Plot Synopsis

CHINA'S WILD SIDE is a two-part special that reveals some of the richest and most diverse animal ecosystems in two very different wildlife ecosystems: China's Tibet and Yunnan regions. Tibet, dominated by a vast high-altitude plateau, is home to animals that have evolved to cope with the thin air, such as wild yaks and snakes that can live only in volcanic springs. Meanwhile, Yunnan is a lush subtropical paradise that has perhaps the greatest diversity of all of China's regions. It's home to the nation's only elephants, as well as the highest living primates on Earth: the bizarre snub-nosed monkeys. Part 1, "Tibet's Animal Kingdom," chronicle the region's mysterious animal kingdom -- from the giant Tibetan bear to the grassland Pika and young Tibetan macaques, some of the planet's most incredible species live in this dramatic landscape.