All language subtitles for David.Attenboroughs.Wild.City.S01E00.Forest.Life.480p.x264-mSD[eztv]_Track02

DAVID ATTENBOROUGH:
In the heart of South-East Asia,

one of the fastest developing cities
on Earth,

Singapore,

a thriving futuristic metropolis,

where the wild has adapted
to an urban life.

But on the fringes of the city,
there is still wilderness.

Rainforest.

An extraordinary variety
of animals and plants live here

in this multi-layered habitat.

From the high leafy canopy

to the darkness
of the forest floor...

..the jungle is teeming
with unexpected life.

Where species have to battle
if they are to survive.

These are the extraordinary locals
that still live in the forest...

..of the Wild City.

Rainforests contain
a greater variety of species

than any other habitat on land.

Here, there is an abundance
of light, water and nutrients

that together create
a lush, tropical world.

Even in the city's
small forest reserves...

..the diversity is astonishing.

And here, surprisingly, lives

one of the least known primates
in the world.

This is a Raffles' banded langur,

a large tree-dwelling monkey
that is found

only in Malaysia
and here in Singapore.

Elsewhere, the forest where
they once lived has been destroyed.

Only a few hundred
individuals survive.

And this forest in Singapore
contains about 60 of them.

They're just over a metre tall,

the largest non-human primate
in the city.

But very few people here
even know of their existence.

Shy, secretive and elusive,

they live in small family groups,
high in the treetops.

This troop of nine
is one of the largest.

The boss of the group,
the alpha male, has been busy.

He's fathered four youngsters
in the last few years.

The baby of the family
is just over 12 months old.

Dad is a hands-off parent.

Mum cares for the baby.

And at this age, the youngster
still has a lot to learn

about life in the canopy.

The largest rainforest trees
in Singapore

stand over 40 metres tall.

These giants tower above
the rest of the vegetation.

Their canopy is the sunniest place
in the jungle.

Below, life is not as bright.

Only around 10% of the sun's rays
filter down to the understorey.

And on the forest floor,
it's even darker.

Each of the residents
has its own particular niche

within this multi-layered world.

And halfway up a tree trunk
is home for a little lizard.

A black-bearded draco.

Marvellously camouflaged.

It seldom, if ever,
descends to the ground.

And why should he?

Up here, he has everything he needs.

Lunch comes to him
like a well-oiled sushi train.

He has a specialised sticky tongue

with which he collects
what he fancies.

The buffet almost never runs out.

Missed one. Not to worry.

Plenty more where that came from.

In just a few minutes,
he gulps down over 20 ants.

Life on the trunk is pretty good.

But living in the understorey
by yourself

can be lonely.

It's time for him to find a mate.

But he's marvellously disguised
as a piece of bark.

How will a possible partner
even see him?

Well, he has a flag.

A throat flap that he can display
when he wants to.

It warns off other males...

..and attracts the females.

This one gets the message.

(ROMANTIC MUSIC)

Things progress fast.

She's already moved in.

But there's a problem.

(TENSE MUSIC)

The male's signals

have caught the attention
of an Oriental whip snake.

It, too, is a master of camouflage
and a very skilled hunter.

Its elongated eyes
set far forward on its head

give it excellent vision.

And a pencil-sized lizard
would make an excellent meal.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

He forgets about the female.

It's every lizard for himself.

So, he takes to the air.

He unfolds skinny wings,
one on each flank,

that enable him to glide
over 10 metres in a single jump.

Now safe on another tree,
it's time to return to invisibility.

Singapore's forest reserves
are small.

The largest of them
is just over 2,000 hectares.

But between them, they contain

20,000 species
of land-living animals and plants.

And deep in the jungle, new species
are still being discovered.

With darkness,
an extraordinary rarity appears.

A tiny greater mouse-deer.

This pint-sized little creature was
thought to have become extinct here

over 80 years ago,

but just recently
it's been rediscovered

on one of the country's
offshore islands.

Standing at just over 30cm tall,

mouse-deer are one of the smallest
of all hooved animals.

They feed mostly on fruit
that has fallen from above.

They are solitary little creatures

and they are, understandably,
very nervous,

for they have no defence
except invisibility.

Tiptoeing about on tiny hooves,

they move through the undergrowth
without making a sound.

It's safer to hide
and then sit down for a meal.

With a chambered stomach
like a cow's,

the mouse-deer has to chew
and re-chew every mouthful.

The rediscovery of a species
like this in such a small country

is truly remarkable.

And who knows what other secrets
the forest may still contain?

In the central forests
of Singapore...

..life in the treetops
can be idyllic.

There's plenty of food to go around.

But it still takes skill
to survive in the upper canopy.

Youngsters in the langur troop
must learn to climb

from an early age.

(LIGHT MUSIC)

Playing helps to improve
climbing coordination.

The baby of the family
is not quite ready to join in

with his boisterous siblings.

But gaining confidence in moving
around in the treetops is crucial.

Unlike other kinds of langurs,

these hardly ever descend
to the ground

and they may have to travel far
through the branches

to find enough to eat.

This morning, one of the forest's
special treats has caught their eye.

Around the size of a pineapple,

the chempedak is one
of the largest fruits in the forest.

Worth making an effort for.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

With light, slender bodies,
and long, flexible limbs,

langurs can easily cross
breaks in the canopy.

But this youngster is too small
to make such giant leaps.

Mum will have to carry him.

A baby on board is extra weight,

so jumps have to be
very carefully judged.

With everyone safely across,
the whole troop can start to feed.

The fruit might not be fully ripe,
but they don't seem to mind.

Their large pot bellies
contain specialised gut bacteria

that help them digest their meal.

And that allows them to feed
on a great variety

of leaves and fruit.

But while the family tuck in,

it soon becomes apparent
that they have company.

The greater racket-tailed drongo.

Both male and female
have long, stylish tail feathers.

This juvenile is still growing
his first pair.

He's already left the nest
and mum is now

teaching him how to find food.

Lesson one - how to take advantage
of your furry neighbours.

Drongos feed mainly on insects.

But spotting them can be tricky.

It's easier to let others
do the work.

Langurs travelling through
the canopy cause quite a stir.

It unsettles many
of the smaller residents.

One for mum.

And one for the fledgling.

The langurs and the drongos
live peacefully side by side.

But life here
is not always so amicable.

The forest is home to thousands
of tiny creatures

that are often overlooked.

Many are strange and mysterious.

This is a bagworm,

a caterpillar that has assembled
its own camouflage.

A pile of twigs...

..or sometimes a more mossy look.

Nearby, a pair of shield bugs.

This end-to-end mating
has gone on for hours.

Finally finished,

the female will now lay
around a hundred eggs.

But life in the undergrowth

can come to an end
in the blink of an eye.

This chrysalis doesn't stand
a chance against

one of the most efficient animals
in the world.

Ants.

In Singapore, there are
at least 200 species of them,

each playing its own particular part
in the ecosystem.

And one of the most aggressive
and largest is the weaver ant.

These tree dwellers are also
some of the forest's best engineers.

Weaver ants use living leaves
to build their nests.

Teamwork is essential
to get the job done.

Together, they design
and shape a home.

Special pads on their feet allow
the workers to hang upside down.

No safety ropes needed here.

Once the leaves
have been shaped into a pod,

it's time to bring in the glue guns.

Their own larvae are gently squeezed
to make them produce a sticky silk.

With that,
they weave a fabric that

holds the leaves together
in the correct position.

As the colony expands,
the workers keep on building.

Nests can grow as big as a football.

The queen hides away
inside the best one.

Her job is to pump out eggs...

..while her team of engineers
bring her food.

They make it look easy.

But this heavy labour
is thirsty work.

Luckily, they have
their very own juice bar.

They keep herds of tiny aphids
next to their nests.

With a bit of gentle stroking,
these docile insects

excrete sweet drops of honeydew.

A sugary, high-energy boost.

Just what a worker needs.

It's nearly time to get back
to the construction site.

As another day ends in Singapore,
the nocturnal creatures emerge.

And the city transforms

into a very different landscape
of light and colour.

But deep in the forest,
nature puts on her own nightly show.

A specialised UV light
reveals fungi and animals

that can glow in the dark.

A long-tailed scorpion.

The species belongs to one
of the most ancient family groups

alive today.

They have inhabited the planet
for over 450 million years.

Scorpions are almost indestructible.

They're armoured
by a thick exoskeleton.

They have powerful claws and a sting.

This species is an ambush hunter.

It waits patiently
for a meal to come by.

A single cricket like this
will last it for months.

And scorpions are not fussy eaters.

They don't hesitate to eat
each other, given the chance.

It's a brutal end,

but scorpions haven't survived
as long as they have by being picky.

As the sun rises in Singapore,
the day quickly begins to heat up.

The cold-blooded creatures
of the forest need this warmth

if they are to get moving.

This may look like a paradise,

but sometimes it's far from idyllic.

A rainforest is one of the most
competitive ecosystems on Earth.

Its inhabitants have to battle
unceasingly if they are to survive.

They struggle to reach the light...

..and race to mate.

The elegant bronzeback,

a tree-dwelling snake
found across South-East Asia.

Both sexes are usually solitary...

..but today, something is in the air.

Pheromones released by this female
signal that she's ready to mate.

Three suitors line up.

All hope to win her.

But it's she
who will call the shots.

If they want a chance,
they must fight for it.

By playing hard to get,
she aims to find

the strongest
and most determined male.

Snakes have at least
16 times more individual muscles

than the average human.

And they use this strength to squeeze
and heave each other out of the way.

This mating battle goes on for hours.

Until, finally, one of the males

manages to get into
the right position.

A gentle chin stroke -
a snake's way to charm.

She appears to be won over.

Now he needs to align
his reproductive organs with hers.

It's not easy when two other males
are still trying to join in.

But everything seems to be lining up.

This is believed to be the first time

the mating behaviour
of the elegant bronzeback

has ever been documented.

And it was recorded right here
in the forests of Singapore.

The jungle may be a refuge
for wild creatures,

but the urban world
is never far away.

Some of the locals have adapted
to take advantage of this.

A building on the edge of the forest,

the perfect roost
for a colony of fruit bats.

Daytime is rest time
for these nocturnal mammals.

But not everyone is ready for sleep.

A hungry youngster keeps mum awake.

He's just over a month old

and totally dependent on her
for milk.

But being a bat mother
is no easy task.

Babies are like limpets.
He's constantly by her side.

Even during a bath,
the pup stays close.

It's a bit of a squeeze,
but she manages to wash around him.

And keeping her wings in
tiptop condition is very important.

Tonight, she will once again
fly off to look for dinner.

But, for now,
with baby fed and bathed,

she can get some much-needed rest.

Bats are one of the few animals
in the world that sleep upside down.

Specialised tendons in the feet
make hanging easy.

And the design of this roof
suits them perfectly.

High, safe and sheltered
from the midday heat.

During the hottest part of the day,
temperatures in the forest

can reach 34 degrees.

The residents do their best
to keep cool.

A spotted wood owl
flutters its throat.

It's a way of panting to cool off.

Others just stretch out and snooze.

While the rest
of the langur family relax,

the alpha male keeps guard.

Males leave their troop
when they're around four years of age

and try to collect
a harem of females.

But an alpha's leadership
is never really secure.

There is always
the danger of new males

trying to take over his females.

And two young bachelors
have just arrived.

The females and youngsters scatter.

This is a dangerous situation.

The invaders
could be looking for a fight.

Their leader must drive them out.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

It's chaos in the treetops.

A final push
and the intruders disappear.

The alpha male has secured
his family's territory.

But in the panic,
the youngest member of the troop

has become separated.

Lost and alone in the forest,
he's vulnerable.

(THUNDER RUMBLES IN THE DISTANCE)

And a storm is on the way.

The youngest member
of the langur troop

is still in trouble.

(THUNDER RUMBLES IN THE DISTANCE)

A storm is brewing.

Singapore's jungle
depends on one vital element.

Rain.

Water is the lifeblood
of the forest.

Over 800 million litres
can splash down in just a few hours.

(TENSE MUSIC)

The residents do their best
to take shelter.

But some have to sit it out.

Scared and alone,
the baby of the family does his best

to keep dry.

Finally, the deluge is over.

And the langur family
are on the move.

Hearing the desperate calls
of the missing youngster,

they come to collect him.

Reunited with mum, he's lucky
to have been found in time.

At this age, he still relies
on his family members

to lead the way to food.

But this time spent away
from the troop is his first step

towards independence.

(WONDROUS MUSIC)

Across the island of Singapore,
it's fruiting season.

Huge ripe durians fall to the ground

while, above, other plants add
a splash of colour to the green.

It's a feast
for many of the residents.

And the plantain squirrel will go
to great lengths to be first in line.

Weighing around 200 grams,

these pint-sized acrobats
can jump over three metres.

A death-defying performance,
all for the sake of a piece of fruit.

But sometimes, it takes more
than a high-flying stunt

to reach the best of the fruits.

The chempedak is finally ripe.

Inside, there's
a sweet custard-like treat.

But first, you have to get
through the thick, spiky skin.

A different kind of gymnastics
is required for this job.

An upside-down balancing act.

At last,
all her persistence pays off.

Ripe chempedak is one of the most
delicious fruits in the forest.

And she's not the only one
who wants a piece...

..or indeed the whole thing.

And while she may have done
all the hard work,

that doesn't mean that those below
can't also get a share.

A juvenile lesser mouse-deer.

It's very rare to see one
out and about during the day.

Just like the other species
of mouse-deer,

they prefer to forage
under the cover of darkness.

We don't know how many lesser
mouse-deers survive in Singapore.

The species used to be found
right across the country.

Now they live only
in the Central Forest Reserve...

..the same jungle home
as the Raffles' banded langur.

These days, the troop have been
more elusive than usual.

And the reason why is soon revealed.

After five months of pregnancy,
one of the females has given birth.

At just a few weeks old,
baby is totally reliant on mum.

And she keeps
a constant guiding hand on him

as he begins to learn
how to get about in the canopy.

Nearby, his older brother
has now graduated

from being the baby of the troop.

Another step towards
his eventual independence.

The first few months
of the newborn's life

are when he is most vulnerable.

But mum will do everything she can
to protect him.

She'll carry him in her arms
until he's big enough

to start exploring
their treetop world for himself.

The forests in Singapore are a haven
for thousands of residents.

Multi-storeyed,
interconnected layers of life.

Communities within a city
that are precious

and worth preserving.

A surprising, wild, tropical world.

These are the forest locals
that make Singapore

the Wild City.

Captions by Red Bee Media

Copyright Australian
Broadcasting Corporation