1 00:00:02,702 --> 00:00:08,473 Jungles cover just 6% of the planet but contain half of all its life... 2 00:00:12,210 --> 00:00:16,647 Find an insect here and chances are, it's never been seen before... 3 00:00:17,814 --> 00:00:18,882 ...let alone named. 4 00:00:21,517 --> 00:00:24,953 What makes the rainforest the richest environment on earth? 5 00:00:27,389 --> 00:00:28,723 ln this series we'll discover 6 00:00:28,890 --> 00:00:34,227 how the sun's energy powers this extraordinary variety of life. 7 00:00:35,395 --> 00:00:37,764 l'm about to meet some amazing animals, 8 00:00:38,064 --> 00:00:45,270 scale the tallest trees and explore one of the world's last frontiers. 9 00:01:00,982 --> 00:01:06,620 This sea of green stretching out below is the greatest driving force of life 10 00:01:07,020 --> 00:01:09,489 but because of its inaccessibility 11 00:01:09,756 --> 00:01:12,825 it's one of the last places on earth to be explored. 12 00:01:16,094 --> 00:01:18,529 ln fact it's so hard to get up here, 13 00:01:18,730 --> 00:01:22,766 at the moment we know less about the canopy of the rainforest 14 00:01:22,933 --> 00:01:25,435 than we do about the surface of the moon. 15 00:01:29,405 --> 00:01:33,074 But now using special equipment such as this cinebulle... 16 00:01:33,308 --> 00:01:34,843 a motorized balloon... 17 00:01:35,176 --> 00:01:38,445 we're at last able to discover some of its secrets. 18 00:01:57,594 --> 00:02:00,763 Jungles form a green band right around the globe, 19 00:02:01,064 --> 00:02:04,433 spanning the equator through central and south America... 20 00:02:04,633 --> 00:02:07,035 across Africa and south east Asia... 21 00:02:07,469 --> 00:02:09,437 all the way here... to Borneo. 22 00:02:15,575 --> 00:02:19,845 But what's it like to live way up in this canopy world? 23 00:02:24,149 --> 00:02:26,984 Think of a jungle and you think trees. 24 00:02:28,185 --> 00:02:32,389 They're the essential ingredient but the business end isn't down here, 25 00:02:32,689 --> 00:02:33,656 it's up there. 26 00:02:34,524 --> 00:02:37,760 That's where the action is and where the animals want to be. 27 00:02:38,393 --> 00:02:40,395 But to be part of that high society 28 00:02:40,629 --> 00:02:45,132 you need to be more than just a social climber, you need to be a pro. 29 00:02:53,572 --> 00:02:58,776 To us, moving around 70 metres up in the air would be a scary business. 30 00:02:59,911 --> 00:03:03,647 But the animals that live up here just make it look a breeze. 31 00:03:17,725 --> 00:03:21,328 Orang-utans are the largest animals living full time in the tree tops. 32 00:03:22,462 --> 00:03:25,765 But one false move up here could cost you your life! 33 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:33,838 Orang utans are born with a powerful grip but they aren't born expert climbers. 34 00:03:34,205 --> 00:03:36,507 And it takes time for them to develop the skills 35 00:03:36,673 --> 00:03:38,742 they need to hang out in the canopy. 36 00:03:42,845 --> 00:03:46,448 Youngsters aren't weaned until they're at least five or six years old 37 00:03:46,915 --> 00:03:50,885 but they'll stay with their mothers for much longer than that during 38 00:03:51,052 --> 00:03:54,521 which time she passes on her knowledge of the forest to them 39 00:03:55,388 --> 00:03:58,824 but for these orphans who haven't got a mother to guide them 40 00:03:59,125 --> 00:04:00,859 it can be especially hard. 41 00:04:07,031 --> 00:04:10,801 As they get older they have to learn how to make he right judgement calls, 42 00:04:11,168 --> 00:04:14,037 find out which branches can take their weight 43 00:04:14,270 --> 00:04:16,906 and how to cross gaps by swinging on vines 44 00:04:17,139 --> 00:04:19,508 or bending branches to form bridges 45 00:04:19,875 --> 00:04:22,744 so they can move around the forest in search of food. 46 00:04:24,812 --> 00:04:26,747 So it's no mean feat to live up there 47 00:04:26,947 --> 00:04:29,182 and it can take several years to learn the ropes. 48 00:04:33,419 --> 00:04:37,655 But what's so good about the canopy that it's worth risking life and limb? 49 00:04:38,356 --> 00:04:39,490 l'm about to find out! 50 00:04:41,759 --> 00:04:45,895 But to reach the top l need a bit more than an orang-utan master class. 51 00:04:48,164 --> 00:04:50,599 The first problem is getting the rope up the tree. 52 00:04:51,166 --> 00:04:54,069 The second problem is getting me up the tree. 53 00:04:55,303 --> 00:04:59,073 There's one slight snag... l've got a real fear of heights. 54 00:05:03,509 --> 00:05:04,944 And there's something else... 55 00:05:08,313 --> 00:05:12,583 The trees in Borneo are the tallest of any tropical rainforest 56 00:05:12,917 --> 00:05:14,852 and this one's a mammoth. 57 00:05:15,586 --> 00:05:23,926 75, 80 metres, that's nearly 250 feet l maybe feel dizzy just looking at it 58 00:05:31,499 --> 00:05:33,066 l have to take a little break 59 00:05:37,937 --> 00:05:39,138 l've got a camera on my helmet 60 00:05:39,305 --> 00:05:43,108 so l can actually show you the kind of view that l am seeing from up here, 61 00:05:44,075 --> 00:05:47,011 it's a really quite a long way down there. 62 00:06:16,234 --> 00:06:18,303 This is really scary. 63 00:06:57,367 --> 00:07:02,571 Thank Goodness! l've made it. l'm exhausted 64 00:07:08,109 --> 00:07:10,945 l am feeling a bit of vertigo and l am very aware 65 00:07:11,145 --> 00:07:13,680 that this giant's limbs are holding me up. 66 00:07:15,015 --> 00:07:19,552 But what a spectacular view, it's wonderful. 67 00:07:29,726 --> 00:07:32,762 That's got to be one of the most nerve wracking things l've ever done... 68 00:07:33,429 --> 00:07:37,533 but it's the only way to really appreciate the animals that live up here. 69 00:07:54,847 --> 00:08:00,384 So here l am, about 60 metres off the ground, up a giant menggaris tree. 70 00:08:01,118 --> 00:08:04,688 lt's just fantastic... well worth the climb. 71 00:08:14,095 --> 00:08:18,299 But there is a snag... now l'm up here, l have to stay put. 72 00:08:18,666 --> 00:08:21,001 l'm just not equipped to get around. 73 00:08:22,535 --> 00:08:25,938 But the animals that live here have neat solutions to the problem. 74 00:08:32,276 --> 00:08:37,381 These orang-utans use their sheer weight to swing effortlessly between the trees. 75 00:08:47,088 --> 00:08:48,323 And if you haven't got a rope, 76 00:08:48,590 --> 00:08:53,727 these South American Woolly monkeys find a grasping tail works just as well. 77 00:08:55,395 --> 00:09:00,032 Spring loaded legs help these lemurs in Madagascar get from tree to tree. 78 00:09:07,505 --> 00:09:11,208 And sometimes, just a simple leap of faith will do! 79 00:09:21,116 --> 00:09:24,852 Woo! But there's one animal that easily surpasses all the others. 80 00:09:25,819 --> 00:09:30,857 And it relies simply on strength, agility and nerves of steel. 81 00:09:33,759 --> 00:09:39,063 Gibbons are the kings of swingers, the fastest flightless animals in the canopy. 82 00:09:41,332 --> 00:09:45,201 The key to the gibbon's amazing agility is its unique wrist, 83 00:09:45,735 --> 00:09:49,672 with a ball and socket joint that lets it swing like a pendulum. 84 00:09:50,472 --> 00:09:52,607 To be anywhere near as good as gibbons 85 00:09:52,874 --> 00:09:56,410 l'd need fingers nearly twice the length that l have. 86 00:10:02,415 --> 00:10:06,552 At top speed, no part of the gibbon's body is in contact with the trees... 87 00:10:07,052 --> 00:10:09,254 they literally gallop through thin air! 88 00:10:14,291 --> 00:10:18,695 lmagine being able to leap 1 2 metres in a single bound. 89 00:10:34,908 --> 00:10:38,010 Other animals don't gallop, they glide. 90 00:10:40,045 --> 00:10:42,280 Using their skin flaps like wings, 91 00:10:42,614 --> 00:10:46,284 tiny dragon lizards can glide up to 1 00 metres... 92 00:10:51,521 --> 00:10:53,089 Some snakes can glide too... 93 00:10:53,590 --> 00:10:56,525 and even steer themselves from one branch to another... 94 00:11:01,863 --> 00:11:07,601 And this frog has webbed feet that act like tiny parachutes to break its fall... 95 00:11:11,204 --> 00:11:15,073 Seeing how easily animals move through the canopy makes me realize 96 00:11:15,307 --> 00:11:17,876 how ill equipped we are for life in the trees. 97 00:11:18,509 --> 00:11:20,011 Wouldn't it be fantastic 98 00:11:20,311 --> 00:11:24,347 if l could just step off this branch and fly though the air. 99 00:11:35,156 --> 00:11:37,491 But there is a way l can fly. 100 00:11:42,962 --> 00:11:45,431 One way they can get a better overview of the canopy 101 00:11:45,598 --> 00:11:49,367 and find out how it works is using this cinebulle. 102 00:11:58,308 --> 00:11:59,476 As with any hot air balloon, 103 00:11:59,742 --> 00:12:02,578 we have to take off at dawn when the air is still. 104 00:12:03,312 --> 00:12:06,581 But the advantage of this cinebulle is that it has an engine... 105 00:12:06,948 --> 00:12:10,284 so we can steer and we're not totally at the mercy of the wind. 106 00:12:14,788 --> 00:12:19,658 This is spectacular... my first chance for a bird's eye view of the canopy. 107 00:12:23,061 --> 00:12:24,529 lt's a real revelation! 108 00:12:24,896 --> 00:12:29,099 Now l can see the whole forest spread out beneath me. 109 00:12:35,371 --> 00:12:38,607 Just look at the sheer size of those trees... 110 00:12:39,341 --> 00:12:40,875 and there are millions down there, 111 00:12:41,109 --> 00:12:46,380 as far as l can see in every direction... all bursting with life. 112 00:12:48,114 --> 00:12:51,050 lt's like sailing over a sea of leaves... 113 00:12:55,454 --> 00:13:01,392 l thought l might be scared but actually it is just so exciting to be up here. 114 00:13:16,137 --> 00:13:17,605 We're skimming the treetops. 115 00:13:31,416 --> 00:13:36,320 From up here the rainforest looks as complex as any manmade metropolis. 116 00:13:36,753 --> 00:13:41,457 Each tree is like a huge tower block reaching into the sky. 117 00:13:46,561 --> 00:13:50,965 But unlike our cities, this one is completely solar powered... 118 00:13:51,599 --> 00:13:56,236 and each individual tower is designed to maximise the sunlight. 119 00:13:58,604 --> 00:14:02,541 Every tree crown is shaped to capture as much light as possible. 120 00:14:02,908 --> 00:14:06,644 The upper canopy absorbs 90% of the sun, 121 00:14:07,144 --> 00:14:10,013 while lower down, the little that does get through 122 00:14:10,214 --> 00:14:15,618 is trapped by other trees perfectly formed to snap up what's left. 123 00:14:16,519 --> 00:14:21,556 These layers are so seamless that very little light reaches the forest floor. 124 00:14:37,535 --> 00:14:43,140 Stretching out beneath me right here is an incredible solar factory. 125 00:14:48,311 --> 00:14:52,447 Each tree is powered by thousands and thousands of leaves. 126 00:14:53,215 --> 00:14:58,719 Like trillions of tiny solar panels they harness the sun's energy, 127 00:14:59,586 --> 00:15:03,756 strange to think that a humble leaf is responsible 128 00:15:03,923 --> 00:15:09,494 for the single most important reaction on the planet: photosynthesis. 129 00:15:12,397 --> 00:15:18,001 Plants everywhere use photosynthesis - the process of converting sunlight, 130 00:15:18,201 --> 00:15:20,603 carbon dioxide and water into food. 131 00:15:21,070 --> 00:15:24,406 But here, it's done on a massive scale. 132 00:15:24,873 --> 00:15:28,810 This is the most productive living system on the planet. 133 00:15:31,378 --> 00:15:33,747 ln these equatorial rainforests, 134 00:15:34,147 --> 00:15:37,717 where the tropical sun is so intense all year round, 135 00:15:38,084 --> 00:15:40,019 the energy produced in the canopy 136 00:15:40,185 --> 00:15:44,122 could power a thousand cities the size of New York. 137 00:15:45,089 --> 00:15:48,759 And it's not just trees that are so hungry for this solar energy - 138 00:15:49,193 --> 00:15:51,895 other plants want a piece of the action too. 139 00:15:58,867 --> 00:16:05,239 Giant trees like this provide a perfect spot for huge roof top gardens. 140 00:16:18,750 --> 00:16:22,653 From the forest floor you'd never guess the canopy was hiding 141 00:16:22,820 --> 00:16:24,821 such an explosion of colour... 142 00:16:26,523 --> 00:16:28,758 There are even garden ponds up here - 143 00:16:28,958 --> 00:16:31,560 which are always great for attracting wildlife. 144 00:16:32,427 --> 00:16:36,464 These bromeliads in South America are one of the few places 145 00:16:36,664 --> 00:16:39,033 where drinking water collects in the treetops. 146 00:16:39,733 --> 00:16:43,570 ldeal for a thirsty coatimundi or woolley monkey. 147 00:16:46,172 --> 00:16:48,240 Not only are they handy drinking fountains 148 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:51,342 but they also make good breeding pools for frogs... 149 00:16:57,547 --> 00:17:00,650 Amazingly, some even harbour predatory crabs! 150 00:17:04,253 --> 00:17:07,322 So whether it's lunchtime or bath time, 151 00:17:07,489 --> 00:17:10,157 all the plants and animals up here are linked - 152 00:17:10,524 --> 00:17:13,527 involved in countless close, relationships. 153 00:17:15,095 --> 00:17:18,030 And the sheer variety and numbers are astonishing... 154 00:17:18,397 --> 00:17:22,000 one in 1 0 of all the world's plants can be found up here... 155 00:17:23,135 --> 00:17:27,104 and there are more animals living in the canopy than anywhere else on earth... 156 00:17:27,905 --> 00:17:31,675 which is why it just shakes, rattles and rolls with life! 157 00:17:39,948 --> 00:17:43,918 Here in the rainforest, there are thousands of different types of tree, 158 00:17:44,185 --> 00:17:46,687 each one with a multitude of residents. 159 00:17:47,387 --> 00:17:52,124 But as with any property it's location, location, location... 160 00:17:56,628 --> 00:18:00,364 and there's lots of competition for the perfect penthouse home. 161 00:18:05,969 --> 00:18:09,872 For hornbills, finding the right tree is crucial to survival. 162 00:18:11,340 --> 00:18:12,974 They need a roomy nesting hole - 163 00:18:13,341 --> 00:18:16,911 usually made when a large branch falls off a mature tree... 164 00:18:17,545 --> 00:18:18,946 which doesn't happen very often. 165 00:18:20,347 --> 00:18:23,383 Scientists have installed surveillance cameras into nest holes 166 00:18:23,683 --> 00:18:26,852 like this to get an intimate kind of big brother 167 00:18:27,052 --> 00:18:29,521 view into the private lives of hornbills. 168 00:18:32,924 --> 00:18:37,794 These unique pictures show a female hornbill making herself at home. 169 00:18:38,495 --> 00:18:41,130 She needs to feel as comfortable as possible 170 00:18:41,397 --> 00:18:45,033 because she's going to be a prisoner in here for up to 4 months. 171 00:18:47,335 --> 00:18:50,671 Once in, she starts preparing to seal up the door... 172 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:54,841 She's plugging the entrance with mud, 173 00:18:55,175 --> 00:19:00,579 pieces of wood and sticky fruit - and leaving just a very narrow slit. 174 00:19:05,583 --> 00:19:07,418 And the reason why she shuts herself away... 175 00:19:07,585 --> 00:19:10,454 is to lay her egg and protect her chick. 176 00:19:14,357 --> 00:19:18,427 From now on, she'll depend entirely on her partner to survive. 177 00:19:19,227 --> 00:19:23,998 He makes about ten or more runs a day, bringing back about a kilogram of food, 178 00:19:24,298 --> 00:19:29,302 a varied diet of fruit, insects, small reptiles and young birds. 179 00:19:30,903 --> 00:19:32,338 He stores it in his throat, 180 00:19:32,638 --> 00:19:36,007 and once back at the nest, regurgitates it for his family. 181 00:19:41,612 --> 00:19:44,381 With such intensive care, the chick grows fast... 182 00:19:44,748 --> 00:19:46,883 and eats mum out of house and home. 183 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:55,056 After five weeks there's only room inside the hole for him. 184 00:19:58,926 --> 00:20:02,929 Once a pair have found their ideal home, they'll keep on coming back for years. 185 00:20:03,496 --> 00:20:07,533 So trees like this are critical to the survival of these endangered birds. 186 00:20:10,969 --> 00:20:13,070 lf this nest isn't available next year, 187 00:20:13,471 --> 00:20:16,006 this chick's parents may never find another. 188 00:20:21,644 --> 00:20:27,282 The canopy is such a prime location, even plants are in a race to reach the top! 189 00:20:31,886 --> 00:20:34,221 These climbing lianas take a fast track 190 00:20:34,421 --> 00:20:37,023 to the sun by crawling up the trunks of trees. 191 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:43,928 Because they don't have to support themselves, 192 00:20:44,129 --> 00:20:46,898 they can channel all their energy into growth... 193 00:20:47,765 --> 00:20:51,268 shooting up towards the light at breakneck speed! 194 00:21:01,376 --> 00:21:03,344 Once they've gone as high as they can go, 195 00:21:03,544 --> 00:21:07,748 they climb over the tree crowns, knitting the canopy together. 196 00:21:09,182 --> 00:21:13,152 Over decades a single liana may grow as a thick as a tree... 197 00:21:13,586 --> 00:21:17,222 and can reach a staggering length... of more than a kilometre. 198 00:21:21,092 --> 00:21:23,327 And they are great for hanging around in... 199 00:21:24,261 --> 00:21:27,430 They are flexible and very very strong. 200 00:21:35,637 --> 00:21:39,440 But it's not just me and Tarzan who make use of the lianas. 201 00:21:40,107 --> 00:21:42,442 For bugs these lianas are like highways. 202 00:21:43,243 --> 00:21:45,811 Allowing them to commute from tree to tree. 203 00:21:49,081 --> 00:21:53,651 The lianas are a godsend for all kinds of animals, providing a safe bridge. 204 00:21:56,386 --> 00:22:00,290 And these bridges can take you up... down... and across! 205 00:22:12,599 --> 00:22:17,737 Canopies with lots of these highways in the sky are home to many more animals. 206 00:22:18,337 --> 00:22:22,207 After all, such a sophisticated 3D transport system 207 00:22:22,541 --> 00:22:24,742 is bound to attract more commuters. 208 00:22:30,414 --> 00:22:32,949 So what are all these animals up here for? 209 00:22:33,650 --> 00:22:35,985 The answer is simple - food. 210 00:22:36,752 --> 00:22:39,621 And some of the best sources of food are flowers. 211 00:22:44,291 --> 00:22:46,393 The flowers are an open invitation. 212 00:22:46,860 --> 00:22:52,331 Like flashing neon lights they can be seen for miles across the high rise city. 213 00:22:54,766 --> 00:22:58,803 They are like billboards, advertising the latest jungle eateries. 214 00:23:01,172 --> 00:23:04,574 As in any city, there are different restaurants for different tastes. 215 00:23:05,242 --> 00:23:08,978 And a single tree may have as many as 600,000 flowers, 216 00:23:09,178 --> 00:23:12,681 producing hundreds of litres of nectar every day. 217 00:23:16,751 --> 00:23:20,987 This is a coral tree. lt's a favourite amongst the birds. 218 00:23:22,555 --> 00:23:27,626 Trees pollinated by birds lay on huge quantities of sugary nectar... 219 00:23:28,026 --> 00:23:29,494 energy on tap. 220 00:23:34,231 --> 00:23:37,567 Any one type of tree may only be in flower for a week or so, 221 00:23:37,801 --> 00:23:40,470 but different types flower at different times - 222 00:23:40,970 --> 00:23:43,806 so somewhere or other, there's always a meal to be had. 223 00:23:50,645 --> 00:23:53,046 But it's insects who are the main clientele... 224 00:23:53,347 --> 00:23:57,150 ln payment for a hearty meal, they help to pollinate the trees... 225 00:23:57,550 --> 00:24:02,054 in fact they pollinate 90% of all plants in the canopy... 226 00:24:05,523 --> 00:24:09,126 So it's no surprise that this place is really buzzing. 227 00:24:14,764 --> 00:24:18,900 These are giant honey bees and each year they migrate hundreds of kilometres, 228 00:24:19,134 --> 00:24:22,203 timing their journey to arrive as the rainforest blooms. 229 00:24:31,477 --> 00:24:33,679 The colony - up to 40,000 strong - 230 00:24:33,879 --> 00:24:37,582 returns every year to nest in the branches of the same tree. 231 00:24:43,787 --> 00:24:47,490 Giant honey bees are 3 times the size of European bees 232 00:24:47,724 --> 00:24:50,059 and can pack twice the sting! 233 00:24:52,861 --> 00:24:55,897 So predators are best to heed the warning in this wave... 234 00:24:56,531 --> 00:24:59,466 it's an alarm that goes off if the bees feel threatened. 235 00:25:06,705 --> 00:25:10,408 Even the orangs' thick fur isn't completely sting proof... 236 00:25:11,042 --> 00:25:12,610 l wouldn't stand a chance! 237 00:25:15,779 --> 00:25:21,250 But still... compared to my next assignment, giant bees don't sound so bad! 238 00:25:30,291 --> 00:25:34,061 First, take 2 kilometres of rope and drape it over the treetops. 239 00:25:36,029 --> 00:25:40,132 Second, you need a balloon filled with helium. 240 00:25:41,567 --> 00:25:44,169 Third, get someone with a bad fear of heights - 241 00:25:44,702 --> 00:25:47,638 and you've got the recipe for another thrilling experience. 242 00:25:48,939 --> 00:25:52,475 This is the only way l can hang about in the outermost tips of the trees... 243 00:25:52,909 --> 00:25:56,045 and the nearest l can get to being a canopy animal! 244 00:25:57,146 --> 00:25:57,913 And l'm off... 245 00:26:15,027 --> 00:26:17,462 This is the most incredible feeling... 246 00:26:29,872 --> 00:26:31,140 This is quite hard work. 247 00:26:35,443 --> 00:26:37,111 l'm about 250 feet up, 248 00:26:37,645 --> 00:26:41,114 that's about the same as being on the 21 st floor of a building. 249 00:26:44,951 --> 00:26:49,321 This bubble is full of helium and so l should be at neutral buoyancy. 250 00:26:49,688 --> 00:26:53,858 And when l get stuck in the branches, which is the one problem about this, 251 00:26:54,191 --> 00:26:56,060 l should just be able to give a little bounce off a branch 252 00:26:56,226 --> 00:27:00,530 and get lift-off which should just take me floating over the treetops! 253 00:27:10,871 --> 00:27:12,306 So much for that idea! 254 00:27:16,276 --> 00:27:17,310 Best not to look down. 255 00:27:18,044 --> 00:27:19,612 lt's a very long way... 256 00:27:21,947 --> 00:27:24,716 lt's just fantastic up here. 257 00:27:27,318 --> 00:27:29,653 And this is what l come to find. 258 00:27:32,455 --> 00:27:33,022 Got ya. 259 00:27:33,990 --> 00:27:37,459 Figs are one of the most reliable sources of food in the forest. 260 00:27:40,929 --> 00:27:44,398 When a fig tree comes into fruit, it's like switching on a beacon, 261 00:27:44,865 --> 00:27:47,434 advertising the opening of a new restaurant. 262 00:27:49,702 --> 00:27:53,839 Animals of all descriptions home in, some from miles away. 263 00:27:54,206 --> 00:27:58,143 ln fact some figs are visited by more than 1 00 different species... 264 00:27:58,743 --> 00:28:02,379 everything from hornbills and orang utans... 265 00:28:05,482 --> 00:28:11,954 to gibbons and tree squirrels... sometimes all in a single day! 266 00:28:17,291 --> 00:28:22,295 Figs come in various colours and sizes but they all provide a reliable meal. 267 00:28:22,996 --> 00:28:26,232 And the more visitors the better to disperse their seeds. 268 00:28:34,405 --> 00:28:36,340 Young orang utans learn from their mothers 269 00:28:36,507 --> 00:28:39,342 where and when the trees come into fruit each year. 270 00:28:41,177 --> 00:28:42,812 They travel miles across the canopy, 271 00:28:43,045 --> 00:28:47,582 keeping an eye on restaurant opening times and testing figs to see if they're ripe. 272 00:28:48,283 --> 00:28:52,519 This memory map is an essential part of their jungle survival kit. 273 00:28:59,158 --> 00:29:04,129 A fig feast only lasts a couple of weeks but as one comes to an end, 274 00:29:04,396 --> 00:29:06,397 somewhere another is beginning... 275 00:29:06,964 --> 00:29:09,967 and the jungle traffic heads off in a new direction... 276 00:29:12,002 --> 00:29:16,739 Figs may be good for animals but they may spell disaster to the trees. 277 00:29:18,073 --> 00:29:21,910 This little seedling of destruction is a strangler fig. 278 00:29:23,678 --> 00:29:25,045 lt sends down these roots 279 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:31,317 and when they reach the ground this tree's fate is sealed. 280 00:29:34,286 --> 00:29:39,690 As it grows a strangler takes hold of its chosen tree in a lethal embrace... 281 00:29:40,091 --> 00:29:44,561 Spreading slowly but surely to form a living cage 282 00:29:44,995 --> 00:29:47,463 from which there is absolutely no escape. 283 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:12,250 But it's not just massive trees that play host to these super plant parasites. 284 00:30:12,884 --> 00:30:15,286 They'll get a grip on anything that will support them. 285 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:19,022 These are the ruins of Angkor in Cambodia... 286 00:30:21,724 --> 00:30:25,927 part of a lost civilization that was only rediscovered in 1 960. 287 00:30:29,230 --> 00:30:33,767 So tight is the stranglers' grip that in some cases they're the only thing 288 00:30:33,934 --> 00:30:36,669 that's keeping these 600 year old temples standing. 289 00:30:41,974 --> 00:30:44,909 lf strangler figs have so much power over stone, 290 00:30:45,276 --> 00:30:48,646 what happens when their strength is unleashed on a living tree? 291 00:30:51,715 --> 00:30:57,386 Over decades, they constrict its growth and slowly smother it to death... 292 00:30:59,788 --> 00:31:00,622 All traces of the tree 293 00:31:00,789 --> 00:31:04,325 that once supported this strangler fig have now completely disappeared. 294 00:31:18,369 --> 00:31:21,505 ln here is where the original tree has rotted away. 295 00:31:22,172 --> 00:31:24,508 Leaving just this lattice work of roots 296 00:31:25,041 --> 00:31:27,844 which makes a fantastic living climbing frame. 297 00:31:33,548 --> 00:31:36,184 lt's absolutely amazing this tree. 298 00:31:36,517 --> 00:31:42,155 Full of creepy crawlies but l am just hoping that there aren't any snakes. 299 00:31:42,822 --> 00:31:44,891 Most of this stuff looks as if it could be full of them. 300 00:31:46,158 --> 00:31:47,493 But l'm nearly at the top. 301 00:31:50,362 --> 00:31:53,397 The strangler fig's remarkable strategy has enabled 302 00:31:53,564 --> 00:31:58,201 it to get a head start and win a place high in the canopy. 303 00:32:05,007 --> 00:32:09,377 For any tree, reaching the canopy takes huge amounts of time and energy. 304 00:32:09,710 --> 00:32:14,548 But a few go even further and stick out head and shoulders above the rest. 305 00:32:26,857 --> 00:32:28,626 Some of these giant menggaris 306 00:32:28,826 --> 00:32:32,962 and dipterocarp trees can tower almost 90 metres tall... 307 00:32:33,563 --> 00:32:35,765 that's like a 30 storey skyscraper. 308 00:32:36,732 --> 00:32:39,468 But there's a price to pay for reaching these dizzy heights. 309 00:32:40,502 --> 00:32:41,569 lt's tough at the top! 310 00:32:44,071 --> 00:32:46,340 And things are about to get tougher for me too. 311 00:32:46,907 --> 00:32:51,010 l've got to get up there at the hottest, most uncomfortable time of day. 312 00:32:53,746 --> 00:32:54,480 lt's noon, 313 00:32:54,746 --> 00:32:58,149 much too dangerous for the balloon... the hot air is too turbulent. 314 00:32:58,650 --> 00:33:03,487 Which is why, here in Borneo, biologists use a giant crane. 315 00:33:10,259 --> 00:33:11,827 Here at the very top of the canopy 316 00:33:11,994 --> 00:33:15,330 it can be more like a desert than a tropical rainforest. 317 00:33:15,930 --> 00:33:19,199 Lack of water and the intense heat of the sun 318 00:33:19,533 --> 00:33:22,769 can make it pretty unpleasant both for me and the trees. 319 00:33:28,006 --> 00:33:30,041 That's why many of the leaves of canopy trees 320 00:33:30,208 --> 00:33:34,778 are tilted in such a way to avoid the direct heat of the midday sun. 321 00:33:35,479 --> 00:33:40,316 And instead catch the less damaging rays of the morning and late afternoon. 322 00:33:43,686 --> 00:33:49,323 After a few hours baking in intense tropical sun, it's now reached 35 degrees. 323 00:33:50,124 --> 00:33:53,860 By mid afternoon all anyone can do is sit it out... 324 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:03,468 l'm starting to wilt too... 325 00:34:15,611 --> 00:34:19,347 The heat's uncomfortable, but it can also be dangerous. 326 00:34:22,617 --> 00:34:26,353 lt stirs up unstable air currents... and that means trouble... 327 00:34:27,687 --> 00:34:30,123 Storms can come in very fast up here 328 00:34:30,490 --> 00:34:33,092 especially in the afternoon when the air heats up. 329 00:34:33,859 --> 00:34:36,695 You certainly don't want to be around when they arrive. 330 00:34:39,230 --> 00:34:43,767 l'm in one great big lightning conductor, and l can't risk staying up here! 331 00:34:44,367 --> 00:34:48,137 But to see what happens next we've left some cameras in the canopy. 332 00:34:52,808 --> 00:34:55,877 The wind buffets these branches with tremendous force... 333 00:34:56,410 --> 00:34:58,078 at up to 80 kilometres an hour... 334 00:35:13,491 --> 00:35:15,559 Have you ever seen rain like this? 335 00:35:16,627 --> 00:35:18,595 Even the trees are in danger of drowning! 336 00:35:19,496 --> 00:35:21,631 They need to shut their breathing pores and dump 337 00:35:21,831 --> 00:35:24,166 that extra water as fast as possible. 338 00:35:26,902 --> 00:35:28,970 Gosh, l'm glad l'm not up there right now! 339 00:35:37,610 --> 00:35:40,479 lt can't be much fun for the animals that live up there. 340 00:35:41,013 --> 00:35:43,582 Orang utans have thick oily rainproof fur 341 00:35:43,848 --> 00:35:45,883 but that doesn't mean they enjoy getting soaked! 342 00:36:07,968 --> 00:36:10,870 At least these downpours are usually short and sharp... 343 00:36:12,371 --> 00:36:15,907 and when the sun breaks through, the water soon evaporates... 344 00:36:17,675 --> 00:36:20,344 and the whole jungle starts to steam... 345 00:36:48,100 --> 00:36:48,967 As evening falls, 346 00:36:49,234 --> 00:36:53,137 there's time for the canopy crowd to relax before getting an early night. 347 00:36:56,873 --> 00:37:00,276 Orang utans build themselves a cosy nest from branches, 348 00:37:00,910 --> 00:37:03,212 but they must make sure it'll take their weight... 349 00:37:07,415 --> 00:37:08,716 You don't want to fall out of bed here! 350 00:37:18,424 --> 00:37:23,562 Peace... but not for long... the night shift is ready to clock on. 351 00:37:27,398 --> 00:37:30,400 The forest population is about to explode 352 00:37:30,667 --> 00:37:34,103 with a huge influx of visitors for the night. 353 00:37:37,773 --> 00:37:40,442 Outside the mouth of this hillside cave 354 00:37:40,742 --> 00:37:43,744 and l'm about to witness one of the rainforest's 355 00:37:44,278 --> 00:37:46,046 most breathtaking spectacles... 356 00:37:47,547 --> 00:37:49,582 You can hear the noise building inside the cave. 357 00:37:57,088 --> 00:38:01,659 These are wrinkled lip bats and they're all heading out into the forest to hunt. 358 00:38:14,369 --> 00:38:15,536 This is a rush hour 359 00:38:15,737 --> 00:38:19,606 to rival the commuter movements of the busiest cities in the world. 360 00:38:22,409 --> 00:38:25,678 There are over half a million bats living in this cave 361 00:38:25,945 --> 00:38:29,881 and they are pouring out at some 60,000 a minute. 362 00:38:30,348 --> 00:38:32,450 That's 1 000 a second. 363 00:38:38,989 --> 00:38:40,923 And the sound is incredible... 364 00:38:41,390 --> 00:38:45,193 it's just like the wind rustling through the leaves of a tree. 365 00:38:46,328 --> 00:38:50,665 l've been watching for a full half hour, and they're still coming... 366 00:38:51,632 --> 00:38:53,567 but l'm going to have to leave them to it 367 00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:56,569 and prepare for my own nigh-time manoeuvres. 368 00:38:59,738 --> 00:39:04,242 This could be the trickiest test of all... as if it wasn't hard enough in daylight, 369 00:39:04,843 --> 00:39:08,112 now l'm about to climb up in the canopy in the dark... 370 00:39:11,314 --> 00:39:13,916 We know little enough about the canopy during the day time 371 00:39:14,317 --> 00:39:16,752 but we know almost nothing about it at night, 372 00:39:17,453 --> 00:39:20,055 and there is only one way to find out more 373 00:39:20,488 --> 00:39:23,591 and that's by spending a night up in the branches. 374 00:39:24,492 --> 00:39:26,493 This is a real step into the unknown... 375 00:39:27,694 --> 00:39:30,463 but l'm determined to get up there for a canopy sleepover. 376 00:39:31,097 --> 00:39:33,799 Many rainforest animals are only active in the dark... 377 00:39:34,433 --> 00:39:36,401 so who knows what l'm going to find! 378 00:39:43,774 --> 00:39:46,242 Like the orang utans, l've got my own nest for the night. 379 00:39:46,910 --> 00:39:49,445 But mine's a platform more than 30 metres up 380 00:39:49,678 --> 00:39:51,747 and barely big enough for me to stretch out... 381 00:39:52,914 --> 00:39:54,816 l'm definitely going to tie myself on! 382 00:39:57,051 --> 00:40:00,987 Right this is home for the night but l am not going to bed just yet. 383 00:40:01,788 --> 00:40:04,891 At night the forest changes character completely. 384 00:40:05,358 --> 00:40:09,428 90% of the animals that live here are nocturnal 385 00:40:09,761 --> 00:40:13,798 and we have rigged up some infra red surveillance cameras in the hope 386 00:40:13,965 --> 00:40:15,799 that we can catch some of the action. 387 00:40:18,268 --> 00:40:21,270 So all that's left for me to do is switch off my torch 388 00:40:21,537 --> 00:40:24,239 and switch on the infra red lights. 389 00:40:28,276 --> 00:40:32,713 As soon as the lights go out you realize how ill equipped we are in the dark. 390 00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:37,717 For us this is an alien world of sound and smell... 391 00:40:53,329 --> 00:40:56,298 There's something moving around in the tree right above me. 392 00:40:57,566 --> 00:40:58,900 What l need is my torch. 393 00:41:04,205 --> 00:41:05,439 Ah that's better. 394 00:41:07,574 --> 00:41:11,611 l don't know what that was but... we've picked up a snake on camera. 395 00:41:22,519 --> 00:41:24,554 And he's certainly not camera shy... 396 00:41:27,156 --> 00:41:29,458 lt's a reminder of just how many venomous snakes, 397 00:41:29,725 --> 00:41:33,161 insects and spiders are on the prowl up here at night... 398 00:41:34,762 --> 00:41:37,064 Let's hope he doesn't end up in my sleeping bag! 399 00:41:42,135 --> 00:41:45,871 Well, l can't see much, but it sounds as if there's plenty going on... 400 00:41:46,272 --> 00:41:48,407 The night life's really hotting up... 401 00:41:49,708 --> 00:41:53,511 But where have all those wrinkle lip bats gone that l saw earlier. 402 00:41:54,145 --> 00:41:58,415 There is one way to find out. And that's using this: a bat detector. 403 00:41:59,315 --> 00:42:03,586 Bats calls tend to be between about 1 5 and 200 kilohertz 404 00:42:03,886 --> 00:42:06,788 which is way too high for our hearing range 405 00:42:07,022 --> 00:42:10,491 but this converts it into sound that we can hear. 406 00:42:12,893 --> 00:42:16,996 lf l just set it so that it picks up a wide range of frequencies, 407 00:42:17,463 --> 00:42:19,732 we should be able to see what's out there. 408 00:42:25,003 --> 00:42:27,605 l'm picking up some pretty strange sounds. 409 00:42:33,676 --> 00:42:36,245 Bats come to the canopy for a midnight feast... 410 00:42:36,579 --> 00:42:38,981 because this is where the insects are. 411 00:42:43,050 --> 00:42:45,853 And there are plenty of rich pickings to be had. 412 00:42:46,487 --> 00:42:51,424 ln a single night they can consume half a million pounds of insects - 413 00:42:51,991 --> 00:42:55,460 that's the equivalent of two million quarter pounders. 414 00:43:07,570 --> 00:43:11,373 But not all bats eat insects. Some eat nectar. 415 00:43:12,574 --> 00:43:14,609 A great many trees in forests 416 00:43:14,776 --> 00:43:20,514 around the world rely exclusively on bats to pollinate their flowers. 417 00:43:22,215 --> 00:43:25,918 Here in South East Asia one in three mammals is a bat 418 00:43:26,218 --> 00:43:29,521 and their value to rainforests is immense. 419 00:43:31,222 --> 00:43:35,626 The flower of the durian fruit is large, white and fragrant... 420 00:43:36,093 --> 00:43:38,028 and it only opens in the dead of night. 421 00:43:39,062 --> 00:43:43,098 ln other words, it's perfectly designed to be noticed by pollinating bats. 422 00:43:48,570 --> 00:43:50,638 ln fact, whichever rainforest you're in, 423 00:43:51,005 --> 00:43:54,207 you'll find a whole variety of flowers that rely on them. 424 00:44:00,946 --> 00:44:03,582 But bats don't just help out with pollination. 425 00:44:04,049 --> 00:44:08,986 Some eat fruit... and scattered seeds far and wide. 426 00:44:15,991 --> 00:44:19,261 lt's about 3 in the morning, and it's just freezing cold. 427 00:44:21,129 --> 00:44:22,730 l've got to find a jumper... 428 00:44:23,531 --> 00:44:25,032 lt's just so exposed. 429 00:44:25,399 --> 00:44:28,068 The temperature can drop by about 20 degrees. 430 00:44:30,169 --> 00:44:34,840 And every now and again l remember that l'm perched 1 00 feet up in the air. 431 00:44:40,678 --> 00:44:44,514 But l'm not complaining... after all this l've got my reward... 432 00:44:44,948 --> 00:44:47,750 a visit from a real canopy rarity. 433 00:44:51,954 --> 00:44:56,057 This is a bear cat... its local name is a binturong. 434 00:45:01,261 --> 00:45:04,697 lt may look cute but binturongs can reach 2 metres long 435 00:45:04,997 --> 00:45:06,832 and eat whatever they can catch. 436 00:45:13,904 --> 00:45:15,806 These youngsters are a few months old 437 00:45:16,006 --> 00:45:19,275 and already have an acute sense of smell and hearing. 438 00:45:20,677 --> 00:45:25,147 They also have highly sensitive eyes to help them get around and hunt at night. 439 00:45:38,357 --> 00:45:40,759 The binturongs might be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed... 440 00:45:41,193 --> 00:45:45,997 but l'm fading fast... and it's time to try and catch 40 winks... 441 00:46:37,972 --> 00:46:39,807 Well, l've survived the night up here, 442 00:46:40,040 --> 00:46:44,043 and this has got to be the most spectacular way to wake up. 443 00:47:21,106 --> 00:47:22,841 What a beautiful morning. 444 00:47:23,208 --> 00:47:26,544 The whole forest has come alive with bird song 445 00:47:26,777 --> 00:47:30,214 and the sound of those beautiful gibbons calling. 446 00:47:35,084 --> 00:47:38,153 They're up early, laying claim to their patch of forest... 447 00:47:46,393 --> 00:47:51,430 Dawn is the best time to truly appreciate how full of life the canopy is. 448 00:47:52,365 --> 00:47:53,465 lt's just magical. 449 00:48:19,019 --> 00:48:23,456 The rainforest is richer in life than anywhere else on earth... 450 00:48:24,023 --> 00:48:26,792 and the canopy is the jewel in its crown. 451 00:48:29,494 --> 00:48:33,664 Each of these thousands of trees has its own unique community... 452 00:48:34,065 --> 00:48:37,868 from the tiniest insects to some of our closest relatives. 453 00:48:42,671 --> 00:48:47,375 Nearly half of all known creatures on the planet live in the Canopy World... 454 00:48:50,745 --> 00:48:53,513 but even more astonishing is that, right here, 455 00:48:53,880 --> 00:48:57,984 there may be just as many other species that no one's ever seen. 456 00:49:01,720 --> 00:49:03,421 Once it was out of reach, 457 00:49:04,355 --> 00:49:08,826 but now, finally, we are able to explore the secrets of the canopy.... 458 00:49:09,660 --> 00:49:12,162 ...the world's last high frontier...