South Korea: Earth's Hidden Wilderness Page #3

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And the tables begin to turn.

Bee stings can't kill the hornets.

But they do weaken them.

As the bees gain the upper hand,

pushing their attackers back...

..they now release the full force

of their defence for

the last remaining hornet.

They swarm, immobilising it.

The bees vibrate,

raising the temperature

at the centre to a level

the hornet cannot withstand.

And the hornet is cooked alive.

The bees have developed this

unique and effective defence

over millennia.

Many more bees than hornets died

in this encounter.

But their colony has survived...

..and will continue to thrive

here in the forest...

..until the next encounter.

200 miles away...

..the mud flats of Suncheon Bay

in the south of the Korean mainland.

During the monsoon,

they receive one of the highest

levels of rainfall anywhere

in Korea.

It can rain constantly here

for weeks at a time.

But it is not the

torrential downpours

that have shaped this landscape.

Suncheon Bay is a tidal ecosystem

that is neither land nor sea.

Each day, the tidal waters

of the bay withdraw

to reveal over eight square

miles of thick mud -

a seemingly inhospitable landscape.

But the local people thrive here,

as they have done

for thousands of years.

No modern vehicle can cross the mud.

Instead, the local people get around

here on specially designed boards.

It is hard going but the rewards

are huge.

The mud of the day is

rich in nutrients

and supports one of the most

diverse ecosystems in Korea.

Today the mud flat industry

is larger than ever before.

Seafood makes up a huge part

of the Korean diet.

And much of it comes

from Suncheon Bay.

Thousands of tonnes

are harvested here every year.

Yet, despite the increase

in fishing activity in the bay,

the mudflats are so rich

that they are quick to replenish

what is taken out

during the harvest.

Some of the most abundant

creatures here

are various forms

of mudskipper,

the misfits of the aquatic world.

They spend almost as much time

out of the water as they do in it.

And that's possible

as long as they remain moist,

allowing them to absorb

oxygen through their skin.

There are several different species

of mudskipper here.

Shuttles hoppfish

is among the smallest.

This male is just

five centimetres long,

and he has only just reached

sexual maturity.

Now this young hopeful

must find himself a mate.

70 miles north is Upo, the largest

natural swampland in South Korea.

This prehistoric wetland is

home to many rare species,

and it's a protected

conservation zone.

In summer much of Upo

is carpeted with lilies.

One of the most prolific

is the ancient and aptly-named

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