Wildest Islands (2012–…): Season 2, Episode 4 - The Philippines: Islands of Mystery - full transcript

(intense instrumental music)

- [Voiceover] The Philippines are a chain

of tropical islands in
the western Pacific Ocean.

They're among the most
spectacular islands on Earth.

And they're home to some of

the world's most exotic wildlife.

Mysterious creatures haunt
the forests and mangroves.

Plants turn predator.

And darkness brings the
islands' most elusive animals

out of hiding.

The unique and the unusual



flourish on the Philippines,

the Islands of Mystery.

(intense instrumental music)

The Philippines archipelago contains

over 7,000 tropical islands

in the western Pacific Ocean.

They're among the most
ancient islands on Earth.

Dense rainforest covers most of the land.

And all combined, the Philippines have

the world's fifth longest coastline.

(expansive instrumental music)

The islands sit within the
notorious Pacific Ring of Fire,

making them prone to typhoons,

earthquakes,



and the threat of eruption from

around 20 active volcanoes.

They're also home to one of
the most diverse collections

of animals and plants in the world.

The Philippines are crowded with

rare and unique species,

including many specialized predators.

Some of the more skillful

stalk the dense forests of Palawan Island.

(birds chirping)

Palawan lies between the South China Sea

in the northwest,

and the Sulu Sea in the southeast.

It's the sixth largest
island in the Philippines.

It's also the most sparsely populated

and the most heavily forested.

(birds chirping)

(peaceful instrumental music)

Dense rainforest and misty mountains

run the length of the island.

Beneath the canopy is a
maze of branches and vines,

the perfect home for
some of the Philippines'

most formidable hunters.

The leaf litter rustles

under the weight of monstrous bugs,

such as a forest scorpion,
searching for a meal.

Armed with a lethal sting
that targets nerve cells,

it will inject any prey it comes across

with paralyzing venom.

A giant Scolopendra is just as deadly.

This is one of the world's
largest centipedes.

Adults can reach up to
20 centimeters long.

One poison-packed bite is usually enough

to kill animals as big
as mice, birds, and bats.

But giant centipedes
and scorpions don't have

the run of the jungle.

The wealth of bugs provides a banquet

for the forest's larger residents,

including one unlikely-looking creature

unique to Palawan.

A binturong is on the prowl for food.

One of the Philippines' rarest
and most elusive animals.

It's also known as a bearcat.

A closer look reveals why.

With its stocky body,

feline features,

and small, tufted ears,

it looks like a cross
between a bear and a cat.

Despite appearances,
it's related to neither.

Its closest relatives are
the African civet and genet.

Binturongs are found in dwindling numbers

throughout Asia.

But as its name suggests,

the Palawan bearcat is
found only on the island.

And the forest floor isn't
its favorite place to hunt.

Bearcats are built for
life among the branches.

Semi-retractable claws help
it scale tall trees with ease.

Alongside the South American kinkajou,

the bearcat is one of only
two carnivores in the world

with a prehensile tail.

It works like a fifth hand

to help it grip, balance
and move through the canopy.

Once among the branches,

the bearcat reveals a speed and dexerity

it can't match on the ground.

Palawan's forests are a
fertile bearcat hunting ground

and it spends most of
its life up in the trees.

Although it mainly lives on fruit,

it will eat insects,
birds and rodents too.

Powerful jaws easily
shred bark to find grubs.

It also has a keen sense of smell,

and the air carries the
scent of a bearcat favorite,

eggs.

(rustling leaves)

Long, sensitive whiskers
help it track down

the source of the smell,

balanced among the branches.

It's not only animals

who've developed special skills

to survive in Palawan's jungles.

So has the vegetation itself.

Bizarre and bulbous plants

crowd the edge of the forest.

They're pitcher plants,

so called because of
their vase-shaped bodies.

And they're far deadlier than they look.

(insects buzzing)

(ominous music)

The soil at the edge of
the forest is poor quality,

and not fertile enough
to support most plants.

So pitcher plants turn to
another source of food.

Living creatures.

These plants are predators,

and as they can't move,

they make their prey come to them.

There are over 100 species
of tropical pitcher plant

but Nepenthes philippinensis is found

nowhere else on Earth.

Using special glands,

the plant secretes sweet-smelling nectar

onto its brightly colored outer lip.

To insects like ants,

the combination of scent and
color proves irresistible.

And the lip of the plant seems

the most enticing part of all.

Once lured onto the edge,

the ant's fate is sealed.

The surface is a slippery death trap.

The plant's body is full of liquid.

Some hold as much as a liter.

And its waxy walls are
impossible for its prey to climb.

Special digestive enzymes work like acid

and break down the ants'
bodies as they drown.

The pitcher plant now
has the vital nutrients

it can't get from the soil.

(birds chirping)

Besides the dense forests
carpeting the island,

Palawan has another hidden world.

And this one couldn't be more different

from the tangle of plant life.

As the island's rivers
drain towards the sea,

some disappear inside
the limestone mountains.

These rivers have carved one of

the most spectacular
cave systems on Earth.

The Puerto Princesa's
subterranean river park.

It's not known who discovered
these caves or when.

(dripping water)

Some believe the island's
earliest inhabitants

knew they existed,

but were too afraid to explore them.

Once inside,

it's easy to understand why.

Enormous stalagmites reach
up from the cave floor

like huge gnarled fingers.

And as daylight disappears,

cave dwellers creep out of the shadows.

(skittering insects)

A whip scorpion stalks the cave walls.

Despite its name, it's
more closely related to

a spider than a scorpion,

and it has the speed to prove it.

A cave tarantula waits for the tiny hairs

on its body to bristle.

A sign that prey is near.

The beat of bat wings is a constant echo.

Huge colonies crowd the roof of the cave.

Its dark crevices are the
perfect place to roost

and help keep them safe from predators.

The Puerto Princesa's subterranean river

is 8.2 kilometers long,

and the world's second
longest underground river.

(splashing water)

It forms part of Palawan's
mountain to sea ecosystem,

where the forests stretch
all the way to the shore.

The river passes through the cave

before eventually reaching
the South China Sea.

(expansive instrumental music)

This is a land that time forgot.

The island's prehistoric
coastline provides a home

to a creature unchanged
for thousands of years.

(birds chirping)

Palawan is the lair of
a modern day dragon.

A water monitor lizard
is on the hunt for food.

It weights more than 25 kilograms

and is the second largest
lizard in the world.

It's called a water monitor

as it spends up to a third
of its life in the water,

and likes to live near sea and rivers.

Palawan provides a perfect home

for these giant reptiles.

They have easy access to the sea

and are the island's top predator

so have no natural competition.

And they aren't fussy about food.

They'd eat anything they can catch.

Like snakes, water monitors
have forked tongues,

which constantly flicker
as they taste the air

to pinpoint prey.

And when they can't
find food on the ground,

they can easily search up in the canopy.

(birds chirping)

(intense music)

Water monitors are
surprisingly agile climbers.

They'll sometimes even
jump from tree to tree

to chase prey or escape danger.

(ominous music)

But good climbing skills
don't guarantee a meal.

And failing to a catch isn't
the end of its problems.

Down on the ground,

tempers are fraying.

Although water monitors
cross paths when foraging,

they are solitary by nature.

It's every lizard for itself

especially where food is concerned.

While others fight,

a lone lizard slinks away from the crowd

to search for a fresh hunting ground.

(flowing water)

Water monitors rarely
stray far from the sea.

Their strong swimming
skills have enabled them

to occupy islands all over Asia.

And beaches can be a
good place to find food.

Its flickering tongue
senses a monitor favorite.

Razor sharp teeth cut through the shell

like a knife through butter,

and this is just the start to the feast.

(light playful music)

Crabs have crept out of
their burrows to forage

while the tide is out.

The lizard has hit the jackpot.

Water monitors are surprisingly quick

and can run faster than most humans.

Crabs have little chance of escape.

Barely full, it slinks back
into the shade of the forest.

Palawan's coastline is
precious hunting ground

for people as well as animals.

One item is especially highly prized,

but finding it takes an
extraordinary effort.

With few landing places for boats,

swimming is the best
way to reach the shore.

The treasure is hidden among the cliffs,

which ring the island.

To find it means a death-defying climb.

(bird chittering)

Small birds called swiftlets

nest in cliffs and caves
across southeast Asia.

Rather than twigs and moss,

they build their nests from spit.

Their saliva is perfect
for sticking to cave walls

and dries on contact with air.

Each nest can take two months to build

and to local people,
each one is priceless.

They are the main ingredient
in the gourmet dish

bird's nest soup,

and are so valuable they're
known as white gold.

(exciting instrumental music)

The Tagbanua are the one of

the Philippines' oldest tribes,

and swiftlet nests provided them

with a vital source of
income for centuries.

The climb to find the nests

is not for the faint-hearted.

But the prize outweighs the risk.

Swiftlet nests are laced with minerals

and as well as being eaten,

are thought to act as an aphrodisiac

and a medical cure-all.

They're so fragile and hard to access,

one kilogram of the nests can be worth

up to 10,000 dollars.

To protect the swiftlet population,

the nest-collecting season is
strictly controlled by law.

Unsurprisingly, the climbers
who collect the nests

keep their location a
closely guarded secret.

The South China Sea doesn't just shape

the island's coastline,

it helps form one of its
most complex ecosystems.

Mangrove forests.

Where salt water meets fresh water,

it creates a unique and
unforgiving environment.

The mud is overwhelming.

The salt levels would kill
most plant life and animals.

But remarkably, some
vegetation flourishes.

Mangroves are home to some of

the most resilient plants in the world.

Special adaptations help them survive.

A lack of oxygen is one of
their greatest challenges.

The earth is saturated
with salt and bacteria,

and it's difficult for plants to breathe

through the soil like normal.

So mangrove roots rise above the ground

and take oxygen directly
from the air instead.

Over time, raised roots slow the tide,

allowing sediment to settle

and new land to form.

This creates a home for
a wealth of creatures

and a hunting ground for humans.

There are exotic foods in Palawan.

But one, found in the mangroves,

is a particular favorite.

A giant worm-like creature called tamilok.

They live inside dead mangrove roots.

Finding which ones they're hiding in

takes a lot of time and patience.

Bore holes are a sign

that their quarry has been and gone.

Tamilok are also known as shipworms.

They plagued seafarers for centuries

and caused thousands of ships to sink.

Trying to find one among
the maze of roots and mud

can exhausting work.

It's like looking for
a needle in a haystack.

One blow splits a rotting
root relatively easily.

And this time, the
hunters have struck lucky.

Despite appearances, tamilok isn't a worm.

It's an elongated clam

with a tiny shell.

Local restaurants sometimes serve tamilok

with a special marinade.

But some people say they're best eaten

straight from the root.

One tamilok down,

the search goes on.

Mangroves don't just provide

an unusual source of food for people.

Around 550 kilometers due east of Palawan,

on the island of Bohol,

mangroves have become a
favorite place to find food

for some of our closest living relatives.

A troop of long-tailed
macaques are on the move.

They've left their homes in the forest

and entered the mangroves

to satisfy their unusual appetites.

For animals used to life in the trees,

the mangrove is a home from home.

But they need to tread carefully.

Jagged roots jut from the
ground like a bed of nails.

One wrong move could
result in serious injury.

Human-like hands skillfully
rummage through the mud.

Fallen fruits are buried
beneath the sludge.

A quick clean and they make a tasty snack.

But fruit is not the main attraction.

The macaques in Bohol

visit the mangrove to find
one of their favorite foods.

And it's a very unlikely one.

Crab.

Once caught, crabs need
to be handled with care.

And it pays to find a safe place to eat,

away from the rest of the troop.

Nimble fingers make light work of shell.

Crab meat is full of protein.

A wide-eyed youngster watches from above.

It seems confident enough to
try and catch a crab itself.

But it soon finds out

it's not as easy as it looks.

Some food bites back.

Others have had more luck.

The youngster retreats
after a painful lesson.

Macaques are able to exploit
any feeding opportunities

and are found around the world.

Everywhere from tropical
islands to frozen forests.

Next to humans,

they are the most abundant
primates in the world.

After the feast is over,

it's time to relax.

In macaque society, there
is a clear hierarchy.

Grooming not only removes parasites,

it also reaffirms relationships.

Freshly fed and groomed,

it's time to move on.

And that takes them back into one of

the most extraordinary
places in the Philippines.

The Chocolate Hills of Bohol.

(birds chirping)

(serene music)

At the heart of the island

are over 1200 conical hills.

Strangely similar in shape and size,

most are between 30 and 50 meters tall.

(birds chirping)

Their joint effect is mesmerizing.

The origins of the hills
are steeped in legend.

Some say they are

the solidified tears of a grieving giant.

Others believe they're
man-made burial chambers

to rival the pyramids.

Most geologists agree the
Chocolate Hills are mounds

of limestone shaped by wind and rain.

The origin of their name
is easier to identify.

During the dry season, the
grass covering the hills

turns chocolate-y brown.

The surrounding forests
provide a home for wildlife

just as mysterious as the
Chocolate Hills themselves.

Like an insect with an
appetite for poison.

A tree nymph caterpillar
climbs its favorite plant,

a dogbane.

To try and stop insects eating them,

dogbanes flush their leaves with toxins

but it's a tactic which
doesn't always work.

Poison makes the plants more desirable

to the tree nymph caterpillar, not less.

It carefully severs the
stem carrying the toxins

so it consumes only a nonlethal dose

as it eats the leaf.

The caterpillar cunningly adopts

the plant's self-defense tactic.

It now carries the toxins
that should deter predators.

After about two weeks,

the caterpillar doubles its size.

It weaves a silk pad on a
leaf and suspends itself,

using barbed hooks on its rear.

What happens now

is a biological miracle.

Enzymes digest the caterpillar's tissue,

effectively liquidizing its insides.

The caterpillar slowly sheds its skin

to reveal a golden chrysalis.

At first, the chrysalis
is soft and skin-like,

but it quickly toughens to
form a protective cocoon.

In the safety of its hardened home,

it waits for cells in its
liquid center to slowly change.

(insects buzzing)

(birds chirping)

Two weeks pass.

The caterpillar is now
ready for the final stage

of a miraculous transformation.

(slow instrumental music)

One of the Philippines' most
spectacular butterflies,

the tree nymph, slowly enters the world.

(increasingly intense music)

Free of its cramped cocoon,

it gently puffs up its paper-y wings.

Its fragile body slowly
dries in the warm sunshine.

Finally, it's time for its first flight.

But freedom is short-lived.

(ominous music)

An orb weaver spider strikes.

Its web is over a meter
wide and almost invisible.

(birds chirping)

The outcome seems inevitable.

But all is not what it seems.

Something about the butterfly
doesn't taste quite right.

One last look,

and the spider cuts its captive free.

The toxins from the dogbane plant

the butterfly ate when
it was a caterpillar

have saved its life.

It's completely unpalatable to the spider.

This ingenious trick has earned

the tree nymph another name.

The lucky butterfly.

The orb weaver is left waiting
for more appetizing catch.

The lucky butterfly isn't
the only insect in Bohol

with an astonishing secret.

A mangrove crabapple plant
has been ravaged by bugs.

Some of the culprits continue to feed.

The small insects look fairly unremarkable

during the day,

but as the sun sets,

they show a very different side.

(creepy ominous music)

Darkness descends and
ghostly lights flash.

The insects are fireflies

and nighttime is when they shine.

The lights are a courtship display,

a sign males want to mate.

Flashes are caused by a chemical reaction

inside the fly's body.

It's thought by displaying
at the same time,

males have a greater chance
of attracting a female.

Their mass effect rivals
the brightest stars

in the nighttime sky.

The shimmering display
slowly draws to a close.

Now is the time the
island's most celebrated

and secretive predator
comes out of hiding.

(playful music)

The Philippine tarsier.

It's so tiny,

it would fit inside a human hand.

And it only stirs after dark.

The tarsier is one of the
world's smallest primates

but it has the biggest
eyes relative to body size

of any mammal.

Unsurprisingly, it has superb sight.

A cricket is well-camouflaged

but not well enough.

The tarsier's hearing is superb too.

It pinpoints the cricket's position,

(intense drumming music)

and strikes.

The cricket doesn't sense
danger until it's too late.

The name tarsier comes from

its unusually long tarsus or ankle bones,

which work like shock absorbers.

They help it to jump
quickly and land quietly.

As it holds the cricket,

it's clear how tiny the tarsier is,

and how hungry.

Special adhesive discs on its feet

help it to stick to branches while it eats

and keeps watch.

Its eyes are bigger than
its brain and its stomach.

They're fixed in its skull and can't move.

But it can spin its head
through 180 degrees like an owl.

And that helps it spot many
more feeding opportunities.

A cricket provides a big meal

but it's merely an appetizer.

The tarsier launches a feeding frenzy

to rival the most ferocious predator.

(intense drumming music)

One of the island's tiniest predators

is among its deadliest.

A long night's hunting
has only just begun.

The Philippines are home to

some of the rarest animals on Earth,

and some of the most unusual.

Many of these ancient islands are isolated

and undisturbed.

As a result, unique
species have flourished,

uninterrupted by the modern world.

The islands are a breeding ground for

the rare, the beautiful and the bizarre.

And those which harbor deadly secrets.

Here

on the Islands of Mystery.

(intense instrumental music)