BBC - Wonders of the Monsoon (2014)

Exotic and alluring, the wildlife and cultures of Southern Asia have been shaped by one of the greatest phenomena on earth: the monsoon winds. All life human and animal is dominated by this rampaging weather system. From the Northern shores of Australia to the highest peaks of the Himalayas, the wind-blown deserts of Northern India, to the lush equatorial rainforests of Borneo, this series makes an exhilarating journey through the lands of the Monsoon.

Part 1: Waiting for the Rains
Colin Salmon narrates a documentary exploring how the lives of humans and animals across a vast area of the planet are affected by the transforming power of the monsoon rains. The end of the dry season in northern Australia sees 300,000 flying foxes gathering to drink while running a gauntlet of freshwater crocodiles, while in Sumatra a female orang-utan guides her youngster to where she knows a fig tree fruits at this time of year. At the Delhi stock exchange, the price of rice escalates every day the rains fail to materialise and priests submerge themselves in water and beseech Varuna, god of water, to come.

Part 2: Deluge
The effect of the rainy season on wildlife in Asia, with floods forcing animals to flee from Kaziranga National Park in north-east India in search of the safety of the hills. In Cambodia, the Mekong river swells so much that water is forced back up one of its tributaries to fill the vast Tonle Sap Lake - one of the most productive freshwater fisheries on Earth. Fresh grass draws nomads and their vast herds of livestock back to their homelands, but they are stalked by hungry wolves and hyenas, which move in at night for the kill.

Part 3: The Drought
The other side of the monsoon, as the winds bring dry air and drought. Budgerigars swarm in the Australian desert, gathering at a precious waterhole, and although birds of prey try to ambush them, they are mesmerised by the array of bright colours on show. On the island of Borneo, a bearded pig hunts for seafood on the beach, while in the Rajasthan desert, nomads haggle over the price of camels, which can provide vital transport during this lean season. The mugger crocodiles of Sri Lanka stalk the animals taking a much-needed drink and a young leopard learning to hunt discovers there is no such thing as an easy meal.

Part 4: Strange Castaways
In this episode Colin Salmon is examining the plants and animals that thrive in monsoon areas, Crested Black Macaques take advantage of an abundance of fruit, and maleo birds use the sun to incubate their eggs on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. On Java, locals climb volcanoes to offer live sacrifices in thanks for the peaks' help in precipitating rain and fertilising plants with ash. The frequent and heavy rains in Borneo have destroyed the soils, created fierce competition for scarce nutrients, and driven evolution to produce some curious creatures. The Rajah Brooke's pitcher encourages tree shrews to relieve themselves to obtain the substances it needs, while the Bornean red leech is capable of swallowing the giant blue earthworm in one gulp.

Part 5: People of the Monsoon
Exploring the relationship that has developed over thousands of years between the people who live in monsoon regions and the wildlife they share them with. In the rice paddies of Assam, India, farmers battle a herd of hungry elephants over their crops, while on the Philippine island of Palawan, near Borneo, people still hunt in the forest and live in caves for part of the year. The programme also looks at the impact of organised religion, meeting members of the Bishnoi sect who believe that all life is sacred and has even been known to lay down their lives to protect trees.