BBC Asia (2024) s01e02 Episode Script

1
Mount Everest.
It's known in Nepal as Sagarmatha,
or "Goddess of the Sky".
It rises to a height of almost
9,000 metres.
Those who succeed in climbing it
spend only moments at the top.
Nothing can live for long
on its summit.
But on many of Asia's peaks
some specialised animals
and plants flourish
in remarkable ways.
Asia is the most mountainous
continent on Earth.
The peaks in the Himalaya may
be the most dramatic of them
..but in Southeast Asia
there are mountains full of life.
Tropical forests grow
here in abundance.
This is the Daen Lao
range in northern Thailand.
And here, there is
an astonishing gathering.
This is the largest flock of swifts
to be found anywhere in the world.
The heavy rains have cloaked
the land with dense forest
and carved the rocks
into great caves.
The Tham Nam Lod Cave is big
enough to accommodate
a 16-storey building
..and its walls provide a home for
over a quarter of a million swifts.
It's the nesting season.
Almost every available ledge
and crevice is occupied.
Disputes for the few vacant
sites are frequent.
And rivals only too often end
up in the river.
Wet feathers make it difficult
to get back into the air.
And there are hidden dangers here.
Keeping still is one
way of avoiding detection.
Yet, the urge to fly is strong.
The giant carp
and catfish that lurk
beneath the surface
are always hungry.
A pair crash-land.
One bird is pulled under
..but some birds won't
go down without a fight.
A second chance.
Its frantic splashing has already
attracted more hungry fish.
A near-miraculous escape.
It was saved by the sheer
strength of its wings.
The shelter of the cave is clearly
worth the risks it brings.
For every swift that is
caught by a fish,
countless thousands breed
successfully.
And each evening,
in the dwindling light,
the sky fills with adult birds.
The forest-clad
peaks of Southeast Asia
stretch for thousands of miles.
But south of Thailand
..the land fragments into islands.
In Borneo,
one great mountain stands alone.
Mount Kinabalu.
Over 4,000 metres high,
it was pushed up by forces
deep in the Earth's crust several
million years ago.
Its slopes are home to
a particularly inquisitive
little creature
..the mountain tree shrew.
A strange plant grows here,
with leaves shaped like little jugs.
A pitcher plant.
The shrew is enticed by the sweet
liquid the pitchers produce.
But they are traps.
Insects are also
attracted by their sweetness.
However, the surfaces are slippery
and the insects can easily
lose their footing.
And there, they drown.
Their bodies dissolve
and are absorbed by the plant.
The more insects the plant consumes,
the bigger the pitchers it produces.
And the bigger the prey
they attract.
But the shrew, of course,
is far too big
and powerful to be
caught like a small insect.
And it has a firm grip.
In fact, the shrew gives the plant
a reward for its meal.
Its droppings.
They, for the plant, are well worth
having, for they're very nutritious.
The shrew pays regular visits
to collect the plant's sugary
offerings.
And its droppings help keep
the plant growing strongly.
It's an excellent arrangement,
from which both plant
and animal can flourish.
To the west of Borneo,
across the Bay of Bengal,
stand the fertile peaks
of southern India.
The mountains of the Western Ghats.
They extend for over 1,000 miles
along the coast.
And they're home to the largest
of all Asia's land animals.
The Asian elephant.
This herd is on a journey
to find new feeding grounds.
They're led by an old female -
the matriarch.
The whole family relies on
her experience and knowledge.
Yet, over the last 150 years,
their home has radically changed.
The altitude and monsoon rains
make the Western Ghats
an excellent place for growing tea.
Human beings, globally, drink
two billion cups of it every day.
In just two elephant lifetimes,
the forest has been felled
to make space for tea.
Nonetheless, it seems that
the elephants follow the same paths
as were used by their ancestors.
But now, these paths run through
fields of this very valuable crop.
The elephants, however,
place every step with great care.
A single adult can eat
over 100 kilos every day.
And yet they don't take
a single leaf of tea.
They don't like its bitter taste.
But they do relish
the wild plants that grow here.
So as far as the humans
are concerned,
the elephants
are clearing away weeds.
It may seem to be
a harmonious existence.
But these mountains
are densely populated.
Over 50,000 people
work as tea pickers alone.
So living side by side
can be difficult.
Yet the people have learnt
to give the elephants space,
and the herds are adaptable.
Some matriarchs, however,
are now going where few elephants
have ever been seen before.
They have become mountaineers.
Why elephants should choose
to climb to these summits,
no-one fully understands.
It may be that they're attracted
by the fresh grass.
Or perhaps they are simply trying to
escape from the busy world below.
Either way, planting tea here
could have been a disaster
for these herds.
But not so.
A quarter of all Asian elephants
now live here in the Western Ghats,
making it home to the biggest
population on Earth.
Over 1,000 miles to the west
of India,
where Asia meets Africa,
stand the continent's hottest
and driest peaks.
Those of the Arabian Peninsula.
In the far south
lies the arid Dhofar range of Oman.
Temperatures here can reach
over 40 degrees Celsius.
Animals of all kinds
must shelter from such heat.
But summer is coming,
and its winds will bring
moist air from the tropics.
As they meet the cool surface
of the sea
..the water they carry condenses
and begins to form
vast banks of fog.
This is the start
of a major change in the weather,
one on which life here depends.
The Khareef.
As it sweeps inland, the fog is
deflected upwards by the mountains.
And within the clouds,
a magical transformation begins.
One unlike any other in Asia.
The plants in Arabia's
unique cloud forest
collect moisture from the air.
And, within only two weeks,
this parched land bursts into life.
It's a spectacular change,
created by the Dhofar Mountains.
Here, everything hastens
to make the most of this new world.
This landscape is the home
of one of Arabia's
best-adapted desert animals.
Camels.
They will nibble
anything that is green
..and plenty that is not.
As summer ends,
the winds of the Khareef dwindle
..and vanish as suddenly
as they arrived.
Now, life must wait
until the good times return.
In Asia's mountainous centre,
the Himalaya stretch
for over 1,000 miles.
They cross five countries
..and at the range's
far western end, in Pakistan
..stand some of the most dramatic
of all the Earth's mountains.
The near-vertical peaks
of the Hindu Kush.
They're so inaccessible
that local people believe them
to be inhabited by spirits.
Animals that live among
precipices like these
must be skilled rock-climbers.
Markhor.
The biggest of all species of goat.
Over half the world's population
live in these mountains.
Few predators can follow them,
for here, one wrong step can be,
and often is, fatal.
The first snows mark the beginning
of the breeding season.
It only lasts
for a couple of weeks
..so the males do not have long
to claim a female.
Time for a special kind of flirting.
She isn't interested.
But flirtation isn't the only
requirement for winning a mate.
Males may have to compete
for the right to breed.
They size one another up
..using their metre-long horns.
When neither backs down
..battle begins.
Undaunted by the perilous drops
..they risk their lives
competing for a higher position
uphill.
200 kilograms of muscle collide.
All this male can do is brace
and take the hits.
If two males are equally matched,
the battle becomes
a test of stamina.
After hours of fighting
..both are exhausted.
It's time to call it quits.
And the winner is recognised.
This is what success looks like.
The Himalayan range
runs from east to west,
and at its centre lies Nepal.
Of the ten highest mountains
on Earth, eight are found here.
And the forests on their slopes
are home to perhaps
the shyest of Asia's mammals.
Red pandas.
They're well adapted to life here,
with thick fur to keep out the cold.
This female is searching for food.
Bamboo can make up 99% of her diet.
But during the coldest months,
something appears
that is much more nutritious.
And she knows exactly
where to find it.
Kiwi fruit, otherwise known as
Chinese gooseberries.
They're packed with energy
..and only appear
for a few short weeks.
So she eats all she can find.
After such a feast
..she needs to do
what red pandas do best.
She sleeps.
At the far eastern end
of the Himalaya
stand the isolated Hengduan
Mountains of China.
The forests here are home
to a particularly engaging
species of monkey.
They live at a higher altitude
than any primate other than humans.
The Yunnan snub-nosed monkey.
Why they have such tiny noses
is not certain,
but perhaps it's because that
if they were any longer,
they would get frostbitten.
They live in close family groups
and take life at a slow pace.
Spring is an extremely important
time for them.
It's when the young are born.
They are among the most endangered
of all primate species.
Each baby is very precious.
Everyone wants to hold
the new arrivals.
The youngsters are dependent
on their mother for over a year.
But after only a few weeks,
some becomeadventurous.
There's a lot to learn.
Watching how the grown-ups do things
is a good way to start.
But finding your feet can be tricky.
For these two youngsters, today's
lesson is particularly important.
It concerns the way by which
one makes friends.
And having friends here is crucial.
As evening approaches, the families
huddle together for warmth.
Temperatures fall well below zero.
Group hugs are not just
ways of showing affection.
Frequently, they are essential
for survival
in this bitterly cold habitat.
To the north of the Himalaya
lies the vast
and desolate Tibetan Plateau.
It's bordered by the highest peaks
on Earth.
It has an average altitude
of over 4,000 metres.
And it is aptly called by many
"the roof of the world".
It's home to the Tibetan fox.
This female has pups.
They're three months old, and their
demand for food is never-ending.
It's time, once again,
for Mother to go hunting.
The weather is wildly unpredictable.
And an icy storm can transform
the landscape overnight.
She's looking for a small
burrowing rodent called a pika.
Lots of them live here
..and she feeds on little else.
But the snow makes her
only too conspicuous.
The pika see her
almost as soon as she approaches.
To locate her prey, she often
relies on her excellent eyesight.
But she's also an acute listener.
She can hear the slightest
movement beneath the snow.
Wait
Wait
Got it.
But one pika won't go far.
The weather is not the only
challenge she has to face.
This is a busy time for the people
who live here.
The lush grass is essential food
for their hungry yaks.
The fox is little bigger than
a house cat
..so she could easily be trampled.
But this mother is cunning.
She keeps a safe distance
and uses the yaks as cover
..as she creeps closer
to the distracted pika.
Thanks to their mother's
hunting skills
..all three cubs will soon be able
to survive on their own.
Wildlife has had to find ways
to adapt to Asia's mountains.
But now, these peaks are changing.
They hold one of the greatest
expanses of snow and ice
to be found
outside the polar regions.
The Himalaya are sometimes called
"the water towers of Asia".
Their meltwaters feed some
of the Earth's biggest rivers
..such as the Ganges and the Indus.
And they supply fresh water
to countless numbers of people.
But temperatures in many
of these mountainous areas
are rising faster
than in lower lands.
As they do so, in some areas
water becomes scarce.
In Nepal, the village of Samdzong
was once fed by a surging river.
But it's now reduced to a trickle.
With little water here,
only a handful of people remain.
By the end of this century,
up to half the ice
now found in these mountains
may have disappeared.
Life here has never been easy.
Yet, in the remotest parts
of these mountains
..there lives one animal
that is perhaps
the most elusive of all.
Snow leopards spend most of
their lives above 3,000 metres.
Each individual is largely solitary,
and wanders alone over vast areas.
However, very occasionally
..their paths cross.
He has been following
this female's scent for weeks,
and may have found a mate.
But she's cautious.
Eventually, he gains her trust.
They spend the next four days
together,
then their ways part
..and they may never meet again.
A male snow leopard plays no part
in raising the cubs
that he may have fathered.
These youngsters
will stay with their mother
and rely on her
for nearly two years.
It takes time
to master the challenges
of living in Asia's
highest places.
But the animals that do so
..are among the most hardy
and resilient of any on Earth.
To film the extraordinary world
of Asia's mountains,
crews would spend more than
400 days in the field
..getting up close
with some of the continent's
most remarkable wildlife.
Filming would take them
from the sweltering mountains
of the Middle East
to the bitterly cold Himalaya.
My toes are frozen.
But there is a snow leopard
sitting right in front of us.
But it was on the Tibetan Plateau,
almost 5,000 metres up,
where the team faced
their biggest challenge.
To film the Tibetan fox,
an expert crew was enlisted.
Cameraman Jacky Poon
has been visiting here
for the past three years.
In doing so, he's gained the trust
of one very special mother.
She might be getting
a little old now,
but it's clear
she hasn't forgotten him.
I can't believe Watching Mum now,
I mean, she must be seven, eight?
She's so trusting of Jacky,
this is the fourth litter of cubs
she's let him film.
We're probably
less than 20 metres away.
It's pretty amazing how quickly
they get used to us.
I think just because they saw Mum
coming over and not bothered,
so they immediately know that
we're not a threat.
And it's just great -
they're not even looking at us.
Jacky is here to film a behaviour
he's never managed to capture
on camera.
A Tibetan fox hunting,
using the yaks as cover.
A month here will be tough.
Even in summer, temperatures
can drop to -20 degrees Celsius.
In their remote hut, the crew
must improvise to stay warm.
These are yak droppings,
it's what we need to have fire.
Seeing as there's no tree out there,
yak dropping is the best.
But as the crew embed themselves
in the foxes' lives,
they are increasingly aware
of a threat.
Feral dogs are common.
Unfortunately, it seems that
the mother has already had a run-in.
She's not doing so well.
She's limping quite a lot.
Her left front paw
seems to be injured,
and, yeah, she's not going
very fast. It's not good.
Now she's hurt,
if she meets another stray dog,
I mean, that's it for her.
Soon, the situation for the team
goes from bad to worse.
Being out in the open is dangerous.
Come on, Joshua.
Go, go, go, quick.
Get in the car, quick!
Oh, it's crazy!
People are struck by lightning
here every year.
Oh, my gosh.
The storm passes quickly.
Yet the weather remains poor
for days.
And the mother
is nowhere to be found.
She was last seen
chased by the dogs,
so we're definitely worried sick
and hopefully we can find her
this morning.
We're having snow in summer,
and we can't even see that mountain.
Usually it's a landmark.
Oh, it's so cold!
Days go by without
a sign of the family.
Can't see anything.
Definitely no Mum, nor cubs.
With only a week left of the shoot,
the chances of filming the mother
hunting among the yaks
are slipping away.
But as the weather begins to lift,
the team finally receive
some good news.
That's Mum.
Found Mum up the mountain.
Oh, thank God for that, honestly.
I was so afraid
that something's happened to Mum.
But, yeah, it's good to know
she's alive,
but now she just needs to
stay alive.
Although the mother
is safe and well,
Jacky still needs
to get in the right place
to capture her hunting
among the yaks.
Oh, Mum is catching, right in there.
We don't want to scare the yaks off.
We should move around the yaks,
otherwise we're pushing
the yaks further up.
With a cautious approach
..Jacky is able to get
right in among the herd
..and films action
never captured before.
Nice! Such an amazing behaviour.
While Jacky's relationship
has made it all possible,
it also makes it hard
to say goodbye.
Man, it's pretty crazy to
think that the first year
when I was here
she was younger than me,
in dog years, and now four years
later she's actually older than me.
But Jacky hopes to return
and once again be reunited
with this master
of Asia's mountains.
Next time, journey
to the frozen north of Asia
..where some of the coldest places
on Earth
..push animals
..to the very edge of survival.