Asia reveals how a 'hobby' is driving singing birds towards extinction
They're being captured and forced to perform in competitions around Indonesia.
What did you miss?
David Attenborough's docuseries Asia rolled out its final episode on Sunday, 15 December, which put endangered species under the microscope.
Following a heart-tugging sun bear segment, viewers were introduced to Indonesia's newfound sport of singing birds competing against one another in cages, yet what their captors don't seem to realise is that many of them are now threatened by extinction as a result.
The BBC Wildlife team caught up with a guy named Panji, who's fighting to protect one of the world's rarest feathery flyers: the Javan Green Magpie.
What, how and why?
"In some of the continent's forests, wildlife is being removed at an alarming rate," narrated Attenborough, as the onscreen setting transferred over to the island of Java.
"This rainforest should provide a habitat for a multitude of birds with melodious songs, but the jungle is falling silent. In stark contrast, the bird markets are noisier than ever. Keeping birds that sing as pets is a deep-rooted tradition in Indonesia and in recent years a new craze has emerged."
These singing competitions apparently unfold across the whole country now, with big cash prizes up for grabs. The iconic naturalist added: "Many of these birds have been taken from the wild and the hobby is driving some species towards extinction."
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Enter Panji, who houses over 40 of the green magpies in a high-security facility, with the hope of releasing them back into their natural habitat when he can track down a clutch of potential breeding partners.
Attenborough called this a "near-impossible task" as Panji was filmed listening to hours and hours of jungle audio recordings. He later met a singing bird competitor, Mr. Neo, and managed to convince him to donate his green magpie to the sanctuary after revealing there's possibly fewer than 50 left in the wild.
What else happened during Asia?
Elsewhere in the sixth and final episode of Asia, the day-to-day of two marine biologists was documented as they attempt to rescue the unborn embryos of baby sharks from their dead mother's bodies, having been accidentally killed in fishing nets.
They've developed a unique incubating system, simulating the parent's womb. The little ones are fed by their existing yolk sacks and surrounded by a chemical fluid similar to a natural one, all while being kept in relative darkness to mirror the reality of a womb.
Asia is available to stream in its entirety on BBC iPlayer
