All language subtitles for Inside.the.Enchanted.Forests.S01E01.Tropical.1080p.DSNP.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-NTb_track4_[eng]

[Mysterious music]

[Narrator] The wildest
forests of them all

see nature at her
most competitive.

Here, trees recruit their
own private armies.

[Monkeys vocalising]

[Narrator] And plants have
the power to beguile.

Lumbering giants become
gentle gardeners.

And sloths carry a whole
world on their shoulders.

Everyone plays a part in the
story of our Tropical forests.

[Animal sounds]

Take a journey

through our planet's
kaleidoscope of forest realms.

From the frozen
boreal in the north,

to the tropical jungles
that hug our equator...

from mountain peaks...

to the ocean depths...

Marvel at the magic...

and drama...

that unfolds, as we reveal...

the secrets of the
Enchanted forests.

Tropical forests are the
metropolis of the natural world.

A diverse habitat,

where the destinies of millions
of species are intertwined.

But there is one creature

who has such a deep connection
to his forest surroundings,

he is growing his own
mini forest on his back.

This three-toed sloth

just wants to hang out and
watch the world go by.

He may look like he is
moving in slow motion

but that's just his style.

Sloths hold the record for the
slowest metabolism of any mammal

so he simply doesn't
have the energy to rush.

When you live in such
harmony with the forest,

plants don't just grow around
you, they grow on you.

His fur, moist from
the constant rain,

is covered in algae and fungus,

which in turn attracts
colonies of hitch hiking bugs.

[Whimsical music]

But he doesn't seem to mind.

In fact, it could be
part of his plan.

There's even one insect

that the sloth is prepared
to risk his life for.

Meet the sloth moth.

The sloth's dank jacket is
the only place in the world

where these moths live,
feed, and even mate.

But to complete
their life cycle,

the moths need one
favor from their host,

one that could jeopardize
his own safety.

Once a week he gets the urge
to answer the call of nature.

So down he goes.

[Birds chirping]

[Soft music]

The forest floor is like
an alien landscape.

Full of prying eyes.

There's no reason he
couldn't 'long drop'

from the safety of
the branches above.

It seems he takes this risk

purely for the benefit
of his moth friends.

His dung is the perfect place
for his moths to lay their eggs.

When the eggs hatch,

tiny moths fly back
up to the canopy,

to find their own
laid back host.

But what does the
sloth get out of it?

It's recently been discovered

that the moth's
early diet of dung

brings a dose of
nitrogen to his fur.

This fertilizes his
onboard algae garden,

which he can keep in reserve for
whenever he wants a quick snack.

It might not give him
a burst of energy,

but it makes the effort

of descending to the
forest floor worth it.

[Upbeat music]

The sloth and his moths make
up their own mini ecosystem.

Made possible by his slow
and accommodating nature

and the forest's
moist environment

that encourages
everything to grow...

... even on the
animals themselves.

Warm temperatures
and high rainfall

allow most rainforest trees
to stay green all year round.

[Birds squawk]

It is also what
gives these forests

their steamy character.

And the trees themselves
play a big part

in generating that
much moisture...

... by breathing out water.

[Thunder clapping]

With such a dense canopy,

only a portion of the
rains that fall here

ever reach the ground.

[Soft music]

But what is left gets
sucked up through the tree,

before being released
once again as vapor,

through tiny pores in the
underside of the leaves.

Within the forest, this moisture
is constantly being recycled.

One water vapor molecule

can travel through a
tree up to seven times.

But the moisture that
escapes the canopy

and rises into the atmosphere,
can have a far reaching impact.

In a single day, the trees
of the Amazon rainforest

pump out 20 billion
tons of moisture.

These rivers in the sky can
influence global climate,

causing wind patterns to shift,

and affecting rainfall as far
away as the American Midwest.

Our tropical forests act as
the Earth's biological pump -

circulating and maintaining

the balance of our
planet's water cycle.

On the island of Madagascar,

there is a tropical forest that
is positively... otherworldly.

Here, imposing trees
stand guard...

... protecting the
spirits of the canopy.

[Strange animals vocalising]

These are the haunting
calls that roam the forest.

In fact, they are made by
this guy... the indri.

[Indris calling]

The largest, and one of the
loudest, species of lemur.

Unusually for primates,

in lemur families it's
the females who rule.

[Indris calling]

So after a dawn chorus
of territorial howling,

its Mum who decides where
they go to find food.

She and her baby daughter

get the pick of all the
tastiest leaves in the canopy.

Whereas Dad... does not.

Given the choice, Indris prefer
the very freshest leaves.

And there are plenty on offer
as long as they keep moving.

But, there's a problem...

Unlike their distant
monkey cousins,

their arms simply
aren't designed

for swinging between branches.

Nor do they have prehensile
tails to hang from.

But what they do have
is a strong grip

and a flair for the dramatic.

[narrator] At this age, the
baby just needs to cling on,

but in a few months she'll
be too big to be carried.

Every leap of faith has
to start somewhere.

Despite what their territorial
calls might claim,

the indri do not
rule this forest.

Far from it.

They share it with a hundred
other species of lemur!

Madagascar became an island
150 million years ago.

Since then, it's been following
its own evolutionary path.

Instead of one species of lemur

fighting for dominance
over all the others,

they found an
alternative solution.

Each species evolved
to specialize

in one particular food
source within the forest.

And the huge variety of
trees and plants here,

meant this tropical forest

could cater to a whole
assortment of tastes.

The indri stuck with
their leafy diet,

so the brown lemurs cornered
the market in toxic fruit.

They can happily eat
the fruit and leaves

that contain high
levels of tannins -

an astringent acid most other
lemurs simply can't tolerate.

Whilst the black and
white ruffed lemurs

have a taste for nectar.

With thin pointed snouts
and extra long tongues,

they can reach the sweet treats
that other lemurs can't.

Bamboo lemurs, on
the other hand,

have developed an
inbuilt antidote

that neutralizes the poison,
cyanide, found in bamboo.

Meaning they are the only lemurs

that can eat as much as they
like without killing themselves.

[Aye-aye squeaking]

And then there is the aye-aye,
the weirdest of them all.

These are the forest's
night stalkers.

Their ghoulish appearance
is matched only

by their curious technique

for finding their
preferred food.

Using a freakishly long,
vampiric middle finger,

they tap out a rhythm at up
to eight beats per second,

to locate insects and grubs,

which they then extract
using their witchy digit.

[Whimsical music]

Between their incredible
powers of adaptation

and a rainforest
banquet to choose from,

each lemur species has found
its own special niche.

[Lemurs calling]

However weird and
wonderful that may be.

Whilst they are getting
their leaves chomped

and branches climbed,

tropical rainforests are
quietly and steadfastly

keeping us all alive...

Cleaning the air that we
breathe and the water we drink.

[Enchanting music]

As they turn sunlight into food,

they remove harmful carbon
from our atmosphere

and release pure
oxygen back into it.

They filter pollutants
out of the water cycle,

whilst replenishing
our freshwater stores.

And they can literally cure us.

As much as a quarter of
all western medicines

are derived from
rainforest plants,

some treating critical
diseases such as malaria,

leukemia and Parkinsons.

All life is connected to
the forests on this planet.

And right now, they need
all the help they can get

to keep thriving under
immense pressure.

[narrator] An unlikely alliance
can be the key to success

in a tropical forest.

But when a monkey teams
up with a murderous tree,

it can lead to both
death and life.

[Soft dramatic music]

[Monkey growling]

The aptly named Howler
monkeys rule these treetops.

This alpha male uses
his guttural calls

to ward off potential foes.

[Monkeys howling]

He and his family

are inadvertently aiding and
abetting a known killer.

To get a foothold in
this crowded forest

a tree must also
find its own niche.

And the fig tree has
a unique approach.

But it needs the
howler monkeys' help.

Fig trees fruit sporadically
all year round,

so somewhere in the forest

there will be juicy, sweet figs
to lure in a willing accomplice.

[Ominous music]

Once the howler monkeys have
filled up on fig, they move on.

As the seeds pass
through their system,

they are "deposited"
far across the forest,

high up in the canopy,

onto the branches of
other unsuspecting trees.

Here, the seed sprouts...

slowly growing in the light...

and leaching from its host

whilst it sends its
roots downwards

towards the forest floor.

Now fueled by both
the sun and the soil,

it gets a stranglehold
on its victim.

[Sombre music]

The fig's iron grip

can squeeze the life out of
even the mightiest of trees.

Until the only evidence left...

is the hollow outline of the
tree that once stood here.

A slow motion murder
has been committed,

and everyone in the
forest knows whodunnit.

But the witnesses
are keeping quiet.

They stand to gain the
most from the crime.

Once matured,

the fig tree becomes a towering
pillar of the forest community.

And restyles itself
as a provider -

a veritable primate
grocery store.

Squirrel and Woolly monkeys
feast on the protein rich fruit

whilst night monkeys make a
home from its twisted roots.

These boreholes are the work of
the world's smallest monkey -

the pygmy marmoset.

So tiny, they could fit into
the palm of your hand...

But with teeth strong enough to
gnaw through the fig's bark,

to reach the sugar-rich
sap hidden below.

Or if it prefers,

a buffet of insects found
amongst the branches.

[Inquisitive music]

Through its primate partnership,
the fig tree has become

one of the most successful
trees on Earth.

With over 150 species,

the strangler fig
provides for more animals

than any other tropical tree.

They may have gotten
away with murder,

but now they are helping
to feed the entire forest.

[Distant monkeys howling]

The path to tropical
forest reproduction

doesn't always demand
such devious plotting.

Nature has a catalogue
of inventive ways

to cultivate its seeds.

Some so clever, they can
even water themselves.

Seeds, pollen and spores are
designed to catch the wind,

or float to their
new destination.

Even a fungus must leave
its dark underworld

and enter the limelight when
it is time to reproduce.

And they too need their
offspring to travel.

The mushroom serves as
their version of a flower.

It requires moisture in the air

to trigger the release of
its microscopic spores.

The mushroom then releases
billions of these particles,

which are swept up
by the air currents.

As the spores rise,

they collide with the
dense water vapor

produced by the trees.

Which accumulates
around each particle,

and condenses, forming clouds.

[Fantastical music]

With trillions of these
invisible interactions

happening above
the forest canopy,

when fungal spores and
trees come together...

... rain is born.

[Thunder clapping]

It's an ingenious
self watering system.

Throughout the forest,

mushrooms release spores
that help produce rain,

which encourages even
more mushrooms to grow!

[Rain pouring and
thunder clapping]

With torrential
downpours like these,

a good shelter can be priceless.

And the most accomplished
homebuilders in these trees

aren't the industrious birds,

but tiny insects using the
power of the hive mind.

Most ant homes are built
on the forest floor.

But they're prone to flooding,
so these smart weaver ants

are heading for the canopy.

[Upbeat music]

But with half a million
individuals in a colony,

these ants don't
just need a home,

they need a property empire.

The all-female crew of
construction workers

start by finding the right tree.

Supple, elliptical shaped leaves

make the best
building materials.

[Inspirational music]

The ants grip the edge

with their vice-like mandibles,

maneuvering them
into a framework.

For wider gaps, the ants
form living chains,

up to 12 individuals long,

to draw the leaf
edges into position.

The task of fixing
the leaves together

falls to the youngest
members of the ant colony

By gently tapping the
heads of the larvae,

the worker ants are able
to extract a fine silk,

ideal for stitching the
whole structure together.

[Enchanting music]

It may take hundreds of leaves
to make a suitable home.

But the finished property is
an engineering masterpiece.

It's both waterproof and warm.

Heated by the sun

to keep these cold blooded
creatures ready for action.

Like all construction workers,
these ants are fueled by food.

And for that they turn to
their non-building colleagues.

The smaller ants of the colony

have exploited a
different vocation...

Farming.

These aphids are the
weaver ants' livestock.

They keep them in
tightly packed groups,

with a constant supply
of leaves to eat.

When the aphids feast
on the leaf sap,

they produce a sugary
sweet honeydew.

And a gentle drumming
by the ant's antennae

releases this precious elixir -

the insect version
of an energy drink.

[Enchanting music]

The aphids appear to
be willing hostages.

With food,

shelter,

and half a million bodyguards.

What more could a small,
defenseless aphid want?

Not every relationship is
as cordial as this one.

In a tropical jungle,

beguiling propositions are
often laced with deadly intent.

From lethal infusions...

or love potions...

the world's tropical forests
boast an impressive array

of poisonous plants,

and a host of creatures

that use them to bolster
their own defenses.

These tiny colorful jewels

are some of the most
toxic creatures on Earth.

And the most deadly of all
is the golden dart frog.

Don't be taken in by his beauty,

his vibrant colors are a sign

that he oozes poison
through his skin.

He extracts this noxious mix of
chemicals from the food chain.

From plant, to insect, to frog.

His concentrated
poison is so potent

it can kill a person
in just ten minutes.

While some like to shout
about their toxic nature,

others go about things
a little more subtly...

[Military music]

This unassuming millipede
might not look toxic,

but he secretes a chemical
called benzoquinone -

a powerful irritant to
deter any predators.

In Madagascar's
tropical rainforests,

rather than eat the millipede,

some lemurs rub their
juices on their fur

as it makes an excellent
insect repellent!

But these tonics aren't
only used to repel.

In fact, they are often
used to do the opposite.

[Bees buzzing]

This male orchid bee is
collecting scented oils

to mix into a
fragrant love potion,

so potent, any passing ladies
will be instantly seduced.

[Enchanting music]

In other parts of the tropics,
using a seductive chemical

can cause less of a crush,
more of an obsession.

On the surface, Providencia
off the coast of Colombia,

looks like a tropical
island paradise.

[Distant birds singing]

But look closer, and
all is not as it seems.

Here, sea creatures
live in the mountains,

trees have the power
to cast spells,

and zombies roam the woodlands.

[Sinister music]

[narrator] Now, as the
rainy season approaches,

one of the island's
hilltop residents

is about to embark
on an epic journey.

[Inquisitive music]

This tiny crab is being called
back to the ocean to give birth.

Although she is now a land
creature, this invisible tie

is a remnant of a long lost
life beneath the waves.

But to get there, she must
travel down the mountain

and run a deadly gauntlet
through the forest.

The next generation
of black land crabs

depend on her 85,000
fertilized eggs

reaching their destination.

Even though she begins
her journey alone.

Across the island, thousands
of female land crabs

are starting similar quests.

Together, they will
face many challenges.

But none greater than
the deep, dark forest.

At first, the dense tree cover
provides some much needed shade

for these expectant mothers.

But not all of the forest
is quite so welcoming.

[Ominous music]

Small but intimidating,

these Bullhorn acacia trees
are laced with weapons.

But it's not the thorns the
crabs need to worry about,

it's what patrols between them.

These are acacia ants.

And they are under the
bullhorn's malicious spell.

Lured in by the tree's sweet
nectar, the ants moved in,

making their homes inside
the acacia's thorns.

But... it was a trap.

The nectar contains
a special enzyme,

which, once tasted,

prevents the ants digesting
food from anywhere else.

Once they drink it, the
ants can never leave.

So, now the acacia has its
own loyal, security force

to protect its leaves
from being eaten.

[Sinister music]

The crabs must face down
the zombie ant army

to reach their destination.

The call of the ocean is too
strong to turn back now.

One crab makes her move.

It's a suicide mission.

Although she poses absolutely
no harm to the tree,

the ants are brainwashed
into attacking anything

that approaches their
precious master.

By exploiting the
chinks in her armor,

they sting her into submission.

Using their own venom
to paralyze her,

and slowly dissolve her body.

As the horror plays out, our
mother slips through the melee.

She must press on
to the coast...

Soon, the dry tropical forest
gives way to coastal mangroves.

A seemingly impenetrable
maze of roots and spikes.

But it's more friendly here...

and a sign that the
end is in sight.

Under cover of darkness,

she and the other
survivors reach the sea.

Exhausted, she releases her
precious brood into the surf.

She made it.

And has given the
best start possible

to her 85,000 children.

Job done, she must return
home, through the forest.

Once again, she'll make
the most of its refuge,

and navigate its dangers.

And if she's lucky, she'll get
to do it all again, next year.

As for the bullhorn acacia,

it will continue to wield
power over its zombie army.

But only for so long.

Once the enslaved
ant queen dies,

so will her colony.

And the acacia, left
powerless and vulnerable,

will die too.

[Creatures chattering]

In this most
competitive of forests,

everyone must find their path.

For some, coercion is
the key to their success

but for many others,

it's collaboration
and pure hard work.

Life working in harmony

to sustain these enchanted
tropical realms.