India, a land of ancient tales
and fables.
The country that inspired Kipling's
famous Jungle Book characters.
Shere Khan.
Hathi.
The cheeky monkey tribe, Bandar-log.
And perhaps, best loved of all...
..Baloo.
This is the story of the real-life
Baloo, the Indian sloth bear.
Sloth bears are shy
and secretive creatures.
Surprisingly little
is known about them.
We are going to follow the fortunes
of a young male, our Baloo,
setting out on his first year alone.
Karnataka in southern India.
This sparse landscape
is Baloo's home.
In a country of over
a billion people,
there's little space for wildlife.
So this inaccessible terrain
is a haven for wild animals.
Sloth bears are found
throughout the Indian subcontinent.
In most places,
they only come out at night
to avoid contact with humans.
But here, they also still go about
their business in broad daylight.
Two male bears are pitting
their strength against each other.
It's only play, and one is clearly
older and stronger than the other.
He is a fully-grown adult.
Like all males,
he likes to challenge younger bears
to test his authority.
The two opponents take care
not to injure each other
with their teeth and claws.
Their contest is watched from a safe
distance by another bear, Baloo.
Baloo is wise
to keep out of the way.
He is just three years old,
and it's not long since he left his
mother's side to fend for himself.
One day, he'll also be fighting
other male bears.
But for now,
he still has a lot to learn.
The bears have
highly sensitive noses
and can easily detect an ant's nest
hidden under the stones.
The sloth bear is so-called,
as early European zoologists
thought it was indeed a sloth,
because of its long,
curved claws and shaggy coat.
But in fact, it's a true bear,
even if a rather unusual one.
At an early age, the bears lose
two of their front teeth,
creating a useful gap
through which to suck up insects,
like a high-powered vacuum cleaner.
It's noisy, but effective.
BALOO SNORTS
Nonetheless, Baloo needs to consume
vast quantities
of these fancy ants.
Mother Nature's recipes
can be hard work!
Baloo's noisy feeding habits
have attracted some peafowl,
which pick off any insects
he misses.
A young male does his best
to impress the ladies.
But no-one seems to pay him
any attention.
Maybe he's still got
to work on his moves.
Baloo is not having any better luck.
The midday sun is relentless.
Few animals are active in this heat.
Temperatures outside
are over 40 degrees.
BALOO PANTS
Baloo retreats
into the cool shade of a cave.
Down here,
it's ten degrees cooler than above.
This is a regular daytime hideout
and he knows
the most comfortable spots
for a well-deserved midday nap.
He will sleep for the next
four or five hours,
snug and safe in his den.
While Baloo is resting,
another bear is out and about.
It's Baloo's mother
and she has new cubs with her.
Ten weeks ago,
she gave birth in a cave to twins,
Baloo's tiny brothers
and this is their first excursion.
Midday is the safest time
to be outside for young cubs,
when adult bears,
which can be a threat, are resting.
From the safety
of their mother's back,
the youngsters can watch
the world go by.
The small cubs can even manage
to have a little brotherly squabble.
A pair of mongoose
watches the antics.
But every mother
sometimes gets impatient
with the constant wrangling.
Newborn sloth bear cubs
have exceptionally strong
forelegs and toes.
They can support their entire weight
with their claws.
And they are also
already excellent climbers.
They need to be, because
at the slightest sign of danger,
their mother is off.
And there is one animal that sloth
bears fear more than any other.
The tiger.
This tiger has spotted
a sambar deer.
A split second distraction...
..and it's all over.
Shere Khan has taken his prize.
Although tigers can be a threat
to sloth bears,
they rarely take on
a mother with cubs
as she will fight back ferociously.
In the afternoon,
the sun loses some of its heat.
Bonnet macaques are attracted to the
sweet fragrance of a jackfruit tree.
The first ripe fruits have fallen
to the ground, and the macaques
fill their cheek pouches with as
much of the juicy flesh as they can.
Baloo's sensitive nose has also
picked up the enticing scent.
The macaques quickly grab
a last handful.
Baloo is no danger to the macaques,
but his noisy appearance
scares them off.
BALOO PANTS
Sloth bears are adapted
to feeding on insects,
but they're also partial to fruit.
But there's nothing they like better
than a good old scratch!
With his strong claws,
Baloo skilfully opens
the leathery skin of the fruit.
Jackfruit is sweet
and rich in energy.
And meal times, as always,
are noisy affairs.
BALOO CHEWS AND SNORTS
A palm squirrel
has also joined in the feast.
But the rock agama is not happy
sharing his basking spot.
Baloo is after a second helping.
He'll have to be patient - the
fruits on the tree are not yet ripe.
Meanwhile, male palm squirrels
show off their skills.
And when they're on the move,
it's best not to get in the way.
It's early evening
and Baloo's mother
takes another walk with her cubs.
It's far more dangerous
for the family to be out
at this time of day.
They risk encountering a male bear.
Or a leopard.
One cub is taking
his first tentative steps,
but he needs to stay close
to his mother.
A call from the female
and the cub dashes back to safety.
Leopards are versatile hunters
and will kill a bear cub,
if they can catch one.
But on their mother's back,
the youngsters are safe again.
The big cat will not challenge
a mother bear.
This little fellow has just learned
a valuable lesson in life -
not to stray too far
from his mother's side.
He's safe this time,
but he may not be so lucky the next.
With dusk falling,
Baloo's mother wisely decides
to retreat into a den.
Baloo is back under
the jackfruit tree.
But the tough, green skin
is proving quite a challenge.
He just can't seem to break in.
Sometimes, it's really frustrating
to be a bear.
Or maybe he just didn't
pick the right one?
On the other hand,
maybe it's time to call it a day.
As the sun sinks below the horizon,
Baloo picks up another smell.
A large termite mound.
This is a new challenge
for a young bear.
Now his long, curved claws -
his special digging tools -
come into use.
As dusk falls, the night-time
hunters wait for cover of darkness.
Baloo's mother is also out again,
searching for food.
Baloo is tackling the termite mound
with ferocious determination.
After the letdown
with the jackfruit,
nothing is going to stop him
from his dinner.
Just a few more roots to extricate
and he'll have reached his target.
India is a land of temples
and ancient monuments.
The deserted ruins,
devoid of human life,
now offer refuge
to a different society...
..the Jungle Book's Bandar-log
or "monkey people."
The bonnet macaques have a community
based on a network
of friendships and alliances.
This is strengthened
and reaffirmed by mutual grooming.
The daily hygiene session
also helps remove parasites,
and, of course,
it feels rather nice!
But not everyone gets pampered.
Some have to make do with DIY.
These infants still have to learn
the way macaque society works.
Females with young babies
often group together,
so the youngsters have more than
one pair of watchful eyes on them,
and always a playmate at hand.
The macaques are not the only ones
to have made a home
in the temple ruins.
Giant millipedes,
20 centimetres long,
crawl over the monument's
cracked facade.
Baloo also sometimes visits
the deserted human ruins.
They provide just as much shade
as the rock caves.
But now, he is looking
for something else.
Water.
Water holes are scarce
during the dry season,
so Baloo takes every opportunity
to drink,
especially after feeding
on dry and acidic insects.
A group of white-spotted deer
are also quenching their thirst.
SNAPPING OF BRANCHES
But there is one animal
that is able to claim
the watering hole for itself.
The Indian elephant.
LOW GROWLING
The group includes
a mother with her calf.
The elephants enjoy
a much-needed drink
and indulge in a refreshing bath.
To finish off, they clean their
teeth with a high-pressure hose...
..and are then ready to move on.
An Indian chameleon
sits on a thorn bush.
Baloo's mother is after
any termites on the bush.
The chameleon was hoping
to keep these for itself.
The bear decides to move on and that
suits the chameleon just fine.
Baloo's mother is now
carrying just one cub.
Overnight,
his twin seems to have vanished.
Did a leopard catch one of the
youngsters off guard after all?
Or was it another bear?
The remaining cub
is now without a playmate.
Yet, harsh as it may seem,
his chances of survival
are better now than before.
He will receive
all of his mother's attention,
and she will pass on her skills
and knowledge to him,
as she once did to Baloo.
Mother and cub have come
to investigate the termite mound.
The cub is curious.
It's his first lesson
in catching insects.
Painted spurfowl wait in the wings,
hoping to pick off any morsels.
The young cub watches
and tries to copy.
But it's not as easy as it looks
and he always seems
to be getting in the way.
He tries to get a look-in
from a different position.
"Dig" and "suck"
seems to be the principle.
But the heat has driven
the termites deep into the nest.
It's a lot of effort
for little reward.
It's time to move on.
Back on the rocks, there's trouble
brewing in the mongoose territory.
A member of the neighbouring clan
has ventured too close.
MONGOOSES SHRIEK
The mongoose are fiercely protective
of their home patch.
MONGOOSE YELPS
Back from his lesson
in termite hunting,
our young cub has time to play.
Without his brother to tussle with,
he's finding other ways
to amuse himself.
His mother stays close.
She doesn't want to risk losing
her second cub, too.
The tender, mouth-to-mouth nuzzling
between mother and son
reinforces their bond
and the young cub feeds
from his mother's snout.
It's the first time
this intimate behaviour
has been filmed in sloth bears
and it's not known what the offering
from her mouth contains,
but it's likely to be sweet
and nourishing.
After his snack,
like most children,
all he wants to do
is play and explore.
MONGOOSE BARKS
Could this be a new playmate?
The cub doesn't take no
for an answer.
MONGOOSE BARKS
Baloo's mother takes the young
explorer underground for a rest.
SHE PANTS
She is more nervous
since she lost one of her cubs
and enters the cave cautiously...
..making sure they don't have
any other bears for company.
Her youngster is still blissfully
unaware of such dangers
and settles down for a good scratch.
At last, the female
is satisfied, too, and relaxes
and the cub is ready
for another feed.
His mother's complete
dedication to him
will continue
over the next two years,
giving this young bear
the best possible start in life.
The following day, Baloo's mother
left the area with her cub.
Why, we will never know.
Maybe she moved on
in search of food.
Whatever the reason,
she was never seen again.
The monsoon rains are approaching.
Within a few days,
the landscape will be transformed.
Baloo barely seems to have noticed
his mother's departure.
He's well on his way
to becoming an adult.
Much more importantly for Baloo,
there's a glamorous
young, new female on the block.
Baloo has picked up her scent.
June is mating season
for sloth bears
and females will mate
with a number of males.
But the young beauty
doesn't appear to be interested.
Is Baloo still too young
or has she already conceived?
He decides not to press the matter.
The female is more concerned
with something she's detected
in the bushes.
A ripe red caper berry.
As with most fruits, the caper seeds
will be dispersed further
and germinate faster
by passing through the bear's body.
The rain is becoming heavier.
Small streams converge
to become raging torrents.
There are water holes
everywhere now,
and for the animals,
it's a time of plenty.
This calf is just a few days old.
It's still covered
in soft, downy hair.
Taking a bath
is one of its first adventures.
Mother and calf stay close together,
a bond that will last
for the next ten to 15 years.
The monsoon rains
have rejuvenated the landscape.
Baloo's terrain is tinged
with a lush, green growth.
Now, Baloo doesn't have to search
far for a drink.
Water has collected
in the many rock crevices...
..along with clouds of tadpoles.
If this becomes
his regular drinking spot,
the tadpoles will not survive -
they'll soon be sitting
high and dry.
Even during the rainy season,
the midday heat is oppressive.
BALOO PANTS
Baloo has found
his favourite spot again...
..and is fast asleep.
Meanwhile, an adult male
has turned up in the area.
He's rather scruffy,
with an untidy coat,
but he could be competition
for Baloo.
He's heading for the beauty's
favourite resting spot.
The scruffy stranger
has detected her scent.
He's literally frothing
with excitement
and approaches her expectantly.
But she is not quite
as enthusiastic.
SHE ROARS
Yet, after the initial brush-off,
she seems to tolerate his advances.
He seizes the moment,
showing her
all the tricks of the trade -
"I'm big, I'm agile
and I'm a smooth mover,"
is what he appears
to be trying to say.
SHE ROARS
But the lady is not impressed.
Her suitor gets the message
and is off.
This female is in no mood
for romance.
A young peacock
is also out to win the females.
His confidence is admirable
but with these tail feathers,
he is unlikely to make an impact.
The peahen is sceptical.
She only has eyes for a real Adonis.
The younger peacock leaves the stage
to the older male.
The young beauty has been
in the area for several days now.
It looks like she intends to stay.
But suddenly, she finds herself
face to face with an older female...
..and her cub.
There is trouble at once.
BEARS GROWL
The experienced mother
is protective of her youngster
and will not give way.
She calls back her cub
and places herself in front of it.
At last, the situation defuses.
The older female has decided
to take no chances
and moves on with her cub.
The beauty claims
her favourite spot again.
It's the beginning
of the dry season.
But the rivers are still high
and overflow into numerous pools.
The stagnant water attracts
Indian skipper frogs.
These frogs have an unusual trick.
They can walk on water!
Baloo is now four years old
and has grown in build and stature.
He's fully mastered the techniques
his mother taught him.
Over the next few months,
there will be little rain
and food will be harder to find
for many animals.
BALOO PANTS
Hunting for ants is dusty work.
A good rinse-out is essential.
A colony of lesser mouse-tailed bats
is roosting in the mouth of a cave.
They are alert and nervous
because they have pups.
Someone else has started a family.
It's the beauty and she's carrying
a cub on her back.
Their arrival scares off the bats.
The new mother enters cautiously,
sniffing for signs
of other occupants.
Only a mongoose.
The beauty has done well.
Her cub looks strong and healthy.
As they snuggle up together
and quiet returns to the cave,
the bats settle down again, too.
But it doesn't stay quiet for long.
The female needs a good scratch,
and the youngster starts
to explore its surroundings.
It's intrigued by the activities
on the roof of the cave...
..and by the mongoose.
His mother is still having trouble
with that itch.
But suddenly,
there is a commotion outside.
GROWLING
The beauty listens,
then calls back her cub.
Outside, a battle is in progress.
Baloo has challenged another bear.
He has grown in strength
and confidence,
asserting himself
over the younger male
and proving he has finally grown up.
This is good news for Baloo
but bad news for the beauty.
Baloo is heading
straight for the cave.
Now Baloo is an adult,
he could be a danger
to her youngster.
Male bears will sometimes kill cubs
in order to mate with a female.
Or is Baloo simply curious?
SHE ROARS
The beauty is taking no chances.
Previously, an attack like that
would have been enough
to scare Baloo off.
But this time, he returns.
The female takes up position again.
SHE GROWLS
She's driven him
right out of the cave,
but Baloo doesn't seem
to get the message.
The little cub looks frightened.
Baloo retreats from the onslaught
of the protective mother.
With a dent to his manly pride,
he seeks solace
in the safety of a cave.
BALOO PANTS
Back in the den, the beauty tries
to calm her terrified cub.
She won't be ready to mate again
for a couple of years.
For now, her priority
is to keep her young son alive.
For Baloo, real life is far tougher
than any story in a book.
But he's learned how to survive
on his own and has reached maturity.
Now, he's ready
for the next chapter of his life.
This is the first film ever made
about the Indian sloth bear.
When German film-makers
Ivo Norenberg and Oliver Goetzl
set out to make it,
very little footage
of these elusive bears existed.
It took three years, great tenacity
and cunning inventiveness
to capture these unique images.
And it was dangerous work -
sloth bears attack more human beings
every year than tigers do.
HE RATTLES METAL TOOL
Their first challenge is to work out
how to film inside a bear den.
But they need to make sure
that there's nobody at home.
Meeting a bear face to face
could be fatal.
The bears use cavities
between the boulders to sleep in
during the heat of the day.
Presumably, they are more
flexible than Oliver!
While he squeezes through
the narrow gaps,
Ivo checks out the situation above.
HE PANTS
They find a small hole
in the ceiling of the cave.
OK, Ivo, could you please
give me the camera? Carefully.
Oh, I don't want to be a bear!
But Oliver is happy
with the location they've found.
Such a beauty cave.
Wow!
In order to get close
to the bears outside,
Oliver and Ivo also set up
a bamboo hide
near a trail
regularly used by bears.
Yeah, karadi?
Karadi walk.
So this is karadi motorway, huh?
THEY LAUGH
"Karadi" is the local word
for sloth bear.
Ivo is well hidden, but the hide
offers little protection.
It's not long before he hears
a bear approaching.
Even for an experienced cameraman,
this bear comes
too close for comfort.
BEAR PANTS
It's a slightly unsettling,
yet thrilling experience for Ivo.
(Just two metres close to us
and he was behaving like Baloo.)
(Unfortunately, we couldn't film
because it was by the side, but...)
(just two metres sitting like that,
relaxing like Baloo.)
(Great.)
In the meantime, Oliver checks the
remote-controlled camera in the cave
from his watchtower.
Only a couple of hours
after they installed the camera,
the first bear enters the cave,
completely relaxed.
This is simply not true!
This is a tamed animal, definitely.
This must be a tamed animal,
isn't it?
HE GIGGLES
No, it's not! It's wild!
And it gets even better!
'Ja.'
Having waited in his
sweltering hide for hours,
Ivo finds it hard
to be enthusiastic.
Ciao, ciao.
This was a fantastic shot!
YES!
The end of a successful day.
But the next morning will bring
more excitement
than Oliver and Ivo
had bargained for.
It's an early start.
The team need to film aerials
of the bear's habitat
and their only option
is a hot-air balloon.
But Oliver is nervous.
It's not a good omen for the pair.
Just a few years ago,
they had a serious accident while
filming from a balloon in Russia,
in which Ivo was badly injured.
But nothing will deter them
from getting the perfect shot.
Fortunately, it looks like
it will be a smooth flight.
And as the beautiful landscape
unfolds below them,
it all seems worth it.
Then, all of a sudden,
there appears to be a problem.
The burner is not working properly.
The fuel seems to be contaminated.
The pilot decides to make
an immediate emergency landing.
INSTRUCTIONS ARE SHOUTED
THE BALLOON BEGINS ITS DESCENT
Ah! Aah! Oh.
The impact on the rocks below
was hard.
You maybe fall down
for several metres.
And Oliver seems to be
injured and winded.
The team are lucky.
Oliver has only injured his elbow,
whilst Ivo and the pilot have got
away with scratches and bruises.
The accident could have been fatal.
They narrowly avoided collision
with a huge rock,
the reason for their
dramatic descent.
For Ivo and Oliver,
the three years of hard work -
and near-death experience -
have been worth it.
Their remote-controlled cameras
have captured
the first intimate pictures
of a mother bear with her cub.
They've witnessed some
extraordinary behaviours...
PART OF CAMERA BREAKS OFF
..and given us a unique insight into
the life of the Indian sloth bear.
