00:34:46,700 --> 00:34:49,940 that contributes to global warming. 590 00:34:49,940 --> 00:34:53,580 But these lungs of the world are under increasing pressure 591 00:34:53,580 --> 00:34:56,220 from our insatiable appetite for palm oil, 592 00:34:56,220 --> 00:35:00,500 used in everything from ice cream to toothpaste. 593 00:35:00,500 --> 00:35:03,220 These are areas that have been planted for oil palm, 594 00:35:03,220 --> 00:35:05,060 like you saw from the helicopter. Yes. 595 00:35:05,060 --> 00:35:08,540 His aerial cameras reveal something surprising 596 00:35:08,540 --> 00:35:13,580 about how much carbon these massive palm oil plantations retain. 597 00:35:13,580 --> 00:35:15,780 You'll see that the oil palm, this blue colouring, 598 00:35:15,780 --> 00:35:18,540 there is a low amount of carbon, they just don't hold much. 599 00:35:19,740 --> 00:35:21,780 Greg then, through his scanners, 600 00:35:21,780 --> 00:35:25,420 from the plantations over untouched forest... 601 00:35:27,300 --> 00:35:33,540 Red colours tell us that this forest is stocked with carbon. 602 00:35:33,540 --> 00:35:34,940 Just as it should be. 603 00:35:39,220 --> 00:35:41,620 We want the carbon stored in these forests, 604 00:35:41,620 --> 00:35:43,380 rather than sitting up in the atmosphere, 605 00:35:43,380 --> 00:35:45,580 causing that warming effect. 606 00:35:45,580 --> 00:35:47,740 You can be told as many times as you like, 607 00:35:47,740 --> 00:35:49,460 can't you, when you read it? 608 00:35:49,460 --> 00:35:53,740 But if you actually see evidence of it, it makes a very powerful impact. 609 00:35:53,740 --> 00:35:58,460 Such incontrovertible proof of the importance of the rainforest 610 00:35:58,460 --> 00:36:00,740 is causing governments to rethink. 611 00:36:00,740 --> 00:36:03,980 We're working with the government to increase the amount of forest 612 00:36:03,980 --> 00:36:08,020 protected from its current 25% to 30%. 613 00:36:08,020 --> 00:36:10,860 So that 5% increase represents 614 00:36:10,860 --> 00:36:13,660 an area about three times the size of London. 615 00:36:13,660 --> 00:36:14,940 All in forest... Really? 616 00:36:14,940 --> 00:36:18,340 ..with trees, and animals, and all the wildlife that lives within. 617 00:36:18,340 --> 00:36:20,420 And those wins are what we're after, 618 00:36:20,420 --> 00:36:21,980 step-by-step. Of course. 619 00:36:21,980 --> 00:36:24,660 There is hope. We've seen hope all over the planet. 620 00:36:24,660 --> 00:36:26,300 Very, very good news. 621 00:36:27,780 --> 00:36:29,700 It has given me an amazing insight 622 00:36:29,700 --> 00:36:32,580 into the importance of the rainforests for all of us. 623 00:36:33,860 --> 00:36:37,780 More forest means more homes for wildlife, 624 00:36:37,780 --> 00:36:40,500 so I'm going to join a project about to introduce 625 00:36:40,500 --> 00:36:44,380 three bears to the woods for the very first time. 626 00:36:56,050 --> 00:36:59,450 So far, I've ranged deep into the forest. 627 00:36:59,450 --> 00:37:03,770 I've seen an orangutan in the wild for the first time, 628 00:37:03,770 --> 00:37:05,690 and some other wonderful creatures. 629 00:37:07,930 --> 00:37:10,250 I've learned how they're all under threat 630 00:37:10,250 --> 00:37:13,250 and that the forest is being lost at a frightening rate. 631 00:37:16,090 --> 00:37:21,210 But I've also found there's hope for the rainforest and its animals. 632 00:37:21,210 --> 00:37:23,890 So to see that hope in action, 633 00:37:23,890 --> 00:37:28,810 I'm travelling 60 miles to Sepilok on the edge of the forest. 634 00:37:28,810 --> 00:37:33,010 I've come to the Orphanage for the Borneon Sun Bears. 635 00:37:33,010 --> 00:37:35,730 Dr Wong Siew Te runs the centre. 636 00:37:38,890 --> 00:37:40,650 For the past 30 years, 637 00:37:40,650 --> 00:37:44,410 Wong has devoted his career to the Borneon Sun Bears. 638 00:37:45,530 --> 00:37:48,130 This bear is native to Borneo. 639 00:37:49,410 --> 00:37:54,090 It's also the smallest bear in the world, about the size of a Labrador. 640 00:37:54,090 --> 00:37:58,090 They might look adorable, but they can be ferocious. 641 00:37:58,090 --> 00:38:03,490 The centre is currently home to 46, all of them orphans. 642 00:38:03,490 --> 00:38:08,130 Have you any idea, any kind of estimate about how many Sun Bears? 643 00:38:08,130 --> 00:38:10,330 In the wild, we do not know. Yeah. 644 00:38:10,330 --> 00:38:13,850 But one thing for sure, their density in the forest 645 00:38:13,850 --> 00:38:16,370 is much lower than the orangutan. 646 00:38:16,370 --> 00:38:18,210 Only a few thousand left. 647 00:38:18,210 --> 00:38:20,610 And they're hunted, of course, aren't they? 648 00:38:20,610 --> 00:38:24,250 Yeah, they are. Bears in Asia have been poached, 649 00:38:24,250 --> 00:38:27,090 have been used as a traditional medicine for a long, long time. 650 00:38:27,090 --> 00:38:29,290 Yes, yes. And you think gradually, 651 00:38:29,290 --> 00:38:31,930 people are changing their mind about this? 652 00:38:31,930 --> 00:38:34,130 I hope so, I really hope so. 653 00:38:34,130 --> 00:38:39,490 For me, I think the next ten years will be a very crucial time period. 654 00:38:39,490 --> 00:38:40,970 If we fail, they'll be gone. 655 00:38:40,970 --> 00:38:43,970 Have you seen really young bears here? 656 00:38:43,970 --> 00:38:46,450 Yes, we do, when the bears turn up at our centre, 657 00:38:46,450 --> 00:38:48,490 often, unfortunately, mother has been killed. 658 00:38:48,490 --> 00:38:51,330 I personally have nursed several of them. 659 00:38:51,330 --> 00:38:55,970 That's why people call me Papa Bear. I raise bear cubs, you know. 660 00:38:55,970 --> 00:38:58,010 Is that true? Papa Bear? Yeah. 661 00:38:58,010 --> 00:39:00,170 And, er, take the role as the surrogate mother. 662 00:39:00,170 --> 00:39:02,250 Just like humans, they are mammals, 663 00:39:02,250 --> 00:39:06,890 they're dependent on their mother to raise them up, to give them food. 664 00:39:06,890 --> 00:39:09,810 Teach them everything. Teach them everything. Yes. Protect them. 665 00:39:09,810 --> 00:39:12,050 Yes. I see you have a big family. I do have a big family. 666 00:39:13,330 --> 00:39:14,810 There's a bear down there. 667 00:39:14,810 --> 00:39:16,130 Who is he? Foo-long. 668 00:39:16,130 --> 00:39:17,850 You know him? Yes, I know, 669 00:39:17,850 --> 00:39:19,650 I raise him up, he's my little baby. 670 00:39:19,650 --> 00:39:23,170 I raise him up, I'm his papa. Yes, of course you are! 671 00:39:23,170 --> 00:39:26,570 What do you like most about the sun bear? 672 00:39:26,570 --> 00:39:29,730 The thing that I like most is their climbing ability. 673 00:39:29,730 --> 00:39:32,930 It's amazing. They are like primates. 674 00:39:32,930 --> 00:39:35,490 They can climb the tree all the way to the treetop, 675 00:39:35,490 --> 00:39:37,730 30 or 40m above the ground. 676 00:39:37,730 --> 00:39:41,970 And they sleep there. Sometimes they make nests. 677 00:39:41,970 --> 00:39:46,370 They are the only bears that can climb so high up there. 678 00:39:46,370 --> 00:39:49,930 And you do release these sun bears? Yes, we do release the sun bears. 679 00:39:49,930 --> 00:39:53,170 Would you like to join us for our bear release tomorrow? 680 00:39:53,170 --> 00:39:58,370 Yes, yes! Wonderful. Wonderful. 681 00:39:58,370 --> 00:39:59,730 Beautiful. Mm-hm. 682 00:39:59,730 --> 00:40:00,970 Beautiful. Yeah. 683 00:40:04,850 --> 00:40:07,490 One of the bears that will be introduced to the wild is 684 00:40:07,490 --> 00:40:09,090 four-year-old Tan-Tan. 685 00:40:10,210 --> 00:40:14,610 She has been sedated, to prepare her for her journey to freedom. 686 00:40:14,610 --> 00:40:17,890 Tan-Tan was rescued when she was four months old 687 00:40:17,890 --> 00:40:20,290 after her mother had been killed. 688 00:40:20,290 --> 00:40:24,530 She was about to be sold for body parts used in traditional medicine. 689 00:40:24,530 --> 00:40:26,690 She's very hot right now. 690 00:40:26,690 --> 00:40:29,410 So we have to cool her down 691 00:40:29,410 --> 00:40:30,690 with running water. 692 00:40:36,330 --> 00:40:40,370 It looks distressing, but this thorough checkup is essential 693 00:40:40,370 --> 00:40:41,890 before the bears are set free. 694 00:40:43,290 --> 00:40:47,290 We have already taken her blood, to do a health check, measurements, 695 00:40:47,290 --> 00:40:49,490 and all the things we already have, 696 00:40:49,490 --> 00:40:53,770 so today we're going to do a final check-up, check on the colours... 697 00:40:53,770 --> 00:40:55,370 And she's tagged? Yes. She has a collar. 698 00:40:55,370 --> 00:40:56,930 She has a collar. She has a collar. 699 00:40:56,930 --> 00:41:00,810 The collar will track Tan-Tan's movements for a year 700 00:41:00,810 --> 00:41:02,250 and then drop off. 701 00:41:02,250 --> 00:41:05,770 This will be the last time that we are going to do this to her. 702 00:41:06,850 --> 00:41:09,650 Mm-hm. And tomorrow she'll be free. 703 00:41:13,290 --> 00:41:16,210 OK, one, two, three. 704 00:41:16,210 --> 00:41:17,490 WONG GRUNTS 705 00:41:17,490 --> 00:41:20,970 THEY SPEAK THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE 706 00:41:22,770 --> 00:41:25,450 Who else is going? Tan-Tan... Tan-Tan... 707 00:41:25,450 --> 00:41:27,050 Yes? And then Boboi. 708 00:41:27,050 --> 00:41:29,330 Yes. And Kitud. 709 00:41:29,330 --> 00:41:31,970 And Kitud. Good journey, it's going to be. 710 00:41:31,970 --> 00:41:33,090 Yeah. Exciting. 711 00:41:33,090 --> 00:41:34,770 So yeah, tomorrow. Tomorrow is a big day. 712 00:41:41,690 --> 00:41:43,250 Having travelled overnight, 713 00:41:43,250 --> 00:41:46,250 the three bears are ready for the last part of their journey. 714 00:41:47,570 --> 00:41:50,010 This is literally the final length 715 00:41:50,010 --> 00:41:53,610 from 30 minutes to an hour from now, they are... 716 00:41:53,610 --> 00:41:55,530 Yeah, they'll be free. They are quite calm. 717 00:41:55,530 --> 00:41:56,970 They are quite calm right now. 718 00:41:56,970 --> 00:41:58,810 You know, we try to keep them cool 719 00:41:58,810 --> 00:42:00,730 as much as possible. Cool and calm. 720 00:42:00,730 --> 00:42:02,290 Well, this is wonderful. 721 00:42:02,290 --> 00:42:05,210 It's a day of celebration. Yes, it is. 722 00:42:05,210 --> 00:42:06,370 WONG LAUGHS 723 00:42:20,170 --> 00:42:23,610 They're going to an area far from human habitation 724 00:42:23,610 --> 00:42:26,290 and only accessible by helicopter. 725 00:42:39,010 --> 00:42:40,850 Bears brought up by humans 726 00:42:40,850 --> 00:42:44,610 sometimes find it difficult to adapt to life in the wild. 727 00:42:45,930 --> 00:42:49,410 So releases like this are extremely rare. 728 00:42:49,410 --> 00:42:53,210 It's only the fifth Wong has attempted in a 30 year career. 729 00:43:13,730 --> 00:43:15,250 ONE OF THE BEARS GROWLS 730 00:43:15,250 --> 00:43:17,450 Oh. BEARS GROWLS AGAIN 731 00:43:17,450 --> 00:43:20,930 I know. Hush, hush. Hush, hush, hush. 732 00:43:20,930 --> 00:43:22,450 It's all right. 733 00:43:22,450 --> 00:43:25,250 What an emotional moment. It is. It is. 734 00:43:25,250 --> 00:43:28,450 Really extraordinary. Happy and sad. 735 00:43:28,450 --> 00:43:30,850 Yes. Wonderful that they've got this life. 736 00:43:30,850 --> 00:43:33,050 Mm-hm. But... 737 00:43:33,050 --> 00:43:36,530 having been with them for so long... Yes. Yeah. It's like... 738 00:43:36,530 --> 00:43:38,290 Knowing them so well. 739 00:43:38,290 --> 00:43:40,770 Hm, and knowing that you are not going to see them again. 740 00:43:40,770 --> 00:43:42,210 I know. I know. 741 00:43:42,210 --> 00:43:47,730 I really hope that they can make it. And make this forest home. 742 00:43:47,730 --> 00:43:52,090 And I wish that they never, ever encounter any humans again. 743 00:43:52,090 --> 00:43:53,370 I quite agree. Yes. 744 00:43:53,370 --> 00:43:55,610 I quite agree. Or any threat. 745 00:43:55,610 --> 00:43:57,570 Yes, or any threat. I know. 746 00:44:00,530 --> 00:44:04,770 It does give me incredible hope for the future that this is being done. 747 00:44:04,770 --> 00:44:07,890 BEAR GROWLS 748 00:44:07,890 --> 00:44:11,170 The moment has come for the bears to be freed. 749 00:44:12,690 --> 00:44:14,010 PEOPLE YELLING INDISTINCTLY 750 00:44:18,330 --> 00:44:23,210 Tan-Tan and Boboi make their escape, but Kitud is not so sure. 751 00:44:25,250 --> 00:44:27,730 Finally, she makes her break too. 752 00:44:27,730 --> 00:44:30,050 Oh, well done, Wong. Thank you. 753 00:44:30,050 --> 00:44:31,530 Wonderful. Exactly. 754 00:44:31,530 --> 00:44:32,770 Wonderful. Yeah. 755 00:44:36,810 --> 00:44:40,410 It's so great these wonderful bears are back in the forest 756 00:44:40,410 --> 00:44:45,290 because I'm told they control termites that kill trees... 757 00:44:45,290 --> 00:44:48,970 they spread seeds, and keep the soil healthy. 758 00:44:50,970 --> 00:44:52,850 Like all the animals I've met, 759 00:44:52,850 --> 00:44:57,330 they play a crucial role in the forest's survival. 760 00:44:57,330 --> 00:45:00,530 And the healthier the forest, the better for all of us. 761 00:45:04,410 --> 00:45:07,290 Next time, I'll continue my journey 762 00:45:07,290 --> 00:45:09,490 down one of Borneo's mightiest rivers... 763 00:45:11,210 --> 00:45:13,450 ..all the way to the sea... 764 00:45:13,450 --> 00:45:16,730 and its own forest of coral. 765 00:45:16,730 --> 00:45:20,010 And I'll witness an amazing display. 766 00:45:20,010 --> 00:45:21,290 SHE GASPS Look at that bat! 767 00:45:22,850 --> 00:45:26,050 And discover some of the more unusual jungle characters... 768 00:45:26,050 --> 00:45:27,890 Oh, good boy. 769 00:45:27,890 --> 00:45:30,970 The animals are I encounter are truly remarkable... 770 00:45:30,970 --> 00:45:33,450 Please hold my hand. 771 00:45:33,450 --> 00:45:35,370 ..and a little bit terrifying. 772 00:45:38,890 --> 00:45:40,650 Subtitles by TVT