Wildest India (2012–…): Season 1, Episode 5 - India's Lost World - full transcript

(dramatic music)

- [Voiceover] Imagine a
secret and secluded land.

Head hunting tribes,

(men shouting war cries)

tiger-infested forests,

uncharted mountains, shrouded in mist,

and raging waterfalls.

(water rushing)

The seven states of Northeast India

are among the least
explored places on earth.

We reveal a world of dramatic landscapes



and magnificent wildlife.

Welcome to India's Lost World.

(dramatic music)

(birds chirping)

(sweeping music)

(upbeat instrumental music)

The Northeast of India is hard to reach

and has a turbulent history.

It's been closed to
foreigners for many years.

Known as The Seven Sisters of India,

it comprises seven relatively unexplored

and isolated states.

They're bordered by the
Himalayas to the north

and spread south towards the Indian Ocean.



Jungle-clad mountains create
their own weather systems.

Rain falls almost continually on some

of the world's wettest habitats.

(rain falling)

As a result, life flourishes.

Plants grow at an astonishing rate,

providing homes for many
rare insects and animals

and several mysterious tribes.

(monkeys yelling)

This is one of the most
beautiful, pristine

and unexplored places on earth.

(birds chirping)

Nestling in the foothills of
the Himalayas is a lush, green

and mountainous world.

(rain falling)

Forests and valleys teem with life.

(soft music)

And they're home to a quarter

of the world's Asian elephants.

Once, they migrated freely across India

on an epic 1300 kilometer journey.

Today, their age-old paths are punctuated

with obstacles and danger.

But herds continue their
quest to find better grazing

and ample water by
following the monsoon north.

Their annual trek takes
them through jungles,

across plains and up mountains
over 3,000 meters high.

The herd is led by the
eldest female, the matriarch.

It's her responsibility to
remember the ancient routes.

Elephants need a huge amount
of food to sustain them.

(grasses rustling)

Adults need to eat nearly 200
kilograms of vegetation a day.

That's the same weight as two
and a half fully grown men.

And they need over 100
liters of water a day

to wash it down.

(water splashing)

The prehensile trunk contains
over 100,000 muscles.

It's an amazing, multi-purpose tool,

used for breathing,
smelling and communicating,

and can be a dangerous weapon.

It also makes an excellent shower.

(fun, upbeat music)

Elephants love water.

But the bathers can't linger.

The matriarch must get
her herd back on track

and continue to follow
the path of the monsoon.

(elephant trumpets)

Adult elephants are too large
to be threatened by predators,

but for a young elephant,
India's forests can be deadly.

(soft, intense music)

Tigers sometimes kill calves.

With adults close, the
youngster is safe for now.

The forests harbor a wealth of creatures.

Big cats patrol the undergrowth.

And as night falls, a shaggy
recluse comes out of hiding.

The sloth bear lives deep in the forest.

And it makes a lot of
noise as it wanders alone

in search of food.

Sloth bears mainly feed
on termites and ants,

and they've evolved an expert
way to dig them out and feed.

Long, curved claws break
into nest mounds with ease.

(insects scurrying)

Once they've opened a hole,
they blow away loose dirt

and suck up insects through a gap

in their front teeth, like a vacuum.

(sucking noises)

As the sun rises over India's lost world,

an orchestra of natural
sounds fills the air.

(birds chirping)

(haunting music)

The tropical mountain
forests of Northern India

are rich in flora and fauna,
and there is a good reason why.

(thunder rolls)

The almost constant rainfall.

India's northeastern state, Meghalaya

is the wettest place of all.

Meghalaya means abode of clouds.

On average, 1200 centimeters
of rain falls here every year.

This fuels rapid and
remarkable plant growth.

Plants and insects have evolved

into many weird and wonderful forms.

An enormous moon moth
mimics a quivering leaf.

It's huge size is made possible
by this humid environment.

(wings flapping)

(water gently splashing)

Local people are never short of water.

They embrace nature in all its forms

and utilize the rapid rate of plant growth

in the most ingenious way.

(water running)

The roots of Indian
rubber trees are trained

across the river and
embedded on the other side.

This creates a living, root bridge,

which will carry on growing for decades.

This bridge has taken over
30 years to reach this size.

(wind blowing)

Meghalaya's hills and mountains reach

over 2,000 meters high
and shadow a vast plateau.

On its southern edge, the
Meghalayan hills fall away

to Bangladesh's flood plains.

The steep hills are
littered with waterfalls,

which spring to life after every downpour.

(water rushing)

Nohkalikai Falls drop over 300 meters.

They're the fourth tallest
waterfall in the world.

Cascading falls have immense power.

Over millennia, they've
carved an incredible maze

of caverns and caves,
deep within the hills.

Jaintia Hills hide the
longest cave system in India.

They spread out over 20 kilometers.

Huge stalactites, thousands
of years in the making,

decorate the walls.

(water dripping)

Water drips, trickles
and pours everywhere.

(wind blowing)

Untold water gives rise
to steamy rain forests

across the whole of Northeast India.

The rich plant growth provides a home

for a mass of birds and insects.

(birds chirping)

And many rare primates.

Spectacled monkeys live
high in the canopy,

in troops up to 35 strong.

They spend around four hours a day feeding

on leaves, fruit and
the occasional flower.

Their stomachs are specially
adapted with extra bacteria

to help them digest tough
leaves and unripe fruits.

(leaves rustling)

Spectacled monkeys are most active

in the early morning and late afternoon.

All four limbs come into
play to help them leap

and scamper through the trees.

Females give birth to one baby at a time.

This youngster will stay with her mother

for about three and a half months.

Play is an important part of
growing up for all primates.

(fun, upbeat music)

Branches bend under the weight
of boisterous youngsters.

Adults stay on the lookout for danger.

One of their deadliest threats

is also one of the stealthiest.

An Indian python is on the
lookout for an easy meal.

It's huge, camouflaged body disappears

among the leaf litter.

Pits on the snake's face
sense warm-blooded prey.

Indian pythons can grow to over six meters

and can easily swallow a monkey whole.

The highly sensitive, forked tongue

tastes the air, creating a
picture of the world around it.

The python knows food is close.

It bides its time until the
moment is right to strike.

(dramatic music)

(monkey shrieks)

The snake coils its muscular
body around its victim

and squeezes tight, until
its prey suffocates.

It then swallows its meal whole.

By unhinging three parts of its jaw,

its mouth opens 180 degrees.

The python's skin is
also extremely elastic.

It can swallow prey five
times the size of its head.

It's the human equivalent of
swallowing a whole watermelon.

It gulps down the monkey head first,

so its limbs don't get stuck.

Muscular contractions help to push it down

into its stomach.

Snake saliva eases
swallowing by lubrication

and contains powerful enzymes

that break down the monkey's body.

But pythons aren't the
primates' only threat.

Local people often hunt
and eat monkeys too.

Northeast India is home to more tribes

than anywhere else on earth.

(dramatic music)

The isolated state of Arunachal
Pradesh is especially rich

in indigenous people and culture.

Meaning Land of the Dawn-lit Mountains,

Arunachal Pradesh is
India's easternmost state.

One of the groups of people who live here

are the Apatani.

Their lives are dictated by
the ebb and flow of the rain

and the forest's seasonal fruits.

The Apatani have no written
record of their history.

Local traditions are passed down

from generation to generation.

(people talking softly)

One practice, fast-disappearing,

is the traditional Apatani nose plugs

worn by most of the tribe's elder women.

There was a time when every woman wore

these unusual accessories.

The nose plug is said to have been adopted

as a way of protecting
the women of the tribe.

Local legend says the Apatani women

were considered the most beautiful

among all the Arunachal tribes.

Their villages were constantly
raided by neighbors,

and the women kidnapped.

So, to make themselves less attractive,

Apatani women began wearing nose plugs

and tattooing their faces.

But the custom hasn't been practiced

by any woman born after 1970.

As time passes, it may be forgotten.

But other ancient practices
are still carried out

in isolated pockets of
this mysterious region.

The village elder performs
a ritual chicken sacrifice

to encourage rainfall.

He's alleged to be 133 years old.

(man speaking in foreign language)

These Apatani women have come together

to initiate a wedding
ritual at the bride's home.

Over 100 women from neighboring villages

take part in a long march.

They pass through farms and fields,

carrying baskets full of rice,
topped with bamboo shoots

and a pair of eggs.

It's part of a fertility ritual

dating back thousands of years.

The bride's mother brings up the rear

as the bride leads the way
to her future husband's home.

When they arrive at the groom's house,

the rice is taken to the family granary.

The women are given a
token of appreciation.

They're fed and rest after
their exhausting trek.

(people talking softly)

The next day, the bride brings rice powder

and holy water, the essential ingredients

for the wedding ceremony.

The village elder overseeing
the ceremony brings chickens,

which are ritually sacrificed.

During an Apatani wedding,

over 70 chickens are usually killed.

Their blood is sprinkled
in the granary doorway,

which is believed to bring
the newlyweds good luck.

Special ornaments are made
out of bamboo, eggshells

and chicken feathers.

They're hung in front of houses

and along village paths to bring fortune

to the married couple and their families.

The wedding feast also includes

the ritual sacrifice of a pig.

Chunks of pork are laid out to dry,

then carved and roasted over an open fire.

Guests wash down their
meal with rice beer.

The feast marks the end of the wedding.

The Apatani rely on
agriculture for survival,

and mainly eat rice.

But meat is an important
part of their diet.

And they find it in the
most unusual places.

(soft music)

The village rat hunt
is a community affair.

All the young men join in.

(dramatic music)

Rats are smoked out of their nests,

captured and killed.

Hunts can last for hours.

(rat squeaks)

(soft talking)

(rooster crows)

The day's catch is laid out on display.

Later, the rats are skewered and barbecued

over a small fire.

(soft music)

Although the Apatani thrive

among the rich, forested mountains,

they aren't immune to
attacks from the animals

they share their home with.

And when these neighbors fall out,

the results can be devastating.

The Indian elephants
migratory routes extend

throughout Arunachal Pradesh.

But their ancient paths have
been seriously interrupted

by local people.

They've been crisscrossed
with tea plantations,

crops and houses.

To hungry elephants, this
isn't always a problem.

Human habitats can be a convenient place

for a fast food fix.

(fun, upbeat music)

(elephant growls)

(tree creaks and falls)

(elephant growls)

(hammering)

As homes and crops are devastated,

tensions between humans
and elephants escalate.

Conflicts sometimes lead to
fatalities on both sides.

As crops spread and villages grow,

further clashes seem inevitable.

(elephant trumpets)

The population of Asian elephants

has halved in the past 75 years.

They're now listed as
an endangered species.

The destruction of their
habitat will likely lead

to further falling numbers.

The herd move away quickly
and continue their trek.

For the time being, despite the tension,

this lost world remains
their last stronghold.

These northeastern forests are also home

to India's only wild ape.

The hoolock gibbon.

(soft piano music)

Many people mistake the
hoolock gibbon for a monkey

because of its small size
and mischievous appearance.

(gibbon calling)

But like other apes, such
as chimps and gorillas,

the gibbon doesn't have a tail,

and its hands have opposable
thumbs like humans.

The arms of these unusual apes are longer

than their legs, too.

It helps them travel
through the trees with ease.

These nimble gymnasts have
few equals in the forest.

Hoolock gibbons are the
fastest and most agile

of the primates.

They mainly use their arms
to move between branches,

but they can jump over 10 meters too.

(sweeping music)

Males have a black coat
and white eyebrows.

Females are much lighter in color.

Babies are born with white
fur, which gradually darkens

as they grow older.

They mainly eat fruit,

but also like leaves, insects and flowers.

But these acrobatic apes are
most famous for their singing.

(apes singing)

Complex calls proclaim territories,

reinforce pair bonds and
attract potential mates.

Their haunting cries echo
throughout the jungles

of Northeast India.

(gibbon calls)

They're so distinctive,
they've been adopted

by a surprising mimic.

These are the hunting
cries of a remote tribe.

The head hunters of Nagaland live

in one of India's most secretive regions.

It's been closed to
foreigners for many years.

In this largely unexplored, isolated area,

people scarcely known to the western world

continue a way of life
steeped in ancient ritual.

This time-lost region is bordered
by India, Burma and China.

The Naga are a group of tribes

for whom headhunting and
mystical healing still hold sway.

They're so cut off from the modern world,

they're traditions have
continued without influence.

Reaching them involves a
journey more treacherous

than crossing the
highest Himalayan passes.

The Naga are a proud people,

proud of their customs and
their history of headhunting.

A headhunter describes how
their infamous practice

was a traditional rite of passage.

It proved a young man
was ready for marriage,

and also helped decide territory.

He describes how, as a young man,

he was encouraged to hunt young
men from neighboring tribes.

A small group of warriors
would stealthily creep up

on lone people and kill
them quickly with a knife.

He explains how each body
part seized allowed one

to display decoration on his clothes.

Hands, feet, but most
prized of all, heads.

He explains how the body
parts were then given

a proper burial in a sacred place,

to thank the gods for his
tribe's success and power.

A successful headhunter
was allowed to wear

the most ornate and revered
adornments during festivals.

These days, manhood is proved
in wrestling matches instead.

It's a good way to diffuse tension,

both within and between local villages.

(soft bells)

The women are left with the hard work,

like collecting food and medicinal plants

from deep in the forest.

(women singing)

Young men can choose to
sleep in men's quarters,

called the Morang, until they're married.

(men chanting)

They often stay up late, singing
of legends and past battles

and passing knowledge
onto the next generation.

(men singing)

The young women live in
their own dormitories,

where they spend evenings
brewing rice beer

and waiting for the men
to come and court them.

(speaking in a foreign language)

Faith and fortune are closely aligned

with the natural world.

A shaman sacrifices a chicken to predict

whether a hunt planned for the
afternoon will be successful.

(wings flap)

How the bird's intestines
fall is portentous.

The omens are good.

The hunt will take place.

(soft music)

As the hunting part
begins, spirits are high.

The Naga use gibbon-like war
cries to flush out their prey.

(men calling)

Hunters pick up the trail of a forest hog

Their aim is to startle their quarry,

rather than creep up on it.

(dramatic music and war cries)

(gunshot)

The kill, when it comes, is quick.

As thanks to the gods, the tip

of the pig's ear is left in the forest.

(man shouting)

The carcass will be taken
back to the village,

butchered, boiled and shared
amongst the whole community.

A close respect and
understanding of nature

ties the Naga's beliefs
to the world around them.

Animals like tigers are
considered living deities.

Tiger skins are thought to
grant their owners immortality.

(man chanting and drum beating)

Traditional folk songs and
dances are essential ingredients

of Naga culture.

These celebrations are
inspired by a creature

which is an icon
throughout Northeast India.

Horn-shaped hair decorations celebrate

one of India's most
exotic and alluring birds,

the hornbill.

(majestic music)

(wings flapping)

The great pied hornbill is the largest

of the hornbill family.

They can live up to 50 years.

Hornbills have a long, down-curved bill,

which is often brightly colored.

These beaks are heavy.

Hornbills are the only birds

whose first two neckbones
are fused together.

They eat mainly fruit,
but supplement their diet

with small mammals,
insects, and even snakes.

Hornbills choose just one mate.

Pairs stay together for years,

sometimes a lifetime.

During the breeding season,
they lay one to two eggs.

When it's time to nest, the
female finds a tree hollow

and starts to seal it with dung and mud.

(light tapping)

While she sits on the nest,
her partner brings her food.

Incubation continues
for up to eight weeks.

These beautiful birds
are admired and revered

by people all across the region.

Both their beaks and
feathers are highly prized.

Especially to one tribe.

(bells ringing)

Hornbill beaks are the most
prized possesson of the Nyishi.

They symbolize manhood and valor.

(men singing, bells ringing)

Today, the great pied
hornbill is protected by law.

The Nyishi still uses
fallen tail feathers,

but now weave hornbill beaks out of cane

or use fiberglass replicas instead.

Hopefully, this will help
protect this iconic bird

from further decline.

(soft music)

Throughout India's lost
world, the lives of animals

and people are intertwined.

But the closest relationship is

between humans and elephants.

The herd have reached the
northern tip of India.

Here in the foothills of the
Himalayas, they should be safe

from conflict with man.

But the heat of the day
can prove just as taxing,

even under the shade of trees.

A mud bath is one way to keep cool.

(elephant trumpets)

Although these noises are easy to hear,

elephants have an extraordinary way

of communicating over long distances.

(elephants trumpeting)

They make low-frequency
noises called infrasounds,

a series of deep rumbles
and foot stomps inaudible

to the human ear.

Infrasounds travel a
long way and can be heard

by other elephants within
100 square kilometers.

This gives elephants an
incredible hearing range,

which can be very useful to
help locate other elephants

and to warn of danger.

The herd can hear something
large approaching.

(crashing noises)

It's another herd,

and they've got company.

They're with the Khamti tribe.

These are specially trained
elephants called koonkis.

They separate young elephants from herds

and capture them.

(low, dramatic music)

One of the tribe spots tracks.

The family flees.

(intense music)

A young elephant gets
separated from the herd.

(music crescendos)

And she's caught.

The sight of other elephants
comforts the captive.

She's brought back to the Khamti village

and, once tamed, will be
cared for by a mahout.

They will develop a lifelong relationship.

(soft talking)

Elephants are an integral part
of life for the Khamti tribe.

(chicken clucking)

The new arrival will be fed
and carefully looked after

by the mahout.

(elephant growls softly)

(soft talking)

Soon, she will be part of the family.

(uplifting music)

She'll have daily baths

(water splashes)

(man speaking foreign language)

and learn to carry out
a wide range of jobs,

from transportation to plowing fields.

Working in the heat of
the sun takes its toll.

Elephants can't sweat,
so they suck up water

from their stomachs and spray
themselves to cool down.

(elephant sprays)

It's not just their size
that's useful to man.

Elephants are highly intelligent.

Their use of tools is probably as advanced

as the great apes,

and, like humans, they're self-aware.

Domesticated elephants
are even released back

into the forest in the
evening to mix with wild herds

and forage for food.

(water running)

Each morning, the elephants
return to their mahouts

for breakfast and begin the day's work.

These elephants have
learned to live with people,

but for the population to
thrive, others must remain wild

and continue to follow their
ancient migration routes.

Scientists are attempting to
preserve natural corridors

for the elephants'
journey, so there is hope.

After four months, the herd
reaches their destination,

the fertile lands of the northeast.

Now, they can feast before they begin

their great return journey.

India's lost world is a place
of jungle-clad mountains,

isolated for generations
by war and weather.

(uplifting music)

This seclusion has
resulted in the protection

of mysterious peoples
and enigmatic animals

whose lives are woven together

by this unique and incredible lost world.

(sweeping music)

(dramatic music)