Asia: Secret Lives, Hidden Places II

In the west of India live wildcats which you wouldn’t expect in India: lions. They live and roam freely in a surrounding where natives live as well. The Maldhari are proud to live in a region together with the lions, although they kill their cattle now and then. The north of Gujarat is mostly a desert where seminomads live. The Fakirani Jat breed a very special camel race: Karai-Camels which are able to swim. The camels swim daily around 3 kilometres to mangrove islands to feed.

The Kinabatangan winds for over 560 kilometres across the north of Borneo. Nowhere else in Sabah live as many wild and rare animals as along the river: Orang-Utans, Elephants, crocodiles and proboscis monkeys. But the biodiversity is endangered because more and more palm oil plantations replace the rainforest. The natives fight for the preservation of the forest and the unique wildlife.

The jungle in the north of Vietnam is nearly impenetrable and there are parts where no human has ever set foot on before. The rainforest oft he Pu Mat Nationalpark is a retreat for threatened animals like the Asian black bear, pangonlins or rare species of monkeys. Tuan, a biologist and specialist for bears, explores the untouched regions of the nationalpark to find the black bear. The animals which are hunted the most are Pangolins. It is believed that their scale has healing power and their meat is considered a delicacy. A small vietnamese animal protection organisation fights for the suvival of this species.

The Great Gobi Nationalpark in the southwest of Mongolia is home oft he most fascinationg mammals alive: the wild camels. The arcaic desert, impenetrable and misterious, ist he home of approximately 800 wild camels which are nearly extinct. The Gobi is one of the most sparsely populated areas around the world. We experience humans which live in the rough and misanthropic desert: Jangaa who breeds camels and specialises in camel polo; Surendjav who owns a salt mine; Erdene who built an oasis in the middle of the dessert.

In western China, along the border to Tibet is the Baima Snow Mountain reserve. Both humans and animals have to be persistant, willpowered and strong to be able to survive in over 3000 metres height. The Baima snow mountain reserve is one of the most mysterious and impenetrable regions of the world, full of breathtaking beauty and contrasts.