Tiger Jungles Full Episode Secrets of Wild India Nat Geo Animals

NARRATOR: An ancient Indian Jungle Predators Prey long hot summer The battle for survival begins India, ten times more densely populated than the United States On average nearly one thousand people in every square mile. But away from the cities Beyond the crowds ...lies world rarely glimpsed by outsiders. These are the jungles of Central India. They date back millions of years. Today large areas still remain intact. This is home to some of the most varied wildlife in India From bears.... to boars Monkeys..... to mongoose From the forest floor to the treetops. The smallest species to the largest. This is Rudyard Kipling's 'Jungle Book'... ...made flesh, and blood Home to arguably the Earth's most beautiful killer The Bengal Tiger solitary hunter that combines power and stealth to kill with one bite. But they are not the only threat here. It's the beginning of the dry season. There will be no rain for four months. Temperatures will peak at one hundred and fifteen degrees. Water will become scarce. Prey will be forced to take more and more risks just to survive. At waterhole in the heart of the jungle, the area's dominant male patrols his territory. Battle-scarred, powerful and fearless, he will defend this patch with his life. Waterholes are the preferred hunting grounds for tigers, and this is the biggest for miles around, attracting the most prey. It is also the only one which will not completely dry up in the coming months. This is prime spot for an ambush and he controls it. He drinks what he wants, when he wants. rare privilege amongst jungle animals. He weighs around five hundred pounds and is eight years old. Male tigers rarely rule for more than three years and this is the second of his short but glorious reign. Scent marking announces to other tigers that this is still his kingdom. His roars advertise his whereabouts to females, but also warn other males to stay away. These calls are at such low frequency they resonate through trees, spreading three miles in every direction, deep into the jungle. Other males hear the message and bide their time. Conflict is inevitable. The young challengers must one day fight for territory, mating rights and prey. And these jungles are rich in prey. The tiger's favourite is the Sambar. They are the largest deer in India and one adult will feed tiger family for week. Visibility in the jungle is often down to few yards. So sambar rely on other senses. They have an acute sense of smell And ears that can swivel to pick up the slightest sound. The tiger's soft padded feet let him walk almost silently across the forest floor. At the first smell, sight or sound of danger, Sambars send out alarm calls and stamp their feet. Ambush is all to this solitary cat. In Kipling's Jungle Book the most feared creature is not the tiger but the dhole India's wild dog. Dhole live in clans of up to forty strong. They are tenth the size of tiger but they overcome this by hunting in packs. Communicating with barks, squeaks and whistles they can bring down prey weighing over four hundred pounds. They tear into pieces, hastily devouring it, often whilst their meal is still alive. They've been said to attack and kill tigers. Intensely social play establishes hierarchy within clan...ruled by dominant male and female. Only these two will breed. little way outside the main group, pair are setting up on their own. This is the only way that they will be able to mate and raise their own cubs. It's high-risk strategy as they lose the advantage of pack hunting. It will be difficult for them to make kill. They begin their independent life by marking their territory, urinating in quite unique fashion. The network of forest tracks allows them to move around easily and quietly, gaining the upper hand over the prey species. But hunting is never easy in forest full of ears and eyes. pair of ground nesting lapwings sound the alarm They hound and mob, until the Dhole move on The calls alert other prey species. The lapwings return to look after their flightless chicks. Langur monkeys feed on the fruit of Mahua tree. Chital deer take full advantage of not only the troop's messy eating habits... ...but their lookouts too... ...it's good to have allies in high places. The young Dhole couple spot potential prey. With so many vigilant eyes, ears and noses and without the support of pack, hunting proves difficult. Early morning is peak feeding time for the jungle's many herbivores Chital graze on the open grasslands where they are safest from ambush. Sambar mark out territories, scenting the lower branches of the trees. Muntjac, or Barking Deer, are the oldest of the world's deer Nilgai or blue bull are the biggest Asian antelope Gaur are the largest wild cattle in the world. Monumental blocks of muscle, they have few natural predators. They may look like American Bison - but they're native to India. There have been stories of Gaur trampling villagers to death and even killing tigers. An alarm call alerts them. young chital deer stands her ground. Chital are faster than tigers Unless he can creep to within fifty feet charge is pointless The tiger continues calling for mate. young tigress lies up in bamboo thicket. Not just to keep cool she has young cub. One in three tiger cubs do not survive their first year. Infanticide is the biggest killer. Male tigers kill cubs that are not their own, so ensuring that the mother will become receptive and mate again. But for now this tigress and her cub are safely out of sight. Nearby the curiosity and naivety of two slightly older cubs, make it more difficult for their mother to keep them hidden. The cub's boisterous behaviour attracts the attention of male. Male tigers may have several litters scattered through their territory. If these are not his he will kill them. The cubs greet their father. He scent marks before settling down with them. The forest floor is thick with leaves. The recyclers are hard at work breaking it down. In the heat Mahua fruit ferments into potent alcohol and langurs gorge on it. There then follows scene familiar from bars the world over. They get drunk, boisterous.... Fight.... .....and then sleep. Temperatures continue to climb, and so too does the value of water in the ever-shrinking pools...and with it, the power of the dominant male. Power has its privileges and above all, mating rights. His calls have been heard. young tigress makes her interest clear The drive to find mate goes on all over the jungle. Wide-eyed on hormones and surging testosterone, chital stags must battle for mating rights. To show who's boss, they paw the ground, dig up grass with their antlers, and display, strutting side by side. But if that doesn't work, they fight. This male is in prime condition but it's brutal work to keep this patch. The vanquished retreat to lick their wounds. To the victor go the spoils. But his rule may only last one season...even shorter than the tiger's. He moves through the herd sniffing the air searching out receptive females. But with all this activity, the chitals' guard is down. Finally an opportunity for the young dhole pair to hunt. Rather than fawn they target stag, its escape hampered by its antlers as it runs through the thick jungle. kill like this will feed pair of dhole for week. But to keep it, they have to be aware of tigers. Our dominant male from the main waterhole is still with his mate. Tigers along with jaguars are the only big cats that like water... and will spend many hours lying in it cooling off. This pair has the pick of the best places to bathe, and do so brazenly. Deep in the forest younger male has also attracted mate. But this pair must keep hidden, and make do with smaller pool. This waterhole will soon dry up, forcing them to move on. But for now they can safely mate, tucked away in the heart of the jungle. Our big male moves back into the shade, accompanied by his female. Tiger courtship lasts several days. barrage of sound greets them. The cicada's love song is the loudest noise in the insect world. By clicking membrane that is stretched along either side of the body, males sing to attract females. This creates the noise, which is then amplified through their bodies. On each tree there may be hundreds of cicadas - and many hundreds of thousands throughout the forest - creating noise so loud it repels the birds that would otherwise prey on them. The females single out appropriate mates by pin-pointing their unique song from this monotonous din Cicadas feed by tapping into the fluids that run just below the bark. Extracting the sugar they excrete the surplus liquid, which rains down on the forest below. It's mid-summer There has been no rain for four months There will be none for two more. Vanishing water forces both predator and prey together The langurs wait for the tigress to finish cooling off, before sending in scout. Langurs are very much part of the tiger's diet, so they are taking big risk entering this waterhole. One sentry always stands guard. The tigress returns with her cub. Then three more follow. She is three years old and this is her first litter. On average, tigress will raise twelve cubs in her lifetime. Each will stay with her until they are two years old. For the mother, looking after four cubs is tall order. For the first six months, she has to eat enough to produce milk, then for further eighteen months she must hunt for herself...and them. If she doesn't kill it's not just her that will starve. Tigers rarely miss an opportunity to hunt Perfectly camouflaged she stalks through the long grass The Chital herd is too far away to attempt an attack Suddenly there is movement on the forest edge tigress with cubs is never off duty Her vice-like jaws suffocate the young deer. small kill that will be quickly devoured Late Summer, still no sign of rain. Dry season is biting hard. All but the biggest waterholes are drying up. With the water too shallow now, even for eels and catfish, the pond herons clean up. The few places available for drinking are thick with thirsty prey species. Some find comfort in the mud. This works as sunscreen, and also provides protection from biting insects. The lapwings are still working hard to defend their young. The large dhole clan makes its presence felt The young break-away-couple keep themselves to themselves they want to avoid conflict with the clan at all costs Pressure for water results in fractious atmosphere As the waterholes disappear more and more tigers are forced into smaller and smaller areas. The fight is short but decisive. The challenger crouches down in submissive posture, conceding defeat. The victor moves off to re-claim his territory The calls of the peacock and the pitta announce the arrival of the rains. Just few showers at first, but within days signs of new growth start to appear. The downpours get heavier and more frequent. The jungle is transformed. It is once again place of plenty. Plenty of grazing for sambar, chital and gaur. Plenty of fruit for the langurs. And plenty of prey for the tigers and the dhole. The dominant male has held onto his position for another season. His mate is pregnant and will give birth in month or so. The dhole couple have not only survived their first summer on their own but given birth to three pups. Their clan is now growing and next year hunting will be easier. What Kipling wrote in the Jungle Book was fiction. This is fact, and it's story that has continued unbroken for thousands of years - every bit as miraculous and inspired.