All language subtitles for 1 1 Asia.5of7.Crowded.Continent.1080p

Across Asia, vast fertile lands support
an ever -growing human population.

In Vietnam alone, the number of people
has more than doubled in the last 50

years.

This is the most densely populated
continent of all, home to 4 .7

billion.

And counting.

More people live in Asia than in the
rest of the world combined.

Yet in this... crowded continent, human
settlements also offer unique

opportunities for those animals that are
bold enough to seek them.

Bhopal, Central India

During festivals, the city fills with
life.

But in the shadows, a predator is on the
prowl.

Lured here by the promise of easy prey.

A tiger, Asia's largest big cat.

This female needs to make a kill every
week.

And the city has rich hunting grounds.

The occasional loss of livestock is
tolerated by the

humans who live here.

And the tigress has learnt to become
invisible.

Timing is everything.

She uses the same roots as the people,
but never at the

same time.

And her stealthy strategy pays off.

She has cubs.

A litter of four.

Tiger mothers usually have only two
cubs.

Quadruplets are a sign that she's doing
well.

But now she's got her work cut out.

She must teach her mischievous cubs how
to go unnoticed.

These urban tigers have learnt to thrive
in the human world.

by staying out of the spotlight.

In Sri Lanka the largest of land mammals
takes a very different approach.

Asian elephants live in higher densities
here than anywhere else on earth.

To find enough food they roam for
hundreds of miles.

But people are never far away.

That means new dangers.

But also new opportunities.

is tastier than leaves and grass.

And on this road, you can often pick up
a full meal.

But there is one bull who takes things a
stage further.

He doesn't wait patiently by the
roadside.

Instead, he uses his four -tonne body to
create a roadblock and

demand a toll.

When he receives a payment, he lets them
pass.

His persuasive charm has earned him a
reputation.

He's even been given a name.

Roger.

He knows which vehicles aren't worth
bothering with.

And which have the potential to deliver
a feast.

Raja's gentle nature has won many
hearts.

But other bulls here don't share his
diplomatic skills.

Their more assertive approach doesn't
get them anywhere.

And now...

Despite the risks entire families are
showing up

Elephant

numbers are on the rise in Sri Lanka
Persuading people

to hand over their food will be an
increasingly valuable skill

one there is plenty of time to learn.

This new behaviour is only possible
because of the mutual respect here.

Such tolerance exists among people right
across Asia.

including here, Nara, in central Japan.

During the morning rush hour, not all
commuters walk on two legs.

Seeker deer are more than comfortable in
this town.

They're free to roam wherever they
please.

This mutual understanding has existed
for generations.

A deer is believed in ancient times to
have brought into the town a divine

messenger riding on its back.

Ever since, seeker deer here have been
considered sacred.

And today, they're celebrities.

They are hand -fed with special deer
crackers.

But every autumn, the peace is
disturbed.

Males start fighting for females and
become a danger to people.

To avoid accidents, their antlers are
removed.

They will grow back in spring and their
temporary loss allow the deer to live in

the city without risk of hurting anyone.

But those males looking for a mate now
have a problem.

This dag search has brought him to the
edge of the town.

A group of females.

Perfect.

but they are being guarded by a male
from out of town

with an intimidating set of answers.

This posturing signals a challenge.

A slip now could cost him an eye.

Lacking answers, he's dependent on
strength, skill,

and sheer determination.

Even without weaponry, he has beaten his
opponent.

And the winners get a chance with the
females.

India, home to more people than any
other country on earth.

Over 1 .4 billion.

Half the population work in agriculture.

And here in the foothills of the
Himalaya, the millet crop, is ready for

harvesting.

But a raid is being planned.

A troop of Himalayan lancers.

These fields contain the best food for
miles around.

The prospect of such a good meal is
irresistible.

The crops, however, are growing on the
other side of a river.

And the only bridge is patrolled by
dogs.

They regularly kill intruding monkeys.

The langurs' only option is to brave the
rapids.

The dogs are closing in.

The baby has to cling on to its mother
for dear life.

These monkeys have made it to a field
full of food.

Much more nutritious than the wild
plants that grow higher up.

But the langurs must be alert.

A male keeps watch.

The Nangas take refuge in the nearby
trees.

But now they're trapped.

One wrong move, could be fatal.

But langurs are clever.

They create a diversion.

The older adults lead the dogs away.

And the others are able to escape.

Everyone is home and safe.

Agriculture in India has shaped the
landscape for thousands of years.

Irrigating crops, requires an extensive
network of channels, dams and canals.

These creatures occasionally create
unexpected opportunities for animals.

In Gujarat, in the west of India, snakes
are on the move.

These are checkered keelbacks.

and they have a particular destination
in mind.

This drainage channel might not look
like much, but it will soon be full of

fish.

And the snakes seem to know it.

Travelling upstream to reach reservoirs
must pass through a narrow gap.

There the snakes await them.

But the only thing they seem to be
actually catching is each other.

They don't have long to get their eye
in.

The fish are only here for a few days
each year when water levels are at their

peak.

And now there is competition.

That is just showing off.

Jackpot!

Finally, the snakes have caught on.

And now they're getting ambitious.

Going for even bigger fish.

But be careful what you wish for.

from one simple structure.

Human developments inevitably affect the
landscape.

And here in Asia, that influence has
become major and extensive.

Across the continent, people are
building in all directions.

faster than anywhere else on Earth.

In just a few decades, Singapore has
become totally urban.

And it's still expanding.

Today, two -thirds of the world's
megacities are in Asia.

and some have spread so far that they've
merged with one another.

In Japan, Tokyo has joined with nearby
Yokohama and created the planet's

built -up area.

This is what is now known as a
megalopolis.

37 million people have their homes here.

Such cities are surely the most
unnatural of our planet's habitats.

Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.

Here, an animal normally found in
forests now lives surrounded by the

concrete of a modern school.

On the fifth floor, inside the library,
he's built a nest.

Between a window and its shutters.

It's quiet, warm and far from predators.

A great place for a squirrel to sleep
through the day.

But when he wakes up, he has a problem.

Here, there is very little food.

To get to a tree where there might be
some, he must travel from one building

another.

And that is dangerous.

But this is no

ordinary squirrel.

He has a superpower.

He can fly.

He has skin stretching between his limbs
that enables him to glide for 150

metres or so.

But to reach his destination will be
difficult.

Each take -off must be from as high as
possible.

Because with every glide, he inevitably
loses height.

And travelling over the ground is very
dangerous indeed.

At last, the trees are in sight.

Just one more busy road to cross and
he'll be there.

Finally, a meal.

Another Taipei resident manages to find
all it needs without having to commute.

The rhinoceros beetle emerging.

in a city garden.

Males have only one thing on their mind.

Sex in the city.

This may seem an unlikely place to find
a mate.

But there's something here that all
rhinoceros beetles find irresistible.

Ash trees.

Lots of females are already here feeding
on the sweet sap.

This male approaches them cautiously.

But he's not the first to arrive.

And some have much bigger horns.

Down, but not out.

Rhinoceros beetles don't give up easily.

But these ash trees have been planted
closer together than they usually grow

the wild.

Which is why there are so many
rhinoceros beetles here.

And more males means more battles.

With such a small horn, the odds of
winning are low.

Sometimes you have to rely on stealth.

Waiting for the other males to start
fighting and then sneaking past.

Finally, a female.

Rhinoceros beetles are one of a select
group of animals able to thrive in Asian

cities.

Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, has a
population of 10 million people.

Only 250 years ago, this was all
wetlands.

And between the skyscrapers, remnants of
that past remain.

This is Lumpini Park, and here swamp
dwellers still survive.

Asian water monitor This young female is
one of the smallest

in the park So her life here isn't easy

Males

dominate Some are over two meters long

are expert at fishing.

There are 300 or so living here, as
dense a population of big lizards as you

find anywhere.

So competition is fierce.

This small female will need to be bowled
if she's to get her fair share.

A catch as big as this attracts a crowd.

Their forked tongues enable them to
detect a scent from half a mile away.

And soon, many huge males arrive.

The female is undaunted.

Despite her small size she barges
straight in.

But as more males gather they squabble.

When you can't get a look in, other
tactics might work.

Such as stealing.

This female now has her very own fish
head.

And she's not giving it up.

There's so much food here that these
lizards are thriving

And

seemingly finding little difficulty in
living alongside humans

That is

not a common ability

Most animals need a more natural world.

And that is diminishing as a consequence
of our ever -increasing numbers.

In Borneo, in just 50 years, the human
population has tripled, whilst the size

of its forest has halved.

And one of the island's inhabitants,
which lives nowhere else, has very

requirements.

Proboscis monkeys.

Their favourite food are the leaves of a
particular species of mangrove.

The youngest leaves are the most
nutritious, so the monkeys are

the move looking for fresh growth.

As the forest shrinks, these trees are
becoming more difficult to find.

Now their search for food is bringing
the monkeys into the human world

that lies on the other side of a 100
metre

wide river.

These pipes are the only bridge across
it for miles.

But the monkeys don't use it.

They can swim.

The baby struggles to keep its head
above water.

Made it.

But their journey is far from over.

And now they are in human territory.

To reach the trees they're seeking, the
troop must cross the outskirts of the

city.

That brings them closer to people.

At last, on the edge of the city, their
favourite leaves.

the dangerous journey has paid off.

But a tiny isolated patch of mancoves
like this won't sustain them for long.

If they are to survive, they will soon
have to find another patch somewhere.

Like so many animals from the
wilderness, these monkeys face an

future.

But there is, however, one species that
has become increasingly dependent on our

towns and cities.

These swifts have just travelled over 3
,000 miles from sub -Saharan Africa to

Jerusalem in the far west of Asia.

In the heart of this ancient city, They
nest in walls that have stood here for 2

,000 years.

The Western Wall.

It's one of the holiest sites in
Judaism, and swift doubters have nested

ever since it was built.

the cracks between the stones are just
the sort of nest sites that's just like

across

the middle east these birds rely on
human structures

And if they can, they return to the same
nest site each year.

This one is waiting for its partner to
arrive.

They pair for life, but only come
together for the short breeding season.

After nine months apart, they are united
once again.

This couple are among the lucky ones.

They have a chance of raising a family
this year.

But some will never find a home.

The urban world on which they have
relied is changing.

Old buildings are being replaced by
cliffs of glass and steel.

There are no nooks and crannies here.

With fewer places to nest, swift
populations the world over are in

But every pair that breeds successfully
brings hope for the species.

In this nest, good news.

The parents are now raising two chicks.

Growing youngsters need feeding every
hour.

Swifts do everything on the wing, from
catching thousands of insects to

collecting water, a task which requires
very precise aerial manoeuvres.

In a few weeks, these chicks will also
take to the skies.

They may then remain in the air
continuously for three years until

mature enough to return and breed
themselves.

As historic cities are transformed by
modern structures, the birds will face

even greater challenge.

We should surely leave enough space for
those few creatures in the world who

still choose to live alongside us.

Filming animals living alongside people
took the Asia team into new territories.

Whilst most wildlife filmmakers work in
the wilderness,

they found themselves in the busiest and

most built -up parts of the continent.

The challenges of filming animals in
human habitats don't come much bigger

they did in Sri Lanka With

elephants on a busy road the

priority is to keep everybody safe We
did a recce yesterday with Sam,

our incredibly experienced guide

and he's identified two elephants that
are quite aggressive.

Just from that drive -by, it's fairly
evident that they're quite aggressive.

That Tusker's body language was
completely different. He felt stress

the road, and I felt stress being around
him.

It's just completely unpredictable.

Interactions between people and
elephants can quickly escalate.

In Sri Lanka, conflicts frequently
result in fatalities on both sides.

Rangers patrol these roads and use
firecrackers to scare the more

elephants away.

But not all the bulls here are the same.

The rangers introduce the crew to one
whose calm nature makes him safer to

Oh, I think it's perfect.

That's great.

That's an awesome shot.

Roger.

He's got a very different temperament to
all the other elephants we've seen.

He's the calmest out of all of them and
the most confident.

Justine has 30 years of experience
filming elephants all over the world,

she's never met an elephant quite like
Raja.

Today he's decided to stand right next
to the vehicle in a shady spot, which is

a bit tricky because I don't know where
to put the camera.

It's proving difficult to get him to
keep his distance.

There's no food.

No food, Raja. We don't have anything.

Look, nothing.

Usually, filming the close -ups is the
hardest part.

But here, it's the wide shots that are
tough.

Whilst Justine works with Raja...

Emma Louise wants to capture the action
from a different angle.

From inside a bus.

The challenge with filming on a bus is
that it's always a completely different

scenario. So no two buses are the same.
The interior is completely different.

It's kind of getting a feel for how most
buses are laid out.

You have different conductors, different
drivers. The elephants are on different

sides of the road.

So no matter how well you think you've
planned for the camera moves you want to

do, it's never the way you planned.

We're not allowed to direct or instruct
the conductors or the driver at all

because they're driving a public bus on
a public highway, so we can't ask them

to do anything.

Oh, wrong side, OK.

Meanwhile, Justine has enlisted help to
get some much -needed distance from

Raja.

He's talking to Raja, basically saying,
it's OK, we don't have anything, go back

to where you were.

I just seem to look at him.

The way he speaks is just gentle.

They seem to have a relationship, these
two.

Now he's turned around, going back to
his patch.

Thanks to the ranger's negotiating
skills, Justine can get to work filming

at work.

I mean, compared to all the other
elephants, he is the utter master of

scavenging.

He's a bit of a legend.

After hours on the road, the bus team
feel like their plan will never come

together. I think we've been on about 38
buses now in total, maybe 40.

You need the perfect position of the
elephant, you need the perfect position

the driver.

All the stars just have to align.

Finally.

persistence pays off.

I love it when a plan comes together.

That's really good. Nice.

In Sri Lanka, elephants

and humans overlap more than anywhere
else on Earth, and so there will be

challenges.

The human -wildlife conflict or
coexistence is a tricky one here, like

everywhere, at fighting over resources.

But here, the relationship is one of
tolerance.

An attitude which the Asia team
witnessed many times whilst filming

spectacular continent.

Next time, a journey into the arid heart
of Asia.

Where life exists on a knife edge.

And each day is a fight for survival.

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