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(majestic music)
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Rainforest, the richest habitat on Earth.
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Teaming with millions of dramatic plants and animals.
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From giant landscape gardeners
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to a whole family supported by a single leaf.
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Here, tiny frogs and giant spiders can become friends.
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Parrots eat dirt, kangaroos climb trees,
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and perhaps the birthplace of humanity.
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A habitat many people still call home.
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Rainforests face more threats than ever before,
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but remain the last stronghold
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for some truly astonishing animal families,
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(birds calling)
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(mysterious music)
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(birds calling)
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Jungle, dark,
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scary, and mysterious to early explorers.
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Today we know rainforests are some of the most wondrous
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and important habitats on Earth.
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(birds calling)
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Jungle lies between the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer,
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a tropical belt of green
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stretching across South and Central America,
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Central Africa,
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Indonesia,
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Malaysia,
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and Northern Australia.
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The green paradise is thanks to a lot of water.
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All rainforests are bathed
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by around two meters of rainfall a year,
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(rain pattering)
(thunder rumbling)
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(gentle music)
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creating the lush, humid vegetation.
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The world's biggest rainforest is the Amazon in Brazil.
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More than five million square kilometers
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of incredible plant diversity.
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The whole of the U.K. has just 40 species of trees.
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Here, there might be 300 different kinds
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in a few kilometers of jungle,
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as well as thousands of other plant species.
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Like all rainforests, the variation in plant life
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creates micro-climates,
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different conditions that can be thought of
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as a series of layers with their own unique qualities.
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(pensive music)
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From the ground up,
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the dark, wet forest floor is the realm of ferns and fungi.
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Shady characters that enjoy the moisture.
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The conditions are kept stable by the next layer.
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The dense understory.
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Young trees push their way through shrubs, creepers,
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and herb's.
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Towering above them, the canopy.
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The leaves, buds,
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flowers and fruits of giant trees.
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Creating a huge green umbrella over the forest.
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The canopy is dense.
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Filtering light and giving the forest its characteristic
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dingy mood lighting.
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Of course, overhead there's a fierce tropical sun.
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Only the tops of the trees feel its force.
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In the final story.
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The emergent layer.
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Each section of the forest
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supports different animals and plant species,
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more than 10 million varieties in total.
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Most of carved out distinct niches,
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specializing in one zone,
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but there are a few that bridge the gap.
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It's not just birds who build nests in the trees.
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This cluster of leaves and branches is the nursery
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for the long snouted of clowns of the forest.
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Coatis.
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(animals chittering)
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Cousins of the raccoon.
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Coatis share the mischievous burglar style face masks
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and long banded tails.
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But their snouts are all their own.
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The little ones have been living here in the nest
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for three weeks since their birth,
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but they're getting fidgety
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and will soon want to stretch their legs
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and explore the canopy.
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(ominous music)
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It will be a very dangerous time for them.
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They have neighbors on the floor above that would gladly
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invite a young coati to dinner.
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The harpy eagle,
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one of the biggest predatory birds on the planet.
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She's built her huge nest in the emergent layer.
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The top of the forest.
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Fortunately, she's grabbing branches from the canopy,
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not coatis.
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She uses the same nest year on year
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and is constantly adding to the construction.
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Her mate has brought lunch.
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Not a coati this time, but a monkey.
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One of their preferred prey
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Eagles are long term partners
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and will work together to prepare their young
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for a life above the forest.
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(majestic music)
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Huge trees are foundation of the rainforest
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and the canopy can stretch unbroken
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as far as the eye can see.
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Most animals seem insignificant
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against the scale of the trees,
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but there are a few
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that can really make their presence felt.
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The Congo Basin supports the second largest rainforest.
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It's mostly a dense green tangle of trees.
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(animals calling)
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UNbroken, apart from the passage of rivers.
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Except for the occasional bald spot.
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These clearings are not accidental.
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They are the work of giants.
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Forest elephants have been coming here for centuries
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to drink up mineral rich mud.
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(elephant trumpeting)
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(elephant roaring)
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Their digging for salt
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is what stops trees from re colonizing the land.
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Rainforests are not good places for minerals.
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The daily rainfall washes precious nutrients from the soil.
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A sodium light diet leaves elephants with salt cravings.
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But their apparent destruction creates opportunities
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for a host of other animals and plants.
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(elephant roaring)
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Normally the canopy blocks out the sun,
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but here light can penetrate
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giving some needy plants like grass, the chance to grow.
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The salty cocktails excavated by the elephants
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accompanied by a fresh green salad
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lures shy forest dwellers into the open.
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Everything from parrots,
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to buffalo.
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(contemplative music)
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Even some of our closest cousins.
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Western lowland gorillas cautiously emerge as a troop.
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The dominant male,
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the Silverback leads the way
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and under his watchful gaze,
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the whole troop can pig out on lush sedges and herbs.
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It's not long before bellies are bulging
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and the pudgy primates can waddle back to the jungle.
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(elephant trumpeting)
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Primates inhabit all of the world's jungles
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(dramatic music)
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apart from this one,
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This is the Northeast corner of Australia.
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(serene music)
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The Daintree Rainforest is the oldest on earth.
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Little changed for 180 million years.
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Australia broke away from the other continents of the world
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early on.
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Its inhabitants evolved in isolation and are truly unique.
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(birds calling)
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There are no primates here.
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No monkeys swinging through the trees.
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Instead tree kangaroos.
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These wacky marsupials have gone full circle
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in their evolution.
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The earliest ancestors lived in the rainforest trees.
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They moved to the ground and started to hop,
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gradually evolving into wallabies and kangaroos.
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Ideally suited for bounding over open ground.
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But the tree kangaroos returned to the canopy
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where they could enjoy the foliage with little competition.
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The kangaroo shape is only slightly modified
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and it might take this Joey a while
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to get the hang of climbing safely through the branches.
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(playful music)
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Any young arboreal animals have to find their feet quickly
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or face a lethal fall.
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(kangaroo screeching)
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Especially in the giant trees of the Amazon.
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(gentle music)
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The coatis, now over a month old, are keen to explore.
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Their tails are longer than the raccoons
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to help keep their balance and grip the branches
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To deliver her litter,
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the coati mother sought solitude in the branches,
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but now she encourages her youngsters to leave the nest.
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It's time to rejoin the clan.
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Step one, a lot of sniffing.
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Only females and their young live in groups.
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Dad's no longer around.
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Won't take long for the clan to unite.
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A good safety strategy in the forest.
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They're not the only socialites hanging about.
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Oropendola like company.
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(birds calling)
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In noisy colonies,
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they carefully construct architectural wonders,
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hanging nests.
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(birds calling)
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The complicated structures are built
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to try and keep their chicks out of the reach of snakes.
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(birds calling)
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They're more or less predator proof
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(pensive music)
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Until a toucan arrives.
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Dressed like a circus clown,
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she looks more panto than predator.
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But that colorful beak is ideal for reaching into nests.
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The colony unite, doing their best
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to drive the marauder away.
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But not soon enough to stop him from kidnapping.
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(birds calling)
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Birds are like spectacular jewels
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in the crown of the forest
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and few steal the show more than macaws,
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the largest of parrots.
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(birds calling)
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though the dazzling hues
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look like they'd stand out like a sore thumb,
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the bold geometric blocks of color,
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break up any recognizable bird shapes.
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Making them surprisingly hard to spot in the canopy.
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They move from one tree to another to find the ripest fruit,
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their favorite food.
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(birds calling)
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Again, rain forest food is a bit bland.
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There's not much salt, but like the African elephants,
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the birds are driven to find some.
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So they form noisy flocks,
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colorful clouds that descend on a rotating river banks
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to munch on mineral rich soil.
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(birds calling)
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(contemplative music)
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More than half of the world's bird species
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live in rainforest,
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each carving out their own distinctive niche.
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(birds calling)
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This specialization has led to a spectacular array
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of shapes and sizes.
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Most are delicate beauties,
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but there are giants.
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The Australian rainforest boasts the biggest.
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(pensive music)
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(water splashing)
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(peaceful music)
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The huge, flightless cassowary.
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In many bird species, females are bigger than males.
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And this is one big girl.
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About the height and weight of the average man.
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She has an appetite to match and listens carefully
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for the thud of falling fruit
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that might guide her to her next meal.
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(water sloshing)
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While Australia has the biggest rain forest birds,
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South America is home to the smallest.
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(wings humming)
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This hummingbird weighs about as much as a penny,
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She and the nest she carefully constructs
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are so tiny that they can be supported by single leaf.
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The minute nursery of leaves and moss
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has been woven together with spider silk,
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making it flexible, but strong.
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(wings humming)
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The smaller a warm blooded animal is
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the higher its metabolism
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because it needs so much energy to stay warm.
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To keep up the calorie count.
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She must eat every 10 minutes or so.
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And so spends most of time dashing to find flowering plants
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and the sugary energy, rich nectar she craves.
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(wings humming)
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The chick must do something of a sword swallowing act
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every time he wants food.
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(wings humming)
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And in between meals, he's gently rocked asleep
273
00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:38,423
in his hummingbird hammock.
274
00:24:42,901 --> 00:24:44,260
(playful music)
275
00:24:44,260 --> 00:24:46,680
The tiny birds are kept so busy
276
00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:49,583
that they barely notice the coati clan moving through.
277
00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:57,670
The cubs are finally ready to bridge the gap
278
00:24:57,670 --> 00:25:00,253
from the canopy to the forest floor.
279
00:25:05,060 --> 00:25:07,873
Excitement spreads through the youngsters.
280
00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:10,743
This should be a foraging mission,
281
00:25:11,660 --> 00:25:15,910
but all they can think of is fun and games,
282
00:25:15,910 --> 00:25:17,313
But they need to be careful.
283
00:25:18,210 --> 00:25:21,000
The dense vegetation of the understory
284
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:22,933
can conceal many dangers.
285
00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:26,803
Their antics wake a killer.
286
00:25:28,380 --> 00:25:30,563
The rattlesnake has a deadly venom.
287
00:25:43,110 --> 00:25:43,943
(rattlesnake buzzing)
288
00:25:43,943 --> 00:25:46,933
But fortunately it gives a warning before it strikes.
289
00:25:49,430 --> 00:25:52,363
The rattle is its first line of defense.
290
00:25:54,270 --> 00:25:57,310
At first it draws the curious cubs,
291
00:25:57,310 --> 00:25:59,140
but they have the good sense to back off
292
00:25:59,140 --> 00:26:01,383
before the snake launches its full attack.
293
00:26:07,460 --> 00:26:10,450
Mother decides her family better head up.
294
00:26:10,450 --> 00:26:12,333
That's enough adventure for one day.
295
00:26:15,822 --> 00:26:17,370
(birds calling)
296
00:26:17,370 --> 00:26:19,950
The dark and dingy forest floor
297
00:26:19,950 --> 00:26:22,080
is a world in its own right?
298
00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:24,453
The creatures that have learned to exploit it.
299
00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:30,933
They are dependent on gifts from above.
300
00:26:33,060 --> 00:26:37,423
Fallen leaves, slowly rot, enriching the ground.
301
00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:44,060
Many canopy inhabitants.
302
00:26:44,060 --> 00:26:46,980
Play their part in feeding the understory,
303
00:26:46,980 --> 00:26:49,232
often under the cover of darkness.
304
00:26:49,232 --> 00:26:51,982
(pensive music)
305
00:26:57,010 --> 00:27:00,147
Forests can seem spooky when the lights go out.
306
00:27:04,300 --> 00:27:07,973
Many creepy crawlies are ready to go bump in the night.
307
00:27:11,180 --> 00:27:15,263
And for many people bats are the ultimate specters.
308
00:27:22,950 --> 00:27:25,350
But of course like all animals,
309
00:27:25,350 --> 00:27:27,420
they just go about their business
310
00:27:27,420 --> 00:27:29,913
and are vital to the health of the forest.
311
00:27:32,950 --> 00:27:35,130
Many bats are insect hunters
312
00:27:35,130 --> 00:27:37,660
and help control populations of biting insects
313
00:27:37,660 --> 00:27:39,833
and other pests.
314
00:27:41,970 --> 00:27:45,773
But there are some that favor a more vegetarian diet.
315
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,880
By moving from flower to flower to feed
316
00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:56,231
the bats are spreading pollen, fertilizing plants.
317
00:27:56,231 --> 00:27:58,760
(mysterious music)
318
00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:02,823
By day bees and other insects are well known pollinators.
319
00:28:04,290 --> 00:28:06,103
Bats are the night shift.
320
00:28:08,360 --> 00:28:11,790
Bats are among the most abundant of all mammals
321
00:28:11,790 --> 00:28:14,910
with more species than any other mammalian family
322
00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:19,670
in both diversity and abundance.
323
00:28:19,670 --> 00:28:22,583
They account for one fifth of mammal-kind.
324
00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:29,680
Some are smaller solitary, but others are big and social.
325
00:28:34,500 --> 00:28:36,720
In such huge numbers,
326
00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:39,753
the presence of these giants really makes a difference.
327
00:28:41,370 --> 00:28:42,330
By night,
328
00:28:42,330 --> 00:28:46,213
they fly from tree to tree, covering huge distances.
329
00:28:47,870 --> 00:28:50,530
Not only helping the plant's sex life,
330
00:28:50,530 --> 00:28:52,023
but consuming its fruit.
331
00:28:58,230 --> 00:29:01,223
Then as they travel, they eject the remains.
332
00:29:02,330 --> 00:29:04,180
Seeds are carried in their droppings
333
00:29:05,220 --> 00:29:06,493
and spread far and wide.
334
00:29:09,670 --> 00:29:12,750
It's a courier service that helps trees colonize
335
00:29:12,750 --> 00:29:14,203
new parts of the forest.
336
00:29:31,350 --> 00:29:34,020
Then as the sun begins to rise,
337
00:29:34,020 --> 00:29:35,463
the bats hang themselves up,
338
00:29:37,750 --> 00:29:39,690
ready to sleep through the day.
339
00:29:49,670 --> 00:29:51,200
Even in rest.
340
00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:53,820
the huge colonies play their part,
341
00:29:53,820 --> 00:29:57,923
showering the forest floor beneath nutrient rich guano.
342
00:30:00,890 --> 00:30:03,660
but it's not the only way nutrients are transported
343
00:30:03,660 --> 00:30:05,463
from one layer to the next.
344
00:30:12,173 --> 00:30:15,006
(insects calling)
345
00:30:19,892 --> 00:30:23,380
Leaf cutter ants are perhaps the hardest workers
346
00:30:23,380 --> 00:30:24,393
in the rainforest.
347
00:30:38,670 --> 00:30:43,340
Here in the Amazon, tireless workers use oversized jaws
348
00:30:43,340 --> 00:30:45,414
to trim off large pieces of leaf.
349
00:30:45,414 --> 00:30:48,081
(gentle music)
350
00:30:56,610 --> 00:30:58,903
Every morsel is not for the individual,
351
00:31:01,010 --> 00:31:04,163
but to be transported home for the good of the colony.
352
00:31:08,910 --> 00:31:12,723
Each can carry 20 times its own body weight,
353
00:31:14,140 --> 00:31:16,253
even down the vertical tree trunks.
354
00:31:35,770 --> 00:31:38,690
The leaves are not food for ants.
355
00:31:38,690 --> 00:31:41,773
Instead they use it to feed fungi.
356
00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:44,583
They are miniature farmers.
357
00:31:51,420 --> 00:31:53,170
They build their nests,
358
00:31:53,170 --> 00:31:55,380
offering protection to the fungi
359
00:31:55,380 --> 00:31:57,880
and carefully cleaned the mounds to keep germs
360
00:31:57,880 --> 00:31:59,413
and other pests at bay.
361
00:32:02,290 --> 00:32:03,633
Periodically they feed,
362
00:32:05,150 --> 00:32:08,123
harvesting a little of their carefully cultivated crop.
363
00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:16,883
The ants will attack anything that invades their home.
364
00:32:18,300 --> 00:32:21,183
And yet, somehow this frog passes unharmed.
365
00:32:23,130 --> 00:32:24,270
The ants communicate
366
00:32:24,270 --> 00:32:26,503
with their own special chemical signals,
367
00:32:27,790 --> 00:32:30,783
helping them to identify other members of their colony.
368
00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:34,513
But the frog has cracked that code.
369
00:32:35,730 --> 00:32:37,990
It secretes a chemical signature,
370
00:32:37,990 --> 00:32:40,163
almost identical to the ants.
371
00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:45,520
Welcomed as a member of the family,
372
00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:48,350
the frog can use the climate controlled chambers
373
00:32:48,350 --> 00:32:52,883
in the ants' nest as a safe place to raise its own young.
374
00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:57,902
Live in bodyguards are useful.
375
00:32:57,902 --> 00:33:00,569
(pensive music)
376
00:33:04,890 --> 00:33:06,600
For this little mouse,
377
00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:09,293
the forest floor is a risky place to raise her young.
378
00:33:12,100 --> 00:33:15,090
From birth they are pink blobs.
379
00:33:15,090 --> 00:33:16,240
They can't see or hear.
380
00:33:20,487 --> 00:33:23,493
They are totally defenseless when danger looms.
381
00:33:33,670 --> 00:33:37,500
The large fangs of a tarantula can pack a punch,
382
00:33:37,500 --> 00:33:40,370
capable of unleashing more than enough venom
383
00:33:40,370 --> 00:33:41,383
to kill a mouse.
384
00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:50,223
But the mother stands her ground.
385
00:33:52,770 --> 00:33:56,990
The spider decides to avoid a potentially damaging bite
386
00:33:56,990 --> 00:33:58,040
from an angry mother.
387
00:34:00,180 --> 00:34:02,193
She has a family of our own to protect.
388
00:34:24,105 --> 00:34:29,105
The spider's lair, the stuff of nightmares.
389
00:34:42,260 --> 00:34:45,233
A deadly place for anyone who takes a wrong turn.
390
00:34:48,980 --> 00:34:51,233
Is this frog on a suicide mission?
391
00:35:05,540 --> 00:35:09,363
It's another cheater who has everything under control,
392
00:35:14,300 --> 00:35:16,830
Whether the frog mimics the spider's own scent
393
00:35:18,470 --> 00:35:21,683
or whether there is a more complex recognition is unknown,
394
00:35:23,620 --> 00:35:26,090
but there are certain kinds of frogs
395
00:35:26,090 --> 00:35:30,030
and certain large spiders that seem to be friends
396
00:35:32,240 --> 00:35:34,690
or at least leave each other unharmed
397
00:35:34,690 --> 00:35:36,433
so they can share the same digs.
398
00:35:44,210 --> 00:35:46,250
It's thought that the tiny frogs
399
00:35:46,250 --> 00:35:48,660
might help keep the tarantula's nursery
400
00:35:48,660 --> 00:35:49,980
free from parasites
401
00:35:51,720 --> 00:35:53,860
while the diminutive amphibian
402
00:35:53,860 --> 00:35:56,203
is in turn protected by the spider.
403
00:35:59,110 --> 00:36:02,160
There are more than 50 million species of invertebrates
404
00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:03,980
making a living in rainforests
405
00:36:07,150 --> 00:36:10,423
and many more that humans haven't yet discovered.
406
00:36:11,970 --> 00:36:14,350
They inhabit every part of the forest
407
00:36:14,350 --> 00:36:18,283
from the tree tops to deep underground.
408
00:36:19,450 --> 00:36:22,530
Their weight combined far outweighs the mass
409
00:36:22,530 --> 00:36:24,083
of mammals and birds.
410
00:36:26,110 --> 00:36:29,710
They are vital to the functioning of the forest,
411
00:36:29,710 --> 00:36:32,510
keeping plants in check and providing food
412
00:36:32,510 --> 00:36:34,053
for many other species.
413
00:36:37,642 --> 00:36:41,177
An African beetle is being stalked by a stealth hunter.
414
00:36:41,177 --> 00:36:44,190
(dramatic music)
415
00:36:44,190 --> 00:36:45,603
The praying mantis.
416
00:36:49,860 --> 00:36:52,900
Its folded arms like coiled springs,
417
00:36:52,900 --> 00:36:55,050
ready to reach out and grab their prey
418
00:36:55,050 --> 00:36:56,673
with needle covered limbs.
419
00:37:07,430 --> 00:37:10,350
With complex food chains everywhere
420
00:37:10,350 --> 00:37:13,857
it's not always easy to see who is hunting who.
421
00:37:22,690 --> 00:37:24,423
There is always something bigger.
422
00:37:25,630 --> 00:37:27,563
The next link in the food chain.
423
00:37:30,815 --> 00:37:33,648
(animals calling)
424
00:37:36,060 --> 00:37:39,590
The Amazon's coatis will eat almost anything
425
00:37:39,590 --> 00:37:43,150
and use their sharp claws and long snouts
426
00:37:43,150 --> 00:37:46,800
to rummage through the leaf litter for any grubs,
427
00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:51,183
bugs, lizards just about anything they can find.
428
00:37:54,657 --> 00:37:59,341
But their noisy troops can attract trouble of their own.
429
00:37:59,341 --> 00:38:01,480
(dramatic music)
430
00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:05,103
They are being watched by the Amazons greatest predator.
431
00:38:07,300 --> 00:38:08,253
The jaguar.
432
00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:26,310
A master of stealth,
433
00:38:26,310 --> 00:38:29,630
the cat uses its spotted coat to blend in
434
00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:33,993
and set an ambush for its prey.
435
00:38:54,780 --> 00:38:57,810
Fortunately, it's attention is distracted
436
00:38:57,810 --> 00:39:00,660
by a band of peccary, pig like animals
437
00:39:00,660 --> 00:39:03,383
that rummage through the mud for nuts and roots.
438
00:39:07,663 --> 00:39:10,330
(pensive music)
439
00:39:15,771 --> 00:39:18,688
(peccary snorting)
440
00:39:20,570 --> 00:39:25,415
Their family groups or sounders are usually on high alert.
441
00:39:25,415 --> 00:39:28,582
(peccaries squealing)
442
00:39:32,430 --> 00:39:35,093
Bacon is always a welcome feast,
443
00:39:39,825 --> 00:39:42,325
but the Jaguar takes its time.
444
00:39:43,907 --> 00:39:46,824
(peccary snorting)
445
00:39:50,502 --> 00:39:52,920
(birds calling)
446
00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:54,330
When it moves,
447
00:39:54,330 --> 00:39:56,403
padded feet silence every footstep.
448
00:39:59,694 --> 00:40:02,611
(peccary snorting)
449
00:40:04,723 --> 00:40:07,573
But the coati mother spots, the cat.
450
00:40:08,602 --> 00:40:10,370
(upbeat music)
451
00:40:10,370 --> 00:40:12,373
Her family race to get out of reach.
452
00:40:13,870 --> 00:40:15,300
Sounding the alarm.
453
00:40:15,300 --> 00:40:17,513
The coatis give the peccary a lucky break.
454
00:40:21,860 --> 00:40:24,303
The Jaguar reflects on its failure.
455
00:40:25,900 --> 00:40:27,063
Better luck next time.
456
00:40:32,904 --> 00:40:34,480
Back in the trees.
457
00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:36,453
The coatis don't need to go hungry.
458
00:40:42,480 --> 00:40:44,803
They love fruit and nuts.
459
00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:50,920
As they forage,
460
00:40:50,920 --> 00:40:53,600
they knock some of their crop to the ground,
461
00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:54,810
sharing some nutrients
462
00:40:54,810 --> 00:40:57,163
from the top to the bottom of the forest.
463
00:41:00,370 --> 00:41:01,950
The fallen fruits will feed
464
00:41:01,950 --> 00:41:03,693
some of the true ground dwellers.
465
00:41:04,890 --> 00:41:07,640
(playful music)
466
00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:14,340
The heaviest animals in South America,
467
00:41:14,340 --> 00:41:17,873
tapirs are certainly not built for climbing,
468
00:41:25,210 --> 00:41:28,790
but their prehensile trunks are ideal to gathering leaves
469
00:41:28,790 --> 00:41:29,703
and fallen fruit.
470
00:41:54,730 --> 00:41:57,313
There is one dropped crop that defeats them,
471
00:41:59,920 --> 00:42:00,853
the Brazil nut.
472
00:42:05,170 --> 00:42:09,083
Down here, only one animal has the tools for the job.
473
00:42:11,060 --> 00:42:14,277
The builtin nutcracker teeth of an agouti.
474
00:42:57,560 --> 00:43:00,623
Dropped fruit is not always the blessing it appears to be.
475
00:43:03,940 --> 00:43:07,220
A duiker, a small forest antelope,
476
00:43:07,220 --> 00:43:09,400
has found some fallen treasure
477
00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:11,293
in its African rain forest home.
478
00:43:12,830 --> 00:43:15,125
It's fallen from the hands of Bonobos.
479
00:43:15,125 --> 00:43:17,875
(pensive music)
480
00:43:19,300 --> 00:43:24,300
The question is, was it dropped accidentally or on purpose?
481
00:43:30,850 --> 00:43:32,513
Perhaps it was a clever lure.
482
00:43:38,320 --> 00:43:40,843
The agile primates pounce on their dinner guests.
483
00:43:45,060 --> 00:43:48,483
Bonobos are often considered the most peaceful of primates,
484
00:43:49,320 --> 00:43:51,393
but they are certainly not vegetarian.
485
00:43:57,140 --> 00:44:00,730
The carcass is shredded and shared around the troop
486
00:44:00,730 --> 00:44:02,690
with priority for the best bits,
487
00:44:02,690 --> 00:44:04,883
going to the highest ranking individuals.
488
00:44:20,047 --> 00:44:23,297
(contemplative music)
489
00:44:30,980 --> 00:44:34,910
Setting traps and using tools are common traits in Bonobos
490
00:44:35,770 --> 00:44:37,623
and they're chimpanzee lookalikes.
491
00:44:46,590 --> 00:44:49,323
Primates really thrive in the lush rainforest.
492
00:44:52,410 --> 00:44:54,580
The abundance and quality of food here
493
00:44:54,580 --> 00:44:58,240
fueled their evolution and led to increased brain size
494
00:44:58,240 --> 00:44:59,675
and intelligence.
495
00:44:59,675 --> 00:45:02,342
(serene music)
496
00:45:06,060 --> 00:45:07,803
And it didn't stop with chimps.
497
00:45:08,890 --> 00:45:11,550
This was the journey that led to the evolution
498
00:45:11,550 --> 00:45:12,883
of our own ancestors.
499
00:45:13,952 --> 00:45:16,369
(vocalizing)
500
00:45:17,310 --> 00:45:18,490
Still today,
501
00:45:18,490 --> 00:45:20,450
there are unique peoples and cultures
502
00:45:20,450 --> 00:45:22,193
in remote corners of the jungle.
503
00:45:24,330 --> 00:45:28,000
There are about 1000 distinct indigenous tribes
504
00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:29,293
living in rainforest,
505
00:45:30,650 --> 00:45:34,413
each with their own customs, languages,
506
00:45:37,780 --> 00:45:39,083
and ancient knowledge.
507
00:45:44,300 --> 00:45:47,560
And the livelihoods of more than 1 billion people
508
00:45:47,560 --> 00:45:50,703
depend directly on living in the rainforest.
509
00:45:57,551 --> 00:46:00,301
(fire crackling)
510
00:46:01,818 --> 00:46:04,198
But now ironically,
511
00:46:04,198 --> 00:46:06,420
we seem to be turning on the very birthplace
512
00:46:06,420 --> 00:46:07,723
of our family tree.
513
00:46:10,700 --> 00:46:13,940
Rainforest hardwoods like teak and mahogany
514
00:46:13,940 --> 00:46:15,780
are very valuable.
515
00:46:15,780 --> 00:46:17,873
Millions are cut for timber.
516
00:46:19,840 --> 00:46:22,080
These trees are huge.
517
00:46:22,080 --> 00:46:24,000
But there might only be a few big enough
518
00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:25,803
in one area to harvest.
519
00:46:27,660 --> 00:46:31,793
Still lesser trees are cut to get to the giants.
520
00:46:35,450 --> 00:46:37,108
And when the giants fall,
521
00:46:37,108 --> 00:46:39,941
(dramatic music)
522
00:46:47,370 --> 00:46:49,453
they crush dozens of smaller trees.
523
00:46:53,800 --> 00:46:57,110
A huge area can be destroyed to harvest
524
00:46:57,110 --> 00:46:59,023
just a few large trees.
525
00:47:00,620 --> 00:47:02,090
They can bring great profits
526
00:47:02,090 --> 00:47:03,823
to the owner of a logging company.
527
00:47:05,780 --> 00:47:07,283
But it's a one off reward.
528
00:47:08,720 --> 00:47:10,260
When they have gone,
529
00:47:10,260 --> 00:47:12,253
the forest will probably never recover.
530
00:47:14,350 --> 00:47:16,570
(birds calling)
531
00:47:16,570 --> 00:47:18,413
There is no sustainability here.
532
00:47:20,600 --> 00:47:25,103
One person gets rich, but at a loss to all of the plants,
533
00:47:26,080 --> 00:47:28,163
animals and people in the region.
534
00:47:31,730 --> 00:47:36,343
In West Africa, 90% of the rainforest is already gone.
535
00:47:37,930 --> 00:47:41,730
Many species, including our closest cousins,
536
00:47:41,730 --> 00:47:44,283
the great apes, are at threat.
537
00:47:54,860 --> 00:47:56,930
And the roads built for logging
538
00:47:56,930 --> 00:48:00,510
open up the forest for poaching and other illegal harvest
539
00:48:00,510 --> 00:48:01,913
of natural resources.
540
00:48:03,118 --> 00:48:05,951
(dramatic music)
541
00:48:07,150 --> 00:48:08,463
We can all help.
542
00:48:09,900 --> 00:48:13,950
70 to 80% of wood from Brazil and Indonesia
543
00:48:13,950 --> 00:48:15,323
has been taken illegally.
544
00:48:17,040 --> 00:48:19,650
Check for certification of any wood products
545
00:48:19,650 --> 00:48:22,423
to make sure that they were harvested sustainably.
546
00:48:24,700 --> 00:48:28,110
In Brazil, 80% of the deforested areas
547
00:48:28,110 --> 00:48:30,193
are used for rearing beef cattle.
548
00:48:32,370 --> 00:48:34,710
We could stop eating imported beef
549
00:48:34,710 --> 00:48:36,930
and reduce meat in our diets.
550
00:48:36,930 --> 00:48:38,893
Reducing the need for land.
551
00:48:40,196 --> 00:48:42,863
(cow bellowing)
552
00:48:43,820 --> 00:48:47,173
Palm oil is another rapidly growing industry,
553
00:48:48,150 --> 00:48:50,493
clearing rainforest to use the land.
554
00:48:51,500 --> 00:48:54,043
We can avoid products containing palm oil.
555
00:48:57,050 --> 00:49:00,143
A lot of rainforest trees are mushed up to make paper.
556
00:49:01,040 --> 00:49:05,263
Consumers can buy recycled paper and recycle what you use.
557
00:49:08,260 --> 00:49:12,843
They seem like little steps, but if everyone did them,
558
00:49:14,450 --> 00:49:15,850
the future of the rainforest
559
00:49:17,799 --> 00:49:21,753
and the health of the planet and its incredible wildlife
560
00:49:24,960 --> 00:49:27,256
would look a lot more secure.
561
00:49:27,256 --> 00:49:29,923
(serene music)
562
00:49:29,923 --> 00:49:31,923
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41845
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