In Netflix's episode of 'Our Planet' titled "Jungles," we journey into the world's richest habitats: rainforests. From the Congo's gorillas to New Guinea's bizarre wildlife, the episode reveals the unique biodiversity and vital roles these jungles play in global ecological health. It highlights the dangers poaching and deforestation pose to these ecosystems and their inhabitants, like the critically endangered gorillas and rare Philippine eagles. The episode showcases the intricate relationships between species and their environments, underscoring the urgent need to preserve these vital natural wonders for future generations.
Highlights
The Congo jungle's gorillas are critically endangered due to poaching for bushmeat. 🦍
New Guinea hosts the world's largest jungle-covered island with unique species like the twelve-wired bird-of-paradise. 🦚
Borneo's ancient jungles feature the velvet worm, a predator from the dinosaur age, illustrating incredible survival adaptation. 🐛
The Amazon basin, home to half the world's remaining rainforests, faces challenges from predation and salt shortages. 🌳
Deforestation for palm oil is replacing diverse jungles with monocultures, leading to significant biodiversity loss. ⚠️
Key Takeaways
Our Planet's jungles are biodiversity hotspots that nurture millions of animal species. 🦜
Rainforests like the Amazon play critical roles in ecological balance by maintaining climate and storing carbon. 🌍
Species like gorillas and orangutans are threatened by poaching and habitat loss, highlighting urgent conservation needs. 🦧
Unique species behaviors, like tool-making by orangutans, emphasize the intricate adaptations required for jungle survival. 🔧
Protecting these jungles is crucial for the health of our planet; they regulate climate and house countless unique species. 🌱
Overview
The episode kicks off by celebrating our planet’s jungles, which are recognized as biodiversity giants, nurturing millions of species across the globe. We take a mesmerizing dive into the Congo, where majestic gorillas patrol the dense canopy while facing threats from illegal poaching. These primate powerhouses play a pivotal role as the jungle's guardians, highlighting the stark reality of their dwindling numbers due to human encroachment.
New Guinea and Borneo stand out next, offering sneak peeks into their one-of-a-kind ecological wonders. New Guinea, known for its preposterous fauna, unveils the intriguing world of birds-of-paradise, while Borneo flaunts its ancient terrains with agile velvet worms and pitcher plants with cunning survival strategies. These regions continually reinvent the notion of nature’s creativity and adaptability.
Finally, we swing into the Amazon, a colossal rainforest teeming with hidden serenades of life. Yet, akin to the proverbial paradise lost, a stark warning is painted — the rapid disappearance of these rainforests due to expansions in palm oil plantations threatening the ecosystem's delicate threads. Through poignant narratives, the episode beseeches us to act now, echoing through the vibrant pulse of the jungles.
Chapters
00:00 - 00:30: Intro Just 50 years ago, we finally ventured to the moon.
00:30 - 01:00: Looking back at Earth In the chapter titled "Looking back at Earth," for the first time, we reflect on our own planet. Since then, the human population has more than doubled.
01:00 - 01:30: Celebrating natural wonders The chapter discusses the importance of celebrating natural wonders and emphasizes the need for preservation to ensure the thriving of both people and nature.
01:30 - 02:00: Tropical rainforest This chapter focuses on the tropical rainforest, highlighting it as the richest habitat on Earth.
02:00 - 02:30: Clouded leopard and jungles' role This chapter highlights the enigmatic nature of the clouded leopard, about which little is known. It also emphasizes the crucial importance of jungles, despite their limited coverage of only seven percent of the world's land area, in maintaining the planet's health.
02:30 - 03:00: Congo's young rainforest The chapter titled 'Congo's young rainforest' explores the Congo rainforest, described as the youngest on Earth, being only 18,000 years old. It highlights the rich biodiversity of the Congo, noting it as the jungle with more large animals than any other rainforest.
03:00 - 03:30: Lowland gorilla family The chapter provides an overview of a family of lowland gorillas. The family is led by a dominant male silverback, highlighting the social structure within the group.
03:30 - 04:00: Threats to gorillas The chapter titled 'Threats to gorillas' highlights the challenges faced by the dominant male gorilla in his role as protector of his family. It depicts the male gorilla's substantial size and weight, emphasizing his importance and responsibility in ensuring the safety and unity of his family. The chapter also notes the constant threat of rival males who may try to overthrow him, posing a risk to the stability and cohesion of his family group.
04:00 - 05:00: Other jungle inhabitants This chapter highlights a significant threat to the gorilla population in the Congo: poaching for bushmeat. Over the last two decades, this illegal practice has led to a drastic decline in their numbers, rendering them critically endangered.
05:00 - 06:00: Bais, clearings in Congo This chapter discusses the interactions between forest elephants and silverback gorillas in the clearings of the Congo. It highlights the sounds and behaviors of these animals, suggesting an environment where the presence of elephants is acknowledged but not considered threatening to the silverback gorilla.
06:00 - 06:30: Salt in gorillas' diet The chapter titled 'Salt in gorillas' diet' discusses the challenges faced by elephants due to poaching. Elephants' long and straight tusks, particularly, are highly prized, making them a major target for poachers. The text emphasizes the elephants' cautious movements as they follow ancestral trails in search of sustenance.
06:30 - 07:30: Importance of bais for elephants The chapter discusses the critical role elephants play in the ecosystem as seed dispersers, traveling long distances daily like silverback gorillas to forage for fruits and seeds. Their movement helps in the growth and maintenance of jungle trees, making them vital to the jungle's biodiversity.
07:30 - 10:00: New Guinea's unique species The chapter titled 'New Guinea's unique species' opens with the intriguing geographic and ecological feature of Mbeli Bai, a notable clearing in the dense Congo jungles. The text highlights that these open areas are rare and valuable ecosystems within the forest, with over a hundred similar sites scattered throughout the region.
10:00 - 13:30: Birds-of-paradise displays In the chapter titled 'Birds-of-paradise displays', the narration is focused on clearings known as 'bais' that attract various jungle inhabitants. It describes how a silverback cautiously leads its family through the jungle, indicating their close-knit group behavior.
13:30 - 15:00: Borneo's ancient jungles In the chapter titled 'Borneo's ancient jungles,' the focus is on gorillas feeding on aquatic plants that are rich in salt. This mineral, while scarce in the forest, is essential for the survival of these gorillas.
15:00 - 16:30: Velvet worm, ancient predator The chapter titled 'Velvet worm, ancient predator' mentions the behavior of elephants that either extract salts from the mud using their trunks or drink mineral-rich water.
16:30 - 18:00: Fungi and pitcher plants The chapter titled 'Fungi and pitcher plants' explores the importance of a bai, a forest clearing, in the lives of local wildlife such as gorillas and elephants. It highlights the silverback's family among the nearly 200 gorillas that use the bai. Additionally, over 530 elephants frequent this area, underscoring the significance of Mbeli as a critical habitat. The chapter suggests that the bais have a crucial role for elephants beyond just a living space.
18:00 - 21:00: Unique pitcher plant relationships The chapter titled 'Unique pitcher plant relationships' outlines the solitary lives of species inhabiting the dense forest interior. Despite the solitude, they find a unique opportunity for social interaction at the bai—a kind of swampy clearing in the forest. Mbeli bai, unlike others in the Congo, is noted for its protection, offering a safe haven for these rare interactions among the species.
21:00 - 25:00: Philippines eagle in danger The chapter titled 'Philippines eagle in danger' discusses the complex situation surrounding the endangered status of the Philippine eagle. The chapter emphasizes the temporary safety provided by certain refuges from poaching; however, once the eagles leave these protected areas, they face increased danger. Furthermore, the chapter draws a parallel to the situation in the Congo, where the loss of key wildlife, such as seed-dispersing megafauna, can have profound effects on the ecosystem, particularly on the world's second-largest rainforest.
25:00 - 29:00: Amazon basin challenges The chapter titled 'Amazon basin challenges' discusses the unique biodiversity found in jungle environments, focusing on New Guinea, the world's largest jungle-covered island. It highlights that over half of its plant and animal species are endemic, a result of the island's complex geological history.
29:00 - 32:00: Spider monkeys and predators The chapter titled 'Spider monkeys and predators' delves into the dramatic landscape of mountains and valleys that contribute to the isolation of species. This isolation has resulted in the evolution of unique and bizarre animals, particularly in New Guinea, such as the male twelve-wired bird-of-paradise.
32:00 - 37:00: Leafcutter ants The chapter titled 'Leafcutter ants' discusses a unique bird, notable for its distinct tail ornaments used in mating rituals. Originating from a crow-like ancestor, the birds-of-paradise diversified into 40 different kinds. Specifically, the black sicklebill species is introduced, native to New Guinea's highlands.
37:00 - 39:00: Cordyceps fungus The chapter discusses the unique mating displays of male birds-of-paradise, highlighting how each species has its distinct method of attracting mates. The focus is on the extraordinary displays that occur on a particular stage, showcasing the creativity and diversity of these birds in nature.
39:00 - 41:00: Impact of deforestation The chapter titled 'Impact of Deforestation' discusses the daily routine of the western parotia bird species. The chapter highlights the importance of court maintenance for male western parotia birds in attracting female mates. Keeping their court free from debris is crucial for mating purposes.
41:00 - 47:00: Orangutans' slow learning The chapter discusses the slow learning process of orangutans. It highlights the meticulous and obsessive behavior of a male orangutan as he prepares to impress a female. His dedication to creating a perfect environment, avoiding any mistakes like a rogue leaf, finally pays off when a female notices and drops in to see him more closely. This interaction underscores the importance of detail and effort in the orangutans' mating rituals.
47:00 - 49:00: Orangutans' shrinking habitat The chapter titled 'Orangutans' shrinking habitat' delves into the challenges faced by male orangutans as they attempt to impress selective females. The detailed enactment begins with a courteous bow, followed by a striking change in eye color from blue to yellow. Despite the difficulties presented in fulfilling these expectations, the male orangutan showcases a repertoire of coordinated movements and intricate footwork to captivate the attention of a potential mate.
49:00 - 50:00: Call to action In the chapter titled "Call to Action," the focus is on the dynamic and visually engaging movements of a whirling dervish. The narrative highlights the significance of a head plume shuffle accompanied by a spin, noting the encouraging behavior indicated by erect head feathers and quivering wings. This serves as an important signal or sign within the context of the chapter, possibly symbolizing an invitation or a prompt for an anticipated response or event.
50:00 - 51:30: End song The chapter titled "End song" depicts a vivid scene where the artful movements of a character, presumably in a dance or similar graceful activity, are observed. The text highlights his sidestep and head bob, which are visually appealing from any viewpoint, but particularly remarkable from the perspective of a female observer. The narrative peaks with a moment where the character's iridescent throat patch is revealed, increasing her anticipation and excitement, suggesting a moment of connection or admiration.
Our Planet | Jungles | FULL EPISODE | Netflix Transcription
00:00 - 00:30 Just 50 years ago, we finally ventured to the moon.
00:30 - 01:00 For the very first time,
we looked back at our own planet. Since then, the human population
has more than doubled.
01:00 - 01:30 This series will celebrate
the natural wonders that remain and reveal what we must preserve to ensure people and nature thrive. [animals whooping]
01:30 - 02:00 This is a tropical forest. A rain forest. The richest habitat on Earth. Exactly how many species
rain forests contain is unknown, but it runs into millions. And new ones are discovered every week.
02:00 - 02:30 There are some, like this clouded leopard,
we still know virtually nothing about. Although they cover just seven percent
of the world's land area, jungles play a vital role
in the health of the planet.
02:30 - 03:00 In the heart of Africa lies the Congo. It is our planet's youngest rain forest,
a mere 18,000 years old, and it's the jungle
with more big animals than any other.
03:00 - 03:30 A family of lowland gorillas. They're led by this silverback,
the dominant male.
03:30 - 04:00 He's as tall as a man,
but twice the weight. His family depend on him for survival. As their guardian,
he must keep a lookout for danger. A rival male might usurp him
and tear his family apart.
04:00 - 04:30 But there is one threat
beyond his control. In the last 20 years, poaching for bushmeat has halved
the Congo's gorilla population. His kind are now critically endangered.
04:30 - 05:00 [grunts] [elephant huffs] It's only a forest elephant,
which needn't concern the silverback. [low trumpeting]
05:00 - 05:30 But the elephant
has reason to be wary of poachers too. Their long straight tusks
are even more sought after than those of their grassland cousins. He follows paths made by generations of elephants
before him, searching for food.
05:30 - 06:00 Like the elephant, the silverback's family
will travel several kilometers a day, looking for fruits and seeds. They and the elephants
are the gardeners of this jungle. The seed dispersers. And many of the trees here owe their existence
to these large animals.
06:00 - 06:30 Here,
all paths eventually lead to Mbeli Bai. Open areas like this are a unique feature
of the Congo's jungles, and there are more than a hundred
dotted throughout the forest.
06:30 - 07:00 Known as bais, these clearings attract
many of the jungle's inhabitants. [elephant brays] The silverback
cautiously leads the way, but his family are close behind.
07:00 - 07:30 The gorillas come to feed
on aquatic plants rich in salt, a mineral in short supply
inside the forest, but crucial to their survival.
07:30 - 08:00 Elephants mine salts from the mud
using their trunks. Or just drink the mineral-enriched water.
08:00 - 08:30 The silverback's family
are not the only gorillas here. Nearly 200 others also use this bai, as well as more than 530 elephants, a measure of Mbeli's importance. For the elephants,
the bais have another vital role.
08:30 - 09:00 Most of their lives are spent roaming the vast forested interior
on their own, so it's only here
they get a chance to meet others. Unlike most of the Congo's other bais,
Mbeli is well protected,
09:00 - 09:30 making it a refuge from poaching. It's only when they leave
that the danger returns. And as the Congo's main seed dispersers, the loss of its megafauna
could have a far-reaching impact on the future of our planet's
second-largest rain forest.
09:30 - 10:00 Jungles may look the same, but each is home
to a unique cast of characters. New Guinea is the world's largest
jungle-covered island, and more than half
of its plants and animals are found nowhere else on Earth. Its turbulent geological past
has shaped this vast island
10:00 - 10:30 into a dramatic landscape
of mountains and valleys. A process
that isolated one species from another. Separated in this way, New Guinea's animals
have become truly bizarre. The male twelve-wired bird-of-paradise
10:30 - 11:00 is the only bird in the world
that has tail ornaments like this, used to tickle
the face of a prospective mate. From one crow-like ancestor, birds-of-paradise have evolved
into 40 different kinds. Every corner of this island
has its own version. Meet the black sicklebill
of New Guinea's highlands...
11:00 - 11:30 [croaks] ...able to morph
into some very un-birdlike shapes. Each male bird-of-paradise
has a unique display for attracting mates, and none is more extraordinary than the one that takes place
on this stage.
11:30 - 12:00 For the owner, a western parotia,
there's work to be done first. Every morning, he clears his court
of the night's fallen debris. It's a vital chore
if he wants to attract a mate. Females only visit the tidiest courts,
12:00 - 12:30 so one rogue leaf might ruin his chances. [squawks] Perfect. His obsessive housework pays off, and a female drops in for a closer look. Now is his chance to really impress,
12:30 - 13:00 but it won't be easy. Females are very fussy, and she'll expect
his carefully choreographed routine to be faultless. He opens with a bow. Next, his blue eye must flash yellow. So far, so good. He has all the moves. Fancy footwork.
13:00 - 13:30 The whirling dervish. The head plume shuffle, with spin. Her erect head feathers
and quivering wings are a very encouraging sign.
13:30 - 14:00 His sidestep and head bob
look good from any angle, but his crowning glory can only be appreciated
from her perspective. Wait for it. There it is.
A flash of his iridescent throat patch. Her excitement grows.
14:00 - 14:30 His performance has been a triumph, and he wins her approval. New Guinea's isolation
has created a unique variety of animals,
14:30 - 15:00 but the age of a forest
has an even greater impact on the diversity of life it contains. The jungles of Borneo, in Southeast Asia, have grown here
for nearly 130 million years, making them the oldest on Earth. This limestone mountaintop
in Borneo's highlands
15:00 - 15:30 was originally formed under the sea. Time and rain
has slowly shaped this jungle fortress into these 40-meter towers. The great age of this island's jungle
is best illustrated by one of the oldest predators on Earth.
15:30 - 16:00 A velvet worm. Completely at home
on the humid forest floor. They've been here
since the age of the dinosaurs, and have remained virtually unchanged.
16:00 - 16:30 It detects its insect prey
through vibration and touch. But with no turn of speed, how does it capture
these fleet-footed critters? The answer is stranger than fiction. Glue guns.
16:30 - 17:00 The sticky slime hardens on impact, trapping the luckless insect. The velvet worm will inject the cockroach
with digestive saliva, and then suck out its insides. The high humidity of the forest floor
isn't just good for velvet worms.
17:00 - 17:30 It's perfect for fungi, too, and Borneo's ancient jungles
are rich in species. By decomposing the dead, the slime molds and fungi
recycle scarce nutrients.
17:30 - 18:00 Time has made Borneo's jungles
extraordinarily rich and diverse. Here, in just a few hectares of forest,
18:00 - 18:30 there may be more kinds of plants
than in the whole of Europe, including
some of the most specialized on Earth. Over several weeks, these growing tips inflate
to form jugs or pitchers.
18:30 - 19:00 There are 39 kinds of pitcher plant
in Borneo, and most are found nowhere else. To get the nutrients they need to survive,
pitcher plants rely on animals, often in surprising ways. This is the mountain treeshrew,
an animal found only in Borneo.
19:00 - 19:30 Every morning, the treeshrew visits
his neighborhood pitchers. It depends on the sugary solution that exudes
from hairs on the pitcher's lid. When he's licked this lid dry,
he'll move to another.
19:30 - 20:00 And then another. Eventually, all that sugar
can have only one result. [splat] In return for the free food,
the treeshrew leaves a gift. Fertilizer for the plant.
20:00 - 20:30 All that's needed is an afternoon shower to flush the shrew poo
into the pitcher's bowl. Without these added nitrates,
the plant couldn't survive. And the quest for nutrients has led
some pitchers down a sinister path. A gracilis pitcher plant
20:30 - 21:00 attracts ants to the underside of its lid
with drops of nectar. But what do the ants give in return? It's a story that also depends on rain. The force of the raindrops make it impossible
for the ants to hold on.
21:00 - 21:30 It's the plant world's
only springboard trap. This pitcher plant
feeds on ant bodies. All pitcher plants
depend on animals for survival, and one has even gone into business
with a bat. The woolly bat finds hemsleyana pitchers
21:30 - 22:00 because the plant's broad back wall
reflects the bat's ultrasound. The tube-like pitchers
are the perfect roosting site. The pitcher provides secure accommodation and the plant is enriched
by its guest's deposits.
22:00 - 22:30 Relationships like these
have taken millions of years to evolve, but many could be gone in a decade. In the last 50 years,
Borneo has lost over half of its jungle. And it's even worse on the neighboring islands
of the Philippines.
22:30 - 23:00 Here, 90 percent
of the primary rain forest has gone. What's left is the last refuge
for the world's rarest bird of prey. The mighty Philippines eagle. [caws] With just 400 pairs remaining, a chick on a nest is a very scarce sight.
23:00 - 23:30 Scientists have tracked the mother
since she was a year old. Now aged ten, this is her first chick. It's four months old,
already nearly a meter tall, and increasingly confident.
23:30 - 24:00 Although Mother still likes to give
a helping hand. The chick is very demanding. She expects regular food drops, but, like a toddler having a tantrum,
she doesn't want any help at mealtimes. [cawing]
24:00 - 24:30 Already, she's the same size as her father and too big to argue with. But if his youngster
is to take her next steps, he knows it's time for some tough love. From now on,
visits will be less frequent. [caws]
24:30 - 25:00 The parents drop by
with an occasional food parcel, but a small fruit bat
isn't much to get excited about. It's confusing when your parents don't visit
as frequently as they once did.
25:00 - 25:30 [caws] Every day, she calls, but no one is paying any attention. She's hungry, and all that's left are scraps. It's time to become a proper eagle.
25:30 - 26:00 Flapping strengthens flight muscles
in two-meter wings. Wings that will be used
to carry off her hefty prey. Though that skill is still some time off. So far, she's never ventured
beyond the security of her nest.
26:00 - 26:30 And with good reason. There's a 70-meter drop
to the forest floor. A fall would be fatal.
26:30 - 27:00 It's a nervous moment,
but she must persevere. Right now, she's all toes and talons. Sudden gusts of wind are not helpful
when balancing over a death-defying drop,
27:00 - 27:30 and the daily downpours
don't make it any easier. Every day, she gets a little stronger
and more confident. Then, the day comes when confidence
finally matches know-how.
27:30 - 28:00 Now is the moment to reach for the sky.
28:00 - 28:30 Her first ever flight from her nest tree. It'll be nearly a year
before she's fully independent. Then, her survival
will depend on finding a territory with large stretches of unspoilt jungle. In the Philippines' fragmented forest, there's just too little prey
for a supersized eagle.
28:30 - 29:00 But there is one jungle
whose size is still legendary. The Amazon basin
is over 3,000 kilometers across and home to half of our planet's
remaining rain forest.
29:00 - 29:30 But there are challenges for those
living in the Amazon's deep interior. [birds hoot and chirp] Black spider monkeys, with eyes on a salt lick. Being so far from the sea,
salt is in short supply here, so a visit to a lick is essential.
29:30 - 30:00 But first, they must be sure
there are no predators lurking below. A harmless agouti is a good sign. This is the only time a spider monkey
ever sets foot on the ground.
30:00 - 30:30 And if you have your head in a hole, best to have a lookout. Monkeys can't survive
without these minerals, and predators know it. [chitters] A warning from the lookout.
30:30 - 31:00 It's not a false alarm. A jaguar. Rarely seen,
but the Amazon's top predator. With the jaguar gone, the monkeys return,
31:00 - 31:30 but it's a risk. Nobody knows
when the predator will be back. It's not just spider monkeys
for whom fear must give way to need. In the Amazon, salt licks are as vital
as an oasis in a desert.
31:30 - 32:00 Noises could be friend or foe, so every visitor
must remain poised for flight. [rustling] [cawing]
32:00 - 32:30 It's a false alarm. Just the harmless agouti again. In the Amazon, every animal group
has more species than anywhere else. And that includes frogs. There are thought to be over a thousand
different kinds of them here,
32:30 - 33:00 and new ones are still being discovered. Frogs are an indicator
of a healthy forest, but its most important residents
are the jungle's smallest inhabitants.
33:00 - 33:30 There are thought to be over two million
kinds of insect in the Amazon. These are the most numerous.
33:30 - 34:00 A colony of leafcutter ants
can run into the millions. Each colony is a superorganism
with a collective function... to gather leaves and carry them back
to their underground nests.
34:00 - 34:30 Within the territory
of a leafcutter colony, as much as a fifth of all new plant growth
will be harvested by the ants. Slicing through leaves
with specialized mandibles, they produce high frequency vibrations,
which stiffens the leaf,
34:30 - 35:00 making it easier to cut. Working together,
they can strip a tree bare in 24 hours. The trick is holding on to your leaf
as you fall.
35:00 - 35:30 Easier said than done. But best not to return to the nest
empty-handed. A leafcutter colony
is like a mega-herbivore, not dissimilar
to an elephant in the Congo, and their impact on the ecosystem
is just as important. The ants follow scent trails
back to the nest,
35:30 - 36:00 dodging unexpected obstacles. But to increase efficiency,
the ants keep their paths clear of debris.
36:00 - 36:30 A leafcutter nest
can be up to eight meters deep and have thousands
of interconnected chambers. The workers
carry the freshly harvested leaves to special rooms for processing. The leaves are not food,
but used to create gardens of fungus, which they feed to their larvae.
36:30 - 37:00 The success of the colony depends on
keeping their gardens disease-free. So, the ants have teamed up
with bacteria to help control pathogens, which would destroy their precious fungi. Scientists now believe these bacteria could provide
new solutions to human diseases.
37:00 - 37:30 But as successful as these ants are, the rain forest's diversity depends on
no one species gaining the upper hand. [animal hoots] Here,
ants don't have it all their own way. This one is behaving oddly.
37:30 - 38:00 It seems compelled to climb upwards, and is already
several meters above the forest floor. Something has taken control
of its movements, like a puppeteer
pulling at the strings of a marionette. There's just one final act,
for which the ant has no choice.
38:00 - 38:30 It must find a place to bite down,
tethering it to the vegetation. With the ant in its death grip, a parasitic fungus, Cordyceps,
erupts from its body.
38:30 - 39:00 Finally, the fruiting body of the fungus
bursts from its head.
39:00 - 39:30 From this bulbous container,
spores will be cast into the air currents, where they will claim more ant victims. But it's not just ants. Many others are infected
by the Cordyceps fungus.
39:30 - 40:00 The more numerous a species is, the more likely it is to fall victim
to the killer fungus. Checks and balances like these
means no one species can ever dominate, so protecting
the jungle's incredible diversity.
40:00 - 40:30 But today,
the diversity of the world's rain forests is falling at an alarming rate, and that is because of us. We have now replaced
up to 27 million hectares of virgin jungle
40:30 - 41:00 with a single species of tree. This is oil palm, one of the world's most productive crops. But these monocultures support only a fraction of the diversity
found in primary rain forests, and it is pushing many animals
to extinction.
41:00 - 41:30 In the swamp forests of northern Sumatra,
in Indonesia, time is running out
for one of our closest ancestors. The orangutan. A baby orangutan takes more than ten years
to become independent. Everything must be learned
from its mother.
41:30 - 42:00 Like how to bridge the gaps between trees. Survival depends on each orang understanding its patch of forest
perfectly. Watching scientists
have named this pair Ellie and Eden. Ellie is 18 years old, and Eden, her first baby, is three.
42:00 - 42:30 Right now,
he needs a little bit of encouragement. Like all orangutans, Ellie has a mental map
of her surroundings, including the location
of every fruiting tree.
42:30 - 43:00 Eden needs to learn this, too, but for now,
he must watch everything his mother does, learning not just what's edible
but also how to eat it. Every day is a new lesson for Eden.
43:00 - 43:30 Here, ants are a big part of their diet,
and there's a knack to gathering them. Once tangled in Ellie's fur,
they're easy to pick off. For little Eden,
it's all about watching and learning.
43:30 - 44:00 Eden's cousin, Louis, is more experienced. Four years older than Eden, he can move through the branches
with ease. It's taken a few years to master, and it's clearly a skill
he feels is worth showing off.
44:00 - 44:30 Conquering the treetops is just stage one
in an orangutan's education. To survive, Louis must learn more. Much more. His mother, Lisa,
has found a rotten tree trunk
44:30 - 45:00 with lots of ants. But this anting opportunity
requires more know-how. To get them, Lisa must break sections off. At his age, Louis must do more than watch. He must copy.
45:00 - 45:30 Not a bad effort. But even at the age of seven,
he's yet to master the art of ant capture.
45:30 - 46:00 Louis has much to learn. Pluto, on the other hand,
graduated a long time ago. Thirty years old
and nearly a hundred kilograms, he is king of this jungle. His cheek flanges are a sign of power, something for Louis to aspire to.
46:00 - 46:30 Pluto is constantly
on the lookout for food, and he's just spotted
a promising opportunity. These wasps mean one thing to him. Tasty grubs. To get at them,
he favors a smash-and-grab technique.
46:30 - 47:00 His thick fur protects him
from most of the angry wasps, but the rewards
are worth risking a few stings. Louis keeps his distance. He would need to be
a lot bigger and hairier
47:00 - 47:30 before he could do battle with wasps. But here, there's one trick that can take
half a lifetime to get to grips with. Louis' mother, Lisa, has learned
how to make tools from sticks, to winkle out insects.
47:30 - 48:00 The orangutans living here are the only ones in the world
to have discovered this skill. Louis must try and learn it too, but it may be another eight years
before he's as good as his mother. This long education has made orangutans particularly vulnerable
to changes taking place in their forest.
48:00 - 48:30 It's now estimated that we lose
100 orangutans every week from human activity. Louis and Eden's generation
could be the last wild orangutan. When Pluto was their age,
his jungle home stretched to the horizon.
48:30 - 49:00 Not anymore. In the last four decades, the pristine lowland jungle
that orangutans depend on has declined by a staggering 75 percent. Across the world,
we are losing tropical forest
49:00 - 49:30 at the rate
of nearly 15 million hectares every year, and with it,
the planet's treasure trove of diversity. Jungles store and capture more carbon
than any other habitat on land. They cool our planet, provide food and medicines. We lose them at our peril.
49:30 - 50:00 Please visit ourplanet.com to discover what we need to do now
to protect our jungles. ♪ I can hear the whole world
Singing together ♪
50:00 - 50:30 ♪ I can hear the whole world
Say it's now or never ♪ ♪ 'Cause it's not too late
If we change our ways ♪ ♪ And connect the dots to our problems ♪ ♪ I can hear the whole world
Say we're in this together ♪ ♪ We're in this together ♪