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[soft instrumental music playing]
[narrator] In southwest Asia,
by the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea.
A little-known story of life…
- [bees buzz] - [leopard growls]
…in a land steeped in history,
and landscapes shaped through millennia.
Prepare your senses for Saudi Arabia's wildest secrets.
[music builds]
[oryx huffs]
[birds squawking]
[music fades]
[wondrous music playing]
[narrator] Above the refreshing waves, and under the water,
a world of wonder thrives.
Families of diverse animals live, travel, hunt, and feed in harmony.
[dolphins whistle]
[narrator] The Red Sea is home to a wealth of marine life.
Nestled in its southeastern corner,
the Farasan Islands and their waters
are a Man and Biosphere program by UNESCO.
This archipelago of around 180 coral islands
is protected for its rich biodiversity.
Hidden beneath the surface is an abundance of marine life.
[wondrous music continues]
[rustling]
[music fades]
[mysterious music playing]
[narrator] From the smallest shoals of fish
to the majestic manta ray, whose wingspan can exceed six meters.
Possibly one of the most prized sightings underwater
is the magnificent whale shark,
with its delicately spotted markings.
Despite only feeding on plankton and small fish,
they can grow up to 12 meters in length.
[mysterious music continues]
[narrator] Sharks, fast and efficient hunters,
feared by some,
are also crucial to the stability of this undersea habitat.
Turtles play an important role
in the ecological balance of underwater life.
They feed on a variety of sponges.
If left alone,
the sponges can slow and hinder the growth of coral reefs.
As well, their continuous grazing of seagrass in shallow waters
keeps it from growing rampant.
Healthy seagrass beds are important for oxygenation and carbon reduction.
Inadvertently, the turtles' diet promotes a healthy ocean life.
[mysterious music continues]
- [birds chirping] - [music fades]
[narrator] Mangrove forests range the southwestern waters
of the Jizan region.
[flamingos squawk]
[narrator] Mangroves are an invaluable natural carbon sink,
sequestering more carbon per square mile than tropical forests.
[flamingos squawk]
[narrator] The mangroves also help create sheltered lagoons,
and greater flamingos flock here to the shallow waters in their hundreds
to feed and mate.
These are the largest of all flamingos, averaging 1.1 to 1.5 meters tall.
Flamingos are omnivores,
and their diet of algae, shrimp, and crustaceans
result in their vibrant pink plumage.
Their method of eating is…
unique.
With their heads inverted, they work with their bristly tongues.
The bent shape of the bill aids in filtering the mud
and silt from their food.
[flamingos squawking]
[narrator] In between their meals,
flamingos make their nests of mud.
[whimsical music playing]
[narrator] These low mounds keep the eggs out of the salt water
and provide slightly cooler temperatures.
[flamingo chirps]
[whimsical music continues]
[flamingos squawking]
[somber music playing]
[narrator] In the colder seasons,
many of the greater flamingos migrate to warmer climates,
from India to southern Africa.
Due to global warming and the climatic changes on our planet,
their habitats are becoming more and more disrupted.
They are forced to move to more favorable habitats.
[flamingos squawk]
[somber music continues]
[music fades]
[wind whistling]
[birds chirping]
[instrumental folk music playing]
[narrator] Arabian gazelle are shy creatures.
This particular subspecies is endemic and rare.
They graze and browse the native plants,
adapted perfectly for surviving in this harsh landscape.
Hunted and persecuted for decades,
they are nervous animals,
always keeping an eye out for danger.
[music fades]
[whimsical music playing]
[gazelle grunts]
[music fades]
[water rippling]
[birds chirping]
[narrator] The mangroves are also home to the pink-backed pelican.
They are gregarious and live in colonies.
Their nests are strong and durable, often lasting years,
and are made in the safety and security of the treetops.
[ethereal music playing]
[narrator] The pelicans take to the air to find their food
and scan with their keen eyesight.
Their fishing technique is to hunt singly or in groups.
When on the water,
they stab with their beaks at lightning speed
to scoop up fish into their pouch, which can expand in size.
They then let the water drain before swallowing their prey.
With their stomachs full and appetites met,
they return to safe roosts.
[music fades]
[wind whistling]
[mysterious music playing]
[narrator] The kingdom of Saudi Arabia
is known for its vast, rocky landscapes, home to the world's largest sand deserts.
The oryx are Saudi's most iconic species.
They are the symbol of the desert, and are well adapted to live here.
Their distinctive white fur helps them thermo-regulate their bodies
by reflecting the harsh sunlight.
So, despite the desert regularly reaching above 55 degrees centigrade,
these antelope are able to maintain their body temperatures
at around 38 degrees centigrade.
Oryx are social,
and their herds range in size
from single pairs to several dozen animals.
Outside the breeding season,
the males will often live in bachelor herds,
or on their own,
roaming the landscape for food, water, and shade.
Even though they are the world's smallest species of oryx,
their tall, elegant horns are well-proportioned for their size,
and reach lengths of 70 centimeters.
The horns evolved to serve two purposes.
Primarily as protection against predators,
and secondly, for the males to joust in courtship.
Their lives are nomadic
and their journey is endless.
[music fades]
[dramatic music playing]
[narrator] Spring is the prime season for dust sandstorms.
They are the sculptors of the landscape,
ever-changing the terrain over millennia.
Fast, aggressive winds build and shape rolling dunes,
some as high as 250 meters.
Winds can reach 80 kilometers per hour,
carving even the hardest rocks.
Animals have no choice but to take shelter until they subside.
The oryx turn their backs and face downwind
to protect their eyes.
[wind whistling sharply]
[suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] It's impossible to fly during a sandstorm,
so birds land and seek refuge amongst the rocks.
[music fades]
[steady skittering]
[mysterious music playing]
[narrator] Despite their size,
desert ants are extremely well-suited to the environment.
In their thousands,
they harvest the scattered seeds dislodged by the storm
and take them back to their nests underground
to stock their larder.
[mysterious music continues]
[narrator] Surviving the intensity of the desert
is a game of energy conservation.
In the long periods of time between meals,
the desert Agama soaks up sunlight.
Cold-blooded reptiles rely on intense heat,
retaining the warmth to last them the cool desert nights.
[music fades]
[lively music playing]
[narrator] In landscapes where food is abundant,
things can be a little more relaxed.
[lively music continues]
[music fades]
[somber music playing]
[narrator] Living in the desert
is a challenge for all.
The gazelle cannot withstand the sun for too long.
It is vital for them to find shade
to prevent their bodies from overheating and regulate at healthy levels.
The landscape is unforgiving.
In the summer, food is scarce and hard to find.
Stamina and energy conservation are essential to lasting in the desert.
[sand crunching underfoot]
[jazzy music playing]
[wind blowing]
[animal cry]
[ostrich trilling]
[narrator] This is the red-necked African ostrich.
They were brought to Saudi in 1994,
replacing the Arabian ostrich that went extinct in 1941.
They are well-suited for the desert,
withstanding hot temperatures
and surviving on moisture from the plants they eat.
To aid digestion,
ostriches eat sand and small stones
alongside their diet of seeds and roots, insects and reptiles.
Their feathers are loose,
soft and smooth,
which can keep them cool in the heat.
In small groups,
they range the local flora.
[jazzy music continues]
[music fades]
[whimsical music playing]
[music fades]
- [wind whistling] - [mysterious music playing]
[narrator] In the southwest corner of Saudi Arabia
stands the Asir Mountains.
Rising over 9,000 feet above sea level,
it's the perfect vantage spot for a bird of prey.
The griffon vulture has evolved to be one of the world's most efficient flyers.
With their broad wingspan of over 2.5 meters,
they can soar on thermal updrafts with ease,
flying all day, with barely a wing flap for prolonged periods,
to spot their next meal.
Like other vultures,
they are scavengers.
With their extremely keen eyesight,
they can spot a carcass from up to ten kilometers.
- [birds chirping] - [music fades]
[serene music playing]
[narrator] Despite it being harsh and dry,
the Nubian ibex manage to scrape a living in this challenging environment.
[birds chirping]
[narrator] This beige ibex, with its distinctive large, curved horns,
grazes and browses on grasses and shrubs,
and although the ibex needs to drink, they can go days without water.
[ibex chomping]
[hoofbeats clopping]
[serene music continues]
[wind blowing]
[mysterious music playing]
[narrator] High above the dry deserts
rise the Asir Mountains.
Every day, magic happens here.
Warm moist air from the coast condenses as it ascends to the mountaintops.
Rolling clouds and fog pass through as the temperature drops,
providing moisture to the local trees.
In this rough and rocky range, junipers thrive,
even at 9,000 feet above sea level.
But not without help.
Draped over the branches hang curtains of bromeliads.
The trees provide a frame on which these plants can grow,
and in return,
the bromeliads capture and share moisture with its host.
[lively music playing]
[narrator] Native to this region are hamadryas baboons.
[yawns]
[narrator] Their troops can consist of as many as 100 individuals.
Together, they navigate the rocky slopes,
ascending and descending the mountain, depending on the season and temperature.
Baboons are omnivorous and feed on pretty much anything,
including buckthorn, acacia, wild flowers, birds' eggs, insects, and reptiles.
[birds squawking]
[music fades]
[baboons grunting]
[narrator] The youngsters are playful.
This is how they develop their social skills.
[baboons grunt, squeal]
[baboons screech]
[baboons screech, grunt]
[soft instrumental music playing]
[narrator] Living at these altitudes has its advantages.
However, accidents happen.
One misstep can result in injury.
[baboons grunt]
[narrator] Despite these hardships,
like all families, they remain together.
[baboons grunt]
[dramatic music playing]
[narrator] As the sun starts to set, they climb to sleep in the cliffs.
[music fades]
[flames crackling]
[narrator] With temperatures increasing globally,
it's not only the wildlife that suffers.
Dry, arid environments can be recipes for disaster in warmer climates.
Wildfires are a natural phenomena,
but are becoming more frequent and severe
as temperatures rise and human-induced factors increase.
Once they start, they are hard to contain,
particularly in remote regions,
and can ruthlessly decimate landscapes.
[somber music playing]
[narrator] Vast areas of forests can be engulfed in a matter of days,
leaving them scorched,
black and bare.
Habitats scarred,
desolate, and barren.
Charred wood and ash
is often all that remains.
Few are lucky to survive the intense heat and harsh flames.
However, whilst unfortunate, this is all part of a natural cycle.
[thunder rumbling]
[narrator] The seasonal drop in temperatures
bring heavy rain and storms,
replenishing the parched earth and offering relief to the land.
Nutrients and moisture are returned.
- [hopeful music playing] - [thunder rumbling]
[narrator] Life is given another chance to start again,
to bounce back and thrive.
Life always finds a way.
[music fades]
[birds chirping]
[narrator] Deeper in the valleys,
all of nature's ingredients come together.
The recipe for abundant life.
The result,
an oasis.
Heaven in a desert.
Just add water and plants of all varieties.
Wildlife of all shapes and sizes…
thrive.
[soft wondrous music playing]
[narrator] Traveling through the kingdom,
it remains clear that water brings life.
Beneath even the shallow waters of trickling streams,
the toad is able to grow, hunt, and mate.
Their small lives are the result of this delicate balance,
much needed for a strong, healthy ecosystem.
[eccentric music playing]
[narrator] On Shadah Mountain,
honey bees frequent aloe plants for pollen.
This is to produce honey,
- food for their colonies. - [bees buzz]
[narrator] The Palestine sunbird also visits the floral bounty.
The male is a flying gem of iridescent colors.
Their bill is long and down-curved, adapted to extract nectar from flowers.
[music fades]
[narrator] Birds play a role in forest growth,
spreading seeds as they feed.
The African gray hornbill feast on the cacti fruit.
Paddle cactus produce prickly pears,
and they are nutritious to the bird.
[soft instrumental music playing]
[narrator] Rüppell weavers skillfully source grass, twigs, and roots
to thread pendulous nests in the trees,
to lay their eggs and raise their chicks.
[soft instrumental music continues]
[narrator] Camels have long been an integral part of the country.
Their presence here is as ancient as ours.
[camel groans]
[camels grunt]
- [music fades] - [camel groans]
- [gentle music playing] - [camel moans]
[narrator] The milk produced by camels is tasty.
It's high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
It's long played a part of the Saudi diet.
- [music fades] - [birds chirping]
[narrator] There's an increased effort to switch to agroecology,
a farming discipline that's better at sustaining the land.
This technique eases the stress on the landscape
and reduces the use of water.
[buzzing]
[narrator] Fig trees are resilient, with deep roots,
and can survive on sparse amounts of rainfall.
[pensive music playing]
[narrator] Using better farming and cultivation practices
means we can enjoy nature's bounty,
such as papaya and oranges,
while minimizing damage to the planet.
If we are going to live and survive with nature,
we must adapt and strike a balance that sustains local ecosystems.
[music fades]
[bees buzzing]
[narrator] In Asir City,
traditional beekeeping practices have been passed down
by generations of farmers for centuries.
There are an estimated 4,000 beekeepers,
tending a staggering 700,000 beehives.
[soft wondrous music playing]
[narrator] Our relationship with this insect is symbiotic.
We provide them a home to colonize,
and in return, we harvest their honey.
- [soft wondrous music continues] - [bees buzz]
[narrator] Around 3,500 tons of honey are harvested every year.
Approximately 70% of the bees kept here
are native Apis populations.
[bee buzzing]
[music fades]
[birds chirping]
[narrator] The chameleon lives among banana plants.
They feed on flies and insects attracted to the sweet fruit sugars.
With opposing toes on each foot,
they are able to make a firm grasp of the twigs and branches as they climb,
and can use their prehensile tails as a fifth hand,
wrapping it around any shape
to anchor their position as they move and hunt.
Their two eyes can swivel independently,
perfect for keeping an eye out for prey,
as well as avoiding predators.
[dramatic music playing]
[narrator] One of Saudi Arabia's greatest animals
is in trouble.
[leopard growls]
[narrator] This is the Arabian leopard.
[leopard grunts]
[narrator] Through conservation initiatives,
the Royal Commission for Al-'Ula
aims to restore the Arabian leopard population.
The final goal,
reintroduce the species into the wilderness,
- to the mountains of Al-'Ula. - [leopard whines]
[muffled voices]
[narrator] At the center, using CCTV,
the caretakers monitor the leopards day and night.
[soft instrumental music playing]
[leopard growls]
[narrator] Classified as critically endangered
by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature,
it is estimated that fewer than 200 Arabian leopards
are left in the wild.
It's up to us
to look after these globally threatened animals.
[music fades]
[narrator] In the future,
we hope to see more of these animals in the wild.
Meanwhile, it's our duty to ensure their well-being.
This includes letting them play to get some exercise.
[pensive music playing]
[music intensifies]
[leopard growls]
[leopard snarls]
[leopard growls]
- [leopard growls] - [music fades]
[birds squawking]
[narrator] These are the fishermen of the Farasan Island.
There is no industrial fishing here.
Fishing here is treated as a respectful artisan practice only.
There is a collective effort to protect the balance of species
and to not over-fish, in order to maintain healthy stocks.
[soft instrumental music playing]
[narrator] Here, men fish with hand-thrown nets.
Afterwards, they return to the port with their catch,
where the fish are sold to locals on the coast.
[suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] Adult turtles lay their eggs on the beach.
They have nested on our sandy shores for thousands of years.
They do so at night,
in the safety of darkness.
After the eggs are laid,
they return to the water.
Once hatched,
the baby turtles instinctively move towards the brightest light.
Usually, this would lead them to the ocean,
as they crawl toward the night sky spanning above.
Cities and traffic lights confuse them and lead them astray.
These beaches have drastically changed.
Plastic waste pollutes the once-soft sands
and creates obstacles for the turtles trying to reach the water.
Humans have made it harder for them to survive,
and over the years,
fewer turtles make it safely to the ocean.
[wondrous music playing]
[narrator] However, our wrongs can be righted.
In the early morning,
rangers patrol the fence between the beach and the city.
They look for stragglers, the survivors of the night,
and bring them to the ocean.
This small act has saved many turtles,
but every effort must be made to clean our beaches too.
Perhaps we should re-design coastal city lighting
as to not mislead this vulnerable species.
Survival should be made easier for the innocent,
and we have the capacity and compassion to do so.
This is just one example of many ways
we can help wildlife return to some form of normality.
[music fades]
[narrator] Plastic in our waters is a huge problem.
Turtles often confuse plastic carrier bags for jellyfish,
and die as a result.
Deaths are also caused by entanglement.
The short convenience of plastic
has a massively long consequence on the environment.
[gentle music playing]
[narrator] Efforts have been made to reduce plastic waste from the ocean.
Recycling, reusing, and up-cycling
are all methods used to limit pollution and plastic use.
In the meantime, there is a lot of litter to clean up.
One method of regenerating our landscape
is to plant native trees.
Mangroves are more than a suitable answer.
They thrive in low-oxygen soil,
where slow-moving waters allow sediments to gather.
In time, as mangrove forests grow and spread,
local wildlife will be encouraged to return.
Here, they can feed, nest, and repopulate.
[flamingos squawk]
[pensive music playing]
[narrator] At King Abdullah University for Science and Technology,
research is being done to save the coral.
Coral is threatened by climate change,
with increasing temperatures causing inhospitable environments.
Artificial coral bases are 3D-scanned,
and replicas are made.
A small number of live coral fragments are then applied to these bases.
These small coral pieces grow faster than larger ones,
and are quick to join each other on the models.
They are grown further in artificially warmer water than the sea.
This makes them tougher and more tolerant of higher temperatures.
A whole variety are cultivated this way
to match the over 300 coral species of the Red Sea.
[pensive music continues]
[narrative] When large enough,
they are returned to the ocean and planted amongst the dying coral.
In time, these coral will grow to be stronger
and better suited to withstand an element of climate change.
Additionally, they'll provide food and shelter
for local fish populations and marine life.
[music fades]
[gentle music playing]
[chick chirping]
[narrator] Flying above the sea, the fish hawk, also known as the osprey,
is a resident of the Farasan Island.
[gentle music continues]
[chick chirping]
[narrator] They are efficient and exceptional hunters.
They have long legs and large talons,
and their feet on the underside
are covered with small spines called spicules,
which hold their catch securely.
The chicks won't fledge until over seven weeks.
Until then, they rely on their parents to bring food to the nest.
The birds have evolved hooked beaks,
perfect for tearing the flesh of a fish.
[chick chirping]
[hawk screeching]
[music fades]
[hawk chirps]
[dramatic music playing]
[narrator] Ospreys are known to pair for life,
and their nests, known as an eyrie, can be used and added to year on year.
Some nests are known to be used for over 20 years by the same pair.
[hawk screeching]
[narrator] The world is not ours alone.
Whilst we benefit in many ways from what the land and nature provides,
we must look after the planet.
For us to survive,
we must learn to live in harmony with nature
and change our ways
in order to ensure sustained health and well-being
for all of Earth's inhabitants.
[dramatic music continues]
[music fades]