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Asia - the largest
of all the Earth's continents.
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00:00:43,480 --> 00:00:48,634
It stretches from the equator
to beyond the Arctic Circle.
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00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,510
This is a continent of extremes.
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00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:04,677
Here, temperatures can drop
to below minus 60 degrees Celsius.
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On land, survival is almost impossible.
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But for a few weeks in summer,
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the ice melts
and the coast is transformed.
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This is one of the biggest gatherings
of mammals
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to be found anywhere on Earth.
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These are Pacific walrus.
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00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,956
For most of the year
they feed out in the Arctic Ocean,
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emerging to rest on the sea ice.
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But now climate change has
melted the ice here,
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and the only place within reach of
their feeding grounds where they can rest
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are a few beaches, such as this one.
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100,000 of them, almost the entire
world population, are here.
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They are gigantic.
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A male can weigh over a tonne...
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(ALL GRUNT)
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...and many die in the scrum.
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On a beach, 250 miles to the west,
there's a further danger.
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Polar bears.
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They, too, have been forced to spend more
time ashore by the dwindling ice.
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And now they're very hungry.
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But adult walrus are tough,
well armed and agile in water,
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and could fatally injure the bear.
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He's failed.
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The narrow beaches here
are backed by cliffs...
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...and some walrus scramble up them,
escaping the crowd.
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At the top,
they are 80 metres above the beach...
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...but this is not a place
where a walrus should be.
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Nor are they the only ones
to have found it.
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The bears have got up here too.
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00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:07,114
The walrus's instinct
is to find safety in the water.
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They can still smell the sea.
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And they can hear it.
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Just the polar bear's presence
is enough to spook the walrus.
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Many walrus that climb the cliffs
never make it back to the ocean.
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Even once the polar bears have moved on,
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the walrus need to return to the sea,
and some take the nearest way to do so.
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As one crashes on the rocks,
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those on the beach stampede
and more lives are lost.
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In the course of just a few days,
over 200 walrus die.
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Now the polar bears can feed
on the carcasses.
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These events only occur
once every few years,
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but as the world warms
and the ice retreats still further,
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they may become more frequent.
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00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:01,193
Inland, the ground is gripped by winter
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for six months of the year.
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00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:11,992
Two million square miles of northern
Russia are locked beneath the ice.
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But even so, some creatures have
managed to make their homes here.
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They leave evidence
of their presence in the snow.
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These tracks all lead in one direction.
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00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:08,954
Kamchatka has the highest density
of active volcanoes on the planet.
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00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:15,197
Temperatures underground
reach 250 degrees Celsius...
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...pushing up cauldrons of boiling mud
and clouds of steam...
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...but in spite of the dangers,
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some creatures travel long distances
to visit the area.
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A Kamchatka brown bear.
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He spent the long winter
sleeping in a den below ground
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and now he is extremely hungry.
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But finding food means getting dangerously
close to the scalding fountains.
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This is the only place
for many miles around
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where a bear can reach grass that
is snow free, thanks to the hot earth.
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00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:33,954
Putting a foot wrong here
could lead to real trouble,
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and bodies have been found of bears
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that stumbled into the pools
and were scalded to death.
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00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:49,510
And this bear is not alone.
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00:11:58,680 --> 00:12:02,116
Brown bears, by and large,
are solitary creatures
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00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:05,153
and this is one
of the few times of the year
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when they tolerate the presence of others.
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00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:18,274
And now they are so well fed and relaxed
that they even have time to play.
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00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:45,554
This volcanic spot has become
a warm oasis in Asia's frigid north.
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Away from Arctic Russia,
Asia has the hottest deserts,
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highest mountains
and tallest jungles on our planet.
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This is a continent
of incredible variety...
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...but it was not always so.
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00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:26,800
Some 89 million years ago,
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India was an island lying away
to the south, but it drifted northwards,
80
00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:36,670
pushing up the sediments
between it and mainland Asia.
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00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:42,551
Over millions of years,
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00:13:42,680 --> 00:13:48,596
the sediments lying between crumpled up
and rose to form the Himalayas.
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00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:07,637
Now these are the tallest
mountains on the planet.
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They stand over five miles high.
85
00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:21,793
India is still moving northwards,
and these mountains are still rising.
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00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:34,315
Asia's mountains stretch all the way
from Afghanistan,
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across northern India,
to here in central China.
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00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:48,230
These are the mountains of Shennongjia,
among China's highest.
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The forests here were, until comparatively
recently, the least known in the world.
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00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:17,475
Few outsiders had any idea of what
animals might be living in them.
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00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:40,349
There were stories of human-like
monsters - yetis, abominable snowmen -
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who left strange footprints in the snow...
93
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...but little else.
94
00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:56,989
And indeed there are monkeys
living in these snowy forests,
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and they're very strange.
96
00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:08,000
Meet the blue-faced, golden-coated,
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snub-nosed snow monkey.
98
00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:22,317
They are among the heftiest of monkeys.
99
00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:31,356
Big animals keep warm more easily
than small ones,
100
00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:36,190
and they survive in colder conditions
than any other monkey on Earth.
101
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They all have snub noses.
102
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Perhaps prominent ones
would only too easily get frostbitten.
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The whole group huddles together at
the slightest opportunity to keep warm...
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...and who wouldn't?
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Even adults, if they get separated
from the group, can freeze to death.
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Now, in the depths of winter,
food is desperately hard to find.
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The head of the family leads them
to the edge of their territory
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in search of something to eat.
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The only food here
is wretchedly unnourishing -
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bark, moss and lichen.
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There's hardly enough to
sustain one monkey, let alone a family.
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But they share it peaceably.
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Survival depends on the group
keeping together.
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In these mountains, any food is precious.
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(MONKEYS SCREECH)
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A rival group.
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They, too, are searching for food.
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The two males go head to head.
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(MONKEYS SCREECH)
120
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(SQUEAKS)
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(SQUEAKS)
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And now the females join the fray.
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(MONKEYS SCREECH)
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Outnumbered, the intruders retreat.
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Their leader is the last to go.
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The fight was over the smallest of meals,
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but it was ferocious nonetheless,
and the family is now scattered...
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...but they must stay together.
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The youngest are already badly chilled.
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(SQUEAKS)
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She can see her father,
but has she the strength to reach him?
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(SQUEAKING)
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Back to safety and warmth.
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The huddle is the only source of warmth
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in these bleak, frozen forests.
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To the west of the Himalayas, in Iran,
lie some of the hottest deserts on Earth.
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This is the Lut Desert...
138
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...and here temperatures
can reach 70 degrees Celsius.
139
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The blisteringly hot rocks
and baking sands of Iran's deserts
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may appear totally lifeless...
141
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...but a few trees manage to grow
in the shade of the canyon walls...
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...and here at least
migrating birds passing through
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can stop for a little rest.
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A flycatcher.
145
00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:29,391
With luck, there might be
a meal of some kind here.
146
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There are spiders in the crevices.
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Not much, but worth having.
148
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And there's something moving up there.
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The bird was mistaken.
150
00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:37,389
It was a viper with a lethal bite.
151
00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:53,151
This species has only recently
been discovered
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00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:57,592
and, so far, it has been found
nowhere else but here.
153
00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:01,752
Its camouflage is so effective
154
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that it's almost impossible to see it
on these rocks.
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00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:15,150
And on its tail, moveable scales have been
modified to look like a spider's legs...
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...and its tip like an abdomen.
157
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Migrating birds only appear in this barren
desert during a few weeks of the year.
158
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This is the snake's only chance to eat
for months.
159
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A shrike.
160
00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:08,032
It has flown here from Africa
and hasn't fed for days.
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(SQUAWKS)
162
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Better luck next time.
163
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Conditions are almost as harsh
on the dry plains of northern India.
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A male Sarada lizard does his best
to get himself noticed.
165
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It's breeding time.
166
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The wide open spaces
are a good place to be seen.
167
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He's only 7cm tall,
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00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:05,152
but a rock will help to make him
conspicuous.
169
00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:28,874
And he's already been noticed
by one female.
170
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It's time for him to show off.
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The more healthy and virile he is,
the brighter his colours are.
172
00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,592
And females like bright, flashy colours.
173
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But he, it seems,
is not as conspicuous as he might be.
174
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In the neighbouring territory,
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00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:21,993
there's another male
who's found an even bigger rock.
176
00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:35,237
So the newcomer is not making
quite such a good impression.
177
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The one on the big rock
is attracting all the females.
178
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The newcomer will need a higher platform
if he's to be seen by a female,
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and he'd better do something about it.
180
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He only lives for a year.
181
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This is his one chance.
182
00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:24,835
He will have to fight, if necessary.
183
00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:48,680
His rival isn't backing down.
184
00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:09,559
Sarada males can fight to the death.
185
00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:13,437
The newcomer has won.
186
00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:27,271
Now he can claim the high platform
and the best territory...
187
00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:33,152
...and the females will choose him
for a partner,
188
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as long as he can fight off
the other claimants.
189
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(THUNDER RUMBLES)
190
00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:55,558
As the Himalayas rose
over millions of years,
191
00:32:55,680 --> 00:32:58,752
they eventually formed a gigantic barrier
192
00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:03,556
that prevented rain clouds
from the south travelling farther north...
193
00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:10,592
...and a completely new weather system
developed in Southern Asia.
194
00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:28,319
The monsoon.
195
00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:42,793
These drenching annual rains
transformed Southern Asia.
196
00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:46,631
Dense rainforests formed,
197
00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:52,551
in which plants and animals of all kinds
were able to proliferate and evolve.
198
00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:02,875
Some of the tallest jungles grow
in Indonesia,
199
00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:08,439
the home of the largest
of all tree-living animals of any kind...
200
00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:12,515
...the orang-utan.
201
00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:22,229
There is a multitude of things
to eat here,
202
00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:24,351
but you have to know where to find them.
203
00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:35,077
Young orangs stay with their mother
for years, learning how to do that.
204
00:34:35,200 --> 00:34:38,352
This youngster has only just started.
205
00:34:53,160 --> 00:34:57,518
Termites - an important source of protein.
206
00:35:12,720 --> 00:35:16,429
But perhaps they are an acquired taste.
207
00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:36,109
He's off to search for something
he might prefer.
208
00:35:48,760 --> 00:35:51,434
It's hard to know where to look...
209
00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:08,640
...or where it's safe to clamber.
210
00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:24,869
Different levels in the forest
contain different foods,
211
00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:30,473
and some of the most delicious are
in the very highest parts of the canopy,
212
00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:32,671
50 metres above the ground.
213
00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:48,914
He's a couple of years old
and he's already getting adventurous.
214
00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:54,510
His mother could climb
right to the top in ten minutes or so
215
00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:59,032
if she wanted to, but she lingers,
to keep an eye on him.
216
00:37:04,720 --> 00:37:07,553
A fall from this height could be fatal.
217
00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:22,158
Where the gaps between the branches
are too wide for him,
218
00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:25,671
his mother lets him use her body
as a bridge.
219
00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:44,872
Only ten metres to go before the top.
220
00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:57,318
But it's hard going for small hands.
221
00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:09,879
He's had enough.
222
00:38:20,240 --> 00:38:21,878
Time for a rest...
223
00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:25,595
...with mother.
224
00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:38,115
And this is his reward...
225
00:38:39,520 --> 00:38:42,876
...ripe mangos, sweet and juicy.
226
00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:52,153
There's so much he must learn.
227
00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:02,640
He will depend entirely
on his mother until he's seven.
228
00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:09,271
It's the longest of all childhoods
except ours.
229
00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:19,158
In these dense forests,
230
00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:23,114
it's not easy for animals
to see one another at any distance,
231
00:39:23,240 --> 00:39:26,949
but songs carry well through the jungle.
232
00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:29,469
(ANIMALS CALL)
233
00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:34,116
This is the characteristic sound
234
00:39:34,240 --> 00:39:38,313
that echoes through the Sumatran forest
at every dawn.
235
00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:41,997
(RESONANT CALL)
236
00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:48,199
But what can this be?
237
00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:49,799
(CALL CONTINUES)
238
00:39:51,720 --> 00:39:55,031
Of all the sounds
in the Indonesian forests,
239
00:39:55,160 --> 00:39:59,074
this is one of the strangest to our ears.
240
00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:02,877
It can be heard nowhere else on Earth.
241
00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:20,758
(RESONANT CALL)
242
00:40:20,880 --> 00:40:23,349
And this is the singer.
243
00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:28,875
A Sumatran rhinoceros.
244
00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:38,356
She's tiny, only a fifth of the size
of her more familiar African relatives.
245
00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:43,837
Her head could rest comfortably
on your knee.
246
00:40:49,440 --> 00:40:52,558
She is the gardener of this Eden.
247
00:40:56,000 --> 00:41:00,358
She doesn't just live in it -
she helps to create and sustain it.
248
00:41:04,240 --> 00:41:07,870
She eats fruits and then sheds
the seeds in her droppings
249
00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:11,994
and so spreads the foods she prefers
through the forest.
250
00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:13,872
(CALL CONTINUES)
251
00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:24,358
In this dense tangle, she uses sound
to locate a possible mate.
252
00:41:31,440 --> 00:41:34,717
But her calls are unanswered.
253
00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:39,678
She is living behind a fence...
254
00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:44,991
...for her own protection.
255
00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:57,232
In the past, Sumatran rhinos were
widespread throughout Southern Asia.
256
00:42:00,840 --> 00:42:04,310
Today, there are fewer than 70.
257
00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:22,190
It may well be that as she approaches
the end of her natural life,
258
00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:26,279
she will have become one of the last
of her species...
259
00:42:39,360 --> 00:42:42,079
...because, in the last 40 years,
260
00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:47,070
one-third of the forests of Southeast Asia
has been destroyed
261
00:42:47,200 --> 00:42:51,637
in order to sell timber and food products
around the world.
262
00:42:57,400 --> 00:43:02,474
The forests of Borneo and Sumatra,
home to the orang-utan, rhinos
263
00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:07,515
and thousands of other species that have
evolved here over millions of years...
264
00:43:08,840 --> 00:43:13,073
...are now in real danger of being lost
for ever.
265
00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:29,671
It seems that the animals
whose home this once was
266
00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:34,158
are worth less to us
than the land they lived on.
267
00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:41,437
Viewed from space, the scale
of destruction is only too obvious.
268
00:43:41,560 --> 00:43:46,589
Asia has undergone a faster change
in the last 100 years
269
00:43:46,720 --> 00:43:49,394
than at any other time in its history.
270
00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:56,758
Its forests are being annihilated,
its cities are expanding,
271
00:43:56,880 --> 00:44:00,953
and as the human population
approaches 4.6 billion,
272
00:44:01,080 --> 00:44:05,153
the largest of all continents
is no longer able, it seems,
273
00:44:05,280 --> 00:44:07,999
to allow space for its wildlife.
274
00:44:20,960 --> 00:44:25,158
The oceans around Southern Asia
are also feeling this pressure.
275
00:44:31,960 --> 00:44:36,636
These seas feed billions of people
around the world.
276
00:44:40,680 --> 00:44:45,550
For many fishermen here, their catch
is their only source of livelihood.
277
00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:55,793
And there is one fish here
that they prize above all others.
278
00:45:06,200 --> 00:45:08,316
The whale shark.
279
00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:18,631
It swims slowly,
gently harvesting the plankton.
280
00:45:21,160 --> 00:45:23,720
It's almost 20 metres long -
281
00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:26,480
the largest fish in the world.
282
00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:34,717
They are also under threat.
283
00:45:36,840 --> 00:45:39,639
Like many shark species in Asia,
284
00:45:39,760 --> 00:45:44,277
populations have declined
by more than half in recent years.
285
00:46:00,640 --> 00:46:03,519
They are an easy and valuable catch.
286
00:46:10,320 --> 00:46:15,190
But here, there is a respect
for the seas and their inhabitants.
287
00:46:18,600 --> 00:46:23,595
Whale shark hunting has now been
banned across Indonesia's waters.
288
00:46:27,440 --> 00:46:32,230
This whale shark plays a different part
in the lives of these fishermen.
289
00:46:36,680 --> 00:46:43,154
They feed him, and the relationship
seems to bring joy to both parties,
290
00:46:43,280 --> 00:46:48,753
and with this new protection
has come something truly remarkable.
291
00:47:01,680 --> 00:47:07,392
Whale sharks from far away
are seeking out these fishermen,
292
00:47:07,520 --> 00:47:13,755
and in these safe waters, there is
a chance for their numbers to increase.
293
00:47:17,840 --> 00:47:22,311
And maybe one day
other shark species will be protected too.
294
00:47:30,480 --> 00:47:36,351
The people here have made
a simple but extraordinary choice -
295
00:47:36,480 --> 00:47:42,874
fishing in a way that is sustainable
for themselves and the animals.
296
00:47:47,960 --> 00:47:52,557
Caring for wildlife
is surely our shared responsibility.
297
00:47:55,600 --> 00:48:01,551
Across this vast continent and across
the world, it is decisions like these
298
00:48:01,680 --> 00:48:06,834
that are key to protecting
the planet's most precious diversity.
299
00:48:22,280 --> 00:48:26,319
1 first went in search of orang-utan
in 1956.
300
00:48:29,440 --> 00:48:35,959
Then, there were around 175,000
living in the remote forests of Borneo.
301
00:48:42,520 --> 00:48:47,356
ARCHIVE: I found on the forest floor
the rinds and cores of durian fruit
302
00:48:47,480 --> 00:48:50,632
which I knew was the favourite
food of orang-utan.
303
00:48:52,040 --> 00:48:54,839
Then we heard a crashing
in the branches ahead
304
00:48:54,960 --> 00:48:59,557
and high up in the trees
we saw a great furry red form.
305
00:49:00,720 --> 00:49:01,915
He seemed enormous.
306
00:49:02,040 --> 00:49:05,078
He was probably almost five feet high.
307
00:49:10,240 --> 00:49:15,474
In the 60 years since, I've returned
to Borneo on many occasions
308
00:49:15,600 --> 00:49:18,956
to film and document its wildlife.
309
00:49:21,920 --> 00:49:23,194
But during that time,
310
00:49:23,320 --> 00:49:27,439
the island's orang-utan population
has more than halved,
311
00:49:27,560 --> 00:49:29,358
leaving them endangered...
312
00:49:30,960 --> 00:49:35,238
...and finding them in their natural
habitat has become ever more difficult.
313
00:49:38,400 --> 00:49:43,520
The cause of this decline was
evident during a visit in 2012.
314
00:49:44,520 --> 00:49:48,070
When 1 first came
Yo this river in Borneo in 1956,
315
00:49:48,200 --> 00:49:52,159
the rainforest stretched unbroken
on either side of the river
316
00:49:52,280 --> 00:49:53,839
for hundreds of miles.
317
00:49:55,200 --> 00:49:57,157
Today, it's very different.
318
00:50:03,000 --> 00:50:06,197
DAVID ATTENBOROUGH:
Now only patches of forest remain,
319
00:50:06,320 --> 00:50:10,393
so to film orang-utan in the wild
the Seven Worlds crew
320
00:50:10,520 --> 00:50:15,594
Joined a research team heading
for the Gunung Palung National Park.
321
00:50:18,840 --> 00:50:21,832
This 400-square-mile area is home
322
00:50:21,960 --> 00:50:26,431
to Borneo's largest remaining
wild orang-utan population.
323
00:50:31,520 --> 00:50:34,399
Here, they are protected and studied.
324
00:50:39,040 --> 00:50:42,920
The crew follow a mother,
known to researchers as Bibi,
325
00:50:43,040 --> 00:50:48,274
and her infant Bayas
as she teaches him how to find food.
326
00:50:54,320 --> 00:50:59,394
Like all orang-utan mothers,
Bibi has to work hard to raise Bayas,
327
00:50:59,520 --> 00:51:04,879
and this means she may only have
four or five infants in her lifetime.
328
00:51:06,360 --> 00:51:08,271
This low number of babies
329
00:51:08,400 --> 00:51:12,997
means it's hard for orang-utan
to recover from population decline.
330
00:51:19,640 --> 00:51:25,830
Researchers want to know why
orang-utan give birth so rarely.
331
00:51:28,280 --> 00:51:33,912
Today, they're following a young female,
Walimah, to find out if she's pregnant...
332
00:51:35,520 --> 00:51:40,037
...but to do this, they'll have
to put themselves in the firing line.
333
00:51:45,200 --> 00:51:47,430
So what we do is we...
we have to wait till she pees,
334
00:51:47,560 --> 00:51:50,518
and we have a bag on a fishing pole,
335
00:51:50,640 --> 00:51:54,918
and when she starts to go,
we run over there and try to catch it.
336
00:51:59,280 --> 00:52:02,318
Yeah, a few years ago
I was featured in a magazine
337
00:52:02,440 --> 00:52:04,829
as the top ten worst jobs in science -
it was kind of a joke -
338
00:52:04,960 --> 00:52:07,679
but, you know,
orang-utan pee-collector was number one.
339
00:52:08,960 --> 00:52:12,590
So, not too...not, er...
not too glamorous, apparently.
340
00:52:12,720 --> 00:52:16,679
Research is starting to show
an important pattern.
341
00:52:16,800 --> 00:52:18,791
The orang-utan can only conceive
342
00:52:18,920 --> 00:52:21,355
when there's enough fruit
around in their home.
343
00:52:21,480 --> 00:52:26,634
The team will now test the sample
to discover if Walimah is pregnant.
344
00:52:31,280 --> 00:52:35,797
But the orang-utan
within Gunung Palung are the lucky ones.
345
00:52:38,160 --> 00:52:42,597
Those beyond the borders of the park
face a very different world.
346
00:52:46,960 --> 00:52:50,157
Many are left with no home at all.
347
00:52:53,880 --> 00:52:58,317
This footage shows members
of International Animal Rescue
348
00:52:58,440 --> 00:53:05,073
attempting to dart and sedate a stranded
orang-utan so it can be moved to safety.
349
00:53:15,200 --> 00:53:18,670
Rescued orang-utan are treated,
350
00:53:18,800 --> 00:53:23,158
but with each passing year, there are
fewer places left for them to go.
351
00:53:34,080 --> 00:53:38,392
Since 1960,
the destruction of Borneo's rainforests
352
00:53:38,520 --> 00:53:41,558
has been happening on an industrial scale.
353
00:53:50,120 --> 00:53:53,511
Huge areas were
initially stripped for timber,
354
00:53:53,640 --> 00:53:56,678
and then a very different type of tree
was planted.
355
00:53:59,240 --> 00:54:00,355
Oil palm.
356
00:54:02,160 --> 00:54:07,872
Today, it has become the most widely used
type of vegetable oil in the world,
357
00:54:08,000 --> 00:54:13,552
and Borneo is the location of almost half
the oil palm plantations on the planet.
358
00:54:16,240 --> 00:54:20,234
These uniform plantations can't support
life in the same way
359
00:54:20,360 --> 00:54:23,034
as a rich and diverse rainforest.
360
00:54:32,080 --> 00:54:37,792
But oil palm is very important to the
local economy and it's highly efficient.
361
00:54:39,360 --> 00:54:43,149
Simply using another type of oil
might take up more land,
362
00:54:43,280 --> 00:54:46,079
leading to more deforestation.
363
00:54:50,160 --> 00:54:52,197
And this is where it ends up.
364
00:54:53,320 --> 00:54:58,918
Palm oil is found in around half the
packaged products in our supermarkets,
365
00:54:59,040 --> 00:55:00,838
as well as in biofuels.
366
00:55:03,560 --> 00:55:07,554
The balance between our needs
and conservation is hard,
367
00:55:07,680 --> 00:55:11,958
but we can off era vital lifeline
for our forest relatives.
368
00:55:13,200 --> 00:55:16,272
We may be able to protect them
through simple choices...
369
00:55:17,640 --> 00:55:22,874
...like buying products made with
deforestation-free sustainable palm oil
370
00:55:23,000 --> 00:55:26,675
from companies that support local people
371
00:55:26,800 --> 00:55:31,920
using existing plantations
without cutting down more rainforest...
372
00:55:35,080 --> 00:55:39,472
...keeping Gunung Palung's inhabitants
safe, including Walimah.
373
00:55:40,800 --> 00:55:44,759
She did become pregnant
and now has a daughter to care for.
374
00:55:50,880 --> 00:55:56,193
Their future will be determined
by the choices we make today.
375
00:56:05,040 --> 00:56:10,513
Back in 1956, I never imagined that
within the space of my lifetime
376
00:56:10,640 --> 00:56:15,191
these intelligent apes
and the ancient forests they have lived in
377
00:56:15,320 --> 00:56:19,109
for millions of years
would be placed under such dire threat.
378
00:56:28,040 --> 00:56:34,275
Just how much longer they will inhabit
the planet is up to all of us.
379
00:56:43,200 --> 00:56:48,559
Next time...a land of the unexpected.
380
00:56:57,160 --> 00:57:00,755
The richest and most diverse
continent on Earth...
381
00:57:03,160 --> 00:57:04,992
...South America.