All language subtitles for BBC.Hidden.India.1of3.Lands.of.Change.1080p.BluRay.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org

India is a land of over one billion people.

An acient world...

...is a forging a bright future.

It may look like there's little room for wildlife.

But away from the hustling bustle...

...there are exotic kingdoms of rock and ice...

...dense jungle...

...great desert...

...and mighty river.

All busting with life.

Here nature has been woven into people's lives.

Wilderness holds strong.

And the wild spirit of India thrives.

This...

...is hidden India.

Hidden in the far east of India in
the grassland of Kaziranga National Park...

...is a one biggest animals in the world.

Weighing up two tons...

...it can run at 40 kilometer an hour.

The one horned rhino.

Almost hunted to exctintion, these grasslands
are one of their last strongholds.

Containing half the world's population.

They are almost entirly built of grass.

Eating up to 25 kilograms a day.

This lush landscape wouldn't exist
if it wasn't for one very important event:

the Indian monsoon.

The Indian monsoon is one of
the biggest weather system on earth.

At its peak 17 million tons of water
falls on the land every minute.

It has a direct impact all over South Asia.

Affecting the lives of over 1,5 billion people.

It begins at India's southern tip...

...then travels over 3500 kilometer across
India's vast and very landscape...

...until it releases its last rains in the far north east.

Tracing its path backwards across the country...

...show the effect this life-changing rain has on India.

How it lures some of India's iconic wildlife
out into the open.

And how those animals cope as the water
is slowly reclaimed ...

...by unlimited heat of the dry season.

No where is the effect of the monsoon more visible...

...than in one of the last places it visits:

Kaziranga.

Lie in the floodplain of the mighty Brahmaputra River
it takes the full force of the flood.

At the end of the monsoon,
the Park has become a water world.

It's not that this bothers the one-horned Rhino.

They are perfectly at home in this environment.

When they're not cruising the waterways looking for food,
they rest and indulge in a bit of pampering.

These obliging minor birds pick out parasites
in those hard-to-reach places.

This extensive flood would appear to be
the last thing the plants at Kaziranga would want.

However the water is laden with nutrients...

...picked up on its long journey
all the way from the Himalayas.

These nutrients feed the land and
give the vegetation all that it needs to grow.

Providing a home for a wide variety of animals ...

...including over a thousand wild elephants.

India's biggest population of Buffalo.

And the highest density of tigers in all of India.

However the grasslands of Northeast India
aren't just the domain of giants.

Right down at the ankle height of a Rhino...

...this new grass also conceals one of India's
smallest and rarest animals.

This pygmy hog.

No bigger than a rabbit,
they're the smallest species of pig in the world.

For the pigs the grass isn't only something
to hide behind...

...they also use it to weave a nest.

They're designed for single occupancy.

However this females nest is having
to accommodate a few extras.

She has recently given birth to
seven tiny piglets.

Each one is small enough to fit
in the palm of your hand.

That's still big enough to cause trouble.

She has a busy a few months ahead of us.

The piglets birth was timed to coincide
with the end of the monsoon.

As it is now that there is the most food.

But this lush new growth, brought by the monsoon rains
can be more of an inconvenience for others.

This is a male lesser florican.

To him, the arrival of the monsoon signals
the start of the breeding season.

Like the pygmy hog, this is time to coincide
with a bounty brought by the monsoon.

But he still needs the females to see him.

There is really only one way.

He jumped up to 2 metres in the air...

...calling as he does though.

Advertising himself to any female
that can see him.

And if that single feat wasn't enough:

He'll repeat it up to 500 times a day.

Looks like today is not his lucky day.

It is now at the end of the monsoon
that India is at its most productive.

For India's animals, it's time to cash in.

To those outside India, it's a perfect time to visit.

Here on the Tibetan plateau
to the north of the Himalayas...

...Demoiselle cranes are gathering.

They have spent the summer breeding
a thousand kilometres away in Central Asia.

But with winter approaching and temperatures
due to plummet to minus 20 degrees Celsius...

...It's time to get out.

They're on their way to India to take advantage
of the post-monsoon bounty.

Standing in their way are the tallest mountains on Earth.

The Himalayas.

The cranes used the rising favor to gain height.

They will need to climb up to 5,000 meters
if they are to get over the mountains.

As they get higher, the winds become
much more unpredictable.

Stronger send them off course.

And they are forced to turn back.

A second group of cranes try
a different route along a valley.

But they are flying straight into a hidden trap.

This is a hunting ground of Golden Eagles.

They pinpoint one of the younger cranes.

Separating it from the group.

The Eagles hunt in pairs...

...and though the first one misses

the young crane is driven straight into
the clutches of the other.

It may be a juvenile, but the crane still weighs
almost the same as the eagle.

Gaining control the Eagles have their prize.

The flock presses on, their migration must continue.

At this altitude, they are on borrowed time.

The Himalayas run across the North of India.

For most of the year,
they are locked in snow and ice.

But in these late summer months, concealed among
the impenetrable peaks...

... there are secluded valleys
where a hidden army is at work.

Alpine's flowers are making good use
of the recent rains and short growing season,

providing perfect food for bees.

Here in the mountains, they have
the biggest species of honeybee in the world.

The Giant Cliffs Bee.

Their hide the built high up on the exposed rock.

On this one cliff alone there are
over two million bees.

Workers returning to the nest,
laden with nectar and pollen...

...tell other members of the hive where
they found their food...

...by performing what is known as a waggle dance.

The directions are coded in the dancers body positions.

And whilst the observers follow the tip-off...

...the returning bee must make its way
into the hive to deliver its precious cargo.

Not always an easy task.

Because the hive is fully exposed,

the only way the bees can defend
it is with their bodies.

They line up several rows deep
to form a defensive shield.

It is all for a good reason.

Hornet.

Voracious predators, they are here
to hunt bees.

Separated from the rest of the hive
a single bee doesn't last very long.

The hornet screws around the hive
hoping to strike unsuspecting bees.

But the guarding bees have
a defense strategy.

As soon as one bee realizes a hornet is approaching...

...they lift their abdomen up in a threat display.

The alarm ripples through the colony
creating a Mexican wave.

This coordinated visual display shows
the hornets that is dealing with an army...

...rather than a single soldier.

It's enough to blur out the individual
and stops the hornets from attacking.

It's not just hornets that are interested
in these giant bees.

For the people of the Himalayas hidden
in the hive is nature's superfood:

honey.

In India's neighbour and Nepal
they use smoke to help them access it.

Believing there to be a forest fire
the bee start to evacuate the high.

With the bees leaving the next problem
is getting to the hive.

Suspended 50 meters off the ground,
wearing no gloves or shoes...

...the honey collector descends
into forms of angry bees.

He has to remove the lower part of the hive
where the larvae are...

...to get access to the honey ridge top.

Now balancing a basket on
the end of the pole with his feet...

...he collects the honey.

It's a feat of dexterity and
a feast for the villages.

Though one hive has been destroyed...

...the honey hunters make sure there are
many left unharmed to carry on the population.

When the monsoon reached the Himalayas...

...the water ran off the rock and into
the mountain stream.

Those streams combining with others groove...

...becoming the Ganges.

Like the Brahmaputra it too has burst it banks
under the pressure of the monsoon rains.

This flooded land have some of the most
fertile growing conditions in India.

Food grown here feeds over 500 million people.

It may look like there's no room for wildlife.

But hidden amongst the crops there
are many that call this home.

And are welcomed by the farmers.

Frogs feed on insects that can damage crops.

Indian apple snails feed on algae that if left
to get out of control could smother the field.

These man-made fields become a wildlife haven.

Attracting in predators,
like open bill stork.

Animals play a pivotal role in the Hindu religion..

They are revered with many gods
taking animal form.

the stork are a sign of good luck...

...as well as a healthy habitat.

Luck is something the rice farmers need...

...as not all the animals appearing in
the paddy fields are equally welcomed.

The rising waters have pushed Cobras and other venomous snakes
out of their burrows and into the world above.

In their hunt for dry land
they come into contact with people.

Cobras rise up and hiss of the warning.

But get too close, and they're forced to use
their last defense.

Every year over 40,000 people die from
being bitten by snakes.

You would think that snakes would be
universally feared.

But one person's demon is another's deity.

Normally secretive animals, there are some villages
where cobras come out of the shadows...

...and are accepted of neighbors rather than enemies.

It's due to their spiritual significance
that they are welcome so openly.

Many of the villages believe that they are protected...

...and treat bikes with faith,
yielding rather than modern medicine.

Some villagers claimed that
no one has ever died from a Cobra's bite.

Though the real truth behind this alleged immunity
remains shrouded in mystery...

...it's a powerful testament to the reverence animals
can command amongst Indians.

Travelling across India back along
the monsoons path...

...to the far west of the country lies the Thar desert.

In some parts of India up to 11 meters
of rain can fall in a year.

Here as little as 10 centimeters
can reach these arid land.

It is the hottest place in India.

It can be a tough place to make your home.

Which makes it all the more surprising
that the people of Khichan...

...are scattering their precious grain
on the dry ground inside their village.

One and a half tonnes of it.

Khichan is a remote village hidden deep
within the desert.

The villagers the followers of Jainism...

...the religion that treats people
and animals as equals.

They are preparing a welcoming party.

All for some very weary travelers.

Battling fatigue and hunger the cranes
have made it across the Himalayas.

When the people of kitchen first started
providing food for the crane...

... just 15 birds visitors.

Now there are a lot more.

In a single season around 150,000 birds
visit the village.

All have flown over 2,500 kilometers
to be here.

The cranes is a welcome sight.

Nowhere else in India is it possible to see
this number of cranes is closed.

Some will stay here all winter
but for most, this is a staging post.

They feel need to push further south
out of the desert...

...to their wintering grounds in Southern India.

Without people to help them, these gray langurs
are left with slim pickings at this time of year.

Like other monkeys, they must rely on
their dexterity and intelligence to get by.

Desert plants are notoriously protective of
their precious leaves and flowers.

After getting through the defenses
of this thoug cactus...

...the reward is hardly substantial.

To reduce water loss many of the plants
have tough small leaves.

Langurs can get up to three-quarters
of the water they need from what they eat.

So while it's still relatively cool early in the morning,
they eat as much as they can.

For some of the younger members of the troop
this is also time to let off steam.

It may look frivolous
for this is essential preparation.

When these young males grow up,
they will be banished from the troop by their father...

...the alpha male.

He doesn't want any competition.

At the moment he provides their protection.

But expelled and outside the safety of the troop
these young males will have to fend for themselves.

Preparation begins now.

I've exiled lone bachelor,
they will compete with each other.

Their only chance of breeding will be to fight
and defeat an alpha male.

Possibly even their own father.

But that time is some way off yet.

As the sun rises the temperature
becomes unbearable.

The langurs try and hide from the sun...

...finding what little shade there is.

The dry season is picking up pace,

and shade is a precious commodity all over India.

Nowhere is this more evident than in
the open grasslands of Velavadar National Park.

It's here in this sun-baked land that you find
an animals you may not expect to see in India.

The striped Hyena.

The only species of Hyena to live outside Africa.

This female out in the midday sun
has been looking to scavenge meet...

...her source of protein.

However, she is returning empty-handed.

Her three cubs have been waiting for her.

Hyenas have three times as much protein
in their milk as humans.

It means the cubs can go longer between feeds.

Just what she needs in these lean times.

Hyenas aren't the only unexpected animals
of these arid lands.

Traveling south into the gear forests of Gujarat
you could easily think you'd arrived in the african savannah.

However lions are just as Indian as
their famous cousins for tigers,

and once the symbol of India.

They are the remnants of a population
that once numbered in the tens of thousands...

...and spread from India all the way
to the Mediterranean.

Today there are roughly 500 lions left
in India all in Gujarat.

They share the forest with a mulberry people
who graze their cattle among the trees.

They live in harmony with the lions,
but they still need to take precautions.

The forest is sick with scrub,
so rather than chase down their prey...

...the lions ambush them.

It's the middle of the day normally
a time too hot to hunt.

But they can't ignore this opportunity.

And no guy is as tall as a man,

it would easily feed this prize.

Continuing to graze that have yet to spot the nile.

Using a dry riverbed as cover their edge closer.

They won't catch it now.

It's been six months since the monsoon rains finished,

and water is becoming a scarce commodity.

Further south the last remaining pools
are drying up.

This is bad news for all the locals.

For the few that make these pools their home,
it's a much bigger problem.

But under the cover of darkness
one of its inhabitants makes a break for it.

Climbing perch.

They have a hidden talent.

They can walk on land.

Using specially adapted rigid plates
they push themselves along.

It's a drop in oxygen as the water disappears...

...that's the signal to escape their shrinking homes.

They can remain out of water for up to 10 hours,

breathing air using a specialist organ
above their gills.

If they can't find any water, they can bury themselves
in the ground, sleeping through the dry season.

But they are driven to find a new pool.

There is no guarantee that this one
will last any longer than the last one.

When the dry season is at its peak ...

...there is nowhere that feels the full intensity of the sun
quite like the Rann of Kutch.

Nine months ago this flat salt pan
was completely underwater...

...creating an inland sea.

Baked bone-dry, it seems impossible
that anything can survive here.

However, there is an animal that calls
this place home:

Indian wild-ass.

They are the ultimate desert specialist.

When the water dries up they can get
refreshment from the plant seed.

However, they are being pushed to
their very limits.

The birth of the foals was meant to coincide
with a returning monsoon...

...but the rains are late.

These mothers can barely
find enough food for themselves...

...let alone provide for their foals.

Their milk is running dry.

They need the rains to return.

It's not only the animals of the desert
that are feeling the full effect of the sun.

It's been a long time since
the monsoon passed over central India,

and it's starting to take its toll on its forests.

In many parts of the world, the sight of leaves changing color
and falling to the ground...

...is a sign that a cold winter is on its way.

But not here in the teak forests of central India.

Leaves are porous and in this intense heat the trees
are losing water and through them.

They are a liability and must go.

We believe gone it becomes much easier
to see the animals that were previously concealed.

Gaurs.

Males can grow to over a ton in weight...

...and over two meters tall.

In these lean months they're forced
to scrape bark off the trees for food.

However for others there is a savior
in these woods.

The mahua tree...

...one of the only trees to blossom
in these dry conditions.

Their deep roots are able to access
the last remaining water.

The flowers with liquid nectar that's 70% sugar
are not only a source of nutrients...

...but also, one of the few ways
you can quench your thirst.

It's a real feast for the resident langur.

Not all the forest inhabitants have
quite the same reach.

Cut help is at hand.

The messy eaters have arrived.

With only their beat to grasp the cloud...

...the parrot eats and other small birds
can't always keep hold of their food.

Good news for the hungry mouths waiting below.

It's a win-win situation.

There's a benefit to everyone having deer around.

They're the best lookouts in the forest.

Their senses are always highly tuned.

Every crackling leaf...

...every moving shadow...

...could signal hidden danger.

They are jittery.

But you do not want to run from what
you cannot see.

As you may run straight into it.

But this is not the tiger they need
to worry about.

She is one of two cubs,

and they're almost adult size...

...She and her sister are not experienced
enough to hunt by themselves.

At the other end of the clearing...

...is their mother.

She is experienced.
She knows that you need to be patient.

Shielded by the dry grass...

...she has been waiting...

...for just the right moment.

A missed opportunity.

However, it is only a question of time
until she is successful.

Surviving these lean months and
the unremittingly to the dry season...

...is the hardest part of the year
to India's wildlife.

But the same heat that has punished them
these last few months is about to be their savior.

The hot air rising off India...

...draws in cooler air laden with water
from India's Southern Ocean.

Traveling south to India some tips...

...you hit the returning monsoon.

This is what the wildlife of India
has been waiting for.