All language subtitles for Planet Earth Live Series 2 3of5 A Monkeys Tale 720p HDTV_Subtitles01.ENG

Meet Gremlin, a young toque macaque.

She's just nine weeks old.

She's tiny and very vulnerable,

and for a little monkey,
this is a dangerous world.

There are lethal predators.

Brutal competition within the troop.

Deadly threats
from a neighbouring tribe.

One in three baby macaques die
before their first birthday.

Gremlin has a lot to learn,
and fast.

If she fails, she won't survive.

This is her story.

Gremlin belongs to a 70-strong troop
of macaques

living in the ruins of Polonnaruwa,

an ancient city
in northern Sri Lanka.

She's a normal, healthy baby,

totally dependent on the love
and support of her mother.

That doesn't mean
her life is simple.

Macaque society has
a very strict pecking order.

Alpha male Hector rules
with a rod of iron.

That's tough for Gremlin.

Her mum is ranked
near the bottom of the heap.

Life is a struggle.

They're first in line for bullying,
and last in the queue for food.

For Gremlin, success and survival
depend on learning to fit in.

It's a very steep learning curve.

The everyday lessons
she has to learn in her first year

are crucial to her survival.

Cameraman Gavin Thurston
has filmed this troop before.

Even so, it's a challenge
filming them again.

It's great to be back here
in Sri Lanka

and working with some of the same
monkeys I worked with 15 years ago.

There's 68 animals in the group.

It's really difficult
to work out who's who

and who the main characters are.

Luckily, Gremlin is distinctive.

She has a white tip on her tail
and stands out from the crowd.

These ruins are perfect territory
for the Temple Troop.

There's 100 acres of prime forest
and plenty of food.

Life should be good for Gremlin.

But there's a problem.

A road borders
the Temple Troop's territory.

On the other side,
a competing troop of macaques -

the Slumdogs.

Territorial disputes are frequent
and sometimes vicious.

With 5cm-long canine teeth,

injuries are often life-threatening.

A tiny youngster like Gremlin
could easily be killed.

It's always a very tense atmosphere
in the borderlands

between the two troops,

and right now,
the Temple Troop have something

the Slumdogs desperately want -

a fig tree.

It's just inside
the Temple Troop's territory.

It's a prime resource.

Figs are rich in vitamins.

A favourite food, there'll be plenty
for the whole troop to enjoy.

The figs aren't ripe yet,

but the Slumdogs have had their eyes
on the tree all winter.

Both troops want it for themselves.

Well, it's pretty clear,
this fig tree,

which is right on the boundary
of the two groups' territories,

is quite a prize if you can win it.

There's loads of fruit up here.

To Gremlin, for now,
it's just another tree.

But both troops' leaders know
it's a valuable prize,

Hector for the Temple Troop

and Bad-eye for the Slumdogs.

They're long-standing enemies.

Slumdog king Bad-eye got his injury
in a previous fight.

He's always on the lookout
for ways to settle the score.

For Gremlin, that spells danger.

If she strays too far
from her mother,

she could fall into
the hands of the Slumdogs.

They wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

Suddenly, a warning call.

Dogs.

There are hundreds of feral dogs
in this forest.

A young monkey
would make a fine meal.

The best defence against them
is to give them a wide berth.

So Gremlin's mum quickly
carries her to safety.

Surviving here demands
constant vigilance.

Dogs are just one of
the many predators in the forest.

Living in a large troop means

there's always a set of eyes
on the lookout.

And because macaques use different
calls for different predators,

the troop always know
whether it's a snake, dog,

or hawk that's threatening them.

For Gremlin,

it's one of the benefits
of living in an extended family.

Despite their rigid hierarchy,

every individual monkey plays
its part in the troop's safety.

Gremlin must learn the full
repertoire of macaque calls

as quickly as she can.

And by far the most important
warning call to learn is this one.

SQUEAKING

One of the sentries has spotted
a Slumdog near the border.

The sentry's tail arches into
a prominent curve over his back.

That tail up there, that signifies
to the females there's danger

and they should be moving back.

The whole troop knows the signal.

Gremlin's mum quickly
retreats to safety.

Gremlin must learn to watch
for danger signs

or she'll be in trouble.

The Slumdogs are testing boundaries.

They've got the fig tree
in their sights...

and with reason.

While Hector's Temple Troop live
the good life in prime forest...

..Bad-eye and his Slumdogs
take risks just to eat.

They steal scraps from the local
market and rubbish bins.

To the Slumdogs,

that fig tree looks like paradise.

Warriors from both sides
square up to each other.

Gremlin's troop prepare
to defend their territory.

Their success depends
on Hector's skills as a leader.

His border scouts give him
early warnings on enemy movements.

As the Slumdogs continue to advance,

all the males go
to battle-ready status.

They stand on their hind legs to get
a better look at the opposition,

and to intimidate them.

If the invaders don't retreat,
battle-hardened veterans stand firm,

ready to stop the advance.

Life for male macaques
can be violent and short.

Hector and Bad-eye
have seen many monkeys killed

and injured in gang wars.

It's an impasse.

Neither side is prepared to fight.

The figs aren't ripe yet.

There are easier pickings for
the Slumdogs in the market place.

For now.

Little Gremlin has no idea of
the trouble brewing all around her.

She takes a nap, safe and secure
in her mother's arms.

But if war breaks out,
she will be in mortal danger.

A new day dawns.

After a good night's sleep,

Gremlin wakes up with a troop
of very relaxed monkeys.

Macaques live in highly structured
social groups.

They have a rigid caste system.

You're born into your social ranking

and the only way to change it
is to leave the group.

That's fine if you're high up
the social ladder.

Hector enjoys
the very best food and drink

and a plentiful supply of servants
to groom him throughout the day.

If you're at the bottom
of the social ladder, like Gremlin,

the future's not so rosy.

So, what do you do then?

Meet Poppin, the lowest-ranking
adult in the troop,

lower, even, than Gremlin's mum.

She's totally subservient,

grooming everyone above her.

Sadly, her status is unlikely
to ever change.

Gavin first filmed her 15 years ago.

She was in the same position
then as now,

absolutely bottom of the pile.

She even had to give up food
stored in her cheek pouches

to a higher-ranking female.

I first came here in 1998.

She's 21 years old now,

she must have been about 12 or 13
when I was here last time,

but she's still in pretty good nick.

I think she's wearing better than me,
in some ways!

Amazingly, Poppin is one of the most
successful monkeys in the troop.

She's lived longer than any of them,
raised eight baby monkeys

and she's got another on the way.

Not bad for someone at the bottom
of the social ladder.

It's all about politics.

Poppin has made alliances
across the troop

and consorts
with all the right males.

She's especially attentive
to Hector.

It's her way of ensuring he looks
after both her and her offspring.

For Gremlin, political grooming
is an important skill to learn.

But grooming's
not just about politics.

There's a more basic reason, too.

The forest is full of insects.

Grooming is a great way
to keep bug free.

And if there's no-one around
to groom you,

there's nothing better
than a good old scratch.

There are over 15 monkeys under
the age of two in the Temple Troop.

The adults allow the youngsters
plenty of freedom

to explore and play.

But discipline and respect
must be strictly maintained.

Like all youngsters,

Gremlin must learn
to express respect for adults

through a complex series
of postures, facial expressions

and calls.

She'll have to learn them
very quickly in order to survive.

As such a low ranking monkey,

Gremlin won't get anywhere
without learning to say

"sorry", "excuse me"
and "thank you".

Adults will not hesitate
to remind her who's boss.

These are painful lessons
for a baby macaque,

especially so when you have no idea
what you've done wrong.

The truth is, of course,
she hasn't done anything wrong.

She's simply the lowest of the low

and is being told this
in no uncertain terms.

It's a good reminder
of who she can approach safely

and who's best left well alone!

Macaque society
is all about respect,

and Hector is top of the heap.

He won't tolerate
signs of insubordination.

If he looks you in the eye,

you have to express submission
or face a beating.

As he surveys his subjects,

they chatter their teeth
in homage to their king.

Right, that...

..that is him showing he's boss.

And Gremlin has to learn
how to deal with that

so she doesn't get beaten up.

Not even her mum
can save Gremlin from Hector.

Gremlin's caught his eye.

Hector expects all the youngsters

to show him the proper respect,
no matter how young they are.

If Gremlin plays this right,
she'll escape punishment.

If she gets it wrong, Hector's
punishment will be swift and hard.

Bingo! She's nailed it.

Wow! Well, that doesn't seem
very significant in human terms,

but that teeth chatter
that Gremlin's doing there

is effectively her first words.

She's learnt to say,
"Excuse me, don't hit me."

Really sweet.

This strictly enforced caste system
is there for a very good reason.

Without it,
every time someone finds

a food source,
there'll be a feeding frenzy.

Only the fittest, strongest males
would get to eat.

With a well-ordered feeding line,
there's space and time

for weaker females and offspring
to get a feed too.

Even if they're last in the queue.

With the fig tree growing riper

and competition growing
with the Slumdogs,

discipline in the ranks
will be crucial in the coming weeks.

For now,
Gremlin's learnt a vital skill.

She's said her first words,
and saved herself from a beating.

As May progresses,
the temperature starts to rise.

It's a good time for Gremlin
to learn the best places

to drink and cool off.

There's plenty of water,
at the moment,

but a few months from now,
in the dry season,

knowing where to go will be vital.

The Temple Troop are lucky.

They have plenty of good
water sources in their territory.

The dry season lasts three months,
with hardly a drop of rain.

Like the fig tree,

the troop will defend
their water sources jealously.

On the Slumdogs' side of the road,
it's a different story.

The Slumdogs don't have the luxury
of a pool on their territory.

They have to make do
with any water they can find.

It's another reason why Bad-eye

is so envious
of the Temple Troop's territory.

The combination of water
and a ripening fig tree

is worth its weight in gold.

The figs are not ripe yet,

but the troop know it won't be long.

The trouble is,

the Slumdogs know that too.

A scouting party crosses the road
to test the Temple Troop.

The Temple Troop react immediately.

The two sides exchange
facial threats and postures.

Flashing their eyelids and raising
their eyebrows at each other.

This could kick off.

Time for Gremlin
to make a swift exit...

..with a little help from mum.

Gremlin's escape is just in time.

Neither side has backed down.

The conflict is escalating.

A showdown looks inevitable,

but why don't they attack
immediately?

These look like friendly exchanges.

They're not.

These opposing fighters
are sizing each other up,

searching for each other's
weaknesses,

checking status,
and sniffing out fear.

It's a test of who will crack first.

They're daring each other
to launch an attack.

They're also getting reacquainted.

It's likely that many of
these monkeys grew up together.

Young male macaques
are evicted from their troop

before they reach adulthood.

This is partly
to prevent in-breeding,

and partly the alpha male trying
to preserve his dominance.

These strength tests happen
because no-one wants to get hurt

unless it's absolutely necessary.

And no-one wants to hurt
a relative or an old friend.

So they check each other's IDs
and strength,

and hope for a last minute reprieve.

For today, it's enough.

Both sides retreat.
Diplomacy wins the day.

It's proof of just how complex
these monkey's lives are.

They'll risk their lives
to defend their territory...

..but they'll try
every other avenue first.

This time, it paid off...

and the frontline troops grab
some well-earned R and R.

It's great fun for the big guys.

If you're small,
it's best to stay away.

Besides, Gremlin still has
important lessons to learn.

She's not yet weaned.

But soon she'll be
foraging for herself.

It's never too early
to learn what's on the menu.

Macaques will eat
pretty much anything

and there's plenty to choose from -

termites, caterpillars, birds' eggs,
flowers and seedpods.

Just like hamsters,

they can store food
in specially adapted cheek pouches,

so they can eat it in safety later.

Gremlin has to find out for herself
what the really tasty things are.

The only way she can do that
is to experiment.

From time to time, predictably,
that means trying something...

and regretting it.

One delicacy she hasn't tried yet
is fig.

It's still a little while
before they'll be ripe.

That's just as well,

because to reach them,
first she must learn to climb.

It's a vital skill
for every young macaque.

Trees...

and temple walls
are where the action is.

Toque macaques are one of
the most agile monkeys in the world.

Their hands and feet are
incredibly dextrous.

And their tails are
a handy counter-balance

during even the trickiest
manoeuvres.

Gremlin has all the tools she needs
to be an expert climber.

Learning to use them takes time.

With the figs ripening,

the Temple Troop
has a problem on its hands.

It's a large territory to guard.

The best they can do

is conduct regular combat patrols
around the perimeter.

Along the way, they can check
on the ripeness of the figs,

and on what the Slumdogs are up to.

Diplomatic tensions
between the troops are high.

The Temple Troop must make sure
the Slumdogs know they're there.

Scouts maintain a constant watch
against intruders.

And when they spot one,
they shake the branches in alarm.

These males will climb up
and find a dead branch,

try to snap bits off,
but really shake those braches,

trying to intimidate their foe.

The signal is new to Gremlin.

She's eager to investigate,

and gives her elder sister the slip.

She has no idea the signal means

the Slumdogs are probing
the Temple Troop's defences.

This is not the time
for Gremlin to get curious.

Bad-eye and Hector watch intently.

Each weighing up the strengths
and weaknesses of the enemy.

Body for body, pound for pound,
the two sides are equally matched.

A last-minute warning

prompts the youngsters and females
to seek safety.

Gremlin's mum finally manages
to grab her

and carry her back
from the front line.

As the Slumdogs advance, the lead
Temple soldiers beat a retreat.

Bad-eye pushes forward. He's gaining
the advantage without a fight.

Hector must make a decision.

He's always prepared to fight.

But the advantage
has to outweigh the risk.

Right now,
the fig tree isn't worth it.

Time for a tactical withdrawal.

Hector's very wise.

He knows this fruiting fig
isn't ripe yet.

It's not worth fighting,
and possibly getting injured for,
over that,

but over the next few days
when this tree comes into full fruit,

I think this battle's
really going to kick off.

When the Slumdogs realise
the figs aren't yet ripe,

they drift back
to their own territory.

Hector's a canny leader.

He'll fight tooth and nail
when those figs are ripe,

but not now.

For the moment,
life goes back to normal.

The troop runs patrols,
gathers food, or simply rests.

And the youngsters do what
youngsters everywhere do best -

they play.

This is an important part
of Gremlin's development.

It builds her dexterity,
hones her communication skills,

and reinforces social bonds.

Even the older kids
can't resist getting involved.

Although Gremlin is getting
very tricky to keep hold of.

Even mum is beginning
to feel the strain.

Gremlin's learning fast,

especially about the complexities
of macaque communication.

Every day brings new examples
of how the troop maintains

its social hierarchy,

and just how important that is.

It's easy to make mistakes.

Showing respect and knowing how
to apologise are vital life skills.

It's the only way to avoid a beating

from someone higher up
the social scale.

Sometimes, even teeth-chattering
isn't enough.

This is Kinda, the daughter
of the troop's top female.

In human terms,
she's an out-and-out bully.

She's used to getting her own way...

and if she doesn't,
she won't hesitate

to inflict a nasty bite.

She's decided that it's about time
for Gremlin

to start doing her bidding.

She clearly wants Gremlin
to come with her,

perhaps to do some grooming.

Gremlin's mum, sitting behind her,
can't intervene.

Kinda carries a lot
of political clout in the troop,

Gremlin must deal with this herself.

Despite being mauled, Gremlin does
her best to appear submissive.

It's the only way
to keep Kinda at bay.

Eventually, the bully gets bored.

Gremlin and her mum
make a swift exit.

Safe, at last.

After a few days of intense sunshine
there's great news for the troop.

The figs are finally ripe.

It's time for a juicy
and nutritious feast.

Gremlin's climbing practice
finally pays off.

She can climb high enough
to enjoy the figs for herself.

There's plenty of room for the whole
troop to feed alongside each other -

no need for fighting.

There are enough figs left
to last for days.

It's just a peaceful family meal.

Followed by a nice relaxing nap.

There's trouble ahead, though.

The Slumdogs have spotted
the figs are ripe.

They've seen an opportunity.

The Temple Troop have
dropped their guard.

They make their move.

They quickly cross no-man's-land.

Dozing in the trees,
the Temple Troop don't even notice.

Up above, Gremlin is totally unaware
of the danger.

Like most youngsters,
she never sleeps for long.

With mum fast asleep
she decides to explore on her own.

Down below, the Slumdogs close in.

Finally, a Temple Troop scout
spots them and raises the alarm.

Branches shake, tails go up,
eyes flash.

It's code red.

Hector and Bad-eye weigh up
their battle plans.

Lives are at stake.

Gremlin's out on her own.

She must find her mum now and leave
with the rest of the females.

If the Slumdogs catch her alone,
they'll show no mercy.

Hector and his foot soldiers
rush forward.

They're hoping to hold off
the Slumdogs at the road.

If they cross it,
they could easily lose the fig tree.

Battle lines are drawn.

The foot soldiers
mock-charge each other,

testing to see who will back down.

No-one's going anywhere.
There's too much at stake.

It's too late for diplomacy now.

There's only one way to end this...

..war.

SCREECHING

CAR HORNS BLARE

There's a mother! There's a mother
with a baby, right in the middle.

YELPING

The battlefield lies empty.

The Temple Troop
have beaten off the Slumdogs.

The fig tree is still theirs.

But there are casualties.

In the chaos of war,

some mothers and their young
were caught up in the fight.

Some monkeys didn't make it.

For Gavin, it's a shocking reminder

of how brutal
Gremlin's world can be.

I had no idea that these animals
would fight as seriously as that.

This male here has been
pretty seriously injured.

At the moment, we don't know
whether he's from Temple Troop

or from the Slumdogs.

Sadly, his wounds are too severe.
He never rejoined his troop.

Before the Temple Troop can regroup,

a sudden storm tears
through the forest.

The Troop are already edgy.

Now, they flee into the deep forest
in complete disarray.

Gremlin is nowhere to be seen.

If she's lost,
the noise of the storm

will cover any contact calls
to find her mother or the troop.

As darkness falls,
Gavin continues to search.

It's just unfortunate
the noise of that storm

stopped them regrouping
after the battle.

I still haven't found Gremlin.

I just hope she's OK in the morning.

Next day,
the Temple Troop has regrouped.

It's an opportunity to relax,
lick their wounds

and re-establish social bonds.

Hector is basking in the glory
of his victory,

the centre of his subjects'
attention.

He's getting old and near the end
of his reign, but he's fine for now.

But what about Gremlin?

I am concerned
that I can't see Gremlin.

There she is!
Right on the edge of the group.

Gremlin's had a lucky escape.

Somehow she managed
to find her mother

and the troop during the night.

She's had the fright of her life

and perhaps learnt
her most valuable lesson so far -

always stay close to mum!

And there's more good news -

the troop is now one member
stronger.

Poppin has given birth
to a healthy baby.

Little Richard
is just a few hours old.

And he has so much to learn.

Poppin's status in the troop
is even lower than Gremlin's mum.

So the new arrival automatically
takes the bottom rung of the ladder.

Gremlin's status
has moved up a notch.

Even after giving birth,

Poppin, will still have to keep up
her duties as a servant.

But she's tired.

At 23,
she's coming to the end of her life.

Hopefully, she can last
the next few years

and give her ninth baby
a good start.

He could have a great future,

even though he's off
to a wobbly beginning.

Males get kicked out of the family
when they mature.

So, one day, this tiny monkey
will be forced to join a new troop.

He's bottom of the heap here,
but in the future,

if he proves himself, who knows?

If he becomes an alpha male,

then humble Poppin will have
given birth to a king.

An epic tale of rags to riches,

all down to Poppin's
political skills.

Males change their fortunes
by switching troops.

Gremlin is stuck where she is.

So, what does the future
hold for her?

It's been a critical few months
and she's learnt a lot.

Being born into a low-caste family

is always going to cause problems
for her.

But Poppin is proof that you can be
very successful in monkey society

even when you're bottom of the heap,
as long as you play your part

in the dark games
of monkey politics.

Gremlin would do well to watch
Poppin closely, and learn.

Outside threats are harder
to handle.

The Slumdogs will always be there,

and there will be more battles
over that fig tree.

But Gremlin's early brush with
the enemy has taught her a lot.

For Gavin,
revisiting the Temple Troop

has been a memorable experience.

It's like visiting an old family,

having spent so much time
with them in the past.

These five weeks have flown by

and it's been great
watching Gremlin grow up.

It's amazing how much she's changed
over the five weeks.

She's much more confident now.

The troop's home territory
among these temple ruins

echo a thousand years
of Sri Lankan history.

Generation after generation,
the macaques that live here

have played out a similar drama -

the rise of empires,

and the fall of kings.

Four months later,
Gremlin is still going strong.

She's grown fast,
and she's getting more confident.

She's become a bit of an expert
at avoiding the bullies in her troop

and spends a lot of her time
watching and learning from others.

With luck, plucky little Gremlin
will live 25 or even 30 years.

What new dramas
will her future bring?

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd