All language subtitles for BBC.Cities.Natures.New.Wild.3of3.Outcasts.1080p.HDTV.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org.eng

Cities...

..the fastest growing
habitat on the planet.

A land of opportunity...

..for animals of
all shapes and sizes.

This unnatural world...
CAR HORN BEEPS

..presents unique challenges.

But for those able to adapt...

..and take advantage of
the riches on offer...

..the urban jungle is quickly
becoming the new wild.

In the last 30 years,

the world's urban areas have
almost tripled in size,

changing at a rate wildlife
has never experienced before.

Some animals have adapted
to urban life with surprising ease

and made cities their home.

Others have found that keeping
one foot in the wild,

and commuting into town,
they make the most of both worlds.

But there is another group...

..with the most surprising
stories of all.

Animals that once lived

where our cities are now built.

Today, they find themselves fighting
for their place in the land

that once belonged to them.

These are the wild outcasts.

Costa Rica...

..a tropical tourist hotspot,

famed for its incredible
wildlife encounters.

And this Pacific coastal
town is home to some of the most

intelligent monkeys in the world.

are in a perilous position...

..struggling to adapt and
fit into a changing world.

White-faced capuchins
have the largest brain-to-body ratio

of any primate, other than us.

And the wealth of tasty and exotic
goodies tourists bring to the beach

makes for hot property
worth defending.

Around 20-strong,
this is an average sized troupe.

And this grizzled alpha
male is in charge.

He lost an arm fighting to keep
hold of this territory.

Him and his troupe defend the
tourist beach like they would

a fruiting tree in the forest.

They know there's more to be gained
than a few measly leftovers.

They've learnt to play the naive
tourists to get their hands

on a seemingly never
ending supply of food...

..employing a variety
of cunning tactics.

There's the sweet and gentle...

..the butter wouldn't melt...

..and the cheeky chappie.

But these aren't natural behaviours.

These monkeys should
have an innate fear of humans.

But the alpha male
has become so confident,

he's happy to assert his dominance.

CHILD CRIES

And the more the capuchins
expect food,

the more aggressively
they pursue it.

By continuing to feed them,
tourists are only fuelling

this bad behaviour.

It's even led to them
developing a criminal streak.

They wait patiently for people

to leave their belongings
on the beach...

..before moving in
to steal any food.

Capuchins are one of the only
primates known to use tools.

So, opening unattended
luggage is no problem.

But their delinquent behaviour
and bullying tactics

are making them unpopular.

And right now, these capuchins
face an uncertain future.

They may be relocated or,
worse still, euthanized,

unless the tourists
change their habits.

Finding ways to protect wildlife
from the problems we create

is becoming increasingly
important...

..because urban areas
will only continue

to swallow natural habitats.

And cities support just 20%
of the wildlife that lived

on the land before they were built.

It's never been more important

to create space for nature
in the urban world.

If we don't, we risk
losing it altogether.

It's predicted that by
the middle of the century,

50% of the world's species
will be in decline.

And that's in part because more
and more land is being cultivated

to feed our ever-growing population.

The scale of the problem
couldn't be more obvious

than in Sri Lanka...

..where forests are fast
being replaced with crops...

..putting people in direct conflict
with the largest land mammal of all,

elephants.

As their jungle disappears
and is farmed to feed us,

they've discovered it makes
potentially easy pickings.

Under the cover of darkness,
more elephants head into town

to try their luck.

The local inhabitants
guard their livelihood...

..armed with lights,
firecrackers, and flares.

It's a risky strategy
for the elephants.

But hunger drives them on.

Each year, this conflict claims
the lives of over 200 elephants

and 80 people.

The explosions across
the region mark the start

of the nightly battle.

It's an outcast claim to lost lands

versus a relentlessly
expanding civilisation.

The elephants retreat.

But to grow up to three metres tall,
and weigh five tonnes,

they need to eat as much
as 150 kilos a day.

They will be back.

With the encounters taking
their toll on both sides,

a ceasefire is well overdue.

People here are developing ways
to try and keep the peace.

Farmers have found that planting
a barrier of fruit trees

around their crops helps...

..because elephants have the best
sense of smell in the animal kingdom

and find the smell of citrus
repellent.

The trees act as a sustainable
buffer that encourages the elephants

to feed back in the forest.

Electric fences that surround some
of the villages help too.

But the elephant encounters
that happen outside the fences

are the most dangerous.

And for some kids,
this road through a notorious

elephant corridor is
the only way to school.

It's a potentially
deadly commute on foot.

But the solution is simple.

An elephant school bus.

Each morning, the bus picks up
kids from the surrounding area

and drives them safely to school.

A journey of fear is now
a journey of wonder.

Elephants don't perceive
large vehicles as a threat

in the same way
they do a person on foot,

making for a peaceful passage.

These Sri Lankan communities
are finding ways to live alongside

the largest of animals.

But across the world,
elephants are losing their natural

habitat and being targeted
by poachers for their ivory.

The global population
has shrunk by a shocking 95%

in the last century.

It's a crisis desperately
in need of solutions.

Peaceful coexistence
with large and dangerous

animals is possible.

All up the east coast of America,
luxury developments are built

on prime alligator habitat.

Golf resorts.

But at South Carolina's Kiawah
Island, the water hazards,

rough and rolling greens
are a paradise for golfers

and gators alike.

That's because each species
knows its place here.

The ponds belong to the gators,

and the fairways are reserved
for the golfers.

But each spring, as males compete
for the best territory and the best

females, the boundaries
become blurred.

This four-metre male
guards his network

of ponds and channels.

And he protects his
love interest too,

whether she's interested or not.

But there's no rush.

New science shows that alligators
can actually mate for life.

HE CALLS

He warns off the smaller males
by broadcasting his dominance.

An infrasonic,
then, bellowing call...

HE CALLS

..that can be heard from
three miles away.

HE CALLS

Happy he won't be interrupted,
he makes his move.

But she needs some wooing.

Turning on his charm,
he rests his head on her back

and blows her romantic bubbles.

During a brief moment
underwater, the pair mate.

With the female spoken for,
the battle-scarred youngsters walk

the course in search
of their own territory.

But all the best spots are taken.

Chasing and posturing is usually
enough to end a dispute.

With a bite three times
more powerful than a lion,

it's better to retreat
than risk injury.

Even though it's built
on alligator territory,

this high-end human playground
provides for both people

and wildlife.

Striking the right balance
with animals we naturally fear

can be difficult.

But cities will continue to attract
uninvited wild guests.

Because, sometimes,
they offer them everything

they need to survive.

And those animals small
enough to take advantage

of these opportunities
unnoticed can make it big.

Once a tiny desert resort,
this twinkling North American city

Almost everything has been
brought here by humans.

Hidden in plain sight,
one small but deadly

arachnid is thriving
in the shiny new desert oasis.

The bark scorpion.

They might be just a few
centimetres long,

but they are the most venomous
scorpions in North America.

And despite the city
being built on their land,

they have flourished.

In summer, when males
hunt for a partner,

action on the Strip gets pretty hot.

Bark scorpions have 12 eyes,
but their vision is poor.

They can only see shades
of light and dark.

So, males follow the scent
of a potential mate, using

specialised sensory organs
on their belly called pectines.

But finding her is
only half the battle.

Locking pincers, she tests his
strength and suitability

as a father.

He needs to be careful.

One false move and she'll
have him for dinner.

She will carry her fertilised
eggs for up to a year.

And if times get hard,
she'll reabsorb them.

But in this city of excess,
that's unlikely.

Bark scorpions feed on insects
like cockroaches and crickets,

providing a useful
pest control service.

She stuns her captive
with a potent neurotoxin...

..and dissolves parts of the body
with enzymes before eating it.

When she's ready, she gives birth
to up to 30 helpless young,

that she will carry on her back
until they are old enough

to survive on their own.

In her six-year life span,
she can produce 150 babies,

fuelling a population boom.

As one of the only life forms able
to survive at nuclear test sites,

scorpions may not be too welcome,
but it looks like they are

here to stay.

Because cities can offer food,
shelter, and somewhere

to raise a family,

the most tenacious wild animals
will find a way to live

between the cracks
of the urban world,

no matter what we throw at them.

One notorious outcast
has been so successful

at avoiding our attempts to
eradicate it, that it's now common

in nearly every human
settlement in the world.

The brown rat.

In fact, city living
suits them so well,

they are now only
found alongside us.

15 million live in the UK alone.

And like the scorpions in Vegas,
their extraordinary ability

to reproduce is the secret
to their success.

By filming under controlled
conditions, we can reveal why.

Safe in their nest,
this litter is just ten days old,

and about to open their eyes.

And in less than two months' time,
the young females will be able

to have babies of their own...

and from then on,
could have a litter of 11

every three weeks.

That's up to 3,000
descendants a year.

They explore the world around them
with a nose that will eventually

be more sensitive
than a bloodhound's.

For now, Mum wants
to keep them safe.

But just a few weeks later,
the young females are ready to leave

and start their own family.

It's a dangerous time.

More than 50% of rats die within
ten days of leaving the nest.

So, they are naturally wary
of anything unfamiliar.

But few things stand in their way.

They can squeeze through a gap
a quarter of their size.

Cavity walls in modern buildings
provide perfect hidden highways.

With flexible feet and fine claws,
rats can climb around inside them,

even when upside down.

The outside world presents
different challenges.

But it's rats' innate skills
that have made them such

an urban success story.

As they find their way around,
rats make a mental map

of new surroundings.

And with soft pads on their feet,
can grip even smooth surfaces.

They are one of the few mammals,
other than us, able to plan complex

routes to reach a goal.

DOG BARKS

Expert tightrope walkers,
rats use their flexible tails

as a counterbalance.

And, when needed, to give them
control on tricky descents.

With powerful back
legs, rats can leap

more than a metre.

At the merest hint
of us, they flee.

Supple and strong,
they can survive a fall

of over two metres.

In the shadows, rats have all
the skills they need to ensure

the survival of their species...

..right under the nose
of their age-old enemy.

However, life in the city
can be more accommodating

for outcasts with
a better public image.

Built on prime marshlands,
the capital of the Netherlands

is synonymous with a bird that
lived in these waterways long

before the city was built...

..the grey heron.

They've managed to survive here,
feeding on their natural diet

of fish and frogs.

But in extra cold winters,
the city's hundred miles

of waterways can freeze solid,
locking their food out of reach.

Some have learnt that if they get
their timing right,

there are still places
in town to get a good meal.

They head to the fish market,
just before it closes at 5pm.

And they wait.

The bold come down,
hawking for scraps,

even before the market goers
have left.

But there are slim
pickings this early.

As darkness descends,
so do the rest of the herons.

Dancing between the trolleys
and vans, they fight

for the leftovers.

Feeding after dark is
highly unusual behaviour.

Herons are hard-wired to roost
at night to avoid predators.

But the fish market provides
them a vital lifeline

in the long, cold winters.

It's a race to clear
up as fast as possible,

head-to-head with their garbage
guzzling inner-city rival.

By adapting to the changing urban
world, the herons have secured

a future in the heart of town.

And because they are
established in the city,

some have even formed
remarkable relationships.

In a sleepy suburb,
one lucky heron has been welcomed

with open arms.

Diny Dieperink is preparing
breakfast for her good friend, Kiri.

Kiri!

Kiri!

Kiri!

It's beautiful. It's beautiful.

The respectful bond between Diny
and Kiri has mutual benefits.

It's a winning strategy
that's proving successful

on a far larger scale,

helping to bring one
of Florida's state mascots back

from the brink of extinction.

The town of Crystal River
is famous for its glass-like,

spring-fed rivers that originate
in the heart of the town.

But the biggest tourist
attraction here, by far,

are its manatees.

Growing to four metres,
and weighing a tonne and a half,

these huge vegetarians
are also known as sea cows.

Despite their size,
they don't have much

insulating body fat.

When the sea temperature drops,
they can die from cold stress,

a condition similar to frostbite.

So, in winter they head into town,
where a warm welcome awaits.

Calves rely on their mothers
until they are two years old

and make the journey side by side.

Swimming an average
of 5mph,

they cruise past waterfront condos
and jetties on the way.

And when hungry,
calves suckle from teats

under mum's front flippers.

Every three to five minutes,
they come to the surface to breathe.

When they reach Crystal River's
springs, they can relax.

Here, 45 million litres of water
pour out of the ground each day

at a constant 22 degrees...

..the perfect temperature for
manatees to avoid cold stress.

In the warmth of the spring,
mum and baby can slow

down and save energy.

When it's really cold,
over 500 manatees pack themselves

into the toasty springs.

That's almost 5% of
the world's population.

But 30 years ago,
the story was very different.

Pollution and severe
injuries from boat traffic

meant their population
all but collapsed,

prompting a large-scale community
initiative to protect them.

Today, over 100 volunteer
guardians keep a watchful eye

over the manatees.

Strict speed limits
control boat traffic.

And visitors are educated on how
to behave around the manatees.

What we normally do is get up,
maybe three to six feet away

from them, then we stop.

Here's where we passively
observe them.

When in doubt,
just remember to float.

It'll be perfectly OK.

The scheme has been
an overwhelming success.

Manatee tourism attracts
up to 250,000 tourists a year...

..generating an income
of more than $30 million.

And in 2017, manatees were taken
off the endangered species list.

It's no secret that we need
to protect nature.

Only now are we starting to realise
that our towns and cities

have a role to play in this.

What's perhaps most surprising
is that it can be a two-way street.

In south-east Asia,
one of the fastest birds

in the world has developed such
a productive relationship

with people, they have had whole
cities purpose-built for them.

Swiftlets are traditionally found
within deep cave systems,

but have been invited
into people's homes

and specially-built swiftlet hotels.

This male is building his nest,
using extra thick and sticky saliva,

produced in a gland
under his tongue.

Over 40 days, he adds layer
upon layer, until his tiny

cup-shaped nest is finished.

Pairs have up to three clutches
of one to two chicks a year.

Once they've fledged,
the hotel owners move

in and harvest the nest.

The main ingredient
in a traditional delicacy,

bird's nest soup.

The birds are doing so well,
they may soon be classified

as an entirely new subspecies,
the house swiftlet,

evolved to live
within our four walls.

Everyone wins.

They are guaranteed
shelter and safety,

and the farmers get $2,000
a kilo for their nest...

..completely changing the lives
of people here, like Dawud.

The more we learn,
it becomes clear that when managed

in the right way, having wild
neighbours can help ensure a secure

future for both of us.

And nowhere is this more evident
than on San Clemente Island...

..where a wild guardian angel
gives the US military

unexpected protection.

Face...

The tiny speck in the Pacific Ocean
is just four miles wide

and 21 miles long.

And a highly sensitive US
naval warfare facility.

It's the only place in the world
the US Navy are authorised

to practise sea to land bombardment.

And they aren't the only
deadly force here.

A little-known predator
is watching their every move.

The San Clemente fox
is the island's largest carnivore.

But at the size of a domestic cat,
it's one of the smallest canine

species in the world.

With endless drills and exercises,
the barren south end

of the island is inhospitable.

But these foxes thrive in the north,

living in the Navy's town,

amongst its personnel

and close to the airstrip.

It's the nearest thing to hustle
and bustle in this corner

of the Pacific.

This vixen has a den full of cubs,
right by the busy port.

It's the perfect spot
for her to raise a family...

..because foxes have access all
areas, to the highest security base.

But she has her work cut out.

Normally, foxes have
just two cubs a year.

This vixen has three.

The cubs will learn everything
they need to survive

here from their mum.

She's teaching them to eat
a wide range of foods,

from lizards and small mammals
to insects and even birds' eggs.

Climbing trees doesn't come easy
to a five-week-old cub.

But the rewards are worth it.

San Clemente foxes don't exist
anywhere else in the world.

And 15 years ago, the species
was listed as critically endangered.

The Navy were warned that if the fox
numbers dropped any further,

they'd been evicted from the island
to allow them to recover.

So the military now
invest $7 million a year

into the protection
of the island's wildlife.

They have even put in place a team
of scientists that run a fox

awareness program to track
and monitor the population.

Today, the foxes are no longer
considered endangered.

And the Navy are now not
just looking out for them

because they have to -
there's real affection

here for these tiny predators.

The foxes bring out a warm
and caring side of the military.

Protecting their population
safeguards the Navy's presence

on the island, too.

Like the foxes, some wildlife
has been able to survive,

even thrive, alongside us...

..making the most of
the opportunities our world offers.

As wild residents...and commuters.

But as urban areas expand...

..more and more wildlife

will need our help if
it's to have a future.

And where we have given
it a chance, there is hope.

Half a century ago,
New York had some of the most

polluted waterways in the world.

But efforts to clean them
up have paid dividends.

And recently, scientists
like Howard Rosenbaum have witnessed

an amazing recovery.

Right here in New York,
we're seeing the benefits of five

decades of protection,
and we're seeing the fish stocks

recover from depleted numbers.

Waders and fishing birds
are flourishing in what had become

empty marshlands.

Pods of dolphins, hundreds strong,

can now be found in sight
of the city.

But the biggest surprise
is the return of one

of the Atlantic's giants...

..the humpback whale.

For quite some time,
it was considered probably

the sighting of a lifetime.

I mean, just to think about the
fact that you can be strolling

on the beach and see a humpback.

People are not used
to having humpbacks

in and around New York.

The fish they prey on is now
so abundant that New York's coast

has become a perfect summer
stopover for the whales.

We see healthy animals foraging
here, feeding right close

to our shores.
I mean, it's phenomenal.

We are at a critical
point in history.

Our relationship with the planet
is increasingly fragile.

We're consuming more than
we ever have done.

And while our population is booming,

it's estimated we've last half

of the world's wildlife
in just 40 years.

But in our cities,
the newest and fastest growing

habitat on Earth...

..we can make a difference...

..by simply giving nature the space
and resources it needs.

Even for the biggest and most
surprising of animals,

the urban jungle CAN be
a place of opportunity.

So, what happens next is up to us.

As we've discovered in this series,
if you give animals a chance

in cities, they can thrive.

And that having a close
relationship with nature

is often hugely rewarding.

I think we're hard-wired to
appreciate nature and appreciate

animals, so even on a Navy range,
the fact that people

can occasionally see wildlife
really seems to make people happy.

Research is now proving
that exposure to the natural world

has profound positive effects
on our mental wellbeing.

of anxiety and mood disorders.

Keeping in touch with nature
has been shown to counter this.

The natural world stimulates parts
of the brain associated

with love and empathy...

..and lowers stress levels.

The mental benefits
are believed to be profound.

Studies estimate that London
parks alone save the NHS

£370 million a year.

Whether it's the breeze
against your skin,

the smells in the air,
nature is an antidote

to fast-paced city living.

There really is something
very therapeutic happening,

just by being in a green space.

Beth Collier is part of a new wave
of psychotherapists,

using a connection with nature
to help alleviate the pressures

of modern life.

She thinks the young generation
need the most help.

Nature's no longer
normal for young people,

and it's up to us,
the older generation,

to make sure we pass on that
awareness to younger children.

Surveys show that three quarters
of children in the UK spend

less time outdoors
than prison inmates.

So Beth runs sessions helping
youngsters like Kamal engage

and connect with nature.

Even ten minutes, spending time
observing and tuning

into the natural environment
will help you to feel part

of something much
bigger than yourself.

You don't have to go far to find it.

Cities already have a surprising
number of green spaces.

Today, even in the most
unexpected corners of London,

nature is being brought
into the city.

And one initiative is encouraging
people to get involved.

Local resident Gerry Tissier
has seen an overwhelming response.

10X Greener is a project
in our community to see

what we can do to green up our
streets so that they're good

for wildlife and they're
good for people as well.

The moment that you get people
out of their houses,

that's the moment that
things begin to change.

All the kind of spaces
that you get on streets,

you suddenly start thinking, "Oh,
we could put a planter there,"

or, "We could green up that corner."

People from all over
the community are collaborating,

not just for the benefit
of wildlife, but also

for their own wellbeing.

Gardener John Little
has been tasked with enriching

Hackney's Clapton estate.

When people came out of their houses
and we were chatting to them,

immediately we realised
that colour was a big,

big thing, and food.

Those two things combined,
make better biodiversity

make better places.

If you create decent public spaces
and then people are drawn out to it,

if there's wildlife there,
if there's colour there,

people really notice that.

And once they notice the public
space, then the ambience and the way

the place feels, feels
completely different.

And with projects like this
springing up across the capital

city, huge changes are being made.

It's about getting outside more
and enjoying the city's

great outdoors more. Getting down
to allotments and nature reserves,

stuff which thousands
of Londoners are already doing.

But what if we did it even more?

Thanks to people like
Dan Raven-Ellison,

London is already a global leader
in city greening and urban nature.

And in 2019, the capital is
set to become the world's

first ever national park city.

47% of London is physically green,
another 2.5% is blue,

so the canals,
the rivers, the ponds.

By international standards,

London is a truly remarkable
urban landscape.

And it's a movement of people
working together to make the city

greener, healthier and wilder,
through everyday things.

Start planting stuff on our streets
and on our roofs and get out

onto our canals and rivers,
getting children outside far

more in schools.

If enough of us do
these simple things,

it can really transform a landscape.

Anyone can get involved in creating
new habitats and space for wildlife.

And this idea is going global.

Dedicated people everywhere
are working to safeguard our

access to nature.

If we're respectful of other
creatures' environments

and we are able to share
that with them, we get the benefit

and the privilege of having them
around longer for children

and grandchildren to see.

Conserving what we have for wildlife
is important, not just

for the wildlife, but for our own
life and satisfaction.

It's predicted by 2050,
nearly 70% of the world's population
will live in cities.

If we all embrace the idea of making
the urban environment a wilder

place, there's little doubt
it will help us lead happier,

healthier and less stressful lives.