Original subtitles

(birds singing)

(peaceful music)

- [Narrator] The good,

- [Narrator] The good,

the bad,

the kind,

and the menacing.

Meet the neighbors who've carved out territories

Meet the neighbors who've carved out territories

in our neighborhoods,

(dramatic music)

(dramatic music)

on the streets,

and in our nature spots.

and in our nature spots.

Millions upon millions of pint-sized organisms

Millions upon millions of pint-sized organisms

live side by side with the human residents of Singapore.

live side by side with the human residents of Singapore.

From the heartlands to the jungles,

these tiny residents live hectic lives

these tiny residents live hectic lives

that go almost entirely unnoticed.

that go almost entirely unnoticed.

But when lifespans are measured in mere days and weeks,

But when lifespans are measured in mere days and weeks,

their every action is urgent.

Here in the "Wild City's Secret World."

(thunder rumbling)

(suspenseful music)

(wind rustling)

A new day in Singapore breaks

with the arrival of the northeast monsoon.

with the arrival of the northeast monsoon.

(rain pattering)

Strong winds and heavy rain thrash the city

in the warm tropical air.

It's the setting for some common and not-so-common scenes.

Feisty myna birds wised up to these wet conditions

a long time ago.

The heavy downpour has sent flying termites

crash-landing into puddles,

and the patrolling birds are cashing in.

At this development site in the center of the city,

At this development site in the center of the city,

a band of squatters are getting fired up by the downpour.

(whimsical music)

The ancestors of these banded bullfrogs

traveled from Malaysia to Singapore

traveled from Malaysia to Singapore

a century and a half ago.

(frogs droning)

They adapted to life in the city

and have been here for so long they're considered locals.

and have been here for so long they're considered locals.

The bullfrogs usually hide in the recesses and drains

around the empty apartments,

around the empty apartments,

but the rain triggers a cacophony of croaks

signaling that love is in the air.

(frog droning)

The female bullfrogs are looking

for the most attractive males to be mating partners.

So the boys need to croak to impress.

Sadly, for these suitors,

there are just not enough ladies to go around.

there are just not enough ladies to go around.

(dramatic music)

And the love lagoon quickly descends

into a watery fighting pit.

into a watery fighting pit.

Male frogs inflate their bodies,

not to keep their heads above water,

but to make themselves appear bigger and more threatening.

But bulking up this way can make doing battle

extremely difficult, especially in the rain.

(quick classical music)

(quick classical music)

Most of the blows don't quite land,

but the stakes are high,

and this will be a fight to the end,

and this will be a fight to the end,

even if they risk looking like two angry beach balls

in the process.

In the end, the combatant with the most stamina prevails

and the lady frog picks a winner.

(frog droning)

(traffic rumbling)

After the storm passes, Singaporeans break cover

and get on with their business.

(mop swishing)

(suspenseful music)

(suspenseful music)

At this MRT station,

an urgent mopping-up operation is underway.

an urgent mopping-up operation is underway.

These paper wasps have been raising their young in a nest

These paper wasps have been raising their young in a nest

amidst the hustle and bustle of a busy street corner.

Tiny larvae are cradled inside cells made of wood pulp.

But now the lives of the young paper wasps

are in serious danger if the adults don't act fast.

are in serious danger if the adults don't act fast.

The rainstorm has flooded the nest

(tense music)

(tense music)

and it's so heavy with rainwater,

it threatens to collapse from the extra weight.

If the nest falls,

If the nest falls,

the precious cargo of baby wasps will be gone.

So all the adults are teaming up

for this emergency exercise.

for this emergency exercise.

The wasps suck the water from the nest to spit it out.

Six adults work relentlessly for an hour

until one last drop that is drawn

and the nest is finally drained.

and the nest is finally drained.

The crisis is averted.

Left undisturbed, the wasps can get back

to their helpful role of preying on insects

that humans consider pests.

(optimistic music)

As the rain clouds give way to clear skies,

shoppers dash to the nearest or newest mall,

and city gardens become the hunting ground

and city gardens become the hunting ground

of a fearsome predator.

(suspenseful music)

(suspenseful music)

Praying mantids are the snipers of the insect world,

Praying mantids are the snipers of the insect world,

patiently waiting for their target to come into view.

Most mantid species only live six months as adults,

Most mantid species only live six months as adults,

so this female needs to feed

to build up the strength to breed.

The praying mantis has three small eyes and two bigger ones,

The praying mantis has three small eyes and two bigger ones,

giving it deadly accurate stereoscopic vision

similar to humans.

The mantis is one of few insects that have

this kind of vision, which allow it to judge the distance

between itself and its next meal.

between itself and its next meal.

(suspenseful music)

(suspenseful music)

(dramatic musical sting)

(mantis crunching)

Mantids are such voracious predators that hungry females

will even cannibalize the male mantid during mating.

(birds singing)

(bright music)

Down by the bay, the supertrees are a draw for tourists,

Down by the bay, the supertrees are a draw for tourists,

but their encounters

with some of the garden's most beautiful inhabitants

may be all too fleeting.

may be all too fleeting.

(inquisitive music)

Butterflies drink nectar from flowers in the lavish gardens.

Butterflies drink nectar from flowers in the lavish gardens.

On an island once famous for its big cats,

this is the last of the tigers,

this is the last of the tigers,

the caterpillar of a plain tiger butterfly.

the caterpillar of a plain tiger butterfly.

(caterpillar scuffling)

It has one job to do in its life as a caterpillar,

and that's eat.

Over the next few days,

it will devour many times its body weight in leaf material.

The caterpillar will need every bit of sustenance it can get

The caterpillar will need every bit of sustenance it can get

to accomplish an incredible physical transformation.

Well, that's if it doesn't become the juicy meal itself.

(suspenseful music)

The plain tiger caterpillar makes itself

as unpalatable as possible to its predators.

Its cells are laced with toxic compounds

it sources from eating milkweed.

it sources from eating milkweed.

Its tiger stripes aren't for camouflage, either.

They warn off predators keen to avoid a foul-tasting meal.

They warn off predators keen to avoid a foul-tasting meal.

So this fantail wisely goes looking

for a more agreeable lunch,

leaving the caterpillar to keep piling on the weight

ahead of its metamorphosis.

ahead of its metamorphosis.

(birds singing)

A new day is abuzz with commuters in the morning rush hour.

(industrious music)

Over the last two centuries,

Singapore has transformed forests and mangroves

Singapore has transformed forests and mangroves

into a teaming metropolis.

Surprisingly, wildlife has continued to thrive

in this urban setting.

A swarm of hungry dwarf honeybees are hard at work

A swarm of hungry dwarf honeybees are hard at work

early in the morning,

They're building a new hive under the window

of a shop house right in the middle of Chinatown.

(whimsical music)

A scout bee has just returned from foraging

and she has good news to share with the colony.

Her dance signals she's found a source of nectar,

and the movements describe the distance

and the direction to the food.

The information becomes encoded in the tiny brains

The information becomes encoded in the tiny brains

of the worker bees,

and they head off in search of the prize.

(adventurous music)

Over 100 species of bees

are competing for food in Singapore.

There's no (indistinct) flowers, so the race is on.

There's no (indistinct) flowers, so the race is on.

This time, the scout's directions were spot-on,

and the swarm gorges on a feed of pollen and nectar.

and the swarm gorges on a feed of pollen and nectar.

Some of the pollen attaches itself

to hairs on the bees' bodies.

to hairs on the bees' bodies.

When bees visit other plants,

pollen is passed on to the reproductive parts of flowers.

pollen is passed on to the reproductive parts of flowers.

This will develop into seeds which spread and grow

into new plants, keeping Singapore green.

into new plants, keeping Singapore green.

(bees buzzing) (peaceful music)

(bees buzzing) (peaceful music)

And so the bees' food is payment for services rendered.

It's an ancient form of trade

nurtured and developed over millions of years

nurtured and developed over millions of years

right here in Singapore.

Bukit Brown Cemetery is at first glance

a peaceful contrast to the bustling center.

a peaceful contrast to the bustling center.

It is the final resting place

of almost 100,000 of the city's early pioneers.

of almost 100,000 of the city's early pioneers.

The last burial here was almost 50 years ago,

The last burial here was almost 50 years ago,

and since then, nature has gradually

returned to the grave sites.

returned to the grave sites.

It's become a vibrant habitat.

And today, unsuspecting visitors share the grounds

with an insect menagerie.

Assassin bugs and a multitude of cricket species

Assassin bugs and a multitude of cricket species

are out in force.

The cemetery provides them with plentiful food and cover.

The cemetery provides them with plentiful food and cover.

Crickets have powerful jaws,

and will eat decaying plants, grass, fruits, fungi,

seedlings, and even meat.

seedlings, and even meat.

From afar, this patch of grass looks like a cricket haven.

(ethereal music)

Up close, it's a minefield

full of spiders.

The web of the lawn wolf spider is deceptively beautiful.

Bejeweled with raindrops,

this garden ornament has been crafted with lethal intent.

The spider waits and feels for disturbances on the web.

(ominous music)

A katydid, or bush cricket, has landed

in a whole heap of trouble.

(dramatic musical sting)

(dramatic musical sting)

The katydid is bigger than the spider,

The katydid is bigger than the spider,

and its powerful kick is enough to force a retreat.

But this is the spider's turf.

And as the katydid becomes more entangled,

And as the katydid becomes more entangled,

the spider is emboldened to move in for the kill.

The wolf spider restrains the katydid

with the help of long hairs on its legs.

Then it paralyzes its victim

with an injection of strong venom.

(contemplative music)

The spider retreats with its prize.

A catch like this will sustain it for weeks.

In the unseen world of this wild city,

the cycle of life and death advances at a relentless pace.

the cycle of life and death advances at a relentless pace.

The cemetery is also a nursery

for an incredible diversity of insect life,

including countless species poorly known to science.

These praying mantis nymphs, just minutes old,

These praying mantis nymphs, just minutes old,

are from a species that has almost certainly

never been filmed before.

Fresh from hatching, their bodies are still soft

and their limbs weak, making them vulnerable to predators.

(inquisitive music)

(inquisitive music)

They need time for their bodies to harden

before they can venture off.

So in the warm air, they dance.

To the human eye, their movements are a hypnotic show,

but to a predator, their swaying motion

but to a predator, their swaying motion

helps 'em disappear into the foliage

as they shift in the breeze.

Even so, some of these mantid babies

will not see the end of the day.

will not see the end of the day.

Danger lurks around every corner,

and they will need every trick they can muster

if they are to survive in the forest.

Just like a new apartment hunter seeking a high floor,

the praying mantids have eyes for the top.

From this vantage point, those that make it to adulthood

From this vantage point, those that make it to adulthood

will become deadly hunters in Singapore's forests.

(playful music)

At the other end of the day,

the city's residents head outdoors to unwind.

Kent Ridge Park has many attractions

for two- and six-legged creatures,

for two- and six-legged creatures,

(determined music)

and these stingless bees have set up camp in a tree trunk.

and these stingless bees have set up camp in a tree trunk.

As the temperature cools, worker bees are returning home

As the temperature cools, worker bees are returning home

from hazardous foraging trips

laden with precious nectar and pollen.

But their work is not done yet.

(ethereal music)

There are over 60 species of stingless bees in Singapore.

Compared to the orderly honeycombs of common honeybees,

a stingless beehive is an utter alien world.

a stingless beehive is an utter alien world.

These spectacular structures are made from propolis,

a waxy substance the bees manufacture from the sap of trees.

The queen bee gives out instructions

by fanning her scent around the hive.

She is the mother to every one of the bees here.

She is the mother to every one of the bees here.

Her larvae develop rapidly, fed on a steady diet of pollen

by the never-resting worker bees.

More pollen is stockpiled in chambers for later use.

Nectar is turned into honey in the bee's stomachs.

Nectar is turned into honey in the bee's stomachs.

Storing large quantities of honey

is a safeguard for leaner times,

but make one wrong move and the bees can be trapped

but make one wrong move and the bees can be trapped

in their own sticky food reserve.

(ominous music)

(ominous music)

This worker won't survive his dunking.

For bees, the sacrifice is simply the price

For bees, the sacrifice is simply the price

of ensuring that the next generation

carry on the legacy of the hive.

(ethereal music)

At the iconic Gardens by the Bay,

a steady stream of sightseers are missing out

on one of nature's greatest magic tricks.

Hidden within the foliage, a plain tiger caterpillar

is about to undergo an astonishing metamorphosis.

For over a week, she's been binge eating,

For over a week, she's been binge eating,

and now the dramatic changes written into her DNA

are being switched on.

are being switched on.

She has secured herself beneath a leaf

as the genetic instructions kick in.

Her body begins to pulse

as a remarkable transformation gets underway.

as a remarkable transformation gets underway.

Over the last few weeks, she has shed her skin five times.

Now she's about to undergo her final molt.

What's underneath is no ordinary skin.

It's a shield against the outside world, a chrysalis.

Inside this capsule-like chrysalis,

Inside this capsule-like chrysalis,

caterpillar's body will virtually dissolve

and transform as the final and most extreme makeover occurs.

(ambitious music)

Across town, a forest reserve

attracts nature-loving residents keen on some exercise

laced with adventure.

laced with adventure.

They'd have to get their noses to the ground, though,

to notice a termite army

to notice a termite army

carrying out the forest's grunt work.

From their base in a fallen log,

From their base in a fallen log,

the termites help break down rotten wood

and turn over the soil.

This recycles nutrients through the ecosystem,

keeping the forests of Singapore lush and healthy.

keeping the forests of Singapore lush and healthy.

Every few days a convoy must leave

in search of fresh wood to feed the colony.

And unbeknownst to the jungle trekkers,

And unbeknownst to the jungle trekkers,

the termites have chosen a hazardous route

that takes them directly across the cleared ground

of the walking track.

(tense music)

It's all the more dangerous because termites need moisture.

But they must also isolate themselves

from the elements to stay alive.

Their ingenious solution to cross this parched walking track

is to build a tunnel.

(suspenseful music)

But the tunnel has been breached,

leaving them stranded outside their nest.

Time is of the essence.

If the termites can't repair the damage quickly,

If the termites can't repair the damage quickly,

much of the colony could perish in the tropical heat.

(footsteps pounding)

(footsteps pounding)

It's a mighty task.

But these little guys and girls are master builders

of the insect world, mixing mud with saliva

of the insect world, mixing mud with saliva

to cement their intricate structures.

What makes their engineering prowess even more remarkable

is that they are completely blind.

is that they are completely blind.

Larger worker termites do the heavy lifting

while smaller soldiers are on guard

to defend the construction site from intruders.

They're armed with a potent insect repellent

that sprays from the nozzles on their heads.

Today, the termites are blessed with good fortune.

They are barely touched by the scorching sun,

and cooler temperatures buys them the time they need

to finish the job.

Soon they can get back to their main mission

Soon they can get back to their main mission

of ferrying food to their fast-growing colony.

(anticipatory music) (birds singing)

Up in the forest canopy, another bug is busy doing its best

Up in the forest canopy, another bug is busy doing its best

to convince everyone that it's not an insect at all.

It's possible this species of leaf insect

is only found in Singapore.

is only found in Singapore.

By imitating tree leaves,

it's almost indistinguishable

from the foliage it calls home.

from the foliage it calls home.

This kind of deception is known as mimicry,

This kind of deception is known as mimicry,

and it's rife in Singapore's insect world.

But even a near-perfect disguise can be undone

by the most astute of predators.

(dramatic music)

Hornbills are making a comeback in Singapore

after decades of absence.

after decades of absence.

These avian predators have powerful binocular vision.

These avian predators have powerful binocular vision.

The hornbill scans the foliage

The hornbill scans the foliage

looking for slight color aberrations,

the smallest movement, a leaf out of place.

One wrong move, and the game is up.

One wrong move, and the game is up.

(wings flapping)

(wings flapping)

(hornbill crunching)

(hornbill crunching)

And this time the leaf insect is on the losing side.

It's a battle of strategy and wits

played out over millions of years.

played out over millions of years.

(ethereal music)

(ethereal music)

On a lower branch, a jade tree snail is oblivious

to the sacrifice of its insect friend.

Like all snails, its eyesight is poor.

It can only make out shady areas,

or detect an approaching large predator.

The jade tree snail is green by name

and even greener by nature.

They help protect plants from disease

by consuming fungi from bark and leaves.

As the snail feeds,

it's wary of threats from above and below.

(somber music)

Down in the leaf litter, an army is approaching.

Giant forest ants grow to almost three centimeters in length

Giant forest ants grow to almost three centimeters in length

and are among the world's largest ants.

They live in huge colonies of up to 7,000 individuals.

They live in huge colonies of up to 7,000 individuals.

They survive largely on honey juice

secreted by aphids and scale insects.

But that's not enough to sustain this militia.

But that's not enough to sustain this militia.

They also need to feed on flesh.

Today is a lucky day.

The ants come across a windfall.

(determined music)

(determined music)

A centipede has died.

The ant army immediately mobilizes to move the carcass.

The ant army immediately mobilizes to move the carcass.

Using their powerful jaws,

Using their powerful jaws,

the ants dissect the centipede limb by limb.

The dismembered carcass is carried

piece by piece back to their nest.

Nothing living or dead goes to waste

in Singapore's secret world.

(bikes rattling)

With the coming of night, the denizens of the day rest

With the coming of night, the denizens of the day rest

and Singapore switches gear.

and Singapore switches gear.

(mellow music) (people chattering)

While diners across the city

sit down for their favorite meals,

(frogs singing)

(frogs singing)

darkness-loving insects begin to prowl out of sight.

(insects skittering)

(insects skittering)

A flat-back millipede craves for a dinner

of decaying leaves,

(millipede scuffling)

while spiders wait for a meal to come to them.

while spiders wait for a meal to come to them.

(mysterious music)

They spin their webs in the early hours of the evening

in preparation for a night's hunting,

The St. Andrew's cross spider

can grow to over 10 centimeters long.

This smaller one hasn't fed for days.

A large bush cricket has become entangled in its web.

The spider must move with caution around such enormous prey

is well over twice his size.

is well over twice his size.

The bush cricket struggles to free itself

and the spider needs to make her move now

before it gets away.

But the powerful cricket is too large for the web to hold,

and the famished spider is left to rue the feast

and the famished spider is left to rue the feast

that got away.

(ethereal music)

In the nearby bushes, another bush cricket sheds its skin.

Insects wear their skeleton on the outside,

so as they grow, they must periodically cast it off

to reveal a new coat of armor beneath.

to reveal a new coat of armor beneath.

As the old skin comes off, it blocks its airways.

As the old skin comes off, it blocks its airways.

It can't breathe until the process is complete.

Finally, it's free.

Finally, it's free.

At this moment, it is soft and vulnerable.

At this moment, it is soft and vulnerable.

Darkness is no guarantee of safety.

The bush cricket slips into the undergrowth

to evade detection.

(frogs trilling)

(frogs trilling)

Dawn will soon break

and prompt a changing of the insect guard.

This spells bad news for the St. Andrew's cross spider

facing another day of hunger.

(moth fluttering)

Suddenly, a moth lands in the web.

This time the spider doesn't hesitate.

This time the spider doesn't hesitate.

(dramatic music)

She wraps her prey in a cocoon of fine silk

that will become a death shroud.

that will become a death shroud.

She airlifts it to a safe spot

where she can settle down to feed at her leisure.

(birds singing)

A bright morning invites visitors into the forest,

(tires crunching)

(tires crunching)

(engine purring)

and the daylight reveals

that wild boar have left their calling card,

that wild boar have left their calling card,

(whimsical music)

a pleasant surprise for this dung beetle.

a pleasant surprise for this dung beetle.

With specialized antennae,

he can smell the droppings from far away.

he can smell the droppings from far away.

Dung beetles need to roll the droppings

into manageable-sized balls while it's still fresh.

His future offspring will hatch inside and use it for food.

He uses his specially evolved hind legs

He uses his specially evolved hind legs

to move the dung ball.

You can't muck around

when your nest is on the wrong side of the road.

Traveling in reverse, the beetle gets up a surprising speed.

But when you can't see where you're going,

the trip is an accident waiting to happen.

Across town, Gardens by the Bay inspires

and educates people to appreciate nature's wonders.

and educates people to appreciate nature's wonders.

(graceful music)

Amongst the displays, a chapter is being written

Amongst the displays, a chapter is being written

in the insects' secret world.

After weeks of development,

the plain tiger's chrysalis has now lost all its color,

the plain tiger's chrysalis has now lost all its color,

about to reveal the fully-formed butterfly within.

about to reveal the fully-formed butterfly within.

(chrysalis rustling)

(chrysalis rustling)

(jaws clicking)

Her wings need to expand and dry,

so she pumps liquid through the veins in her wings

so she pumps liquid through the veins in her wings

to shape them.

She tastes the air for the first time

with her long proboscis.

Like a delicate straw,

she'll use it to drink nectar from the city's flowers.

These new accoutrements are a spectacular last hurrah

These new accoutrements are a spectacular last hurrah

for this plain tiger butterfly.

For her time in the city will soon end.

For her time in the city will soon end.

If all goes well,

she will only live for close to two weeks.

Just long enough to reproduce.

Time is precious, so she tries out her wings.

Time is precious, so she tries out her wings.

Her wings have set firm, and are ready for flight.

Her wings have set firm, and are ready for flight.

The plain tiger takes to the air

across the city that birthed her,

across the city that birthed her,

completing another turn in the cycle

that defines the secret world of Wild City Singapore.

that defines the secret world of Wild City Singapore.

(majestic music)

(majestic music)

(musical flourish)

(musical flourish)

(musical flourish)