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  • 5/22/2025
Tucked away from the densely populated cities of India lies an ancient jungle where wildlife must battle to survive.

The real story of Indian jungle wildlife, model for Kipling's Jungle Book, largely stars the same cast with drama in the perpetual cycle of struggle for life. Top of the food chain is the majestic tiger, yet even he occasionally is no match for packs of Indian wild dogs. The seasons dictate conditions, wet or dry favoring predators or prey, which must expose itself to drink when pools are rare

Category

🐳
Animals
Transcript
00:00An ancient Indian jungle.
00:10Predators.
00:13Prey.
00:17Predators.
00:25Prey.
00:46A long, hot summer.
00:52The battle for survival begins.
00:57India.
01:13Ten times more densely populated than the United States.
01:20On average, nearly 1,000 people in every square mile.
01:30But away from the cities, beyond the crowds,
01:34lies a world rarely glimpsed by outsiders.
02:04These are the jungles of central India.
02:18They date back millions of years.
02:23Today, large areas still remain intact.
02:28This is home to some of the most varied wildlife in India.
02:44From bears to boars.
02:50Monkeys to mongoose.
02:55From the forest floor to the tree tops.
02:59The smallest species to the largest.
03:10This is Rudyard Kipling's jungle book, made flesh and blood.
03:32Home to arguably the Earth's most beautiful killer, the Bengal tiger.
03:47A solitary hunter that combines power and stealth to kill with one bite.
04:05But they are not the only threat here.
04:14It's the beginning of the dry season.
04:22There will be no rain for four months.
04:27Temperatures will peak at 115 degrees.
04:32Water will become scarce.
04:36Prey will be forced to take more and more risks just to survive.
05:06At a waterhole in the heart of the jungle, the area's dominant male patrols his territory.
05:17Battle-scarred, powerful and fearless, he will defend this patch with his life.
05:34Waterholes are the preferred hunting grounds for tigers, and this is the biggest for miles around, attracting the most prey.
05:45It is also the only one which will not completely dry up in the coming months.
06:02This is a prime spot for an ambush, and he controls it.
06:10He drinks what he wants, when he wants.
06:15A rare privilege amongst jungle animals.
06:28He weighs around 500 pounds and is eight years old.
06:37Male tigers rarely rule for more than three years, and this is the second of his short but glorious reign.
06:56Scent marking announces to other tigers that this is still his kingdom.
07:20His roars advertise his whereabouts to females, but also warn other males to stay away.
07:31These calls are at such a low frequency, they resonate through trees, spreading three miles in every direction, deep into the jungle.
07:51Other males hear the message and bide their time.
08:01Conflict is inevitable.
08:04The young challengers must one day fight for territory, mating rights and prey.
08:21And these jungles are rich in prey.
08:30The tiger's favorite is the sambar.
08:35They're the largest deer in India, and one adult will feed a tiger family for a week.
08:44Visibility in the jungle is often down to a few yards, so sambar rely on other senses.
08:54They have an acute sense of smell.
09:03And ears that can swivel to pick up the slightest sound.
09:10The tiger's soft, padded feet let him walk almost silently across the forest floor.
09:40At the first smell, sight or sound of danger, sambar send out alarm calls and stamp their feet.
10:05Ambush is all to this solitary cat.
10:30In Kipling's jungle book, the most feared creature is not the tiger, but the dhole, India's wild dog.
10:52The dhole live in clans of up to 40 strong.
11:01They are a tenth the size of the tiger, but they overcome this by hunting in packs.
11:10Communicating with barks, squeaks and whistles, they can bring down prey weighing over 400 pounds.
11:18They tear into pieces, hastily devouring it, often whilst their meal is still alive.
11:28They've been said to attack and kill tigers.
11:43Intensely social play establishes a hierarchy within the clan, ruled by a dominant male and female.
11:54Only these two will breed.
12:04A little way outside the main group, a pair are setting up on their own.
12:09This is the only way that they will be able to mate and raise their own cubs.
12:24It's a high-risk strategy as they lose the advantage of pack hunting.
12:30It'll be difficult for them to make a kill.
12:42They begin their independent life by marking their territory, urinating in a quite unique fashion.
12:58A network of forest tracks allows them to move around easily and quietly, gaining the upper hand over the prey species.
13:10But hunting is never easy in a forest full of ears and eyes.
13:22A pair of ground-nesting lapwings sound the alarm.
13:34They hound and mob until the doe move on.
13:42The calls alert other prey species.
13:50The lapwings return to look after their flightless chicks.
14:10Langoa monkeys feed on the fruit of a mahua tree.
14:26Chital deer take full advantage of not only the troop's messy eating habits, but their lookouts too.
14:38It's good to have allies in high places.
15:08A young doe will couple up and spot potential prey.
15:28With so many vigilant eyes, ears and noses, and without the support of a pack, hunting proves difficult.
15:56Early morning is peak feeding time for the jungle's many herbivores.
16:25Chital graze on the open grasslands, where they're safest from ambush.
16:39Sambar mark out territories sent in the lower branches of the trees.
16:52Muntjac, or barking deer, are the oldest of the world's deer.
17:05Nilgai, or blue bull, are the biggest Asian antelope.
17:24Gar are the largest wild cattle in the world.
17:34With monumental blocks of muscle, they have few natural predators.
17:44They may look like American bison, but they're native to India.
17:58There have been stories of Gar trampling villagers to death, and even killing tigers.
18:14An alarm call alerts them.
18:36A young chital deer stands her ground. Chital are faster than tigers.
18:54Unless he can creep to within 50 feet, a charge is pointless.
19:24The tiger continues calling for a mate.
19:53A young tigress lies up in a bamboo thicket.
20:08Not just to keep cool, she has a young cub.
20:19One in three tiger cubs do not survive their first year.
20:26Infanticide is the biggest killer.
20:31Male tigers kill cubs that are not their own, so ensuring that the mother will become receptive and mate again.
20:42But for now, this tigress and her cub are safely out of sight.
20:53Nearby, the curiosity and naivety of two slightly older cubs make it more difficult for their mother to keep them hidden.
21:05The cubs' boisterous behavior attracts the attention of a male.
21:35Male tigers may have several litters scattered through their territory.
21:42If these are not his, he will kill them.
21:50The cubs greet their father.
22:09He sends marks before settling down with them.
22:33The floor is thick with leaves.
22:40The recyclers are hard at work breaking it down.
22:51In the heat, mahua fruit ferments into a potent alcohol and langurs gorge on it.
23:08There then follows a scene familiar from bars the world over.
23:17They get drunk.
23:20Boisterous.
23:32And then sleep.
24:32Temperatures continue to climb, and so too does the value of water in the ever-shrinking pools.
24:46And with it, the power of the dominant male.
25:02Power has its privileges, and above all, mating rights.
25:09His calls have been heard.
25:22A young tigress makes her interest clear.
25:52The drive to find a mate goes on all over the jungle.
26:17Wide-eyed on hormones and surging testosterone, chital stags must battle for mating rights.
26:29To show who's boss, they pour the ground.
26:38Dig up grass with their antlers.
26:45And display, studying side by side.
26:51But if that doesn't work, they fight.
27:44This male is in prime condition, but it's brutal work to keep this patch.
28:06Conquished, retreat to lick their wounds.
28:18To the victor go the spoils.
28:27But his rule may only last one season, even shorter than the tiger's.
28:35He moves through the herd, sniffing the air, searching out receptive females.
28:47But with all this activity, the chital's guard is down.
28:53Finally, an opportunity for the young dole pair to hunt.
29:23Rather than a form, they target a stag, its escape hampered by its antlers as it runs through the thick jungle.
29:54A kill like this will feed a pair of dole for a week.
30:10But to keep it, they have to be aware of tigers.
30:32Our dominant male from the main waterhole is still with his mate.
30:39Tigers, along with jaguars, are the only big cats that like water.
30:47And will spend many hours lying in it cooling off.
30:54This pair has the pick of the best places to bathe and do so brazenly.
31:06Deep in the forest, a younger male has also attracted a mate.
31:13But this pair must keep hidden and make do with a smaller pool.
31:27This waterhole will soon dry up, forcing them to move on.
31:33For now, they can safely mate tucked away in the heart of the jungle.
31:45Our big male moves back into the shade, accompanied by his female.
31:56Tiger courtship lasts several days.
32:07A barrage of sound greets them.
32:19A cicada's love song is the loudest noise in the insect world.
32:28By clicking a membrane that is stretched along either side of the body, males sing to attract females.
32:35This creates the noise which is then amplified through their bodies.
32:44On each tree, there may be hundreds of cicadas and many hundreds of thousands throughout the forest,
32:51creating a noise so loud it repels the birds that would otherwise prey on them.
33:04Females single out appropriate mates by pinpointing their unique song from this monotonous din.
33:17Cicadas feed by tapping into the fluids that run just below the bark.
33:23By extracting the sugar, they excrete the surface liquid, which rains down on the forest below.
33:53It's midsummer. There has been no rain for four months. There will be none for two more.
34:23Vanishing water forces both predator and prey together.
34:46The langurs wait for the tigers to finish cooling off before sending in a scout.
35:08Langurs are very much a part of the tiger's diet, so they're taking a big risk entering this waterhole.
35:21One sentry always stands guard.
35:36The tigress returns with her cub.
36:06Then, three more follow.
36:22She's three years old, and this is her first litter.
36:30On average, a tigress will raise 12 cubs in her lifetime.
36:35Each will stay with her until they're two years old.
37:05For the mother, looking after four cubs is a tall order.
37:25For the first six months, she has to eat enough to produce milk.
37:29Then, for a further 18 months, she must hunt for herself and them.
37:37If she doesn't kill, it's not just her that will starve.
37:48Tigers rarely miss an opportunity to hunt.
37:53Perfectly camouflaged, she stalks through the long grass.
38:00The chital herd is too far away to attempt an attack.
38:07Suddenly, there is a movement on the forest edge.
38:23A tigress with cubs is never off-duty.
38:53Her vice-like jaws suffocate the young deer.
39:13A small kill that will be quickly devoured.
39:26Late summer, still no sign of rain.
39:34Dry season is biting hard.
39:42All but the biggest waterholes are drying up.
39:56With the water too shallow now even for eels and catfish, the pond herons clean up.
40:13The few places available for drinking are thick with thirsty prey species.
40:28Some find comfort in the mud.
40:33This works as sunscreen and also provides protection from biting insects.
40:52The lapwings are still working hard to defend their young.
41:04The large, dull clam makes its presence felt.
41:15The young breakaway couple keep themselves to themselves.
41:19They want to avoid conflict with the clam at all costs.
41:31Pressure from water results in a fractious atmosphere.
41:54As the waterholes disappear, more and more tigers are forced into smaller and smaller areas.
42:23The fight is short but decisive.
42:50Roger crouches down in a submissive posture, conceding defeat.
42:57The victor moves off to reclaim his territory.
43:28The calls of the peacock and the pitta announce the arrival of the rains.
43:51Just a few showers at first, but within days, signs of new growth start to appear.
44:04The downpours get heavier and more frequent.
44:15The jungle is transformed.
44:25It's once again a place of plenty.
44:33Plenty of grazing for sambar, cheetah and gaur.
44:46Plenty of fruit for the langurs.
44:54And plenty of prey for the tigers and the doe.
45:02The dominant male has held onto his position for another season.
45:11His mate is pregnant and will give birth in a month or so.
45:19The dole couple have not only survived their first summer on their own, but given birth to three pups.
45:30Their clan is now growing and next year, hunting will be easier.
45:45What Kipling wrote in the Jungle Book was fiction.
45:49This is fact, and it's a story that has continued unbroken for thousands of years.
45:56Every bit as miraculous and inspired.
46:19You

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