Castaways of Sulawesi (1996)

at first glance this island appears quite ordinary but in fact there is nothing ordinary about it [Music] sulawesi a magical mixture of the spectacular and the bizarre some people may be surprised to learn that Charles Darwin wasn't the only one to come up with the theory of evolution at the same time that Darwin was sailing around on the Beagle Alfred Wallace was exploring Indonesia the strange wonders he encountered sparked the same revolutionary thoughts in his mind one Island held a special fascination sulawesi an intriguing blend of Asia and Australia it's an island so remote and unexplored that the animals shown in our program have rarely if ever been filmed before [Music] [Music] there's a strange island in these waters [Music] [Music] silhouettes he is an island unlike any other the creatures that live in its lush rainforests are found nowhere else their ancestors came from Asia and Australia the descendants of these castaways have become Sulawesi sapone unique treasures [Music] [Music] sulawesi was created by great movements in the Earth's crust today volcanoes testified to this turbulent past some stand high above the waves others are still rising from the seabed volcanoes can erupt at any time here but where the rocks have cooled corals have anchored themselves some of the world's most spectacular reefs can be found in the waters surrounding Sulawesi [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] sulawesi lies among 13 thousand other islands to get it stands out from the crowd it lies at the heart of Indonesia an enormous archipelago that stretches for thousands of miles along the equator in between Australia and Asia Sulawesi was born from a clash of these two continents it's wildlife became marooned here and the island developed a world of its own the crust of the earth is not moving so violently anymore but the fires below are still restless and unpredictable although most are dormant there are still 11 active volcanoes on the island fertile volcanic soils combined with a moist tropical climate have resulted in an island blanketed in rainforest in 1859 naturalist Alfred Wallace was surprised by the odd mix of creatures in these forests the islands he wrote was wonderfully rich in peculiar forms noting their resemblance to other animals in Asia and Australia he concluded that species must change over time this was the same conclusion that Darwin came to Wallace was enthralled by what he found on Sulawesi at every turn was a species unknown to the rest of the world early explorers called these black apes due to their tailless bodies a closer investigation revealed that they were monkeys crested black macaques they've been cut off from the rest of the world for so long that they evolved on a path of their own these macaques live in troops composed of several males females and young this large group has 90 members they're just as at home on the ground as in the trees enabling them to take advantage of many different layers of the forest they feast on more than 100 kinds of fruit the main staple of their diet these macaques can forage high in the canopy or just wait below to reap the rewards of someone else's hard labor there are seven kinds of macaques on Sulawesi all probably evolved from one Asian ancestor these odd creatures have completely different roots the bare couscous evolved from ancestors with Australian connections though it's nicknamed the tree Bayer is a marsupial related to opossums and kangaroos [Music] the bear couscous spends all its time in the trees looking for the best leaves to eat [Music] last year's youngster has grown too big to fit into its mother's pouch but her new infant can still snuggle deep inside [Music] in the green of the canopy there's every color of the rainbow [Music] the red knob hornbill [Music] like so many of Sulawesi XANA muls this spectacular bird is endemic to the island hornbill knobs or casts are not as heavy as they look they're usually either hollow are made of spongy tissue and add little weight during takeoff [Music] their local name is the Year bird because their beaks gain an extra strike each year fruit eating birds of all kinds depend on figs to survive but figs are just as dependent on the birds many species of fig will not grow unless they pass through an animal's stomach first fig trees rely on animals to spread their seeds a service the hornbills provide as they travel far and wide over the rain forest [Music] the hornbill and the fig tree trust one of the countless mutual relationships in the rain forest community [Music] [Music] throughout the forest there are constant reminders of sulawesi volcanic nature in some places the smoldering fires lie just below the surface these areas attract a very strange bird the molly-o when early explorers told of birds that lay eggs and volcanoes few believed them but in nature truth is often stranger than fiction ma Leo's have webbing between their toes which helps them to dig pits in the loose soil then they bury their eggs and let the heat of the volcanic soil through the incubating for them deep inside the forest Hot Springs attract some of Sioux away sees most unusual residents the Bobby Russa it's related to pigs but it looks and acts like no other pig on earth they don't dig for roots like other pigs but eats fruit and larvae and they only have one or two young at a time there are few natural predators on Sulawesi so there's no need for large litters [Music] one of their most unusual features is the curved upper tusks which are actually canine teeth that have pierced the skin and curved backwards only males have tongues they may be used for fighting over females but their full purpose is still a mystery the hot spots attract another rare creature the inoa are fierce but secretive dwarf buffalo both these species have evolved with few enemies but now they're threatened by the same predator though hunting is a major threat to many of Sulawesi screechers these men are seeking another harvest rattan a plant specialized for climbing it grows upwards by using other plants for support the spiny stem which helps protect the plant from being eaten is no defense against a sharp parang the canes will be used to make furniture collectors may have to cut down many surrounding trees to free the tangled stem [Music] the demand for this plant is great in Sulawesi and in foreign markets many forests have already been stripped of rattan and selectors are now cutting illegally in protected areas to transport their harvest the men just lashed some games into rafts and float out of the forest [Music] there are only two seasons in Sulawesi after six months of rain the dry season is about to begin [Music] [Applause] [Music] Bobby Russa take advantage of the last mud if there's one thing they share with pigs it's the pleasure of a good wallow [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] hollows and plants and trees capture the last of the rains the macaques make good use of these tiny drinking holes at the start of the dry season there's still plenty of fruit so the troop has time to relax [Applause] [Music] [Applause] this roof has several full-grown males arranged in a status hierarchy if a squabble breaks out it's the responsibility of the top male to break it up this organized system helps maintain law and order every individual knows the rules of society and his place in it the dominant male may have many responsibilities but the job does come with perks he doesn't have to wait for his turn to drink [Applause] he also gets first choice of any willing females when this youngster finally gets his turn to drink he makes sure he gets every last drop the troop now sets off to search for food they may cover two miles a day looking for fruiting trees [Music] [Applause] [Music] the hornbills forage and flocks during the rainy season but now it's time for the group to split up they separate into breeding pairs and the annual courtship ritual begins the male Woo's his mate with a gift of fruit [Applause] hornbills are monogamous and probably made for life 20 or 30 years although today the biggest threat to hornbills is loss of habitat they were once hunted for their large casks these were used to decorate drums played before a battle because people believed that the castes gave power to warriors the macaques have few predators to worry about as they look for food but those they do have are worth the troops full attention the reticulated python the longest snake in the world it can grow to more than 30 feet and it eats monkeys [Music] the macaques can easily outrun the snake so they're safe as long as they keep an eye on it they're warning barks alert the rest of the truth [Music] [Music] one youngster hasn't heard the alarm and continues to feed [Music] finally he catches on [Music] a hundred feet above the hornbills are making a nest in the hollow of the tree nesting well above the pythons reach helps protect the next generation female hornbills usually seal themselves into the tree with mud supplied by their mates but soon owaisi's volcanic soil is too loose and the female has to improvise she applies her own droppings using her bill like a trowel to close herself in she'll spend the next two months incarcerated and completely dependent on her mate for food some birds prefer to nest with other couples since build starlings bore holes in dead trees and then dig out the debris more than 100 birds can share the wooden skyscrapers of the rainforest the male hornbill has to work overtime now he's foraging for himself and his mates by stuffing his growth pouch to capacity he can bring home 150 figs at a time he'll be flying with as much as 10% of his body weight in excess baggage [Music] he delicately regurgitates the figs hole and one at a time passes them to his mate sulo ac's hornbills and other wildlife face many threats today among them logging loss of habitat to agriculture and hunting and recently the forests have been invaded by miners in an illegal search for gold the shafts are so deep they have to pump air down to the workers the rewards for the miners are great but it is the forest that pays the highest price for this goal the effects on the forest are widespread spoils from the shafts add silt to the streams and the miners tented camps devastate their surroundings causing erosion and loss of habitat for wildlife [Music] [Music] and that's only the beginning of the mining story more problems arise when the rainforest alchemy begins [Applause] first the rocks are pounded and crushed to a powder [Applause] then the powder is turned in a barrel with rocks and water and one other ingredient essential but potentially lethal mercury a deadly poison is the key to extracting gold from muddy water the miners can't extract the precious metal until mercury is added it fuses with the gold now they have something they can work with after the water is poured off any mercury which isn't bonded to gold has to be removed the liquid is squeezed through a cloth to drain out some of the excess mercury instead of powder in water they now have a solid made of gold and Mercury all they have to do now is get rid of the rest of the mercury it has to be burned off all that's left from a sack of ore and a hillside of spoil a tiny bead of gold and an invisible poison [Applause] some of the mercury is released into the rivers and carried down to the paddy fields [Music] crops are being irrigated with this tainted water only time will tell how much damage is being done many illegal activities take place in Sulawesi forests but there are still some areas where the country's splendid wildlife thrives the horn builds egg has hatched and the female now breaks down the wall that has imprisoned her for so long the mayor does most of the work rearing the hungry chick while the female enjoys her freedom the dry season has set in and the macaques have to spend more of their time looking for food [Music] there are few fruiting trees now so they concentrate on the forest floor leading through the dry litter for grubs and insects [Music] not every person who comes here is a threat to the rainforest [Music] this man is actually a fisherman who's making a stop in the forest before heading out to sea he's collecting the gossamer threads of a spider's web before he can use the web the fisherman needs one more thing for that he must visit the mangroves that fringe the muddy Shore is nearby these watery forests are important habitats for a wide variety of Wildlife mangroves were once found along much of Sulu a seas enormous coastline but today most of these forests have been destroyed mangrove plants can be used to make all sorts of household items umbrellas baskets roof shingles and hats but the fisherman has a very special use for these dead fern leaves while he works fruit bats are watching from their day roost [Applause] with a spider's web and a leaf the fisherman takes to the sea [Music] many of su Louis's reefs are still pristine teeming with an incredible diversity of life [Music] [Music] [Music] some fishermen use explosives and poison but the traditional method leaves few scars the spiderweb is now put to use as bait [Music] [Applause] he attaches the fern leaf to the end of a piece of string it acts like a kite keeping the web dangling just below the waves [Applause] the fluttering lure attracts garfish which hunted near the surface kite bobs like a float and the fisherman has a catch the garfish gets its toothy beep tangled in the silken lure there's no hook the web alone is strong enough to hold it the silk can be scraped off and used again so a single spider's web can last for three days [Music] as darkness falls many fish take refuge in the car while others are just starting their day [Music] [Music] on shore the creatures of the night are now beginning to emerge [Music] the bats rise up from the mangroves and head out to the rainforest in search of a fruity meal [Music] some will fly 20 miles are lower through their feeding grounds [Music] as the Sun sets another exodus begins children leave their village to buy their tights [Music] but this is an unusual kind of kite-flying it's not a children's game but a much more serious pursuit every line carries a string of hooks these children are fishing for bats on their way to the forest the bats must run this deadly gauntlet [Applause] [Applause] [Music] the bats aren't killed immediately they must reach the market alive in the brief tropical sunset hundreds of bats are fished from the sky but thousands do escape and fly into the night they head for the rainforest which after dark is a very different world this wide-eyed tarsier is just having breakfast [Music] [Music] a nocturnal primate it feasts mainly on protein packed in safe [Music] the bats come here to gorge themselves on figs as they fly from tree to tree they play a vital role in dispersing the seeds of fruiting trees more than any other fruit eater this dwarf couscous has a very different lifestyle than its relative the bare couscous it eats mainly fruits not leaves and it lives in the dark both species have prehensile tails and opposable toes which help them hang on in the world high above the forest floor this youngster keeps trying to get back into its mother's pouch although he's old enough to forage for himself he still depends on her for comfort and safety after a few attempts he's finally allowed to stuff himself back in this makes it a bit harder for her to maneuver with her sugary meal though they're up all night the tarsier is most active just before sunrise these tiny gymnasts propel their bodies through the forest they are one of the smallest of all the primates just four inches long and weighing in at only 35 ounces the tarsier is dwarfed by the Giants of the rainforest at daybreak it's time to sleep in the village last night harvested batches being sold to a trader their destined for the market in a distant town baths are served as a special dish in restaurants the Chinese claim their meat has medicinal properties a cure for asthma kidney disease and fatigue [Music] the bats are given fruits to sustain them on the long journey Sula way sees bat population is being decimated for this raid [Music] [Music] the loss of bats could have disastrous effects on the islands forests with no match to plant them these forests could slowly vanish and with it all the creatures that depend on fruit for their survival [Music] there's been no rain for months the coastal forests are now very dry and most of the drinking holes are gone the macaques head for the beach but they can't drink from the salty sea a trickle of fresh water still seeps out from the black volcanic sand just enough for these youngsters to take a sip if they can beat the incoming tide farther up the beach there are a few freshwater pools among the rocks but they are monopolized by the older members of the truth there are not enough drinking places to go around and squabbles often break out in the heat of the day water is essential and tempers are short it's too hot to look for food this is a time for grooming and socializing only youngsters still have the energy to play everyone else takes a siesta [Music] [Music] but out on the beach there's quite a bit of activity [Music] these molly-o birds have come to the shore instead of the heat of a volcano they'll use the Sun to incubate their eggs [Music] the burning sand can reach 175 degrees but down below it's perfect for hatching the next generation it's believed that the curious knob on their heads made of spongy bone may act like a pith helmet protecting the bird's brain from the Blazing Sun [Music] each couple dig one hole for its egg and a second to divert predators the eggs need a constant temperature of about 96 degrees for a thermometer they use their beaks the female lays one enormous egg and then quickly covers it up an egg the size of a grapefruit will produce a youngster big enough to dig itself out of the pit molly-o eggs are so large that they were once prized by Kings who supervised their collection today even though they are protected by law Mario populations are seriously threatened by over harvesting [Applause] there is no shortage of hens eggs but these are five times the size and they're a gourmet item first they're packaged and intricate palm-leaf baskets which decorates and protects them Mario eggs are given to friends for Christmas and are also a traditional food at wedding ceremony people come to the market from all over with a wide variety of goods to buy sell or trade [Music] meanwhile after a four-day journey the bats have reached their final destination bats are not protected by law so they can be bought out in the open monkeys Barbarossa and couscous are sold behind closed doors hunting and habitat loss are serious threats to Sulawesi wildlife since many of them exist nowhere else if they're lost from this island they are lost forever but each year they struggle to produce the next generation the hornbill chick is growing fast but it's still dependent on its father for food three months of parental care and devotion has been lavished on this youngster but not all birds are so lucky the male oh chick has spent the last two days digging himself out of his burial chamber his parents will not return to the nest he is entirely on his own [Music] [Applause] [Music] there are new additions to the macaque troop to [Music] this youngster is extremely curious about her new sibling by dipping into the fruit she stores and her cheek pouch a mother can feed her baby and herself at the same time like much of Sulawesi wildlife the macaque population is dwindling they too are hunted and their habitat is shrinking but there is still hope for these monkeys and for all of Sulawesi s rare treasures conservationists are working on programs that would benefit the wildlife and the local people at the same time [Music] these castaways may have been marooned on Sulawesi but they have not been forgotten [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause]

Channel: ThisOldVideo2

Views: 42,498

Rating: 4.6310678 out of 5

Keywords: Sulawesi, wildlife

Id: -ZIQeZo46UA

Length: 55min 30sec (3330 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 13 2020