1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,162 WWW.MY-SUBS.CO 1 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,286 This is the newest habitat on Earth. 2 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:43,887 It's here that animals have to contend 3 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,885 with the greatest change that is happening to the face of our planet. 4 00:00:54,160 --> 00:01:00,281 In this decade, the urban environment is predicted to grow by nearly 30%. 5 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,724 It may appear hostile to animal life, 6 00:01:08,320 --> 00:01:13,645 but for the bold, this is a world of surprising opportunity. 7 00:01:25,960 --> 00:01:27,883 Jodhpur, India. 8 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:36,771 A gang of bachelor male langurs 9 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,401 has come to challenge the resident alpha male. 10 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:50,730 This alpha rules over a valuable urban territory. 11 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:59,091 But maintaining dominance here is a constant struggle. 12 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,687 The bachelors have united to try and overthrow him. 13 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,731 If they win, one of the challengers 14 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,690 will take over the alpha's troop of females, 15 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:24,967 and may kill his infants. 16 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,571 There are 15 males in this bachelor group. 17 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:37,525 The alpha must evict every single one of them from his territory. 18 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:54,800 He has chased half the bachelors away, 19 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:00,410 but a splinter group has looped back and is harassing his females. 20 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:07,562 Once again, he has to battle. 21 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,689 Finally, he manages to expel them all. 22 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:52,847 He returns home victorious, 23 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,730 but with a serious wound on his right leg. 24 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,320 It's a hard life for him in the city. 25 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:08,922 Keeping the intruders away is a daily challenge. 26 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:15,211 But it's worth it. 27 00:04:16,280 --> 00:04:17,930 For these urban territories 28 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,482 are probably the best langur territories in the world. 29 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,925 They're filled with rich feeding grounds. 30 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:35,248 Here in the temple gardens, 31 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:39,723 the langurs have, over centuries, developed a surprising relationship. 32 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:49,168 One that guarantee's them a constantly replenished source of food. 33 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:10,127 The people here associate langurs with the Hindu God, Lord Hanuman, 34 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:12,085 and revere them. 35 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:21,126 They're given all the food they can eat. 36 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:37,848 And this high-energy diet has led to a baby boom. 37 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:44,481 Female langurs in this city 38 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:48,724 give birth to twice as many young as their forest counterparts. 39 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:53,689 This mother is so well fed that her rich milk 40 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:56,843 can support something rarely seen in the wild. 41 00:05:57,680 --> 00:05:58,841 Twins. 42 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,044 And all these babies can create troops 43 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,841 that are far larger than those found in the forests nearby. 44 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:16,690 With less time spent looking for food, there is more time for play. 45 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,603 The rewards of living in a city can be huge. 46 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:34,920 The challenge is to find your niche. 47 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:45,730 New York City. 48 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:55,524 This densely built-up landscape is as unnatural as anywhere on Earth. 49 00:07:00,840 --> 00:07:06,210 And yet, this wild peregrine falcon looks out onto an ideal habitat. 50 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:20,281 Strange as it may seem, this vastly-altered landscape 51 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:24,285 replicates the conditions in which peregrines evolved. 52 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:32,651 The towering buildings have a multitude of ledges 53 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:34,882 on which falcons can nest, 54 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:40,208 and the high perches that they need to catch the wind. 55 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:47,126 New York City has the highest density 56 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,886 of nesting peregrines anywhere on the planet. 57 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:01,530 Winds striking the sides of the skyscrapers 58 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:05,400 are deflected upwards and can help the birds gain height. 59 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:14,003 And the great areas of concrete roasting in the sun create thermals, 60 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:19,290 so that, with very little effort, the birds can soar over the city. 61 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:30,691 And so many peregrines can live here, 62 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:35,766 because down at street level, there is a lot of potential prey. 63 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:54,884 Diving from height, the falcons can reach speeds 64 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:57,088 of over 200 miles an hour. 65 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:06,328 But their prey stay down low and close to the buildings. 66 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:15,006 Too risky. 67 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:17,208 The peregrine pulls out of his stoop. 68 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:22,449 But the effort is not wasted. 69 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:27,201 The falcons need to flush their prey into the open. 70 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:31,965 And Manhattan is surrounded by water. 71 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:37,044 Out here the odds change. 72 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:39,088 And in the peregrine's favour. 73 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:34,049 With abundant prey here all year round, 74 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,246 it has taken only 40 years 75 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:39,891 for these falcons to establish themselves here. 76 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:49,247 And now, among skyscrapers, they're more successful 77 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:52,210 than their cousins living in the wilderness. 78 00:10:59,680 --> 00:11:04,641 Mumbai, in India, is home to over 20 million people. 79 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:07,644 And there are predators here 80 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:11,327 that, though rarely seen, are rightly feared. 81 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:17,961 Carnivores, 82 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:21,965 lured by the prospect of plentiful unsuspecting prey 83 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:23,485 are on the prowl. 84 00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:35,284 A leopard. 85 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:40,041 Every night, under the cover of darkness they come out to hunt. 86 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,007 These are big animals, 87 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:49,880 and they're looking for large prey to satisfy their hunger. 88 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:01,045 To catch more than a glimpse of them and reveal their hunting behaviour, 89 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:03,600 you need night-vision cameras. 90 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:17,882 Leopards have attacked almost 200 people here 91 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:20,122 in the last 25 years. 92 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:41,966 But humans are not their usual prey. 93 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:47,489 These leopards are on the hunt for something else. 94 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:06,480 Pigs. 95 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:13,807 These leopards prefer to hunt the domestic animals 96 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:17,930 that people have brought to the city in considerable numbers. 97 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:39,361 The pigs keep their family close. 98 00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:15,007 The ceaseless noise of the city plays to their advantage. 99 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:18,488 It conceals their approach. 100 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:24,205 And the leopards are using this cover to hunt all over the city. 101 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:46,846 This is a thriving population. 102 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:50,602 In fact, the highest concentration of leopards in the world 103 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:52,491 is right here. 104 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:05,563 It's not only the abundance of food that attracts wild animals to cities. 105 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:18,288 They're usually several degrees warmer than the surrounding countryside. 106 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:21,170 And here in Rome, in December, 107 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:25,290 one animal is taking full advantage of this extra heat. 108 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:27,804 And it's leaving it's mark. 109 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:32,962 In a single winter's day, 110 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:37,045 ten tonnes of its droppings rain down on the city. 111 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:45,281 Starlings. 112 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:51,285 In the evening, they come back to the warmth of the city 113 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:54,011 after feeding in the neighbouring countryside. 114 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:59,246 They must return to their roosting trees. 115 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,163 But the first to do so are at the highest risk 116 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:05,402 of being caught by birds of prey. 117 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:11,210 So, they wait for others to arrive. 118 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:14,169 There's safety in numbers. 119 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:22,727 As daylight fades, the sky fills with a staggering one million starlings. 120 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:30,531 And then follows one of nature's great spectaculars. 121 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:16,731 How, or indeed why, they perform these marvellous aerobatics, 122 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:19,451 we still do not fully understand. 123 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:33,847 Eventually, en masse, they brave the descent 124 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:37,129 and fill the branches of their favourite trees. 125 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:45,647 On these cold winter nights, the city's extra warmth 126 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:49,122 can mean the difference between life and death. 127 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:04,288 A city, of course, can provide 128 00:18:04,360 --> 00:18:07,921 not only shelter and abundant food, but glamour. 129 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:13,482 These varied objects have been carefully chosen 130 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:17,565 by a bird for their brightness and their colour. 131 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:22,763 This great bowerbird has spent over a decade 132 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:26,322 building this collection of mostly man-made objects. 133 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:33,645 Out on a golf course in Townsville, Australia, 134 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:37,725 he's putting the final touches to his enormous bower, 135 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:40,690 that he hopes will impress a visiting female. 136 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:50,969 He spends two hours each day rearranging his prized objects. 137 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:01,166 "Perhaps that would look a little better over there." 138 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:07,129 But it seems that something is missing. 139 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:12,449 Instead of going into town to collect new objects, 140 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:15,842 he's decided to raid his neighbour's bower. 141 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:20,609 "A clothes peg! Excellent!" 142 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:28,848 "And a shiny toy car." 143 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:34,521 It's a risky game if you get caught. 144 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:38,645 The owner is back. 145 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:50,849 There is one bower where the risk is worth it. 146 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:55,562 A particular object has caught his eye. 147 00:19:59,120 --> 00:20:01,566 He'll have to wait for the owner to leave. 148 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:14,720 This is his chance. 149 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:18,565 A real treasure. 150 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:20,210 A scarlet heart. 151 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:26,801 "Got it." 152 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,402 The stage is now set for female visitors. 153 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:42,927 His luck may be in. 154 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:53,770 The seduction can now begin. 155 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:00,208 He's showing off his best goods. 156 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:07,286 "Perhaps a little plastic piping? 157 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:12,562 "Or maybe a bit of coloured string?" 158 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:20,007 But his guest doesn't seem to be paying much attention. 159 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:29,846 "A fork? 160 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:32,286 "Madame?" 161 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:36,609 Nothing seems to be working. 162 00:21:40,360 --> 00:21:42,840 Something is just not quite right here. 163 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,965 But he still has one trick up his sleeve. 164 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:55,004 The scarlet heart. 165 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:23,127 As a final thrill, he expands the pink crest 166 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:25,123 on the back of his head. 167 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:27,646 The sign of his adulthood. 168 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:30,284 But he's made a mistake. 169 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:34,205 This is not a female 170 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,523 but a young male who hasn't yet developed that head crest. 171 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:41,171 And he's making off with the scarlet heart. 172 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:47,122 It's not easy finding sex in the city. 173 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:55,286 Raising a family in the city is not easy either. 174 00:22:57,280 --> 00:22:59,408 It's spring time in Toronto, 175 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:05,044 and this mother raccoon has exchanged her native treetops for rooftops. 176 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:17,282 Since giving birth two months ago, 177 00:23:17,360 --> 00:23:21,490 she's kept her offspring safe and warm inside a chimney. 178 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:28,886 Now, her young have outgrown their nursery. 179 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:33,043 This is her first major challenge as a mother. 180 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:39,003 The time has come to move to a new home. 181 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:43,483 She needs to get her youngster to ground level. 182 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:48,889 But instead of an easy climb down a tree, 183 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:51,611 she is faced with a vertical drop, 184 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:53,729 with little to cling onto. 185 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:02,003 Her baby's first glimpse of the urban world, 186 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:07,281 from a terrifying 30 feet up. 187 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:41,283 This is the last of her litter to be brought down. 188 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:43,970 Its siblings are already 189 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:46,122 busy exploring the area. 190 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:48,810 And they have much to learn. 191 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:56,202 This one has fallen into a back alley and is trapped. 192 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:02,451 Mother comes to the rescue and demonstrates what must be done. 193 00:25:25,120 --> 00:25:26,360 That's the way. 194 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:34,800 Raccoons are opportunists. 195 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:38,403 And they're eager to explore. 196 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:46,328 But they'll have to learn very quickly 197 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,961 how to get along in this strange new environment 198 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:52,611 so full of hazards. 199 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:01,844 Mother comes to the rescue once more. 200 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:07,609 Urban raccoons are now demonstrably better 201 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:10,206 at problem-solving than their country cousins. 202 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:19,927 When the feeding opportunities are this good, 203 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:22,526 the time spent working out how to get to it 204 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:24,523 is well worth it. 205 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:37,161 The complexity of urban life 206 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:40,090 favours the clever. 207 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:51,968 But to compete with humanity during daylight hours, 208 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:53,565 takes more than just intelligence. 209 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:00,770 It takes nerve. 210 00:27:03,120 --> 00:27:05,691 One enterprising species of monkey 211 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:09,162 has moved into the city of Jaipur in India. 212 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:13,966 The Rhesus macaque. 213 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:22,526 But how to get a share of all this juicy fruit? 214 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:34,209 Every morning, the troop make the same journey 215 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:37,887 through the urban jungle, just as human commuters do. 216 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:04,601 Sometimes, inevitably, there are traffic jams. 217 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:31,843 Once they get to the market, trouble begins. 218 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:55,762 Being both intelligent and brazen 219 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:59,731 is the key to beating human beings on their home turf. 220 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:39,203 It's daylight robbery. 221 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:53,247 There are some animals that most would consider too dangerous 222 00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:55,209 to tolerate in the city. 223 00:29:59,960 --> 00:30:01,325 Spotted hyenas. 224 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:06,882 They're feared throughout their range. 225 00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:17,644 In the outskirts of Hara in Ethiopia, 226 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:22,760 two clans are coming face to face to battle over a prized resource. 227 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:31,288 There are about 60 hyenas in each clan. 228 00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:33,326 And they're well matched. 229 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:01,844 After three hours of posturing back and forth, 230 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:03,524 the losers retreat 231 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:06,491 and the victors head to claim their prize. 232 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:16,921 They have been fighting over access to the city. 233 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:34,684 Once inside the city walls, they head for one place. 234 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:46,486 And they know exactly how to get there. 235 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:21,048 The ancient meat market. 236 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:28,570 The scent of all these carcasses lies heavy in the air. 237 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:54,921 This tradition goes back over 400 years. 238 00:32:55,680 --> 00:32:58,923 The human butchers put out the bones they don't need 239 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,731 and these hyenas deal with them. 240 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:06,204 They're the only animals that can. 241 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:11,045 No other here has such powerful bone-crushing jaws. 242 00:33:14,520 --> 00:33:17,410 And this relationship between man and beast 243 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:19,687 has now been taken a step further. 244 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:27,689 Yousuf is calling the hyenas to his house. 245 00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:39,526 He and his forefathers, going back five generations, 246 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:41,648 have been feeding the hyenas 247 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:44,120 by hand. 248 00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:49,523 The inhabitants of this town believe that hyenas 249 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:52,729 provide another very important service. 250 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:57,646 Eating the bad spirits that haunt the streets. 251 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:07,409 These are wild and ferocious animals, 252 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:09,881 but once within these city walls, 253 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:12,930 they behave in a completely different way. 254 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:18,481 Throughout the rest of Africa, spotted hyenas are feared 255 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:21,689 because they kill livestock, sometimes even children. 256 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:27,806 They are perhaps the most vilified animal on our planet. 257 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:34,288 However, here in Harar, 258 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:37,728 their relationship with people is entirely peaceful. 259 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:43,161 They have won the trust of man. 260 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:54,802 Losing its fear of humans 261 00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:58,646 has enabled one animal to spread into cities everywhere, 262 00:34:58,720 --> 00:35:00,563 and in huge numbers. 263 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:12,648 Pigeons are by far the most successful urban bird. 264 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:21,281 Here, in Albi, in the south of France, 265 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:23,567 the pigeons come to the river to bathe. 266 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:27,365 They need to preen their flight feathers, 267 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:29,522 clean off the city dust, 268 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:31,969 and cool themselves down. 269 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:54,762 But death lies in wait. 270 00:35:57,200 --> 00:35:59,168 A predator that has taken advantage 271 00:35:59,240 --> 00:36:02,130 of the very thing that has led to the pigeon's success... 272 00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:05,886 Their lack of fear. 273 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:13,371 As the pigeons bathe, oil from their plumage flows downstream, 274 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:15,530 and is detected. 275 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:29,164 A monstrous Wels catfish. 276 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:36,926 Introduced here just 40 years ago, they have proliferated. 277 00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:41,041 Virtually exterminated the local fish stocks... 278 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:47,121 And they've now developed a taste for pigeon. 279 00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:51,329 Their eyesight is poor, 280 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:55,405 so they use their barbels to sense the movements of their victims. 281 00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:53,970 This is a radical new hunting strategy 282 00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:56,930 for what is normally a bottom-dwelling fish. 283 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:14,844 After a thousand years of living in this city, 284 00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:19,805 pigeons are now having to learn to avoid a fish. 285 00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:28,451 Our cities are always changing. 286 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:30,204 Sometimes very swiftly. 287 00:38:32,880 --> 00:38:35,565 And animals must cope with the changes, 288 00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:37,605 or disappear. 289 00:38:39,560 --> 00:38:42,564 One of the greatest changes in recent times 290 00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:47,521 has come from a single invention made less than 140 years ago. 291 00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:53,890 Electric light. 292 00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:58,606 It has become more and more powerful, 293 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:03,008 filling our streets with light. 294 00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:16,569 It's everywhere in the city. 295 00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:20,244 It even goes under ground. 296 00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:44,567 The difference between day and night is becoming less and less perceptible. 297 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:58,688 And that has a profound effect on the activities of wildlife. 298 00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:08,243 In the wilderness, light triggers all kinds of behaviour. 299 00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:15,929 On the night of the full moon, 300 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:18,924 hundreds of tiny hawksbill turtle hatchlings 301 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:22,891 emerge from the safety of their nest deep in the sand. 302 00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:29,211 Their instinct is to reach the sea as quickly as possible. 303 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:36,121 And their guide is the light of the full moon reflected on the water. 304 00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:47,091 But this young hatchling is confused. 305 00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:58,091 It's going in the wrong direction. 306 00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:05,646 Bright light is coming from the land. 307 00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:13,322 And all these hatchlings are travelling up the beach towards it. 308 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:22,170 Predators are ready to take advantage. 309 00:41:24,040 --> 00:41:28,045 Crabs now make their burrows directly beneath the beach lights 310 00:41:28,720 --> 00:41:31,644 and wait for their prey to come to them. 311 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:55,840 Even if a hatchling escapes, 312 00:41:56,480 --> 00:41:57,891 they're still in peril. 313 00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:09,723 The lights become more and more bewildering. 314 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:36,929 80% of all hatchlings on this beach 315 00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:40,971 are now disorientated by the lights of the town. 316 00:43:01,040 --> 00:43:03,805 Roads bring many to their end. 317 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:22,560 Hundreds get trapped in storm drains every night. 318 00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:40,606 Exhausted by the effort of travelling such a distance on land, 319 00:43:43,080 --> 00:43:47,210 this hatchling's chances of surviving the night are slim. 320 00:43:59,880 --> 00:44:03,009 This turtle is one of the countless species 321 00:44:03,080 --> 00:44:05,811 that have been unable to adapt to the change 322 00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:08,884 brought about by the urban environment. 323 00:44:20,440 --> 00:44:22,568 Only a small number of animals 324 00:44:22,640 --> 00:44:25,849 have managed to find ways of living alongside us. 325 00:44:28,160 --> 00:44:32,165 And every 10 years, an area the size of Britain 326 00:44:32,240 --> 00:44:35,369 disappears under a jungle of concrete. 327 00:44:44,720 --> 00:44:47,564 But it doesn't have to be like this. 328 00:44:50,600 --> 00:44:55,242 Could it not be possible to build cities more in harmony with nature? 329 00:45:02,680 --> 00:45:08,767 How, and whether we decide to invite the wildlife back, is up to us. 330 00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:15,843 This tree is rising nearly 30 storeys. 331 00:45:15,920 --> 00:45:21,848 It's one of almost 800 being planted to create a vertical forest in Milan. 332 00:45:27,840 --> 00:45:32,129 This number of living trees would normally fill two hectares of woodland, 333 00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:36,000 but here, they occupy one-tenth of that area. 334 00:45:37,520 --> 00:45:40,490 Greening the walls and roofs of our buildings 335 00:45:40,560 --> 00:45:43,131 could create a rich and extensive habitat, 336 00:45:43,200 --> 00:45:45,123 if we wanted it to do so. 337 00:45:48,280 --> 00:45:53,047 There is one city where that idea is being applied on a major scale. 338 00:45:53,800 --> 00:45:54,926 Singapore. 339 00:45:56,880 --> 00:46:01,681 Two million trees have been planted here in the last 45 years. 340 00:46:03,320 --> 00:46:07,882 This city is now richer in species than any other in the world. 341 00:46:15,080 --> 00:46:18,721 And this practise extends to all parts of the city. 342 00:46:20,200 --> 00:46:21,964 The waterways have been cleaned up, 343 00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:24,646 and smooth-coated otters are coming back. 344 00:46:31,040 --> 00:46:35,364 But perhaps, the most spectacular example of city greening 345 00:46:35,440 --> 00:46:38,762 is this grove of super trees. 346 00:46:41,800 --> 00:46:47,807 These 150 feet high metal structures are now full of life. 347 00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:53,491 Creepers have been planted to grow over the outermost branches. 348 00:46:56,720 --> 00:47:02,124 This is a new urban world that we have now designed and built 349 00:47:02,760 --> 00:47:04,364 with others in mind. 350 00:47:07,280 --> 00:47:10,648 Create the space, and the animals will come. 351 00:47:19,520 --> 00:47:22,763 Is this a vision of our cities of the future? 352 00:47:31,720 --> 00:47:34,803 It could be possible to see wildlife thriving 353 00:47:34,880 --> 00:47:37,804 within our cities across the planet. 354 00:47:41,080 --> 00:47:45,563 We, after all, are the architects of the urban world. 355 00:47:46,840 --> 00:47:50,208 Now, over half of us live in an urban environment. 356 00:47:50,280 --> 00:47:54,046 My home, too, is here in the city of London. 357 00:47:55,000 --> 00:47:57,207 Looking down on this great metropolis, 358 00:47:57,280 --> 00:47:59,442 the ingenuity with which we continue 359 00:47:59,520 --> 00:48:03,002 to reshape the surface of our planet is very striking, 360 00:48:03,920 --> 00:48:05,490 but it's also sobering. 361 00:48:06,280 --> 00:48:09,409 It reminds me of just how easy it is for us 362 00:48:09,480 --> 00:48:12,450 to lose our connection with the natural world. 363 00:48:13,560 --> 00:48:16,530 Yet it's on this connection that the future 364 00:48:16,600 --> 00:48:20,650 of both humanity and the natural world will depend. 365 00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:26,130 It's surely our responsibility to do everything within our power 366 00:48:26,800 --> 00:48:30,566 to create a planet that provides a home not just for us, 367 00:48:31,280 --> 00:48:34,329 but for all life on Earth. 368 00:49:18,160 --> 00:49:19,889 For a wildlife film crew, 369 00:49:19,960 --> 00:49:24,522 working in the urban environment was an altogether different experience. 370 00:49:25,200 --> 00:49:28,329 Two crews set off on two very different missions. 371 00:49:29,080 --> 00:49:31,686 It's Mark and Louis's first time in India. 372 00:49:32,360 --> 00:49:34,362 Passed this moped, and we're not stopping. 373 00:49:34,440 --> 00:49:36,886 We're going. Oh, my God! 374 00:49:37,520 --> 00:49:39,682 Yeah, we're in India. 375 00:49:41,320 --> 00:49:43,049 Along with the rest of the team, 376 00:49:43,120 --> 00:49:45,646 they hope to film up close and personal 377 00:49:45,720 --> 00:49:47,882 with the monkeys that have come from the wild 378 00:49:47,960 --> 00:49:50,281 to live in the hustle and bustle of the city. 379 00:49:52,120 --> 00:49:55,761 I can't believe these macaques have left the peace and quiet 380 00:49:55,840 --> 00:49:58,002 for this mayhem, but they're fine here. 381 00:49:58,080 --> 00:50:00,890 In fact, they're probably a bit more comfortable than I am with this noise. 382 00:50:00,960 --> 00:50:02,007 Yeah, yeah. 383 00:50:04,120 --> 00:50:06,122 And to get into the monkey's world, 384 00:50:06,200 --> 00:50:09,966 Mark will be using a new rig that stabilises the camera 385 00:50:10,040 --> 00:50:12,407 and allows him to get right into the action. 386 00:50:14,640 --> 00:50:17,211 I think Mark and Louis have got a big challenge. 387 00:50:17,280 --> 00:50:20,568 To be, uh, wielding thousands of pounds worth of camera equipment 388 00:50:20,640 --> 00:50:22,290 down at the street level. 389 00:50:22,360 --> 00:50:24,203 Rather them than me. 390 00:50:24,880 --> 00:50:26,086 We've got a lady with cauliflowers 391 00:50:26,160 --> 00:50:28,208 passing on your left, Mark. 392 00:50:29,240 --> 00:50:31,004 - Just pull me aside. - On your left. 393 00:50:31,080 --> 00:50:33,651 I'm more used to a jungle, if I'm honest. 394 00:50:34,280 --> 00:50:36,601 Erm, well, this is a jungle all of its own. 395 00:50:36,680 --> 00:50:38,045 Just with people instead of trees. 396 00:50:38,120 --> 00:50:40,122 This really... It's impossible. 397 00:50:41,840 --> 00:50:44,571 Seven hundred miles south, in Mumbai, 398 00:50:44,640 --> 00:50:47,246 cameraman Gordon Buchanan will have to take on 399 00:50:47,320 --> 00:50:48,924 a completely different filming approach 400 00:50:49,000 --> 00:50:52,129 if he is to capture an urban leopard hunt. 401 00:50:55,120 --> 00:50:57,691 It's amazing to think that standing here, surrounded by people, 402 00:50:57,760 --> 00:50:59,489 all this, kind of, human activity, 403 00:50:59,560 --> 00:51:02,769 that within half a mile, 404 00:51:02,840 --> 00:51:05,525 maybe even less, there will be leopards. 405 00:51:06,800 --> 00:51:09,804 Only glimpses of these cats have been caught on camera, 406 00:51:09,880 --> 00:51:11,370 and just to locate them, 407 00:51:11,440 --> 00:51:13,920 he'll need new infrared camera traps. 408 00:51:14,000 --> 00:51:16,480 Are you happy with the composition? Good. 409 00:51:16,560 --> 00:51:19,404 What about you? Correct shutter speed? 410 00:51:21,120 --> 00:51:26,160 Gordon is hoping that these camera traps will reveal where they're on the prowl. 411 00:51:31,000 --> 00:51:34,447 For the monkey team, finding the animals seems easy... 412 00:51:34,520 --> 00:51:36,329 Steady now, Rob. Rob, Rob, Rob. 413 00:51:36,400 --> 00:51:39,210 ...but keeping up with them is a different matter. 414 00:51:42,520 --> 00:51:45,285 - He almost stomped on that. - Ooh! 415 00:51:45,360 --> 00:51:46,725 They didn't put that on the hazard assessment. 416 00:51:46,800 --> 00:51:48,643 - They did, as a matter of fact. - A cow in the groin? 417 00:51:48,720 --> 00:51:50,210 A cow in the groin in there. 418 00:51:50,640 --> 00:51:53,291 They're much tougher and more granitey 419 00:51:53,360 --> 00:51:55,328 than the monkeys I filmed in the wild. 420 00:51:55,400 --> 00:51:57,004 They're not frightened of us. 421 00:51:57,080 --> 00:51:59,526 They're, erm... I mean, look at this. 422 00:52:01,000 --> 00:52:02,968 He's takin' on pigs, he's takin' on goats, 423 00:52:03,040 --> 00:52:04,087 he's takin' on cows. 424 00:52:04,160 --> 00:52:06,083 He's takin' on me anytime he wants to. 425 00:52:07,200 --> 00:52:08,804 But with monkeys this brazen, 426 00:52:08,880 --> 00:52:12,407 Mark is able to follow the troop at street level. 427 00:52:15,000 --> 00:52:18,243 To capture their movements in their rooftop world, 428 00:52:18,320 --> 00:52:23,360 they need to run a cable between buildings and fly a camera along it. 429 00:52:24,360 --> 00:52:26,966 And that calls for some inventive rigging. 430 00:52:28,960 --> 00:52:31,611 I've got this soft satsuma here, 431 00:52:32,240 --> 00:52:36,086 and I've got to lob it to the team on the other side, over there. 432 00:52:36,160 --> 00:52:37,844 We're gonna lob it from rooftop to rooftop. 433 00:52:37,920 --> 00:52:41,925 We've made sure there's no one on the rooftops and it's safe to do it. 434 00:52:42,000 --> 00:52:43,081 You ready? 435 00:52:43,720 --> 00:52:44,801 Okay. 436 00:52:49,160 --> 00:52:51,288 Okay, good. That's good. 437 00:52:51,840 --> 00:52:54,286 I got it into the courtyard. So that's perfect. 438 00:52:56,320 --> 00:52:59,290 I think our cable run at the moment is about 60 metres. 439 00:53:00,080 --> 00:53:02,048 And we can travel the whole length, 440 00:53:02,120 --> 00:53:04,851 while panning and tilting and really looking at everything we want to. 441 00:53:04,920 --> 00:53:07,605 It should give us some really dynamic stunning shots. 442 00:53:08,280 --> 00:53:11,329 The team is getting an insight at all levels 443 00:53:11,400 --> 00:53:14,324 into the monkeys' mischievous lives. 444 00:53:22,600 --> 00:53:27,288 And are starting to figure out the routes they use to cross the city. 445 00:53:29,040 --> 00:53:30,565 And over the course of weeks, 446 00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:33,803 the macaques become all too familiar with the crew. 447 00:53:34,320 --> 00:53:35,765 Oh, monkey. 448 00:53:35,840 --> 00:53:37,683 All right, little monkey. All right. 449 00:53:39,680 --> 00:53:41,921 They're now fully embedded in the troop, 450 00:53:42,000 --> 00:53:45,004 and Mark is able to film right amongst them. 451 00:53:45,080 --> 00:53:47,048 These guys at the moment are magic. 452 00:53:47,120 --> 00:53:48,963 We've got monkeys behaving naturally. 453 00:53:49,040 --> 00:53:50,371 It's fantastic. 454 00:53:53,440 --> 00:53:56,444 - It's good, Louis. - Very nice, too. Very nice. 455 00:53:57,280 --> 00:54:00,329 Back in Mumbai, the camera traps are revealing 456 00:54:00,400 --> 00:54:02,528 where the leopards are coming out. 457 00:54:04,760 --> 00:54:08,560 But to stand any chance of capturing them hunting in the city, 458 00:54:08,640 --> 00:54:12,486 Gordon will need to use the latest thermal camera technology. 459 00:54:28,800 --> 00:54:31,246 I can't imagine that a leopard's gonna come 460 00:54:31,320 --> 00:54:32,924 with all this going on. 461 00:54:34,480 --> 00:54:37,962 Relative silence eventually descends. 462 00:54:38,160 --> 00:54:41,960 Okay, I picked up some movement behind some bushes on the camera. 463 00:54:42,800 --> 00:54:45,007 Just a, sort of, a twinkling of light. 464 00:54:45,080 --> 00:54:46,411 It's something warm-blooded. 465 00:54:48,680 --> 00:54:49,886 Here we go. 466 00:54:52,600 --> 00:54:54,045 A leopard. 467 00:54:54,120 --> 00:54:56,726 You dancer, look at that. 468 00:54:58,640 --> 00:55:00,847 It definitely knows that I'm here. 469 00:55:02,920 --> 00:55:06,322 That's the type of sighting that you'd have to wait for weeks and weeks 470 00:55:06,400 --> 00:55:08,084 to get a leopard that close, 471 00:55:09,080 --> 00:55:11,003 and so airily open. 472 00:55:12,040 --> 00:55:13,451 Over the next month, 473 00:55:13,520 --> 00:55:16,967 this camera enables Gordon to see into the darkness, 474 00:55:17,040 --> 00:55:20,886 and be the first person to film an urban leopard hunt. 475 00:55:24,360 --> 00:55:26,249 But it's only at the end of the trip 476 00:55:26,320 --> 00:55:29,005 that he has his most memorable encounter. 477 00:55:29,080 --> 00:55:31,242 Look at the size of him. 478 00:55:32,640 --> 00:55:34,927 He's coming up. He's coming up. He's coming up. 479 00:55:38,160 --> 00:55:40,083 My goodness! Look at that. 480 00:55:40,160 --> 00:55:42,527 He's about three metres in front of me. 481 00:55:46,280 --> 00:55:47,611 Hey, there! 482 00:56:13,520 --> 00:56:15,204 My heart is racing. 483 00:56:16,840 --> 00:56:18,126 That was close. 484 00:56:22,000 --> 00:56:24,287 That's the closest I've ever been to a leopard. 485 00:56:29,440 --> 00:56:32,523 It's often the case with urban wildlife 486 00:56:32,600 --> 00:56:35,843 is that it's the presence of human beings 487 00:56:35,920 --> 00:56:39,481 that allows certain animals to do well. 488 00:56:40,760 --> 00:56:43,206 And I suppose it's just incredible 489 00:56:43,600 --> 00:56:46,524 that one of those animals is the leopard. 490 00:56:52,560 --> 00:56:55,006 It isn't just Gordon getting an insight 491 00:56:55,080 --> 00:56:59,165 into the surprising wildlife encounters possible in the city. 492 00:57:00,120 --> 00:57:02,726 It's in Jodhpur, filming the langurs, 493 00:57:02,800 --> 00:57:06,361 that the monkey team really see the extraordinary relationship 494 00:57:06,440 --> 00:57:10,126 between humans and animals in Indian cities. 495 00:57:10,200 --> 00:57:12,521 They're so tolerant. They're amazing. 496 00:57:17,320 --> 00:57:20,130 And it makes a strong impression on them. 497 00:57:20,200 --> 00:57:21,645 Oh, it's beautiful! 498 00:57:23,200 --> 00:57:24,611 Yeah, that is beautiful. 499 00:57:26,160 --> 00:57:29,084 I mean, coming to India, this is what you realise 500 00:57:29,440 --> 00:57:32,205 that if you let your wildlife into the city 501 00:57:32,280 --> 00:57:36,444 and you really embrace it, then this is the reward you get. 502 00:57:36,520 --> 00:57:39,842 I mean, this phenomenal connection 503 00:57:39,920 --> 00:57:44,847 with incredible creatures, and that just feels wonderful. 504 00:57:46,160 --> 00:57:48,447 It was a surprising revelation 505 00:57:48,520 --> 00:57:51,490 that it was in cities where the film crews 506 00:57:51,560 --> 00:57:56,088 had some of their most extraordinary encounters with wild animals. 507 00:57:56,089 --> 00:58:06,089 OCR and corrections by explosiveskull www.MY-SUBS.com