Borneo's Secret Kingdom
Flowing from the heart of Borneo, the Kinabatangan River is a cornucopia of life. From deep within mountains, to its ultimate meeting with the sea. Borneo stands at a triple junction of three tectonic plates, and at the crossroads of two oceans. The river is home to 50 mammal species, 200 types of bird, and countless insects. Fuelled by yearly monsoons, at its headwaters, mountains have sustained wet tropical forests. In the floodplains below, strange and more unexpected life inhabits the dense jungle. Beyond lie tangled mangroves nursing the next generation of marine creatures. Finally, at the cusp of the Sulu Sea the journey begins again. In the tropical warmth, moisture evaporates, rises to form clouds, and on mountain ranges rain falls again.
- 2016-2017
- 1 season
- Documentary
Flowing from the heart of Borneo, the Kinabatangan River is a cornucopia of life. From deep within mountains, to its ultimate meeting with the sea. Borneo stands at a triple junction of three tectonic plates, and at the crossroads of two oceans. The river is home to 50 mammal species, 200 types of bird, and countless insects. Fuelled by yearly monsoons, at its headwaters, mountains have sustained wet tropical forests. In the floodplains below, strange and more unexpected life inhabits the dense jungle. Beyond lie tangled mangroves nursing the next generation of marine creatures. Finally, at the cusp of the Sulu Sea the journey begins again. In the tropical warmth, moisture evaporates, rises to form clouds, and on mountain ranges rain falls again.
Season 1 Episode Guide
3 Episodes 2017
Episode 1
Forest of the Flying Snakes
48 mins
The waters of the Kinabatangan River have passed over rapids, through hills, and into vast flood plains. We take a look at the river during an El Niño year, and the rains are late, spreading famine and relentless heat. Nature pulls no punches. From the unusual nesting practices of Hornbills, to the jungle skills of Orangutans, life rises to meet nature's challenges.
Episode 2
Empire of the Sun
48 mins
In shallow pools of the Kinabatangan River, endemic fighting fish battle for territory. Further on, clouded leopards stalk primates, and flying snakes perform death-defying leaps. As we make our way down to the flood plains, we pass soaring forests inhabited by one of the most well-known and beloved of Borneo's natives; the Orangutan.
Episode 3
King of the Swamp
48 mins
The Kinabatangan-Segama Wetlands is one of the largest and most pristine coastal ecosystems in Southeast Asia, but the wet-season is shaking things up. Proboscis monkeys squabble for control over harems, Oriental short-clawed otters scour for fish, and crocodile eggs hatch from nests. It is a rich nursery for freshwater and marine species alike.