Off Borneo, Tun Sakaran Marine Park protects one of the world’s richest reef systems, formed by a volcano and home to hundreds of coral and fish species. Protection has forced coastal communities, like the stilt‑dwelling Sama Dilaut, to seek new livelihoods; fishing is banned on some reefs. Only with protection can fish recover and repopulate legal zones. Some families now run seaweed farms; farmers may settle on green isles if they avoid deforestation. Island groves are guarded by local beliefs in forest spirits, whose warnings farmers heed to preserve nature.

Kaziranga National Park in Assam, a UNESCO site, shelters royal tigers, Asian elephants and the world’s largest wild water‑buffalo population. Human settlements, a busy southern highway, rice fields and tea plantations fragment habitat; blocked elephant routes cause raids on crops and villages. Poaching endangers the Indian one‑horned rhino. Protector Raju Kutum cares for orphaned elephant calves at a rescue center and educates locals. The Brahmaputra forms Kaziranga’s north; sandbar cattle farmers rely on valuable offspring sired by swimming water buffalo, yet tigers that cross the river often kill their livestock.

Each autumn Shinto priest Hirose climbs Unzen on Kyushu to bring down the deity for the festival and appease the volcano. Unzen - once deadly - now lies within a national park, feared and admired. Photographer Takehito Miyatake drives ten hours monthly to capture Sakurajima’s constant ash eruptions. Farmers exploit fertile volcanic slopes for rice; noodle makers and hot springs create local delicacies. Fisherman Michihiro Harada harvests mudskippers in the ash‑rich Ariake Sea. Mudskippers, crabs and monkeys have adapted to life in the volcanoes’ shadow.

Khao Sok’s ancient rainforests in southern Thailand shelter diverse wildlife. Jo, chief biologist for the region, surveys bat species - capturing them is dangerous and bites can cause serious infection. New species turn up regularly; Jo hopes to find a new bat. A reservoir fragments elephant habitat, and Jo seeks ways to reconnect populations. Limestone karsts extend to the southwest coast and into the Gulf, where cave‑dwelling white‑nest swiftlets produce prized edible nests harvested at great risk. Jo and his team patrol Khao Sok to count elephants; the park’s beauty belies the harsh effort required to live with nature.

The forests of Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve in Guizhou are intact, protected by director Yang Yequin, who will soon leave his research role. Successor Nui Kefeng installs surveillance cameras to study the remaining about 700 Guizhou golden monkeys - researchers expect a surprise. About 1,000 km northeast, Tianzhu Mountain in Anhui hosts the 400‑year‑old Jidi An nunnery, currently building a new hall for its large golden Buddha. At Fanjing’s foot, a blue pond is famed as a rejuvenating spring; nearby papermaker Yang Heping still practices his craft. Life on Tianzhu has steadied; the abbess prepares to travel to Mount Fanjing despite her fear of heights, drawn by the summit’s promised view.