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Lying like a teardrop in the Indian Ocean,

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the island of Sri Lanka defies convention.

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This tiny island
is packed with enough wildlife

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to rival a vast continent.

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Nature's giants roam its sweltering plains.

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In its cold, mountainous heart
there are weird and wonderful creatures

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found nowhere else on Earth.

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This is an island steeped in history,

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and a landscape carved by human hands.

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From the lowlands at the mercy
of two different monsoons,

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to the highlands,
cloaked in fog all year round.

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This is Sri Lanka, the monsoon island.

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Poised to six degrees above the equator,

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the island of Sri Lanka
is less than 75,000 square km in size.

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Wind-swept coastal plains
rise sharply to the central highlands,

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where the peaks tower 2,000 meters

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above the Indian Ocean.

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For such a small country,

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Sri Lanka has a complicated climate.

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Unusually, two different monsoons
visit this island.

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Each year they roll in from the sea,

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drenching the plains
with weeks of torrential rain.

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For the rest of the year,
Sri Lanka's lowlands

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endure months of drought.

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But in the highlands water
is plentiful all year round.

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For its size, Sri Lanka
has a staggering variety of wildlife,

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and it's all down to its unique climate.

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It's June and the dry season
is fastening its grip

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on the lowland plains.

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It hasn't rained for weeks,

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and it will be another four months
before the northeast monsoon blows in.

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Sri Lanka's lowlands
cover more than 2/3 of the island.

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And the plains are home
to over 2,000 wild elephants.

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This is one of the biggest populations
on Earth,

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and remarkable for such a small island.

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With the arrival of the dry season,

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finding enough food
is getting more difficult.

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A full grown elephant
spends up to 16 hours a day grazing.

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Eating the short, parched grass
requires a special technique.

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It's kicked and twisted from the ground,

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then shaken to remove any soil.

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The elephants
live in close-knit family groups

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under the care of an older female,
the matriarch.

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With many years
of knowledge and experience

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the matriarch knows where to find
food and water in times of shortage.

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Each year during the dry season
herds from across Northeast Sri Lanka

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make a beeline for a vast lake

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known as the Minneriya Tank.

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Some elephants travel hundreds of miles
to reach the lake

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and family groups come together
to form bigger herds.

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At the peak of the season,

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as many as 300 gather
on Minneriya's shores.

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This lake is key to the survival
of the island's elephants.

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As the water recedes
it reveals fertile ground

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where fresh grass can grow.

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Even after weeks without rain,

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it's possible to find food around Minneriya.

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The scrub forests surrounding the lake
provide shelter from the sun.

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Sri Lankan elephants are forest dwellers

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and they've evolved for life in the shade.

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For most of the year male elephants lead

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a solitary existence,
but here they mix together freely.

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Many of the males are in season,
and ready to mate.

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They're pumped full of hormones,

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and grapple with other bulls
to assert their dominance.

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For male elephants,
this is a rare opportunity to socialize.

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The real pull of Minneriya
is a precious commodity

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during any drought.

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Water.

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Water is essential for all animals,

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but there are few that enjoy bathing
as much as elephants.

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Their trunks can carry
up to 10 liters of water,

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which is useful for showering.

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Without water, the young in particular

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are prone to overheating and dehydration.

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Sri Lankan elephants don't have such huge ears
as their African cousins,

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which are the perfect way
to lose body heat.

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So temperature regulation
can be a problem.

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A dip in the lake quenches thirst

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and brings cooling relief from the heat.

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Even at the height of the drought,

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Minneriya retains some water.

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But this is no ordinary lake.

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It's an ancient man-made reservoir,

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built almost 2,000 years ago.

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Sri Lanka's lowlands were once
the center of bygone civilizations,

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ruled by powerful kings and dynasties.

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To capture the monsoon rains,

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the kings constructed
thousands of reservoirs,

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known as tanks.

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This ancient irrigation system provided
enough water to last throughout the dry season.

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Huge rice paddies were planted
to feed the growing human population.

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Sri Lankan's lowlands were transformed.

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Many of the vast rice paddies
have now been reclaimed by the jungle,

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but the reservoirs
still dominate the landscape of the plains,

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and they govern
the lives of the island's wildlife, too.

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Yala lies in a remote corner
on Sri Lanka's southeast coast.

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For hundreds of years, this land was ruled

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by a powerful dynasty.

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Today Yala is a national park.

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The landscape is dotted
with pools, ponds, and reservoirs,

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every one of them
carved by human hands centuries ago.

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These water holes
attract a huge variety of birds.

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Each year migrants from India
and further afield

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arrive to swell the ranks
of permanent residents.

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Yala is home to over 200 different species.

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Many of the birds have unique adaptations
that allow them to eat specific types of food.

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Openbill storks feed almost exclusively

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on fresh water snails.

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Their distinctive open bill
is the perfect tool for the job.

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The gap between
the upper and lower mandibles

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allows the stork to use its bill
like a pair of pincers.

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It can delicately extract the soft meat
without having to break the snail's shell.

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Purple swamp hens mainly eat plants,

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and they too are perfectly equipped
for this habitat.

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The bird's huge feet
make walking on marshy ground much easier.

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But its feet are also an important part
of how the swamp hen finds its food.

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It uses its foot
to hold the plant above the water

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while selecting the parts it wants to eat.

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Yala's ancient reservoirs
are not just a lifeline

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for the birds that live here.

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A year-round supply of water
makes it a haven

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for big herbivores like water buffalos,
wild boar, and elephants.

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Each morning large herds of spotted deer

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gather around Yala's water holes to drink.

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Like all of Sri Lanka's deer,
only the males have antlers.

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These are shed and regrown each year.

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The deer have glands
on their faces and feet

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which release scent.

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Stags mark their territory
by leaving their scent on grasses and trees,

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and by making scrapes in the ground.

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As for most herbivores, the dry season
is a difficult time for spotted deer.

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To survive for months without rain,

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many plants stop growing
to conserve water,

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and some lose their leaves altogether.

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With less vegetation available
the deer must travel further in search of food.

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But Yala's ancient reservoirs ensure that

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a lack of water is rarely a problem.

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This allows the deer to survive
in unusually high numbers here,

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even at the height of the drought,

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making Yala the ideal habitat
for a deadly predator.

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Over 40 Sri Lankan leopards stalk the park.

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This is one of the highest concentrations
of leopards in the world,

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with up to one leopard
every square kilometer.

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The spotted deer are their main prey.

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But the deer stay close to a useful ally.

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Keeping a lookout in the trees,

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grey langurs raise the alarm.

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Like most cats leopards hunt by stealth,

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getting as close as possible to their target

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before launching a killer charge.

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Given the chance
the leopard will hunt the langurs, too,

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though these agile monkeys
make a difficult prey.

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This leopard is just a youngster,

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and still learning to hunt for himself.

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During the day the deer and the langurs

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are in their element,

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but at night
the leopard's ambush-hunting technique

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comes into its own.

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Far better for him to wait for dark.

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In Sri Lanka leopards hold
an unchallenged position

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at the top of the food chain.

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Their isolation on this island

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has led to their becoming
a distinct sub-species.

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There are no lions or tigers on the island,

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and so Sri Lanka's leopards
have grown particularly big.

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Fully grown males can weigh up to 80 kg.

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They're the biggest leopards in the world.

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Because of their size
and status as the top predator,

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Sri Lanka's leopards
are remarkably confident.

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Elsewhere it's unusual to see a leopard

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out in the open in broad daylight.

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But even in Yala, mothers with young cubs

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are much more cautious.

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It's extremely rare to see them.

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Hidden deep within the thick scrub

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is her kill from last night,

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the carcass of a grey langur.

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For some animals
the arrival of the dry season

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heralds a time of plenty.

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As Yala's water holes begin to shrink,

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fish and amphibians are trapped
within ever-smaller pools.

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There are fewer places to hide

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and there's no escaping
the watchful gaze of a purple heron.

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With plenty of food available,

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this is a good time of year to start a family.

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For many animals,
June brings the mating season.

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When white-throated kingfishers
are courting,

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they share gifts of food.

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But this male seems reluctant
to hand over the frog he's caught.

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Eventually the female
simply catches her own.

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There are bigger predators
fishing in Yala's water holes.

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Mugger crocodiles cruise the pools,

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making the most of the bounty of fish
now trapped within their confines.

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Nowhere else in the Indian sub-continent

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supports these huge reptiles
in such great numbers

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as the tiny island of Sri Lanka.

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The crocodiles eat mainly fish,

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but larger males will also prey on animals
they can seize from the water's edge.

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The muggers are unlikely to attack
one of the biggest mammals on Earth,

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although a water buffalo and her calf
remain on the alert.

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But by late morning the crocodiles
are no longer interested in food.

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For them too,
June is the start of the mating season.

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Confined within small pools,

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the muggers are forced to become
much more sociable.

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Males compete for dominance
by thrashing the surface of the water.

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Having trounced his rivals,

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the victor wins access to the female.

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The crocodiles aren't the only ones
intent on courtship.

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Bee-eaters nest during the dry season,

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so there's no risk of their burrow
being flooded by rain water.

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The tunnel will extend
up to two meters underground,

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where the eggs will be safe from predators.

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The work gives the birds a healthy appetite.

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As their name suggests,

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bee-eaters specialize in catching bees.

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Each pair shares a favorite perch

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from which they go hunting.

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Before eating the bee,
the bird removes the sting

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and wipes off the venom.

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These birds are prolific hunters,

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sometimes catching
several hundred insects a day.

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The ancient reservoirs
are not the only legacy

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of Sri Lanka's human history that continues
to provide a safe haven for wildlife.

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A thousand years ago,
this sprawling metropolis

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was Sri Lanka's capitol.

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Lying in the northeastern lowlands,

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ruins are all that remain
of the city of Pollonaruwa.

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In its glory days Pollonaruwa saw
the rise and fall of human dynasties.

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Nowadays this ancient city
is overrun by monkeys.

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Hundreds of toque macaques
battle for territory amongst the ruins.

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The macaques live in big groups
of up to 40 animals.

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They follow a strict hierarchy
under the leadership of an alpha male.

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Each macaque has
a distinct personality and hairstyle.

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Females have colorful red faces.

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The troop relies on the knowledge
of older females to lead them to food.

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In this case, a flowering tree.

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Macaques can eat virtually anything,

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but during the dry season
good food gets harder to find.

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Dead leaves may hide insects, tree nuts,
and fallen fruit.

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Lower-ranking monkeys must wait
for those of higher status to eat first.

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This is a fiercely competitive world.

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Monkeys that ignore the pecking order

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don't go unnoticed by the alpha male.

245
00:28:19,445 --> 00:28:21,556
Toque macaques have cheek pouches

246
00:28:21,716 --> 00:28:25,503
which contain a special enzyme
to help them digest food.

247
00:28:29,749 --> 00:28:33,534
The pouches are also a good place
to hide food from rivals.

248
00:28:38,437 --> 00:28:40,709
Even this doesn't always prevent
a high-ranking monkey

249
00:28:40,869 --> 00:28:43,423
from trying to steal their entitlement.

250
00:28:44,709 --> 00:28:47,316
If the monkey of lower status
resists too strongly,

251
00:28:47,476 --> 00:28:49,646
she'll be reprimanded.

252
00:28:57,729 --> 00:29:02,101
After eating young males engage
in boisterous bouts of play,

253
00:29:02,261 --> 00:29:05,588
oblivious to their auspicious surroundings.

254
00:29:15,011 --> 00:29:20,640
Once fully grown these youngsters
will have to leave the group and go it alone.

255
00:29:41,663 --> 00:29:44,017
Good fighting skills may one day mean

256
00:29:44,177 --> 00:29:46,572
the difference between life and death.

257
00:29:49,618 --> 00:29:51,714
For toque macaques, the greatest threat

258
00:29:51,874 --> 00:29:54,076
comes from other toque macaques.

259
00:29:56,770 --> 00:29:59,585
Fully grown males
are twice as big as females

260
00:29:59,745 --> 00:30:02,524
and have huge canine teeth.

261
00:30:04,481 --> 00:30:08,073
For males the hierarchy controls
not just access to food,

262
00:30:08,233 --> 00:30:11,050
but also access to mates.

263
00:30:21,596 --> 00:30:25,840
The alpha male has fathered
most of the youngsters in this troop.

264
00:30:27,993 --> 00:30:29,842
In toque macaque society,

265
00:30:30,002 --> 00:30:33,485
it pays to make friends rather than enemies.

266
00:30:50,127 --> 00:30:53,599
The monkeys are left
to roam the ruins of Pollonaruwa,

267
00:30:53,759 --> 00:30:57,760
even though it's one of Sri Lanka's
most important Buddhist monuments.

268
00:31:03,631 --> 00:31:06,064
This island is steeped in over 2,000 years

269
00:31:06,224 --> 00:31:07,994
of Buddhist tradition.

270
00:31:12,143 --> 00:31:15,353
Buddhism teaches the sanctity
of all living things.

271
00:31:15,513 --> 00:31:18,724
No animals should be harmed unnecessarily.

272
00:31:30,618 --> 00:31:33,561
Over the centuries,
Buddhism has played its part

273
00:31:33,721 --> 00:31:37,514
in conserving and protecting
Sri Lanka's wild animals,

274
00:31:39,714 --> 00:31:41,651
even dangerous ones.

275
00:31:46,298 --> 00:31:49,322
The bodhi tree is sacred in Buddhist belief,

276
00:31:49,482 --> 00:31:52,868
and these trees are grown
in many of the island's temples.

277
00:31:55,050 --> 00:31:58,489
Flames lit as offerings
attract insects to the tree,

278
00:31:58,649 --> 00:32:01,236
which in turn, attract small reptiles.

279
00:32:03,481 --> 00:32:05,939
This brings bigger hunters.

280
00:32:10,730 --> 00:32:16,320
Sri Lanka has one of the highest incidences
of death by snake bite of any country on Earth.

281
00:32:22,170 --> 00:32:26,499
A bite from this spectacled cobra
can kill within minutes.

282
00:32:32,362 --> 00:32:36,280
But because Buddhism teaches respect
for all living creatures,

283
00:32:36,457 --> 00:32:38,873
poisonous snakes aren't just tolerated,

284
00:32:39,033 --> 00:32:42,452
they're actually respected
by many Sri Lankans.

285
00:32:52,650 --> 00:32:54,641
No animal is as intimately connected

286
00:32:54,801 --> 00:32:58,483
to the history and culture of Sri Lanka
as the elephant.

287
00:33:02,169 --> 00:33:03,962
Centuries ago these huge mammals

288
00:33:04,122 --> 00:33:07,018
were used to build the foundations
of great cities,

289
00:33:07,178 --> 00:33:09,732
and to carve out their reservoirs.

290
00:33:16,090 --> 00:33:18,122
To this day, elephants still play

291
00:33:18,282 --> 00:33:21,092
an important role in island life.

292
00:33:37,577 --> 00:33:41,840
Few Buddhist festivals are complete
without a retinue of elephants.

293
00:33:51,050 --> 00:33:52,585
For religious ceremonies,

294
00:33:52,745 --> 00:33:55,332
it's important the elephants have tusks.

295
00:33:58,473 --> 00:34:02,905
In Sri Lanka, less than 10%
of male elephants are tuskers,

296
00:34:03,065 --> 00:34:05,882
so temple elephants are usually imported

297
00:34:06,042 --> 00:34:07,924
from elsewhere in Asia.

298
00:34:17,630 --> 00:34:21,174
A wild Sri Lankan tusker is a rare sight.

299
00:34:39,980 --> 00:34:43,467
In the south of the island
the hills rise out of the plains

300
00:34:43,627 --> 00:34:46,694
to form Sri Lanka's mountainous heart.

301
00:34:51,916 --> 00:34:54,620
The core of the central highlands
is a high plateau

302
00:34:54,780 --> 00:34:58,533
running north to south for around 60 km.

303
00:35:07,676 --> 00:35:11,509
The peaks are shrouded
in a swiftly-moving blanket of cloud.

304
00:35:20,747 --> 00:35:22,668
The cloud forests feel a world away

305
00:35:22,828 --> 00:35:25,366
from the sweltering heat of the plains.

306
00:35:29,740 --> 00:35:33,200
Though Sri Lanka's lowlands
are in the grip of the dry season,

307
00:35:33,372 --> 00:35:38,262
up here there's no shortage of water
all year round.

308
00:35:44,827 --> 00:35:49,880
The lichens, mosses, and ferns
that cloak every tree act like sponges.

309
00:35:53,928 --> 00:35:56,587
In a process known as fog stripping,

310
00:35:56,747 --> 00:35:59,302
they absorb moisture from the clouds.

311
00:36:04,523 --> 00:36:07,284
Gradually this is released
into the many waterways

312
00:36:07,444 --> 00:36:09,494
that criss-cross the highlands.

313
00:36:13,932 --> 00:36:16,956
Three major rivers have their origins here,

314
00:36:17,116 --> 00:36:20,630
delivering precious water
down to the arid plains.

315
00:36:26,635 --> 00:36:29,004
Just like the ancient reservoirs,

316
00:36:29,164 --> 00:36:31,547
Sri Lanka's cold heart plays its part

317
00:36:31,707 --> 00:36:35,526
in sustaining the whole island
through periods of drought.

318
00:36:42,508 --> 00:36:45,692
The constant supply of water
means that the central highlands

319
00:36:45,852 --> 00:36:49,240
can support an astonishing variety
of different animals.

320
00:36:51,644 --> 00:36:53,974
Many are found nowhere else on Earth.

321
00:36:58,539 --> 00:37:00,812
These forests shelter a rare primate

322
00:37:00,972 --> 00:37:03,116
that's found only in Sri Lanka,

323
00:37:03,276 --> 00:37:05,589
the purple-faced langur.

324
00:37:08,700 --> 00:37:11,420
There are purple-faced langurs
in the lowlands, too,

325
00:37:11,580 --> 00:37:15,125
but those in the highlands
are a distinct sub-species.

326
00:37:20,972 --> 00:37:24,470
They're specially adapted
to deal with the extreme weather.

327
00:37:28,507 --> 00:37:33,640
Their thick, shaggy coats have earned them
the nickname, the bear monkey.

328
00:37:41,420 --> 00:37:43,243
Langurs are leaf-eaters,

329
00:37:43,403 --> 00:37:45,781
and they spend a lot of time feeding.

330
00:37:50,347 --> 00:37:55,200
Leaves are selected with care
and often with considerable effort.

331
00:38:00,283 --> 00:38:02,412
Younger leaves contain more protein

332
00:38:02,572 --> 00:38:05,030
and are easier to digest.

333
00:38:19,787 --> 00:38:23,179
It may be 30° C down on the plains,

334
00:38:23,339 --> 00:38:25,547
but up here the nighttime temperatures

335
00:38:25,707 --> 00:38:27,926
can fall below zero.

336
00:38:30,703 --> 00:38:34,048
The herds of sambar deer
that graze the windswept plateau

337
00:38:34,208 --> 00:38:37,162
have thick fur
to protect them from the cold.

338
00:38:47,861 --> 00:38:50,038
They're the only species of deer
on the island

339
00:38:50,198 --> 00:38:53,424
that can survive the cold conditions
of the central highlands.

340
00:38:59,461 --> 00:39:01,877
Though they live
in the heart of a tropical island,

341
00:39:02,037 --> 00:39:05,808
the animals in the highlands
have had to adapt to the cold.

342
00:39:14,005 --> 00:39:16,822
Even in the undergrowth,
the cloud forest harbors

343
00:39:16,982 --> 00:39:19,568
many unique animals and plants.

344
00:39:30,358 --> 00:39:34,432
Half the reptiles that live here
are found nowhere else.

345
00:39:36,694 --> 00:39:39,430
At less than 10 cm long,

346
00:39:39,590 --> 00:39:43,472
the Sri Lankan pygmy lizard
lives up to its name.

347
00:39:47,525 --> 00:39:49,936
These tiny lizards are also well-adapted

348
00:39:50,096 --> 00:39:52,169
to cope with the cold.

349
00:40:00,655 --> 00:40:03,552
Eggs are hatched
inside the body of the parent

350
00:40:03,712 --> 00:40:06,666
to protect them
from the temperatures outside.

351
00:40:10,479 --> 00:40:12,783
Unlike almost all other reptiles,

352
00:40:12,943 --> 00:40:16,793
the Sri Lankan pygmy lizard
gives birth to live young.

353
00:40:23,056 --> 00:40:28,040
The highlands may be cold but
the constant supply of water drives diversity,

354
00:40:28,208 --> 00:40:30,857
just like in a tropical rainforest.

355
00:40:33,503 --> 00:40:37,248
The male rhino-horned lizard
bears a horn on its nose

356
00:40:37,408 --> 00:40:39,962
that can grow almost half an inch long.

357
00:40:43,583 --> 00:40:47,600
The exact purpose of this strange growth
remains a mystery.

358
00:40:49,551 --> 00:40:52,832
The female rhino-horned lizard
also has a horn,

359
00:40:52,992 --> 00:40:55,610
but it's considerably smaller.

360
00:40:57,727 --> 00:41:01,207
Sri Lanka's highlands
remain relatively unexplored.

361
00:41:01,367 --> 00:41:06,120
Little is known about
some of the unusual animals that live here.

362
00:41:13,049 --> 00:41:14,568
Out on the plateau,

363
00:41:14,728 --> 00:41:17,305
even within one small rhododendron bush,

364
00:41:17,465 --> 00:41:19,353
there's a unique community of animals

365
00:41:19,513 --> 00:41:21,555
that are found nowhere else.

366
00:41:24,009 --> 00:41:27,515
Its flowers provide sanctuary
for a black-cheeked lizard.

367
00:41:40,754 --> 00:41:44,302
On a neighboring bush
there's a rival male.

368
00:41:46,702 --> 00:41:49,799
Black-cheeked lizards
are fiercely territorial.

369
00:41:52,973 --> 00:41:56,598
Head nodding serves as a warning
to stay away.

370
00:42:09,382 --> 00:42:13,312
The Ceylon white-eye is a common sight
in the rhododendrons.

371
00:42:16,182 --> 00:42:18,181
But like so many of the animals here,

372
00:42:18,341 --> 00:42:21,312
these birds are only found in the highlands.

373
00:42:26,998 --> 00:42:30,278
Each time the white-eye dips its head
to feed on nectar,

374
00:42:30,438 --> 00:42:33,168
it collects a fine coat of pollen.

375
00:42:34,342 --> 00:42:37,078
The bird transfers this pollen
from plant to plant

376
00:42:37,238 --> 00:42:42,400
and may well play a part
in helping the rhododendrons to reproduce.

377
00:42:44,038 --> 00:42:48,656
If so, it's helping to preserve
yet another unique species.

378
00:42:50,133 --> 00:42:54,800
The rhododendron is itself a sub-species
that only grows in the highlands.

379
00:43:02,485 --> 00:43:04,822
Though they cover
less than a third of the island,

380
00:43:04,982 --> 00:43:08,111
the highlands are what makes Sri Lanka
so special.

381
00:43:12,053 --> 00:43:15,229
A staggering number
of plants and animals in the highlands

382
00:43:15,389 --> 00:43:17,423
are found nowhere else on Earth.

383
00:43:20,245 --> 00:43:24,426
Half the tree species
are found only in the cloud forest,

384
00:43:28,626 --> 00:43:31,541
and over a third
of the island's flowering plants

385
00:43:31,701 --> 00:43:33,968
grow only in the mountains.

386
00:43:47,478 --> 00:43:50,118
These cold, wet highlands make Sri Lanka

387
00:43:50,278 --> 00:43:53,471
one of the most species-rich islands
on the planet.

388
00:44:10,518 --> 00:44:12,837
By late September,
the drought in the lowlands

389
00:44:12,997 --> 00:44:15,023
is reaching its peak.

390
00:44:18,486 --> 00:44:22,192
It's almost eight months
since the last rain fell in Yala.

391
00:44:28,278 --> 00:44:30,838
At this time of year a good sunscreen

392
00:44:30,998 --> 00:44:33,296
is more important than ever.

393
00:44:39,957 --> 00:44:43,382
Applying a layer of dust
helps protect against the sun

394
00:44:43,542 --> 00:44:46,672
and rids the skin of any parasites.

395
00:44:54,758 --> 00:44:58,112
The water in the ancient reservoirs
is greatly reduced.

396
00:45:15,910 --> 00:45:18,389
Flocks of painted storks use their feet

397
00:45:18,549 --> 00:45:20,656
to stir up any fish.

398
00:45:33,366 --> 00:45:37,825
The fish are easy to catch
but there's lots of competition,

399
00:45:42,445 --> 00:45:44,863
and it's not just from the other birds.

400
00:45:50,694 --> 00:45:54,847
The storks startle fish
straight into the crocodile's jaws.

401
00:45:57,333 --> 00:45:59,510
This may be why the storks
can hunt so close

402
00:45:59,670 --> 00:46:02,112
to this huge predator without fear.

403
00:46:10,582 --> 00:46:14,581
In the sweltering heat spotted deer
seek out the small pools of water

404
00:46:14,741 --> 00:46:17,951
that remain in Yala's rocky outcrops.

405
00:46:24,950 --> 00:46:27,718
These tiny oases
were formed from rainwater

406
00:46:27,878 --> 00:46:30,183
during the last monsoon.

407
00:46:30,343 --> 00:46:33,376
Some are deep enough
to persist throughout the year.

408
00:46:35,574 --> 00:46:38,630
The deer are nervous,
and with good reason.

409
00:46:46,549 --> 00:46:48,709
These outcrops are the daytime haunts

410
00:46:48,869 --> 00:46:50,863
of Yala's top predator.

411
00:46:52,006 --> 00:46:55,190
The rocks provide a cool sanctuary
in the heat of the day,

412
00:46:55,350 --> 00:47:00,280
and a high vantage-point to observe
the comings and goings of their prey.

413
00:47:05,222 --> 00:47:07,222
As the sun begins to set,

414
00:47:07,382 --> 00:47:10,207
Yala's leopards start to stir.

415
00:47:13,765 --> 00:47:16,832
It's at night that they do
most of their hunting.

416
00:47:50,351 --> 00:47:53,417
During the night
the leopard has made a kill.

417
00:48:05,984 --> 00:48:07,680
Weakened by the drought,

418
00:48:07,840 --> 00:48:10,825
many spotted deer
perish at this time of year.

419
00:48:12,975 --> 00:48:15,225
But relief is in sight.

420
00:48:20,656 --> 00:48:24,825
In October, the prevailing wind
changes direction.

421
00:48:29,792 --> 00:48:32,847
The winds collect moist air
from the Indian Ocean

422
00:48:33,007 --> 00:48:35,834
and drive it toward Sri Lanka's lowlands.

423
00:48:47,776 --> 00:48:50,778
The monsoon has finally arrived.

424
00:48:57,136 --> 00:49:00,426
Within days, the plains are awash.

425
00:49:06,447 --> 00:49:08,175
Over the next four months,

426
00:49:08,335 --> 00:49:12,440
parts of the lowlands
will receive nearly 200 cm of rain.

427
00:49:18,016 --> 00:49:23,000
Every precious drop is captured
in Sri Lanka's ancient man-made reservoirs.

428
00:49:36,014 --> 00:49:39,439
The rain brings new growth
and abundant food

429
00:49:39,599 --> 00:49:41,801
for the lowland's herbivores.

430
00:49:47,183 --> 00:49:49,311
In the ancient city of Pollonaruwa,

431
00:49:49,471 --> 00:49:51,768
the forest is transformed.

432
00:49:54,302 --> 00:49:58,137
The toque macaques easily adjust
to their new environment.

433
00:50:03,311 --> 00:50:08,320
For most of the year
plants and fruits form their staple diet.

434
00:50:21,233 --> 00:50:23,520
But the more experienced monkeys
have learned

435
00:50:23,680 --> 00:50:28,480
that the flush of new vegetation
brings an annual protein-rich feast.

436
00:50:31,024 --> 00:50:32,633
Caterpillars.

437
00:50:50,529 --> 00:50:53,675
For centuries all life on Sri Lanka
has centered

438
00:50:53,835 --> 00:50:57,780
on one precious resource, water.

439
00:51:03,754 --> 00:51:07,178
Bygone civilizations
built a network of ancient reservoirs

440
00:51:07,338 --> 00:51:09,578
that capture the monsoon rains

441
00:51:09,738 --> 00:51:13,925
and sustain the lowlands
through months of drought.

442
00:51:17,403 --> 00:51:19,898
In the island's cold, mountainous heart,

443
00:51:20,058 --> 00:51:23,092
there's plenty of water all year round,

444
00:51:24,651 --> 00:51:30,200
and the highlands are home to an extraordinary
number of animals that are found nowhere else.

445
00:51:34,331 --> 00:51:37,035
The complicated climate of this tiny island

446
00:51:37,195 --> 00:51:42,200
is what makes Sri Lanka one of the most
species-rich places on Earth.