All language subtitles for The.Hidden.Kingdoms.Of.China.2020.720p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX]

MICHELLE [off-screen]:
There's a country on
planet earth that's about

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YTS.MX

the same size
as the United States,

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but it has around
four times as many people.

Still, its wild lands are
so vast with creatures seen

nowhere else, incredible
animals that survive in

some of the most
extreme landscapes,

like the highest and largest
mountain region in the world.

With so much ice it's
known as the Third Pole.

This country is famous for grass
that grows as big as trees.

And for an animal that
will eat that giant grass

all day long.

These are
The Hidden Kingdoms of China.

This is the fastest
growing plant in the world.

Bamboo.

It can grow around
a meter a day.

And some of it as tall
and as thick as a tree.

China is the
kingdom of Bamboo.

Ruled by a queen,

the giant panda.

This country
is her native home.

She's China's national animal

and she happens to
eat a lot of bamboo.

The giant panda
has the tools for it.

With five claws on each
paw and a padded wrist bone

that works like a thumb.

She can grip it
almost like a monkey.

Big and powerful jaw muscles
help her grind up the tough

stems and give her that
recognizable round face.

A few million years ago,

the pandas' ancestors
preferred to eat more meat.

These days they're
mostly vegetarian.

Bamboo is low in nutrients,
so the average bear needs to eat

a lot of it and
for a long time,

around 12 hours every day.

Perhaps that's the reason
for this panda mother's

big, round belly.

Or maybe it's because
she just gave birth

to her very tiny panda prince.

At only two weeks old,
he weighs half a kilogram.

A newborn panda is one of the
smallest mammals born compared

to the size of the parent.

They're also born blind
so this little one needs

his mom for everything.

For the next two years, she'll
stick by his side and teach

him all that she knows until
the day he's big enough to

strike out on his own.

Thousands of meters higher up,
in an all-together different

type of forest there lives
another very special creature.

That is also unique to China.

The golden snub-nosed
monkey only lives here in the

high mountain
forests of central China.

Up to 4,000 meters
above sea level.

This is the world's
largest high-altitude forest,

where there are more tree
species than in any other

deciduous forest on earth.

It's spring!

And these monkeys are
making the most of it.

This troop has five families.

Each family has one
male and several females
with their young.

Males that don't belong
to these families hang out

together in a
monkey bachelor gang.

They're an unruly bunch,
but for now,

the focus is not on them.

It's on the latest
addition to the family,

a brand new, baby girl.

She happens to be the
first born this spring

so all the females in
the family want a cuddle.

This aunty is first.

[squeaking].

Then aunty number
two wants a hold.

[squeaking].

And aunty number three.

[squeaking].

Enough! It's mom time.

Meaning lunchtime.

In fact, all the
monkeys want lunch.

At this time of year,
they spend a quarter of

daylight hours eating
the fresh, new leaves.

A good source of protein
and their favorite food.

As temperatures rise,
the monkeys follow the leaves

as they spring to life,

further and further
up the mountain.

But eventually
the trees stop growing.

And at around 5,000 meters
above sea level we hit.

The great plains of China.

Part of the biggest
grassland on earth,

it covers a
third of the country.

For nine months of the year,
it's packed with snow and ice.

But there are a couple
of months when it transforms

into a hidden
kingdom of plenty.

Precious time
to raise a family.

And up here there's a
family guy who takes the prize

for dad of the year.

The Tibetan
fox is no lazy dog.

But he has no idea
what lies ahead in

this fast-changing wilderness.

After a very long winter,
the residents of China's

great plains are waking up.

The father fox
has a family of five.

Four cubs and mother fox too.

After a month underground,
they are just emerging from

their den with energy to burn.

Tibetan foxes normally only
give birth to two or three cubs,

so four is a handful.

And like most baby foxes,

they're completely dependent
on both parents for survival.

[yipping].

They need constant feeding.

Dad and mom take turns.

Today, father fox
stays home to babysit.

And mother heads
out for the hunt.

To be safe, the cubs
stay close to the den.

While the other
grassland creatures
go about their business.

Some more edible than others.

[howling].

[yipping].

With this many cubs, someone
is bound to get left out.

As the three
brothers grow stronger,

their smaller sister will
need some extra attention.

Beyond the grasslands,
lies the wildest,

highest and largest
mountain region on Earth.

This is China's
mountain kingdom,

home to some of the
world's most elusive animals.

Including these
goofy looking creatures.

The Himalayan marmot,

sometimes known as
the Tibetan snow pig.

They're in the
squirrel family

but are more the
size of a groundhog.

Marmots are also one
of the highest living
mammals in the world.

They survive the coldest
eight months of the year

by sleeping in their burrows

and dropping their heart beats
to just a few per minute.

But right now, they're feasting
to rebuild their fat reserves.

This mountain habitat
sits within an area nearly

14 times the size
of Yellowstone.

A place where four
seasons can pass in one day.

And after the
North and South Pole,

it ranks third for ice.

Ice that eventually feeds
Asia's three mightiest rivers,

the Yellow,
Mekong and Yangtze.

Water for most of the
billion people that live below.

Nestled in the western
province of Qinghai,

this remote and extreme
world is home to a sacred and

most elusive predator.

Only when she
moves can we see her.

It's the ghost of
the mountain kingdom.

Something rarely
caught on camera.

MICHELLE [off-screen]: China is
home to more snow leopards than

anywhere else on the planet.

At around 16,000
feet above sea level,

they're perfectly
adapted to a world that
is inaccessible to most.

Their individual territories
with steep sided mountains and

exposed valleys are huge,

but this female
still marks hers.

She's the apex
predator all the way up here.

And when there are at best,

7,000 snow leopards
left on planet earth,

it's a privileged
position to be in.

This snow leopard is also
a mother of this yearling cub.

She takes the
time to play with him,

a mountain version
of hide and seek.

Vital lessons
disguised as a game.

We are lucky to witness a
snow leopard family in the wild.

Many skills are
needed to survive up here.

So how does a cub learn those?

Be a copycat of course.

What mom does, son does.

They're inseparable.

But there's a serious
side to mountain life.

And a constant
pressure to find food.

Even at the top
of the food chain,

survival up here is tough.

Mother's milk
is no longer enough.

She needs to hunt
every ten days or so

just to keep
them both alive.

But where is the prey?

Finding it is the first job,
up here in the mountains.

Especially challenging
as a solitary hunter.

Where one leopard's
territory might be

as much as 1,000
square kilometers.

About the size of Rome.

And if she does find food,
it's difficult to sneak up on

it because there just
aren't enough places to hide.

These mountains help protect
an opposite universe from

the cold air of the north.

Further south, there's
a subtropical paradise where

animals have more
than enough places to hide.

So much so, they
need to up their game

to even get noticed at all.

The jungle of Yunnan.

Covering an area
larger than California,

it's home to over half of the
entire country's plant species.

It's a hidden kingdom that
shouldn't really be there.

Deep narrow valleys
funnel in warm, wet air,

making it one of the most
northern jungles in the world.

A place where leaves
and branches host some
outlandish life forms.

With names that sound
like characters plucked
out of a comic book.

These little caterpillars
are simply marvels of nature.

This is Chequers,

named after the geometric
pattern down its back.

Shaped like a shield,
this one's called,

funnily enough, the Shield.

With a prominent,
nut-like lump in his middle,

this is Almond-back.

And dressed to
impress, the Jester.

They may look cute
but chemical weapons,

camouflage and deadly spines
are all tools in the arsenal

of survival for
these jungle caterpillars.

Thousands of tiny spines
cover this species called

The Pin Cushion.

The pink bumps on
its rear inflate and

contain even
tinier pins to deter

any predator that
crosses its path.

Dragonhead emerges from
the egg, complete with horns,

ready to defend itself.

Reminiscent of
a Chinese dragon.

The Snake Head wears
a mask to hide its head.

While an airborne predator
might think it's a snake,

this sneaky larva continues
to feed uninterrupted.

But there's one costumed
caterpillar that predators
truly fear, Medusa.

Locked and loaded with
a halo of stinging spines,

it's all about defense.

Each razor-sharp spike is
a hollow needle connected to

a poison gland that's
ready to inject a toxin

into anything unlucky
enough to come too close.

Some caterpillars don't
need weapons to survive.

They just sit
very, very, still.

Like the Twig Caterpillar.

With legs set far apart,

it makes a characteristic
hump as it walks.

Capable of remaining
motionless and undetected

for days just like a twig.

Or perhaps a home-built
fortress may suffice.

Inside these leaves,
stuck together by her own silk,

is a female caterpillar
known as the Witches Hat.

To accommodate a growing body,

this literal home maker adds
to her hat, leaf by tiny leaf.

And she keeps a clean house.

After gently balancing her
droppings on tiny silk threads,

she jettisons
them as far as she can.

Eventually she'll turn into
a wingless moth full of eggs.

But for now she'll
stay in her cozy home,

until a male moth comes
along to fertilize them.

All these caterpillars
have the same simple goals,

to eat and not be eaten.

Stunning looks and
impressive adaptations go

a long way in
the jungle of Yunnan.

This rather handsome
devil is the Great Hornbill.

Roughly the size of a
bald eagle, he's a big bird.

He's also a loyal mate.

Although what the female
hornbill does may seem to

us very strange indeed.

MICHELLE [off-screen]:
This father hornbill
will be the sole provider

for his family for
the next four months.

But the mother
hornbill is holed up

in this old tree
with her chicks.

Trapped. 30 meters up.

Completely relying
on him to feed her.

She had to enter the nest
before laying her eggs,

and shed her flight
feathers to make space
for a growing brood.

Welcome to
motherhood hornbill style.

It may seem extreme to us
but this is the jungle and

you do what it takes
to protect your babies.

Hornbills bond for life
and this pair is nesting in

the same tree for
the tenth year straight.

The mother's only outlet
to the world is a narrow gap

within the tree hollow.

Wide enough for the male
hornbill to supply food and

narrow enough to
keep nest raiders out.

Like a kind of
flying, candy machine,

dad returns to the
nest many times a day with

a beak full of treats.

He stores the fruit in a
special pouch at the base of

his neck and to
pass it onto the female,

he rolls each one out to
the tip of his massive beak.

It's a highly skilled
and precision operation...

most of the time.

The male hornbill is
under intense pressure
to feed hungry mouths.

Sugary fruit alone won't
be enough to sustain his young.

This father has to
do some real hunting.

A tiny owl chick will
make a good protein hit.

But then.

It's gone.

The meal falls all the
way to the jungle floor.

He has no choice but
to go out and hunt again.

While the female waits
patiently with their brood.

He snatches an
even bigger chick.

A prize he
can't afford to lose.

It's too big for the entrance.

He crushes the bones
and he tries again.

Still too big.

But he's not giving up.

That beak is
not just for show.

Finally. Success.

It'll be a while before
the hornbill chicks can leave

their sanctuary high
up in the jungle tree.

Trees provide more
than just shelter.

Clean air, food.

They are magnificent
silent heroes.

And some of them are massive.

This is a Banyan tree,

300 years old and said to be
the largest in all of China.

Out of its branches
thousands of aerial roots

spread in all directions.

From these, others sprout
and reach for the ground.

Then they thicken
and form new trunks.

The crown covers an
astonishing 8,000 square meters

around the size of
a football field.

This Banyan tree is so
big it makes its own forest.

It's also sacred.

Visitors leave red
colored offerings for
happiness and good luck.

Meanwhile, back in the
bamboo forests of the east.

The mother panda is getting
ready to introduce her baby

to the big wide world.

At just a few months old,
the baby panda still drinks

his mom's milk
several times a day.

But the older he gets,

the more he can explore on his
own and learn about the forest.

As long as his
mother is not too far away.

Turns out, there's
plenty to discover in all the

different parts
of the bamboo kingdom.

And so many new
creatures to meet.

Like this six-legged
alien predator.

At just under five centimeters
long, she packs a mighty punch,

an inspiration for
China's Kung Fu masters.

MICHELLE [off-screen]: This
female, jeweled flower mantis
is looking for flowers

because they attract
her favorite prey,

flies.

Not here to chat,
they're here to drink nectar.

But she's here to eat.

And she's being watched.

A smaller, male
mantis creeps closer.

He's only after one thing.

And it's not
the chewed-up fly.

Even though
she's just eaten,

he should still
tread carefully.

A big beetle joins the party.

Impressive.

But now, back to business.

He better be careful,

a female praying mantis
will sometimes eat her man.

These are the baby panda's
first steps to independence.

Pandas are mostly loners
so these two years together

with mom are precious.

[squeaking].

He could be just one of
a handful of cubs she raises

in her lifetime, so the
next stage is one of the most

important for both of them.

It's a different story
for the four fox cubs.

Their mother has been gone
a long time and dad is left

with the job of
watching them...

and feeding them.

These cubs are so
dependent on their parents.

But the odds of
survival are slim,

one out of five
fox cubs won't make it.

[yipping].

If things get really tough,
these four may form their

own hierarchy, which won't
be good for the little sister.

Fall arrives in China's
high mountain forests.

At similar latitudes
to North America's
deciduous forests,

these glorious colors
look very familiar.

The new baby snub-nosed monkey
is growing stronger every day.

She's six months old
but still needs her mom.

Experimentation and discovery
have begun for this little one.

Her first new tastes,

and her inaugural
attempts at grooming.

But the best part,
she's confidently mobile.

So now she spends a
lot of her time playing.

It may be fun, but
like for most of us mammals,

it's important too.

Playing keeps this
little monkey fit and strong,

gives her good social skills
and sharpens her brain too.

[squeaking].

As long as she
gets the landing right.

In Chinese folklore,
monkeys symbolize
rebellion and mischief.

It's no wonder.

The troop's
bachelor gang fits the part.

Families push out these young
males before they turn three.

And boys will be boys.

They're preparing for the
day when they'll fight to

win their own family.

One of the older males has
already reached that point.

Aged seven, those
warts on his lips show that

this bachelor is ready.

Apparently, the little lumps
are attractive to females.

But he can only
win the right to mate

if he can take over a family.

That means he must overthrow
the father of the baby monkey.

MICHELLE: The alpha male
and his family are under threat

in China's high
mountain forests.

Other males may
kill the babies,

if they succeed
in taking over.

Simply so they can
sire their own offspring.

[screaming].

The little monkey's father
is an experienced fighter.

He's not as strong
as he used to be,

but his harem of
females has got his back.

♪

So, he still
has the upper hand.

♪

The challenger is sent packing,

and father maintains his
position as head of the family.

The females seem
happy to keep him there.

He returns to the baby
monkey's mother for comfort.

And because fall
is the breeding season,

he's about to get some
extra looks from the girls.

To win his affection they
shower him with attention.

Female golden snub-nosed monkeys
use grooming as currency,

hoping to exchange
it for romance.

This one seems to be
finding all the right spots.

♪

Until the kids get in the way.

They'll mate several times.

And fingers crossed,
this female will
give birth next spring.

As fall progresses in
China's mountain forests,

trees continue
to shed their leaves.

A strategy to save energy
during the cold months ahead.

This means less food for
the monkeys although they make

do with bamboo
leaves and pine needles.

While all the other forest
creatures get ready for winter.

Other animals take
colder temperatures in stride.

They don't have a choice.

High up in the mountains

the snow leopard mother
and her cub cross into

an area of steep cliffs
and crumbling rocks.

Finding food
here is a challenge.

But actually catching it?

That's on another level.

Literally.

Hunting in these mountains
is a serious undertaking.

These blue sheep are
the leopard's main target.

And just like her, they're able
to disappear into the rocks.

The sheep are expert
climbers on the steep cliffs,

a skill that helps them access
one of their favorite foods,

the energy-rich lichen.

These high-altitude herbivores
are built for the job.

Split hooves make
rock-climbing easier as they

spread the animal's
weight for better balance.

And rough pads under each toe
give them a suction-like grip.

These sheep don't slip.

A tough target for the
mother snow leopard,

but worth the trouble.

And if a sheep can
climb these rocks,

then it shouldn't be
any problem for a cat.

Still, practice
makes perfect.

Patience too.

The blue sheep don't just eat
lichen from the craggy cliffs.

They also need to graze
the open slopes where they rely

on strength in numbers.

The terrain may
be easier here but there
are fewer places to hide.

Mom and her cub need a
different hunting strategy

if they're to succeed.

The skill is in the ambush.

Playfulness morphs
into hunting practice.

The cub tricks his mother
but can he do it for real?

The time has come
to put him to the test.

MICHELLE: A small group
of blue sheep has moved away

from the main herd.

Ripe for the picking.

The mother snow
leopard rolls in the dirt,

perhaps to add to her camo.

But her cub is in danger
of giving her position away.

He's old enough now to know
to keep down low and stay out of

the sheep's line of sight.

Mom moves in from behind
with silence and stealth.

The cub holds his position.

They're in the perfect
place to make a kill.

But the sheep are twitchy.

The game is up.

Bad luck this time but the
cub adds to his ambush bag of

tricks for next time.

Overnight, another hunter
takes down one of the sheep.

Remote cameras capture
rare moments of predators and

scavengers dining
on this precious meal.

A golden eagle shares
the prize with a red fox.

A Tibetan fox
grabs what he can.

And then, another snow
leopard pair takes their
share of the carcass.

50 million years ago,
the grasslands that cover

China's Qinghai Tibet Plateau
were an ancient sea.

But when the Himalayas were
formed they were thrust up,

five kilometers high.

[thunder].

Today, melting glaciers from
the surrounding mountains

create hundreds of lakes,

which nourish
these great plains.

Like the mighty Donggei Cuona.

For most of the year
it's covered in ice,

but during the summer
it becomes a precious oasis.

Its waters help
support a diversity of life.

These high grasslands
echo to the courtship duet
of very rare visitors.

[squawking].

Black-necked cranes.

Almost the entire world
population of an estimated

11,000 nest along the
shores of these great
lakes during the summer.

[squawking].

It's a safe place
to raise a family and
there's plenty of food.

For centuries, Tibetans have
revered these birds as symbols

of longevity and harmony
between people and nature.

The Tibetan fox family
live by the lakeshore too.

The four cubs are still
waiting for their mom.

So dad has the full-time job
of supplying them with snacks.

Thankfully the snacks
live within easy range.

Pikas.

They're related to rabbits
but are about the size of

a guinea pig and make up to
95% of the Tibetan fox diet.

They live in large,
underground colonies with

hundreds of individuals.

And, like most of
the vegetarians up here,

spend most of the summer
grazing on the grass.

They can eat as much as half
their body weight each day.

Pikas may live in
underground burrows

but the foxes have
got that covered.

[chirping].

[chirping, growling].

[growling].

Their extremely long canines
help them hook the little

mammals from a tight spot.

Big and powerful jaw
muscles make their heads

a little larger than usual.

The head also seems to
hide the rest of their body
when hunting in the open.

The fox makes use of
the slightest contours of
the land for the ambush.

This pika is grazing
very close to its burrow,

too easy an escape.

So, dad needs to get within
at least three meters to

have any chance
of grabbing it.

[chattering].

He must catch around
20 pikas a day if he's
to satisfy his large brood.

The cubs get what
they need for now,

even little sis
snags her share.

Dad's exhausted.

Mother fox has
been gone for days.

Where could she be?

Little do they know,

tragedy has struck
on China's grasslands.

The fox cubs' mom has fallen
victim to Tibetan wolves.

Father fox is
really on his own now.

The hidden kingdoms of China
hold a whole other secret world.

At night.

No jungle ever really sleeps.

In the subtropical
forests of Yunnan,

another male resident
is on the prowl.

For food?
Or for females?

Either way, he takes
advantage of the dark
to get what he wants.

This is a Slow Loris.

Also known in
China as the Bee Monkey.

The world's only venomous
primates have a bite that may

protect them
against predators.

They also have special blood
vessels in their wrists and

ankles that deliver
oxygen to their muscles,

allowing them to hang onto
branches for hours at a time.

The slow loris is
a hunter of the night.

Forward facing eyes give
him stereoscopic vision for

pinpoint depth perception.

And a reflective layer
behind the retina lets him

see well in low light,
essential for a
nocturnal predator.

Since most insects
are cold blooded,

they tend to slow down
in the cool of the night.

So, they play right into
the hands of the Bee Monkey.

He's more about
stealth than speed.

Tonight though,
he's distracted by her.

But she's not in heat right
now and would rather stick

to gobbling up bugs herself.

Sorry darling not tonight.

In China's bamboo forests
after dark there are other

male creatures having
more luck with the girls.

But be careful
what you wish for.

MICHELLE [off-screen]:
Meet the Emei mustache toad.

16 sharp spines on his
nose defend his breeding site,

[croaking].

a smooth flat rock.

This is where he wants multiple
females to lay their eggs.

So far, he's been
quite successful.

But he wants more.

And he's not the only male
Emei toad playing this game.

There's a rival close by
looking for his own love rock.

[croaking].

Perhaps using the
rock as an amplifier,

he presses his back against
it to advertise his nest with

a cacophony of croaks.

[croaking].

It's not enough though
he needs more volume.

The other guy's rock
looks and sounds better.

[croaking].

[croaking].

Time to take that
rock all for himself.

It's a toad showdown.

[croaking].

But the first guy
has the upper hand.

[croaking].

He pushes him out
and keeps his rock.

And it doesn't go unnoticed
by this gorgeous creature,

a passing female.

[croaking].

What happens next has never
been filmed in the wild,

the Emei Mustache
toad courtship dance.

It starts with
a wave and a wink.

His goal is to have her
lay her eggs next to those
left by previous females.

But she takes some convincing.

A neck rub, maybe?

Back scratch?

Whatever he's doing, it works.

[croaking].

She's ready to
release her eggs.

Then, she presses herself
against the tiny eggs and

glues them to his
carefully guarded rock.

But there's a twist.

Mother toad's
job here is done.

She leaves Mr. Toad to look
after their brood until they

hatch into tadpoles.

The bamboo forest at night
hides many secret worlds under

the rocks and
inside the bamboo.

This species is
known as spiny bamboo.

It grows to twice the
height of a telephone pole.

And its stems are hollow.

Some of them have tiny
slits made by beetles,

born from eggs inside
the bamboo that have
since cut their way out.

One animal takes
advantage of this real estate.

At just a couple
of centimeters long,

it's one of the
smallest mammals in the world.

The lesser bamboo bat.

One male shares a segment
of the bamboo stem with up to
12 females and their babies.

The infants are
still too young to fly,

so their parents leave
them alone while they go
out hunting for insects.

Specially flattened skulls
help them squeeze their way

out of slits just
a couple of centimeters wide.

Even though the bats
hunt in short bursts,

every minute they're away
leaves their babies vulnerable.

A Chinese beauty rat
snake sniffs out a meal.

That tongue can
sense live meat.

The snake knows the bamboo
holds something good to eat.

Reptilian eyes lock
in on the baby bats.

[squeaking].

But the bats know
what they're doing.

The nest hole is
too narrow for a snake.

Their babies
are safe, for now.

At around a month old
they'll leave the nest.

Let's hope the snake's
still not waiting.

The queen of the bamboo
forest invests a lot more
time in her offspring.

At eight months old,
he's still drinking her milk

but he has started to take
an interest in other food.

And when we say other food,
we really mean bamboo of course,

and more bamboo.

There's a lot for him
to learn about bamboo.

What type and which
part is best to eat.

The newer shoots are rich
in nitrogen and phosphorous.

And the leaves
provide calcium.

It's all good stuff.

But then, the mother panda
does a fascinating thing

that may add to her cub's diet.

MICHELLE [off-screen]: Something
rarely seen is underway in
China's bamboo forest.

The mother panda encourages
her cub to lick her lips,

which seems to
make her salivate.

Then he drinks this saliva,

possibly giving his
immune system a boost.

By doing this, mom gives her cub
the best possible start in life

but he still has at
least another year to go
under her watchful eye.

With more confidence,
he becomes more adventurous.

But he shouldn't
stray too far.

Alone, baby
pandas are vulnerable.

In some of China's forests,

there are predators
like jackals and leopards.

The cub's been
gone too long,

the mother panda
needs to find him.

With poor eyesight,

pandas use their
heightened sense of smell
to locate each other.

There he is.

She's catches his
scent and calls to him.

[panda bleating].

This 90-kilogram mom
may look soft and cuddly,

but she's more than
capable of fending off any

predator that threatens her cub.

♪

In the mountain kingdom,
four seasons can
pass in one day.

Snow even falls during summer,

and a few hours later,

temperatures can spike
as much as 15 degrees.

The locals always
seem to find ways to cope.

With her thick coat,

the snow leopard is
certainly built for the job.

But she's not the
only hardy feline that
makes a living up here.

The Eurasian lynx.

About two-thirds the weight
of her snow leopard cousin,

she's a well-designed
mountain hunter.

The hair on the top of
her ears look like antennae

but really aid in her hearing,

allowing her to tune in
to the slightest movement.

Exceptional eyesight means
she can spot something as small

as a mouse from 80 meters away.

But probably the
hardiest creature up
here is not a predator.

The yak.

Perfectly equipped
for mountain life,

their lung capacity
is about three times that

of regular cattle
living at lower altitudes.

When the yak eat, the
fermenting food generates heat.

And this, together with their
thick fur, keeps them warm.

Most of the time.

They can still fall victim to
the mountain's harsh conditions.

And a 350 kilogram
carcass out here will not
go unnoticed for long.

A Tibetan blue bear.

A cousin of the grizzly.

She catches a whiff
of some yak carcasses.

But she's not the only one.

[howling].

A pack of wolves does too.

[howling].

This bear is a mother
and with her cubs close by,

these Tibetan wolves
are a serious threat.

She still manages to
grab a piece of yak for them.

[moaning].

Thankfully, the wolves
focus on the rotting
meat not the baby bears.

This food will
not only feed them,

but also any of
their cubs that may be
waiting back at the den.

More and more of the
pack enter the fray.

By rubbing themselves
on the carcass,

they can bring the scent
of food back to the den so

the rest of the pack
knows where to feed later.

[growling].

The wolves take
all they need for now.

While the cleanup crew waits
patiently for the scraps.

The Eurasian lynx also
catches herself a meal.

A Tibetan gazelle.

But it's only half the job.

She now has to move
the carcass somewhere safe.

♪

When the prey is nearly
as large as the predator,

the challenge is on.

Dragging it up an almost
vertical cliff has
to be a Herculean task.

And there's always
someone else, hovering.

Waiting for the
opportunity of a free meal.

MICHELLE [off-screen]: From
above, the ever-present,

airborne scavengers
detect the lynx's kill.

Soaring on the updrafts
created by steep cliffs,
Lammergeyers.

With a wingspan of
nearly three meters long
and eyesight so strong,

they can see a dead body
from seven kilometers away.

They can be on it in minutes.

And the lynx knows it.

She drags the carcass
somewhere secure, she thinks.

But then?

Disaster.

The cat watches her
hard-earned dinner tumble

30 meters down the
steep mountain slope.

She has no other option,
but to try again.

And as fast
as possible before those
dreaded scavengers take it.

She hauls the carcass
back up for a second time.

It takes every last
ounce of her energy.

But she does it.

And this time she feasts.

The mother snow leopard and
her cub also score a meal.

This queen of the mountains
has successfully kept her cub

alive in an extreme habitat.

In the next few months,
he will be ready to go it

alone in this
hidden mountain kingdom.

On China's high plains,
things still look bleak for

our Tibetan fox family.

The younger sister
is getting weaker and

may not survive
to see winter.

The short window of summer
on these grasslands gives life

but it also takes it.

Father fox is
running on empty.

But something quite
dramatic is about to happen

that may just change
the fox family's fate.

[bleating].

Temporary visitors arrive
on these high, rich pastures.

[bleating].

Tibetan herders bring
their livestock here

to fatten up on
the endless grass,

like their ancestors have
done for thousands of years.

The grassland transforms
and the fox cubs face
a completely different world.

[bleating].

Their home is now
swamped in sheep and yak.

[bleating].

And they're
cramping dad's style.

They could make potential prey

but they're a
little out of his league.

Now, every time he
hunts, these strange,

woolly creatures
blow his cover.

[bleating].

And the massive yak
are just big bullies.

But this cunning
fox has a plan.

MICHELLE [off-screen]:
Father fox is patient.

He's figured out
if he just waits,

the sheep will
get used to him.

And then he can use
them to his advantage.

Kind of like a
mobile hunting blind.

The pikas grow
complacent and are now
missing the danger signs.

[bleating].

Tibetan foxes are
intelligent and adaptable

and that makes them, hands down,

the most successful
hunters on China's grasslands.

In fact, the father fox
is becoming too successful.

So many pikas
but only one mouth.

At last, there's more than
enough food for all four cubs.

Even for the
smallest of the litter.

Dad catches so many pikas,
he and his cubs can bury the

leftovers in their
underground pantries.

It keeps the meat
cool and preserved,

a crucial supply
of food as summer ends.

As the days close in
and the temperature drops,

China's grasslands shut down.

Residents retreat to
the shelter of their burrows.

Visitors move out
to warmer climes.

The Tibetan foxes
grow thick fur coats in
preparation for winter.

Dad's dedication to his family
means that miraculously

all of his cubs make it through.

Four more months and
they will be on their own.

But for now, the grasslands
vanish beneath the snow.

And as the winter temperatures
in the high mountain forests

barely stay above freezing,
the baby snub-nosed monkey

seeks comfort and
warmth with her mother.

She's now nine months old.

These monkeys tolerate the
coldest average temperatures

of any non-human
primate on the planet.

And there's no escape from it.

Fortunately, their
dense golden coats are
designed for the cold.

It even thickens up
for the winter months,

and covers their hands and feet.

And here's where those odd,
snub noses come into play,

they're simply less
exposed to frost bite.

These monkeys also have
the most extraordinary
adaptation for the winter.

Golden snub-nosed monkeys are
the only monkeys in the world

known to walk upright
on two legs in snow.

It keeps their hands
off the cold ground.

And helps them travel faster,

reducing the time they spend
in contact with the icy snow.

Our new baby reaches
another milestone,

as she gets the
hang of this new skill.

These monkeys could
also be the source of
an ancient Chinese legend.

These forests are said to
be home to mysterious, wild men.

Ape-like figures
with red hair,

who walk upright
through the trees.

Sounds suspiciously like
the golden snub-nosed monkey.

Or not.

After months pass
and winter finally breaks

in the high mountain
forests, the snow melts.

And these high life
primates can start eating

their favorite food again.

They'll soon get back
the body weight they lost.

The baby is now a year old,

but she still returns to her
mother for milk and comfort.

She won't be fully
weaned for another year,

when her mom
gives birth again.

But they'll stay close in
the family for years to come.

She also has a
new little cousin.

No longer the baby,
she now has someone she
can teach and care for.

There's always time
to monkey around in China's
hidden forest kingdom.

As for the bamboo kingdom...

although not as
nimble as a monkey,

the panda cub still needs
to learn how to climb a tree.

Choosing the right
one is half the battle.

One that will suit
his size and weight.

He's going to have
to learn the hard way.

[cracking, crashing].

First, he needs to find
the right tree for him.

And then get a good grip.