1 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:19,480 NARRATOR: One island dominates Southeast Asia. 2 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:21,440 Borneo... 3 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,520 ..the third largest in the world. 4 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:30,600 Here, evolution is in overdrive... 5 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:34,800 ..an explosion of life. 6 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,240 But the diversity of this island is threatened... 7 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:42,640 ..by the actions of humans. 8 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:47,720 From the Arctic... (GROWLS) 9 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:48,880 (CHUFFING) 10 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:52,720 ..to the tropics... (TRUMPETS) 11 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:58,320 ..islands are wild laboratories... 12 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,280 ..where unique rules apply... (SQUAWKS) 13 00:01:04,320 --> 00:01:07,400 ..and nature puts life... 14 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:09,040 (HISSES) (CHATTERS) 15 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:11,640 ..to the ultimate test. 16 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:13,120 (GROWLS) 17 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:22,440 Although Borneo seems to be blanketed in greenery, 18 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,040 it's an island of many worlds. 19 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:28,480 Isolated limestone outcrops... 20 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:31,680 ..ancient rainforests... 21 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:34,520 ..biodiverse mountains... 22 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:38,040 ..and mighty rivers. 23 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:50,880 (BIRDS CALLING) 24 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:52,920 (CHATTERING) 25 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:55,000 The Kinabatangan... 26 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:01,880 ..an artery cutting through Borneo's dense forests. 27 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:15,840 Tiny giants patrol its banks... 28 00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:20,240 ..in a never-ending quest for food. 29 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:22,280 (ELEPHANT HUFFS) 30 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,640 (RUMBLING) 31 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,400 The smallest pachyderm on Earth... 32 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:37,680 ..the Bornean pygmy elephant. 33 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:42,680 (TRUMPETING SOFTLY) 34 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,400 They must face the river's powerful waters 35 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,280 to find new feeding grounds. 36 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,400 They can't get enough nutrition from the island's vegetation, 37 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,400 so they've shrunk to adapt... (TRUMPETS) 38 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,840 ..and are only two-thirds the size of their mainland cousins. 39 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:03,880 (HUFFS) 40 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:10,120 This little fellow is getting to grips with life on the move... 41 00:03:10,920 --> 00:03:13,120 ..along the river highways. 42 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,120 (TRUMPETS) 43 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:30,480 He'll walk for up to five kilometres a day... 44 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,640 ..because when the herd has eaten everything in one area... 45 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:37,680 (TRUMPETS, HUFFS) 46 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,320 ..they have to move on. 47 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,080 It's a tiring regime for short legs. 48 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:05,640 The water provides welcome relief from the island's stifling heat. 49 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:16,680 (HUFFS) 50 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:19,560 But try to cross it... 51 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,400 and the river will reveal its full power. 52 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,120 (TRUMPETS) 53 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:30,960 And that's exactly what this bull is about to do... 54 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:33,800 ..to find fresh food. 55 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:48,920 The river is wide... and fast-flowing. 56 00:04:51,840 --> 00:04:54,520 Even weighing in at four and a half tonnes, 57 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:57,320 he struggles with its currents. 58 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:04,480 (TRUMPETS) 59 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:14,560 And the river's steep banks are yet another barrier. 60 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:21,840 (HUFFS) 61 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:38,720 Life can be tough for tiny giants in Borneo... 62 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,280 especially when they enter enemy territory. 63 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:49,680 Borneo wasn't always an island. 64 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:56,040 It once formed the highlands of a Southeast Asian landmass. 65 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:02,000 But as sea levels rose at the end of the last Ice Age... 66 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:05,440 ..it was cut off... 67 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,160 along with its animals... 68 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:11,640 and its vast, ancient rainforests. 69 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:27,640 The forest's canopy soars 100 metres high... 70 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:33,040 ..the tallest tropical rainforest in the world. 71 00:06:34,280 --> 00:06:38,200 It rewards those who brave its heights with fruit. 72 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:43,000 But you need to learn which are safe to eat, 73 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,400 and which might be poisonous... 74 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:51,200 ..especially when you have a baby to raise. 75 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,400 This orangutan mother must pass on the art 76 00:06:57,440 --> 00:06:59,440 of how to survive up here. 77 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:02,920 With so much to learn, 78 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:06,520 she'll stick to the small patch of forest she grew up in 79 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:08,600 and keep her baby by her side, 80 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,800 nursing her for up to eight years... 81 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,360 ..longer than any other mammal. 82 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:18,040 (CHATTERING SOFTLY) 83 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:21,240 Finding edible fruit is a never-ending task, 84 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:25,320 especially as most trees here don't fruit every year. 85 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:30,800 So throughout this time, baby keeps suckling milk, 86 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:34,320 a vital last resort when times are tough. 87 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,800 Borneo supports around 15,000 plant species... 88 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:43,040 ..but many are poisonous. 89 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:49,480 Baby must memorise which ones are safe to eat. 90 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:55,840 (SQUEALS QUIETLY) 91 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:03,640 Luckily, she's a keen learner. 92 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:08,760 She'll need to be. 93 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:13,680 There are more challenges from the high canopy ahead. 94 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:15,720 (CHATTERING SOFTLY) 95 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:28,440 Deprived of light by the canopy, 96 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:32,560 Borneo's forest floor can be an unwelcoming place... 97 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:35,920 (BEAR SNORTS) 98 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:39,600 ..unless it's your own personal playground. 99 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:49,960 This is Luna... 100 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:52,760 (SNIFFING) 101 00:08:53,680 --> 00:08:56,000 ..a sun bear... 102 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:59,440 ..the smallest bears in the world. 103 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:04,960 Just like Borneo's elephants, 104 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:08,000 Luna has adapted to a lack of food... 105 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:10,200 by evolving a smaller body. 106 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:15,720 And the lighter you are, the higher you can climb. 107 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:24,560 (GRUNTS) At least, that's the theory. 108 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:32,520 Sun bears are vulnerable to extinction... 109 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,960 ..victims of habitat loss. 110 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,600 Poachers hunt them for their body parts 111 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:42,600 and take cubs to sell illegally as exotic pets. 112 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:48,400 Luna was separated from her mother at birth. 113 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:52,640 And at only six months old... 114 00:09:52,680 --> 00:09:54,840 she still has a lot to learn. 115 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:59,200 Luckily, she has a helping hand. 116 00:10:03,560 --> 00:10:06,320 Luna lives in a refuge for sun bears. 117 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:09,880 The bears are protected here 118 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:13,480 until they are ready to be rehabilitated into the wild. 119 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:19,640 A ranger takes her out daily... 120 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:24,280 so she can develop her instincts to forage and climb. 121 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:30,440 Once she's mastered these skills... 122 00:10:31,680 --> 00:10:34,920 ..she can join the other sun bears... 123 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:39,400 ..up in the high canopy. 124 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:52,240 (BIRDS CHIRPING) 125 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:55,720 Borneo's rainforests are challenging places to live. 126 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:59,240 Every creature must find its own niche to survive here. 127 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:03,240 But because they rely on these unique habitats, 128 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:05,840 they are vulnerable to change. 129 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:10,960 It's well known that the island's rainforest is shrinking. 130 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:18,760 In just 40 years, Borneo has lost nearly a third of its forest cover 131 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:22,680 to fire, logging, and oil palm plantations... 132 00:11:23,680 --> 00:11:26,680 ..twice the rate of the rest of the world. 133 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:32,520 Today, only small pockets remain for animals to live in. 134 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:40,880 (ELEPHANT RUMBLES) 135 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:43,720 With so little left, 136 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:47,040 the elephants are forced to leave the safety of the rainforest. 137 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:52,400 The herd has been walking non-stop for days... 138 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:55,480 (RUMBLING) 139 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,200 ..and the baby is getting tired. 140 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:05,360 They have little time for rest. 141 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:15,760 Nursing him depletes his mother's energy. 142 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:24,800 And she's not the only one who's weary. 143 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:28,960 There are elderly here, too. 144 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:31,040 (HUFFS) 145 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:34,440 But they must keep moving... 146 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:42,200 ..to find enough food. 147 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:44,240 (TRUMPETS) 148 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:55,120 85% of the world's palm oil comes from this island. 149 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,360 Found in everything from bread to shampoo, 150 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:02,000 it's the most widely used, edible oil in the world. 151 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,400 Plantations have changed the face of the island, 152 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:10,240 fragmenting the landscape. 153 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:12,640 (RUMBLING) 154 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:16,920 There's no way elephants can avoid them. 155 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:23,760 Noise cannons, snares, 156 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:27,080 and electric fences are used to keep them out. 157 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:29,120 (TRUMPETS, HUFFS) 158 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:34,400 (RUMBLING) 159 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:37,520 But the lure of food is too strong... 160 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:42,920 ..so they break in and feed on the palms. 161 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:05,400 (TRUMPETS) 162 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:13,800 The baby is at risk here. 163 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:21,840 If his herd is startled... 164 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:25,200 he could get trampled or abandoned. 165 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:34,680 And he's too young to make it on his own. 166 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:36,720 (RUMBLING) 167 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:47,800 The elephants aren't welcome here. 168 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:55,400 Where pristine habitats remain... 169 00:14:55,440 --> 00:15:00,360 Borneo rivals the Amazon as a treasure trove of biodiversity. 170 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:05,320 And the secret to that natural profusion 171 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:08,360 lies high up in its mountain range. 172 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:12,240 Here, millions of years ago... 173 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:14,280 (RUMBLING) 174 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:21,560 ..tectonic forces thrust up a giant ball of granite through its surface... 175 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:27,600 ..Mount Kinabalu. 176 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:40,960 The tallest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea. 177 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:47,120 At over 4,000 metres... 178 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:52,360 ..it's almost twice the height of its neighbours and... 179 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:56,200 with ongoing collisions under its surface... 180 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:58,520 still rising. 181 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:02,560 Kinabalu creates its own weather systems. 182 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:09,360 Different altitudes, soils, and climates... 183 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:13,920 ..create scores of unique habitats... 184 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:15,960 (BIRDS CHIRPING) 185 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:18,920 ..from tropical lowland rainforests... 186 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,240 ..to freezing sub-alpine meadows... 187 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:25,480 and everything in between. 188 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:31,200 Nature has adapted to every niche... 189 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:34,040 with an explosion of plant life... 190 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:38,520 nearly three times the density of species in Europe... 191 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:41,200 crammed onto a single mountain. 192 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:49,320 Soils on its granite slopes are high in metals... 193 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:52,360 ..and low in nutrients. 194 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:58,000 Pitcher plants can't extract useful minerals from them. 195 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:03,080 So one giant has evolved its own way to get what it needs. 196 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:07,200 Nepenthes rajah... 197 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:10,000 the largest carnivorous plant in the world. 198 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:22,200 It lures insects with its sweet scent to its pitcher... 199 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:28,200 ..an open-air stomach, lined with a slippery rim. 200 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:39,880 Two and a half litres of digestive fluids get to work straight away... 201 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:45,080 ..drowning... 202 00:17:45,120 --> 00:17:47,160 dissolving... 203 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:49,480 and releasing minerals from its prey. 204 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:56,400 By isolating plants like the rajah, 205 00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:59,400 this mountain forces them to specialise. 206 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:04,360 A perfect laboratory for evolution. 207 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:11,720 Mount Kinabalu isn't the only place where the island's geology 208 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:14,880 has fuelled a host of strange adaptations. 209 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:32,160 In some of Borneo's least explored areas, 210 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:36,400 a battle against the elements has carved razor-sharp shards. 211 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:43,120 Limestone outcrops of ancient seabed... 212 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:46,000 thrust high above the surface... 213 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:49,160 whittled away over time by rain. 214 00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:00,720 Entire species of limestone snails... 215 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:04,560 live their lives stranded on a single rock... 216 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:06,600 (SQUELCHING) 217 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:12,960 ..like tiny islands within an island. 218 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:18,800 The outcrops are packed with the calcium 219 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:21,960 that the snails need to build their shells. 220 00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:41,680 The Fairy Cave Gecko. 221 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,720 Its long toes and curved claws... 222 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:56,720 can cling perfectly to the rough limestone walls. 223 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:07,400 These rocks are home to the ultimate specialists... 224 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:12,760 many never captured before on film... 225 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:23,320 ..like this yet-to-be-named species of jumping spider... 226 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:30,760 ..some of the smartest spiders in the world. 227 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,960 She uses stealth... 228 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:44,600 and deception to hunt her favourite prey... 229 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:50,400 ..other spiders. 230 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:06,280 These rocks don't provide much cover, 231 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:10,320 so she's evolved to hide in plain sight. 232 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:15,640 She strums on her victim's web... 233 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:19,760 ..to draw him into the open. 234 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:34,400 Her 360-degree motion sensors... 235 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:38,680 ..mean she always detects her prey... 236 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:43,160 ..before they see her coming. 237 00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:58,880 Blending into her surroundings, 238 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:01,160 she settles in for a feast... 239 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:04,280 ..safe from the eyes of potential predators 240 00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:08,320 ..on her landlocked limestone island. 241 00:22:20,120 --> 00:22:22,360 In some corners of Borneo, 242 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:26,320 isolation has sent evolution off on a strange path. 243 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:31,000 Tiny islands fringe its east coast, 244 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,680 atolls wrapped in living coral, 245 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:36,960 in deep, nutrient-rich waters - 246 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:40,440 some of the most diverse marine habitats in the world. 247 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:54,400 But one island hides its submarine world on the inside... 248 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:00,200 ..Kakaban. 249 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,440 Twelve thousand years ago, 250 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:08,400 a submerged volcanic crater was lifted up out of the water... 251 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:17,240 ..trapping sea creatures in a marine lake... 252 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:27,040 separated from the sea by a thin strip of land. 253 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:48,600 It has created an extraordinary ecosystem inside. 254 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:02,520 The most unusual inhabitants here... 255 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:05,480 ..are jellyfish. 256 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:16,440 Protected from large ocean predators outside, 257 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:19,720 they have become practically stingless. 258 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:24,720 But there's a catch. 259 00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:27,320 They're cut off from their food supply, too. 260 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:33,000 So, these jellyfish live off light. 261 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:45,240 They take the energy they need from algae that live inside them. 262 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:50,440 Every day, they rise to the surface, 263 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:53,880 so the algae can soak in the sun's rays. 264 00:24:55,200 --> 00:25:00,120 And in return, the algae release nutrients. 265 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,040 But this haven is not entirely safe. 266 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:11,240 An unexpected predator lurks at the bottom of the lake. 267 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:18,000 Anemones. They've kept their sting. 268 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:27,000 But it's a small price to pay... 269 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:32,640 ..when solar-powered jellyfish... 270 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:38,400 ..continue to thrive in their thousands... 271 00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:44,760 ..in this unique habitat. 272 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:55,600 (BIRDS TWITTERING) 273 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:03,440 Borneo's rainforest is unlike any other. 274 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:07,360 More than twice as old as the Amazon, 275 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:12,800 a battle for sunlight over 130 million years 276 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:17,160 has produced the world's tallest tropical trees. 277 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:23,520 Dipterocarps dominate here. 278 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:30,160 Anyone trying to make a life atop these ancient giants 279 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:34,720 must learn the rules of living at extreme heights. 280 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:41,720 Orangutans have no problem navigating the high branches. 281 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:51,960 But take a nap up here, even they could risk a fall. 282 00:26:55,960 --> 00:27:00,160 Every mother must show her baby how to build a secure nest. 283 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:09,960 (CHATTERING SOFTLY) 284 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:16,320 She watches her mum closely. 285 00:27:16,360 --> 00:27:18,360 (BRANCH SNAPS) 286 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:20,400 She's a good mimic. 287 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:26,400 Each day, she builds survival skills... 288 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:32,200 ..and today, her own first nest. 289 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:38,760 Or is it a trampoline? 290 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:46,120 Somebody isn't taking this learning experience very seriously. 291 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:49,280 (SQUEALING) 292 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:56,680 Single parents seldom get much rest. 293 00:27:56,720 --> 00:28:00,000 Mum just wants five minutes' peace. 294 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:13,880 (CHATTERS SOFTLY) 295 00:28:16,120 --> 00:28:18,120 (SQUEALS) 296 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:24,200 Maybe she'll settle in Mum's nest for a little nap? 297 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:32,920 No such luck. 298 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:44,640 There's a point to all this play. 299 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:46,400 (SQUEALS) 300 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:49,320 With each swing, she's becoming more confident, 301 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:53,000 venturing further away from her mother. 302 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:58,840 It's a risky game... 303 00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:02,080 but an important one. (SQUEAKS) 304 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:06,040 She needs to learn what kind of branches can carry her weight. 305 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:15,760 It's the only way she will ever be able 306 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:18,240 to navigate the island's high canopy. 307 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:28,640 (CHATTERS) 308 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:54,640 The rainforest's extraordinary diversity relies on its water cycle. 309 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:58,560 And when the heat rises, 310 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:02,360 there's nothing Borneo likes more than a good shower. 311 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:07,720 (THUNDER RUMBLING) Almost every afternoon... 312 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:10,280 like clockwork... 313 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:14,040 warmth and moisture build up from the forest floor 314 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:18,600 until clouds hang heavy over the island's canopy. 315 00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:20,720 And finally... 316 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:25,080 ..it rains... (BIRDS CHIRPING) 317 00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:30,760 ..quenching the forest... 318 00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:34,840 ..feeding the rivers... 319 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:38,200 (ELEPHANTS TRUMPET) 320 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:41,000 ..and bringing relief from the heat. 321 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:52,720 (THUNDER CRACKING) 322 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:02,480 By storing and releasing its own water, 323 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:05,600 the island's rainforest plays a crucial role 324 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:07,760 in stabilising the climate. 325 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:13,400 When the rain stops, 326 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:16,480 it's the perfect time to start moving again. 327 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:22,920 (WHOOSHES) 328 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:30,480 A Draco lizard uses the canopy as a commuter route. 329 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:35,440 He glides to avoid dangers on the forest floor. 330 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:41,040 His wings mimic the colour of falling leaves... 331 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:43,760 to camouflage him from birds. 332 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,480 He's found some prime real estate. 333 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:53,080 It's the perfect vantage point... 334 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:57,560 ..and even has a built-in food supply. 335 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:09,520 But there's competition. 336 00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:20,200 Another Draco has its eye on his tree. 337 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:35,360 He waves a warning semaphore flag... 338 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:40,760 ..a signal to the intruder to get off his turf... 339 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:51,840 ..and keeps hold of his tiny territory. 340 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:57,720 Before industrial logging began in the seventies, 341 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:00,280 the residents of the high canopy 342 00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:04,320 could cross the island without ever touching the ground... 343 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:14,280 ..even the biggest tree-dweller in the world... 344 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:16,520 the male orangutan... 345 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:19,000 weighing up to 90 kilos. 346 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:28,920 (HUFFS) 347 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:30,960 This is impossible now. 348 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:36,000 More than half of his habitat has disappeared in the last 20 years. 349 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:39,520 And it's still going. 350 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:52,480 It's thought that one in four orangutans 351 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:55,040 will lose their homes in the next decade. 352 00:33:59,520 --> 00:34:02,640 This won't only limit his ability to find enough food 353 00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:04,960 to maintain his great size... 354 00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:10,560 ..but also his role in the regeneration of the forest. 355 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:18,120 Because, unwittingly, he helps grow new fruit trees. 356 00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:20,160 (BIRD CHATTERS) 357 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:27,040 And in a forest that doesn't bear a lot of fruit, 358 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:29,280 that's incredibly important. 359 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:48,120 Often, when he eats... 360 00:34:48,160 --> 00:34:50,000 he dislodges figs... 361 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:55,960 ..and he also deposits seeds in his droppings. 362 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:03,800 Male orangutans roam over territories three times larger than the females', 363 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:06,760 so his role as gardener of the forest 364 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:09,800 is essential for the island's health. 365 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:15,040 It will be a while before he finds another fruiting tree in this forest. 366 00:35:18,720 --> 00:35:20,800 So, he conserves energy... 367 00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:25,320 ..to make the figs go as far as possible. 368 00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:34,760 Like the canopy, 369 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:38,920 Borneo's rivers provide a route across the island, 370 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:41,280 but they can also be a barrier. 371 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:43,320 (SQUAWKING) 372 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:47,720 Plantations squeeze pygmy elephants towards the riverbanks... 373 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:54,680 ..while highways, bridges and villages cut them off either side. 374 00:36:03,440 --> 00:36:06,480 The herd has run out of options on this side of the river. 375 00:36:07,400 --> 00:36:09,400 (RUMBLES) 376 00:36:10,520 --> 00:36:13,200 There's no choice but to cross it 377 00:36:13,240 --> 00:36:15,920 and look for safe foraging on the other side. 378 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:23,960 The baby hasn't learned to swim yet... 379 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:31,760 ..but the matriarch thinks it's time. (RUMBLES) 380 00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:10,240 (TRUMPETS) 381 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:18,080 (TRUMPETS) 382 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:23,080 (TRUMPETS) 383 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:26,600 But baby panics and tries to turn back. 384 00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:28,880 (TRUMPETS) 385 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,040 (BIRDS CHIRPING) 386 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:34,080 He's confused... 387 00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:36,880 (TRUMPETS) 388 00:37:40,320 --> 00:37:42,640 ..but finds his way back to Mum. 389 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:44,680 (TRUMPETS) 390 00:37:49,440 --> 00:37:51,440 And the herd gathers close... 391 00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:57,720 ..to guide him to the other side. 392 00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:00,800 (HUFFING, RUMBLING) 393 00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:07,400 (TRUMPETS) 394 00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:22,560 The island rewards them. 395 00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:27,800 A safe haven with plenty of food. 396 00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:34,800 Finally, they have somewhere to rest for days. 397 00:38:40,360 --> 00:38:43,080 Theirs is an ongoing struggle. 398 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:49,400 With only 1,500 Bornean elephants left... 399 00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:55,080 ..reconnecting them with other herds is crucial to their survival. 400 00:38:56,440 --> 00:38:59,480 There are some signs of hope. 401 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:03,400 Sustainable plantations can become part of the island's habitat... 402 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:08,160 ..if they retain patches of natural forest. 403 00:39:09,240 --> 00:39:13,840 Some plantations are opening up wildlife corridors 404 00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:17,120 that allow animals to pass through safely. 405 00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:24,080 And a few corners of the island remain untouched by humans. 406 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:27,800 Inaccessible mangrove swamplands... 407 00:39:29,720 --> 00:39:32,560 ..the haunt of a mysterious primate... 408 00:39:32,600 --> 00:39:34,720 found only on Borneo. 409 00:39:34,760 --> 00:39:36,760 (MONKEY CHATTERING) 410 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:40,800 (MUNCHING) 411 00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:46,520 Proboscis monkeys. 412 00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:49,120 (CHATTERS) 413 00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:52,440 They're old hands on this island 414 00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:55,240 and have had longer to adapt to its ways. 415 00:40:11,480 --> 00:40:15,000 Tall trees lift them out of reach of predators, 416 00:40:15,040 --> 00:40:18,240 leeches and mosquitoes. (CHATTERS) 417 00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:22,280 The youngest leaves are up here, too. 418 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:29,840 But even these are tough and toxic. 419 00:40:31,440 --> 00:40:35,480 Only proboscis monkeys have evolved to stomach them. 420 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:43,200 His big nose makes this male irresistible to females... 421 00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:47,200 ..and acts as an amplifier... 422 00:40:47,240 --> 00:40:49,880 so he can alert his harem to danger. 423 00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:00,040 (MONKEYS CHATTERING) 424 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:05,160 Although they're the strongest swimming primate, 425 00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:07,920 there are dangers in the island's rivers... 426 00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:10,760 (CHATTERS) 427 00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:13,800 ..so they stick to the safety of their lofty branches. 428 00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:24,920 Occasionally, the island will throw its inhabitants a lifeline. 429 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:29,880 Most of the trees in Borneo's rainforest produce fruit 430 00:41:29,920 --> 00:41:32,880 just once every four to eleven years. 431 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:41,600 But there's one tree that fruits year-round... 432 00:41:41,640 --> 00:41:44,080 the fig. 433 00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:50,480 Islanders believe it carries spirits... 434 00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:53,120 so it is never logged. 435 00:41:54,880 --> 00:41:58,520 They call it "the tree that never sleeps." 436 00:42:01,320 --> 00:42:06,120 A giant might start out as a tiny seedling from an orangutan's droppings. 437 00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:11,240 It wraps itself around a tall host tree, 438 00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:13,480 vine by vine, 439 00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:16,560 and slowly starves it of nutrients and light. 440 00:42:20,320 --> 00:42:22,720 And when a mature fig tree is in fruit... 441 00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:26,160 (BIRDS CHIRP)(MONKEYS CHATTER) ..word gets around fast. 442 00:42:29,880 --> 00:42:32,160 Primates appear one by one. 443 00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:37,120 Gangs of macaques are first to arrive. 444 00:42:38,080 --> 00:42:40,560 (HIGH-PITCHED WARBLING) 445 00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:47,480 Rare Bornean gibbons swing in... 446 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:52,200 ..to reach branches... 447 00:42:52,240 --> 00:42:54,240 the others can't. 448 00:42:55,400 --> 00:42:57,840 Then, there's the orangutans. 449 00:42:57,880 --> 00:42:59,880 Mum knows this tree well, 450 00:42:59,920 --> 00:43:03,520 but it's the first time the baby's seen it in fruit. 451 00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:09,200 Now she can add it to her mental map of their little patch of forest... 452 00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:16,680 ..to memorise when and where scarce treasures can be found. 453 00:43:22,040 --> 00:43:25,280 The big male arrives at last... 454 00:43:28,840 --> 00:43:33,000 ..to a tree perhaps planted unwittingly... 455 00:43:33,040 --> 00:43:35,760 by one of his ancestors. 456 00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:42,240 The whole forest relies on these figs... 457 00:43:43,200 --> 00:43:45,400 ..to get them through the hard times... 458 00:43:48,720 --> 00:43:53,960 ..just as the island relies on each of its extraordinary habitats... 459 00:43:55,080 --> 00:43:58,000 ..from its rivers to its rainforest... 460 00:43:58,920 --> 00:44:01,840 ..its peaks to its coast... 461 00:44:01,880 --> 00:44:05,920 to support this incredible proliferation of life... 462 00:44:08,160 --> 00:44:11,120 ..found nowhere else on Earth. 463 00:44:11,960 --> 00:44:16,720 AccessibleCustomerService@sky.uk