All language subtitles for Asia (2024) - S01E02 - Above the Clouds (1080p BluRay x265 Silence)

Mount Everest.

It's known in Nepal
as Sagarmatha,

or "Goddess of the Sky".

It rises to a height
of almost 9,000 metres.

Those who succeed
in climbing it

spend only moments at the top.

Nothing can live for long
on its summit.

But on many of Asia's peaks

some specialised animals
and plants flourish

in remarkable ways.

Asia is the most mountainous
continent on Earth.

The peaks in the Himalaya may
be the most dramatic of them...

...but in Southeast Asia

there are mountains
full of life.

Tropical forests grow here
in abundance.

This is the Daen Lao Range
in northern Thailand.

And here, there is
an astonishing gathering.

This is the largest flock
of swifts to be found

anywhere in the world.

The heavy rains have cloaked
the land with dense forest

and carved the rocks
into great caves.

The Tham Nam Lod cave is
big enough to accommodate

a 16-storey building...

...and its walls provide a home

for over a quarter
of a million swifts.

It's the nesting season.

Almost every available ledge
and crevice is occupied.

Disputes for the few
vacant sites are frequent.

And rivals only too often
end up in the river.

Wet feathers make it difficult
to get back into the air.

And there are
hidden dangers here.

Keeping still is one way
of avoiding detection.

Yet the urge to fly is strong.

The giant carp and catfish

that lurk beneath the surface

are always hungry.

A pair crash-land.

One bird is pulled under...

...but some birds
won't go down without a fight.

A second chance.

Its frantic splashing

has already attracted
more hungry fish.

A near-miraculous escape.

It was saved

by the sheer strength
of its wings.

The shelter of the cave

is clearly worth the risks
it brings.

For every swift
that is caught by a fish,

countless thousands
breed successfully.

And each evening,
in the dwindling light,

the sky fills with adult birds.

The forest-clad peaks
of Southeast Asia

stretch for thousands of miles.

But south of Thailand...

...the land fragments
into islands.

In Borneo,

one great mountain
stands alone.

Mount Kinabalu.

Over 4,000 metres high,

it was pushed up by forces
deep in the Earth's crust

several million years ago.

Its slopes are home

to a particularly inquisitive
little creature.

The mountain tree shrew.

A strange plant grows here,

with leaves shaped
like little jugs.

A pitcher plant.

The shrew is enticed

by the sweet liquid
the pitchers produce.

But they are traps.

Insects are also attracted
by their sweetness.

However,
the surfaces are slippery

and the insects can
easily lose their footing.

And there, they drown.

Their bodies dissolve
and are absorbed by the plant.

The more insects
the plant consumes,

the bigger the pitchers
it produces.

And the bigger the prey
they attract.

But the shrew, of course,

is far too big and powerful

to be caught
like a small insect.

And it has a firm grip.

In fact, the shrew
gives the plant a reward

for its meal.

Its droppings.

They, for the plant,
are well worth having,

for they're very nutritious.

The shrew pays regular visits

to collect
the plant's sugary offerings.

And its droppings help keep
the plant growing strongly.

It's an excellent arrangement,

from which both plant
and animal can flourish.

To the west of Borneo,

across the Bay of Bengal,

stand the fertile peaks
of southern India.

The mountains
of the Western Ghats.

They extend for over
1,000 miles along the coast.

And they're home to the largest
of all Asia's land animals.

The Asian elephant.

This herd is on a journey
to find new feeding grounds.

They're led by an old female -

the matriarch.

The whole family relies on
her experience and knowledge.

Yet, over the last 150 years,

their home
has radically changed.

The altitude and monsoon rains

make the Western Ghats

an excellent place
for growing tea.

Human beings, globally,

drink 2 billion cups of it
every day.

In just two elephant lifetimes,

the forest has been felled
to make space for tea.

Nonetheless, it seems

that the elephants
follow the same paths

as were used
by their ancestors.

But now, these paths
run through fields

of this very valuable crop.

The elephants, however,

place every step
with great care.

A single adult can eat
over 100 kilos every day.

And yet, they don't take
a single leaf of tea.

They don't like
its bitter taste.

But they do relish
the wild plants that grow here.

So as far as the humans
are concerned,

the elephants
are clearing away weeds.

It may seem to be
a harmonious existence...

...but these mountains
are densely populated.

Over 50,000 people work
as tea pickers alone.

So living side by side
can be difficult.

Yet, the people have learnt
to give the elephants space,

and the herds are adaptable.

Some matriarchs, however,

are now going

where few elephants

have ever been seen before.

They have become mountaineers.

Why elephants should choose
to climb to these summits,

no-one fully understands.

It may be
that they're attracted

by the fresh grass.

Or perhaps they are
simply trying to escape

from the busy world below.

Either way, planting tea here

could have been a disaster
for these herds.

But not so.

A quarter
of all Asian elephants

now live here,
in the Western Ghats...

...making it home

to the biggest population
on Earth.

Over 1,000 miles
to the west of India,

where Asia meets Africa,

stand the continent's
hottest and driest peaks.

Those of the Arabian Peninsula.

In the far south

lies the arid Dhofar range
of Oman.

Temperatures here can reach
over 40 degrees Celsius.

Animals of all kinds
must shelter from such heat.

But summer is coming,

and its winds will bring
moist air from the tropics.

As they meet
the cool surface of the sea...

...the water they carry
condenses

and begins to form
vast banks of fog.

This is the start

of a major change
in the weather,

one on which life here depends.

The Khareef.

As it sweeps inland,

the fog is deflected upwards
by the mountains.

And within the clouds,

a magical transformation
begins.

One unlike any other in Asia.

The plants in Arabia's
unique cloud forest

collect moisture from the air.

And, within only two weeks,

this parched land
bursts into life.

It's a spectacular change,

created
by the Dhofar Mountains.

Here, everything hastens

to make the most
of this new world.

This landscape is the home

of one of Arabia's
best-adapted desert animals.

Camels.

They will nibble
anything that is green...

...and plenty that is not.

As summer ends,

the winds of the Khareef
dwindle...

...and vanish
as suddenly as they arrived.

Now, life must wait...

...until the good times return.

In Asia's mountainous centre,

the Himalaya stretch
for over 1,000 miles.

They cross five countries...

...and at the range's
far western end,

in Pakistan...

...stand some
of the most dramatic

of all the Earth's mountains.

The near-vertical peaks
of the Hindu Kush.

They're so inaccessible

that local people believe them
to be inhabited by spirits.

Animals that live
among precipices like these

must be skilled rock climbers.

Markhor.

The biggest
of all species of goat.

Over half
the world's population

live in these mountains.

Few predators can follow them,

for here,
one wrong step can be,

and often is, fatal.

The first snows
mark the beginning

of the breeding season.

It only lasts
for a couple of weeks...

...so the males do not have
long to claim a female.

Time for a special kind
of flirting.

She isn't interested.

But flirtation isn't
the only requirement

for winning a mate.

Males may have to compete
for the right to breed.

They size one another up...

...using
their metre-long horns.

When neither backs down...

...battle begins.

Undaunted
by the perilous drops...

...they risk their lives

competing
for a higher position uphill.

200 kilograms
of muscle collide.

All this male can do
is brace and take the hits.

If two males
are equally matched,

the battle becomes
a test of stamina.

After hours of fighting...

...both are exhausted.

It's time to call it quits.

And the winner is recognised.

This is what success
looks like.

The Himalayan range
runs from east to west,

and at its centre lies Nepal.

Of the ten highest mountains
on Earth, eight are found here.

And the forests on their slopes

are home to perhaps the shyest
of Asia's mammals.

Red pandas.

They're well adapted
to life here,

with thick fur
to keep out the cold.

This female is searching
for food.

Bamboo can make up
99% of her diet.

But during the coldest months,

something appears
that is much more nutritious.

And she knows
exactly where to find it.

Kiwi fruit, otherwise known
as Chinese gooseberries.

They're packed with energy...

...and only appear
for a few short weeks.

So she eats all she can find.

After such a feast...

...she needs to do
what red pandas do best.

She sleeps.

At the far eastern end
of the Himalaya

stand the isolated
Hengduan Mountains of China.

The forests here are home

to a particularly engaging
species of monkey.

They live at a higher altitude

than any primate
other than humans.

The Yunnan snub-nosed monkey.

Why they have such tiny noses
is not certain,

but perhaps it's because
that, if they were any longer,

they would get frostbitten.

They live
in close family groups

and take life at a slow pace.

Spring is an extremely
important time for them.

It's when the young are born.

They are among
the most endangered

of all primate species.

Each baby is very precious.

Everyone wants to hold
the new arrivals.

The youngsters are dependent
on their mother

for over a year.

But after only a few weeks,

some become...adventurous.

There's a lot to learn.

Watching
how the grown-ups do things

is a good way to start.

But finding your feet
can be tricky.

For these two youngsters,

today's lesson
is particularly important.

It concerns the way
by which one makes friends.

And having friends here
is crucial.

As evening approaches,

the families huddle together
for warmth.

Temperatures fall
well below zero.

Group hugs are not just ways
of showing affection.

Frequently,
they are essential for survival

in this bitterly cold habitat.

To the north of the Himalaya

lies the vast and desolate
Tibetan Plateau.

It's bordered
by the highest peaks on Earth.

It has an average altitude
of over 4,000 metres.

And it is aptly called by many
"the roof of the world".

It's home to the Tibetan fox.

This female has pups.

They're three months old,

and their demand for food
is never-ending.

It's time, once again,
for Mother to go hunting.

The weather
is wildly unpredictable.

And an icy storm can transform
the landscape overnight.

She's looking for a pika.

Lots of them live here...

...and she feeds
on little else.

But the snow makes her
only too conspicuous.

The pikas see her

almost as soon
as she approaches.

To locate her prey,

she often relies
on her excellent eyesight.

But she's also
an acute listener.

She can hear the slightest
movement beneath the snow.

Wait...

Wait...

Got it!

But one pika won't go far.

The weather is not the only
challenge she has to face.

This is a busy time
for the people who live here.

The lush grass
is essential food

for their hungry yaks.

The fox is little bigger
than a house cat...

...So she could easily
be trampled.

But this mother is cunning.

She keeps a safe distance

and uses the yaks as cover...

...as she creeps closer
to the distracted pika.

Thanks to their mother's
hunting skills...

...all three cubs will soon be
able to survive on their own.

Wildlife has had to find ways
to adapt to Asia's mountains.

But now
these peaks are changing.

They hold one of the greatest
expanses of snow and ice

to be found
outside the polar regions.

The Himalaya
are sometimes called

"the water towers of Asia".

Their meltwaters feed

some of the Earth's
biggest rivers...

...such as the Ganges
and the Indus.

And they supply fresh water
to countless numbers of people.

But temperatures in many
of these mountainous areas

are rising faster
than in lower lands.

As they do so, in some areas

water becomes scarce.

In Nepal,

the village of Samdzong
was once fed

by a surging river.

But it's now reduced
to a trickle.

With little water here,

only a handful of people
remain.

By the end of this century,

up to half the ice
now found in these mountains

may have disappeared.

Life here has never been easy.

Yet, in the remotest parts
of these mountains...

...there lives one animal

that is perhaps
the most elusive of all.

Snow leopards spend most of
their lives above 3,000 metres.

Each individual
is largely solitary

and wanders alone
over vast areas.

However, very occasionally...

...their paths cross.

He has been following
this female's scent for weeks,

and may have found a mate.

But she's cautious.

Eventually, he gains her trust.

They spend
the next four days together.

Then, their ways part...

...and they may never meet
again.

A male snow leopard
plays no part

in raising the cubs
that he may have fathered.

These youngsters
will stay with their mother

and rely on her
for nearly two years.

It takes time
to master the challenges

of living
in Asia's highest places.

But the animals that do so...

...are among the most hardy
and resilient of any on Earth.

To film the extraordinary world

of Asia's mountains,

crews would spend

more than 400 days
in the field...

...getting up close

with some of the continent's
most remarkable wildlife.

- Hey!
- Good job.

Filming would take them

from the sweltering mountains
of the Middle East

to the bitterly cold Himalaya.

My toes are frozen.

But there is a snow leopard
sitting right in front of us.

But it was
on the Tibetan Plateau,

almost 5,000 metres up,

where the team faced
their biggest challenge.

To film the Tibetan fox,

an expert crew was enlisted.

Cameraman Jacky Poon
has been visiting here

for the past three years.

In doing so,

he's gained the trust
of one very special mother.

She might be getting
a little old now,

but it's clear
she hasn't forgotten him.

I can't believe...

Watching Mum now,

I mean, she must be seven,
eight?

She's so trusting of Jacky -

this is the fourth litter
of cubs she's let him film.

We're probably
less than 20 metres away.

It's pretty amazing how quickly
they get used to us.

I think
just because they saw Mum

coming over and not bothered,

so they immediately know
that we're not a threat.

And it's just great -
they're not even looking at us.

Jacky is here
to film a behaviour

he's never managed
to capture on camera.

A Tibetan fox hunting,

using the yaks as cover.

A month here will be tough.

Even in summer,

temperatures can drop
to -20 degrees Celsius.

In their remote hut, the crew
must improvise to stay warm.

These are yak droppings,
it's what we need to have fire.

Seeing as there's no tree
out there,

yak dropping is the best.

But as the crew embed
themselves in the foxes' lives,

they are increasingly aware
of a threat.

Feral dogs are common.

Unfortunately, it seems

that the mother
has already had a run-in.

She's not doing so well.

She's limping quite a lot.

Her left front paw
seems to be injured,

and, yeah, she's not going
very fast.

It's not good.

Now she's hurt, if she'd meet
another stray dog,

I mean, that's it for her.

Soon, the situation
for the team goes

from bad to worse.

Being out in the open
is dangerous.

Come on, Joshua.
Go, go, go, quick.

Get in the car, quick!

Oh, it's crazy!

People are struck by lightning
here every year.

Whoa!

Oh, my gosh.

The storm passes quickly.

Yet the weather remains poor
for days...

...and the mother
is nowhere to be found.

She was last seen
chased by the dogs,

so we're definitely
worried sick

and hopefully we can find her
this morning.

We're having snow in summer,

and we can't even see
that mountain.

Usually, it's a landmark.

Oh, it's so cold!

Days go by
without a sign of the family.

Can't see anything.

Definitely no Mum, nor cubs.

With only a week left
of the shoot,

the chances of filming

the mother hunting
among the yaks

are slipping away.

But as the weather
begins to lift,

the team finally receive
some good news.

That's Mum.

Found Mum up the mountain.

Oh, thank God for that,
honestly.

I was so afraid

that something's happened
to Mum.

But, yeah, it's good to know
she's alive,

but now she just needs
to stay alive.

Although the mother
is safe and well,

Jacky still needs
to get in the right place

to capture her hunting
among the yaks.

Oh, Mum is catching,
right in there.

We don't want
to scare the yaks off.

We should move around the yaks,

otherwise we're pushing
the yaks further up.

With a cautious approach...

...Jacky is able to get
right in among the herd...

...and films action
never captured before.

Nice!
Such an amazing behaviour.

While Jacky's relationship
has made it all possible,

it also makes it hard
to say goodbye.

Man, it's pretty crazy
to think that

the first year when I was here

she was younger than me,

in dog years,

and now, four years later,

she's actually older than me.

But Jacky hopes to return

and once again be reunited

with this master

of Asia's mountains.