All language subtitles for Meet the Monkeys BBC Natural World 2013 1080p HDTV x265 AAC MVGroup org_Subtitles01.ENG

There's a whole bunch of monkeys
in my van.

That one there - that's Peanut.
He's only got one hand.

We've become good mates over
the last few months.

He's a bit of an outsider,
and so was I at the beginning.

SHORT GRUNTS

And then there's Hero -
well, he's just a lovable rogue.

It's so rare to get this close
to truly wild animals,

and that's made for some
very special moments.

So come and meet my new mates -

they're huge characters, and they
could do with a bit of help.

Indonesia is a pretty inspiring
place for a wildlife cameraman,

but there's one island that's always
fascinated me,

and I've come back after
a long absence.

TOOTS HORN

I was last in northern Sulawesi
25 years ago

and I really fell in love with this
place, the people and the forests

and most of all, with a monkey -

the crested black macaque,

an absolutely great, unique little
animal to this part of the world.

They're easy to fall in love with -
smart, clever little monkeys
full of personality.

I've come back because their numbers
have dropped dramatically

and they need help.

So I hope to make a film that
encourages people around the world

to fall in love with them, too.

The monkeys live on the slopes of
an ancient volcano,

in a tropical rainforest
known as Tangkoko.

ANIMALS AND BIRDS VOCALISING

I'll be working closely
with a fella called Ugi -

the leader of a team of biologists

who've been studying the monkeys
for seven years.

I love them because they are cool,
they are so exotic -

the black colour, the crest

and, for me, they are quite
different than other species
of monkey.

I can hear them.

CHITTERING AND SQUEAKING

(What a great sound!)

(Look, there they are,
there they are.)

(Oh, wow!)

So good to see them again.

After such a long time.

Such unique little animals.

Unmistakable to any other monkey.

Those wonderful little crests -
little almost-punk hairstyles.

And extraordinary eyes!

When the light shines on them,
they're just...beautiful.

Ugi's given all 70 monkeys
in this troop a name,

and wastes no time in introducing me
to some of the gang.

There's one monkey
clearly in charge.

Ugi calls him Tarzan,
and he's the alpha male.

He's very popular with the ladies,

and Ugi tells me he's fathered
14 infants.

The other males are for ever
jockeying for his job,

so Tarzan's constantly looking
over his shoulder.

How long has he been the alpha?

He's been alpha male for a year.
A year?

How long do they normally
maintain that position?

Depends how the other
males support him.

And is there always competition?
Yeah, for sure.

If Tarzan is King of the Monkeys,

Uhura is the queen.

She is macaque aristocracy,

from a long line of ruling females.

She's one tough old monkey,

and dominates the other females
by bullying their infants.

Getting to recognise all 70 monkeys
is going to be quite a challenge.

It's going to take time, and so we
follow them wherever they wander,

through the forest and beyond.

It's so unusual to have a troop of
monkeys living on a beach.

They just love coming out here,
out of the forest and...

looking like beach bums.

These are very chilled-out monkeys.

They spend a lot of time playing

and don't seem to have a
care in the world.

LOUD CHITTERING

Any time the troop settles
down, they seem to

get into these long grooming
sessions.

It's a lovely thing to watch.

It's such a peaceful sort
of occupation.

And they seem to love it.

Both the one who's giving
and receiving.

They're so intent when they do it.

They take it so seriously.

They spend so many hours grooming
each other every day

it just goes to show how important
it is -

not just for the practical job of
removing

all the little ticks and mites
that live in their fur.

An equally important role is just
to sort of reaffirm family bonds
and friendships.

Now, some of the older monkeys
are wary of me

and are keeping their distance,

but there's one young male
who's bolder than all the rest.

His name is Hero, and he's one of
Ugi's favourites.

Hero is a really smart monkey -
you know, he's only six years old.

He's just very, very confident, by
far the most confident monkey here.

Real smart guy.

Hello! Hello, Hero.

He's constantly exploring my gear,

and it's as if he wants to know
everything that's happening.

I'm just doing a bit of filming,
Hero.

Just doing a bit of filming.

He's always watching me,

and every time I start to film,

I've got to keep my eyes out behind
me

because he's ready to launch
and grab something.

But life for these monkeys isn't
all fun and games.

Some people are out to get them, and
this little guy has paid the price.

Ugi tells me his name is Peanut,

and he was caught in a hunter's
trap as a baby.

He had to bite off his own
hand to escape,

and it's left him as an outsider.

Hunting has hit these monkeys hard,

and they're now critically
endangered here on Sulawesi.

My hope is that by telling
their story,

it just might help in some way to
save this species.

The only place the monkeys are truly
safe is up in the tops of
the tallest trees.

But high-rise living is not without
risk.

You need to hold on...even when
you're nodding off!

We need to get some rest, too,

so we head back to Ugi's
research station.

But it's wonderful to be back in the
company of these precious monkeys

in their enchanting forest home.

To really tell the story of
individuals

and catch it on camera,

we need to spend every daylight hour
with the troop.

And when did you first get here,
Ugi?

I came here in 2006.

And you come out with them
every day? Yeah.

They must know you pretty well.
You're one of the gang. Yeah.

Our day always starts at the foot
of their sleeping tree,

and we need to be there
before they head off for breakfast.

The monkeys are really busy at this
time in the morning.

I guess they haven't eaten all
night.

As soon as they get out of bed

they're really actively foraging
for a little while,

moving constantly all the time,
going up and down the trees,

grabbing what they can.

Just like every family you know,

there are some sleepy heads
and some early risers.

Ugi is studying the monkeys'
relationship with the forest.

In return for this bountiful
harvest, the monkeys scatter seeds

throughout their territory,
helping the trees to regenerate.

Both the macaques and the forest
depend on each other for survival.

I guess the forest and the monkeys
have evolved together.

They've spent thousands of years
in each other's company.

And so the monkeys know how to
exploit every little nook and
cranny.

With only one hand, Peanut has to
use one of his feet to feed.

It's hard to believe he's six years
old, he's so small -

but competing with the others for
food is tough

and he'll always be at the bottom
of the pecking order.

The fact that he lost his hand and
his lower arm all those years ago -

that's dictated his entire life.

He spends a lot of time on his own,

and he will have no opportunity
to move up through the hierarchy.

He's sitting there now
grooming all by himself.

And with his little stump he's
trying to groom himself

and he really can't do it properly.

I just wish someone would come along
and groom him.

He can't reach all the bits
he needs to get to.

You can't help but love him.

He really is the most adorable
little monkey.

After a couple of weeks here,

I'm getting to know the macaques
and their daily routine.

This is their favourite watering
hole,

and I'm now able to get much closer
without disturbing them.

Tarzan and his troop accepted Ugi
a long time ago,

and gradually they're warming to me.

It seems like they're getting so
relaxed around me these days.

Sort of feel like you're part of
the troop, part of the gang.

They're not bothered by my presence
in the slightest any more.

It's a great feeling.

Oh, hello.

Come to see yourself?

Hero is constantly hanging around,

and is now starting to make my life
difficult!

Just a little tricky for me to film
when you're doing that.

Aren't you handsome?

Oh, what a handsome fellow you are!

Hero seems fascinated
by his own image.

And it's not just my camera that
he likes exploring.

Oh, he's at my bag now.

He's insatiably curious,
and my kit is irresistible.

Hero's the ringleader of a whole
bunch of cheeky youngsters,

eagerly picking up his tricks.

I need eyes in the back of my head

and can't leave the camera
alone for a minute.

Oh, no!

HE LAUGHS

No damage done, you chancers!

About a month into my stay,

and just as I feel I'm getting
to grips with group politics,

Ugi thinks things might
be about to change.

There's been a lone male following
this group for a few days now -

what's he doing?

He is monitoring the group

because if he has the chance to go
into the group,

he will try to take over the alpha
male position.

Ugi knows him.

He's called Samson and he's come
from a neighbouring troop.

Tarzan looks rattled.

So what do you think he's going
to do?

I guess he will follow the group for
a few days until he get the chance.

And so is he learning about them?

Is he sort of assessing the other
males in the group?

Exactly.
How strong they are, and stuff.

Every time I've seen him,

he's either been watching from
a distance or following.

And he's a monkey on a mission -
you know, there's purpose to this.

And he's a strong-looking male.

So it looks like he's left whatever
troop he came from,

and he might well be trying to sort
of see whether or not

he can get into our gang.

Even I sense the tension as Tarzan
heads towards the outsider.

It's a confident move,
ending in a very clear threat.

But Samson, the lone male,
is not so easily scared.

Tarzan stands his ground...

..and eventually Samson backs off.

but suddenly his position
looks shaky.

As calm settles over the troop
again,

another long bout of grooming
gets under way.

It's the hottest part of the day,

and some of the older monkeys
are taking a siesta.

But while they sleep,

the younger members of the troop

have spotted an opportunity
for some fun.

Not surprisingly, it's Hero who's
first into the driving seat.

And it's not long before the rest of
his gang come piling in.

Peanut is normally on the edge
of the action,

but today he's in the thick of it.

It's great to see him
having some fun for a change.

Making themselves at home.

Yeah, second gear's a bit dodgy.

Doing a little driving now?

You'll find the key just down there
to your right.

Did you leave me a little present
on the floor, did you?

I think I'd better drive.

HE STARTS ENGINE

No damage done.

HE DRIVES AWAY
MACAQUE SNORTS

THUNDERCLAPS

The monsoon is upon us.

The rain is a welcome relief
from the humidity,

but it's not much fun for us,
or the monkeys.

The poor monkeys, you know -
they really hate this weather.

They look absolutely miserable.

All they can do is find shelter as
best they can

and just wait till
the rain finishes.

There's one of them on the ground
over there just found a little leaf
to hide under,

like a little umbrella peeking out
at the world hoping that this ends,

a bit like myself, really.

We're sort of all in the same boat.

It's all a bit miserable.

This is the most dangerous time
of year for our troop.

But not because of the weather -

it's because of the rough seas.

Some local fishermen who can't make
a living in these conditions

turn to the forest for an income.

They hunt monkeys.

Peanut was lucky.

He escaped from a hunter's trap
and survived,

but countless others never make it.

Ugi and I are heading to the nearby
town of Tomahon,

to visit the local market.

He wants to show me first-hand
why these unique animals are
disappearing.

This looks like any ordinary
Indonesian market

but it's far from it.

In fact, I've been sort of mentally
preparing to come to this place.

I'm not sure if I am actually quite
prepared for what I'm about to see.

The people of north Sulawesi
have a taste for wild meat.

Hundreds of them come here every
week to buy animals

freshly hunted from the forest.

There's an overwhelming smell of
sort of raw meat and burning flesh.

I've never been any place quite
like it before

and I mightn't come to such
a place again, I have to say.

It's sort of... It's hard to watch.

But it's just a cultural thing.

Here it's completely normal.

Here, housewives are out buying
squirrels and rats and snakes.

It's just what they do here.

You've got to be very careful,
I guess, not to be judgmental,

but it's very hard for me to watch.

What seems to be happening is

the customers are choosing the kind
of meat they want

then it's taken under the counter

and it's already prepared to be
brought home and consumed.

Wild pigs, snakes...

Bats. Bats? Yeah.
Fruit bats.

That is some amount of bats,
when you think of it.

If this amount are for sale every
day, seven days a week,

it just shows that the demand for
bush meat is absolutely enormous.

The most sought-after meat
here is macaque.

It's expensive because it's illegal.

I know for a fact that monkey is
being traded in this market,

but because I'm a foreigner,
it's disappearing

under the counter before
I can see it.

Now, unlike me, Ugi can wander
through the market

without attracting any attention.

We're using a secret camera to see
if we can gather evidence

that monkey meat is for sale.

And it's not long before we capture
undeniable proof -

a macaque being illegally sold
in broad daylight.

It's little wonder for me now

that the crested macaque
is critically endangered.

And it's endangered, on the verge of
going extinct, because of this -

because people like to eat them.

Any day they could end up being
snared in a trap

and brought to this place,

and I can't imagine anything worse
for a wild monkey

ending its life in this place,
particularly one of my little mates.

It's just... It's just hard to take.

We've just got to do something
about it.

To supply this endless demand,

the last wild population of monkeys

is steadily vanishing
from the forest.

Since I was here 25 years ago,

their numbers have dropped
by almost 90%.

These monkeys are being eaten
to extinction.

Once upon a time, there were maybe
tens of thousands of them.

You can understand when people were
hunting and gathering

and they were part of something
that people ate,

but now people are choosing to eat
them just as a delicacy.

The fact that a species can
disappear in this day and age

with all of our communications,

purely because people like the
taste of them...

That just makes no sense,
that really doesn't.

But the monkeys do have some people,

some great people, looking out
for them.

Ugi and his team are trying
to understand

more about the crested black
macaques and how to save them.

Ugi's convinced that a film made
in the local language

could make a huge difference.

With his knowledge, and my footage,

maybe we can show people how special
these monkeys really are,

and then they just might think
twice before eating them.

NOISY CHITTERING

We've caught up with the troop again
this morning,

but something's not right.

They all seem on edge.

CHITTERING

Then we discover why -

there's no sign of Tarzan,

and there's a new male in his place.

Samson, the one who's been
tracking this group for some time,

has taken over and established
himself -

possibly just in one fight.

He's got a nasty-looking cut
on his lip.

It really does look nasty.

You can sort of see
his teeth inside.

But I guess this was a prize
worth fighting for.

The new regime change is an
unsettling time for the troop.

They're unsure about the new male

and they look to Uhura,
the alpha female, for a lead.

It's her job to keep
order in the group,

and she has no choice but to accept
Samson as her new male.

And not too far away, the fallen
king is all on his own,

and not looking too good.

I've just spotted Tarzan,

and what a different monkey
he looks now.

He's got a bad-looking gash
on his arm.

It looks raw.

He's sitting all on his own and
he's literally licking his wounds.

He's just trying to keep it
clean, I guess.

There are no other monkeys
around here now,

so for him
this is a new chapter in his life.

He's completely on his own.

That's not a good thing to be
if you're a monkey.

It's hard to believe looking at him
now - the state of him -

that yesterday he was surrounded
by females.

How the mighty can fall in such
a short space of time.

So I really don't know what's
going to happen to him.

Tarzan's not the only monkey
that's all on his own.

Peanut is almost always alone,

and with no monkey mates to play
with,

he's now started making friends
with me.

I have to be careful not to stare at
him, because he doesn't like it.

Hello.

I think he's had a life of having
to make friends with everyone
he meets,

because he's so small he can't be
aggressive - there's no point.

He seems to like coming on these
little visits now,

because there's some days when
he gets very little company

within the group.

And I know I shouldn't really have
a favourite,

sort of like having a favourite
amongst your children,

but there's something a bit special
about this little monkey.

As the day heats up, Peanut tries
not to get left behind,

while Hero and his gang of teenagers
head down to the river to cool off.

As soon as the youngsters get sight
of the water,

they just can't resist getting in
and just having a mess around.

Just to escape from the humidity
of the forest

and the constant heat
it must be so nice.

I wouldn't mind
getting in there myself.

You can't help
but feel part of the fun.

Little Peanut always tries his best
to join in the fun.

But there's an edge to this monkey
play -

it's a sort of rehearsal for the
power games

that Tarzan and Samson have
just played out for real.

Peanut will never be in their
league,

whereas Hero always seems to come
out on top.

BIRDS CHIRP LOUDLY

It's time to move filming
up a level.

Nobody has ever observed the monkeys
in their sleeping trees before.

So I want to see for myself

what it's like at the top
of their favourite tree.

We're hoping to explore another big
part of their world -

the forest canopy.

We've brought in a whole load
of new equipment,

and the monkeys can't wait
to get their hands on it!

They must be wondering
what we're up to.

I just hope Hero and his gang
don't chew through our ropes.

We've built a platform some
40 metres up in the monkeys'
sleeping tree,

and we're desperately hoping the new
construction won't put them off.

Now all we can do is wait for them
to come to bed.

There's a couple of hornbills,
right over there.

Such a special place though,
isn't it?

THEY WHISPER

They certainly know that we're here,

and I think they're a little
surprised.

They don't seem too put out, but
they've spotted us.

(Beside you...beside you.)
Hello.

They're starting to climb
the trees all around us.

(Hero, Hero, Hero...)

Oh, here comes Hero.

He's looking at me.
Doesn't know what to think.

So good to see them up in
the canopy, it really is!

To see what they experience.

They make it look so easy.

They're just so agile compared
to us human beings,

they just seem to
ascend effortlessly -

even the little youngsters.

As darkness descends,

we find ourselves in a crowded
treetop dormitory.

They're all settling down
for the night.

You can see the mothers are holding
tightly on to the babies.

Just the chattering quiet contact
calls and the rustling of leaves.

It's a perfect end to a day.

The monkeys seem very relaxed...
quiet.

It's like the squabbles of the day
are over.

It's absolutely magical.

Just magical.

This forest and these monkeys,
they're just so intertwined

and I can't imagine sitting up in a
canopy like this in 20 years' time

and not hearing those calls.

Having just an empty forest.

BELL TOLLS
CHORAL SINGING

It's Easter Sunday.

# Hallelujah, Hallelujah... #

SINGING CONTINUES

Easter's a great time of celebration
in this part of the world,

which is predominantly Christian.

Everyone's out on the streets in
their finery and having a good time.

But it's a really dangerous
time for our monkeys,

because they are on the menu
at this time of the year.

I've just heard that yesterday four
monkeys were found at Tomahon market

and there are lots of other bush
markets around this place, too,

so I wonder how many people
are celebrating Easter today

by eating monkey.

But the tide may just be starting
to turn.

The children of north Sulawesi

are already starting
to see things differently.

PUPILS CHANT IN LOCAL LANGUAGE

Ito and Elis work for an education
charity in schools and villages

across north Sulawesi, teaching the
children about the value of monkeys.

It's impressive work and I find it
really moving to watch.

These kids seem to have got
the message,

but Ugi and I want to help spread
the word to the wider community.

We've started editing our film

and we plan to show it in the
village

before I leave in a few weeks' time.

If people can see monkeys
as individuals,

and not just as meat,
they may yet survive.

Time is running out.

There are just 2,000 monkeys
left here in Tangkoko,

and this is their last stronghold.

When we meet up with them again,

there's still tension at the top
of the troop.

Tarzan's nursing nasty injuries,

but, incredibly, he's trying to work
his way back into his old group.

The new alpha, Samson, won't like
this, especially when Tarzan

starts cosying up with the females.

It's great to see Tarzan back
in the group.

The females seem to like him.

But Samson's...

Samson's having a good look
at what's going on.

"Don't get too comfortable with
this situation,

"I'm not having any of that,
thank you very much."

Tarzan's been the alpha here for
quite a while

so he's got quite strong
relationships

and he's got to rekindle those
without upsetting the new man
in charge.

If he crosses that line, this new
male could teach him another lesson,

and he doesn't want that.

But Tarzan's being
a very clever politician -

by lip-smacking
he's showing Samson respect.

It's the two big males getting close
together.

It's like Tarzan is trying to find
his way in the troop again.

But it's moments like this,
anything could happen.

Oh, look.

Right now, Tarzan is being
submissive to the new male.

He's, like, trying to probably
bond with him,

to maybe become the next-in-line,
to be his subordinate -

something I never could have
imagined happening just a week ago.

What a smart diplomat
Tarzan's proved himself to be,

negotiating his way out of trouble,

and back into the troop
as Samson's second-in-command.

The more I get to know these guys,

the more complex this society
becomes.

This is what Ugi and I want
people to understand -

that these monkeys are clever,
sensitive creatures, just like us.

And in my final week here,

there's some really good
news for the group...

..there's a brand-new infant, and
Ugi has christened him Colin,
after me.

This baby's only a day or two old?
Yeah.

And what happens in the troop
when there's a new baby?

Normally, if we have a new baby
born, a lot of females get excited,

and they would like to play with
the small baby,

and some female pretend to groom
the mother,

but actually she would like to play
with the baby.

Even when the babies
are just a few days old

it's as if they can't wait to get
their little bit of independence.

As soon as Mum's back is turned,

they're sort of getting
into mischief.

It's as if they can't wait to get
out and explore the world for
themselves.

And sometimes, when Mum is grooming,
they start wandering away

and exploring the vegetation
and testing their strength.

It's going to be a jungle playground
for them for the next while.

Baby Colin has wandered too far
from his mother.

He's stumbled into the path of
Uhura.

It's an early lesson to keep a wary
eye out for the alpha female.

Once she's shown her dominance,

Colin is allowed to return
to his mother,

shaken but not harmed.

But then Mum sees what's going on

and sort of gathers him
back into the fold.

"You shouldn't be doing that yet,
you're too young to wander
off on your own."

You know when a species is in this
much trouble,

every birth has got to be
celebrated.

That's what we need -
lots more births, lots more monkeys.

We need this population to stop
declining, and soon,

and start building again.

SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE

It's monkey movie night
in the village.

Tonight we're planning
to show our film

but first we need to get the word
out on the streets.

We're just trying to drum up a bit
of support for our film tonight.

It's a lot of fun.

Looks like lots of people
are going to come.

If they all turn up,
we're going to be in trouble.

Shall we stop here
and hand some out?

SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE

Ugi and his megaphone
have worked wonders.

A crowd of about 500 have turned up
for our screening.

FEMALE VOICEOVER IN
LOCAL LANGUAGE

Despite the fact
they're almost neighbours,

most people here have never seen
the monkeys behaving naturally,

and they seem to find them
fascinating.

LAUGHING AND CHATTERING

The whole idea of the film
is to make people think,

and understand how precious
these monkeys are.

And it looks as though it's working.

For the first time, people are
learning that the monkeys live in
family groups,

and take care of their young
just like we do.

When the film reveals how rare
and endangered the monkeys are,

the atmosphere changes and the crowd
falls silent.

Now I know the monkeys won't be
saved overnight

by people watching a film.

But just to get the local community
learning about monkeys

and showing an interest
is progress of a kind.

If they can take home the idea that
the macaques are about to disappear
for ever

then the growing movement to
save them could gain momentum

and the monkeys could still have
a future.

APPLAUSE

My time with the troop is coming
to an end.

I've come to say goodbye, especially
to my little favourite, Peanut.

I'm delighted to see that for once

he's looking rather pleased
with himself.

This is a really lovely moment.

He spends so much time on his own
and he rarely gets groomed,

and here he's getting a really
good once over.

It's just lovely to see.

and it feels like
I'm now part of the gang.

Now I'd normally try
and keep my distance,

but there's nothing
I can do about this.

Might as well just try and enjoy it.

And then a second pair of hands
starts grooming me, too.

All my hours of filming are rewarded
in one single moment.

Just amazing.

I hope that as I depart, these
wonderful monkeys

will find many, many more friends.