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(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
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DAVID ATTENBOROUGH:
In the last 6,000 years
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00:00:38,414 --> 00:00:42,792
the surface of our planet
has undergone a sudden change.
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00:00:46,756 --> 00:00:49,216
A new habitat has appeared,
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entirely designed and constructed
by one species for its own purpose.
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This man-made landscape
may seem alien to animal life
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00:01:02,647 --> 00:01:08,151
but for the bold, this is a world
of surprising opportunity.
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Jodhpur, India.
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(LANGUR CALLS)
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A gang of bachelor male langurs
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has come to challenge
the resident alpha male.
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(GROWLS)
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(CALLS)
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This alpha rules over
a valuable urban territory.
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(DOGS BARKING IN DISTANCE)
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But maintaining dominance here
is a constant struggle.
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The bachelors have united
to try and overthrow him.
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(LANGURS GRUNTING)
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If they win, one of the challengers
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00:02:19,056 --> 00:02:22,058
will take over
the alpha's troop of females,
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and may kill his infants.
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There are 15 males
in this bachelor group.
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The alpha must evict every single
one of them from his territory.
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He has chased half the bachelors away,
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but a splinter group has looped back
and is harassing his females.
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00:03:03,601 --> 00:03:05,435
(LANGURS SNARLING)
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(HOOTS)
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Once again, he has to battle.
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(LANGURS BARKING)
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(BARKS)
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Finally, he manages to expel them all.
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He returns home victorious,
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but with a serious wound
on his right leg.
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It's a hard life for him in the city.
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Keeping the intruders away
is a daily challenge.
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00:04:18,843 --> 00:04:20,301
But it's worth it.
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For these urban territories
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are probably the best
langur territories in the world.
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They're filled with
rich feeding grounds.
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(BIRDS CAWING)
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Here in the temple gardens,
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the langurs have, over centuries,
developed a surprising relationship.
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One that guarantees them
a constantly replenished source of food.
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(BIRDS CALLING)
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The people here associate langurs
with the Hindu God, Lord Hanuman,
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and revere them.
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They're given all the food they can eat.
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And this high-energy diet
has led to a baby boom.
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Female langurs in this city
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give birth to twice as many young
as their forest counterparts.
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This mother is so well fed
that her rich milk
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00:06:03,072 --> 00:06:06,282
can support something
rarely seen in the wild.
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Twins.
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And all these babies can create troops
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that are far larger than those
found in the forests nearby.
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With less time spent looking for food,
there is more time for play.
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(LANGURS SQUEALING)
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The rewards of living in a city
can be huge.
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The challenge is to find your niche.
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00:06:49,118 --> 00:06:53,830
But how to create a home in a world
that wasn't designed for wildlife?
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00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:03,423
It's far brighter, louder and busier
than anywhere in the natural world.
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The continuous traffic creates barriers
to animal movement.
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00:07:12,683 --> 00:07:15,435
And in this decade,
the urban environment
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is predicted to grow by nearly 30%.
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What's more, to come here,
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animals have to compete
with the world's top predator.
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People makes the rules here.
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Four billion human beings
now live in the urban environment.
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00:07:50,721 --> 00:07:54,641
It's here that animals have to contend
with the greatest change
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00:07:54,725 --> 00:07:58,311
that is happening
to the face our planet.
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So why would any animal
want to come here?
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(SIREN WAILING)
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New York City.
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00:08:18,666 --> 00:08:20,541
(HORNS HONKING)
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This densely built-up landscape
is as unnatural as anywhere on Earth.
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(BRAKES SCREECHING)
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And yet, this wild peregrine falcon
looks out onto an ideal habitat.
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Strange as it may seem,
this vastly-altered landscape
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replicates the conditions
in which peregrines evolved.
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The towering buildings
have a multitude of ledges
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on which falcons can nest,
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and the high perches that they need
to catch the wind.
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(FALCONS SCREECHING)
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New York City has the highest density
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of nesting peregrines
anywhere on the planet.
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Winds striking the sides
of the skyscrapers
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are deflected upwards
and can help the birds gain height.
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And the great areas of concrete
roasting in the sun create thermals,
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so that, with very little effort,
the birds can soar over the city.
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00:10:02,728 --> 00:10:05,563
And so many peregrines can live here,
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because down at street level,
there is a lot of potential prey.
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(PIGEONS CHIRPING)
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Diving from height,
the falcons can reach speeds
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of over 300 kilometres an hour.
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But their prey stay down low
and close to the buildings.
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Too risky.
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The peregrine pulls out of his stoop.
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But the effort is not wasted.
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00:11:00,786 --> 00:11:04,497
The falcons need to
flush their prey into the open.
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00:11:06,667 --> 00:11:09,460
And Manhattan is surrounded by water.
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Out here the odds change.
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And in the peregrine's favour.
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(CHURCH BELL TOLLING)
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With abundant prey here all year round,
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it has taken only 40 years
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for these falcons
to establish themselves here.
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00:12:26,371 --> 00:12:30,041
And now, among skyscrapers,
they're more successful
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than their cousins
living in the wilderness.
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Mumbai, in India,
is home to over 20 million people.
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And there are predators here
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that, though rarely seen,
are rightly feared.
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Carnivores,
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lured by the prospect
of plentiful unsuspecting prey
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are on the prowl.
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(DOG BARKING)
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- (SNARLING)
- A leopard.
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Every night, under the cover of darkness
they come out to hunt.
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(MUSIC PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS)
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These are big animals,
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and they're looking for large prey
to satisfy their hunger.
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To catch more than a glimpse of them
and reveal their hunting behaviour,
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you need night-vision cameras.
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00:13:51,915 --> 00:13:55,126
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
- (HORNS HONKING IN THE DISTANCE)
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Leopards have attacked
almost 200 people here
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in the last 25 years.
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00:14:24,865 --> 00:14:27,575
But humans are not their usual prey.
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These leopards are on the hunt
for something else.
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(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)
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(SNORTING)
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Pigs.
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These leopards prefer to hunt
the domestic animals
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that people have brought to the city
in considerable numbers.
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00:15:09,451 --> 00:15:11,368
(SNORTING)
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00:15:25,008 --> 00:15:27,426
The pigs keep their family close.
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(PIG SQUEALING)
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(PIGLET SQUEALING)
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The ceaseless noise of the city
plays to their advantage.
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00:16:06,091 --> 00:16:08,217
It conceals their approach.
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00:16:10,011 --> 00:16:14,181
And the leopards are using this cover
to hunt all over the city.
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00:16:14,266 --> 00:16:15,808
(PIGS SQUEALING)
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00:16:35,162 --> 00:16:37,788
This is a thriving population.
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00:16:38,248 --> 00:16:41,709
In fact, the highest concentration
of leopards in the world
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is right here.
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00:16:50,218 --> 00:16:51,719
(CHURCH BELLS TOLLING)
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00:16:52,721 --> 00:16:57,308
It's not only the abundance of food
that attracts wild animals to cities.
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00:17:05,775 --> 00:17:10,571
They're usually several degrees warmer
than the surrounding countryside.
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00:17:10,655 --> 00:17:13,574
And here in Rome, in December,
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00:17:13,658 --> 00:17:17,870
one animal is taking full advantage
of this extra heat.
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00:17:18,663 --> 00:17:20,497
And it's leaving it's mark.
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00:17:23,710 --> 00:17:25,878
In a single winter's day,
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00:17:25,962 --> 00:17:30,132
ten tonnes of its droppings
rain down on the city.
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00:17:32,636 --> 00:17:34,261
(HORNS HONKING)
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00:17:34,679 --> 00:17:35,888
(SQUEALING)
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Starlings.
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00:17:42,103 --> 00:17:44,980
In the evening, they come back
to the warmth of the city
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00:17:45,065 --> 00:17:47,816
after feeding in
the neighbouring countryside.
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00:17:50,654 --> 00:17:53,280
They must return
to their roosting trees.
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00:17:54,157 --> 00:17:57,368
But the first to do so
are at the highest risk
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of being caught by birds of prey.
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00:18:02,749 --> 00:18:05,751
So, they wait for others to arrive.
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00:18:06,962 --> 00:18:08,837
There's safety in numbers.
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00:18:11,341 --> 00:18:17,763
As daylight fades, the sky fills
with a staggering one million starlings.
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00:18:20,475 --> 00:18:25,896
And then follows
one of nature's great spectaculars.
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00:18:28,358 --> 00:18:30,150
(WHOOSHING)
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00:19:08,565 --> 00:19:14,069
How, or indeed why, they perform
these marvellous aerobatics,
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00:19:14,154 --> 00:19:16,905
we still do not fully understand.
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00:19:28,251 --> 00:19:31,920
Eventually, en masse,
they brave the descent
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00:19:32,005 --> 00:19:35,341
and fill the branches
of their favourite trees.
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00:19:40,638 --> 00:19:44,224
On these cold winter nights,
the city's extra warmth
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00:19:44,309 --> 00:19:47,853
can mean the difference
between life and death.
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(CHIRPING)
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00:20:01,534 --> 00:20:03,660
A city, of course, can provide
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not only shelter and abundant food,
but glamour.
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00:20:09,793 --> 00:20:13,253
These varied objects
have been carefully chosen
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by a bird for their brightness
and their colour.
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(TWIG SNAPS)
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00:20:19,636 --> 00:20:22,930
This great bowerbird
has spent over a decade
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00:20:23,014 --> 00:20:26,642
building this collection of
mostly man-made objects.
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00:20:31,398 --> 00:20:34,274
Out on a golf course
in Townsville, Australia,
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00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:38,529
he's putting the final touches
to his enormous bower,
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00:20:38,613 --> 00:20:41,615
that he hopes will impress
a visiting female.
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00:20:47,872 --> 00:20:52,334
He spends two hours each day
rearranging his prized objects.
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00:20:59,050 --> 00:21:02,970
"Perhaps that would look
a little better over there."
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00:21:05,932 --> 00:21:09,184
But it seems that something is missing.
185
00:21:11,479 --> 00:21:14,731
Instead of going into town
to collect new objects,
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00:21:14,816 --> 00:21:18,277
he's decided to raid
his neighbour's bower.
187
00:21:21,364 --> 00:21:23,240
"A clothes peg! Excellent!"
188
00:21:29,706 --> 00:21:31,832
"And a shiny toy car."
189
00:21:35,420 --> 00:21:37,754
It's a risky game if you get caught.
190
00:21:40,550 --> 00:21:42,050
The owner is back.
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00:21:42,135 --> 00:21:44,386
(SCREECHING)
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00:21:51,436 --> 00:21:54,771
There is one bower
where the risk is worth it.
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00:21:56,149 --> 00:21:59,693
A particular object has caught his eye.
194
00:22:03,406 --> 00:22:05,949
He'll have to wait
for the owner to leave.
195
00:22:18,379 --> 00:22:19,671
This is his chance.
196
00:22:22,258 --> 00:22:23,675
A real treasure.
197
00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:25,385
A scarlet heart.
198
00:22:31,226 --> 00:22:32,267
"Got it."
199
00:22:34,562 --> 00:22:38,106
The stage is now set
for female visitors.
200
00:22:46,699 --> 00:22:49,076
His luck may be in.
201
00:22:57,377 --> 00:23:00,379
The seduction can now begin.
202
00:23:01,256 --> 00:23:02,506
(SCREECHES)
203
00:23:04,884 --> 00:23:07,094
He's showing off his best goods.
204
00:23:11,933 --> 00:23:14,476
"Perhaps a little plastic piping?
205
00:23:17,814 --> 00:23:19,982
"Or maybe a bit of coloured string?"
206
00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:27,739
But his guest doesn't seem to be
paying much attention.
207
00:23:36,833 --> 00:23:38,000
"A fork?
208
00:23:39,377 --> 00:23:40,544
"Madame?"
209
00:23:43,089 --> 00:23:45,048
Nothing seems to be working.
210
00:23:48,970 --> 00:23:51,555
Something is just not quite right here.
211
00:23:58,187 --> 00:24:01,064
But he still has one trick
up his sleeve.
212
00:24:01,149 --> 00:24:02,482
(SCREECHES)
213
00:24:02,567 --> 00:24:04,234
The scarlet heart.
214
00:24:07,530 --> 00:24:09,865
(SCREECHING)
215
00:24:23,546 --> 00:24:25,589
(CONTINUES SCREECHING)
216
00:24:29,886 --> 00:24:33,555
As a final thrill,
he expands the pink crest
217
00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:35,641
on the back of his head.
218
00:24:35,725 --> 00:24:38,268
The sign of his adulthood.
219
00:24:39,354 --> 00:24:41,021
But he's made a mistake.
220
00:24:43,524 --> 00:24:45,108
This is not a female
221
00:24:45,193 --> 00:24:48,570
but a young male who hasn't yet
developed that head crest.
222
00:24:49,697 --> 00:24:52,366
And he's making off
with the scarlet heart.
223
00:24:52,450 --> 00:24:54,117
(HISSING AND SCREECHING)
224
00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:58,580
It's not easy finding sex in the city.
225
00:25:03,086 --> 00:25:07,089
Raising a family in the city
is not easy either.
226
00:25:09,175 --> 00:25:11,385
It's spring time in Toronto,
227
00:25:11,469 --> 00:25:17,265
and this mother raccoon has exchanged
her native treetops for rooftops.
228
00:25:19,686 --> 00:25:21,895
(DOG BARKING)
229
00:25:27,944 --> 00:25:30,028
Since giving birth two months ago,
230
00:25:30,113 --> 00:25:34,408
she's kept her offspring
safe and warm inside a chimney.
231
00:25:37,245 --> 00:25:38,745
(CHITTERING)
232
00:25:39,414 --> 00:25:42,124
Now, her young
have outgrown their nursery.
233
00:25:43,251 --> 00:25:46,461
This is her first major
challenge as a mother.
234
00:25:49,298 --> 00:25:52,676
The time has come to move to a new home.
235
00:25:54,137 --> 00:25:57,347
She needs to get her youngster
to ground level.
236
00:25:59,809 --> 00:26:02,978
But instead of an easy climb
down a tree,
237
00:26:03,062 --> 00:26:05,814
she is faced with a vertical drop,
238
00:26:06,232 --> 00:26:08,024
with little to cling onto.
239
00:26:10,653 --> 00:26:12,195
(SQUEALING)
240
00:26:13,364 --> 00:26:16,658
Her baby's first glimpse
of the urban world,
241
00:26:19,662 --> 00:26:22,164
from a terrifying ten metres up.
242
00:26:54,405 --> 00:26:57,616
This is the last of her litter
to be brought down.
243
00:26:58,785 --> 00:27:00,410
Its siblings are already
244
00:27:00,495 --> 00:27:02,662
- busy exploring the area.
- (CHITTERING)
245
00:27:03,831 --> 00:27:05,457
And they have much to learn.
246
00:27:06,584 --> 00:27:08,585
(WHIMPERING)
247
00:27:09,629 --> 00:27:13,173
This one has fallen into a back alley
and is trapped.
248
00:27:14,425 --> 00:27:15,550
(CHITTERING)
249
00:27:15,635 --> 00:27:19,679
Mother comes to the rescue
and demonstrates what must be done.
250
00:27:28,147 --> 00:27:30,232
(BABY RACCOON WHIMPERING)
251
00:27:37,865 --> 00:27:39,449
(CHITTERING)
252
00:27:42,161 --> 00:27:43,245
(BABY RACCOON YELPS)
253
00:27:43,329 --> 00:27:44,621
That's the way.
254
00:27:50,837 --> 00:27:53,421
Raccoons are opportunists.
255
00:27:55,258 --> 00:27:57,175
And they're eager to explore.
256
00:28:03,307 --> 00:28:05,433
But they'll have to learn very quickly
257
00:28:05,518 --> 00:28:09,229
how to get along in this
strange new environment
258
00:28:09,313 --> 00:28:11,982
so full of hazards.
259
00:28:14,318 --> 00:28:15,694
(DOG BARKING)
260
00:28:15,778 --> 00:28:16,987
(WATER SPLASHING)
261
00:28:18,573 --> 00:28:21,616
Mother comes to the rescue once more.
262
00:28:24,370 --> 00:28:27,622
Urban raccoons are now
demonstrably better
263
00:28:27,707 --> 00:28:30,333
at problem-solving
than their country cousins.
264
00:28:38,009 --> 00:28:40,468
When the feeding opportunities
are this good,
265
00:28:40,553 --> 00:28:43,179
the time spent working out
how to get to it
266
00:28:43,264 --> 00:28:45,265
is well worth it.
267
00:28:56,110 --> 00:28:58,445
The complexity of urban life
268
00:28:59,780 --> 00:29:01,489
favours the clever.
269
00:29:03,409 --> 00:29:05,076
(HORNS BLARING)
270
00:29:05,161 --> 00:29:07,996
(INDISTINCT SHOUTING AND CHATTER)
271
00:29:10,458 --> 00:29:13,877
But to compete with humanity
during daylight hours,
272
00:29:13,961 --> 00:29:15,545
takes more than just intelligence.
273
00:29:21,510 --> 00:29:23,053
It takes nerve.
274
00:29:25,514 --> 00:29:28,183
One enterprising species of monkey
275
00:29:28,267 --> 00:29:31,811
has moved into the city
of Jaipur in India.
276
00:29:35,483 --> 00:29:36,816
The Rhesus macaque.
277
00:29:41,822 --> 00:29:45,742
But how to get a share
of all this juicy fruit?
278
00:29:54,669 --> 00:29:57,921
Every morning,
the troop make the same journey
279
00:29:58,005 --> 00:30:01,758
through the urban jungle,
just as human commuters do.
280
00:30:01,842 --> 00:30:04,260
(HORNS HONKING)
281
00:30:25,741 --> 00:30:29,619
Sometimes, inevitably,
there are traffic jams.
282
00:30:54,729 --> 00:30:58,023
Once they get to the market,
trouble begins.
283
00:30:58,816 --> 00:31:01,026
(INDISTINCT SHOUTING AND CHATTER)
284
00:31:20,713 --> 00:31:22,964
Being both intelligent and brazen
285
00:31:23,049 --> 00:31:27,093
is the key to beating
human beings on their home turf.
286
00:31:49,283 --> 00:31:51,326
(MAN SHOUTING)
287
00:32:06,258 --> 00:32:08,259
It's daylight robbery.
288
00:32:15,684 --> 00:32:17,435
(CRICKETS CHIRPING)
289
00:32:19,313 --> 00:32:22,899
There are some animals
that most would consider too dangerous
290
00:32:22,983 --> 00:32:24,943
to tolerate in the city.
291
00:32:29,907 --> 00:32:31,324
Spotted hyenas.
292
00:32:31,408 --> 00:32:33,326
(HYENA WHOOPING)
293
00:32:34,954 --> 00:32:37,122
They're feared throughout their range.
294
00:32:37,206 --> 00:32:38,915
(SNARLS)
295
00:32:40,501 --> 00:32:42,794
(HYENAS BARKING AND WHOOPING)
296
00:32:45,297 --> 00:32:48,341
In the outskirts of Hara in Ethiopia,
297
00:32:48,425 --> 00:32:53,680
two clans are coming face to face
to battle over a prized resource.
298
00:32:53,764 --> 00:32:55,849
(WHOOPING AND YELPING)
299
00:32:59,145 --> 00:33:02,564
There are about 60 hyenas in each clan.
300
00:33:03,524 --> 00:33:04,691
And they're well matched.
301
00:33:31,385 --> 00:33:34,429
After three hours of
posturing back and forth,
302
00:33:34,513 --> 00:33:36,181
the losers retreat
303
00:33:36,432 --> 00:33:39,267
and the victors head
to claim their prize.
304
00:33:46,275 --> 00:33:50,153
They have been fighting
over access to the city.
305
00:34:04,335 --> 00:34:08,671
Once inside the city walls,
they head for one place.
306
00:34:12,843 --> 00:34:14,719
(CHITTERING)
307
00:34:18,265 --> 00:34:20,975
And they know exactly how to get there.
308
00:34:31,612 --> 00:34:32,987
(WHINING)
309
00:34:48,754 --> 00:34:50,338
(GROWLS)
310
00:34:54,802 --> 00:34:57,011
The ancient meat market.
311
00:35:00,641 --> 00:35:04,852
The scent of all these carcasses
lies heavy in the air.
312
00:35:06,146 --> 00:35:07,689
(SNARLING)
313
00:35:28,544 --> 00:35:32,338
This tradition goes back over 400 years.
314
00:35:33,132 --> 00:35:36,509
The human butchers put out
the bones they don't need
315
00:35:36,593 --> 00:35:39,429
and these hyenas deal with them.
316
00:35:42,266 --> 00:35:44,100
They're the only animals that can.
317
00:35:44,893 --> 00:35:49,147
No other here has such
powerful bone-crushing jaws.
318
00:35:49,732 --> 00:35:52,066
(YELPING AND BARKING)
319
00:35:52,776 --> 00:35:55,778
And this relationship
between man and beast
320
00:35:55,863 --> 00:35:58,156
has now been taken a step further.
321
00:35:58,240 --> 00:35:59,741
(MAN HOOTING)
322
00:36:01,952 --> 00:36:06,497
Yousuf is calling the hyenas
to his house.
323
00:36:15,007 --> 00:36:18,843
He and his forefathers,
going back five generations,
324
00:36:18,927 --> 00:36:21,054
have been feeding the hyenas
325
00:36:22,348 --> 00:36:23,639
by hand.
326
00:36:25,893 --> 00:36:29,270
The inhabitants of this town
believe that hyenas
327
00:36:29,355 --> 00:36:32,607
provide another very important service.
328
00:36:33,734 --> 00:36:37,737
Eating the bad spirits
that haunt the streets.
329
00:36:44,578 --> 00:36:47,914
These are wild and ferocious animals,
330
00:36:47,998 --> 00:36:50,500
but once within these city walls,
331
00:36:50,584 --> 00:36:53,669
they behave in a completely
different way.
332
00:36:55,756 --> 00:36:59,467
Throughout the rest of Africa,
spotted hyenas are feared
333
00:36:59,551 --> 00:37:02,804
because they kill livestock,
sometimes even children.
334
00:37:02,888 --> 00:37:05,098
(CONTINUES HOOTING)
335
00:37:05,182 --> 00:37:09,185
They are perhaps the most
vilified animal on our planet.
336
00:37:13,899 --> 00:37:15,942
However, here in Harar,
337
00:37:16,026 --> 00:37:19,529
their relationship with people
is entirely peaceful.
338
00:37:21,407 --> 00:37:22,698
(CONTINUES HOOTING)
339
00:37:22,783 --> 00:37:25,201
They have won the trust of man.
340
00:37:35,254 --> 00:37:37,338
Losing its fear of humans
341
00:37:37,423 --> 00:37:41,342
has enabled one animal
to spread into cities everywhere,
342
00:37:41,427 --> 00:37:43,344
and in huge numbers.
343
00:37:43,429 --> 00:37:45,221
(PIGEONS CHIRPING)
344
00:37:51,145 --> 00:37:55,940
Pigeons are by far
the most successful urban bird.
345
00:37:57,860 --> 00:37:59,485
(CHURCH BELL TOLLING)
346
00:38:02,448 --> 00:38:04,949
Here, in Albi, in the south of France,
347
00:38:05,033 --> 00:38:07,326
the pigeons come to the river to bathe.
348
00:38:08,495 --> 00:38:11,289
They need to preen
their flight feathers,
349
00:38:11,373 --> 00:38:13,541
clean off the city dust,
350
00:38:14,209 --> 00:38:16,085
and cool themselves down.
351
00:38:37,774 --> 00:38:39,859
But death lies in wait.
352
00:38:42,404 --> 00:38:44,447
A predator that has taken advantage
353
00:38:44,531 --> 00:38:47,533
of the very thing that has led
to the pigeon's success...
354
00:38:50,204 --> 00:38:51,454
Their lack of fear.
355
00:38:55,125 --> 00:38:59,253
As the pigeons bathe,
oil from their plumage flows downstream,
356
00:38:59,796 --> 00:39:01,506
and is detected.
357
00:39:12,601 --> 00:39:15,728
A monstrous Wels catfish.
358
00:39:18,607 --> 00:39:23,819
Introduced here just 40 years ago,
they have proliferated.
359
00:39:25,614 --> 00:39:28,115
Virtually exterminated
the local fish stocks...
360
00:39:30,744 --> 00:39:34,455
And they've now developed a taste
for pigeon.
361
00:39:37,042 --> 00:39:38,834
Their eyesight is poor,
362
00:39:38,919 --> 00:39:43,089
so they use their barbels to sense
the movements of their victims.
363
00:40:41,148 --> 00:40:44,150
This is a radical new hunting strategy
364
00:40:44,234 --> 00:40:47,236
for what is normally
a bottom-dwelling fish.
365
00:41:02,961 --> 00:41:05,921
After a thousand years
of living in this city,
366
00:41:06,923 --> 00:41:11,093
pigeons are now having to learn
to avoid a fish.
367
00:41:15,641 --> 00:41:17,350
(CHURCH BELL TOLLING)
368
00:41:17,434 --> 00:41:20,102
Our cities are always changing.
369
00:41:20,187 --> 00:41:21,937
Sometimes very swiftly.
370
00:41:24,733 --> 00:41:27,526
And animals must cope with the changes,
371
00:41:28,153 --> 00:41:29,654
or disappear.
372
00:41:31,698 --> 00:41:34,825
One of the greatest changes
in recent times
373
00:41:34,910 --> 00:41:39,997
has come from a single invention
made less than 140 years ago.
374
00:41:45,087 --> 00:41:46,629
Electric light.
375
00:41:48,924 --> 00:41:51,550
It has become more and more powerful,
376
00:41:54,012 --> 00:41:56,138
filling our streets with light.
377
00:42:08,318 --> 00:42:10,277
It's everywhere in the city.
378
00:42:12,447 --> 00:42:14,115
It even goes underground.
379
00:42:30,757 --> 00:42:32,341
(HORNS BLARING)
380
00:42:34,344 --> 00:42:39,473
The difference between day and night
is becoming less and less perceptible.
381
00:42:49,484 --> 00:42:54,196
And that has a profound effect
on the activities of wildlife.
382
00:42:59,494 --> 00:43:04,165
In the wilderness,
light triggers all kinds of behaviour.
383
00:43:10,380 --> 00:43:12,173
On the night of the full moon,
384
00:43:12,257 --> 00:43:15,301
hundreds of tiny
hawksbill turtle hatchlings
385
00:43:15,385 --> 00:43:19,430
emerge from the safety of their nest
deep in the sand.
386
00:43:21,975 --> 00:43:26,020
Their instinct is to reach the sea
as quickly as possible.
387
00:43:28,231 --> 00:43:33,235
And their guide is the light
of the full moon reflected on the water.
388
00:43:40,619 --> 00:43:44,663
But this young hatchling is confused.
389
00:43:53,298 --> 00:43:56,133
It's going in the wrong direction.
390
00:44:01,389 --> 00:44:04,016
Bright light is coming from the land.
391
00:44:07,187 --> 00:44:12,024
And all these hatchlings
are travelling up the beach towards it.
392
00:44:12,108 --> 00:44:14,652
(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)
393
00:44:18,156 --> 00:44:21,242
Predators are ready to take advantage.
394
00:44:23,203 --> 00:44:27,373
Crabs now make their burrows
directly beneath the beach lights
395
00:44:28,083 --> 00:44:31,126
and wait for their prey to come to them.
396
00:44:53,775 --> 00:44:56,360
Even if a hatchling escapes,
397
00:44:57,028 --> 00:44:58,487
they're still in peril.
398
00:44:59,489 --> 00:45:01,365
(VEHICLES PASSING)
399
00:45:07,622 --> 00:45:10,833
The lights become
more and more bewildering.
400
00:45:35,942 --> 00:45:39,194
80% of all hatchlings on this beach
401
00:45:39,279 --> 00:45:43,407
are now disorientated
by the lights of the town.
402
00:46:04,346 --> 00:46:07,222
Roads bring many to their end.
403
00:46:22,822 --> 00:46:26,784
Hundreds get trapped
in storm drains every night.
404
00:46:41,758 --> 00:46:45,594
Exhausted by the effort of travelling
such a distance on land,
405
00:46:48,181 --> 00:46:52,476
this hatchling's chances
of surviving the night are slim.
406
00:47:05,699 --> 00:47:08,951
This turtle is one of
the countless species
407
00:47:09,035 --> 00:47:11,870
that have been unable
to adapt to the change
408
00:47:11,955 --> 00:47:15,082
brought about by the urban environment.
409
00:47:27,137 --> 00:47:29,346
Only a small number of animals
410
00:47:29,431 --> 00:47:32,766
have managed to find ways
of living alongside us.
411
00:47:35,186 --> 00:47:39,356
And every ten years,
an area the size of Britain
412
00:47:39,441 --> 00:47:42,693
disappears under a jungle of concrete.
413
00:47:52,454 --> 00:47:55,414
But it doesn't have to be like this.
414
00:47:58,585 --> 00:48:03,422
Could it not be possible to build cities
more in harmony with nature?
415
00:48:11,181 --> 00:48:17,519
How, and whether we decide to invite
the wildlife back, is up to us.
416
00:48:21,608 --> 00:48:24,902
This tree is rising nearly 30 storeys.
417
00:48:24,986 --> 00:48:31,158
It's one of almost 800 being planted
to create a vertical forest in Milan.
418
00:48:37,415 --> 00:48:41,877
This number of living trees would
normally fill two hectares of woodland,
419
00:48:41,961 --> 00:48:45,923
but here, they occupy
one-tenth of that area.
420
00:48:47,509 --> 00:48:50,594
Greening the walls
and roofs of our buildings
421
00:48:50,678 --> 00:48:53,347
could create
a rich and extensive habitat,
422
00:48:53,431 --> 00:48:55,432
if we wanted it to do so.
423
00:48:58,728 --> 00:49:03,690
There is one city where that idea
is being applied on a major scale.
424
00:49:04,484 --> 00:49:05,651
Singapore.
425
00:49:07,695 --> 00:49:12,699
Two million trees have been planted here
in the last 45 years.
426
00:49:12,784 --> 00:49:14,326
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
427
00:49:14,410 --> 00:49:19,164
This city is now richer in species
than any other in the world.
428
00:49:26,673 --> 00:49:30,467
And this practice extends
to all parts of the city.
429
00:49:32,011 --> 00:49:33,846
The waterways have been cleaned up,
430
00:49:33,930 --> 00:49:36,640
and smooth-coated otters
are coming back.
431
00:49:43,314 --> 00:49:47,818
But perhaps the most spectacular
example of city greening
432
00:49:47,902 --> 00:49:51,363
is this grove of super trees.
433
00:49:54,534 --> 00:50:00,789
These 50-metre high metal structures
are now full of life.
434
00:50:02,667 --> 00:50:06,712
Creepers have been planted
to grow over the outermost branches.
435
00:50:11,259 --> 00:50:14,595
Is this a vision
of our cities of the future?
436
00:50:18,766 --> 00:50:22,269
The potential to see animals
thriving within our cities
437
00:50:22,353 --> 00:50:25,606
is achievable across the globe.
438
00:50:34,449 --> 00:50:38,869
More than half of us now live in
an urban environment.
439
00:50:41,289 --> 00:50:44,708
Whether we choose
to create a home for others too
440
00:50:46,211 --> 00:50:47,961
is up to us.
441
00:50:53,176 --> 00:50:55,177
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
34076
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