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Some people
believe that it is a call
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that can shake a mountain.
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This pair of great hornbills
are particularly excited.
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Hidden from sight, high up in
a tree, something is stirring.
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Their little secret.
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00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,560
She takes in her first
view of the world.
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A world that her parents
have successfully learned to
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navigate in order to survive in
this ever-changing new wild.
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It is perhaps not perfect, but
is the reality in a country
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of over 1.4 billion people,
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where boundaries
are often blurred,
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sometimes leading to conflict.
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A land of sacred peaks
and secret creatures,
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lost in the mists of
time somewhere between
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00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:48,360
folklore and magic.
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00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:12,440
A land of thundering waterfalls,
deep gorges and ancient rocks,
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00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:16,840
all shaped by tectonic forces,
wind and water for over
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00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:18,880
two and a half billion years.
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00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,840
But even greater is
the force of change
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brought in by human pressures,
only in the past two centuries.
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This is the story
of the Nilgiris,
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India's first biosphere reserve.
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These islands in the sky
still hold many secrets.
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00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:05,160
Like the mountains
themselves, shrouded in mist,
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the story of the origin
of the name Neela Giri is
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still shrouded in mystery.
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While others believe
the name originates
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from the mountains being
carpeted by flowers
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of the Neelakurinji.
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Whatever may be the origin of
the name, there is no doubt that
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the many folds of these
rugged mountains
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still hold many mysteries.
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Many of the plants
and animals here are found
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nowhere else on the planet.
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Like the Nilgiri Chilappan, a
species of laughing thrush
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that has evolved in isolation
here for over 5 million years
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and is inseparable from
the Sky Island home.
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The highest part of the
Nilgiris is a land of extremes.
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The mountain monarch here
in this precipitous terrain
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is the Nilgiri Tahr.
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Living in small herds,
these sturdy mountain goats
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00:06:03,280 --> 00:06:06,640
make their home in the
high elevation grasslands
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and steep rocky cliffs,
inaccessible to predators.
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00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:18,360
Also known as the cloud
goat, this sure-footed
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ungulate is the only one of
its kind found naturally
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occurring in the tropics.
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They roam their vast
grassland kingdom,
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browsing on a variety of plants.
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The grasslands appear monotypic.
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In this sea of grass, these
pockets of dense jungle
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are known as sholas.
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00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:06,320
These small wooded groves
are like a sponge,
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with trees laden
with thick moss.
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00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:16,080
During the monsoon, they soak
up moisture and slowly release
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00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:19,800
it through the year,
ensuring a perennial supply
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00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:21,240
of fresh water.
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00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:30,200
These little streams join
together to form rivers that
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00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:32,120
cut through this landscape.
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The waters that flow off
the northern side of the
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mountains fall over 250 feet
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and carve a chasm nearly
a thousand feet in depth,
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creating The Moyar.
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00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:09,240
In Tamil, it means 'the
river that disappears'.
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{\an8}And in the summer transforms
into a green ribbon of life.
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An oasis in a
rain-parched landscape.
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00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:39,000
From space, the Moyar can be
seen as a 22-kilometre-long scar
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00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,760
on the north side of
the Nilgiri Massif.
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The Western Ghat mountain
range runs 1,600
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kilometres north to south
along the west coast
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of peninsular India.
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The Nilgiri Massif runs west
to east and forms a bridge,
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a critical link to
the Eastern Ghats.
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{\an8}Its unique location
combined with its unique
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{\an8}nature and culture
has made it India's
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{\an8}first biosphere reserve.
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Established in 1986,
the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve,
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covering an area
of 5,500 square kilometres,
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00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:36,600
is part of UNESCO's Man
and Biosphere Programme,
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aimed at using research to
explore the relationship
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between humans and
the environment.
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00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:01,920
This mosaic of grassland
and shola is important,
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not only for its
ability to store water,
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but it is also an
ancient storehouse of
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numerous little secrets.
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Species found here exist
nowhere else on the planet.
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00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:29,040
Some are so seldom
seen that most people
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don't even know they exist.
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00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:44,720
The Nilgiri Marten.
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00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:54,840
In this rare footage, this
mongoose-sized carnivore
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is feeding on a giant squirrel.
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This grassland kingdom is
home not just for the Tahr
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but also other ungulates.
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00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:15,760
Gaur the largest
bovine in the world.
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And Sambhar, the largest
of India's deer.
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00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:26,840
{\an8}Grazing in the open
leaves them exposed.
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Small herds graze in the
open, unaware that they
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are being watched.
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She gives chase.
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It's too late.
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For now, she will go hungry.
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00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:50,800
A story of predator and
prey that has unfolded here
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for thousands of years.
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00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:59,480
But over the last two
centuries, these mountains have
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00:12:59,560 --> 00:13:00,960
been transformed.
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00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:09,120
An ever-growing human population
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with an ever-hungry appetite
for land and consumption
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has drastically altered
this landscape.
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80% of the Nilgiri Massif
was converted to human
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use of various forms.
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00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:35,320
It's difficult to believe
that all this transformation
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took place only within
the last 200 years.
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{\an8}In the mid-1800s.
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But it was the Opium Wars
in China that triggered a
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desperate search for alternative
tea-supplying landscapes
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that led to tea plantations
being developed in India.
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First in Assam, and
then in the Nilgiris.
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This combined with the
construction of the
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Nilgiri Mountain Railway,
popularly known as the
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Toy Train, changed the
face of the hills.
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00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:21,440
With that, Ooty became the
busy, bustling heart of
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a fast-growing township.
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A combination of
tourism and trade.
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A stone's throw away from the
hustle and bustle of the market
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is another world.
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An idyllic year-round garden.
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Busy with bees.
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00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:53,520
In this garden, it's not just
the roses that have spines.
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Meet the Horsfield's
Spiny Lizard,
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also known as the Nilgiri Salea,
with a tail nearly
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two and a half times
its body length.
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It is a species found
nowhere else in the world.
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00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:26,200
Once at home in high elevation
bushes around grasslands,
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they've had to adapt to
their changing environment
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and now live
incognito in gardens,
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performing the role
of insect control.
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00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,680
Sudden movements trigger a
Salea's hunting instinct.
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00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:52,880
But a sudden movement also
triggers a fly's instinct
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to flee.
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00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:09,200
To catch a fly, one
needs to be a fly on the wall.
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In this case, a branch.
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She has her eyes on the prize.
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00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:37,800
A fly, too distracted to
notice the camouflaged lizard.
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00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:45,120
Being within striking
distance is critical.
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Any sudden movement or loss of
focus and the fly will be gone.
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00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:14,000
With quick reflexes
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and an uncanny ability
to conceal herself,
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this Salea has managed
to capture a meal,
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even in the heart of this town.
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As towns go to sleep, the
hills reveal their wild side.
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00:18:58,360 --> 00:19:01,480
In this era of
lights and cameras,
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every action is captured.
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00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:08,320
{\an8}Security cameras
reveal the vibrant,
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00:19:08,360 --> 00:19:11,560
{\an8}nocturnal urban
wildlife of the hills.
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00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:31,080
Dawn reveals the newest
habitat of the hills.
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Neatly manicured rows of
tea, a vast sea of green.
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The whole cast of
The Jungle Book are here.
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From elephants, to cheeky
monkeys, mongoose,
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00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:03,520
to sloth bears, and even the
enigmatic black panther.
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But in order to adapt
to this new wilderness,
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they've had to play
by some new rules.
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{\an8}Rule number one,
don't eat the tea.
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Luckily, the herbivores haven't
developed a taste for tea,
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and hardly ever
graze on tea leaves.
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00:21:34,360 --> 00:21:37,880
They much prefer the lush
growth of grass under the tea.
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Rule number two.
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Get to know your neighbors.
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There's also a sloth bear
family learning their way
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00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:55,800
around this tea garden.
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And where there's prey,
there are predators lurking.
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Rule number three.
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See, but don't be seen.
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00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:18,040
The master of camouflage
in this wilderness of tea
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00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:19,040
is the leopard.
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00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:23,600
The most adaptable
of all the big cats,
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00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:26,760
the leopards have learned
the rules of the game well.
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00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:41,480
She's not watching the Sambar.
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Dogs are a big part
of the diet of these leopards.
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With challenging
waste management,
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open garbage dumps
attract macaques,
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dogs,
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and wild pigs.
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A ready source of food
for waiting leopards.
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00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:46,920
This leopardess
has her paws full.
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00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:53,880
Her litter of four includes
two melanistic cubs.
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00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:03,840
But how they turn black, and
if in fact a black leopard
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00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:06,920
is a product of its habitat,
has long been a source
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00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:10,160
of discussion amongst
evolutionary biologists.
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00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:19,840
The black panther and leopard
are all the same species,
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sometimes erroneously
considered different.
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Melanism is a very rare mutation
that occurs when an individual
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expresses the recessive gene.
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00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:45,360
With the tea pickers
gone for the day,
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they can now come out of hiding.
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The rocks in the tea garden
are a favourite play area.
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Play is an essential
part of growing up.
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It strengthens
bonds between them
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00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:22,400
and develops their abilities
to camouflage and ambush,
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00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,720
skills necessary to make
them the ultimate predators.
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00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:39,720
On the northern and eastern
sides of the Nilgiris,
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things are very different.
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It's the dry side, the
rain shadow region.
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00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:02,680
Clouds flow past, but
the mountains have
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00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:04,160
drained all the moisture.
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00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:20,320
At the start of the dry season,
gooseberries are a delicacy,
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00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:23,800
but for the Chital, reaching
them is impossible.
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00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:28,640
Lungurs take a bite and
throw the rest of the
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00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:30,760
fruit to the ground.
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00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:33,400
A welcome morsel
for waiting Chital.
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00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:39,320
Chital and Lungur have
learned to share their space
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00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:42,360
and resources to protect
each other from predators.
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00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:51,400
Chital are the most abundant
deer species here and are
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a favorite meal for leopards
and other carnivores.
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00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:09,240
Wild dogs, known as dhole,
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00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:12,600
are efficient top predators.
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00:27:14,120 --> 00:27:15,760
They rarely hunt alone.
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00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:19,560
Their strength is
in their numbers.
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00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:36,440
Blackbuck, with speeds of
over 80 kilometers per hour,
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00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:38,320
may be too fast for Dhole.
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00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:47,360
They'll have to focus
their attention
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00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:50,080
on their slower
neighbors, Chital.
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00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:56,920
When Dhole go out on a hunt,
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00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:01,040
the forest goes quiet.
225
00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:12,640
The moment they see the
Dhole, the Chital flee with
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00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:15,720
their tails in the air,
not giving away their
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00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:17,520
presence with a call.
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00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:20,640
Perhaps it's a strategy to
avoid getting singled out.
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00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:26,080
Unlike felines that
are ambush predators,
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00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:28,720
dhole rely on chasing
their prey down.
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00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:34,440
The bigger the pack,
the swifter the kill.
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00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:42,200
A wild dog is a hyper-carnivore,
consuming up to
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340 kilos of meat a year,
nearly a kilo a day.
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00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:53,600
These dogs need to consume
not only for themselves.
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00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:01,360
Back at the den, this pack has
eight hungry mouths to feed.
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00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:26,800
The pups have had
a full day of play
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00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:29,320
in the safety of their den.
238
00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:40,920
Once the adults return,
it's time for food.
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00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:09,360
Eating regurgitated meat
also allows the pups
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00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:11,440
to get started on a meat diet.
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00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:45,160
Dhole have more teats
than any other canid,
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00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:48,560
an advantage when having
to nurse large litters.
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00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:52,840
By the time they
are six weeks old,
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00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:55,480
they'll switch to an
entirely meat diet.
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00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:14,240
{\an8}There's nothing better
than a little siesta
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00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:15,600
{\an8}after a full meal.
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00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:29,200
There's something
brewing in the distance.
248
00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:49,280
The monsoon is the
region's heartbeat.
249
00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:02,080
{\an8}In India, the monsoon is
a season of many faces.
250
00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:09,080
It comes as a boon and a curse.
251
00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:12,360
It can be a creator
and a destroyer.
252
00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:25,120
But whatever it is, life
without the monsoon
253
00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:26,760
is next to impossible.
254
00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:37,640
Within a few weeks, the
landscape is transformed.
255
00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:04,920
In the plains below, the deluge
is a relief to the residents.
256
00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:17,320
Across the Western
Ghats, the monsoon rains
257
00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:22,720
rejuvenate over 250 species
of amphibians, of which over
258
00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:26,080
90% are found nowhere
else on the planet.
259
00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:35,840
Malabar gliding frogs descend
from the canopy and gather
260
00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:39,360
around pools of water
created by the monsoon rain.
261
00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:45,840
This is their one time
to mate in a year
262
00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:48,840
and things get frantic fast.
263
00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:51,800
Normally this happens under
the cover of darkness,
264
00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:55,480
but in the monsoon, with
heavy rains and reduced light,
265
00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:59,000
mating can happen
even during daytime.
266
00:34:09,160 --> 00:34:11,840
Once a male latches
onto a female,
267
00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:15,320
special glue in the
thumbs makes him hold on
268
00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:18,720
and fertilization of the
eggs happens outside.
269
00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:30,120
As the eggs are fertilized,
they get put into a protective
270
00:34:30,160 --> 00:34:34,600
foam nest that will not only
keep the eggs moist,
271
00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:37,080
but also protect them
from predators.
272
00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:45,480
In the next few weeks, the
eggs develop into tadpoles.
273
00:34:56,160 --> 00:34:59,160
And with the help of a little
rain, they flow into the
274
00:34:59,240 --> 00:35:02,720
safety and security of the
pool of fresh water below.
275
00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:23,360
In the water, the tadpoles feed
on algae and vegetable matter
276
00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:26,160
growing on rocks
and dead branches.
277
00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:31,800
They rest under leaves,
but as air breathers,
278
00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:34,800
they need to come up to the
surface to grab a mouthful.
279
00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:45,160
All this movement
attracts the attention
280
00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:50,560
of a little dragon.
281
00:35:54,840 --> 00:35:59,080
In the dark, shadowy world
at the bottom of the pond,
282
00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:02,720
another creature is
awaiting transformation.
283
00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:10,480
It's a creature
with a superpower.
284
00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:23,280
With compound eyes and
near 360-degree vision,
285
00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:26,080
it's difficult to hide
from their sight.
286
00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:50,440
An ambush predator,
this little dragon
287
00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:53,960
has one of the fastest
strike forces in nature.
288
00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:08,040
{\an8}Able to extend its razor sharp
lower jaw in a split second,
289
00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:11,360
it can capture tadpoles,
mosquito larvae
290
00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:16,040
and other aquatic
invertebrates with precision.
291
00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:20,760
This is a voracious predator.
292
00:37:22,720 --> 00:37:26,320
The more food, the faster
its transformation.
293
00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:32,240
Within a few weeks, the
little dragon emerges from
294
00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:34,640
the water for its final act.
295
00:37:36,240 --> 00:37:37,280
To shape-shift.
296
00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:42,480
It swallows in air to
extend its abdomen.
297
00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:51,920
And pumps fluids to extend
its paper-thin wings.
298
00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:58,000
In a miraculous transformation,
299
00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:05,960
the little nymph turns into
a dragon that can fly.
300
00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:16,640
This particular dragonfly
is known as the
301
00:38:16,720 --> 00:38:20,800
globe skimmer or
wandering glider.
302
00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:25,360
It has the longest distance
insect migration in the world.
303
00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:29,120
An individual globe skimmer
can cover a distance of
304
00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:31,320
6,000 kilometers
in its lifetime.
305
00:38:33,160 --> 00:38:36,320
But in order to accomplish
such an extraordinary feat,
306
00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:39,280
there's one thing the
globe skimmer will need.
307
00:38:41,080 --> 00:38:41,920
Fuel.
308
00:38:43,640 --> 00:38:46,960
They couldn't have
timed their arrival better,
309
00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:49,760
as there's a feast to be had.
310
00:38:51,480 --> 00:38:55,280
Across the Western Ghats,
there are nearly 40 different
311
00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:59,720
species of figs, each with
its own fruiting cycle.
312
00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:02,560
A single fig tree can have
313
00:39:02,640 --> 00:39:06,200
fruit ready for picking over
the course of a few weeks.
314
00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:12,880
It's a seasonal bonanza
and the fig with its
315
00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:18,240
sweet, delectable fruit attracts
not just the mammals, but also
316
00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:20,360
a who's who of the bird world.
317
00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:30,320
Fairy bluebirds, barbots,
bulbuls, green pigeons, mynahs,
318
00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:39,680
lorokeets, and the largest of
them all, the great hornbill.
319
00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:45,000
With a five-foot wingspan
and an appetite to match,
320
00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:48,000
the hornbill is a
voracious fruit eater.
321
00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:57,640
Known as the
tree planter of the forest,
322
00:39:57,760 --> 00:40:00,320
hornbills feed on
a variety of fruit
323
00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:04,440
and help propagate figs
across their range.
324
00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:11,480
But there's another creature
that figs need to be
325
00:40:11,560 --> 00:40:13,000
really thankful for.
326
00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:25,160
The tiny fig wasps that
play a crucial role
327
00:40:25,240 --> 00:40:27,680
in pollinating the
giant fig tree.
328
00:40:34,880 --> 00:40:37,400
In a complex ancient
relationship
329
00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:41,200
spanning millions of
years, each species of
330
00:40:41,240 --> 00:40:44,600
fig tree has co-evolved
with a particular
331
00:40:44,720 --> 00:40:46,280
species of fig wasp.
332
00:40:49,160 --> 00:40:52,800
One cannot survive
without the other.
333
00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:03,080
Today, the hornbills
seem to be in no mood
334
00:41:03,160 --> 00:41:04,520
to feed on the figs.
335
00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:08,880
They have some crunchy
protein on their mind.
336
00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:15,880
As the sun rises, dragonflies
appear on the scene.
337
00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:21,800
Not a few, but a few
hundred thousand of them.
338
00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:29,200
Here to catch the millions of
fig wasps emerging nonstop.
339
00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:45,720
But dragonflies with their
lightning fast maneuvers
340
00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:49,440
are too much for the
awkward hornbills.
341
00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:55,640
But it won't stop
them from trying.
342
00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:18,600
Got one.
343
00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:21,440
Well, almost.
344
00:42:28,960 --> 00:42:33,240
{\an8}Persistence pays off and the
hornbills mix their fruit diet
345
00:42:33,280 --> 00:42:35,320
{\an8}with some highly earned protein.
346
00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:43,200
The hornbills must feed
well, as very soon they
347
00:42:43,280 --> 00:42:44,600
will begin nesting.
348
00:43:04,760 --> 00:43:09,000
In one of the most
unique nesting habits,
349
00:43:09,080 --> 00:43:12,800
a young hornbill is
imprisoned for its own safety
350
00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:15,040
inside a nest hollow.
351
00:43:46,720 --> 00:43:49,920
Both parents engage in
feeding the growing chick.
352
00:44:11,640 --> 00:44:15,960
As the chick grows, the
food too begins to change.
353
00:44:16,040 --> 00:44:19,600
From soft figs and other
fruit to crunchy cicadas
354
00:44:19,640 --> 00:44:21,400
and even other fledglings.
355
00:44:26,800 --> 00:44:31,200
Over the course of two months,
the parents care for the young.
356
00:44:32,880 --> 00:44:36,760
And now, nearly 70 days
after the chick hatched,
357
00:44:38,120 --> 00:44:39,640
she's ready to fledge.
358
00:44:47,120 --> 00:44:51,560
The male hornbill entices
the chick to come out
359
00:44:51,640 --> 00:44:52,920
by not feeding her.
360
00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:04,880
Now it's mom's turn.
361
00:45:04,960 --> 00:45:07,880
She sits just barely
out of reach,
362
00:45:07,960 --> 00:45:10,760
encouraging her little
secret to come outside.
363
00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:25,920
But it's hard to do when
you've been growing
364
00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:30,080
to nearly the size of the adult,
cramped inside a tree hollow.
365
00:45:35,280 --> 00:45:38,320
The young fledgling
seems to be stuck.
366
00:45:56,000 --> 00:45:57,760
But with a little
bit of struggle
367
00:45:59,280 --> 00:46:07,480
{\an8}and a little bit of coaxing,
the chick finally emerges.
368
00:46:10,600 --> 00:46:13,960
Hornbill fledglings are
able to fly the first
369
00:46:14,040 --> 00:46:17,960
day outside the nest,
but in this case our
370
00:46:18,040 --> 00:46:22,640
hornbill has crashed onto a
pile of dense vegetation.
371
00:46:36,360 --> 00:46:39,440
Flying lessons begin
almost immediately.
372
00:46:44,000 --> 00:46:46,360
Incentivised by some good food.
373
00:46:53,960 --> 00:46:56,760
This unique strategy in
Hornbills has been very
374
00:46:56,840 --> 00:46:58,440
successful over the ages.
375
00:47:00,360 --> 00:47:03,560
But today, with the
loss of primary forests
376
00:47:05,640 --> 00:47:09,280
{\an8}and the paucity of large sized
trees with nesting hollows,
377
00:47:10,400 --> 00:47:12,960
this strategy now
makes them vulnerable.
378
00:47:16,720 --> 00:47:20,840
But somehow, like many of the
species across the Nilgiris,
379
00:47:20,920 --> 00:47:23,560
they've learned to adapt
to this new wilderness.
380
00:47:24,600 --> 00:47:25,920
A shared wilderness.
381
00:47:36,560 --> 00:47:40,240
And for now, their mighty
call continues to reverberate
382
00:47:40,280 --> 00:47:41,240
across the mountains.
383
00:47:52,840 --> 00:47:56,280
Like the tiny fig wasp,
inseparable from the
384
00:47:56,360 --> 00:48:00,040
mighty ficus tree,
connected to the hornbill,
385
00:48:00,080 --> 00:48:02,360
the gardener of the forest.
386
00:48:02,480 --> 00:48:06,520
We too are a part of this
delicate, intricately
387
00:48:06,560 --> 00:48:08,040
interconnected world.
388
00:48:13,360 --> 00:48:16,080
A natural world full
of beauty and magic.
389
00:48:18,800 --> 00:48:22,160
These mountains are an ancient
storehouse of stories.
390
00:48:28,600 --> 00:48:30,480
A source of sacred rivers.
391
00:48:35,200 --> 00:48:37,720
And home to the guardians
of our climate.
392
00:48:39,520 --> 00:48:42,400
For the past few
centuries, humans have
393
00:48:42,440 --> 00:48:44,040
dominated this landscape.
394
00:48:53,440 --> 00:48:56,200
Bringing in rapid
change to this small
395
00:48:56,280 --> 00:48:58,320
but vital biosphere reserve.
396
00:49:10,160 --> 00:49:12,880
Can we help preserve
this unique habitat?
397
00:49:14,760 --> 00:49:17,960
The only home to so
many endemic species.
398
00:49:20,640 --> 00:49:24,040
Creatively trying to adapt
to live alongside us.
399
00:49:27,880 --> 00:49:32,360
The fate of this fragile
ecosystem lies on us.
400
00:49:41,360 --> 00:49:45,840
Although everything is not
perfect, it is precious.
401
00:49:50,960 --> 00:49:54,440
{\an8}The Nilgiris, India's
Blue Mountains,
402
00:49:54,520 --> 00:49:57,680
{\an8}continue to hold many
secrets within her folds.
403
00:49:59,880 --> 00:50:05,400
{\an8}Wherein lies a story
of hope, of beauty,
404
00:50:06,920 --> 00:50:12,480
{\an8}fragility, and
intertwined futures.