[00:01.400]The eels are highly prized by the locals
[00:03.820]These Solomon Islanders hand feed them, not to fatten them up for dinner
[00:08.110]but to encourage them to stick around
[00:10.610]By scavenging on whatever's decaying here
[00:12.710]the eels clean the islanders' precious pools of drinking water
[00:17.380]And over time, the honorary guests have become tame
[00:21.660]One day, these adult freshwater eels will return to the sea to spawn
[00:27.100]after which they'll die
[00:29.990]For now, they're as good as pets
[00:34.620]Away from the coast, animals are thin on the ground
[00:38.510]The Solomons have only a quarter of the reptiles and birds that New Guinea has
[00:43.820]For mammals like echidnas and kangaroos
[00:46.710]the water proved too great a hurdle
[00:49.560]But some mammals did make it here
[00:52.070]When it comes to reaching new islands
[00:54.050]flying must surely have been the easiest way to get there
[00:57.880]But the 60 miles between New Guinea and the Solomons still proved a formidable challenge for many winged creatures
[01:05.450]With their four-foot wingspans
[01:07.710]giant fruit bats succeeded where other fliers failed