All language subtitles for Equator 2 Battle For The Light 2005 1080p

The sun...
giver of light and life.

Shines most powerfully at the Equator

"Here, it powers an
extraordinarily rich zone of life."

Brilliant and bizarre species
from 3 continents... 3 oceans.

...more than a line on a map...

Equator is a powerful
force of nature.

EQUATOR

Battle For The Light

"Around the Equator,"

dawn arrives

with staggering speed...

the new day rapidly unveils
the lush rainforests of Southern Asia

Sunlight sweeps the tree tops
at nearly 500 meters per second

"12 hrs of darkness ends,"

12 hours of light begins...

Life at the Equator
is precisely tuned

to this dynamic daily rhythm.

These lush forests are driven
by intense competition for light;

but even before that battle
gets started -

another daily skirmish
is underway -

the battle to be heard.

"Gibbons are early risers,"

heralding the light's return.

"Each pair duets,"

"one calling, the other listening,"

confirming bonds &
declaring territories..

"In the gloomier branches below,"

a lone male orang-utan
remains quiet in his night nest.

Orang-utans prefer to wake late.

"In the calm dawn air,"

Asia's many types of gibbon
all warn off their neighbours

with vigorous operatic displays...

These singing apes are
unique among primates -

both sexes use vocal displays
to repel rivals..

"As the day brightens,"”

an array of voices
struggles to be heard.

The hornbill is less operatic
but has plenty of volume...

the hollow casqued
above the bill amplifies calls

that can be heard over a huge area...

I!High up,!I

their sounds carry far... it is
tougher down in the undergrowth...

"For small birds,"

"a high pitched call,"

repeated often is most effective...

"Another strategy is to broadcast
at a precise frequency,"”

which differs from your neighbours.

This is how cicadas can attract
a mate above all the din...

"Finally,"

the male orang-utan's baritone
lays claim to his vast home range.

This is the most complex dawn
chorus on the planet...

in Southern Asia you
can hear the rich

diversity of life at the equator.

"As dawn's sound battle subsides,"

"the sun rises over forests
of remarkably tall trees,"

some stretch over 80m high.

South Asian forests are dominated

by ancient trees known
as dipterocarps.

"These giants cast a shadow
over every living thing,"

controlling the daily
"Battle for the Light'.

But these trees
are 'selfish' giants -

"Not only do they grab
most of the sunlight,”

but almost nothing can feed
on their leaves...

that are filled
with oily toxins called terpenes..

The dipterocarps
massive cylindrical trunks

"have very few side branches,"

until they open out
into mighty crowns.

Their shape creates wide gaps
in the canopy-

aerial canyons that animals
of Southern Asia have evolved

to cross in spectacular ways.

Most monkeys are brave leapers...

but they are no match
for this creature's airborne skill.

The colugo is an expert glider -
using the remarkable skin folds

"between its limbs and tail,"

it can soar 120 meters.

"Little is known about the life
of this secretive nocturnal mammal,"

except that it's astonishing
gliding skill has developed

for life in very tall
branchless trees...

and it is by no means the only one.

In these forests
even lizards can fly.

Draco lizards are miniature gliders

with their own elastic skin membranes

to carry them across
the forest chasms.

And to avoid predators on the ground.

It's not just animals whose shape
is moulded by the dipterocarps...

so are the trees below.

"Growing in the shadow
of the selfish giants,"

smaller trees stretch toward the
sunlight as spindly flexible poles...

just the right size
for red apes on the move.

Using their weight

and immense strength
to flex the saplings...

Orang utans can swing

and pole vault across the gaps
with ease...

A prodigious memory
helps them navigate huge distances

in search of favourite fruits.

"As the morning advances,"

"the little spider hunter flies
its circuit of ginger flowers,"

probing for nectar
and pollinating as it goes.

"After a long overnight fast,"

"many creatures
need a floral sugar boost,"

to fuel their day.

"Throughout equatorial Asia,"

a fig tree in fruit is a
magnet attracting morning diners

from far and wide...

"In Borneo,"

a rhinoceros hornbill

"and a rare helmeted hornbill
arrive early,"

inspecting the ripeness
of its tiny fruit..

The hornbills' long dextrous beaks

are perfectly designed
for picking figs...

"but they must hurry,”

they won't have the tree
to themselves for very long.

Gibbons are very aware
of any ripening fruit

inside their territory...

and they have learnt
the best pathways to reach it.

They use a neighbouring dipterocarp
as their ladder...

and prepare for
a hair-raising aerial assault..

The timid helmeted
hornbill quickly retreats..

The rhinoceros hornbill
moves to the outer branches

and plucks a few last morsels...

just as well...

these acrobatic apes
are in no mood to share -

The tropical fig harvest
is a vital oasis

within the desert
of dipterocarp trees.

"Unlike the selfish giants,”

"which expend considerable
energy creating toxins,"

the fig invests its energy reserves
providing nutritious fruit.

"In return for this fruit,"

a succession of satisfied diners
will carry away it's tiny seeds

in their stomachs.

Eventually the seeds
will be sown far across the forest.

"But before they can
keep their side of the bargain,”

"the gibbons face
more life threatening leaps,"

back into their ladder tree...

"The gibbon family quickly departs
in search of other tasty fruits,"

for which these forests are famous.

"Below the selfish giants,"

"many plants battle
for their meagre share of the light,"

producing leaves that
are lush and tasty...

Asian Elephants
have a passion for palms...

Each adult eats 150 kgs
of greens every day -

and a whole herd gives
the forest a real thrashing...

"As they move and feed,"

they tear open new clearings;

"allowing the light to reach down
to the forest floor,"

triggering re-growth...

the sun helps the forest to recover
from a herd of hungry elephants.

But the light-starved under storey
of Asia's forests

is shaped in a more subtle way

by its great diversity
of monkeys and apes.

Many wild fruits in Equatorial Asia
have tastes and aromas

that are irresistible
to the palates of primates...

in return for some seed scattering.

"Thanks to their love of fruit,"

"mangosteens, lychees,"

durian & rambutan all thrive
in these forests

and were enjoyed by monkeys and apes

long before their discovery
by more recent primates... people!

Primates are fussy eaters &

"with such tropical abundance,"

they often discard
more than they eat.

But there's a clean-up
expert close at hand.

The bearded pig has a
nose well-attuned

to the sun's fallen bounty.

With such riches raining down
its not surprising

that bearded pigs are numerous
and widespread.

Fruit scavengers
are also attractive prey;

there are tigers in these forests.

İt pays to be watchful.

Even the rare

and poor sighted Sumatran rhino
is drawn to the sound

and smell of fallen fruit.

"Be it hornbill above
or rhinoceros below,"

all these large animals and birds

show just how generous

the lower
forest plants are

compared to the impenetrable
selfish giants..

Gathering fruit can be risky...

"Dangling 50 meters
above a stony riverbed,"

an orang-utan mother
has discovered a berry bonanza.

"Just as well red apes are careful,"

precise climbers.

They use three limbs
gripping tightly at all times.

The mother seems unconcerned

about her 5 year old hanging
precariously above her.

"At this tender age,"

he has already learnt from his mother
where it is safe to climb

and what is safe to eat.

Far below other eager
mouths are waiting.

Energy from the tree
tops is never wasted.

"Where more berries fall
than fruit scavengers can eat,"

"a few will sprout -
the rest will decay,"”

returning nutrients
to the tree they came from.

Fruiting trees and vines
get extra nutrient payback -

dung and urine is most likely
to fall under the trees

that are generous providers.

Here at the Equator the sun's
heat drives decomposition

ten times faster
than in cool climate forests.

Dung beetles
kick-start the break up;

Within a few weeks most
nutrients will be recycled

through the thin topsoil
and back to the trees.

"Rainforest soils
are depleted & poor,"

so trees don't bother
with deep roots.

"Instead their mighty buttress roots
sprawl over the surface,"

sending out shallow rootlets
just below the leaf litter itself.

The greedy dipterocarp roots
probe close to the surface

and enlist the help of soil fungi

to mine every last available mineral
from the leaf litter.

Securing enough nutrients
is never a problem

for one macabre plant;

"This is a rafflesia flower -
at one metre across,”

it's the largest single
flower in the world.

The blotchy petals resemble
rotting flesh...

it also generates
a foul smelling odour

and radiates subtle heat -

all designed to mimic
a rotting corpse

so it's irresistible to the flies
which pollinate it.

But how can rafflesia on the gloomy
forest floor get enough energy

to fuel such lavish tactics?

"Not by its own efforts...
it is a thief,"

a parasite that steals
from a vine nearby.

This giant flower has no leaves

and no roots.

Its parasitic threads
penetrate deep inside the vine.

The Rafflesia sucks all the nutrition

it needs from its host.

The host vine grows high
into the treetops.

So the parasite is fed
by the vines leaves.

"Lowly Rafflesia,"

"down on the forest floor,"

gains the full energy
of the tropical sun.

Giant dipterocarps
are the gatekeepers of light.

They take all the energy they need...

"but as the sun's rays penetrate
the many layers of foliage,”

"they are filtered,
scattered and reduced."

"Red & blue wavelengths
are easily absorbed by most plants,"

whereas green light
reflects off leafy surfaces.

That's why leaves appear green.

Its mostly green light
that makes it to the forest floor.

Only 2% of the sunlight
makes it this far...

...So bottom dwelling plants
are adapted

to absorb the faintest light.

Corrugated leaves with prism -like

faces absorb scattered rays
from every direction.

But forest floor plants
must also cope

with the other extreme -
brief bursts of full scorching sun...

The bottom dweller's
leaves are protected

by waxy reflective coatings...

providing a sunscreen
till the burning sun flecks pass by.

And the gloom returns.

Another tactic is
producing red leaves -

these are better equipped

to absorb green light
that dominates down here.

Red pigments can also be a sign
that leaves contain bitter toxins

to deter grazing animals...
at least in part...

and there are always
plenty of grazers to deter.

Plants without toxins can
pay a heavy price.

In tropical forests
grazers never rest.

Some caterpillars are
immune to plant toxins

and actually concentrate them
in their bodies -

"so they too become toxic -
causing their enemies to vomit,"

or even giving them heart failure.

Outlandish patterns and bold
colours advertise their poisons...

Such colours are very effective
warnings that can save lives.

"Of all the forest floor dwellers,"

"battling to make the most
of the suns energy,"

the most tireless are ants...

they overwhelm anything
they can carry home.

They are even bold enough
to steal the crumbs

from a water monitor's mouth...

Until it can stand it no more.

"The ant world has its giants too,"

"like polyrachis,
more than a centimetre long,"

it's a hundred times heavier
than its neighbours...

"Preferring to forage solo,"

"they still communicate
with their fellows,"

exchanging chemical tips
on the latest dining place.

"They use vines
as their highways,"

foraging all the way from the
floor to the mid forest levels.

"Up here, mid way between
the gloomy damp floor"

"and the full burning sun,
living is pleasant,"

there's the ideal
amount of day light.

Many plants here grow
on top of others.

They are not parasites;

they perch on the branches of trees
and include a thous

and varieties of beautiful orchids.

Many orchids can only
grow near the Equator...

some are so sensitive a tiny drop
in temperature can kill them...

But how have orchids succeeded

in colonising every corner
of Asia's tropical forest?

One answer is their root
systems that cling tenaciously

and can trap moisture
from mist and showers.

But the real secret is
in the way they travel.

The blooms of this tiny orchid
are barely a millimetre across

and its minute seed heads
are about to burst.

The microscopic seeds float
on the breeze like specs of dust.

They're so light because they carry
no food supply of their own.

"Once they crash I and,"

seeds rely on a special
fungus to invade them.

Remarkably the invader provides
the energy burst they need to sprout.

The orchid world is
full of surprises...

This gently waving petal
is not what it seems.

"It's an orchid mantis,"

brilliantly camouflaged
& swaying in time

"with the breeze,
as it sizes up a meal."

The fluffy sapsucker has also
perfected the white on white look...

but those sticky threads
would be unpleasant to eat...

The mantis wisely lets it pass.

"Now this is more like it,
a real mantid-sized meal..."

"Preying mantids
are voracious predators,"

"but when you rely on
camouflage and ambush,"

it can be a very long
wait between meals.

It's been 6 days since she last fed -

everything will be consumed
except the scaly wings.

The battles between predator
and prey are never ending...

but the daily battle for the light
now takes a very different turn.

"At noon, the equatorial sun
is at it's zenith..."

the problem now is not
getting enough light...

but avoiding it.

The rhino wallows...

seeking relief from the heat
and the flies with a mudpack.

The tiger uses its day wisely.

It rests now.

"With predators off duty,”

sun-loving butterflies
have the flowers to themselves.

Everyone else avoids the sun...
a siesta is a necessity.

Not all Asia's primates
are canopy dwellers.

"Crab-eating macaques spend much
of their time along stream edges,"

where there's plenty of shade
to avoid the afternoon heat.

While the elders cool off
by fishing for crabs

and tasty water snails...
the youngsters splash and play.

Their antics have
not gone unnoticed

It is too hot to be bothered
chasing them now.

The tiger's battle will come later.

The sun's power has also been
at work on forest...

"by mid afternoon,"

evaporation from billions of leaves
is enough to change in the weather.

"Throughout the day,"

trees draw ever-more
moisture into mighty buttresses

and up through massive trunks.

"Amazingly, these thin tubes
transport water & nutrients,"

upwards against gravity
for over 80 meters...

the destination is natures own
solar panels - the leaves.

Water combines
with carbon dioxide and light -

in the green miracle that
is photosynthesis.

"Minute pores release the left
over water vapour and oxygen,"

to be sucked out from the leaves

and out above the forest canopy...
coalescing in to clouds.

Tropical forests are
rain-making machines.

"A bear cat hurries her cub
back to its den,"

before the rain unleashes
its full force.

"Almost every day,"

equatorial forests are drenched...

5 meters of rain falls on Borneo
and Sumatra each year.

Plants are well
equipped for downpours...

"orang utans are too,"

their shaggy fur sheds rain...

but their best defence
is their brains.

Regular afternoon rains
top up the forest wallows.

"These are crucial breeding places,
both for frogs and dragonflies.”

The dragonfly's larvae
are predators...

they stalk these newly filled ponds.

The strength of the
afternoon downpour

often topples old or weakened trees.

"When a giant falls,"

it opens up a light gap
in the canopy -

& now the battle
for the light suddenly gets' serious.

"Long dormant seedlings
quickly sprout,”

then jostle upwards toward the light.

"It's a mad scramble
to get there first,"

by whatever means.

The battle only ceases
when the victors close the gap

with new foliage.

In the last hour of daylight most
animals' attention returns to food.

"A huge male orang-utan
has found a durian tree,”

laden with spiky fruit...

and the durian's pungent
odour soon attracts an audience.

"The largest ape in the forest
has spent the last 3 days here,"

devouring all the durian
he can possibly eat.

His canines are powerful
enough to crack the thick husk...

and no part of the delicious
creamy pulp is wasted.

Durian fruit is designed to attract
large mammals with keen noses...

such animals are big enough
to swallow it's seeds whole

and to pass them undamaged
with a fertilizer coating.

Finally he can eat no more.

Asian elephants are the
ultimate durian fanciers...

they are drawn to
this 'king of fruit' from far

"and wide by the pungent odour,"”

that's almost palpable...

but they are not the
only ones lured here.

"For a young orang utan
to cross the forest floor,"

there must be
a real prize on offer..

Only a fruit

with a flavour 'to die for'
is worth such a risk.

But getting inside this fallen gift
of the sun is a different matter.

The durian has evolved
to be eaten by forest giants

and she's not yet strong enough

to crack it...
a frustrating stalemate.

Fallen durian are soon located
by the biggest nose in Asia...

and finally the king of fruits
has met its match -

dispatched with a single bite.

Asian Elephants also have an
ancient relationship with Jackfruit -

these enormous fruit sprout
directly from the trunk...

exactly at elephant height.

"A ten kilogram fruit is a
jumbo sized mouthful,"

even for an elephant...

Such a problem requires
a weighty solution.

"Sweet-scented jackfruit contains
slippery seeds, easily swallowed"

and which will be passed a day later
far away in the forest.

So the most powerful animal
in Southern Asia

becomes the willing servant
of the fragrant fruiting trees.

Just before sundown
silvered leaf monkeys

should be finding a place to sleep.

"Instead they are on the move,"

heading for a late supper
to be digested slowly overnight.

"It's a nervous time,"

but the troupe leaves
a sentry on lookout...

"he remains vigilant,"

while the others descend to feed
on grasses and tender shoots.

The Sumatran tiger has
been waiting for the dusk...

this is its favourite time to hunt...

when mouse deer emerge
from the thickets.

The tiny deer remain extremely alert

and are often first
to sound an alarm.

Their battle is to stay alive...

"Tonight it's a leaf monkey
that lost the twilight battle,"

paying the price
for relaxing vigilance.

Day's end approaches
as rapidly as it began.

As soft shadows rise
up through the forest -

the battle for the light ceases...

at least for today.

The moment before sunset
is when giant cicadas call...

and red flying squirrels appear.

The squirrels cautiously emerge
from their tree holes...

before launching out
between massive dipterocarp pillars.

"Having made a leap,"

"they climb as high as possible,”

before leaping again...

and so they move through the forest.

"With furry membranes
between their limbs,"”

"but not their tail,"

they are not the most accomplished
of the gliders here...

but they are well-adapted

to the challenge of moving
between the tall trees...

another reminder of how dipterocarps
have shaped many lives.

"The bloated male orangutan
is ready for sleep,"

"adjusting his nest,
to support his massive bulk."

The tree he sleeps in also
enters a time of rest...

"Once photosynthesis stops,"

plant metabolism goes into reverse -
leaves consume more oxygen

and energy than they produce.

The forest becomes
like a massive solar battery

running down
during the hours of darkness.

"The battle for daylight may be over,"

but battles between predator
and prey only intensify.

Even nocturnal hunters
are part of food chains

that lead back to the treetops
and the energy of the equatorial sun.

The Asian Fishing Cat's night
is off to a poor start.

"Just above wallows
and ponds,"

tree frogs gather
to lay their foamy egg masses.

"Once the eggs hatch,
tadpoles wriggle out"

and drop in to the pond below.

"Where tree frogs gather,"

the red sided snake
is never far away.

But this snake ignores
the file-eared frog...

It prefers a much easier meal
of frog spawn.

The fishing cat is persistent.

It stalks a fish still plump

with fallen berries.

"Nutrients that began high
in the tree tops,"

are returned to land...

and soon to the forest itself.

"In the hours before dawn,"

the shy colugo
is finally full of energy.

It searches out
the most tender leaf tips...

varying it's diet to
avoid an overdose of plant toxins.

But colugos have another newly
discovered strategy.

They feed on sugar-rich tree sap...

including the poisonous sap
of dipterocarps.

This mysterious mammal appears

to have conquered the dipterocarp's
chemical defences...

as well as the chasms
between their giant trunks.

"Of all tropical Asia's
extraordinary creatures,"

the colugo seems
the most directly moulded

by the selfish forest giants...

its perhaps their finest creation

Another dawn chorus announces
that the battle

for the light is about to resume.

Only on the Equator
could such a massed

choir of voices greet
the return of each day.

Once again the
mighty dipterocarp trees

"are first to soak up
the sun's energy,"

casting their pervasive
shadows on all below...