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You and I belong to an extraordinary family.
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A family of hundreds of bizarre
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colourful
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and characterful animals...
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I don't think I've seen anything
quite like this in my whole life.
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...who lead fascinating and dramatic lives
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all over the world.
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We, that is monkeys
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lemurs
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and apes
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are all primates.
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And I want to introduce you
to this amazing animal family
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to meet some relatives
you never even knew you had.
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The jungles of Borneo are home to some of
the most unusual primates on the planet.
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Strange monkeys.
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Poisonous lorises.
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And our closest cousins, the great apes.
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Orangutans normally spend
their lives high in the treetops.
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But there is one community that's unlike
any other group of wild apes on Earth.
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They've begun to behave
in a way that's almost human.
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This has got to be about one of the
most bizarre things I've ever experienced.
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These aren't captive animals
trained to do tricks.
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They're free living orangutans
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who've adopted an unusual way of life.
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And of all the orangutans here,
Siswi is the most unusual.
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Thanks, Siswi.
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This has got to be the cleanest
orangutan in the whole of Borneo!
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Siswi and I are 2 of roughly
400 species of primate in the world
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and although we all look very different
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we share certain features that make us part of
one of the most extraordinary families on Earth.
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It's one of these shared features, our intelligence,
that helps explain this curious behaviour.
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Here, orangutans and humans
share the same forest.
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They've watched us
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and begun to experiment
with what they've seen.
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This may look a bit bizarre
but it actually shows how smart she is.
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She's seen humans here every morning, washing,
and she's basically doing exactly the same.
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We also share a similar face.
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Our eyes face forwards.
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This gives us the ability
to judge distances perfectly.
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And there's one more similarity.
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Critically we have this amazing hand
with a thumb that can fold over
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and that is probably the most
defining characteristic of any primate.
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Intelligence, binocular vision
and a dexterous hand
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allow these orangutans
to behave so much like us.
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They are the three things
we all have in common.
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00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:23,640
But that certainly doesn't mean
all primates look similar.
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The tarsier is 400 times smaller
than an orangutan.
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It also has forward facing eyes,
a dextrous hand, and intelligence
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but it uses them in a
completely different way.
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00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:08,440
This tennis ball sized gremlin
is a spring loaded ambush predator.
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00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:18,160
Long back legs can propel it
up to 40 times its body length.
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Its huge eyes are bigger than its stomach,
and gather every scrap of light.
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They're too large to move in their sockets
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but the tarsier can swivel its head
through almost 360 degrees.
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00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:46,200
And when it can't see its prey,
it uses ultrasonic hearing.
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Those satellite dish ears pinpoint rustles
that we humans cannot hear.
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00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:34,240
Evolution has moulded the tarsier
into a ruthlessly efficient hunter.
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The most carnivorous of all primates.
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00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:51,840
We humans have got some
pretty bizarre cousins
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but primates don't just live in jungles
like the tarsier or the orangutan.
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In fact we've got relatives
right across the planet
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and some of them have managed to scrape
a living in the most unexpected of places.
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00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:16,400
Away from the tropics,
life is very different indeed.
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Japanese macaques live further
north than any other monkey.
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Right on the edge of what is possible.
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Here, temperatures can hit
minus 20 degrees celsius.
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The secret to surviving when the
temperature's this low is to have lots of layers.
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Layers are really important
because they trap warm air next to your skin.
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With a thermal camera I can show you just how
much heat you lose without those protective layers.
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The first thing to go are my feet,
they're feeling very, very cold now.
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Only 5 minutes later,
my core temperature is dangerously low.
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Eventually I would enter a coma
from which I would never wake up.
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To live in a sub-zero world
you have to be built for it.
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These snow monkeys have two distinct layers
of fur that trap warm air next to their skin
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while their short tails and stumpy ears
reduce the chance of frostbite.
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Food is extremely hard to come by
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and the monkeys lose almost a quarter
of their body weight throughout the winter.
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00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:49,320
Snow monkeys might be built for the cold
but as the temperatures plummet after dark
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they have to find other ways to keep warm,
and they do this in a rather remarkable way.
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For a small monkey, thick fur isn't enough
to stay warm in these sub-zero conditions.
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For the first time ever we have a privileged insight
into how these incredible monkeys stay alive.
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As they climb the trees,
one monkey is joined by another
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then another
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and another.
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A single monkey would
freeze to death out here
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but by huddling, the macaques
form a giant super-monkey
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one so big that it creates
a microclimate of its own.
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As a baby settles down for the night
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the intense glow of heat shows just how toasty
it must be at the heart of the huddle.
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Throughout the night the monkeys
take it in turns in the hotspot.
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Dawn, and the snow monkeys
are snuggled up tighter than ever.
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We've all been there, wrapped up
in a warm duvet on a cold chilly morning.
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And thanks to that huddle, these resourceful
monkeys have beaten the elements.
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Well, it was pretty cold last night
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and if I or indeed most other primates
had been out here on their own
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we would have perished hours ago.
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In the extremes of the primate world
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it's teamwork like this that makes
the difference between life and death.
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00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:47,440
The spiny forest of Madagascar
is at the other extreme
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one of the hottest and
driest forests on earth.
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00:13:54,640 --> 00:14:00,280
The temperatures here can exceed 40 degrees,
and it doesn't rain for months on end.
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The few plants that grow here
are protected by rapier-like thorns.
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00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:28,360
But sifakas spend their lives
in this forest of spines.
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00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:41,600
These adrenaline junkies
risk life and limb every day.
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00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:02,160
Their binocular vision allows them to pick
landing spots with unerring accuracy.
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00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:08,800
And long back legs can catapult them
9 metres in a single leap.
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Though how they avoid getting
cut to pieces is still a mystery.
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The prize for these hardy lemurs is lots
of succulent leaves, full of precious water.
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Quenching their thirst
in the blistering heat.
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00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:59,800
Heat is just one problem for the
most southerly monkey in the world.
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00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:13,400
Chacma baboons live in the raw
exposed south African cape.
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00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:25,080
Here, there's virtually no protection
from the elements.
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00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:32,160
Battered by winds, they scratch a living
under the intense glare of the midday sun.
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These baboons have a hard life.
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By midday it's blisteringly hot and they have
to spend hours roaming to find enough food
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but their real problem is finding
somewhere safe to sleep.
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At night, leopards roam these plains
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and with very few trees to hide in,
the troop are exposed to the biggest danger of all
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being eaten.
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00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:18,640
To avoid this, their choice of dormitory
is one of the most bizarre in the primate world.
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Here it is, look.
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This small hole is the entrance to a cave.
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00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:40,400
It's incredibly rare for any
primate to use a cave
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so while the baboons
are out hunting for food
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I'm gonna get some kit on and go down and see
what their sleeping accommodation is all about.
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This is a high security location.
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00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:06,960
There are bees at the entrance
and an 8-metre vertical drop.
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Well, everywhere you look there's evidence
of habitual use of this cave by baboons.
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00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:37,240
There's bones everywhere,
remains, there's dung
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some of it not so old I can tell you,
some pretty fresh stuff.
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I'm now a hundred metres underground
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and it hasn't been easy for me but for
the baboons it must be 10 times harder
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because they have to do it
in complete darkness.
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00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:10,440
As night falls, the baboons
are clearly on edge.
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With the threat of an attack a very real
possibility, the cave is an inviting prospect.
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An old rope left by bat researchers
makes their descent easier.
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In the pitch black,
the baboons can't see a thing
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but our cameras reveal how they cope
in this secret world.
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00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:16,480
The first thing they do is call to each other
to work out where everyone is.
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Effectively blindfolded, they feel their way
through the inky blackness.
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00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:40,440
Amazingly, like you and I know our way
around our house at night
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the adults appear to have a mental map
of the entire hundred-metre cave system.
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But when you can't see who's around you,
it's easy to get spooked.
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Spending your night underground
might seem like an odd thing to do
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but early man did exactly the same.
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Putting the kids to bed is never easy.
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And a cave like this provides
plenty of space for some private time.
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And eventually a safe
and peaceful night's sleep.
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Apart from the obvious security benefits
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getting the right sort of sleep
could have other advantages.
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REM sleep, the state where you dream,
allows a complex brain to repair and revitalise
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and it's that much easier
when you're safe underground.
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It's thought that sleeping in a cave
could sharpen the mind.
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Which for the baboons would make life on the
edge of Africa that much easier to deal with.
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Over the last 55 million years,
primates have branched out across the globe
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but the family's roots
are deep within the jungle.
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It is really amazing up here.
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I mean, if you think about it, it makes sense
making your home up in the trees.
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For one thing, all your enemies, things that
would eat you, are on the forest floor, generally
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30 metres below you
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and there's just all kinds of things
to eat up here, lots of food and fruit.
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Tropical forests are home to the greatest
diversity of primates on earth.
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In fact over 90% of all primates live in forests.
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But it's definitely not as easy
up here as it looks.
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I mean, this is very difficult.
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For an animal my size, who shouldn't really
be up trees, this is actually very alarming.
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We humans may have
lost our head for heights
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but other primates have made
the most of life in a vertical world.
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There are some incredible ways
to move through the forest
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but the true gymnasts of the canopy
have got to be the gibbons.
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Their highly specialised arms allow them to fly
through the treetops at breakneck speed.
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But in Thailand, not all gibbons
have had the chance to do that.
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Six month old Sherpa
has never set foot outside a cage.
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But today, he and his family
are being released into the wild.
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They're pioneers, returning to a forest where
gibbons were hunted to extinction 30 years ago.
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And on a day like this,
the big wide world is tantalisingly close.
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Sherpa's dad is the first out,
and his mum follows.
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But for Sherpa it's a bit more daunting.
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A little bit of reassurance,
and it's time to make a huge leap of faith.
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A quick hug, and after a lifetime
in captivity, our young explorer is free.
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00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:26,640
Unlike a wild gibbon, Sherpa has no experience,
and a bit too much enthusiasm.
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These thorny branches are rattan.
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00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:48,360
Sherpa is learning a painful,
but very valuable, lesson.
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00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:03,080
When you're a young gibbon,
practice makes perfect.
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00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:21,080
By watching his parents, he'll soon
pick up all the skills he needs.
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In terms of sheer acrobatics,
there's nothing to touch a wild gibbon.
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That powerful brain makes hundreds of
life-saving decisions in the blink of an eye.
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And a ball and socket joint in their wrists gives
them flexibility to slingshot through the canopy.
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The huge range of environments that primates
live in have shaped how they look and behave.
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00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:46,760
But their diversity is also
driven by what they eat.
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00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:58,400
The Simian mountains of Ethiopia are home to one
of the world's most vegetarian primates.
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Geladas.
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After a cold night in the mountains,
dawn is a welcome relief.
194
00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:23,800
I love this row here, at the edge of the cliff,
who are just warming up in the sun
195
00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:28,760
they're really putting their heads back
and exposing their chests.
196
00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:37,720
Once they've warmed up,
geladas need a hearty breakfast.
197
00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:48,000
But as far as the eye can see, there's only
one thing to eat for every single meal.
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00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:50,720
Grass.
199
00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:05,320
Grass is extremely low in calories, so these
hardy mountaineers have to eat huge amounts.
200
00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:16,680
Your average monkey feeds
for about 4 hours a day
201
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whereas your average gelada
has to feed for up to 10 hours a day.
202
00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:25,240
If I was to suddenly adopt
the grass-only gelada diet
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I'd have to chew down
17 kilograms of grass every day.
204
00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:48,520
Geladas are built to make
the most of their vegetarian diet.
205
00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:55,720
Of all the primates, geladas have
one of the most useful thumbs
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and they use it in a pincer-like movement
to pick only the most nutritious shoots and seeds.
207
00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:08,640
Abrasive teeth grind up the
coarse leaves just like a cow.
208
00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:16,400
And built-in cushions make the
long hours sitting a bit more bearable.
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00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:32,400
Geladas need to eat all day long
simply to survive.
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But for the smallest monkey in the world
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it's less about the quantity of food,
and more about its quality.
212
00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:09,160
Pygmy marmosets weigh
no more than an apple.
213
00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:17,760
Here in Ecuador,
catching dinner can be hard work
214
00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:22,520
but luckily marmosets
have a reliable back up.
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00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:30,240
And to make the most of it,
they have a unique set of tools.
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Claws rather than fingernails
give them extra grip.
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00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:46,600
And their chisel-like teeth cut
neat holes in the tough tree bark.
218
00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:55,120
But it's not the bark they're after.
219
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It's the sugar rich sap underneath.
220
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Packed with energy and essential minerals,
sap makes up 75% of their diet.
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What's really incredible
is the scale of their ambition.
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00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:38,840
A tree like this may have
several hundred holes.
223
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Food production on an industrial scale.
224
00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:50,960
Marmosets harvest their crop wisely,
they never take too much
225
00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:54,720
and only allow the holes to
close up when the yield drops.
226
00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:06,800
10,000 years ago, farming was
the basis of our civilization.
227
00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:10,640
But deep in the Amazon
228
00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:15,920
these industrious little monkeys
were already enjoying a civilized way of life.
229
00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:33,880
The more specialised your diet,
the stranger you can look.
230
00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:37,960
And in a leafy corner of the United States
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00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:43,240
science is unravelling the feeding habits
of the strangest primate of all.
232
00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:50,320
Well, it's a little after sunrise,
but behind this door it's about sunset
233
00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:54,240
and the animal in here is just waking up.
234
00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:34,160
Look at this!
235
00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:38,880
This is about the strangest
animal I've ever seen.
236
00:36:38,920 --> 00:36:41,440
If you didn't know what it was
and had to describe it
237
00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:47,240
you'd say it had the ears of a bat, the teeth
of a rodent, the hands of an alien.
238
00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:52,480
It's got a bushy squirrel-like tail and yet
it's in the same group of animals as you and I.
239
00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:54,320
It's almost hard to believe.
240
00:36:56,520 --> 00:37:00,280
This almost mythical creature
is from Madagascar.
241
00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:04,920
She's an aye-aye called Ardrey.
242
00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:07,960
That is so cute.
243
00:37:09,600 --> 00:37:12,000
I hate to use the word cute,
but they are cute.
244
00:37:15,240 --> 00:37:17,160
I think I'm in love with this animal.
245
00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:29,440
Aye-ayes spend the night hunting for grubs
that live deep inside decaying branches.
246
00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:38,720
To work out where the grubs are hidden,
they use that strange-looking hand
247
00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:43,960
tapping the wood at up to
10 times a second.
248
00:37:45,040 --> 00:37:46,840
There she goes, she's tapping now.
249
00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:51,840
I can hear it.
250
00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:59,480
That's the most specialised
primate hand in the whole world.
251
00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:05,280
Like sonar, the sound penetrates
the depths of the branch
252
00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:10,000
and a coded message is echoed back
to those super sensitive ears.
253
00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:17,680
When she finds a hollow spot,
she starts to dig.
254
00:38:18,720 --> 00:38:21,320
These incredibly sharp
front teeth, the incisors
255
00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:24,200
which unusually for primates
continue to grow
256
00:38:24,240 --> 00:38:28,400
and they rip the wood apart
to get access to the cavity
257
00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:31,200
which might contain an insect larva.
258
00:38:31,240 --> 00:38:36,040
The hearing is very acute
so they can hear the larva inside.
259
00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:47,520
But it's her probe-like middle finger
that has to find the grub.
260
00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:55,360
And the latest science is now revealing
just how incredible this unique digit is.
261
00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:08,280
This camera is so sensitive, it picks up
on tiny changes in temperature
262
00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:10,360
like the breath on my moustache.
263
00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:20,400
And it highlights something
rather unexpected.
264
00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:26,280
Unlike her other fingers,
Ardrey's feeding finger is stone cold.
265
00:39:27,960 --> 00:39:31,120
It has virtually no blood flow to it at all.
266
00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:48,080
But as she starts foraging, blood rushes
to thousands of nerve endings in her fingertip
267
00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:50,520
making it incredibly sensitive.
268
00:39:55,960 --> 00:40:02,280
And in a specially constructed log,
we can get a look at that ET-like finger at work.
269
00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:12,200
A unique knuckle, much like our shoulder joint,
means her finger can move in any direction.
270
00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:18,520
And it's now so sensitive
that like a blind person reads Braille
271
00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:21,000
she can detect the slightest movement.
272
00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:35,640
That is one of the most remarkable tools
in the whole animal kingdom
273
00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:39,640
and it allows the aye-aye
to carve out a niche so specific
274
00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:43,800
that in terms of finding food,
it's in a league of its own.
275
00:40:49,720 --> 00:40:52,560
The aye-aye is the ultimate specialist.
276
00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:03,400
But when it comes to finding food,
the world is full of possibilities.
277
00:41:09,120 --> 00:41:11,960
You just need to spot an opportunity
278
00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:15,680
and make the most of it.
279
00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:27,320
Primate ingenuity means there are
no bounds to their gastronomic ambition.
280
00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:38,680
For Olive baboons
281
00:41:38,720 --> 00:41:43,320
the savannahs around Lake Bogoria
in Kenya are a land of plenty.
282
00:41:54,600 --> 00:42:00,040
Insect grubs hidden in flamingo dung
provide a welcome protein boost.
283
00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:09,120
Some, however, are far more ambitious.
284
00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:25,320
Timing is everything.
285
00:42:53,560 --> 00:42:58,440
Once one baboon has worked it out,
the whole troop soon catches on.
286
00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:30,640
Hunting live prey requires
ambition, speed and coordination.
287
00:43:49,920 --> 00:43:54,040
For a hungry primate,
meat is the ultimate food of all.
288
00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:08,960
Primate diversity is shaped
by home and diet.
289
00:44:11,120 --> 00:44:13,560
And I think, by one more thing.
290
00:44:18,040 --> 00:44:21,080
They're social animals, they live in families
291
00:44:21,560 --> 00:44:27,000
and as we all know, good communication skills
are essential for a harmonious family life.
292
00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:37,200
And this need to communicate
has also influenced how they look and behave.
293
00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:50,480
It's hard to believe that these chilled out
monkeys are the loudest on the planet.
294
00:44:53,880 --> 00:44:57,080
But there is one way
to spur them into action.
295
00:45:08,360 --> 00:45:11,680
Right, the whole monkey troop
is right here in this tree.
296
00:45:11,720 --> 00:45:12,880
There's females, there's young ones
297
00:45:12,920 --> 00:45:16,520
but the one I want you to watch
is the alpha male right here.
298
00:45:16,560 --> 00:45:17,760
Watch what happens.
299
00:45:40,120 --> 00:45:44,880
That is very impressive,
that monkey can produce 90 decibels
300
00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:49,800
which is enough to, well, drown me out.
301
00:46:01,040 --> 00:46:04,360
The howler monkey's roar
is a call to arms.
302
00:46:10,000 --> 00:46:14,080
A reply to my rather poor
impersonation of a rival.
303
00:46:21,440 --> 00:46:25,080
The male's calls soon
sets off the entire troop.
304
00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:31,200
The clever thing is that
by calling together
305
00:46:31,800 --> 00:46:35,880
they make their group seem
much bigger than it actually is
306
00:46:36,360 --> 00:46:41,320
and the bigger the call, the louder
the noise, the more terrifying it is.
307
00:46:42,320 --> 00:46:48,400
The secret to the sheer volume of a howler's roar
is in the design of its unusual throat.
308
00:46:49,800 --> 00:46:56,000
When a howler monkey calls, it flares out its lips
like a natural loudhailer and it drops its jaw.
309
00:46:56,160 --> 00:47:02,200
The throat contains an enormous hollow bone
that reverberates like a gong
310
00:47:02,240 --> 00:47:06,040
giving the voice an amazing
amount of extra clout.
311
00:47:10,640 --> 00:47:17,480
All this noise sends a message to neighbouring
troops: keep off our patch or there'll be trouble.
312
00:47:26,960 --> 00:47:30,880
The pitch of their voice
is as important as the volume.
313
00:47:34,320 --> 00:47:41,000
Higher frequencies are easily scattered, but low
roars punch through the forest for up to a mile.
314
00:47:50,320 --> 00:47:56,960
It's this mosaic of sound that sets clear-cut
home ranges across the entire forest.
315
00:48:02,920 --> 00:48:06,000
Shouting at your neighbours
may seem like a waste of energy
316
00:48:06,040 --> 00:48:10,720
but by howling every day, families can
avoid coming into contact with each other
317
00:48:10,760 --> 00:48:15,360
and when they do, disagreements are
easily settled at arm's length
318
00:48:15,400 --> 00:48:18,640
and that is a great way
to keep the peace.
319
00:48:27,080 --> 00:48:30,320
While a howler monkey's world
is shaped by sound
320
00:48:30,360 --> 00:48:34,400
other primates communicate
in a much more visual way.
321
00:48:50,400 --> 00:48:55,480
Mandrills live in the dark and
impenetrable forests of Gabon in west Africa.
322
00:48:59,000 --> 00:49:03,600
And here, vision plays a key role
in finding a mate.
323
00:49:15,800 --> 00:49:21,520
It's thought that female mandrills spend
most of the year in large all-girl groups.
324
00:49:26,440 --> 00:49:30,600
But in the breeding season,
their peace is shattered.
325
00:49:41,320 --> 00:49:44,880
Male mandrills are a very different animal.
326
00:49:55,200 --> 00:50:01,000
These huge beasts dwarf the females,
three times their size.
327
00:50:08,400 --> 00:50:13,280
They're the largest monkeys on the planet,
and the most colourful.
328
00:50:17,960 --> 00:50:22,360
Those vibrant hues are a display
of strength and power.
329
00:50:43,280 --> 00:50:46,640
The big brutes pitch up
to fight for the girls.
330
00:50:59,880 --> 00:51:04,600
When 2 males catch each other's eye,
it's a stand-off.
331
00:51:22,160 --> 00:51:27,600
An actual fight is a high risk strategy;
it could mean injury or death.
332
00:51:36,800 --> 00:51:40,120
Every single muscle twitch
has a meaning.
333
00:51:54,200 --> 00:51:55,800
It's all over.
334
00:51:55,840 --> 00:51:58,520
A grimace is a sign of submission.
335
00:52:02,960 --> 00:52:05,280
The battle has been avoided.
336
00:52:08,600 --> 00:52:11,600
And the loser lives to fight another day.
337
00:52:15,800 --> 00:52:19,640
The victor is one step closer
to becoming king.
338
00:52:21,960 --> 00:52:28,360
And after a bout like this, a surge in testosterone
will make a male's colours even more vivid.
339
00:52:45,960 --> 00:52:51,400
After weeks of posturing,
the healthiest male becomes the most colourful.
340
00:52:54,800 --> 00:52:58,120
And the object of all
the females' desire.
341
00:53:02,160 --> 00:53:07,680
The single most colourful male will mate
with over three quarters of the group.
342
00:53:11,920 --> 00:53:16,880
He'll have their undivided attention
for at least a couple of months.
343
00:53:23,000 --> 00:53:29,040
Proof if ever you need it that in the
mandrill mating game, looks really matter.
344
00:53:42,160 --> 00:53:44,840
The challenges of where we live
345
00:53:45,440 --> 00:53:47,120
what we eat
346
00:53:47,920 --> 00:53:50,080
and how we live together
347
00:53:50,480 --> 00:53:53,640
have shaped our incredible animal family.
348
00:54:00,200 --> 00:54:02,240
But the world is changing.
349
00:54:08,440 --> 00:54:12,520
In the 21st century the ultimate
challenge to any monkey
350
00:54:12,560 --> 00:54:19,040
is living alongside the most
successful primate of all, humans.
351
00:54:25,320 --> 00:54:28,640
But even the urban jungle
is a land of opportunity
352
00:54:28,680 --> 00:54:32,080
for those who are smart
enough to exploit it.
353
00:54:49,600 --> 00:54:56,240
For the resident rhesus macaques, a market-side
pitch like this is what life's all about.
354
00:55:10,640 --> 00:55:13,960
They may not be the prettiest,
or look the most remarkable
355
00:55:14,000 --> 00:55:18,240
but macaques are the most
successful monkeys on the planet.
356
00:55:24,320 --> 00:55:29,440
They're adaptable, devious and
they work together as a team.
357
00:55:37,240 --> 00:55:43,080
In their search for food, hungry macaques
have swapped jungle vines for power lines.
358
00:55:56,000 --> 00:55:59,960
Gangs leave a trail of destruction in their wake.
359
00:56:10,960 --> 00:56:15,240
They're smart enough to spot
the tiniest of opportunities.
360
00:56:31,280 --> 00:56:34,880
First up, the brave ones
scope out the joint.
361
00:56:44,480 --> 00:56:47,400
Lookouts are posted to watch for trouble
362
00:56:48,360 --> 00:56:52,080
and once the coast is clear,
it's a free-for-all.
363
00:57:03,000 --> 00:57:07,840
These opportunistic criminals
ransack a house in a matter of minutes.
364
00:57:14,960 --> 00:57:20,120
And at the slightest hint of trouble,
they make their escape.
365
00:57:32,640 --> 00:57:35,960
Thanks to their agile bodies
and adaptable minds
366
00:57:36,000 --> 00:57:39,520
macaques can beat us humans
at our own game.
367
00:57:44,760 --> 00:57:50,080
To these incredible monkeys,
the urban jungle is just one big playground.
368
00:57:54,760 --> 00:57:57,360
We primates are truly remarkable.
369
00:57:57,400 --> 00:58:03,320
Not only are we physically adaptable,
we're also smart and can work as a team
370
00:58:03,720 --> 00:58:10,920
and that's a winning combination that allows us
to survive, even thrive, in an ever-changing world.
371
00:58:14,840 --> 00:58:20,240
Join me next time when we delve into
the sociable world of the primate family.
372
00:58:24,000 --> 00:58:27,200
And it's not as harmonious
as you might think.
373
00:58:28,920 --> 00:58:30,960
You need to make friends
374
00:58:32,320 --> 00:58:33,960
avoid your enemies...
375
00:58:34,200 --> 00:58:35,400
Look at that!
376
00:58:35,440 --> 00:58:39,080
...and find your place
on the social ladder.
36386
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