1 00:00:05,967 --> 00:00:12,566 Only one creature has carved a life for itself in every habitat on Earth. 2 00:00:13,807 --> 00:00:17,402 That creature is us. 3 00:00:18,407 --> 00:00:24,323 All over the world we still use our ingenuity to survive in the wild places, 4 00:00:24,367 --> 00:00:29,885 far from the city lights, face to face with raw nature. 5 00:00:31,767 --> 00:00:35,123 This is the Human Planet. 6 00:00:46,727 --> 00:00:51,482 Mountains are among the most brutal environments on Earth. 7 00:00:54,567 --> 00:00:59,880 Weather here can shift from tropical to arctic in just hours. 8 00:01:04,087 --> 00:01:07,124 And the higher you climb, the tougher it gets... 9 00:01:08,327 --> 00:01:11,637 ...until even oxygen is stripped away. 10 00:01:16,527 --> 00:01:19,917 But millions of people live in the mountains... 11 00:01:24,167 --> 00:01:27,921 ...either seeking refuge from conflict 12 00:01:27,967 --> 00:01:31,721 or exploiting resources found nowhere else. 13 00:01:35,247 --> 00:01:37,807 And to survive they have had to adapt 14 00:01:37,847 --> 00:01:41,317 in the most surprising and ingenious ways. 15 00:01:43,767 --> 00:01:46,839 These are their stories. 16 00:01:46,887 --> 00:01:48,605 (DRAMATIC MUSIC) 17 00:01:54,167 --> 00:01:55,885 (MEWING WHOOP) 18 00:02:00,247 --> 00:02:01,475 (GELADA BARKS) 19 00:02:05,367 --> 00:02:06,595 (SQUEALS) 20 00:02:13,007 --> 00:02:17,398 (WIND HOWLS AND GUSTS) 21 00:02:26,327 --> 00:02:32,163 The Altai mountains in Mongolia are among the most remote on Earth. 22 00:02:35,407 --> 00:02:39,400 And for the people who live in this barren landscape, 23 00:02:39,447 --> 00:02:43,804 hunting is nearly impossible. 24 00:02:43,847 --> 00:02:46,919 Unless you have help. 25 00:02:51,767 --> 00:02:56,158 Sailau Jadik and his son Berik are Kazakhs. 26 00:02:56,207 --> 00:03:01,076 And today they're in search of the ultimate hunting partner. 27 00:03:02,447 --> 00:03:04,836 A golden eagle. 28 00:03:06,847 --> 00:03:10,203 (TRANSLATED FROM KAZAKH) 29 00:03:20,167 --> 00:03:24,126 These young birds are almost ready to leave the nest. 30 00:03:27,807 --> 00:03:32,642 If 16-year-old Berik can collect one, he will take his first step 31 00:03:32,687 --> 00:03:36,202 towards becoming a Kazakh hunter like his father. 32 00:03:36,247 --> 00:03:39,205 (CHICKS CHEEP) 33 00:03:39,247 --> 00:03:41,283 It's a big first step. 34 00:03:58,767 --> 00:04:01,918 (EAGLE CHICKS CHEEP) 35 00:04:17,087 --> 00:04:22,161 Ever since the Kazakhs fled into these mountains nearly 200 years ago, 36 00:04:22,207 --> 00:04:24,926 they have been stealing baby eagles. 37 00:04:32,047 --> 00:04:36,199 Eagles have eyes many times more powerful than a human's 38 00:04:36,247 --> 00:04:39,080 and can spot prey two kilometres away. 39 00:04:41,047 --> 00:04:44,084 If Berik can teach this eagle to hunt for him, 40 00:04:44,127 --> 00:04:49,599 he will join the few hundred Kazakhs left who can still do this. 41 00:05:03,127 --> 00:05:07,678 Berik calls his new eagle Balapan. 42 00:05:09,527 --> 00:05:14,078 If he gets it right, Balapan will become his hunting partner. 43 00:05:17,007 --> 00:05:20,841 But training her will take five months. 44 00:05:34,567 --> 00:05:39,561 It's five months later, and time for Berik and a fully grown Balapan 45 00:05:39,607 --> 00:05:42,246 to go on their first hunt together. 46 00:05:45,207 --> 00:05:48,279 They're after a Mongolian fox, 47 00:05:48,327 --> 00:05:54,800 an animal so elusive, only an eagle stands a chance of catching it. 48 00:06:00,007 --> 00:06:05,764 But for Balapan to catch the fox, Berik first has to take her to high ground. 49 00:06:09,127 --> 00:06:14,360 Here she'll have the perfect vantage point to spot the slightest movement. 50 00:06:41,527 --> 00:06:43,040 (BALAPAN CALLS) 51 00:06:43,087 --> 00:06:48,115 Berik now hopes that Balapan's hunting instinct will take over. 52 00:06:55,487 --> 00:06:57,478 (SAILAU SHOUTS) 53 00:06:57,527 --> 00:06:59,245 (WHOOPING) 54 00:07:12,007 --> 00:07:15,682 (MEWING WHOOP) 55 00:07:27,567 --> 00:07:28,966 (FOX GROWLS) 56 00:07:37,327 --> 00:07:39,887 Balapan has failed. 57 00:07:42,647 --> 00:07:45,036 For Berik, this is worrying. 58 00:07:45,087 --> 00:07:47,920 Does she have the killer instinct? 59 00:08:00,927 --> 00:08:05,364 Traditionally, Kazakh hunters pair up with their eagles for seven years 60 00:08:05,407 --> 00:08:08,080 before setting them free, 61 00:08:08,127 --> 00:08:10,925 but Berik now has his doubts. 62 00:08:10,967 --> 00:08:12,002 (BALAPAN CALLS) 63 00:08:38,687 --> 00:08:43,044 As day breaks, father and son return to the mountains. 64 00:08:46,727 --> 00:08:49,195 If Balapan can't catch a fox, 65 00:08:49,247 --> 00:08:54,321 Berik may have to let her go and find another eagle to train. 66 00:09:06,807 --> 00:09:08,877 (SHOUTING) 67 00:09:25,847 --> 00:09:27,565 (MEWING WHOOP) 68 00:09:58,327 --> 00:10:02,923 Balapan has caught the fox, just as she was trained to. 69 00:10:04,007 --> 00:10:07,079 She's now locked in a fight to the death. 70 00:10:12,447 --> 00:10:13,596 (HORSE WHINNIES) 71 00:10:37,607 --> 00:10:40,917 Sailau kills the fox as quickly as he can. 72 00:10:45,087 --> 00:10:50,161 According to Kazakh tradition, Balapan gets the fox's lungs. 73 00:10:53,407 --> 00:10:57,923 The fox's thick coat will be used for winter clothing. 74 00:11:01,647 --> 00:11:07,677 Berik has proved himself to be a successful Kazakh hunter. 75 00:11:27,007 --> 00:11:30,317 As long as they have lived in the Altai Mountains, 76 00:11:30,367 --> 00:11:33,120 Kazakhs have relied on eagles. 77 00:11:36,287 --> 00:11:41,725 However, not all mountain people get help from wild animals. 78 00:11:43,487 --> 00:11:46,957 On the edge of Africa's Great Rift Valley, 79 00:11:47,007 --> 00:11:52,001 geological upheaval has created Ethiopia's Simien mountains. 80 00:11:54,287 --> 00:11:58,075 Here, giant cliffs form a natural fortress 81 00:11:58,127 --> 00:12:02,803 where for centuries people have sought refuge from conflicts below. 82 00:12:07,367 --> 00:12:12,122 Getabit village is one of a hundred perched in a landscape so vertical 83 00:12:12,167 --> 00:12:16,683 that the residents can only grow their crops on tiny strips of land 84 00:12:16,727 --> 00:12:18,558 along the edges of cliffs. 85 00:12:18,607 --> 00:12:22,043 (VILLAGERS SING) 86 00:12:26,487 --> 00:12:31,083 But 700-foot precipices are the least of their worries. 87 00:12:31,127 --> 00:12:34,517 Today their annual harvest is under way, 88 00:12:34,567 --> 00:12:39,038 and their grain is under attack from a ravenous enemy. 89 00:12:41,007 --> 00:12:43,282 (SHRIEKING) 90 00:12:46,007 --> 00:12:51,684 These are gelada monkeys and they love stealing the farmers'grain. 91 00:12:53,807 --> 00:13:00,326 Troops of up to 600 prowl the cliffs surrounding Getabit village, 92 00:13:00,367 --> 00:13:04,121 led by males with fangs larger than a lion's. 93 00:13:06,487 --> 00:13:08,478 They are cunning thieves. 94 00:13:09,487 --> 00:13:12,365 To defend their crops against the monkeys, 95 00:13:12,407 --> 00:13:18,482 the cliff farmers depend on their children, such as 1 2-year-old Dereje. 96 00:13:18,527 --> 00:13:22,884 (IN TRANSLATION) 97 00:13:26,607 --> 00:13:28,040 (DEREJE WHOOPS) 98 00:13:44,767 --> 00:13:50,160 Because the area is next to a national park, the gelada are protected. 99 00:14:09,247 --> 00:14:13,160 As night approaches, the geladas stop raiding. 100 00:14:19,007 --> 00:14:23,478 But Dereje's crops are ripe for harvest, and he knows that tomorrow 101 00:14:23,527 --> 00:14:26,724 the monkeys will attack even more aggressively than before. 102 00:14:26,767 --> 00:14:32,444 So, with his two sisters and brother, he camps by his fields. 103 00:14:56,167 --> 00:15:00,206 At night, temperatures plummet below freezing. 104 00:15:01,687 --> 00:15:05,646 While the thick-furred geladas have adapted to the cold, 105 00:15:05,687 --> 00:15:08,759 the humans must huddle together for warmth. 106 00:15:13,687 --> 00:15:16,804 At dawn, the geladas attack. 107 00:15:16,847 --> 00:15:19,805 (GELADAS WHOOP) 108 00:15:19,847 --> 00:15:22,315 (DEREJE SHOUTS) 109 00:15:22,367 --> 00:15:28,522 The first strike comes from a few large males, who target Dereje's haystacks. 110 00:15:28,567 --> 00:15:31,400 He drives them off, 111 00:15:31,447 --> 00:15:35,963 but the geladas are cunning - these males were only a decoy. 112 00:15:40,967 --> 00:15:44,164 Out of sight at the other end of Dereje's fields, 113 00:15:44,207 --> 00:15:47,756 the main army launches the real attack. 114 00:15:49,447 --> 00:15:53,360 A big troop like this can strip a field in minutes. 115 00:16:03,087 --> 00:16:06,443 (MAN CONTINUES TO SHOUT WARNING) 116 00:16:18,367 --> 00:16:21,086 (DEREJE SHOUTS) 117 00:16:21,127 --> 00:16:22,606 If Dereje doesn't hurry, 118 00:16:22,647 --> 00:16:28,040 the food his family needs to get through the winter will be gone. 119 00:16:33,727 --> 00:16:36,480 (GELADAS SHRIEK) 120 00:16:43,847 --> 00:16:45,917 (GELADAS SHRIEK AND BARK) 121 00:16:56,447 --> 00:17:01,077 Dereje's done it. He's seen off the gelada. 122 00:17:03,447 --> 00:17:06,962 Finally, his crops are harvested. 123 00:17:07,007 --> 00:17:09,157 (SINGING) 124 00:17:30,207 --> 00:17:32,243 Dereje lives in the Simiens 125 00:17:32,287 --> 00:17:36,599 because his ancestors sought refuge here centuries ago. 126 00:17:36,647 --> 00:17:41,198 But in some parts of the world, people settle in mountains 127 00:17:41,247 --> 00:17:46,446 because this environment has something they desperately want. 128 00:17:46,487 --> 00:17:52,881 (LOW RUMBLING EXPLOSIONS) 129 00:17:52,927 --> 00:17:57,796 Mountains are born when continental plates collide. 130 00:17:59,447 --> 00:18:05,079 This massive upheaval often exposes a wealth of valuable minerals. 131 00:18:06,087 --> 00:18:09,682 Nowhere more so than here in Indonesia, 132 00:18:09,727 --> 00:18:14,323 home to more active volcanic mountains than any nation on Earth. 133 00:18:24,287 --> 00:18:26,482 Here, people risk their lives 134 00:18:26,527 --> 00:18:30,566 for a mineral vital to several important industries. 135 00:18:32,487 --> 00:18:34,478 Sulphur. 136 00:18:36,407 --> 00:18:40,161 Hartomo and Sulaiman are sulphur miners. 137 00:18:41,647 --> 00:18:45,640 Today they're going where few others dare. 138 00:18:47,687 --> 00:18:50,997 Into the heart of an active volcano. 139 00:18:52,047 --> 00:18:54,515 (IN TRANSLATION) 140 00:19:10,687 --> 00:19:15,920 This is Ijen crater, one of the most poisonous places on Earth. 141 00:19:18,127 --> 00:19:24,236 At its centre, a lake filled with two-and-a-half million tonnes of acid. 142 00:19:31,807 --> 00:19:35,641 And out of the depths of the mountain pour toxic gases 143 00:19:35,687 --> 00:19:40,681 that have claimed the lives of 7 4 miners in the past 40 years. 144 00:19:50,967 --> 00:19:55,916 (SPEAKS IN LOCAL DIALECT) 145 00:20:16,687 --> 00:20:21,078 The hydrogen sulphide that these men must breathe in 146 00:20:21,127 --> 00:20:23,357 is 40 times the safe level. 147 00:20:32,047 --> 00:20:35,517 Over time, it destroys their lungs. 148 00:20:38,687 --> 00:20:41,201 (COUGHING) 149 00:21:11,327 --> 00:21:13,636 Once they have enough sulphur, 150 00:21:13,687 --> 00:21:16,155 Hartomo and Sulaiman have to carry it 151 00:21:16,207 --> 00:21:19,563 200 metres straight up to the crater rim. 152 00:21:25,887 --> 00:21:29,516 Each man hefts 90 kilos, 153 00:21:29,567 --> 00:21:33,082 nearly one-and-a-half times their own body weight. 154 00:21:37,247 --> 00:21:41,525 This work exacts a heavy price on the miners'bodies. 155 00:22:15,687 --> 00:22:20,715 Sulaiman and Hartomo are paid five dollars per load. 156 00:22:22,727 --> 00:22:26,686 The lives of miners have always been hard. 157 00:22:28,327 --> 00:22:31,125 But it's not just miners who have it tough. 158 00:22:31,167 --> 00:22:35,558 For some mountain dwellers, just finding food can be a challenge. 159 00:22:38,607 --> 00:22:44,796 In the South Pacific lies the world's second largest island, New Guinea. 160 00:22:47,847 --> 00:22:53,080 This is one of the most biologically rich mountain landscapes on Earth. 161 00:22:54,567 --> 00:22:58,480 With plenty of water, and thousands of protected valleys, 162 00:22:58,527 --> 00:23:01,280 these mountains brim with life. 163 00:23:04,327 --> 00:23:09,355 Yet hunting for food, and in particular meat, is surprisingly difficult. 164 00:23:17,887 --> 00:23:20,685 Marcus, Andrew and George are hunters 165 00:23:20,727 --> 00:23:23,446 from the Yangoru Boiken tribe. 166 00:23:23,487 --> 00:23:28,242 They and their families haven't eaten any fresh meat for two weeks. 167 00:23:30,007 --> 00:23:32,760 But today they plan to solve the problem. 168 00:23:37,567 --> 00:23:41,401 They hope to trap giant fruit bats. 169 00:23:46,807 --> 00:23:49,275 (IN TRANSLATION) 170 00:24:02,607 --> 00:24:07,681 But to catch a giant bat requires a giant bat trap. 171 00:24:10,207 --> 00:24:13,677 So these men are doing something radical. 172 00:24:13,727 --> 00:24:17,242 They're changing the shape of the landscape itself. 173 00:24:23,247 --> 00:24:28,605 Along this ridge, the men create a 70-foot wide doorway. 174 00:24:28,647 --> 00:24:34,244 A shortcut through the mountains to the fruit trees beyond 175 00:24:34,287 --> 00:24:37,324 and a perfect place to ambush the bats. 176 00:25:04,207 --> 00:25:08,246 Like spiders, the men spin a gigantic web. 177 00:25:11,967 --> 00:25:18,281 In the dark, this 1 30-foot high net cannot be detected by the bats. 178 00:25:22,247 --> 00:25:25,159 Only two things now remain. 179 00:25:27,967 --> 00:25:29,923 Add the bat alert signal... 180 00:25:29,967 --> 00:25:31,958 (BATS CHIRP AND SQUEAK) 181 00:25:32,007 --> 00:25:34,237 ...and pray the bats fly into their trap. 182 00:25:45,967 --> 00:25:48,925 (MEN CHATTER QUIETLY IN LOCAL DIALECT) 183 00:25:51,447 --> 00:25:54,803 Catching bats requires patience. 184 00:25:58,287 --> 00:26:01,677 In the past, Marcus has spent weeks on the mountain 185 00:26:01,727 --> 00:26:04,241 and come home empty-handed. 186 00:26:06,567 --> 00:26:11,880 But if he does manage to catch even a few, the effort will be worthwhile. 187 00:26:11,927 --> 00:26:13,758 (IN TRANSLATION) 188 00:26:32,767 --> 00:26:33,961 (BAT SQUEALS) 189 00:26:58,727 --> 00:27:02,800 It's a good start, but with all the mouths to feed at home, 190 00:27:02,847 --> 00:27:05,600 they're going to need more than one bat. 191 00:27:10,887 --> 00:27:15,165 As the hours roll on, their trap continues to catch bats. 192 00:27:21,007 --> 00:27:25,398 In the course of the night, the men catch a total of 1 5 bats. 193 00:27:27,087 --> 00:27:30,841 They cook two now and save the rest. 194 00:27:33,647 --> 00:27:38,846 Their haul will provide their families with enough protein for two weeks. 195 00:27:46,367 --> 00:27:49,643 Every part of the bat is edible, down to the leather on the wings. 196 00:27:59,727 --> 00:28:01,797 For Andrew, Marcus and George, 197 00:28:01,847 --> 00:28:04,884 knowing every inch of their mountain habitat 198 00:28:04,927 --> 00:28:07,805 enables them to feed their families. 199 00:28:13,287 --> 00:28:17,724 But in colder climes, knowing every inch of your mountain 200 00:28:17,767 --> 00:28:21,316 can mean the difference between life and death. 201 00:28:25,407 --> 00:28:29,923 In the Swiss Alps, ten metres of snow can fall in a year. 202 00:28:37,167 --> 00:28:41,843 And for millions of skiers, this is a brilliant reason to come here. 203 00:28:49,247 --> 00:28:53,240 But heavy snowfalls can also pose a deadly threat. 204 00:28:55,887 --> 00:28:57,559 Avalanches. 205 00:29:00,687 --> 00:29:04,202 (ROARING RUMBLE) 206 00:29:13,007 --> 00:29:15,680 Travelling faster than a bullet train, 207 00:29:15,727 --> 00:29:20,039 a major avalanche annihilates everything in its path. 208 00:29:21,887 --> 00:29:23,286 In any given winter, 209 00:29:23,327 --> 00:29:27,843 there can be 30,000 avalanches in the Swiss Alps alone. 210 00:29:47,567 --> 00:29:51,526 Ski patrolman Martin Mathys is an avalanche spotter. 211 00:29:51,567 --> 00:29:53,842 And today he has a big problem. 212 00:29:55,847 --> 00:30:01,080 In his hometown of Grindelwald, there has been a massive snowfall. 213 00:30:01,127 --> 00:30:04,085 The risk of avalanche is now extreme. 214 00:30:04,127 --> 00:30:06,595 (MARTIN IN TRANSLATION) 215 00:30:37,047 --> 00:30:39,845 Towering 1,000 metres above Grindelwald 216 00:30:39,887 --> 00:30:42,526 is the notorious Black Horn ridge. 217 00:30:44,567 --> 00:30:48,799 Packed with snow, it's a disaster waiting to happen. 218 00:30:50,007 --> 00:30:53,283 So Martin must set off a controlled avalanche now 219 00:30:53,327 --> 00:30:55,966 before any more snow falls. 220 00:31:11,527 --> 00:31:16,726 To set off a controlled avalanche, you need dynamite, plenty of it. 221 00:31:18,367 --> 00:31:24,397 Martin is taking 50 kilos, enough to blow up several city blocks. 222 00:32:02,367 --> 00:32:06,918 Martin reaches the summit of the Black Horn ridge, and sets a charge. 223 00:32:16,767 --> 00:32:19,201 (MARTIN DROWNED OUT BY HELICOPTER) 224 00:32:21,247 --> 00:32:23,238 (EXPLOSION) 225 00:32:27,967 --> 00:32:33,280 He triggers a mini avalanche, shifting over ten tonnes of snow. 226 00:32:33,327 --> 00:32:37,525 But it's not enough. He needs to go again. 227 00:32:52,047 --> 00:32:53,765 (EXPLOSION) 228 00:32:55,567 --> 00:32:59,003 (LOW RUMBLING) 229 00:33:09,247 --> 00:33:11,807 This time, Martin succeeds. 230 00:33:11,847 --> 00:33:16,284 This is the avalanche he needs to make the mountain safe. 231 00:33:34,047 --> 00:33:37,164 High in the Alps, mountain people have learnt 232 00:33:37,207 --> 00:33:41,405 to control the threat of avalanches with modern technology. 233 00:33:42,487 --> 00:33:47,800 But there are mountains where the forces of nature cannot be tamed. 234 00:33:53,527 --> 00:33:57,156 The Himalaya is the highest mountain range on Earth. 235 00:33:59,447 --> 00:34:03,201 The world's tallest hundred mountains are all here. 236 00:34:09,887 --> 00:34:14,563 And within these peaks live 70 million people... 237 00:34:15,687 --> 00:34:20,397 ...many at altitudes that pose a threat to the human body. 238 00:34:26,567 --> 00:34:32,039 In the Doramba region of Nepal, the residents face an insidious threat. 239 00:34:35,527 --> 00:34:40,601 Dangerously high levels of harmful UVrays pierce the thin mountain air 240 00:34:40,647 --> 00:34:42,877 and burn people's eyes. 241 00:34:48,607 --> 00:34:50,837 And here in the village of Balau, 242 00:34:50,887 --> 00:34:54,800 65-year-old Teteeni has paid a heavy price. 243 00:34:56,247 --> 00:34:57,566 She's blind. 244 00:34:57,607 --> 00:34:59,837 (TETEENI IN TRANSLATION) 245 00:35:24,367 --> 00:35:29,236 Teteeni is determined not to let blindness interfere with her life, 246 00:35:29,287 --> 00:35:33,599 but simple tasks, such as fetching water, now take longer 247 00:35:33,647 --> 00:35:35,478 and can be treacherous. 248 00:35:42,847 --> 00:35:45,919 Her blindness is caused by cataracts, 249 00:35:45,967 --> 00:35:51,280 a fogging of her lenses exacerbated by the intense mountain sun. 250 00:35:53,767 --> 00:35:57,521 But isolated here in the Himalaya 251 00:35:57,567 --> 00:36:01,446 Teteeni has no access to medical treatment. 252 00:36:06,447 --> 00:36:11,123 Fortunately, an answer to her prayers may be just around the corner. 253 00:36:13,327 --> 00:36:14,726 From Kathmandu, 254 00:36:14,767 --> 00:36:18,646 Dr Sanduk Ruit has pioneered a method of eye surgery 255 00:36:18,687 --> 00:36:22,282 that he brings to the remote corners of the Himalaya. 256 00:36:26,807 --> 00:36:31,323 His mobile clinic brings hope to thousands. 257 00:36:38,047 --> 00:36:41,926 And today, Teteeni is setting off to join them. 258 00:36:48,167 --> 00:36:51,204 She has arranged for the only transportation 259 00:36:51,247 --> 00:36:53,761 available to her in these mountains. 260 00:36:53,807 --> 00:36:59,484 A friend has offered to carry her ten kilometres to the Doramba clinic. 261 00:37:00,767 --> 00:37:06,603 (MURMUR OF BACKGROUND CHATTER) 262 00:37:06,647 --> 00:37:11,846 While Dr Ruit's success rate is high, there is still a strong chance 263 00:37:11,887 --> 00:37:15,926 that Teteeni's eyes are too far gone to be saved. 264 00:37:17,447 --> 00:37:19,358 He makes no promises. 265 00:37:39,007 --> 00:37:43,319 Doramba's schoolhouse is now an improvised operating theatre. 266 00:37:47,967 --> 00:37:54,281 It takes Dr Ruit just half an hour to remove Teteeni's fogged lenses. 267 00:37:54,327 --> 00:37:56,283 He then replaces them 268 00:37:56,327 --> 00:38:00,764 with a synthetic lens he manufactures himself. 269 00:38:02,687 --> 00:38:07,556 In the West, this operation could cost $8,000. 270 00:38:09,967 --> 00:38:15,325 But, funded by charity, Dr Ruit doesn't charge his patients a single rupee. 271 00:38:18,487 --> 00:38:23,242 With surgery now complete, Teteeni can only wait. 272 00:38:37,687 --> 00:38:43,000 Just 24 hours after her operation, Teteeni joins hundreds of patients 273 00:38:43,047 --> 00:38:48,758 waiting to have their bandages removed, hopefully with her sight restored. 274 00:38:56,567 --> 00:39:00,480 For Teteeni, this is the moment of truth. 275 00:39:39,567 --> 00:39:42,400 (SINGING) 276 00:39:42,447 --> 00:39:47,919 For the first time in three years, Teteeni can see. 277 00:40:28,567 --> 00:40:30,558 In the Himalayan foothills, 278 00:40:30,607 --> 00:40:35,727 modern medicine is helping prolong the lives of the people who live here. 279 00:40:42,287 --> 00:40:45,404 But, as you climb higher in these mountains, 280 00:40:45,447 --> 00:40:48,883 it's how to deal with death that poses a problem. 281 00:40:58,167 --> 00:41:00,727 At over 4,000 metres, 282 00:41:00,767 --> 00:41:04,442 Dho Tarap is one of the highest communities on Earth. 283 00:41:04,487 --> 00:41:10,119 (BELLS TOLL) 284 00:41:10,167 --> 00:41:14,240 Buddhists live here in almost complete isolation. 285 00:41:19,487 --> 00:41:22,524 And when someone dies at this altitude, 286 00:41:22,567 --> 00:41:25,604 dealing with the corpse is a real challenge. 287 00:41:29,687 --> 00:41:33,441 Last night there was a death in the village. 288 00:41:37,167 --> 00:41:40,921 70-year-old Nombe-la passed away, 289 00:41:40,967 --> 00:41:45,279 and now his family are preparing his body for a Buddhist funeral. 290 00:41:51,407 --> 00:41:56,276 The man in charge of this funeral is Holy Lama Namgyal. 291 00:41:56,327 --> 00:42:00,525 (HE INTONES IN LOCAL DIALECT) 292 00:42:00,567 --> 00:42:03,559 (LAMA NAMGYAL'S NARRATION IN TRANSLATION) 293 00:42:20,167 --> 00:42:24,046 Lama Namgyal needs to hold the funeral soon 294 00:42:24,087 --> 00:42:29,036 because Nombe-la's corpse could attract predators and spread disease. 295 00:42:31,687 --> 00:42:36,203 But when you live at the roof of the world, your options are limited. 296 00:42:37,807 --> 00:42:41,561 Buddhists don't bury their dead. 297 00:42:45,487 --> 00:42:50,880 And at this altitude no trees grow, so there is no wood for a cremation. 298 00:42:55,167 --> 00:43:00,639 The solution is a sacred ritual older than Buddhism itself. 299 00:43:04,407 --> 00:43:06,967 A sky burial. 300 00:43:15,967 --> 00:43:18,879 To conduct the sky burial ritual, 301 00:43:18,927 --> 00:43:22,840 Lama Namgyal needs the help of a specialist. 302 00:43:25,287 --> 00:43:28,597 (BHARMAY FURBA INTONES) 303 00:43:28,647 --> 00:43:32,037 Bharmay Furba is the undertaker. 304 00:43:34,927 --> 00:43:37,805 As a non-Buddhist, he is the only one 305 00:43:37,847 --> 00:43:42,079 who is allowed to carry out this most difficult task. 306 00:44:07,127 --> 00:44:09,482 - (THEY CHANT) - (BELLS RING) 307 00:44:09,527 --> 00:44:14,840 (RHYTHMIC PERCUSSIVE BEATS) 308 00:44:16,487 --> 00:44:21,038 The funeral procession heads an hour-and-a-half up into the mountains 309 00:44:21,087 --> 00:44:24,875 to a sacred ledge where sky burials have been performed 310 00:44:24,927 --> 00:44:27,680 for over 1,000 years. 311 00:44:31,767 --> 00:44:33,644 Here, they will rendezvous 312 00:44:33,687 --> 00:44:37,805 with the most efficient scavengers in these mountains. 313 00:44:40,047 --> 00:44:41,958 Vultures. 314 00:44:49,447 --> 00:44:51,085 For millennia, 315 00:44:51,127 --> 00:44:55,040 Buddhists in these mountains have relied on the griffon vulture 316 00:44:55,087 --> 00:44:57,920 and the lammergeier to help them dispose of their dead. 317 00:45:02,407 --> 00:45:07,879 These birds swiftly consume a corpse before it can spread disease. 318 00:45:11,447 --> 00:45:13,881 Buddhists see this as a sacred act, 319 00:45:13,927 --> 00:45:17,966 an offering that will sustain the life of another being. 320 00:45:23,807 --> 00:45:28,198 For them, Nombe-la's corpse is now an empty vessel. 321 00:45:30,167 --> 00:45:33,364 His soul has already migrated to another realm. 322 00:45:45,527 --> 00:45:49,998 Nombe-la's sons pay their final respects to their father. 323 00:45:52,607 --> 00:45:57,556 But they don't wish to be present for what is about to take place. 324 00:45:57,607 --> 00:46:02,965 Because, in order for the vultures to consume Nombe-la's corpse quickly, 325 00:46:03,007 --> 00:46:05,919 Bharmay must make it easier for them. 326 00:46:07,407 --> 00:46:09,125 (RHYTHMIC BEATS AND BELLS RING) 327 00:46:58,007 --> 00:46:59,360 (HORN PLAYS) 328 00:47:29,567 --> 00:47:34,880 Nombe-la's corpse has now gone and cannot spread disease. 329 00:48:28,007 --> 00:48:32,956 To survive in the mountains, you have to understand them. 330 00:48:39,767 --> 00:48:43,919 Mountain habitats can be brutal 331 00:48:43,967 --> 00:48:49,325 but if you use your ingenuity, determination, 332 00:48:49,367 --> 00:48:52,757 resourcefulness and courage 333 00:48:52,807 --> 00:48:56,800 it is possible to make a life here at the roof of the world. 334 00:49:15,247 --> 00:49:20,719 When the Human Planet mountains team filmed the Mongolian eagle hunters, 335 00:49:20,767 --> 00:49:24,965 their search for a fox was like finding a needle in a haystack. 336 00:49:25,007 --> 00:49:28,204 Keeping up with the hunters also proved near impossible 337 00:49:28,247 --> 00:49:30,761 in the vast Mongolian landscape. 338 00:49:35,607 --> 00:49:39,600 The team are here to film Sailau and his son Berik 339 00:49:39,647 --> 00:49:42,036 hunting with their eagle, Balapan. 340 00:49:43,727 --> 00:49:48,596 Cameraman Keith Partridge last met Berik in June with his newborn chick. 341 00:49:49,807 --> 00:49:54,278 It's now November and bitterly cold - an ideal time for hunting, 342 00:49:54,327 --> 00:49:58,559 when wolves, foxes and rabbits all have thick winter coats. 343 00:49:59,967 --> 00:50:01,559 Unlike the wildlife, 344 00:50:01,607 --> 00:50:05,646 the old Russian trucks are not well adapted to the cold 345 00:50:05,687 --> 00:50:08,679 so the drivers devise a novel solution. 346 00:50:10,927 --> 00:50:13,487 Keith opts for a different ride. 347 00:50:13,527 --> 00:50:14,960 KEITH: The fact is 348 00:50:15,007 --> 00:50:18,477 that I haven't even ridden a donkey across Blackpool beach. 349 00:50:18,527 --> 00:50:20,165 And we've now got to go up there 350 00:50:20,207 --> 00:50:21,799 on one of these. 351 00:50:21,847 --> 00:50:23,838 Does my horse have a name? 352 00:50:23,887 --> 00:50:26,242 They don't have names? 353 00:50:28,887 --> 00:50:31,879 The Mongolians have more than 300 words 354 00:50:31,927 --> 00:50:34,680 just to describe the horse colours. 355 00:50:34,727 --> 00:50:35,716 Wow! 356 00:50:35,767 --> 00:50:40,921 You know that to make it go, you slightly kick and you should say, 357 00:50:40,967 --> 00:50:43,037 - ''Shu!'' - OK, shall we follow Agii? 358 00:50:43,087 --> 00:50:44,600 Thank you. 359 00:50:44,647 --> 00:50:46,444 That's it. Shu! 360 00:50:46,487 --> 00:50:48,318 Shu! 361 00:50:49,487 --> 00:50:51,398 Shu! 362 00:50:51,447 --> 00:50:55,520 Eventually Keith finds the gears and off he goes. 363 00:50:58,847 --> 00:51:01,839 After three hours, the trucks catch up, 364 00:51:01,887 --> 00:51:04,640 and Keith's only too happy to leave his horse behind. 365 00:51:04,687 --> 00:51:06,200 (BALAPAN CHEEPS) 366 00:51:07,847 --> 00:51:08,962 What does he think? 367 00:51:16,887 --> 00:51:18,923 Except my nose? (CHUCKLES) 368 00:51:18,967 --> 00:51:20,719 Is it too big? 369 00:51:26,207 --> 00:51:28,960 There you go, no frostbite! 370 00:51:32,047 --> 00:51:35,119 Keith heads off to test a small ''eagle-cam'; 371 00:51:35,167 --> 00:51:38,603 for which Sailau has made a harness. 372 00:51:39,687 --> 00:51:43,566 There are cameras out there that might give us a better picture quality 373 00:51:43,607 --> 00:51:45,199 but they're much bigger 374 00:51:45,247 --> 00:51:48,444 so we're playing this trade-off game all the time 375 00:51:48,487 --> 00:51:50,955 between practicalities and quality. 376 00:51:51,007 --> 00:51:53,237 Anyway, we'll see how it goes. 377 00:51:56,687 --> 00:52:02,045 Sailau's eagle seems to fly quite happily with the eagle-cam on her back. 378 00:52:02,087 --> 00:52:07,161 Encouraged by the first test, they use a heavier high-definition camera. 379 00:52:08,967 --> 00:52:10,764 This will be amazing if this works. 380 00:52:10,807 --> 00:52:13,480 We don't even know if the bird will take the weight. 381 00:52:13,527 --> 00:52:17,042 We might have overloaded the plane, so to speak. 382 00:52:22,527 --> 00:52:26,918 The eagle flies beautifully. Keith and the team head back to base, 383 00:52:26,967 --> 00:52:30,403 joining director Nic Brown to view the results. 384 00:52:30,447 --> 00:52:31,960 It's a very tense moment. 385 00:52:32,007 --> 00:52:35,556 The locals join in for a bird's-eye view. 386 00:52:35,607 --> 00:52:39,395 They've never seen their eagles quite like this before. 387 00:52:39,447 --> 00:52:41,005 - The hood's off! - Hood's off. 388 00:52:41,047 --> 00:52:43,959 Off we go. Whoa! 389 00:52:44,007 --> 00:52:48,080 - How small, my God. Really wild! - Look at his head! 390 00:52:52,567 --> 00:52:55,127 Wow, look at that banking round with the head. 391 00:52:55,167 --> 00:52:59,797 Wow! That's pretty wicked, isn't it. 392 00:53:01,967 --> 00:53:03,002 The next day, 393 00:53:03,047 --> 00:53:07,359 the crew follow Berik and his young eagle on their first fox hunt. 394 00:53:07,407 --> 00:53:09,477 The hunters shadow sweepers - 395 00:53:09,527 --> 00:53:13,361 men who flush the foxes out into the open. 396 00:53:14,527 --> 00:53:17,519 The team must constantly move from peak to peak 397 00:53:17,567 --> 00:53:20,320 to give the eagles the best chance of seeing a fox. 398 00:53:20,367 --> 00:53:23,439 Sailau thinks that the fox might be hiding 399 00:53:23,487 --> 00:53:27,605 over these small mounds just behind these telegraph lines. 400 00:53:27,647 --> 00:53:31,481 He would like to go to one of those hills and wait there. 401 00:53:31,527 --> 00:53:34,439 It seems to make sense that we've got to head there. 402 00:53:34,487 --> 00:53:36,876 Well, you'd better be fast, mate, cos he's just gone. 403 00:53:36,927 --> 00:53:37,916 There he goes. 404 00:53:37,967 --> 00:53:39,320 (LAUGHING) 405 00:53:40,927 --> 00:53:45,842 After packing up quickly, the film crew race after the hunters. 406 00:53:46,887 --> 00:53:51,483 But as soon as Keith starts filming, the plans seem to change yet again. 407 00:53:52,527 --> 00:53:55,997 Sailau's now moved off again so, er, time to go. 408 00:53:56,047 --> 00:53:58,242 We've only been here for two minutes. 409 00:53:59,527 --> 00:54:01,882 This set the pattern of the day. 410 00:54:01,927 --> 00:54:05,602 As Sailau and Berik move from peak to peak, 411 00:54:05,647 --> 00:54:11,358 so do the team, constantly playing catch-up in the thin high-altitude air. 412 00:54:11,407 --> 00:54:15,446 Finally, near exhaustion, they face a new problem. 413 00:54:17,727 --> 00:54:19,604 Where is Sailau? 414 00:54:20,767 --> 00:54:22,962 They call the director. 415 00:54:23,007 --> 00:54:25,805 Nic, Nic. This is Keith, do you read? Over. 416 00:54:25,847 --> 00:54:27,883 NIC: Hi, yeah, how are you? 417 00:54:27,927 --> 00:54:32,796 We're on our third mountain range of the day so far and still no luck, over. 418 00:54:32,847 --> 00:54:35,998 Which mountain range are you on now? Over. 419 00:54:38,207 --> 00:54:39,799 ZUBIN: If only we knew! 420 00:54:39,847 --> 00:54:42,919 Behind us are the really big peaks with no snow on. 421 00:54:42,967 --> 00:54:45,162 The terrain here is pretty wild, actually, 422 00:54:45,207 --> 00:54:47,482 and if anything's going to be lurking about, 423 00:54:47,527 --> 00:54:50,599 I think I'd want to hide around here somewhere. 424 00:54:50,647 --> 00:54:53,559 ZUBIN: Something's in front of that telegraph pole. Is that a dog? 425 00:54:53,607 --> 00:54:54,835 KEITH: Let's get the lens on it. 426 00:55:00,327 --> 00:55:01,999 It's not a wolf, it's a cow! 427 00:55:02,047 --> 00:55:05,084 I never said it was a wolf, I said it was moving. 428 00:55:05,127 --> 00:55:06,116 That is very true! 429 00:55:06,167 --> 00:55:08,920 Do I get the sense that delirium 430 00:55:08,967 --> 00:55:12,642 is beginning to set in on the third mountain range of the day? 431 00:55:12,687 --> 00:55:15,076 Would you like some chocolate bars? 432 00:55:15,127 --> 00:55:20,281 Agii, every day, just at the point where we are about to faint... 433 00:55:22,927 --> 00:55:25,395 You bust your teeth on them! 434 00:55:25,447 --> 00:55:29,486 I could ask you, Agii, if you could keep them somewhere slightly warmer! 435 00:55:36,127 --> 00:55:38,038 They set off yet again. 436 00:55:38,087 --> 00:55:42,842 Keith and the team are beginning to wonder if they'll ever film a hunt. 437 00:55:42,887 --> 00:55:45,082 But then, good news. 438 00:55:45,127 --> 00:55:46,879 We have seen a fox. 439 00:55:47,887 --> 00:55:50,401 It scarpered really fast down that snowy slope. 440 00:55:50,447 --> 00:55:52,483 The guys are over there at the moment, 441 00:55:52,527 --> 00:55:55,121 trying to see where it's hunkered down. 442 00:55:55,167 --> 00:55:56,805 Once they're out on the snow, 443 00:55:56,847 --> 00:56:00,078 you can see them pretty easily cos it's a little black dot, scarpering like hell. 444 00:56:00,127 --> 00:56:03,278 But, um, apart from that, you see this place. 445 00:56:03,327 --> 00:56:07,286 It's utterly vast. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack. 446 00:56:07,327 --> 00:56:12,037 Suddenly there's a call from the valley and the hunt is on. 447 00:56:13,327 --> 00:56:15,761 Everybody clear the front of frame, please. 448 00:56:15,807 --> 00:56:16,796 Now! 449 00:56:17,847 --> 00:56:21,726 (BERIK MAKES MEWING WHOOPS) 450 00:56:34,927 --> 00:56:38,044 KEITH: I think the fox has made a hasty escape. 451 00:56:39,407 --> 00:56:43,366 Both Balapan and the crew have learned a lot on their first hunt. 452 00:56:45,767 --> 00:56:49,362 Still...the team have yet to film a successful hunt. 453 00:56:49,407 --> 00:56:54,845 After several frustrating days, the pressure to deliver is intense. 454 00:56:57,167 --> 00:57:01,843 We're fast running out of time, really. It hasn't been looking very good. 455 00:57:01,887 --> 00:57:06,085 Just when the crew are resigned to failure, a call is heard. 456 00:57:08,727 --> 00:57:14,882 Keith knows this is his and Balapan's big chance to succeed. 457 00:57:17,127 --> 00:57:18,242 (MEWING WHOOP) 458 00:57:42,607 --> 00:57:44,882 The bird got it! My word. 459 00:57:47,047 --> 00:57:48,560 KEITH: When all those whoops go off, 460 00:57:48,607 --> 00:57:53,920 things just go from nought to a million miles an hour in two or three seconds. 461 00:57:53,967 --> 00:57:57,323 Your heart races when you are doing this sort of stuff, 462 00:57:57,367 --> 00:57:59,358 and you just have to respond in a kind of a positive way. 463 00:57:59,407 --> 00:58:03,685 You know,just try and stay totally focused on what you are here to do. 464 00:58:03,727 --> 00:58:07,037 When that adrenaline kicks in, it's easy to get distracted, 465 00:58:07,087 --> 00:58:08,679 but you have to just think, 466 00:58:08,727 --> 00:58:10,797 ''Right, now is the time I've got to up my game, 467 00:58:10,847 --> 00:58:15,318 ''really knuckle down and focus in on getting the shot and making it work.'' 468 00:58:15,367 --> 00:58:18,325 And also trying to build some form of relationship 469 00:58:18,367 --> 00:58:20,642 with the people that you are working with as well. 470 00:58:20,687 --> 00:58:22,086 So that they trust us 471 00:58:22,127 --> 00:58:26,643 and welcome us into what's quite an intimate part of their lives.