No, they're not sunbathing.

Yeah, see, some time on the Tibetan plateau is caterpillar fungus season?

Sorry.

Wait, What in the world?

The caterpillar fungus.

And why do so many people travel hundreds of miles just to look for it?

For those who do find it, it's like hitting the lottery.

One study says 500 g of it can sell for up to 26,000 U.

S.

Dollars.

Caterpillar fungus is one of the most prized ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine.

It's sometimes called a magic mushroom for its apparently wide ranging health benefits.

And it can only be found here on the Tibetan plateau, which includes the provinces of Sichuan, Qinghai, Yunnan, Gansu and Tibet, where in Luton County in Sichuan, that is, until the caterpillar gets infected with parasitic fungus called audio quadriceps finances.

Fungus takes control of the Caterpillar sprain and forces it to crawl up toward the surface of the soil way.

New General Amanda's adults wanna the most fungus burst out of the soil and sends out sports that then in fact, other caterpillars continuing its life cycle.

So basically caterpillar fungus is a really expensive caterpillar parasite.

Zombie.

How would you bother?

What does this do for you supposed to increase your virility?

It's supposed to kill piles, piles a what is piles?

Hemorrhoids?

Oh, and the Chinese athletes have been taking it for quite some time.

Although it's been used in traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine for centuries.

In recent years it has experienced a search in demand In the West.

Gwyneth Paltrow has sorted as part of her health product line group from 2012 to 2017.

Caterpillar fungus prices rose an average 20% every year in 2017 1 kg of fungus sold for $140,000 in Beijing, The growing demand has pushed many people into fungus harvesting people like Neema and his family.

What was your name on?

What should like?

Thio?

Uh, wait.

Uh, Mama, what a calibration.

My, uh Oh, man, like for the use of social media was used for, uh, Joshua usually usually, like for the next two months, This is the daily routine 17 strong 1000 and she got colder after bet is a 9 to 5 job, usually Juego, he didn't know the answer.

And how do you find caterpillar fungus?

Eventually home.

And you can this year.

Trouble should not.

You should, uh she Oh, so e o uh, when he spots one, he takes the soil around the fungus.

Amanda.

But last all night, can you bend things is so more so more Use my mind about nation needle.

Thank you.

Tithe partner.

You Donna and broken pieces fetch a lot less than Poland's.

You can't use a great.

So today Neema only found four fungi.

A small amount for a full day's effort.

Uh huh.

Usually get a shot at the title.

The prosecution negative ones are Uh huh.

Jewish out potential part on which lie.

Over the years, caterpillar fungus numbers have been on a steady decline.

Multiple studies have cited climate change and warmer winters as reasons since caterpillar fungi thrive in the code vet and overharvesting.

My tones of the US uh, e uh, e extracting the fungus before it's sports can proliferate means they can continue to grow.

But it's unlikely that people will stop hunting for caterpillar fungus anytime soon.

E uh, E what?

Use a sham.

Uh, you know, uh, so that would be interesting.