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This is the newest habitat on Earth.
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It's here that animals have to contend
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with the greatest change that is
happening to the face of our planet.
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In this decade, the urban environment
is predicted to grow by nearly 30%.
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It may appear hostile to animal life,
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but for the bold, this is a world
of surprising opportunity.
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Jodhpur, India.
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A gang of bachelor male langurs
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has come to challenge
the resident alpha male.
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This alpha rules over
a valuable urban territory.
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But maintaining dominance here
is a constant struggle.
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The bachelors have united
to try and overthrow him.
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If they win, one of the challengers
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will take over
the alpha's troop of females,
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and may kill his infants.
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There are 15 males
in this bachelor group.
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The alpha must evict every single
one of them from his territory.
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He has chased half the bachelors away,
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but a splinter group has looped back
and is harassing his females.
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Once again, he has to battle.
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Finally, he manages to expel them all.
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He returns home victorious,
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but with a serious wound
on his right leg.
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It's a hard life for him in the city.
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Keeping the intruders away
is a daily challenge.
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But it's worth it.
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For these urban territories
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are probably the best
langur territories in the world.
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They're filled with
rich feeding grounds.
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Here in the temple gardens,
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the langurs have, over centuries,
developed a surprising relationship.
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One that guarantee's them
a constantly replenished source of food.
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The people here associate langurs
with the Hindu God, Lord Hanuman,
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and revere them.
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They're given all the food they can eat.
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And this high-energy diet
has led to a baby boom.
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Female langurs in this city
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give birth to twice as many young
as their forest counterparts.
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This mother is so well fed
that her rich milk
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can support something
rarely seen in the wild.
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Twins.
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And all these babies can create troops
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that are far larger than those
found in the forests nearby.
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With less time spent looking for food,
there is more time for play.
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The rewards of living in a city
can be huge.
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The challenge is to find your niche.
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New York City.
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This densely built-up landscape
is as unnatural as anywhere on Earth.
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And yet, this wild peregrine falcon
looks out onto an ideal habitat.
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Strange as it may seem,
this vastly-altered landscape
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replicates the conditions
in which peregrines evolved.
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The towering buildings
have a multitude of ledges
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on which falcons can nest,
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and the high perches that they need
to catch the wind.
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New York City has the highest density
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of nesting peregrines
anywhere on the planet.
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Winds striking the sides
of the skyscrapers
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are deflected upwards
and can help the birds gain height.
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And the great areas of concrete
roasting in the sun create thermals,
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so that, with very little effort,
the birds can soar over the city.
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And so many peregrines can live here,
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because down at street level,
there is a lot of potential prey.
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Diving from height,
the falcons can reach speeds
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of over 200 miles an hour.
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But their prey stay down low
and close to the buildings.
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Too risky.
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The peregrine pulls out of his stoop.
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But the effort is not wasted.
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The falcons need to
flush their prey into the open.
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And Manhattan is surrounded by water.
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Out here the odds change.
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And in the peregrine's favour.
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With abundant prey here all year round,
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it has taken only 40 years
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for these falcons
to establish themselves here.
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And now, among skyscrapers,
they're more successful
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than their cousins
living in the wilderness.
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Mumbai, in India,
is home to over 20 million people.
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And there are predators here
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that, though rarely seen,
are rightly feared.
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Carnivores,
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lured by the prospect
of plentiful unsuspecting prey
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are on the prowl.
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A leopard.
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Every night, under the cover of darkness
they come out to hunt.
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These are big animals,
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and they're looking for large prey
to satisfy their hunger.
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To catch more than a glimpse of them
and reveal their hunting behaviour,
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you need night-vision cameras.
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Leopards have attacked
almost 200 people here
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in the last 25 years.
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But humans are not their usual prey.
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These leopards are on the hunt
for something else.
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Pigs.
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These leopards prefer to hunt
the domestic animals
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that people have brought to the city
in considerable numbers.
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The pigs keep their family close.
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The ceaseless noise of the city
plays to their advantage.
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It conceals their approach.
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And the leopards are using this cover
to hunt all over the city.
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This is a thriving population.
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In fact, the highest concentration
of leopards in the world
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is right here.
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It's not only the abundance of food
that attracts wild animals to cities.
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They're usually several degrees warmer
than the surrounding countryside.
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And here in Rome, in December,
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one animal is taking full advantage
of this extra heat.
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And it's leaving it's mark.
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In a single winter's day,
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ten tonnes of its droppings
rain down on the city.
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Starlings.
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In the evening, they come back
to the warmth of the city
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after feeding in
the neighbouring countryside.
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They must return
to their roosting trees.
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But the first to do so
are at the highest risk
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of being caught by birds of prey.
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So, they wait for others to arrive.
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There's safety in numbers.
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As daylight fades, the sky fills
with a staggering one million starlings.
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And then follows
one of nature's great spectaculars.
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How, or indeed why, they perform
these marvellous aerobatics,
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we still do not fully understand.
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Eventually, en masse,
they brave the descent
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and fill the branches
of their favourite trees.
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On these cold winter nights,
the city's extra warmth
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can mean the difference
between life and death.
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A city, of course, can provide
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not only shelter and abundant food,
but glamour.
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These varied objects
have been carefully chosen
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by a bird for their brightness
and their colour.
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This great bowerbird
has spent over a decade
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building this collection of
mostly man-made objects.
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Out on a golf course
in Townsville, Australia,
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he's putting the final touches
to his enormous bower,
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that he hopes will impress
a visiting female.
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He spends two hours each day
rearranging his prized objects.
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"Perhaps that would look
a little better over there."
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But it seems that something is missing.
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Instead of going into town
to collect new objects,
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he's decided to raid
his neighbour's bower.
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"A clothes peg! Excellent!"
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"And a shiny toy car."
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It's a risky game if you get caught.
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The owner is back.
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There is one bower
where the risk is worth it.
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A particular object has caught his eye.
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He'll have to wait
for the owner to leave.
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This is his chance.
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A real treasure.
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A scarlet heart.
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"Got it."
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The stage is now set
for female visitors.
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His luck may be in.
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The seduction can now begin.
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He's showing off his best goods.
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"Perhaps a little plastic piping?
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"Or maybe a bit of coloured string?"
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But his guest doesn't seem to be
paying much attention.
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"A fork?
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"Madame?"
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Nothing seems to be working.
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Something is just not quite right here.
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But he still has one trick
up his sleeve.
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The scarlet heart.
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As a final thrill,
he expands the pink crest
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on the back of his head.
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The sign of his adulthood.
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But he's made a mistake.
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This is not a female
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but a young male who hasn't yet
developed that head crest.
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And he's making off
with the scarlet heart.
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It's not easy finding sex in the city.
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Raising a family in the city
is not easy either.
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It's spring time in Toronto,
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and this mother raccoon has exchanged
her native treetops for rooftops.
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Since giving birth two months ago,
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she's kept her offspring
safe and warm inside a chimney.
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Now, her young
have outgrown their nursery.
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This is her first major
challenge as a mother.
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The time has come to move to a new home.
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She needs to get her youngster
to ground level.
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But instead of an easy climb
down a tree,
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she is faced with a vertical drop,
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with little to cling onto.
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Her baby's first glimpse
of the urban world,
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from a terrifying 30 feet up.
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This is the last of her litter
to be brought down.
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Its siblings are already
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busy exploring the area.
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And they have much to learn.
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This one has fallen into a back alley
and is trapped.
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Mother comes to the rescue
and demonstrates what must be done.
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That's the way.
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Raccoons are opportunists.
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And they're eager to explore.
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But they'll have to learn very quickly
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how to get along in this
strange new environment
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so full of hazards.
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Mother comes to the rescue once more.
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Urban raccoons are now
demonstrably better
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at problem-solving
than their country cousins.
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When the feeding opportunities
are this good,
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the time spent working out
how to get to it
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is well worth it.
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00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:37,161
The complexity of urban life
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favours the clever.
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00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:51,968
But to compete with humanity
during daylight hours,
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takes more than just intelligence.
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It takes nerve.
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One enterprising species of monkey
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has moved into the city
of Jaipur in India.
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The Rhesus macaque.
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00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:22,526
But how to get a share
of all this juicy fruit?
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00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:34,209
Every morning,
the troop make the same journey
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00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:37,887
through the urban jungle,
just as human commuters do.
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00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:04,601
Sometimes, inevitably,
there are traffic jams.
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Once they get to the market,
trouble begins.
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Being both intelligent and brazen
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is the key to beating
human beings on their home turf.
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It's daylight robbery.
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There are some animals
that most would consider too dangerous
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to tolerate in the city.
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Spotted hyenas.
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They're feared throughout their range.
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In the outskirts of Hara in Ethiopia,
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two clans are coming face to face
to battle over a prized resource.
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There are about 60 hyenas in each clan.
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And they're well matched.
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00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:01,844
After three hours of
posturing back and forth,
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the losers retreat
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00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:06,491
and the victors head
to claim their prize.
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They have been fighting
over access to the city.
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Once inside the city walls,
they head for one place.
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And they know exactly how to get there.
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The ancient meat market.
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00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:28,570
The scent of all these carcasses
lies heavy in the air.
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00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:54,921
This tradition goes back over 400 years.
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The human butchers put out
the bones they don't need
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00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,731
and these hyenas deal with them.
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They're the only animals that can.
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No other here has such
powerful bone-crushing jaws.
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And this relationship
between man and beast
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has now been taken a step further.
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00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:27,689
Yousuf is calling the hyenas
to his house.
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00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:39,526
He and his forefathers,
going back five generations,
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00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:41,648
have been feeding the hyenas
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by hand.
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00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:49,523
The inhabitants of this town
believe that hyenas
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00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:52,729
provide another very important service.
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Eating the bad spirits
that haunt the streets.
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These are wild and ferocious animals,
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but once within these city walls,
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00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:12,930
they behave in a completely
different way.
254
00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:18,481
Throughout the rest of Africa,
spotted hyenas are feared
255
00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:21,689
because they kill livestock,
sometimes even children.
256
00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:27,806
They are perhaps the most
vilified animal on our planet.
257
00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:34,288
However, here in Harar,
258
00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:37,728
their relationship with people
is entirely peaceful.
259
00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:43,161
They have won the trust of man.
260
00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:54,802
Losing its fear of humans
261
00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:58,646
has enabled one animal
to spread into cities everywhere,
262
00:34:58,720 --> 00:35:00,563
and in huge numbers.
263
00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:12,648
Pigeons are by far
the most successful urban bird.
264
00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:21,281
Here, in Albi, in the south of France,
265
00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:23,567
the pigeons come to the river to bathe.
266
00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:27,365
They need to preen
their flight feathers,
267
00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:29,522
clean off the city dust,
268
00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:31,969
and cool themselves down.
269
00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:54,762
But death lies in wait.
270
00:35:57,200 --> 00:35:59,168
A predator that has taken advantage
271
00:35:59,240 --> 00:36:02,130
of the very thing that has led
to the pigeon's success...
272
00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:05,886
Their lack of fear.
273
00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:13,371
As the pigeons bathe,
oil from their plumage flows downstream,
274
00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:15,530
and is detected.
275
00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:29,164
A monstrous Wels catfish.
276
00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:36,926
Introduced here just 40 years ago,
they have proliferated.
277
00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:41,041
Virtually exterminated
the local fish stocks...
278
00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:47,121
And they've now developed a taste
for pigeon.
279
00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:51,329
Their eyesight is poor,
280
00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:55,405
so they use their barbels to sense
the movements of their victims.
281
00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:53,970
This is a radical new hunting strategy
282
00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:56,930
for what is normally
a bottom-dwelling fish.
283
00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:14,844
After a thousand years
of living in this city,
284
00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:19,805
pigeons are now having to learn
to avoid a fish.
285
00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:28,451
Our cities are always changing.
286
00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:30,204
Sometimes very swiftly.
287
00:38:32,880 --> 00:38:35,565
And animals must cope with the changes,
288
00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:37,605
or disappear.
289
00:38:39,560 --> 00:38:42,564
One of the greatest changes
in recent times
290
00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:47,521
has come from a single invention
made less than 140 years ago.
291
00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:53,890
Electric light.
292
00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:58,606
It has become more and more powerful,
293
00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:03,008
filling our streets with light.
294
00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:16,569
It's everywhere in the city.
295
00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:20,244
It even goes under ground.
296
00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:44,567
The difference between day and night
is becoming less and less perceptible.
297
00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:58,688
And that has a profound effect
on the activities of wildlife.
298
00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:08,243
In the wilderness,
light triggers all kinds of behaviour.
299
00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:15,929
On the night of the full moon,
300
00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:18,924
hundreds of tiny
hawksbill turtle hatchlings
301
00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:22,891
emerge from the safety of their nest
deep in the sand.
302
00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:29,211
Their instinct is to reach the sea
as quickly as possible.
303
00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:36,121
And their guide is the light
of the full moon reflected on the water.
304
00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:47,091
But this young hatchling is confused.
305
00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:58,091
It's going in the wrong direction.
306
00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:05,646
Bright light is coming from the land.
307
00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:13,322
And all these hatchlings
are travelling up the beach towards it.
308
00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:22,170
Predators are ready to take advantage.
309
00:41:24,040 --> 00:41:28,045
Crabs now make their burrows
directly beneath the beach lights
310
00:41:28,720 --> 00:41:31,644
and wait for their prey to come to them.
311
00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:55,840
Even if a hatchling escapes,
312
00:41:56,480 --> 00:41:57,891
they're still in peril.
313
00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:09,723
The lights become
more and more bewildering.
314
00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:36,929
80% of all hatchlings on this beach
315
00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:40,971
are now disorientated
by the lights of the town.
316
00:43:01,040 --> 00:43:03,805
Roads bring many to their end.
317
00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:22,560
Hundreds get trapped
in storm drains every night.
318
00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:40,606
Exhausted by the effort of travelling
such a distance on land,
319
00:43:43,080 --> 00:43:47,210
this hatchling's chances
of surviving the night are slim.
320
00:43:59,880 --> 00:44:03,009
This turtle is one of
the countless species
321
00:44:03,080 --> 00:44:05,811
that have been unable
to adapt to the change
322
00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:08,884
brought about by the urban environment.
323
00:44:20,440 --> 00:44:22,568
Only a small number of animals
324
00:44:22,640 --> 00:44:25,849
have managed to find ways
of living alongside us.
325
00:44:28,160 --> 00:44:32,165
And every 10 years,
an area the size of Britain
326
00:44:32,240 --> 00:44:35,369
disappears under a jungle of concrete.
327
00:44:44,720 --> 00:44:47,564
But it doesn't have to be like this.
328
00:44:50,600 --> 00:44:55,242
Could it not be possible to build cities
more in harmony with nature?
329
00:45:02,680 --> 00:45:08,767
How, and whether we decide to invite
the wildlife back, is up to us.
330
00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:15,843
This tree is rising nearly 30 storeys.
331
00:45:15,920 --> 00:45:21,848
It's one of almost 800 being planted
to create a vertical forest in Milan.
332
00:45:27,840 --> 00:45:32,129
This number of living trees would
normally fill two hectares of woodland,
333
00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:36,000
but here, they occupy
one-tenth of that area.
334
00:45:37,520 --> 00:45:40,490
Greening the walls
and roofs of our buildings
335
00:45:40,560 --> 00:45:43,131
could create
a rich and extensive habitat,
336
00:45:43,200 --> 00:45:45,123
if we wanted it to do so.
337
00:45:48,280 --> 00:45:53,047
There is one city where that idea
is being applied on a major scale.
338
00:45:53,800 --> 00:45:54,926
Singapore.
339
00:45:56,880 --> 00:46:01,681
Two million trees have been planted here
in the last 45 years.
340
00:46:03,320 --> 00:46:07,882
This city is now richer in species
than any other in the world.
341
00:46:15,080 --> 00:46:18,721
And this practise extends
to all parts of the city.
342
00:46:20,200 --> 00:46:21,964
The waterways have been cleaned up,
343
00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:24,646
and smooth-coated otters
are coming back.
344
00:46:31,040 --> 00:46:35,364
But perhaps, the most spectacular
example of city greening
345
00:46:35,440 --> 00:46:38,762
is this grove of super trees.
346
00:46:41,800 --> 00:46:47,807
These 150 feet high metal structures
are now full of life.
347
00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:53,491
Creepers have been planted
to grow over the outermost branches.
348
00:46:56,720 --> 00:47:02,124
This is a new urban world
that we have now designed and built
349
00:47:02,760 --> 00:47:04,364
with others in mind.
350
00:47:07,280 --> 00:47:10,648
Create the space,
and the animals will come.
351
00:47:19,520 --> 00:47:22,763
Is this a vision
of our cities of the future?
352
00:47:31,720 --> 00:47:34,803
It could be possible
to see wildlife thriving
353
00:47:34,880 --> 00:47:37,804
within our cities across the planet.
354
00:47:41,080 --> 00:47:45,563
We, after all, are the architects
of the urban world.
355
00:47:46,840 --> 00:47:50,208
Now, over half of us
live in an urban environment.
356
00:47:50,280 --> 00:47:54,046
My home, too, is here
in the city of London.
357
00:47:55,000 --> 00:47:57,207
Looking down on this great metropolis,
358
00:47:57,280 --> 00:47:59,442
the ingenuity with which we continue
359
00:47:59,520 --> 00:48:03,002
to reshape the surface
of our planet is very striking,
360
00:48:03,920 --> 00:48:05,490
but it's also sobering.
361
00:48:06,280 --> 00:48:09,409
It reminds me of just
how easy it is for us
362
00:48:09,480 --> 00:48:12,450
to lose our connection
with the natural world.
363
00:48:13,560 --> 00:48:16,530
Yet it's on this connection
that the future
364
00:48:16,600 --> 00:48:20,650
of both humanity
and the natural world will depend.
365
00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:26,130
It's surely our responsibility
to do everything within our power
366
00:48:26,800 --> 00:48:30,566
to create a planet that provides a home
not just for us,
367
00:48:31,280 --> 00:48:34,329
but for all life on Earth.
368
00:49:18,160 --> 00:49:19,889
For a wildlife film crew,
369
00:49:19,960 --> 00:49:24,522
working in the urban environment
was an altogether different experience.
370
00:49:25,200 --> 00:49:28,329
Two crews set off
on two very different missions.
371
00:49:29,080 --> 00:49:31,686
It's Mark and Louis's
first time in India.
372
00:49:32,360 --> 00:49:34,362
Passed this moped,
and we're not stopping.
373
00:49:34,440 --> 00:49:36,886
We're going. Oh, my God!
374
00:49:37,520 --> 00:49:39,682
Yeah, we're in India.
375
00:49:41,320 --> 00:49:43,049
Along with the rest of the team,
376
00:49:43,120 --> 00:49:45,646
they hope to film up close and personal
377
00:49:45,720 --> 00:49:47,882
with the monkeys
that have come from the wild
378
00:49:47,960 --> 00:49:50,281
to live in the hustle and bustle
of the city.
379
00:49:52,120 --> 00:49:55,761
I can't believe these macaques
have left the peace and quiet
380
00:49:55,840 --> 00:49:58,002
for this mayhem, but they're fine here.
381
00:49:58,080 --> 00:50:00,890
In fact, they're probably a bit more
comfortable than I am with this noise.
382
00:50:00,960 --> 00:50:02,007
Yeah, yeah.
383
00:50:04,120 --> 00:50:06,122
And to get into the monkey's world,
384
00:50:06,200 --> 00:50:09,966
Mark will be using a new rig
that stabilises the camera
385
00:50:10,040 --> 00:50:12,407
and allows him to get
right into the action.
386
00:50:14,640 --> 00:50:17,211
I think Mark and Louis
have got a big challenge.
387
00:50:17,280 --> 00:50:20,568
To be, uh, wielding thousands of pounds
worth of camera equipment
388
00:50:20,640 --> 00:50:22,290
down at the street level.
389
00:50:22,360 --> 00:50:24,203
Rather them than me.
390
00:50:24,880 --> 00:50:26,086
We've got a lady
with cauliflowers
391
00:50:26,160 --> 00:50:28,208
passing on your left, Mark.
392
00:50:29,240 --> 00:50:31,004
- Just pull me aside.
- On your left.
393
00:50:31,080 --> 00:50:33,651
I'm more used to a jungle,
if I'm honest.
394
00:50:34,280 --> 00:50:36,601
Erm, well, this is
a jungle all of its own.
395
00:50:36,680 --> 00:50:38,045
Just with people instead of trees.
396
00:50:38,120 --> 00:50:40,122
This really...
It's impossible.
397
00:50:41,840 --> 00:50:44,571
Seven hundred miles south, in Mumbai,
398
00:50:44,640 --> 00:50:47,246
cameraman Gordon Buchanan
will have to take on
399
00:50:47,320 --> 00:50:48,924
a completely different filming approach
400
00:50:49,000 --> 00:50:52,129
if he is to capture
an urban leopard hunt.
401
00:50:55,120 --> 00:50:57,691
It's amazing to think that
standing here, surrounded by people,
402
00:50:57,760 --> 00:50:59,489
all this, kind of, human activity,
403
00:50:59,560 --> 00:51:02,769
that within half a mile,
404
00:51:02,840 --> 00:51:05,525
maybe even less, there will be leopards.
405
00:51:06,800 --> 00:51:09,804
Only glimpses of
these cats have been caught on camera,
406
00:51:09,880 --> 00:51:11,370
and just to locate them,
407
00:51:11,440 --> 00:51:13,920
he'll need new infrared camera traps.
408
00:51:14,000 --> 00:51:16,480
Are you happy
with the composition? Good.
409
00:51:16,560 --> 00:51:19,404
What about you? Correct shutter speed?
410
00:51:21,120 --> 00:51:26,160
Gordon is hoping that these camera traps
will reveal where they're on the prowl.
411
00:51:31,000 --> 00:51:34,447
For the monkey team,
finding the animals seems easy...
412
00:51:34,520 --> 00:51:36,329
Steady now, Rob.
Rob, Rob, Rob.
413
00:51:36,400 --> 00:51:39,210
...but keeping up with them
is a different matter.
414
00:51:42,520 --> 00:51:45,285
- He almost stomped on that.
- Ooh!
415
00:51:45,360 --> 00:51:46,725
They didn't put that
on the hazard assessment.
416
00:51:46,800 --> 00:51:48,643
- They did, as a matter of fact.
- A cow in the groin?
417
00:51:48,720 --> 00:51:50,210
A cow in the groin in there.
418
00:51:50,640 --> 00:51:53,291
They're much tougher
and more granitey
419
00:51:53,360 --> 00:51:55,328
than the monkeys I filmed in the wild.
420
00:51:55,400 --> 00:51:57,004
They're not frightened of us.
421
00:51:57,080 --> 00:51:59,526
They're, erm... I mean, look at this.
422
00:52:01,000 --> 00:52:02,968
He's takin' on pigs,
he's takin' on goats,
423
00:52:03,040 --> 00:52:04,087
he's takin' on cows.
424
00:52:04,160 --> 00:52:06,083
He's takin' on me anytime he wants to.
425
00:52:07,200 --> 00:52:08,804
But with monkeys this brazen,
426
00:52:08,880 --> 00:52:12,407
Mark is able to follow the troop
at street level.
427
00:52:15,000 --> 00:52:18,243
To capture their movements
in their rooftop world,
428
00:52:18,320 --> 00:52:23,360
they need to run a cable between
buildings and fly a camera along it.
429
00:52:24,360 --> 00:52:26,966
And that calls for
some inventive rigging.
430
00:52:28,960 --> 00:52:31,611
I've got this soft satsuma here,
431
00:52:32,240 --> 00:52:36,086
and I've got to lob it to the team
on the other side, over there.
432
00:52:36,160 --> 00:52:37,844
We're gonna lob it
from rooftop to rooftop.
433
00:52:37,920 --> 00:52:41,925
We've made sure there's no one
on the rooftops and it's safe to do it.
434
00:52:42,000 --> 00:52:43,081
You ready?
435
00:52:43,720 --> 00:52:44,801
Okay.
436
00:52:49,160 --> 00:52:51,288
Okay, good. That's good.
437
00:52:51,840 --> 00:52:54,286
I got it into the courtyard.
So that's perfect.
438
00:52:56,320 --> 00:52:59,290
I think our cable run
at the moment is about 60 metres.
439
00:53:00,080 --> 00:53:02,048
And we can travel the whole length,
440
00:53:02,120 --> 00:53:04,851
while panning and tilting and really
looking at everything we want to.
441
00:53:04,920 --> 00:53:07,605
It should give us
some really dynamic stunning shots.
442
00:53:08,280 --> 00:53:11,329
The team
is getting an insight at all levels
443
00:53:11,400 --> 00:53:14,324
into the monkeys' mischievous lives.
444
00:53:22,600 --> 00:53:27,288
And are starting to figure out
the routes they use to cross the city.
445
00:53:29,040 --> 00:53:30,565
And over the course of weeks,
446
00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:33,803
the macaques become
all too familiar with the crew.
447
00:53:34,320 --> 00:53:35,765
Oh, monkey.
448
00:53:35,840 --> 00:53:37,683
All right, little monkey. All right.
449
00:53:39,680 --> 00:53:41,921
They're now fully embedded in the troop,
450
00:53:42,000 --> 00:53:45,004
and Mark is able to film
right amongst them.
451
00:53:45,080 --> 00:53:47,048
These guys
at the moment are magic.
452
00:53:47,120 --> 00:53:48,963
We've got monkeys behaving naturally.
453
00:53:49,040 --> 00:53:50,371
It's fantastic.
454
00:53:53,440 --> 00:53:56,444
- It's good, Louis.
- Very nice, too. Very nice.
455
00:53:57,280 --> 00:54:00,329
Back in Mumbai,
the camera traps are revealing
456
00:54:00,400 --> 00:54:02,528
where the leopards are coming out.
457
00:54:04,760 --> 00:54:08,560
But to stand any chance
of capturing them hunting in the city,
458
00:54:08,640 --> 00:54:12,486
Gordon will need to use
the latest thermal camera technology.
459
00:54:28,800 --> 00:54:31,246
I can't imagine
that a leopard's gonna come
460
00:54:31,320 --> 00:54:32,924
with all this going on.
461
00:54:34,480 --> 00:54:37,962
Relative silence eventually descends.
462
00:54:38,160 --> 00:54:41,960
Okay, I picked up some movement
behind some bushes on the camera.
463
00:54:42,800 --> 00:54:45,007
Just a, sort of, a twinkling of light.
464
00:54:45,080 --> 00:54:46,411
It's something warm-blooded.
465
00:54:48,680 --> 00:54:49,886
Here we go.
466
00:54:52,600 --> 00:54:54,045
A leopard.
467
00:54:54,120 --> 00:54:56,726
You dancer, look at that.
468
00:54:58,640 --> 00:55:00,847
It definitely knows that I'm here.
469
00:55:02,920 --> 00:55:06,322
That's the type of sighting that
you'd have to wait for weeks and weeks
470
00:55:06,400 --> 00:55:08,084
to get a leopard that close,
471
00:55:09,080 --> 00:55:11,003
and so airily open.
472
00:55:12,040 --> 00:55:13,451
Over the next month,
473
00:55:13,520 --> 00:55:16,967
this camera enables Gordon
to see into the darkness,
474
00:55:17,040 --> 00:55:20,886
and be the first person to film
an urban leopard hunt.
475
00:55:24,360 --> 00:55:26,249
But it's only at the end of the trip
476
00:55:26,320 --> 00:55:29,005
that he has his most
memorable encounter.
477
00:55:29,080 --> 00:55:31,242
Look at the size of him.
478
00:55:32,640 --> 00:55:34,927
He's coming up. He's coming up.
He's coming up.
479
00:55:38,160 --> 00:55:40,083
My goodness! Look at that.
480
00:55:40,160 --> 00:55:42,527
He's about three metres in front of me.
481
00:55:46,280 --> 00:55:47,611
Hey, there!
482
00:56:13,520 --> 00:56:15,204
My heart is racing.
483
00:56:16,840 --> 00:56:18,126
That was close.
484
00:56:22,000 --> 00:56:24,287
That's the closest
I've ever been to a leopard.
485
00:56:29,440 --> 00:56:32,523
It's often the case with urban wildlife
486
00:56:32,600 --> 00:56:35,843
is that it's the presence
of human beings
487
00:56:35,920 --> 00:56:39,481
that allows certain animals to do well.
488
00:56:40,760 --> 00:56:43,206
And I suppose it's just incredible
489
00:56:43,600 --> 00:56:46,524
that one of those animals
is the leopard.
490
00:56:52,560 --> 00:56:55,006
It isn't just Gordon getting an insight
491
00:56:55,080 --> 00:56:59,165
into the surprising wildlife
encounters possible in the city.
492
00:57:00,120 --> 00:57:02,726
It's in Jodhpur, filming the langurs,
493
00:57:02,800 --> 00:57:06,361
that the monkey team really see
the extraordinary relationship
494
00:57:06,440 --> 00:57:10,126
between humans and animals
in Indian cities.
495
00:57:10,200 --> 00:57:12,521
They're so tolerant. They're amazing.
496
00:57:17,320 --> 00:57:20,130
And it makes
a strong impression on them.
497
00:57:20,200 --> 00:57:21,645
Oh, it's beautiful!
498
00:57:23,200 --> 00:57:24,611
Yeah, that is beautiful.
499
00:57:26,160 --> 00:57:29,084
I mean, coming to India,
this is what you realise
500
00:57:29,440 --> 00:57:32,205
that if you let your wildlife
into the city
501
00:57:32,280 --> 00:57:36,444
and you really embrace it,
then this is the reward you get.
502
00:57:36,520 --> 00:57:39,842
I mean, this phenomenal connection
503
00:57:39,920 --> 00:57:44,847
with incredible creatures,
and that just feels wonderful.
504
00:57:46,160 --> 00:57:48,447
It was a surprising revelation
505
00:57:48,520 --> 00:57:51,490
that it was in cities
where the film crews
506
00:57:51,560 --> 00:57:56,088
had some of their most extraordinary
encounters with wild animals.
507
00:57:56,089 --> 00:58:06,089
OCR and corrections by explosiveskull
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