00:00An ancient Indian jungle.
00:10Predators.
00:13Prey.
00:17Predators.
00:25Prey.
00:46A long, hot summer.
00:52The battle for survival begins.
00:57India.
01:13Ten times more densely populated than the United States.
01:20On average, nearly 1,000 people in every square mile.
01:30But away from the cities, beyond the crowds,
01:34lies a world rarely glimpsed by outsiders.
02:04These are the jungles of central India.
02:18They date back millions of years.
02:23Today, large areas still remain intact.
02:28This is home to some of the most varied wildlife in India.
02:44From bears to boars.
02:50Monkeys to mongoose.
02:55From the forest floor to the tree tops.
02:59The smallest species to the largest.
03:10This is Rudyard Kipling's jungle book, made flesh and blood.
03:32Home to arguably the Earth's most beautiful killer, the Bengal tiger.
03:47A solitary hunter that combines power and stealth to kill with one bite.
04:05But they are not the only threat here.
04:14It's the beginning of the dry season.
04:22There will be no rain for four months.
04:27Temperatures will peak at 115 degrees.
04:32Water will become scarce.
04:36Prey will be forced to take more and more risks just to survive.
05:06At a waterhole in the heart of the jungle, the area's dominant male patrols his territory.
05:17Battle-scarred, powerful and fearless, he will defend this patch with his life.
05:34Waterholes are the preferred hunting grounds for tigers, and this is the biggest for miles around, attracting the most prey.
05:45It is also the only one which will not completely dry up in the coming months.
06:02This is a prime spot for an ambush, and he controls it.
06:10He drinks what he wants, when he wants.
06:15A rare privilege amongst jungle animals.
06:28He weighs around 500 pounds and is eight years old.
06:37Male tigers rarely rule for more than three years, and this is the second of his short but glorious reign.
06:56Scent marking announces to other tigers that this is still his kingdom.
07:20His roars advertise his whereabouts to females, but also warn other males to stay away.
07:31These calls are at such a low frequency, they resonate through trees, spreading three miles in every direction, deep into the jungle.
07:51Other males hear the message and bide their time.
08:01Conflict is inevitable.
08:04The young challengers must one day fight for territory, mating rights and prey.
08:21And these jungles are rich in prey.
08:30The tiger's favorite is the sambar.
08:35They're the largest deer in India, and one adult will feed a tiger family for a week.
08:44Visibility in the jungle is often down to a few yards, so sambar rely on other senses.
08:54They have an acute sense of smell.
09:03And ears that can swivel to pick up the slightest sound.
09:10The tiger's soft, padded feet let him walk almost silently across the forest floor.
09:40At the first smell, sight or sound of danger, sambar send out alarm calls and stamp their feet.
10:05Ambush is all to this solitary cat.
10:30In Kipling's jungle book, the most feared creature is not the tiger, but the dhole, India's wild dog.
10:52The dhole live in clans of up to 40 strong.
11:01They are a tenth the size of the tiger, but they overcome this by hunting in packs.
11:10Communicating with barks, squeaks and whistles, they can bring down prey weighing over 400 pounds.
11:18They tear into pieces, hastily devouring it, often whilst their meal is still alive.
11:28They've been said to attack and kill tigers.
11:43Intensely social play establishes a hierarchy within the clan, ruled by a dominant male and female.
11:54Only these two will breed.
12:04A little way outside the main group, a pair are setting up on their own.
12:09This is the only way that they will be able to mate and raise their own cubs.
12:24It's a high-risk strategy as they lose the advantage of pack hunting.
12:30It'll be difficult for them to make a kill.
12:42They begin their independent life by marking their territory, urinating in a quite unique fashion.
12:58A network of forest tracks allows them to move around easily and quietly, gaining the upper hand over the prey species.
13:10But hunting is never easy in a forest full of ears and eyes.
13:22A pair of ground-nesting lapwings sound the alarm.
13:34They hound and mob until the doe move on.
13:42The calls alert other prey species.
13:50The lapwings return to look after their flightless chicks.
14:10Langoa monkeys feed on the fruit of a mahua tree.
14:26Chital deer take full advantage of not only the troop's messy eating habits, but their lookouts too.
14:38It's good to have allies in high places.
15:08A young doe will couple up and spot potential prey.
15:28With so many vigilant eyes, ears and noses, and without the support of a pack, hunting proves difficult.
15:56Early morning is peak feeding time for the jungle's many herbivores.
16:25Chital graze on the open grasslands, where they're safest from ambush.
16:39Sambar mark out territories sent in the lower branches of the trees.
16:52Muntjac, or barking deer, are the oldest of the world's deer.
17:05Nilgai, or blue bull, are the biggest Asian antelope.
17:24Gar are the largest wild cattle in the world.
17:34With monumental blocks of muscle, they have few natural predators.
17:44They may look like American bison, but they're native to India.
17:58There have been stories of Gar trampling villagers to death, and even killing tigers.
18:14An alarm call alerts them.
18:36A young chital deer stands her ground. Chital are faster than tigers.
18:54Unless he can creep to within 50 feet, a charge is pointless.
19:24The tiger continues calling for a mate.
19:53A young tigress lies up in a bamboo thicket.
20:08Not just to keep cool, she has a young cub.
20:19One in three tiger cubs do not survive their first year.
20:26Infanticide is the biggest killer.
20:31Male tigers kill cubs that are not their own, so ensuring that the mother will become receptive and mate again.
20:42But for now, this tigress and her cub are safely out of sight.
20:53Nearby, the curiosity and naivety of two slightly older cubs make it more difficult for their mother to keep them hidden.
21:05The cubs' boisterous behavior attracts the attention of a male.
21:35Male tigers may have several litters scattered through their territory.
21:42If these are not his, he will kill them.
21:50The cubs greet their father.
22:09He sends marks before settling down with them.
22:33The floor is thick with leaves.
22:40The recyclers are hard at work breaking it down.
22:51In the heat, mahua fruit ferments into a potent alcohol and langurs gorge on it.
23:08There then follows a scene familiar from bars the world over.
23:17They get drunk.
23:20Boisterous.
23:32And then sleep.
24:32Temperatures continue to climb, and so too does the value of water in the ever-shrinking pools.
24:46And with it, the power of the dominant male.
25:02Power has its privileges, and above all, mating rights.
25:09His calls have been heard.
25:22A young tigress makes her interest clear.
25:52The drive to find a mate goes on all over the jungle.
26:17Wide-eyed on hormones and surging testosterone, chital stags must battle for mating rights.
26:29To show who's boss, they pour the ground.
26:38Dig up grass with their antlers.
26:45And display, studying side by side.
26:51But if that doesn't work, they fight.
27:44This male is in prime condition, but it's brutal work to keep this patch.
28:06Conquished, retreat to lick their wounds.
28:18To the victor go the spoils.
28:27But his rule may only last one season, even shorter than the tiger's.
28:35He moves through the herd, sniffing the air, searching out receptive females.
28:47But with all this activity, the chital's guard is down.
28:53Finally, an opportunity for the young dole pair to hunt.
29:23Rather than a form, they target a stag, its escape hampered by its antlers as it runs through the thick jungle.
29:54A kill like this will feed a pair of dole for a week.
30:10But to keep it, they have to be aware of tigers.
30:32Our dominant male from the main waterhole is still with his mate.
30:39Tigers, along with jaguars, are the only big cats that like water.
30:47And will spend many hours lying in it cooling off.
30:54This pair has the pick of the best places to bathe and do so brazenly.
31:06Deep in the forest, a younger male has also attracted a mate.
31:13But this pair must keep hidden and make do with a smaller pool.
31:27This waterhole will soon dry up, forcing them to move on.
31:33For now, they can safely mate tucked away in the heart of the jungle.
31:45Our big male moves back into the shade, accompanied by his female.
31:56Tiger courtship lasts several days.
32:07A barrage of sound greets them.
32:19A cicada's love song is the loudest noise in the insect world.
32:28By clicking a membrane that is stretched along either side of the body, males sing to attract females.
32:35This creates the noise which is then amplified through their bodies.
32:44On each tree, there may be hundreds of cicadas and many hundreds of thousands throughout the forest,
32:51creating a noise so loud it repels the birds that would otherwise prey on them.
33:04Females single out appropriate mates by pinpointing their unique song from this monotonous din.
33:17Cicadas feed by tapping into the fluids that run just below the bark.
33:23By extracting the sugar, they excrete the surface liquid, which rains down on the forest below.
33:53It's midsummer. There has been no rain for four months. There will be none for two more.
34:23Vanishing water forces both predator and prey together.
34:46The langurs wait for the tigers to finish cooling off before sending in a scout.
35:08Langurs are very much a part of the tiger's diet, so they're taking a big risk entering this waterhole.
35:21One sentry always stands guard.
35:36The tigress returns with her cub.
36:06Then, three more follow.
36:22She's three years old, and this is her first litter.
36:30On average, a tigress will raise 12 cubs in her lifetime.
36:35Each will stay with her until they're two years old.
37:05For the mother, looking after four cubs is a tall order.
37:25For the first six months, she has to eat enough to produce milk.
37:29Then, for a further 18 months, she must hunt for herself and them.
37:37If she doesn't kill, it's not just her that will starve.
37:48Tigers rarely miss an opportunity to hunt.
37:53Perfectly camouflaged, she stalks through the long grass.
38:00The chital herd is too far away to attempt an attack.
38:07Suddenly, there is a movement on the forest edge.
38:23A tigress with cubs is never off-duty.
38:53Her vice-like jaws suffocate the young deer.
39:13A small kill that will be quickly devoured.
39:26Late summer, still no sign of rain.
39:34Dry season is biting hard.
39:42All but the biggest waterholes are drying up.
39:56With the water too shallow now even for eels and catfish, the pond herons clean up.
40:13The few places available for drinking are thick with thirsty prey species.
40:28Some find comfort in the mud.
40:33This works as sunscreen and also provides protection from biting insects.
40:52The lapwings are still working hard to defend their young.
41:04The large, dull clam makes its presence felt.
41:15The young breakaway couple keep themselves to themselves.
41:19They want to avoid conflict with the clam at all costs.
41:31Pressure from water results in a fractious atmosphere.
41:54As the waterholes disappear, more and more tigers are forced into smaller and smaller areas.
42:23The fight is short but decisive.
42:50Roger crouches down in a submissive posture, conceding defeat.
42:57The victor moves off to reclaim his territory.
43:28The calls of the peacock and the pitta announce the arrival of the rains.
43:51Just a few showers at first, but within days, signs of new growth start to appear.
44:04The downpours get heavier and more frequent.
44:15The jungle is transformed.
44:25It's once again a place of plenty.
44:33Plenty of grazing for sambar, cheetah and gaur.
44:46Plenty of fruit for the langurs.
44:54And plenty of prey for the tigers and the doe.
45:02The dominant male has held onto his position for another season.
45:11His mate is pregnant and will give birth in a month or so.
45:19The dole couple have not only survived their first summer on their own, but given birth to three pups.
45:30Their clan is now growing and next year, hunting will be easier.
45:45What Kipling wrote in the Jungle Book was fiction.
45:49This is fact, and it's a story that has continued unbroken for thousands of years.
45:56Every bit as miraculous and inspired.
46:19You
