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(INTREPID MUSIC)

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(VO) NARRATOR:
Off the southern coast of India,

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Sri Lanka,

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an abundant oasis
in a tropical ocean.

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Over 2,000 years,

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humans have changed
the face of the island...

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..creating both opportunities

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and obstacles...
(HORN HONKS)

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..for its wildlife.

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It's a delicate balance
that needs protection...

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(TRUMPETS)

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..to survive.
(GROWLS)

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(MAJESTIC MUSIC)

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From the Arctic...
(BEAR GROWLS)

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..to the tropics...
(ELEPHANT TRUMPETS)

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..islands are
wild laboratories...

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..where unique rules apply...
(BIRD SQUAWKS)

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..and nature puts life...

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(SNAKE HISSES)
(BABOONS CHATTER)

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..to the ultimate test.

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(HYENA LAUGHS)
(BEAR GROWLS)

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(BIRDS TWITTERING)

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A huge variety of animals
live on Sri Lanka,

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side by side
with 20 million humans,

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on an island of
many diverse realms.

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Central Highlands,

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cloud forests, scrubland...

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..coast.

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And nowhere do they live closer

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than on a forested,
rocky outcrop to the north.

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An ancient civilization began
to reshape this landscape

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with the arrival of Buddhism...

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..and the establishment of
the first wildlife sanctuary...

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..in the world,

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where animals were granted
equal rights to the sacred site.

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(MONKEYS SCREECHING)

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One species has thrived here
ever since.

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(MONKEYS CHATTERING)

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Toque macaques,

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intelligent monkeys,
found only in Sri Lanka.

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And this is the first time
they've been filmed in the temple.

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This family has over 75 members.

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The island provides them
with plentiful food...

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..but a troop of this size
is only possible

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because of the freedom they get
in the temple.

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Elsewhere,
they are considered pests.

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(SQUEAKS, THUDS)

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This home has allowed
one mum to raise twins...

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..something so tough,

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it's extremely rare
in the wild.

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But these eight-month-olds

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must now start to
find their place in the family.

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And brother and sister
will take very different paths.

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(CHATTERING)

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(PLAYFUL MUSIC)

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The male twin has to learn to fight.

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(SCREECHING)

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He plays with
the other male infants...

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..to learn when he's in charge...

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..and when he's not.

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He will eventually
leave the troop

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and fight for his place
in a new family.

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His sister will stay
and inherit her rank from Mum.

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But she will need
her own social network,

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to have a better chance
of survival into adulthood.

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Mum shows her how it's done.

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Macaques groom
to build relationships.

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(CHATTERING SOFTLY)

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But she's resistant to the lesson.

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The macaques' outcrop
may be a protected pocket...

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..but on a crowded island,

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shared with her family
and humans,

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she has a lot to learn.

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(DYNAMIC MUSIC)

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Sri Lanka wasn't always an island.

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More than two billion years ago,

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it sat at the heart
of super continent Gondwana.

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(RUMBLING, CRACKING)

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Tectonic shifts
split the continents apart

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and forced the new island
into the tropics.

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But a relic of this old world
still remains.

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At two and a half thousand metres
above sea level,

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the Central Highlands are
colder and more exposed

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than the rest of the island.

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(BIRDS CHIRPING)

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Humans no longer settle here,

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leaving valuable space
for wildlife.

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(BIRDS CAWING)

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Elsewhere on the island,

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sambar are endangered
due to habitat loss.

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(GRUNTING)

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But on a grassy plateau
hidden amongst the peaks...

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..these resilient deer can thrive.

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But it doesn't mean
life on the plains...

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..is without danger.
(SAMBAR SNORTS)

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(BIRDS CHIRPING)

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(HIGH-PITCHED BARKING)

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(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

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(LEOPARD GROWLS)

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Sri Lankan highland leopards.

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(HIGH-PITCHED SQUEAL)

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So elusive,
they've never been filmed before.

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These two cubs
are almost fully grown.

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And with Mum away hunting,

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now is the perfect time
to practise their own skills.

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(OMINOUS MUSIC)

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The female leaves her brother
for the first time.

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As the deadliest animal
in the highlands,

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she radiates confidence.

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But to succeed,

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she must also master... stealth.
(TWIG SNAPS)

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And out from the trees,

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she's finding it hard
to remain unseen.

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Only a few days old,

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this sambar calf
is the perfect target.

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(FAWN GRUNTING)

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Ambush hunters...
must learn patience.

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(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)

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(MUSIC STOPS)

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(CRIES PIERCINGLY)

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(PIERCING CRIES CONTINUE)

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The sambar wins this round.

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She could take six months
to get this right.

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But it's the price
highland leopards pay

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to live on the open plains...

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(LOW GROWLING)

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..away from humans...

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..on a crowded island.

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(DAWN CHORUS CHIRPING)

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A world engineered by humans
has some advantages.

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Up in the temple...

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..a pool built to contain water
for the monks is full...

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(MONKEYS CHATTERING)

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..of monkeys,
trying to cool off.

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(RELAXING MUSIC)

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Even the twins join in.

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(BELLS CLANGING IN DISTANCE)

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But the peace is broken
when sounds from the temple...

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(EXCITED CHATTERING)
..signal the arrival of worshippers.

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Thousands can visit each day.

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They bring meals
and snacks with them.

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And for the macaques,
this means high-energy leftovers.

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The male twin,
now foraging for himself,

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can see this is a calorie jackpot.

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He tries to learn
from the other family members...

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..but even they don't know
what's safe to eat.

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(ARGUMENTATIVE CHATTER)

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The female twin
still lacks confidence,

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but this means she doesn't yet
need to face this challenge.

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Lots of leftover food

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supports a growing number
of infant macaques...

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..and it also leads to
a fierce rivalry

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with other troops
living in the temple.

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(FRENZIED CHATTER)

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(MONKEYS SCREECHING)

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Another macaque family decides
it's their time to feed...

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..and that this food
is worth fighting for.

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The twins could be killed
if caught by a rival male.

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Males bare their teeth
to show they're fierce...

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(FIERCE SCREECHING)

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..and try and scare the others
without risk of injury.

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(ANGRY CHATTERING)

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The alpha and his gang
prove more powerful...

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..and head to check the border.

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But for some,
success is not without sacrifice.

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The arrival of
this convenience food

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disrupts the delicate balance.

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(WORRIED CHATTERING)

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And when confined to an island,

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heightened competition
can leave the residents in turmoil.

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(DYNAMIC DRUMMING)

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Sri Lanka sits on
the very edge of the continent.

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Its coastlines are exposed
to powerful ocean forces

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that reshape the land.

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Just 500 years ago,
a land bridge

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still connected the island
with the subcontinent.

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It was even possible
to cross to India on foot.

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But when a storm
destroyed what was left,

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the island was cut off.

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But the ocean brings more
than storms to these coasts.

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Cool deep-water currents,

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unusual in the tropics,

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meet the island's edge

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and well up.

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These currents provide food...

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..for the biggest animal on Earth.

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(SEAGULLS CALLING)

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(GRACEFUL, SERENE MUSIC)

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Blue whales can eat
four tonnes of krill each day,

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a small crustacean
that prefers cold water.

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Usually, blue whales must
leave tropical water to feed...

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00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,120
..but thanks to
Sri Lanka's chilly depths,

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krill thrive here.

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The island provides enough food

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for blue whales
to feed here all year.

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There's even enough...

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..to support a growing family.

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(DYNAMIC DRUMMING)

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In the southwest of the island,

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the shores are protected by
a fortress of trees.

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As the tide meets the wetland...

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..it creates a cocktail
of fresh and salty water.

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00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:10,440
This world between river and sea
is the domain of specialists,

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00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:14,040
who can deal with
the ever-changing levels of water,

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salt, and oxygen.

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(INSECTS CHIRPING)

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Here, the river is slow,

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and the island lays down
deposits of sediment,

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to create sandbanks and inlets.

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00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:37,360
The ideal spot for mangrove trees
to make their home.

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00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:42,920
But these monsoon-battered coasts

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are not an obvious place
to put down your roots.

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00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:50,320
Salty water, low oxygen,

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00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:52,400
and poor-quality soil

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00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:55,160
mean many plants
can't survive here.

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00:16:57,320 --> 00:17:00,240
But mangroves are not
like other trees.

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00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:06,840
Adapted glands sweat out the salt
from the water...

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00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:14,200
..and specialised roots
absorb oxygen from the air,

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to be totally at home
on the coast.

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00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:24,240
Mangroves also have to be
devoted parent plants.

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Unlike other plants
that shed their vulnerable seeds,

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mother mangroves keep
their saplings protected

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amongst their branches.

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They will feed them
until they are strong enough

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to be released...

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00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:43,360
..into the tidal waters.

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00:17:51,120 --> 00:17:53,560
While the sapling's roots dig down

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00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:55,520
and secure the sediment below...

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..its leaves stretch out.

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00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:07,920
As the roots and branches
knit together,

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the mangroves create
a barricade of vegetation

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00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:14,280
that will protect the banks
from stormy weather...

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00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:19,920
..and create prime real estate

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00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:23,560
for the coastal animals
seeking a more sheltered lifestyle.

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00:18:28,120 --> 00:18:29,920
(PLAYFUL MUSIC)

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00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:34,600
The barred mudskipper is
a committed homemaker...

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00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:41,880
..but building
with the island's sediment

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requires particular skills.

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He excavates the mud from below
to create a fortress

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00:18:52,360 --> 00:18:56,360
that will protect his burrow
from the returning tide.

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00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:06,320
The barrier stops the tunnel
from flooding.

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00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:12,600
And below, a private
underground pool

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00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,560
will be a safe place
to raise a future family.

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00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:23,440
Also expert at using
the mangrove's sediment

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00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:27,560
to its advantage
is an army of fiddler crabs...

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..named after the male's
single, oversized claw.

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00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:39,400
Like the mudskipper, they build
their underground homes here.

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00:19:41,120 --> 00:19:42,960
But for the male fiddler crab,

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00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:46,440
it's how it looks on the outside
that's important.

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00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,560
They work quickly,
racing the tide.

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00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:57,920
Each boulder is excavated
and reshaped...

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00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:01,040
..and carefully positioned nearby.

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00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:09,400
These structures are walls
that mark out their territory...

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00:20:11,120 --> 00:20:13,400
..warning neighbours to keep out.

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00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:19,320
But when another strays
into their patch...

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00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:27,080
..skill is quickly
out-weighed by size...

257
00:20:31,120 --> 00:20:34,880
..and the cumbersome claw
comes into its own.

258
00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:38,720
(TENSE, DRAMATIC MUSIC)

259
00:20:57,120 --> 00:20:58,920
But attentions switch...

260
00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:02,920
..when a female comes by.

261
00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:07,600
And for her...

262
00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:10,920
..size really matters.

263
00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:17,520
They wave their big claw
to get her attention.

264
00:21:22,120 --> 00:21:23,720
She makes her choice...

265
00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:27,960
..and enters the suitor's burrow.

266
00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:32,680
And with his rival still nearby...

267
00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:35,880
..he follows quickly behind.

268
00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:41,440
(PLAYFUL MUSIC)

269
00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:43,800
The return of the tide
has brought a love interest

270
00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:45,640
for the mudskippers too.

271
00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:55,000
And she is approached by a male

272
00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:57,560
doing a courtship display
of his own.

273
00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,600
But he... fails to impress.

274
00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:09,840
(HIGH-PITCHED CAWING)

275
00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:14,160
She heads up the bank
to see what else is on offer...

276
00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:21,880
..and approaches
the homemaker's completed burrow.

277
00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:30,360
It's worth a closer inspection.

278
00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:39,040
She seems satisfied.

279
00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:49,840
And he seals the deal.

280
00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:11,160
For a family living in this
island's ever-changing mangroves...

281
00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,280
..there's nothing more important

282
00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:18,360
than a safe and stable home.

283
00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:25,760
(BIRD CAWING)

284
00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:39,200
(DYNAMIC DRUMMING)

285
00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:44,840
(VO) The scrubland
in Sri Lanka's northeast

286
00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,200
is the island's driest region.

287
00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:56,280
It hasn't seen decent rain
for nine months...

288
00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:00,480
..and the animals here must adapt

289
00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:03,000
to the island's seasonal extremes.

290
00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:09,120
But the scrubland is about
to be transformed...

291
00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:12,840
..by a wonder of nature.

292
00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:14,600
(THUNDER RUMBLES)

293
00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:18,080
The monsoon.

294
00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:25,840
Sri Lanka is uniquely positioned
in the path of two great monsoons

295
00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:28,400
that drive the seasons
on the island.

296
00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:33,960
The southwest monsoon
doesn't reach the scrubland,

297
00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:37,280
but when the
northeast monsoon arrives,

298
00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:40,080
it can rain for 16 hours a day,

299
00:24:40,120 --> 00:24:41,720
for three months.

300
00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:45,960
(CHATTERING)

301
00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:49,080
(DYNAMIC MUSIC)

302
00:24:49,120 --> 00:24:50,920
The dense bedrock here means

303
00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:53,680
water isn't easily absorbed
into the ground.

304
00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:58,520
It sits on the surface
and creates mud.

305
00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:02,280
(ELEPHANT GROWLS)

306
00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:06,720
A welcome relief...
(ELEPHANT SNORTS)

307
00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:09,240
..for the island's
biggest land mammal.

308
00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:10,880
(TRUMPETS)

309
00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:14,160
Asian elephants use their trunks

310
00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:17,280
to flick the cool, wet earth
onto their backs.

311
00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:19,120
(SNORTS)

312
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:23,960
But it's their youngest member's
first monsoon...

313
00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:30,240
..and it will take her a year

314
00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:33,440
to master her 40,000 trunk muscles.

315
00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:38,160
(TRUMPETS)

316
00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:42,240
(SNORTING)
But she sees some of the herd...

317
00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:44,200
..are using an easier technique.

318
00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:46,120
(SNORTING)

319
00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:51,200
(TRUMPETING)
And learns a mud bath...

320
00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:53,320
..is just as effective.

321
00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:57,280
(ELEPHANTS SNORTING, TRUMPETING)

322
00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:15,480
Elephants' intelligence helps them
adapt to seasonal changes.

323
00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:18,520
(BIRDSONG)

324
00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:23,040
But one island resident
has taken ingenuity even further.

325
00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:29,160
Vast bodies of monsoon water

326
00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:31,720
now cover the hard
bedrock valleys...

327
00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:37,480
..revealing an immense
water storage system,

328
00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:39,600
engineered by humans.

329
00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:44,240
Over 2,000 years ago,

330
00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:47,800
dams were built in the valleys
to collect monsoon rainwater.

331
00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:49,320
(WATER RUSHING)

332
00:26:49,360 --> 00:26:51,800
Only when the sluice gates open

333
00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:54,560
does the water run
into the farmland below.

334
00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:59,960
This vast network
of floodplains and channels

335
00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:03,720
creates the highest density
of reservoirs in the world...

336
00:27:05,360 --> 00:27:09,360
..harnessing water that helps
wildlife live here year-round...

337
00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:13,000
..and providing resources

338
00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:15,920
to meet the scrubland's
growing human demand.

339
00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:21,560
(DYNAMIC DRUMMING)

340
00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:23,000
Sri Lanka is small,

341
00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:26,280
but supports
a huge variety of wildlife.

342
00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:28,760
This is down to
an intimate relationship

343
00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:32,600
between island, climate,
and fresh water.

344
00:27:38,120 --> 00:27:40,200
Away from human settlements,

345
00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:43,520
the island has a
water collection system of its own.

346
00:27:51,360 --> 00:27:54,320
In these high altitude forests,

347
00:27:54,360 --> 00:27:57,000
the humid air
settles over the trees.

348
00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:05,040
And the dense canopy
acts as a net,

349
00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:07,760
collecting water droplets
from the atmosphere...

350
00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:11,960
..to drip down to the roots below.

351
00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,000
(SERENE MUSIC)

352
00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:21,640
As the plants drink,
they grow...

353
00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:28,040
..and slowly breathe
water vapour

354
00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:30,040
back into the atmosphere.

355
00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:40,480
This clever cycle
keeps the cloud forests' humidity

356
00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:42,320
in perfect balance.

357
00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:49,280
For one tiny resident,

358
00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:52,160
this system is vital
to family life.

359
00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:56,200
(CROAKING)

360
00:28:56,240 --> 00:29:00,160
This Taruga tree frog
is new to Science.

361
00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:04,000
And he is on a mission
to find a mate.

362
00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:13,280
His soft, wet body is well adapted

363
00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:15,280
to a life in the humid forest.

364
00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:20,320
But it leaves him
vulnerable to predators.

365
00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:26,880
Better to chance this expedition

366
00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:28,840
under the cover of darkness.

367
00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:31,720
(NOCTURNAL BIRD CALLS)

368
00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:37,880
As the temperature drops at night,

369
00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:40,520
sound travels further
through the forest.

370
00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:45,960
He uses his best mating call...

371
00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:47,960
(CHIRPING CROAK)

372
00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:49,920
..to sing into the dark.

373
00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:52,840
(CHIRPING CROAK)

374
00:29:56,200 --> 00:30:00,240
But it seems he is not the only one
on a night-time mission.

375
00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:10,160
Sri Lanka is home to one third of
the planet's snake species.

376
00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:16,080
This rat snake is
a precision hunter

377
00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:17,920
that stalks the trees...

378
00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:19,760
(TENSE MUSIC)

379
00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:25,360
..and will sense
the sound vibrations

380
00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:27,240
of a potential meal...

381
00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:31,160
(CROAKS)

382
00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:34,000
..from a call,
or even the slightest move.

383
00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:36,040
(TENSE, OMINOUS MUSIC)

384
00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:51,720
A narrow escape.

385
00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:57,680
But there's no time to waste.

386
00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:02,840
(CROAKING)

387
00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:10,200
(CHIRPING CROAKS CONTINUE)

388
00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:13,640
At last,
the call he's been waiting for.

389
00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:15,320
A female.
(HIGH-PITCHED CROAK)

390
00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:17,360
(CHIRPING CROAK)

391
00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:20,960
(FEMALE FROG CROAKS)

392
00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:31,600
Twice his size,

393
00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:33,440
she carries him with ease...

394
00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:40,160
..until they find
the perfect spot...

395
00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:45,240
..to create a nest
built from foam.

396
00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:54,880
They whisk it up
by rubbing their legs together

397
00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:56,880
over secretions of proteins.

398
00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:04,480
The outside of their bubblewrap pod

399
00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:08,600
will harden and protect
their fertilised eggs.

400
00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:14,560
The island's humidity
prevents the nest from drying out.

401
00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:21,200
Suspended below a leaf,
the eggs are safe

402
00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:24,400
from the predators
in the forest streams below.

403
00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:33,880
(BIRDS TWITTERING)

404
00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:42,120
After just a week...

405
00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:45,880
..the Taruga tadpoles
are restless.

406
00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:56,440
They are now strong enough
to face the next stage of life...

407
00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:03,120
..in the island's
cascading waterways.

408
00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:04,960
(WATER RUSHING)

409
00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:15,840
Mountain streams gather into
freshwater pools.

410
00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:21,040
An oasis for some.

411
00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:25,600
Crowded and unforgiving
for others.

412
00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:32,760
Here, a battle breaks out

413
00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:35,000
every time
something hits the water.

414
00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:41,800
But this pack of hunters
is about to become the hunted.

415
00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:50,120
This Sri Lankan keelback
is an expert freshwater predator.

416
00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:53,600
(OMINOUS MUSIC)

417
00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:57,080
It is endemic to the island,

418
00:33:57,120 --> 00:33:59,400
and found nowhere else on Earth.

419
00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:06,640
Its fishy prey is constantly
distracted by falling seeds.

420
00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:11,600
An opportunity
too good to miss.

421
00:34:11,640 --> 00:34:13,640
(TENSE, OMINOUS MUSIC)

422
00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:25,960
Back-facing teeth
hook its slippery meal.

423
00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:30,600
Sri Lanka's hidden
freshwater worlds

424
00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:32,800
provide unique opportunities

425
00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:35,720
for its extraordinary
island specialists.

426
00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:56,680
Space is always at a premium
on a crowded island.

427
00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:02,000
It takes skill to adapt
to a life alongside humans...

428
00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:05,200
..and their free-roaming pets.

429
00:35:05,240 --> 00:35:07,440
(CAT PURRING)
(MONKEY CHATTERS)

430
00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:10,960
(CAT MEOWS)

431
00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:12,200
(CHATTERING)

432
00:35:12,240 --> 00:35:15,760
The twins are about to get
the family masterclass...

433
00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:20,560
..on how to benefit
from the worshippers...

434
00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:22,880
(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

435
00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:25,120
..by stealing
their flower offerings.

436
00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:33,560
Macaques are notorious thieves.

437
00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:37,560
And here on these sacred steps...

438
00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:42,080
..they've learnt the visitors
will be tolerant.

439
00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:49,480
The twins watch

440
00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:51,480
as the robbers
grow in confidence...

441
00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:56,040
..and win the sweet
flowery treat.

442
00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:57,880
(PLAYFUL MUSIC)

443
00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:06,040
The relationship between macaques
and humans is delicate.

444
00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:10,840
If the twins get it wrong,
they could get hurt.

445
00:36:14,720 --> 00:36:18,600
For now, they practise
stealing dropped petals

446
00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:20,440
from a safe distance.

447
00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:29,800
(PARROTS SCREECHING)

448
00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:37,600
The twins are learning skills
they will need

449
00:36:37,640 --> 00:36:39,720
to build family relationships...

450
00:36:42,760 --> 00:36:45,360
..and share their temple world
with humans.

451
00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:48,560
(MONKEYS CHATTERING)

452
00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:52,320
These are lifelong lessons

453
00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:55,400
that should provide security
into adulthood.

454
00:36:57,920 --> 00:36:59,840
(GROWLING, CHATTERING)

455
00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:10,840
For millennia, Sri Lanka
has sustained a delicate balance,

456
00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:15,160
where people and wildlife
could live in close proximity.

457
00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:16,800
(DYNAMIC DRUMMING)

458
00:37:17,720 --> 00:37:22,040
Today, modern changes
threaten this relationship,

459
00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:25,080
leaving a tough journey ahead
for some.

460
00:37:27,760 --> 00:37:30,160
(ELEPHANT ROARS)
This single island

461
00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:33,280
is home to one tenth of
the world's Asian elephants,

462
00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:35,960
the highest density on Earth.

463
00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:38,000
(ELEPHANTS GROWLING)

464
00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:41,440
Safe spaces with food
and water are limited...

465
00:37:42,840 --> 00:37:45,640
..so they call on
generation's old knowledge

466
00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:47,920
to start their
annual pilgrimage...

467
00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:49,440
(ELEPHANT TRUMPETS)

468
00:37:49,480 --> 00:37:51,400
..to a food source

469
00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:53,600
that only appears in the dry season.

470
00:37:53,640 --> 00:37:55,920
(ELEPHANTS GROWLING)

471
00:37:56,960 --> 00:37:59,320
A phenomenon born
out of human innovation.

472
00:38:02,560 --> 00:38:05,440
Every year,
Kaudulla Reservoir is drained

473
00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:08,240
into farmland
irrigation channels.

474
00:38:08,280 --> 00:38:10,160
When the water level drops,

475
00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:12,400
bare ground is exposed

476
00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:16,520
and fresh protein-rich
grass shoots grow;

477
00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:18,560
vital food for the elephants.

478
00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:24,360
But in recent years,

479
00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:27,320
human pressures have delayed
the drop in the water level.

480
00:38:29,240 --> 00:38:33,000
So, the elephants can't be sure
there will be food when they arrive.

481
00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:40,920
But before they can find out,

482
00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:43,600
they must face another challenge.

483
00:38:45,080 --> 00:38:46,960
(MOTORBIKE REVVING)

484
00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:52,240
(ELEPHANT TRUMPETS)

485
00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:56,480
A human highway cuts across
their ancestral path.

486
00:38:56,520 --> 00:38:58,320
(HORNS HONKING)

487
00:38:59,840 --> 00:39:01,720
(ENGINES RUMBLING)
(TRUMPETING)

488
00:39:07,240 --> 00:39:08,880
These daily confrontations

489
00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:12,400
leave the drivers and the elephants
in great danger.

490
00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:15,200
(ENGINES REVVING)

491
00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:17,600
Travelling with a baby,

492
00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:20,000
this family needs
to minimise the risk.

493
00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:24,960
They will wait for a gap
in the traffic.

494
00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:28,880
(VEHICLE WHIZZES)

495
00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:36,400
(SNORTS)

496
00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:38,240
(TRUMPETS)

497
00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:54,040
(MATRIARCH TRUMPETS)

498
00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:00,880
(TRUMPETING)

499
00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:07,960
But was their journey
worth the risk?

500
00:40:11,840 --> 00:40:13,800
(MAJESTIC MUSIC)

501
00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:18,560
They're in luck.

502
00:40:19,600 --> 00:40:22,640
The water has started to drop,

503
00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:24,760
and lush grass is growing.

504
00:40:32,240 --> 00:40:34,440
And they are not alone.

505
00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:37,360
(ELEPHANTS TRUMPETING)

506
00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:46,280
This is the biggest gathering
of Asian elephants on Earth.

507
00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:47,880
(TRUMPETING)

508
00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:53,960
This is an island society,

509
00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:55,880
built over generations.

510
00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:57,800
(ELEPHANTS GROWLING)

511
00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:13,680
And it is the baby's
first gathering.

512
00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:18,720
She's not used to so many
different elephants...

513
00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:21,400
(SQUEAKS)

514
00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:25,400
..and has lost her family.

515
00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:40,200
She can only tell them all apart
by their scent.

516
00:41:44,360 --> 00:41:46,160
(TRUMPETING)

517
00:41:57,680 --> 00:42:00,800
This one smells like her sister.

518
00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:09,440
And she's safely escorted
back to Mum.

519
00:42:19,160 --> 00:42:22,480
The gathering is fundamental
to elephant society.

520
00:42:23,920 --> 00:42:26,080
It's where adults
look for mates...

521
00:42:28,080 --> 00:42:31,120
..and the baby can form
relationships with other herds.

522
00:42:31,160 --> 00:42:33,160
(SQUEAKING, SNORTING)

523
00:42:41,280 --> 00:42:44,040
It used to number
over 400 elephants.

524
00:42:47,040 --> 00:42:49,520
Today that figure has halved.

525
00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:57,960
The elephants rely on the
island's rhythms staying the same...

526
00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:01,800
..and when humans are in control,

527
00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:04,040
sudden changes
leave them vulnerable.

528
00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:12,840
If humans reset the balance
with nature on the island

529
00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:14,680
before it's too late...

530
00:43:16,400 --> 00:43:19,120
..perhaps the ancient ritual
of the gathering

531
00:43:19,160 --> 00:43:22,040
will continue here
for generations to come.

532
00:43:23,200 --> 00:43:24,800
(BABY TRUMPETS)

533
00:43:27,520 --> 00:43:29,520
(UPLIFTING MUSIC)

534
00:43:33,600 --> 00:43:36,000
From the highlands
to the coast...

535
00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:39,560
..the temples
to the scrubland...

536
00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:43,760
..Sri Lanka is a treasure trove,

537
00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:46,800
a world shaped
by those who call it home.

538
00:43:49,160 --> 00:43:52,560
Through skill and strategy,

539
00:43:52,600 --> 00:43:56,480
diversity and adaptability,

540
00:43:56,520 --> 00:43:58,920
each plays their part

541
00:43:58,960 --> 00:44:02,400
to create an island
bursting with life.

542
00:44:02,440 --> 00:44:04,480
(CHATTERING)

543
00:44:04,520 --> 00:44:06,520
(UPLIFTING MUSIC CONTINUES)

544
00:44:06,560 --> 00:44:12,560
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