Island of the Monsoon

The tropical island of Sri Lanka is a natural mosaic of many different habitats, all teeming with life. Here, some of the world’s largest congregations of leopards and elephants roam its national parks, crocodiles prowl its natural and manmade lakes, and hundreds of species of birds and insects weather its cloud forests and jungles. Enter a world where monsoon storms drench one side of the island while the other withers in drought, and see how the wild variety of creatures that live here survive in this land of extremes.

Every year in Sri Lanka during the dry season, hundreds of elephants travel from as far as 75 miles away to Minneriya National Park for its permanent source of water and food. Joining the massive gathering is Jaya, who arrives just in time to give birth to a baby boy, Loka. Over the coming months, her calf will learn crucial life lessons, including suckling, swimming, and living among giants. It’s an idyllic start to his young life, but when the drought intensifies, Loka and his mother are forced to leave this Eden and seek refuge elsewhere.

Mugger crocodiles are hunters from the day they are born, fearsome predators that lurk in Sri Lanka’s lakes and marshes. During the dry season, these waterholes attract prey from around the region, making it an all-you-can-eat buffet for these 10-foot leviathans, but this year has been drier than usual. It has barely rained in eight months, the forest lakes are shrinking, and one mugger croc has no choice but to search of a new home. His unexpected journey will lead him to a new lake…and into conflict with its reigning king.

It’s September in Sri Lanka. The rains have arrived with a vengeance, but the riches of monsoon season are not shared equally. One side of the country is drenched in life-giving water. But just sixty miles away, the land is parched. These contrasting habitats create a staggering diversity of life and wildly different conditions to which the animals must adapt. Join us as we explore the island’s lush wilderness, arid coasts, and vibrant rainforests and follow its remarkable creatures on their quests to find food, attract mates, and stay alive.

Eight thousand feet above sea level in Sri Lanka’s Central Highlands, monsoon mists embark on a hundred-mile journey, from the wind-swept cloud forest, through lush tropical rainforests below, to salty mangroves rooted at the edge of the Indian Ocean. We follow the waters’ path through the many changing island habitats, and meet the creatures who call these regions home, including the bent-toed geckos in the cool mountains, the Malabar giant squirrels in the humid jungle’s canopy, the mudskipper fish on the coastline, and more.

Stretching over four hundred square miles of Southern Sri Lanka, Yala National Park is an avian Eden. Some 215 bird species have made their homes here, including red-wattled lapwings, paradise flycatchers, and white-bellied sea eagles. They’re drawn to the area’s deep watering holes, lush forests, and fertile lagoons…but not all the winged creatures here are friendly. In fact, some of the deadliest predators here are birds themselves, and new feathered parents must defend their helpless young or lose them to these skilled hunters.