All language subtitles for New Kids In The Wild 08

[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]

[NARRATOR] Meet Dora,

a baby muriqui.

For this youngster,

growing up wild
is one giant adventure.

To survive
in Brazil's Atlantic Forest,

Dora must learn to cope
with life at the top.

[MONKEYS CHATTERING]

Born high in the trees,

clinging tightly to Mom
is the only way to survive.

But in the canopy,
Dora's greatest challenge

will be learning to let go.

All across South America,

baby animals
are taking their first steps

and tackling
their first challenges.

Their generations,
are the future of their species.

They are,
the New Kids in the Wild.

High above the ground,

a cold mist
drifts through the canopy

of this Brazilian forest.

Curled up against the chill,

this ball of fur is Mimi,

a female southern muriqui,

one of the rarest monkeys
on Earth.

And, she's a new mom.

This, is Dora.

She was born just a month ago

and has been clinging tightly
to her mother's fur ever since.

Dora is a very special
new kid in the wild.

Less than 1,300
of her species remain.

For the last four weeks,

these two precious monkeys

have been glued together
like this,

in their unique forest home.

Blanketing the steep slopes of
Brazil's Serra do Mar mountains.

This is the Atlantic Forest,

rivalling the mighty Amazon
when it comes to biodiversity.

It's home
to 26 species of monkey,

[HOWLING HOARSELY]

including muriqui,

the largest primates
in South America.

[MONKEY CHITTERS]

Over 90% of the original forest
has been lost to human activity,

but it still stretches
right across Brazil's coastline,

into Argentina and Paraguay.

At its heart,
is the Carlos Botelho Park.

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

Dora was born
at the start of Brazil's winter,

And today, temperatures have
dropped to just above freezing.

Surprisingly chilly
for a tropical forest.

It's the coldest morning
in her young life,

and she snuggles into her mom's
woolly fur for warmth.

Fortunately, hugging
is what her species does best.

Her whole troop are at it,

looking for a partner
to embrace.

It's also what gave them
their nickname,

the hippie monkeys.

The rising sun warms the forest,

but the love-in continues.

Dora's mom and the rest of the
group hug for hours,

not just for warmth.

There's no real hierarchy
in this troop,

cuddling maintains bonds

and builds close-knit
relationships

throughout the group.

So even the biggest kids,

still find time
for hugs with Mom.

At just a month old,
Dora's only interest,

is clinging to her mother
24 hours a day

The canopy is a precarious
place to grow up.

Dora's nursery, is
70 metres above the ground.

Her mom and the older muriqui

spend most of their lives
casually hanging around,

20 stories up.

For now, instinctively,

Dora always keeps one hand

firmly locked
on her mother's fur.

She was born
with this strong grip,

the only thing
keeping her on board

as Mimi moves through the trees.

If Dora were to fall,

her mom probably couldn't risk
trying to save her

But Mimi is a careful mother,

and will gently transport
her baby around like this

for the next two years.

The forest floor is far more
dangerous for a monkey

than the treetops.

Dora's father,
is also part of the group.

But he doesn't know it

With no hierarchy,

there is no conflict
over breeding rights

So, Mimi and the other females

mate with all
of the group's males.

The free-loving family dynamic,

is all part of Dora's
hippie-monkey canopy community.

These monkeys,
have a reputation for relaxing.

But by late morning,
hunger always starts to call.

For Mimi, especially.

She must eat more than usual

to produce enough milk
to feed Dora around the clock.

Today, Rosa, the oldest female,
is taking the lead.

She often chooses
where and when they'll eat

But this morning,

she's taking her time.

Finally,
Rosa swings into action.

A hungry Mimi, doesn't waste any
time following.

She must keep up with Rosa.

Dora, squeezes even tighter.

It's a wild ride
for a baby monkey.

Dora's tiny fingers, are the
only thing

between her and a fatal fall.

Driven by hunger,
the usually slow-moving troop

appears to be fuelled
by a more ferocious appetite

on these cold winter days.

They move at surprising speed
through the canopy,

thanks to the anatomy
of their hands.

They have no thumbs,

allowing them to hook
onto the branches as they swing.

[MONKEYS CHITTERING]

Rosa knows the annual cycle
of every tree of this forest,

and has led the others
on a pre-planned route

to the best seasonal spot
in town.

Lauraceae trees,

a favourite of the troop,
and for good reason.

They fruit,
even during the cold winter.

It's a tasty sugar injection,

great for a mom providing milk.

But Mimi also
needs her greens.

And to get the freshest leaves,

Mimi and her acrobatic troop

rely on another extraordinary
evolutionary gift,

their tails.

It can grip just like a hand,
acting as an extra limb.

Coiled firmly around a branch,

it allows them
to lean further out,

and go hands-free.

The leaves provide
muscle-building amino acids,

giving the monkeys
enough strength and endurance

to dangle like this, for hours.

Dora, has so far been clamped
full-time to her mother,

and survives solely on milk.

But in a few weeks,

she'll begin to taste
what the forest has to offer

Her tummy
full of leaves and fruit,

Mimi takes a nap in the canopy.

But Dora is restless,

she decides now is the moment
to loosen her grip,

reaching out from Mimi
for the first time

Since birth, Dora has been
permanently connected

to Mimi's furry coat

But now,
Dora uses her strong grip

to swing from the branch,

if only for a moment.

Emboldened, she even decides
to give tail-hanging a go,

twisting her tail
around a branch

and then around Mom.

Dora discovers

it's as strong as an arm

Now, to try and hang from it.

Gradually, Dora goes for it.

She's hanging
over nothing but air.

But she needs both her arms
and her tail for safety.

It's still a momentous
achievement for Dora,

while her mom
was sleeping through it all

Dora didn't venture far,

but teetering above
such a long drop,

was still a bit scary.

So, it's back to Mimi
for a warm hug.

While Dora practices
her new climbing skills,

the rest of the troop
are still snacking.

And they're making quite a mess.

Way down below,

their leftovers
are providing enough food

to quite literally, feed an army.

These leafcutter ants,
will turn trash into treasure.

Many mouths make short work,

stripping the fruit
to its seed pod.

The ants,
gather these gifts from above,

alongside other leaves
and shoots,

marching it all back
to the nest in unison.

It's a royal feast.

But not all
for the ants themselves.

Much of this haul,
is for the ant colony's garden.

These leafcutter ants
are cultivators,

having developed
an extraordinary

symbiotic relationship
with fungi.

The foraged leaves and fruits
dropped by the muriqui,

are then fed to the fungus
by the ants.

In return, the fungus
is the primary food source

for the colony's larvae.

As the ants source more leaves
to feed the garden,

their constant cutting encourages

new growth in the forest.

And their nest below, breaks
down all the plant matter,

adding nutrients to the soil

Without knowing,
the ants and Dora's troop above

are all working together
as part of a web of life

that keeps their precious forest
home, lush and healthy.

[BIRDS AND INSECTS CHIRPING]

Oblivious to
the micro-kingdom below,

Dora is exhausted,
and ready for bed.

[ANIMAL CHITTERING]

Rosa leads the troop back to
their favourite sleeping trees,

to settle in for the night.

During the winter,

they will often find
the biggest tree they can,

large enough
for them all to rest.

[MONKEY CHITTERS]

But Mimi and Dora, are struggling

to find a cuddle buddy.

No luck here.

Rejected, again.

Wriggly babies, aren't the most
popular sleeping companions.

Finally, persistence pays off.

It's been a long day,
full of achievements for Dora.

Mimi has no problem getting
this little monkey to settle.

As soon as the sun sets,

the chill returns
to the Atlantic Forest.

[INSECTS CHIRPING]

These cold nights continue,
for the next two months.

Winter, is now almost over.

The muriqui troop is waking
to slightly warmer temperatures.

Dora is now three months old.

Her troop's usual
morning hugging ritual...

[ANIMAL HOWLING HOARSELY]

...is interrupted.

By some noisy neighbours.

[HOWLING CONTINUES]

Intimidating territorial calls

is no way for Dora
to start the day.

[HOWLING CONTINUES]

The cause of the ruckus?

Brown howler monkeys,
living up to their name.

Each monkey's enlarged throat
acts like a megaphone,

amplifying their howls
up to 8 kilometres.

[HOWLING CONTINUES]

Dora is just a few trees away,

and the noise is unbearable

[HOWLING CONTINUES]

Though she has nothing to fear,

it's just male howlers
showing off.

[HOWLING CONTINUES]

And Dora's laid-back troop,
gets on with everyone.

Fights with other monkeys
are almost unheard of.

The two species
live in harmony.

And, like Dora's group,

these howlers have their own
little ones to take care of.

The tiny howlers
also have devoted moms,

just like Mimi.

[CHITTERS]

But these little babies only get
one year of full child care.

Spoilt little Dora,
will get twice as long.

After their early wake-up call,

the muriqui are now
settling down for breakfast.

[MONKEYS CHITTERING]

But something below, sets off
the nearby howlers once again.

[HOWLER MONKEYS HOWLING]

[MONKEYS CHITTERING]

Down on the forest floor,
an irara is approaching.

A relative of the wolverine,
he is an expert climber,

often hunting small monkeys,
high up in the canopy.

[MONKEYS CHITTERING]

He may be at home in the trees,

but so, are the muriquis.

He needs to move quickly

if he wants to get
close enough to pounce.

A full-grown muriqui, like Mimi,
would be too strong.

But little Dora,
is an easy target.

[CHITTERING CONTINUES]

[SNIFFING]

[CHITTERING]

But with the alarm raised,

Dora hangs on,

as Mimi heads off
in full flight mode.

Without the element of surprise,

he won't be hunting
monkeys today.

[HOWLER MONKEYS HOWLING]

The muriqui may sometimes be
bothered by the noisy howlers,

but it was their warning calls
that gave Mimi a chance

to move off
to a safer part of the forest

After such a commotion,

the troop
are in search of a drink.

70 metres up,
there are no ponds or rivers.

So the troop
must find an alternative.

The bromeliad plant.

Unlike most species,

these distinctive plants
don't need soil to grow.

Their roots, wrap around trees.

They collect water,

in a small reservoir
in their rosette.

The perfect cup.

The troop quenches their thirst
in this tree-top water source.

And Dora has witnessed
a useful new trick,

though she still gets
all the liquid she needs,

from Mom's milk.

As the last days of winter
linger on,

the troop still need to spend
much of their time eating.

They need the energy
to stay warm at night.

In her first three months,
Dora has only ever tasted milk.

But today,

she's feeling experimental.

A cautious lick of these leaves,

delivers her first-ever taste
of real food.

She likes it,
so follows up with some lichen

She'll grow up to eat
over 145 different kinds
of plant.

By watching her mom,

and then
having a nibble herself,

she's learning
which ones are edible.

These first tastes of foliage,

mark the beginning
of her weaning.

But she only wants to satisfy
her curiosity, not her hunger.

She can still get milk
whenever she needs it.

And even though
she's growing up,

will continue to suckle
for another two years

Dora, has already experimented
with her taste buds today.

Now, she wants
to test out her tail.

It should be strong enough.

But letting go with her feet,
takes bravery.

Almost...

...There.

Free-hanging from her tail,
just like her mom,

Dora is now the furthest
she's ever been from Mimi.

But not too far.

Dora makes sure to stay
within hugging distance.

If there's one thing
Dora has learned,

it's that her family
spend a lot of time eating.

So she continues
her own culinary adventure.

It's these leaves
that give her older relatives,

their distinctive pot bellies.

The tough, fibrous cuisine,

means they need extra-long
intestines for digestion

As the foliage is low nutrition,

Dora's family have to eat
all day long.

And without knowing it,

the little monkey's family are
also acting as the farmersof
this Atlantic Forest.

As they roam,

any seeds they swallow are then
spread to the forest floor,

in their droppings.

Each one is
a natural seed bomb.

[FLY BUZZES]

Without seed dispersers
like the muriqui,

plant reproduction can shrink
by as much as 90%.

There may be only a fraction
of Atlantic Forest left,

but it still has a disproportionately

huge amount of plant life.

With over 20,000 varieties,

the lush habitat
accounts for around 8%

of the world's plant species.

It's not just the muriqui

helping maintain
this lush habitat.

Industrious hummingbirds,

buzzing around the forest
feeding on nectar,

pollinate flowers as they go

Many other creatures
also help cultivate

Dora's beautiful
Atlantic Forest.

Babies like Dora, aren't only
the future of their species,

she's also destined
to play a role

in nurturing
this precious habitat.

With a little help
from her large family

and her wild neighbours.

It's been an eventful first
winter for this little monkey.

She's already reached
the key muriqui milestones,

learning to climb independently
in the canopy.

And started tasting the flavors
of her future diet

But as Dora begins to grow up,

her inseparable bond with Mimi
will gradually begin to fade

[ANIMAL CHITTERING]

[WATER LAPPING]

Twelve months later,

Dora's has more than doubled
in size.

She may be bigger,

but still wants to be
a mommy's girl.

Mimi, meanwhile,

is encouraging Dora
to become more independent.

It's a confusing time.

Being carried,
is no longer an option for Dora.

But she's still got another year
before being fully weaned.

Mimi tries to ignore
Dora's attention-seeking.

It doesn't stop Dora trying.

Even when Mimi appears annoyed.

Maybe an aunt will oblige.

Hmph. She's not
playing ball either.

Most muriqui females
aren't interested in daycare.

So, it's back to her own mom.

Mimi, eventually submits.

And Dora gets
what she was hoping for.

Over the next year,

Mimi will continue to reduce
this one-on-one time,

until Dora is fully weaned,

off milk, and hugs.

This is Anita,
Dora's 5-year-old cousin.

Anita's been independent
of her mother for three years,

providing a glimpse
into Dora's future

Muriqui adults
are social animals,

but Anita is living away
from the entire group.

She's approaching
sexual maturity,

which means
her life is no longer the same

There are too many females
in the troop,

and so instinct has told Anita
it's time to move out.

Exiled from the group,

the young monkey
is on the hunt for a new family.

But with muriqui being so rare,
it isn't proving easy.

Anita's found
a stand-in family for now.

[HOWLING HOARSELY]

The howler monkey troop,
living next door.

The noisy,
but friendly neighbours.

It's hard for Anita,
leaving her family behind,

but it ensures genetic diversity
within the muriqui troop,

avoiding inbreeding.

Meaning, they stay healthy
and strong.

[CHITTERING]

So important, for these
incredibly rare monkeys.

[MONKEYS CHITTERING]

No longer stuck
to her mom's side,

Dora is also looking
to make new friends.

She needs playmates for company,
as she becomes more independent.

The best way to bond,
is to join them and hang out.

Literally.

Dora will also need
new friends to cuddle up to,

now her mom seems
less keen on a hug.

[MONKEYS CHITTERING]

Playtime is so much fun.

Even if it gets a bit rough.

Their favourite game
is a bit scary.

Pull the tail, off the tree.

Above a 70 metre drop,
it's a risky pursuit.

But Dora's acrobatic skills,
have come a long way.

She gives as good as she gets.

Each of their tails is unique,

with a smooth underside
sporting individual markings,

just like a fingerprint.

Dora enjoys all this mischievous
fun with her friends.

No monkey's tail is safe
in this game.

Dora clinging onto her mom
all day long,

is a distant memory.

She's become a highly adept
free-runner of the forest,

easily keeping pace
with her new friends.

But Mimi and the other adults,
don't seem that impressed.

They are sleeping, again.

When Dora is ready
to have her own children,

like Anita,

she will be forced to leave
these new friends behind, and
join a new troop.

But right now,
she's still breastfeeding,

albeit less and less frequently.

That's because she's no longer
just tasting her food,

she's eating the leaves.

And lots of them.

This is actually
her biggest stride yet

towards full independence.

When it comes,

it will be a welcome moment
for Mimi.

Dora's weaning, will mean
Mimi will be able to mate again.

As close as the bond is
with her daughter,

she cannot afford for anyone
to cramp her style.

As with all things muriqui,

courtship and mating, will be a
calm and peaceful affair.

When ready, Mimi will mate
with most of the males,

who are all patiently waiting,
until Dora has left the scene.

And once love is in the air,

there will be
no more suckling for Dora.

If all goes to plan,

seven months later,

Mimi will have
another new kid in the wild

requiring all her attention.

[MONKEYS CHITTERING]

As the year goes on,

Dora's dependence on her mom
is fading with every day.

But the two are still close.

They even enjoy
hanging out together.

But as Dora continues
her adventures

in the Atlantic Forest canopy,

Mimi gets more time to do
what Mimi loves best.

Resting.

As Dora approaches
her second birthday,

she's still not quite
the finished article.

She still has the odd fall,

but always gets up again.

And for a few more weeks
at least,

she still calls on her mom

to take advantage
of their last hugs together.

Dora has come a long way.

From a tiny baby
clinging to Mimi for dear life,

to learning the ways of the
muriqui's extraordinary tail.

and getting a taste
for the Atlantic Forest.

In the process, Dora and her
troop play a key role

in maintaining
the beautiful home they live in.

Along the way, she's met
some noisy neighbours...

[HOWLING HOARSELY]

...and made some friends

in the ultimate,
adventure playground.

She's learned from the best.

One day, she could have her own
clingy monkey to take care of.

And with just over a thousand
southern muriqui

left in the wild,

her species,
and the entire forest,

are counting on her.