漂流者 15

The eels are highly prized by the locals

These Solomon Islanders hand feed them, not to fatten them up for dinner

but to encourage them to stick around

By scavenging on whatever's decaying here

the eels clean the islanders' precious pools of drinking water

And over time, the honorary guests have become tame

One day, these adult freshwater eels will return to the sea to spawn

after which they'll die

For now, they're as good as pets

Away from the coast, animals are thin on the ground

The Solomons have only a quarter of the reptiles and birds that New Guinea has

For mammals like echidnas and kangaroos

the water proved too great a hurdle

But some mammals did make it here

When it comes to reaching new islands

flying must surely have been the easiest way to get there

But the 60 miles between New Guinea and the Solomons still proved a formidable challenge for many winged creatures

With their four-foot wingspans

giant fruit bats succeeded where other fliers failed