Peace is often fleeting in the natural world, however, and shortly after the deer begin their morning drink, they find themselves bolting back into the undergrowth to safety. A flock of birds has disturbed them from their gathering, sent soaring into the warm morning air by something huge moving through the undergrowth. Like something from a hollywood film, the bushes across the stream rattle and rustle, progressively faster, until a tall black shadow can be seen emerging from the tangle of bamboo and leaves. It's a primate - a colossal, reddish coloured, muscular, powerful primate. As its face steadily unsheaths itself from the greenery, it looks almost human - a kind, slow expression spreads across its huge cheeks as it too, pauses to check for tigers.

With none in sight, the primate - Gigantopithecus, a huge, extinct ape - can descend to the stream to drink. As a lone, adult male, this is his territory, and he will spend the morning coursing it for food and water. Although the terrified hoofed mammals are long gone, they needn't have worried - Gigantopithecus is a strict vegetarian, and would have at best just ushered them along so he could have drank in peace. Instead, this giant ape stands tall and proud in his forest home - he is one of the most remarkable animals living in these forests, and there is little that can do him harm.

Pushing through a lofty bamboo thicket, he soon finds himself in a densely surrounded forest clearing, surrounded by others of his kind - his family. Several females, a few yound males and some youngsters, born just last year, are at his command. As the leader of his troop, he will defend them from rival males and predators fiercely, siring as many of his family's children as he can within the constraints of his reign. He, and his kind, are the largest primates ever to live.