All language subtitles for Travel.Quest.With.Bill.Ball.S01E13.CONVERT.1080p.HDTV.H264-CBFM

BILL: I have always been fascinated
with wildlife.

The unpredictable nature of a safari
kicks my adrenaline into high gear.

You may see nothing
for a day or more,

then, just about when you are ready
to give up,

that rare or iconic animal
comes into view.

Today, I'm tracking two of those
much sought-after animals.

If I go to the right place
at the right time of year,

the odds of seeing them
are quite good.

But of course, there is a catch.

You have to travel to two of the
most remote places in the world.

So, it is my quest this week
to go to the ends of the earth

to see two species I have dreamt of
since I was a boy.

They are the elusive orangutan
and the fierce Komodo dragon.

Join me as I head
to the islands of Indonesia

to search for these
creatures of legend.

Since I was young,

I had an intense desire
to discover the world around me.

That hasn't changed -
just the level of adventure.

Now, every journey has a purpose

and each time I venture out

to explore new destinations
around the globe,

I am following my Travel Quest.

Indonesia's a country that is made
up of over 17,000 islands,

many of them uninhabited.

It is situated between Australia
and mainland Asia.

To many people's surprise,

Indonesia has the largest
Muslim population in the world,

but it also has a large number
of Hindu and Christians

among other faiths.

That diversity makes it a wonderful
destination for architecture,

history and culture buffs.

Bali, in particular,

features some of the most inspiring
Hindu temples in all of Asia.

But as much as I'd like to see Bali
and its temples,

there is no time in our schedule.

That will have to wait
until a future visit.

We flew into Yogyakarta,
a major international tourist hub,

where we would connect
with a domestic airline to Borneo.

One of the largest
islands of Indonesia,

a good portion of Borneo
is covered in rainforest,

and that is our destination.

I never miss a chance to see
as many new sights as possible.

And this trip
would be no exception.

I had a day and a half
in Yogyakarta,

which is on the Island of Java.

So, I would certainly take advantage
of the time.

With 5 million residents,
it is a major population centre.

On our way to the hotel,

our guide thought there was something
of interest we might like to see.

One of my favourite things
is to find out how items are made.

And here in Indonesia,
there's something being made

that I would never have imagined
being done here.

This factory surprised me,

since I never thought cigar-making
was big in Asia,

let alone in Indonesia.

The mostly female staff
invited me to join in,

which at first,
sounded like a great idea.

It soon became apparent

that the invite was as much for
their amusement as it was for mine.

I just feel sorry for the chap

that buys the box
that my cigar ended up in.

With lunch approaching fast,
we head back to the hotel.

Pedicabs are the main mode
of public transportation here.

So, when in Rome...

At The Phoenix Hotel,
a nice meal and a signature drink,

the Gin Sling,
gave me a great first impression.

And all that's left is to try it.

Comfort and elegance
is exactly what you need

at the start of a long journey.

The local guide told me there was
one major sight close by to visit

that would blow my mind.

A sprawling, 9th century,
UNESCO World Heritage Site,

the 240 temples of Prambanan.

It has numerous major temples
and shrines

all located within a walkable area.

Unfortunately they are not
what they once were.

Earthquakes in the 16th century
and again in 2006

toppled many of the shrines
and made others unstable.

Even so, what I saw before me
was truly unbelievable.

Prambanan is dedicated
to the three great gods of Hinduism,

Brahma, the Creator,
Shiva, the Destroyer

and Vishnu, the Preserver.

Some of these pointed structures
stand over 150 feet tall.

Over 1,200 years ago, there
was a great competition going on.

On one side
of what would become Yogyakarta,

were the Buddhists and they built
the magnificent Borobudur.

On the other side of town,

the Hindus built the tallest
and biggest temple

of all of Southeast Asia

and this was the result.

The construction began
in the late 800s

to mark the return of Hindu rulers

after centuries of rule
by Buddhist dynasties.

Just 100 years later,
the complex was abandoned.

Though the locals
always knew about the ruins,

their significance
was lost to history.

Myths and legends were created

to explain these massive remnants
of a much earlier time.

This is a colossal,
incredibly impressive compound.

It was now time to fly to Borneo.

Upon arrival,
we are driven to the port.

The only way into the jungle,
where the orangutans live,

is by boat.

There are no roads.

The trip is quite scenic.

The shore is lined with beautiful
palm trees and grasslands.

This is the part of Indonesia
I long to see.

The forest is very dense,

so, looking for wildlife
is especially challenging.

Though we came primarily
to see the orangs,

there are many other animals
that call this forest home.

One of those is a funny looking guy

whose name reflects
their outstanding feature -

the proboscis monkey.

These are endemic,

meaning they are found nowhere else
than on the Island of Borneo.

Locally, it is referred to
as the Dutch monkey

because it reminded the locals
of how the Dutch colonisers looked.

Apparently, they all had big noses!

Considered endangered,

its distribution mirrors that
of the Bornean orangutan.

So, seeing this primate
is a good sign.

Unfortunately for this social monkey,

its numbers have suffered
a great deal in the last few decades

dropping by half
in just over 30 years.

This rapid decline
is primarily due to habitat loss

as more and more land is being taken
for agricultural purposes.

These same environmental assaults

are threatening the main animal
we hope to see.

We are headed to Camp Leakey,

a research base established in 1971
by Dr Birute Galdikas,

named for anthropologist
Louis Leakey,

who was Galdikas' mentor.

He also mentored and inspired Dr Jane
Goodall's work with chimpanzees

and Dian Fossey's study
of mountain gorillas in Rwanda.

Camp Leakey's mission
is the conservation, protection

and rehabilitation of orangutans
in their natural habitat.

The centre supports scientists
and students

as part of the larger
Orangutan Foundation International.

It also conducts
local education projects

aimed at saving the rainforest.

Camp Leakey welcomes tourists

who want to view and learn more
about the orangutans.

The research base is located

in the largest preserved
coastal swamp forest,

that once covered Southern Borneo.

Over 1,000 square miles in size,

the area achieved full protection
as Tanjung Puting National Park

in 1982.

We dock near one of the more remote
feeding stations

and hiked into the forest.

A handful of eco-adventurers
had gathered,

hoping to get a glimpse
of one of the wild orangs.

Though all the orangutans
are free to roam,

some are not as wild as others.

They were brought
to the Leakey centre as orphans

or captured in raids
on the illegal pet trade

and are now
being reintroduced into the wild.

They are heavily dependent
on the camp staff for their food

and protection.

These feeding stations are not
exclusively for the great apes use,

as we soon learned.

The first sign of forest life
is a giant Prevost's squirrel.

These colourful squirrels
are common in the park

and make for a good opening act,

or, er...dare I say,
maybe the only act.

There have yet to be any forest
sightings or sounds of an orangutan.

And, as we know,
their appearance is not guaranteed.

While we waited our guide entertained
us with an unexpected creature -

a giant forest ant,
one of the largest in the world.

I could hear a rustle in the distance
and see movement.

Fingers crossed that it is what
we travelled all this way to see.

It is an orang.
One of the truly wild ones.

And not just any orangutan,
but a mum with a baby,

probably coming
to the feeding station

to get a little extra nourishment
to help with the youngster.

It's a great sight to see
the next generation,

which bodes well for the future.

You might wonder why
they feed these primates.

Well, simply put, they have to.

There are too many apes
in the area around the Leakey centre.

Since the numbers
are artificially high

with the ones
being re-introduced to the wild

from once-captive
or orphaned animals,

they need supplemental food until
they're able to care for themselves.

And since so many orangutans are
being released in this general area,

wild food is strained.

So, even the apes
that are here naturally

have trouble finding
enough nourishment.

The centre wants wild orangs around

so the re-introduced animals have
role-models and even future mates.

It's all about keeping
the wild population viable.

In time, the re-habituated apes
will scatter throughout the park

and may live completely
on their own.

Orangutans are unique creatures.

They are the only great apes in Asia.

Scientists now classify orangutans
into two distinct species -

the Sumatran and the Bornean.

These are, of course, the Bornean.

Zoos in the US before 1996 often
did not separate the two species

and there are a good number
of hybrids in captivity.

Zoos are careful now
only to breed within the species

to keep the gene pool pure.

Both orang species are considered
critically endangered.

Orangs are the most arboreal
of the great apes

spending almost all of their time
in the trees.

They are also the most solitary,

while gorillas and chimps
are social animals

living in large
extended family groups,

these Asian cousins are loners,

except for the mother and offspring
bonds, which are intense.

These are exceptionally bright
animals,

one of the most intelligent
among the great apes.

I was happy to have seen
the mother with her young

and soon there was no shortage
of the orange forest-dwellers.

There were solitary adults,
juveniles and mothers with babies.

The name orangutan is from the Malay
word for 'old man of the forest'.

Of all the visitors to the platform,

the crowd-pleaser was the area's
dominant animal - old Tom.

Tom is a mature male

and as such differs in appearance
from females and juveniles.

This sexual dimorphism,

a fancy word for
males and females looking different,

is mainly evident
in the facial pouches of the male.

Tom is such a crowd-pleaser
because he does whatever he wants.

He is at least four times as strong
as any of the platform attendants.

So, when he wants all the milk
to himself,

there is little
the centre staff can do.

Only after Tom gets his fill,
can other orangs share some.

The feeding platforms,
though set up for the orangutans,

also draw other animals,
like giant squirrels, gibbons,

and on the ground below,
wild boars.

This forest is a treasure-trove
of rare endemic animals.

I could have stayed for weeks
watching the orangutans

and learning all about the animals
of this unique rainforest,

but I had another
bucket-list creature to visit.

To get to Komodo Island,

we had to take a boat
out of the Borneo rainforest,

then drive to the airport.

With only one flight a day

we had to leave early
to make sure we didn't miss it.

It is here that I came face-to-face
with the biggest threat

to Tom and his kin.

Unfortunately, all is not well
here in the land of the orangutan.

Right up to the edge of the park

there's a slash and burn going on
to produce palm oil.

So, what you see here
is actually a dense smoke

because the winds have shifted
and it's driving it right into park.

It almost appears like it's dusk.

And yet, we're about mid-morning.

Unfortunately for the orangutans,

this is getting to be
more and more common.

Palm oil trees are big business
in Indonesia,

and to open the forest to these
massive plantations,

the locals burn all the trees.

The smoke, from miles away,
was so thick

that we could not see
five feet ahead of us.

We were forced to shut down
and pull to the side of the river.

We could miss our flight, or worse,

a less cautious captain
could keep moving down the river

smashing into us
in these crocodile-infested waters,

miles from civilisation.

Our boat captain told us
that everything would be OK.

He said no other captain
would continue in this smoke.

It was common many mornings
and they all follow protocol.

They also assured us
planes are delayed

when the smoke is this thick.

Sure enough, the smoke cleared
and we were on our way,

making it to the airport
in plenty of time

to catch our flight to Flores, the
starting off point to Komodo Island.

We had an extra afternoon
after landing,

so, you know me,
I didn't waste the time.

We went exploring Flores.

The market was the
ultimate in fresh.

One part of the marketplace
was produce,

including fruits, veggies,
and spices.

With little refrigeration
on the island,

everyone does their shopping daily.

We've gotten used to stocking up
for the week,

but here, everything is bought
and served fresh from the farm.

We also visited the fish market.

It was no surprise
an island nation lives heavily
on what the sea provides.

Again, fresh is the word of the day,

but not only is fish sold fresh
from the sea,

to help prolong its shelf life
beyond a single day,

it is sold salted and dried.

As I was taking in the market,

our local guide suggested we visit
Mirror Cave.

This is not on any tourist map,

so, I immediately jumped
at the suggestion.

The cave gets its name from
reflective stones and salt particles

created when it was underwater
thousands of years ago.

Oh, this is...get down, guys.
Get way down.

The cave's marine origins
are evident from the fossils

of coral, fish and turtles
that are still on the walls.

It is only a few minutes' drive
from the port

where the boats to Komodo launch.

There is only one way
to Komodo Island.

We chose a Plataran liveaboard,

which is a wooden schooner
that can cruise to our destination.

My friends and I had the motorised
sailing vessel to ourselves.

Now, I've travelled many ways
over the years,

but this was
one of the most relaxing ever.

The crew took care
of all of our needs

from sightseeing to fabulous meals,
making our stay one of the best ever.

But even with all that pampering,
we did not forget why we were there -

to see the giant, deadly
Komodo dragons.

It's not an easy destination
to get to.

You have to take a long boat ride
from Flores

and so, for that reason,

it has not become the big commercial
boom that a place like Bali is.

But once you take the time
to get there,

you're gonna be in
for the shock of your life.

I'd say it didn't take long
and we were at Komodo Island,

but...I'd be lying.

Truth be told,
I'm not sure how long it took

since I slept most of the way.

But I was fully awake
after arriving at the island

and being greeted by a sign
that warned us to beware of dragons.

I never take chances around wildlife,

but I admittedly was not too worried.

It couldn't be that scary.

My attitude changed very quickly
as we came up on our first dragon.

They are the colour of the soil,
so, they are easily camouflaged,

and I was suddenly
just a few unprotected feet

from a 10 foot long carnivore.

Lucky for me this big boy
wasn't hungry.

Like their other relatives,

Komodos do not have to eat as often
as we mammals do.

They rely on the sun
to keep them warm,

so, they don't burn a lot of calories
to maintain their body temperature.

So, they can survive
on just one big meal a month.

And this month
it was not going to be me.

One of the interesting stories told
to me about these giant lizards,

is that their saliva contains
a highly toxic concentration
of bacteria from previous meals,

that they use to poison their prey.

The most recent studies
have tended to refute that -

their mouths are no worse or
poisonous than any other carnivores.

Scientists did find a protein
created and secreted by the dragons

that was toxic
and contained an anticoagulant.

The significance of this
is in dispute, though.

Some researchers believe it is used
to subdue prey,

while most contend
it is for digestive purposes only.

Either way, simple hint -

do not get bit
by one of these living monsters.

Though restricted to
a handful of islands,

their numbers are stabilising.

Human impact has reduced
their territory,

causing them to be classified
as vulnerable to extinction.

Though known to occasionally
attack humans,

our local guide seemed confident
to let us approach

and film fairly close to them.

If anything happened, my priority
would be to save the camera.

Hey! That's why we're here!

Like most reptiles,
these monitor lizards are loners.

They don't care for their offspring,
in fact, Komodos are cannibals.

So, the young avoid adults
and live in the trees.

Deer, wild boar and monkeys
are their principle diet,

that they catch by ambush.

It seems, though, that the deer
can sense when a dragon is hungry

because they seemed unafraid.

As I watched these
incredible animals,

I couldn't help but think
how lucky I was

to see them in their natural habitat.

They weren't known to
the Western world until 1910!

Their size and fierce reputation,
and being called a dragon,

make them a popular zoo exhibit.

Though seeing them in a zoo
can be exciting,

nothing gets your blood pumping
like walking among them,

with no protection but your wits.

I was pretty happy to be back
on our schooner,

but the captain said he had one more
special treat for me.

Less than two hours
from Komodo Island

was a small, deserted beach
full of pink sand.

I had seen white sand beaches,

even black sand from
volcanic lava breakdown in Hawaii,

but never pink.

The captain explained that the
breakup of the coral

contributed to the pinkish sheen.

That beach was a great trip.

I'm always up for the unusual,

but there was one more surprise
for me.

They brought scuba gear on board

so I could dive in the crystal clear
waters of Indonesia.

I never turn down the opportunity
to do an underwater safari,

so, I was thrilled.

The wildlife of Indonesia is,
simply put, incredible.

The rainforest hosts
a variety of creatures

from giant squirrels to wild boars,
monkeys and gibbons.

But most special of all is the
old man, or woman, of the forest -

the orangutan.

To see these animals
up close and wild

is an experience I will never forget.

Best of all is seeing the baby,

so, we know the next generation
is on its way.

Of course, when it comes to
animal encounters,

little can beat strolling
without any real protection

among the monstrous
Komodo dragons.

These carnivores exist on only a few
isolated islands in Indonesia.

Largely unchanged for hundreds
of thousands of years,

they give you a small feeling
of what it would be like

to walk among dinosaurs.

Captions by Red Bee Media
(c) SBS Australia 2023