- 13 hours ago
India is a vast land of seasonal extremes. Monsoon rains flood the land and make it green but once they are gone, heat and drought builds....
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:13India is a land of over one billion people.
00:20An ancient world that is forging a bright future.
00:28It may look like there's little room for wildlife, but away from the hustle and bustle, there
00:43are exotic kingdoms of rock and ice, dense jungles, great deserts, and mighty rivers.
01:09All bursting with life.
01:18Here, nature has been woven into people's lives.
01:26Wilderness holds strong.
01:32And the wild spirit of India thrives.
01:39This is Hidden India.
01:58Hidden in the far east of India, in the grasslands of Kaziranga National Park, is one of the biggest
02:05animals in the world.
02:13Weighing up to two tons, it can run at 40 kilometres an hour.
02:23The one-horned rhino.
02:29Almost hunted to extinction, these grasslands are one of their last strongholds, containing
02:37half the world's population.
02:42They are almost entirely built of grass, eating up to 25 kilograms a day.
02:55This lush landscape wouldn't exist if it wasn't for one very important event.
03:02The Indian monsoon.
03:08The Indian monsoon is one of the biggest weather systems on Earth.
03:16At its peak, 17 million tonnes of water falls on the land every minute.
03:23It has a direct impact all over South Asia, affecting the lives of over one and a half billion people.
03:33It begins at India's southern tip, then travels over three and a half thousand kilometres across
03:40India's vast and varied landscape, until it releases its last rains in the far north-east.
03:52Tracing its path backwards across the country shows the effect this life-changing rain has
03:58on India.
04:02How it lures some of India's iconic wildlife out into the open.
04:09And how those animals cope as the water is slowly reclaimed by the unremitting heat of the
04:16dry season.
04:32Nowhere is the effect of the monsoon more visible than in one of the last places it visits.
04:41Kaziranga.
04:44Lying in the flood plain of the mighty Brahmaputra River, it takes the full force of the flood.
04:54At the end of the monsoon, the park has become a water world.
05:02Not that this bothers the one-horned rhino.
05:07They are perfectly at home in this environment.
05:12When they're not cruising the waterways looking for food, they rest and indulge in a bit of
05:17pampering.
05:21These obliging minor birds pick out parasites in those hard-to-reach places.
05:35This extensive flood would appear to be the last thing the plants of Kaziranga would want.
05:45But the water is laden with nutrients, picked up on its long journey all the way from the
05:54Himalayas.
05:58These nutrients feed the land and give the vegetation all that it needs to grow.
06:08Providing a home for a wide variety of animals, including over a thousand wild elephants, India's
06:22biggest population of buffalo, and the highest density of tigers in all of India.
06:36However, the grasslands of northeast India aren't just the domain of giants.
06:45Right down at the ankle height of a rhino, this new grass also conceals one of India's smallest
06:51and rarest animals, the pygmy hog.
07:07No bigger than a rabbit, they're the smallest species of pig in the world.
07:17For the pigs, the grass isn't only something to hide behind.
07:21They also use it to weave and nest.
07:33They're designed for single occupancy.
07:39However this female's nest is having to accommodate a few extras.
07:45She has recently given birth to seven tiny pigments.
07:53Each one is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but still big enough to cause trouble.
08:30She has a busy few months ahead of her.
08:37The piglet's birth was time to coincide with the end of the monsoon.
08:43As it is now that there is the most food.
08:50But this lush new growth brought by the monsoon rains can be more of an inconvenience for others.
09:00This is a male lesser florican.
09:05For him, the arrival of the monsoon signals the start of the breeding season.
09:16Like the pygmy hog, this is time to coincide with the bounty brought by the monsoon.
09:23But he still needs the females to see him.
09:28There is really only one way.
09:35He jumps up to two metres in the air, calling as he does so, advertising himself to any female that
09:51can see him.
09:55And if that single feat wasn't enough, he'll repeat it up to 500 times a day.
10:11Looks like today is not his lucky day.
10:19It is now, at the end of the monsoon, that India is at its most productive.
10:29For India's animals, it's time to cash in.
10:36To those outside India, it's the perfect time to visit.
10:49Here, on the Tibetan plateau, to the north of the Himalayas,
10:54Demoiselle cranes are gathering.
11:02They've spent the summer breeding 1,000 kilometres away in Central Asia.
11:10But with winter approaching, and temperatures due to plummet to minus 20 degrees Celsius,
11:16it's time to get out.
11:21They're on their way to India, to take advantage of the post-monsoon bounty.
11:51Standing in their way are the tallest mountains on earth.
12:00The Himalayas.
12:05The cranes use the rising thermals to gain height.
12:12They will need to climb up to 5,000 metres if they are to get over the mountains.
12:25As they get higher, the winds become much more unpredictable.
12:33Strong gusts send them off course.
12:39And they are forced to turn back.
12:47A second group of cranes try a different route along a valley.
12:57A second group of cranes try a different route along a valley.
13:01A second group of cranes.
13:10This is the hunting ground of golden eagles.
13:21They pinpoint one of the younger cranes.
13:29The cranes try to go after 2,000 metres.
13:30Or they try to attack the forest.
13:41It's a different part.
13:41And they try to attack.
13:45This is the hunting ground.
13:45A second group of cranes.
13:46But they stop and kill the cranes.
13:46They try to kill the cranes.
13:46A second group of cranes.
13:47Not to kill the cranes.
13:50But the cranes.
13:50They chase him by a villain.
13:50The Eagle's hunt in pairs.
13:53The cranes.
14:00And though the first one misses, the young crane is driven straight into the clutches
14:06of the other.
14:17It may be a juvenile, but the crane still weighs almost the same as the eagle.
14:34Gaining control, the eagles have their prize.
14:54The flock presses on.
14:57Their migration must continue.
15:04At this altitude, they are on borrowed time.
15:35The Himalayas run across the north.
15:41For most of the year, they are locked in snow and ice.
15:49But in these late summer months, concealed among the impenetrable peaks, there are secluded
15:55valleys, where a hidden army is at work.
16:02Alpine flowers are making good use of the recent rains and short growing season, providing
16:11perfect food for bees.
16:28Here in the mountains, they have the biggest species of honey bee in the world.
16:35The giant cliff bee.
16:39Their hives are built high up on the exposed rock.
16:45On this one cliff alone, there are over two million bees.
16:54Workers returning to the nest, laden with nectar and pollen, tell other members of the hive
16:59where they have found their food, by performing what is known as a waggle dance.
17:08The directions are coded in the dancers' body positions.
17:19And whilst the observers follow the tip-off, the returning bee must make its way into the
17:25hive to deliver its precious cargo.
17:30Not always an easy task.
17:38Because the hive is fully exposed, the only way the bees can defend it is with their bodies.
17:46They line up, several rows deep, to form a defensive shield.
17:52It is all for a good reason.
17:58Hornets.
18:02Voracious predators, they are here to hunt bees.
18:09Separated from the rest of the hive, a single bee doesn't last very long.
18:16The hornets cruise around the hive, hoping to strike unsuspecting bees.
18:23But the guarding bees have a defence strategy.
18:28As soon as one bee realises a hornet is approaching, they lift their abdomen up in a threat display.
18:36The alarm ripples through the colony, creating a Mexican wave.
18:49This coordinated visual display shows the hornet that it's dealing with an army rather than a single soldier.
19:02It's enough to blur out the individual, and stops the hornet from attacking.
19:19It's not just hornets that are interested in these giant bees.
19:26For the people of the Himalayas, hidden in the hive is nature's superfood.
19:32Honey.
19:35In India's neighbour, Nepal, they use smoke to help them access it.
19:44Believing there to be a forest fire, the bees start to evacuate the hive.
19:54With the bees leaving, the next problem is getting to the hive.
20:03Suspended 50 metres off the ground, wearing no gloves or shoes, the honey collector descends into swarms of angry bees.
20:14He has to remove the lower part of the hive, where the larvae are, to get access to the honey
20:21-rich top.
20:26Now, balancing a basket on the end of a pole with his feet, he collects the honey.
20:33It's a feat of dexterity and a feast for the villagers.
20:40Though one hive has been destroyed, the honey hunters make sure there are many left unharmed to carry on the
20:47population.
20:56The two of them have been destroyed, the honey-rich top.
21:05The whole house is just a few people.
21:07The two of them have been destroyed, and the whole house is just a few people.
21:18I love you.
21:22I love you.
21:52BDC Electric starts Monday on BDC Earth.
22:22Only on BBC Earth.
22:53BDC Electric starts Monday on BDC Earth.
23:00Like the Brahmaputra, it too has burst its banks under the pressure of the monsoon rains.
23:08This flooded land has some of the most fertile growing conditions in India.
23:20Food grown here feeds over 500 million people.
23:29It may look like there's no room for wildlife, but hidden amongst the crops, there are many
23:37that call this home and are welcomed by the farmers.
23:47Frogs feed on insects that can damage crops.
23:54Indian apple snails feed on algae that, if left to get out of control, could smother the field.
24:13These man-made fields become a wildlife haven, attracting in predators, like open-billed stalks.
24:28Animals play a pivotal role in the Hindu religion.
24:32They are revered with many gods taking animal form.
24:38The stalks are a sign of good luck, as well as a healthy habitat.
24:48Luck is something the rice farmers need, as not all the animals appearing in the paddy fields are equally welcomed.
25:03The rising waters have pushed cobras and other venomous snakes out of their burrows and into the world above.
25:22In their hunt for dry land, they come into contact with people.
25:35Cobras rise up and hiss as a warning.
25:44But get too close, and they're forced to use their last defence.
26:05Every year, over 40,000 people die from being bitten by snakes.
26:13You would think that snakes would be universally feared.
26:19But one person's demon is another's deity.
26:28Normally secretive animals, there are some villages where cobras come out of the shadows and are accepted as neighbours rather
26:36than enemies.
26:45It's due to their spiritual significance that they are welcomed so openly.
26:55Many of the villages believe that they are protected and treat bites with faith-healing rather than modern medicine.
27:09Some villages claim that no one has ever died from a cobra's bite.
27:18Though the real truth behind this alleged immunity remains shrouded in mystery,
27:25it's a powerful testament to the reverence animals can command amongst Hindus.
27:47It's a powerful testament to the reverence animals.
27:48Traveling across India, back along the monsoon's path, to the far west of the country lies the Tar Desert.
27:59In some parts of India, up to 11 metres of rain can fall in a year.
28:06Here, as little as 10 centimetres can reach these arid lands.
28:13It is the hottest place in India.
28:20It can be a tough place to make your home.
28:32which makes it all the more surprising that the people of Kitchen are scattering their precious grain on the dry
28:39ground inside their village.
28:44One and a half tonnes of it.
28:50Kitchen is a remote village hidden deep within the desert.
28:55The villagers are followers of Jainism, a religion that treats people and animals as equals.
29:04They are preparing a welcoming party.
29:15All for some very weary travellers.
29:19Battling fatigue and hunger, the cranes have made it across the Himalayas.
29:30When the people of Kitchen first started providing food for the cranes, just 15 birds visited.
29:41Now, there are a lot more.
29:58In a single season, around 150,000 birds visit the village.
30:10All have flown over two and a half thousand kilometres to be here.
30:23The grain is a welcome sight.
30:31Nowhere else in India is it possible to see this number of cranes this close.
30:41Some will stay here all winter.
30:44But for most, this is a staging post.
30:50They still need to push further south.
30:53Out of the desert.
30:55To their wintering grounds in southern India.
31:26Without people to help them, these grey langurs are left with slim pickings at this time of year.
31:37Like other monkeys, they must rely on their dexterity and intelligence to get by.
31:47Desert plants are notoriously protective of their precious leaves and flowers.
31:57After getting through the defences of this thaw cactus, the reward is hardly substantial.
32:11To reduce water loss, many of the plants have tough, small leaves.
32:26Langurs can get up to three quarters of the water they need from what they eat.
32:34So while it's still relatively cool early in the morning, they eat as much as they can.
32:53For some of the younger members of the troop, this is also time to let off steam.
33:04It may look frivolous, but this is essential preparation.
33:12When these young males grow up, they will be banished from the troop by their father.
33:21The alpha male.
33:30He doesn't want any competition.
33:38At the moment, he provides their protection.
33:43But expelled and outside the safety, these young males will have to fend for themselves.
34:02Preparation begins now.
34:12As exiled lone bachelors, they will compete with each other.
34:21Their only chance of breeding will be to fight and defeat an alpha male.
34:29Possibly even their own father.
34:54Possibly even their own father.
34:56Possibly even their own father.
35:00But that time is some way off yet.
35:08As the sun rises, the temperature becomes unbearable.
35:16The langurs try and hide from the sun, finding what little shade there is.
35:36The dry season is picking up pace.
35:41And shade is a precious commodity all over India.
35:51Nowhere is this more evident than in the open grasslands of Velavadar National Park.
36:00It's here, in this sun-baked land, that you find an animal you may not expect to see in India.
36:12The striped hyena.
36:15The striped hyena.
36:16The only species of hyena to live outside Africa.
36:24This female, out in the midday sun, has been looking to scavenge meat.
36:30Her source of protein.
36:33However, she is returning empty-handed.
36:39Her three cubs have been waiting for her.
36:45Hyenas have three times as much protein in their milk as humans.
36:53It means the cubs can go longer between feeds.
37:00Just what she needs in these lean times.
37:10Hyenas aren't the only unexpected animals of these arid lands.
37:19Traveling south into the Ghir forest of Gujarat, you could easily think you'd arrived in the African savannah.
37:35However, lions are just as Indian as their famous cousins, the tigers.
37:42And were once the symbol of India.
37:51They are the remnants of a population that once numbered in the tens of thousands, and spread from India all
37:58the way to the Mediterranean.
38:06Today, there are roughly 500 lions left in India, all in Gujarat.
38:24They share the forest with the Maldari people, who graze their cattle among the trees.
38:31They live in harmony with the lions, but they still need to take precautions.
38:40The forest is thick with scrub, so rather than chase down their prey, the lions ambush them.
38:51It's the middle of the day.
38:53Normally, a time too hot to hunt.
39:05But they can't ignore this opportunity.
39:12A Nilgai is as tall as a man.
39:15It would easily feed this pride.
39:24Continuing to graze, it has yet to spot the lions.
39:32Using a dry riverbed as cover, they edge closer.
39:46They won't catch it now.
39:57It's been six months since the monsoon rains finished.
40:02And water is becoming a scarce commodity.
40:08Further south, the last remaining pools are drying up.
40:13This is bad news for all the locals.
40:17For the few that make these pools their home, it's a much bigger problem.
40:28But under the cover of darkness, one of its inhabitants makes a break for it.
40:37Climbing perch.
40:40They have a hidden talent.
40:46They can walk on land.
40:53Using specially adapted rigid plates, they push themselves along.
41:04It's the drop in oxygen, as the water disappears, that's the signal to escape their shrinking homes.
41:17They can remain out of water for up to ten hours, breathing air using a specialist organ above their gills.
41:29If they can't find any water, they can bury themselves in the ground, sleeping through the dry season.
41:36But they are driven to find a new pool.
41:45There is no guarantee that this one will last any longer than the last one.
41:59When the dry season is at its peak, there is nowhere that feels the full intensity of the sun quite
42:06like the ran of Kutch.
42:13Nine months ago, this flat salt pan was completely underwater, creating an inland sea.
42:23Baked bone dry, it seems impossible that anything can survive here.
42:31However, there is an animal that calls this place home.
42:39Indian wild ass.
42:44They are the ultimate desert specialist.
42:57When the water dries up, they can get refreshment from the plants they eat.
43:07However, they are being pushed to their very limits.
43:17The birth of the foals was meant to coincide with the returning monsoon.
43:24But the rains are late.
43:33These mothers can barely find enough food for themselves, let alone provide for their foals.
43:48Their milk is running dry.
43:54They need the rains to return.
44:03It's not only the animals of the deserts that are feeling the full effect of the sun.
44:10It's been a long time since the monsoon passed over central India.
44:14And it's starting to take its toll on its forests.
44:20In many parts of the world, the sight of leaves changing colour and falling to the ground is a sign
44:26that a cold winter is on its way.
44:29But not here, in the teak forests of central India.
44:36Leaves are porous.
44:37And in this intense heat, the trees are losing water through them.
44:46They are a liability and must go.
45:02With the leaves gone, it becomes much easier to see the animals that were previously concealed.
45:15Gore.
45:17Males can grow to over a ton in weight.
45:22And over two metres tall.
45:29In these lean months, they're forced to scrape bark off the trees for food.
45:37However, for others, there is a saviour in these woods.
45:44The Mahua tree.
45:47One of the only trees to blossom in these dry conditions.
45:53Their deep roots are able to access the last remaining water.
46:00The flowers, with liquid nectar that's 70% sugar, are not only a source of nutrients, but also one of
46:10the few ways you can quench your thirst.
46:20It's a real feast for the resident langurs.
46:30Not all the forest inhabitants have quite the same reach.
46:39But help is at hand.
46:46Some messy eaters have arrived.
46:52With only their beaks to grasp the flowers, the parakeets and other small birds can't always keep hold of their
46:59food.
47:04Good news for the hungry mouths waiting below.
47:11It's a win-win situation.
47:20There's a benefit to everyone having deer around.
47:27They're the best lookouts in the forest.
47:36Their senses are always highly tuned.
47:45Every crackling leaf.
47:52Every crackling leaf.
47:54Every moving shadow.
47:54Every crackling leaf.
48:00Could signal hidden danger.
48:18They are jittery.
48:28But you do not want to run from what you cannot see.
48:34As you may run straight into it.
48:42But this is not the tiger they need to worry about.
48:46She is one of two cubs.
48:50And though almost adult size, she and her sister are not experienced enough to hunt by themselves.
49:04At the other end of the clearing is their mother.
49:17She is experienced.
49:19She knows that you need to be patient.
49:26Shielded by the dry grass, she has been waiting...
49:35For just the right moment.
49:40For just the right moment.
49:51Can tournaments fight out?
50:06Who's knowing?
50:07How do you mind?
50:07Those are the spirits of distillation.
50:12A missed opportunity.
50:21However it is only a question of time until she is successful.
50:35Surviving these lean months and the unremitting heat of the dry season is the hardest part
50:41of the year for India's wildlife.
50:45But the same heat that has punished them these last few months is about to be their saviour.
50:54The hot air rising off India draws in cooler air laden with water from India's southern
51:04ocean.
51:08Travelling south to India's southern tip, you hit the returning monsoon.
51:21This is what the wildlife of India has been waiting for.
51:54This is what the wildlife of India has been waiting for.
51:57This is what the wildlife of India has been waiting for.
51:58This is what the wildlife of India has been waiting.
51:59You
Comments