Malaysia is one of a handful of countries in the world described as mega-diverse. Rivers and streams carve up the forests, drawing pygmy elephants to their grassy banks. Water trickles down through Malaysia’s soft bedrock excavating vast caves where bats and cockroaches thrive in their millions. Malaysia’s animals and plants have exploited every opportunity to carve out an existence and so have adapted to some very strange ways of life.

Thailand is a land of extremes. A country shaped by wild forces, where animals face tough challenges to survive. Forming part of a biodiversity hotspot Thailand encompasses a diverse range of habitats: tropical rainforest older than the Amazon and primeval caves; mangrove swamps and rocky shorelines. Inevitably, the creatures are remarkable too.

Cambodia is one of the most bio diverse countries in southeast Asia, whose wildlife and climate is ruled by the monsoon cycle. It is a wild land of extreme rains, raging rivers and flooding lakes that create great challenges for its animals, and a fine balance between seasons. The monsoon it helps reshape environments and even changes the course of a river.

Vietnam is the easternmost country of the Indochina peninsula. Around 10% of the world’s species live here, with tropical jungles fit to burst with wildlife. But less than 50 years ago, things were very different. For a decade, Vietnam’s forests were decimated as nature became the collateral damage in a human war. The term ecological warfare was coined to describe it. But as it always does, life fought back.

Tucked away in China’s southwest corner is a hidden oasis unlike any other. Snow-capped mountains, temperate valleys and tropical jungles are home to a spectacular array of wildlife. Approximately half of China’s birds and mammals live in this tiny region; many are found nowhere else on earth.