All language subtitles for Expedition.China.2017.1080p.NF.WEBRip.DDP5.1.x264-monkee.eng

Teams
of international film crews

are traveling all over China

to film a unique
Disneynature movie.

Born In China is an ambitious
natural history film

never attempted before.

These rare creatures
are hard to film.

Located in remote corners
of this amazing country.

Notoriously camera shy.

They show up.

This is the story
of the film crews

as they travel
around China.

The amazing animal cast
they are privileged to film.

The next dust storm is coming,
it makes our work really hard!

The extreme
conditions they face.

I can't see a road anymore.

And how the teams
discover a country making

great strides to protect

remote landscapes and wildlife
found nowhere else on earth.

Disneynature's Born In China
follows the early life

of the country's rarest
creatures.

To succeed, the crews must
capture the first

faltering steps of a cast

of endangered animals seldom
filmed and then follow

them as they grow up.

From the wetlands
of the North East,

through the central mountains
and up to the highest

plateau in the world,

filming crews head out
to remote corners of China.

The first behind-the-scenes
documentary,

Ghost Of The Mountains,

focused entirely on finding
the elusive snow leopard.

That's a big cat. Damn.

One of the biggest
challenges ever faced by

a wildlife film crew.

It's really difficult for us

to climb the mountains
around here.

Over 250 days
in the field using the very

latest camera technology

from drones to camera traps...

- Cubs! Yes!
- Oh, man!

Oh, there we go!

...led to filming

snow leopard cubs in the wild
for the very first time.

Months of relentless
searching gave the crew

the unique opportunity

to film the life
of the cub's mom,

Dawa,

and revealed her
struggle hunting

blue sheep to provide
for a growing family.

A very difficult task,

even for the top
predator here.

Thanks to the protection
of this boundless remote area,

China now has the largest
population of snow

leopards in the world.

Helped by monks,

working with conservationists

to protect the cats
and the other animals

that live here.

For the other film crews,
life is just as tough.

Oh, disappointing, difficult,
frustrating,

anything you can
think of really.

Working in remote
locations in search

of endangered animals,

this is their story.

The expeditions begin
with a journey

to north-east China

in search of one the country's
rarest and most iconic birds.

The red-crowned crane.

If in Beijing
you were to go

to the Imperial Palace,

you would see a lot of amazing
fantasy animals represented.

But you can't help
but be struck

that one of the commonest
animals you see

is the red-crowned crane.

The heaviest
crane in the world

is hugely significant
in China.

It represents
faithfulness and longevity.

The effort put into
protecting it by China,

is a testament to its value
as a cultural icon.

For the Born In China team,
it's their first big

challenge.

Very little footage exists
of these birds in the wild.

Paul Stewart is one of main
directors of photography

on this film.

The clever thing is to get
something that stands up here,

and that stays standing
vertical. That could be

quite hard actually.

A multi-award
winning cameraman.

For over 20 years, he has
filmed wildlife all over

the world.

Paul's knowledge of
birds, especially rare

ones hardly filmed

makes him the perfect
cameraman to lead the team.

The crew's ambition
is to film crane chicks,

and so they arrive
at the start of the

birds' hatching season.

At 810 square miles,

almost twice the size
of Los Angeles,

this is the largest
wetland in China,

home to one of the biggest
nesting populations

of these wild birds.

This place
is really, really flat.

And at first I thought
that would be great,

but the flatness
of this place is deceptive.

It's flat but it's marshy,
so it's still actually quite

a challenge

to get anywhere.

And even a bird as tall
as the red-crowned crane

with a red mark on top

is actually quite hard to find
when they're spread out

in a few pairs
across the marshes.

Their best chance to film

chicks is to find a nest.

Even if they find one,
it won't be easy to get close.

That's because the crew
are being watched.

These birds have
astonishing eyesight.

If you put a group
of cranes together you've

got a united front

that's almost impossible
to creep up on.

The team will have
to outsmart the birds.

When we wanted
to get very close

and very intimate

with birds and their chicks,

what we needed to find
was somewhere where birds

would allow that approach

because the last
thing you want to do

with a rare species
like this is disturb

it at the nest.

Then,
amongst the reeds,

two eggs.

A tiny movement suggests
they are ready to hatch.

Paul spends every daylight
hour, eyes and camera,

focused on the nest.

A few days later,
his patience is rewarded.

Two fragile chicks.

Paul and the team now filming
an event rarely witnessed.

We felt actually
very lucky

to find that there were
two tiny chicks that had

just hatched,

and realized that
we were at the right time

to film something that
really hasn't been seen

before.

Very little footage
of wild red-crowned crane

chicks exists.

Partly because
of their rarity,

but also because they
don't stay on the nest

very long.

We knew that
as well as having

to get close,

we didn't have a huge
amount of time,

just a few days.

The chicks are very quickly
ready to leave the nest once

they've hatched.

The very first glimpse
we saw of a crane chick

I was amazed at

how small they are.

The adult bird is really
imposing

and in contrast to that
the chicks are

absolutely tiny,

and just seeing the adults
on the nest with their huge

feet walking around

their chicks you couldn't help
but be worried for the chicks.

Paul
and the team

are so much closer

to the nest than
they dared to hope.

By moving very slowly
and very quietly towards

the birds,

they're able to film
without causing them

any disturbance.

Despite their rather elegant
beauty, they're actually quite

aggressive,

and so if they are not
happy with you they

make it very clear.

But we've been
delighted that actually

the red-crowned cranes

have very much accepted
our presence,

and allowed us a real
privileged glimpse of

the life of the chicks.

The chicks have
an amazing ability.

Shortly after being born,
they are able to walk,

run, and even swim.

These tiny little chicks,
small little balls of fluff,

are able to
follow their parents

through the marshes
as they look for food.

As Paul films the birds,

he notices the crane's
doing something he's

never seen before.

When the chicks
were firstborn,

the adults were trying
to feed them bits of fish,

and that was clearly too much
for the chicks to swallow,

but something seemed to have
clicked in the adult's mind,

perhaps these were
relatively inexperienced birds

we were dealing with,

and so very shortly,
they were going off

into the reeds

and picking
the tiniest

little insects,

insects that clearly
the adults themselves

wouldn't eat,

they don't represent a meal.

But they'd bring those back
one at a time to the chicks,

and that was something
the chicks could swallow.

So I was quite impressed
how the adults

adapted to their
choosy-eating chicks.

For the team, it's amazing

to film the next generation

of such a rare bird
growing up in the wild.

Much work has gone
into studying the birds

breeding biology,

and the preservation
of their habitats

that the birds need
to survive in greater numbers.

The expedition is seeing
this work directly

contributing

to the survival of the birds.

This is a special place
for the red-crowned cranes

because it's one of their

breeding sites
and more importantly

probably it's one
of their breeding sites

that's being conserved
and actively managed

for their benefit.

So it's a place where
the red-crowned cranes

can feel safe

and where they can bring up
chicks with a really good

chance of success.

Paul and the team
have filmed a cultural icon

and are left
with precious

memories.

The chicks are growing well,

preparing for
their long migration south

later in the year.

A journey of thousands
of miles across China.

Encouraged by the success
of the crane team,

another Born In China crew
are starting their filming

1,600 miles to the south west.

They're also in search
of babies,

but of a different nature.

Thanks to conservation
efforts within China,

these mountain forests harbor

a colorful endangered primate
full of character.

These are golden
snub-nosed monkeys.

Amongst the rarest
of primates and only

found in central China.

The crew hope to get
a privileged look into

the life of a wild monkey

that lives at an elevation
almost as high as any

primate on Earth.

The challenge for this team
is to keep up

with these agile,

tree-swinging monkeys
living on wild steep-sided

slopes.

The area we've been
principally filming

the golden snub-nosed
monkeys in has been

in the highest mountains
in central China.

They are very dramatic
steep mountains,

forested, and incredibly
beautiful.

China has set aside
a number of wild forest

areas to protect the monkeys.

The filming location
is over 1,200 square miles

in size,

as large as the state
of Rhode Island.

Justin Maguire has filmed
on all seven continents.

He's a multi-award winning
cameraman

with many years of experience
in the field.

In order to film
the monkeys in a way

that we didn't
disturb them,

we tried to film
with as few people

as possible,

which involved my crew
carrying a very large tripod,

and me having to carry
the camera.

The ground
is incredibly steep,

there's lots of branches
and brambles and thorns.

It can be cold
and wet and miserable,

and those were our
biggest physical challenges

on the location, it's just
carrying all this heavy

gear up and down,

and keeping up
with the monkeys

who move much faster
than us with ease,

and we are sort of
flopping around just

trying to stay steady.

Jess Tombs
is a primatologist

who's spent many years
working with primates,

but none as cute as this.

Golden snub-nosed
monkeys were chosen

because they are the only
character in the film that

is a social animal

so you've got lots of
interactions between

individuals going on.

They're beautiful, they're
amazing, they're

charming, they're funny.

They're very entertaining.

Jacky Poon
is a Chinese Emmy-nominated

wildlife cameraman.

He's filmed all over China,
specializing in primates.

What is very amazing
and fascinating is

that we frequently

see that the father
would carry

a young baby and try
to keep him warm

by huddling together
and grooming each other,

and that's something
that a lot of males don't do

to their younger juveniles
in other primate societies.

What people really
relate to with these monkeys

is that they'll see

themselves in the monkeys.

They'll see the monkeys
being cold and miserable,

and they'll see them happy
with the first sign of spring

and be pleased when
they're groomed

by a family member,

and ecstatic when they get
to play with their friends,

and I think we
all relate to that.

They entertain themselves
all the time, particularly

the youngsters,

and that's what they
spend a huge portion

of their day doing,

is having fun.

Swinging, chasing each
other, you know just

doing silly things.

The crew quickly become

attached to the monkeys,

and are now in the right place
at the right time

to capture a special event.

It's baby time.

Only once every two years
in the spring, there's

a flurry of newborns.

Most arrive
between April and June.

A time when the forest
explodes with color

and new life.

At this time of year,
there are babies everywhere.

The newborns won't leave
their mom's side

for at least three months.

But it's not a time
of celebration for everyone.

This is Tao Tao,

a two-year-old male
whose mom has just

given birth.

At first, he welcomes
the arrival of a baby.

But this little one
takes up mom's entire time.

Tao Tao feels left out.

He's the center
of his family's attention

until his mum
has a little baby sister.

His world is about to change
forever and he's gonna have

to grow up,

and we follow him
on this journey.

Tao Tao finds
himself no longer the apple

of his parents' eye.

It's a tough lesson
at such a young age,

and while Tao Tao's sister
is being nursed,

there's little room for him
within the family.

But there's a safety net.

The all-male troop.

A gang of Lost Boys,

the perfect place for Tao Tao

and other young males
to hang out as they grow up.

It's a boisterous,
adventurous, and fun crew.

With the emphasis on fun.

And Tao Tao is getting
into the swing of things!

By making these adorable
golden snub-nosed monkeys

a conservation priority,

it's the Chinese themselves
who are discovering

the amazing wildlife

their country has to offer.

Ultimately the understanding

and appreciation
and enjoyment,

of the natural world
and wild animals

is one thing that will

hopefully lead
to the preservation

and protection.

As the seasons
change across China,

the freshness of spring
turns to summer,

and with it comes
a unique filming

opportunity,

to film the birth
of a very special antelope

on China's high plateau.

Fourteen hundred miles
to the north west

of the monkey location,

the next Born In China
expedition is underway

into one of the remotest
and highest corners

of the country
to find this antelope.

It's called a "Chiru."

Decimated by poaching
in the 1980s and '90s

for its warm fur to make
luxurious shawls known

as "Shatoosh,"

the chiru are now recovering
from the brink of extinction

thanks to its protection

and the establishment
of a vast wild area.

Weeks ago, the pregnant
females left the males behind

to begin a migration
to their birthing grounds.

The challenge is to be
the first international crew

to film a chiru birth.

Because
of the remoteness of it,

we couldn't access
any local facilities.

We had to take all
our stores with us.

From fuel to food to bedding.
You name it, we took with us.

Steven Ballantyne is an expert

in remote location filming.

He's managed crews
from the jungles

of Papua New Guinea

to the vast grasslands
of Mongolia.

Above 8,000 feet, altitude
sickness,

which can be fatal,

is the biggest threat
to the expedition's safety.

The team's final destination
is nearly twice as high.

To minimize its effects,

the crew must rest
after every 1,600 feet

they climb.

Already at Camp 1, the team
are nearly 10,000 feet

above sea level.

The thin air making
the crucial and simple

task of breathing difficult.

Any physical work on top
of that, even setting up

a tent, is really tough.

The crew must stay
here for 24 hours

to allow their bodies
to get used to the thin air.

The chef insists on wearing
his best whites.

He knows how important he is
to the welfare of the team.

A high-calorie diet is crucial
at these altitudes.

The food is a huge hit.

They journey on.

Beyond the last gas station,

the team have to fill
the trucks by hand.

Rolf Steinmann is the
director of photography

for the chiru expedition,

specializing in filming
skittish, endangered

animals

in remote corners
of the world.

He's used to cold conditions,

but sub-zero temperatures
inside the car

is something else.

I just wanted to drink
a little bit of water and...

this happened.

So... it's getting
pretty cold.

Camp 2
at over 12,000 feet

is even more remote.

The crew will be here
for 48 hours to get fit

enough for the final stage.

It's a chance for Rolf
to brush up on his wildlife

knowledge

as he waits for dinner.

He's not the only one.

All are eager
for essential calories.

The last day of the journey.

Today the team will push
inland to where they hope

to find the chiru.

Once we actually got
to the entrance of the reserve

of which there is no actual
entrance, it's just like this

huge open plateau,

you then turn off
the tarmac road

and enter the plateau region.

From here,
it's another 120 miles

off-road driving

across the highest plateau
on Earth.

This is Kekexili.

A place where
few Westerners have traveled

and one of the most
sparsely populated

regions on the planet.

The overwhelming
sense of space

was the first impression that
really struck me and always

stayed with me.

There's no trees,
there was literally

no mountains

except way off
in the distance.

I come from a city,
so to suddenly have

acres of land

with these massive beautiful
vistas was just breathtakingly

beautiful.

This area is over
17,000 square miles in size,

larger than the state
of Maryland.

Over 15,000 feet
above sea level

higher than the Rockies

with only a few human
inhabitants,

it protects the unique plants
and animals that live here.

The team are heading to a camp
on the shores of Zhuonai Lake.

A beautiful remote
60 square mile body of water.

Just 15 years ago,

this area was discovered
to be the key birthing

ground of the chiru.

So difficult to access,
it remains seldom visited.

After 48 hours
driving off road,

this team are the first
international film crew

to reach the lake.

The heart of what
was the chiru poaching area.

We were able
to use a ranger station

which had been near
enough abandoned really.

It was surrounded
by a 14-foot steel fence.

As the crew unpacks,

an immediate reminder
of how wild this place is.

A bear.

The reason for the fence
is clear.

The Himalayan Blue Bear
is one of the rarest bear

subspecies in the world.

It is thought by some
to be the origin

of the legendary Yeti.

A creature rarely seen,
let alone filmed, in the wild.

It's just very amazing
to see the bear

in this vast beautiful
landscape.

It's a very
special moment.

An early sign
for the team of the amazing

and rare animals

who call this huge
wild reserve "home."

This area became a sanctuary
just over 20 years ago

at the peak of the chiru
being poached,

and when their population
had collapsed

from around 1 million
to less than 100,000.

Their numbers
have increased since then,

but the chiru are still
wary of humans.

Their shyness is a problem
for Rolf and the crew.

It's pretty intimidating
because...

if you use binoculars
you can see

these groups of chirus
all over the place, but...

the question will be
how to get close to them

because I have to be like
20, 40 meters close

to get good shots.

The team decide
their only option

is to position several hides
at strategic points

from which Rolf can film.

Okay.

Dug into the hard ground

and designed to blend

into the landscape
as much as possible,

these will give the team
a fighting chance

to get a camera
close to the chiru

without disturbing them.

But setting up a number
of hides on the plateau,

doesn't go unnoticed
by curious bears.

Well, we actually just
wanted to inspect

our hide here
on the calving grounds

or the potential
calving grounds,

and we recognize
the bear has visited our hide.

And yeah, bears
are powerful animals

so if he inspects
a hide like that,

he leaves his tracks

so...

But you know
you always have

to consider

these bears out here
they don't have TV,

they don't have
computer games,

so a hide like that
is something really

interesting.

And that's why I have
no problems to forgive him

and we just have to repair
the little stuff here.

Alone in a tiny
hide in the middle

of bear territory

it's a nerve-wracking time
for Rolf.

He's spending days on end
hoping the chiru will turn up.

There is absolutely no sign
of life out there.

Not a chiru, not a yak,
no nothing.

And the weird thing is
this is an open grassland.

I can see really far,
but there is absolutely

nothing.

All this at 15,000 feet

on the largest and highest
plateau in the world.

For most of us
this would be punishing,

but Rolf's sense of humor
hasn't been dented yet.

He's come to appreciate
the simple things in life.

Well, after

12 hours

in the hide

at, yeah, kind of serious
sub-zero temperatures,

it's quite nice
to be back in the open

and heat up

and have hot water.

Yeah, it's the...

little things which
are the biggest things

out here.

Even with changes of brutal

and unpredictable weather,

the team aren't giving up.

If I was a mother
I wouldn't

give birth to a baby
in these conditions.

There's no grass,
it's really cold,

it's snowy,
it's not a good start in life.

Then at last...

Rolf has something to film.

One by one,

thousands of female chiru

are arriving at the lake after
a journey of nearly 200 miles

over the last three weeks.

The highest mammal
migration on Earth.

The lake is the perfect place
to have their young.

Temperatures
are pleasantly cool

and the grasses
and water abundant.

As more and more
expectant moms arrive

and the numbers swell,

this is the moment
Rolf has been waiting for.

The birthing begins.

Hundreds are born
within days of each other.

It's a remarkable achievement
for the Chiru team

and one of "the" defining
moments of the

Born In China film.

An endangered
skittish antelope

confident enough to give
birth right in front

of the team's hide.

To see new life

come into this world

was just breathtakingly
beautiful.

The babies
are extraordinary.

Within just 15 minutes
of being born,

they can already stand

and feed themselves
almost immediately.

Although clearly,
it takes a little practice.

But even the straddlers
are soon up and confident

on their feet.

All the young staying close
to their moms as they

learn their way around.

As soon as
the birthing is over

and the females and young
are strong enough,

the herd begins the long
200-mile journey home

to reunite with the males.

The film crew will meet them
there later in the year

as the 100,000
strong chiru herds

complete their
high-altitude migration.

Over 900 miles away,

another Born In China crew

are traveling through
the steep-sided valleys

of Sichuan

to find a very special
and famous animal.

The panda.

The task for this team
is to film the intimate

relationship

between a mother panda

and her cub
for the first time.

As a symbol of good luck,

friendship, peace,

and invincibility,

the panda holds a special
place in Chinese culture.

One of the rarest creatures
on Earth,

largely due to habitat loss,

it lives in the forest,

surviving almost
exclusively on bamboo.

For over half a century,
the panda has been a flagship

for conservation,

a global ambassador for China,

and a bear that's had millions
of dollars spent on it

to restore its numbers
in the wild.

This is Ya Ya.

She's pregnant,
against all the odds.

Female pandas are fertile
for just three days a year,

and can only have one cub
every second year.

Each birth is precious.

Ya Ya's now at the end
of her five-month gestation,

and is looking for a den
in which she can

give birth safely.

But pandas don't do
anything in a hurry.

One last drink,

a scratch,

a sniff.

And in she goes.

A quiet safe den,

the floor covered in grasses
and branches to keep her warm.

The panda's story
in Born In China

seeks to follow a mother bear

as she seeks to find a place
to give birth to her young.

And then get a privileged
glimpse of that young

really when it's quite
recently born.

They're born incredibly tiny

and then they are kept
in that den for quite

some time.

A tiny cub.

Just seven inches long.

A thousand times
smaller than her mom,

this is Mei Mei.

She can hardly move

and it's eight weeks
before her eyes open.

A baby panda
that will, hopefully

in a few years' time,

boost the population of pandas
that remain in the wild.

For almost 80 years,

China's been working hard
to protect the panda,

and establish areas of habitat
where they can roam free.

As an animal out there
in the wild, kind of

on the edge,

physically and metaphorically
in terms of conservation,

it's not an animal
we want to disturb too much.

Pandas are found
in large wild mountain

reserves

in the central southern
part of the country.

Access to these areas
is tightly managed.

Designed to be as wild
as possible,

there are some zones
where any human entering

has to permanently wear
a full panda costume.

This is how serious
the Chinese are about

panda conservation.

It's a way for us to get
a little bit closer

without worrying
that we're disturbing

an animal.

Paul and the team
will spend the next few

months dressed as pandas

hoping to get close
and intimate footage

of a very rare bear.

It's a conservation program
that's working.

Logging was banned
in panda habitats

almost 20 years ago

and their numbers
are increasing.

But China's ambition
doesn't stop there.

There are plans for a wild
reserve three times

the size of Yellowstone.

Linking almost 70 panda
habitats,

it will allow more pandas
to mingle and mate

in the hope of boosting
the panda's population.

This is conservation
on a truly epic scale.

In the mountain range
above Paul,

a second filming unit
led by cameraman Jacky Poon

is about to experience
first-hand how large

these wild reserves are.

People sort of nodded when
we said we were looking

for wild snow leopards.

They nodded "yeah, sure"
with red-crowned cranes.

The monkeys "no problem,"

but when we said
we wanted to film pandas,

everybody sort of had
a slight intake of breath,

and wanted to assure us that
that was not going to be easy.

Pandas live
in the most remote,

thickest, densest, highest
sort of habitats you

could hope to find,

and to track down
a panda really takes

a lot of perseverance

and a lot of luck.

At the last official count,

there were nearly 2,000 pandas
living in the wild,

almost 20% more
than a decade ago.

Although locating them
remains extremely hard,

Jacky and the team
are determined to film

the country's most iconic
creature.

Going to try
and find pandas

is physically very tough.

They live on mountain sides
that are kind of vertical.

And at the sort of altitudes

where oxygen
is noticeably thin,

so actually getting your
breath is quite difficult.

Add to that, in the times
that you might meet them,

it can be very cold
in those habitats.

Big snow storms, freezing
weather can come in

at any time

and you're pretty exposed
on those mountains

and you're likely
to be cut off.

The terrain
is extremely difficult.

What we have to do
is ascent from camp

every single day
to go in to a hide,

waiting for a panda
to approach us.

And there's essentially
no path, no trails,

we have to make our own
trails to look for pandas.

It just makes the whole
operation extremely hard.

The only way
Jacky can haul himself up

is to grab the sharp bamboo.

So he has to wear gloves
to prevent his hands

from being cut open.

He climbs this route every
morning at first light

to reach a filming hide

placed in the only
clearing he can find.

It's over 10,000 feet
above sea level,

higher than the Appalachians.

Today on the way up,

he discovers a tunnel
in the bamboo.

These paths
can only be made by pandas.

These are scratch
marks by pandas.

And...

you can see here there's
also some fresh droppings.

Moments later,
further signs.

So we've got panda's poo
three to four days old.

Exciting
news for the team.

Pandas are definitely here.

But even with promising
signs on the ground,

the ever-changing weather
is not helping filming.

Visibility is reduced
to less than 30 feet.

I got here five hours
ago this morning, early.

And I've been sitting
in a hide looking

to hopefully spot a panda
and be able to film it.

It's proving to be
very difficult though,

especially with the weather
condition now.

Filming pandas in these
conditions is almost

impossible.

Nothing left
to do, but to head back

over the ridge to camp.

A three-hour scramble home.

Oh, oh, I'm wet through.

Soaked through.

Oh man.

Another day.

Another early start.

As the days
and weeks progress,

Jacky and the team repeat
the climb, determined

to succeed.

Come on, pandas.
Where are you?

Almost May.

It's meant to be like
20 degrees Celsius.

Oh, gosh.

Instead,
it's colder than an icebox.

And getting around
is treacherous.

Oh, man...

Again?

Still waiting.

A month passes

without a single sighting.

Yeah, it's quite
frustrating, to be honest.

I guess this is wildlife
film-making.

You get lucky or you don't.

I don't know what,
what we can do really,

just a...

Yeah.

But then, some
news reaches the team.

A panda's been spotted.

The first confirmed sighting
Jacky and the team

have heard about
in four weeks.

They relocate as fast
as possible.

And sure enough
hidden amongst the greenery.

We are finally able to film

a panda in a wild environment.

Amongst
the thick undergrowth,

a very special bear.

Still remarkably rare to see,

China is working tirelessly
to increase their numbers.

This panda, the next step
in that success story.

A panda bear
is really special

in so far as they're
probably the most iconic

endangered species
that we have.

If you preserve the panda,

you preserve these amazing
forests over huge swathes

of China.

And with the panda,
all the species that

are in those forests.

So it seems only right
that these wonderful,

remarkable, amazing animals

are guaranteed a place
by our conservation efforts.

As summer
turns to autumn,

Ya Ya and Mei Mei venture out.

The main
thrust of our story

is the first year
of that baby panda's life.

And to witness the really
very special relationship

that mother panda bears
have with their cubs.

As Mei Mei grows up,

the crew follow
her adventures.

Panda bear mothers
and cubs have

a, I think genuinely
unique relationship.

I've never filmed an animal
where the bond seems as strong

as between a mother panda bear
and her cub.

And it's a really fun bond.

Mum really seems
to see her cub

as this fantastic
play partner,

and sometimes I have
to say almost seems

to treat it as this toy.

The cubs for their part
are incredibly boisterous,

very roly-poly.

They get into all
sorts of trouble.

And the incredible thing
about a panda is

it seems to be able to fall
huge distances,

to roll into rocks,
to bounce off trees,

and it's almost like
they're made of rubber,

there's a little
moment of shock,

and then they're straight
back into the play.

I just think that's a,
that's a wonderful thing

about pandas.

We've been filming panda cubs
since the beginning,

since they
were really young

and follow their livelihood
until they are grown up.

So you know every part
we've seen, every part

we've filmed

is always ultimately
we get an "ahh" out of it.

They are pandas.

They are just beautiful,
cuddly and adorable.

I think it's hard not
to look at a mother animal

to see the sheer effort

she puts in to bringing
up her young

and to not feel a little bit
of that care yourself.

So if by showing
these species' first year

in their journey towards
adulthood,

we make people care
a little bit about them

as individuals

and hence care about
the species as a population,

then it won't be a bad thing.

The autumn
leaves are in full display.

The trees as colorful
as any New England fall

in North America.

Across the country,

the Born In China crews
stay with their stars,

following their every move.

Tao Tao is thriving
outside the family group.

But every day
is a lesson in survival.

The goshawk is a proven hunter
of golden snub-nosed monkeys.

All must be careful here.

These are amongst the fastest
and most agile birds

of prey on the planet.

Armed with the best eyesight
in the animal kingdom,

eight times more powerful
than a human's.

The goshawk is capable
of tucking in its wings

during flight

to pass through the smallest
gaps in pursuit of prey.

Fortunately, there are
enough eyes on him today

to keep Tao Tao
and the other monkeys

out of danger.

The chiru herds
are also keeping an eye

out for predators

on the long walk back
from the birthing grounds.

And for good reason.

The herds are relentlessly
pursued by wolves.

But these young chiru
are already strong enough

to outrun their predators.

Again safety in numbers

wins the day.

And Mei Mei, well,

she's just
a danger to herself.

But she'll be okay.

Mom knows that falling down
for a young panda

is all part of growing up.

All is well with
the Born In China characters.

And as winter approaches,
the filming expeditions

become more frequent

as the animals
prepare for the cold.

At the monkey location,
the crew are hoping

to film a battle

over a seasonal delicacy.

Pine cones are a prized
source of energy before

winter sets in.

And it's one of Tao Tao's
favorite foods.

His gang are making the most
of an autumn bonanza

at the edge
of their territory.

But there's tension
amongst the monkeys.

With the cones
such a precious resource,

everyone wants in
on this patch.

Grazing rights
for the pine cones

will only be sorted
out one way.

The main fight
is between Tao Tao's dad

and the leader
of the Lost Boys.

Loyalties divided
between his family

and the gang,

Tao Tao looks on anxiously.

It's a fight
of tooth and claw.

Tao Tao's dad
emerges victorious

and the Lost Boy's leader
is defeated.

Tao Tao survives
another drama.

Back up on the high plateau,

it's the turn
of the chiru crew

to find their stars.

The team are 200 miles
southeast of Zhuonai Lake,

the first filming location,

to film a special event
that only happens once a year.

It's the chiru
courtship season.

After three weeks
of walking from where

the chiru gave birth,

the moms and babies
are arriving

at the courtship grounds.

Where the males,
who have been alone

for many weeks,

are waiting patiently.

It's time for the antelope
to start a new family again.

For the next few weeks,

the males will be
thinking of nothing else

than getting together
with the females.

But unlike at the lake

where the herd
was concentrated

in one place to give birth,

the females are now spread
far and wide across

the high plateau.

Both film crew and male
chirus are going to have

to track them down.

At least the team
are in expert hands.

Jiaxi is a ranger
for this wild reserve.

He knows this place
and how the chiru

behave better than anyone.

Now the chirus
are on the plateau,

the males start to try
to capture the females.

They will all move
to that area,

close to our camp.

- So we are actually...
- ...in a good spot.

Okay.

It's great
local knowledge,

but actually filming
the chiru courtship

is a different matter
altogether.

Especially as the males
are still seeking out

the females.

But right now the male's
advances aren't

impressing any of them.

The best tactic for the film
crew with the chiru

spread so far and wide

is to try on foot.

And it's still
before sunrise.

We try to find the chirus
to get them in the nice

light in the morning.

It's minus 18 degrees,
so it's quite cold.

Fingers crossed.

But any
chance of filming

is quickly dashed.

It's amazing
how chirus survive

in this plateau.

It's very windy again.

And there in the background,
you can see the dark clouds,

brownish clouds,
it's all dust storm.

So the next
dust storm is coming,

it makes our work
really hard, so...

Yeah, we have to wait it out.

For the next few hours,

the team will be going
nowhere on foot.

And even in the vehicle,

getting around is becoming
impossible.

I can't see the road anymore.

The wind
gradually subsides,

the dust settles,

and the skies clear bringing
not only fine weather,

but also good fortune.

The courtship begins.

We have a male there
with a harem of eight females

and he's pretty
active trying to keep

the girls together
and chasing other males away

and we start to get behavior
which is really uplifting.

With his harem
of females in place,

this male will now
do everything he can

to keep them.

He must herd his females
away from other males

to give him the best chance
to play his part

before the females leave
for the lake again

to give birth.

Now so determined
to impress the females,

he won't stop
chasing them for weeks

in a bid for mating rights.

All his energies are spent
on this courtship ritual

dominated by calling
and prancing.

He won't even stop to eat.

There's nothing else
on his mind.

Any of the other males
that dare enter his space

are chased off
at lightning speed.

This is his territory.

The loudest, fastest,
and most imposing male

wins the day.

The chirus
were really undisturbed

and did their thing.

So, um...

it was a pretty good day

and we got the start
of the males chasing

each other.

Filming the chiru
has been an epic effort.

Over 150 days,

the team have ventured
into areas few people

have ever been,

experienced isolation
and extreme cold.

My fingers
are incredibly cold.

But successfully
filmed an animal

which lives at extremes

and is fighting back
from the edge of extinction.

For the first time,

the lives of the chiru
have been captured on film.

The team's achievement
is unique,

to say the least.

Far to the east,

the family of cranes are ready
to begin their migration.

Paul and the team
are there to see them off.

Now nine months old,

the crane chicks
are almost unrecognizable.

Already nearly
as tall as their parents.

Before the first signs
of winter hit their

birthplace,

they will leave
for warmer pastures.

A migration that will
hopefully remain possible

for years to come.

Red-crowned cranes
find themselves where

cities are being built,

where populations
are expanding

and industry is working.

Hand in hand with that
development,

there has to be, and I would
say, there is a sensitivity

to preserving the wetlands
and the marshes that

the cranes need.

Now that's important
for the cranes,

but obviously one day,
it will also be important

for the populations
of people here.

Because having
big cities is important,

but you also need
somewhere to escape

from those big cities,

and experience the wild.

And there couldn't be
a more rewarding summit

to that experience

than to see the beautiful
red-crowned cranes out

in these marshes.

The first flakes
of winter snow arrive.

Soon vast areas
of the country are covered.

Winter is here.

The Born In China film crews
capture picture-perfect images

of a winter wonderland
from the ground.

And from the air.

These aerial shots filmed
from a state-of-the-art

stabilized camera

mounted to a helicopter,

are the first of their kind.

No crew has filmed
this high over China.

Back on the ground

and baby Mei Mei
continues to flourish

doing her best to become
independent from mom Ya Ya.

Like all pandas,

Mei Mei is born to climb.

Under the watchful
eye of Ya Ya,

she's spending
her days exploring.

But Mei Mei's trying
to reach too high too soon.

It will be a few more months
until she is strong enough

and wise enough
to survive on her own.

For now, her mom is not
going to let her go.

For the monkey team,
this is their most

important time of year.

They only have one winter
to try and capture on film

an extraordinary
and very rare behavior.

Something
that's special about

golden snub-nosed monkeys

is they live
right up into the snowline

and this is something
we really wanted to show.

In the winter shoot,
we were really hoping to

film something
we were told about

that happens
specifically in winter,

and that's the monkeys
walking bipedally

on two feet like we do.

And it seems
as if they do

this to avoid

putting their hands
on to the ground

because it's cold.

This was our goal
for the winter filming.

What the crew need

is cold temperatures
and enough snow to settle.

A few days later,

the perfect conditions arrive.

We have to go
and find the monkeys now,

they're somewhere
up the mountain.

But for Justin
and the crew,

following fast moving
monkeys up steep

snow-covered slopes
with heavy filming gear

isn't easy.

More than two hours
into the climb,

the team eventually
find the monkeys

and set up to film.

There was one
particular moment

which I loved was

which I found
funny as well,

we were filming
our very first snow,

and I just happened
to be standing right

by a tree

and the monkeys decided
to use me as a perch.

Do I have two on me?

- Yeah, you have two.
- Feels like it.

- I've got two tails anyway.
- You have two monkeys now.

Oh, yeah, he's just trying
to get right on your head.

So, how's
filming going today?

I've got a very good
view of a monkey's

bottom right now.

The conditions stay perfect

for the next few days.

And the team
are seeing glimpses

of the monkey behavior
they are hoping for.

- Oh, my God!
- That is so sweet.

Oh, you are like
the cutest thing.

That is just the sweetest
thing you could ever

possibly see.

It happens so quickly,

and it's not necessarily
in the right setting,

so getting all
of the things right

to capture it is really hard.

You might, you know,
we're starting to see it now,

but actually
getting it on camera is

a whole different story.

Not a good angle and there's
lots of scruffy vegetation.

It needs to be
more attractive

and a better camera angle
would be good.

It's not really working

because we are too close.

I wasn't fast enough.

Finally,
it all clicks into place

and the team capture
the monkeys walking

on two feet.

It was definitely a moment,

the best bit is the mum
with the baby attached to her.

- Running along.
- There's another one.

That one in the back.

It's been
a very successful year

for the monkey team,

full of fond memories
thanks to these amazing

wild primates.

A bit of warmth
and the monkeys

are just so much more

relaxed and happy.

And just
before the crew up pack up,

a bonus.

We had one
that particularly

liked doing back flips

I mean he doesn't need to do
back flips but...

obviously doing it
for fun, I can't think

what other reason.

Oh, my goodness.

We were very privileged

to be spending time

with these animals
which are very habituated.

They knew us, each
crew member as individuals.

And they
were cheeky at times.

They would jump
onto the camera,

and push bits
or want to interact with us,

and mostly we were trying
not to distract them

in any way,

you know we wanted to observe
purely natural behavior.

But I loved the moments
when they were engaged with us

and wanted
to be engaged

with us.

I'm not quite happy
with the position

of my camera flag.

It's really hard
to pick a favorite moment

with the golden snub-nosed
monkeys

because there were so many.

The thing I found probably
the most entertaining

about them

was the youngsters,
they just love to play so much

and they would often come
and play near us and jump

on the camera bags

and the camera and us.

And I could just sit
and watch them for hours.

Those were my favorite times.

The filming of Born In China

is a remarkable achievement.

Teams of experienced
international crews

often working in little
explored corners of

this amazing country,

successfully filmed rare
endangered animals

and landscapes.

Tao Tao survived
being pushed out,

returning happily to grow up
with his sister

and his family.

The crane family completed
their journey south.

Once again, the chiru herds
set off on the highest

mammal migration on Earth.

And Mei Mei, finally,
grew strong enough

to branch out

on her own.

These expeditions
revealed a country

working to preserve
its wildlife and habitats,

and those striving
to make it happen.

The people we've met

in the areas that
we've been filming

have been really
wonderful and helpful.

Of course, we've needed
their help with bags,

just the sheer amount of kit.

But more importantly,
we've needed their expertise.

They know those
animals so well.

They can spot
an animal at distances

that frankly I couldn't
see an animal through

binoculars at.

We were really lucky to find
some brilliant local crew.

They were absolutely
instrumental

to the footage that
we were able to capture.

Without them we just wouldn't
have been able to do

what we've done.

We could not have achieved
what we've done

without the local support.

In fact, we wouldn't
have achieved it.

During
the filming of Born In China,

the team spent 1,000
filming days in the country.

Alongside the biggest human
population on the planet,

they filmed vast
remote habitats.

Home to rare creatures
unfamiliar inside the country,

let alone to the rest
of the world.

The expeditions have opened
a window onto the rarely seen

animals of China.