Animal Planet to air Lands of the Monsoon

Exotic and alluring, the wildlife and cultures of southern Asia have been shaped by one of the greatest phenomena on earth: the monsoon winds that sweep across this vast region, turning drought into deluge. All life - human and animal - is dominated by this rampaging weather system. Premiering July 1, weekdays (Monday to Friday) at 8 PM, Animal Planet’s spectacular Lands of the Monsoon will explore 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 orangutan 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. Lands of the Monsoon will begin its journey from Northern Australian and will travel to the peaks of the Himalayas. Along the way, it will offer a taste of the variety and colour of the different regions' most extraordinary wildlife and cultures and the way they cope with the tumultuous weather. 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, 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 will also look 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. The monsoon delivers deluge and with it the miracle of rejuvenation. But the monsoon can also bring drought. Such extremes test the endurance of every creature. From the shores of Australia to the highest peaks of the Himalayas, the wind-blown deserts of northern India, to the lush equatorial forests of Borneo, this series will make an exhilarating journey through the lands of the monsoon.