Original subtitles

[Aldo, VO] Our planet is under threat like never before.

This shouldn't happen. It breaks my heart.

[Aldo, VO] We lose up to 150 different species every single day.

Oh, my word!

That's actually crazy.

[Aldo, VO] And a million more are threatened with extinction.

But we are on a mission to try and change that.

That is a big drop-off.

[Declan] Keep your eyes forward, mate. You know what I mean?

This is gonna be some ride.

We're entering the unknown.

[Aldo, VO] Our job: To find and film

some of the rarest animals on the planet.

[Vianet, laughing] We got it.

- [Declan] I can't believe it! - [Aldo] Show me!

[Aldo, VO] And help scientists to save them.

- That's the last one. Yeah. - Last one. Yeah.

This is beautiful.

[Aldo, VO] Before it's too late.

That is destroying the entire ecosystem. Look at that.

I'm Dec and I specialize in getting cameras into places

where no one else can.

Ooh, that's pretty tight in here.

If a bear comes now, I'm a goner. [chuckles]

I'm Vianet. I connect to these animals through my camera lens.

This is extraordinary. It's looking straight at me.

And I'm Aldo.

Former Royal Marines commando and team leader.

- [Aldo] All right, big man? - [Declan] I'm all good!

[Aldo, VO] It's my job to keep Vianet and Dec safe.

Do you think this will take my weight?

No!

[Vianet laughing]

[Aldo, VO] This might...

be my toughest challenge yet.

[Aldo, VO] Welcome to Gabon...

The temperature is roughly about 45 degrees Celsius.

[Aldo, VO] ...an African nation that's roughly the size of the UK,

but with a population 28 times smaller.

[Aldo] Look at the sweat on Dec's head.

- This is me losing weight. - [all laugh]

The vehicles are packed, and we are heading...

out... that way.

To find and film gorillas.

[Aldo] I love these red earth roads.

They're just like... adventure inbound.

Vi's back home. He loves these roads, don't you, Vi?

This is like my back garden.

[Vianet, VO] And that's because I was born here, in Central Africa.

As you know, we are in a French-speaking country.

[in French] My name is Aldo.

I love gorillas.

- [in French] Where are the gorillas? - [in English] Where are the gorillas?

They'll be like, "I don't know. Let's look for them."

[Declan, VO] There are four subspecies of gorilla.

And they all live in the tropical forests of Africa.

We're in Gabon, searching for the Western Lowland.

It's home to a quarter of all gorillas on Earth.

So, to help save them, it's the perfect place to start.

There's the odd little village, but the rest of it is just pure green.

That's one thing that makes Gabon so important.

It's got an incredible intact ecosystem.

- It's the Eden of Africa. - Yes.

[Declan, VO] But even here, they're struggling.

Sixty percent of the population has vanished

in just 25 years,

due to hunting, disease, and habitat loss.

[horn blares]

[Aldo] We've passed so many of these logging trucks.

Truck after truck after truck.

Aldo, Aldo, this is Dec. Over.

Aldo. Send.

Keep seeing a lot of big, big lorries full of logs.

It just kind of brings home the troubles of the gorillas.

Yeah, I mean, it's all legal logging, but still impacts the gorillas' habitat.

[horn blasts]

[Aldo, VO] Gabon actively promotes sustainable logging

yet many companies here still fall short of internationally-agreed standards...

leaving these forests, and the gorillas, at risk.

[Declan] Stop, stop, stop. Bridge.

[Aldo] Hey, Dec, we should get out and look at that,

just make sure it's cool for driving. Over.

[Declan] Don't know if that'll take my weight, let alone the cars!

[Declan, VO] The next bridge is over a day's drive away.

- [Declan] That's some drop, innit? - Look at that. That's one beam.

What do you reckon, get a couple of planks

- and fill those gaps? - [Declan] Yeah.

They're heavy.

[Declan] Amateurs. Balance, that's how you do it.

Reckon that'll do it. Paper, Rock, Scissors, see who goes first?

- [Declan] Vi, you do it. You're driving. - Okay, hang on.

[both] One, two, three. Show!

- [all] Ooohh. - [Declan] Mind games!

[Vianet chuckles]

[Declan] That's it, mate, you're going first.

- [Aldo] Whoa! - [Declan] Hey!

- I nearly went down! - [Declan] Watch yourself, safety man!

[Aldo, VO] I've stumbled upon something worrying.

[Aldo] Look at this. That's all debris from the water level being up.

[Vianet] During the rainy season, the water gets right up to here.

[Declan] This high. This whole jungle will change.

[Aldo] That's scary, isn't it?

[Aldo, VO] The rainy season is due in just two weeks' time.

If we don't get in, and out, of the jungle before then,

we could be in serious trouble.

[Declan] Gonna keep the belt off in case I've got to jump out.

[Aldo] Same.

Don't look down... Oh!

Whoa...

Oy.

[Declan] You're good, you're good.

Plank's not screwed in.

I feel like that's the hard bit done.

[Aldo] Don't speak too soon.

[Declan] Oy!

These are very old planks here. [chuckles]

There we go.

[Aldo, VO] Now it's time for Vi...

[Vianet muttering]

...to test his driving skills.

It's a simple thing, but look, I'm sweating! [chuckles]

Nearly there, nearly there.

Oh...

- You're a top man! - [Aldo] Top man!

[Aldo, VO] Our destination, Doussala.

A remote village nestled between a national park on one side

and a logging concession on the other.

I'll be quite glad to get out of the car.

[Aldo, VO] And the people here

have a surprising plan to protect gorillas.

Tourism.

In countries like Uganda, it generates millions of dollars a year,

making their forest home worth more standing than logged.

But it's a solution that not all conservationists...

Oh, that's good!

[Aldo, VO] ...are entirely comfortable with.

It's not often that hear about tourism being the main thrust of conservation.

Usually it's get into an area, shut it down to tourism.

Whereas this is very much about bringing humans in.

As hard as this may seem, all across Africa,

gorillas have been saved because of these tourist projects.

Otherwise, they'd be gone by now.

[Aldo, VO] In this village,

they're launching the world's only community-led gorilla tourism project.

To do that, they need to find wild gorillas.

Which is where we come in.

- [in French] Hello, my name is Aldo. - Etienne.

[in English] You're the big boss?

- No, I'm not so big. - [Aldo laughs]

[Aldo, VO] Etienne Akomo is a zoologist specializing in primates.

He's working with the people of Doussala on their plan to protect gorillas.

- I'm Dec. - Dec. Hi, Dec.

- Welcome. - Merci.

[Aldo, VO] And we'll be using his research center as our base.

[indistinct chatter]

Here is restroom and shower room.

Then turn around.

- You will enjoy our... sleep here. - [Declan] Nice.

- Looks very posh. - Yeah.

[in French] Etienne, speak in French so they will not understand.

[Aldo interjects]

I will get the best room, ok?

- [in English] What's he saying? - "Can I have the best room?" [laughs]

[in French] I understand a little French.

[Akomo in French] You understand lots!

[Aldo echoes Akomo]

- [in French] He understands, too! - Oh, yeah?

- [Akomo] Bonjour. - Bonjour.

[in French] What is your name?

- [in English] Uh... good! - Oh, no, no!

[all laughing and chatting]

In the jungle, in a four-poster bed!

Which makes me feel like a bit of a prince.

Look at that!

[Vianet] It's been an amazing day.

I just feel back home.

- Bonne nuit! - [switch clicks]

[birdsong]

Oy, oy, oy! Come and check this out!

It's a spider. Look at the size of it!

That's amazing. She's a beauty.

You know, we just started moving some bags and we found this beast of a thing.

Ooh-hoo-hoo!

Guarantee if that bit you, it would hurt!

[Declan, VO] It's not just the wildlife we have to deal with,

it's the heat.

[Vianet] Temperature 100 percent humid. Ugh!

[Declan, VO] So we're gonna need to stay hydrated...

Feels like you are in a sauna.

[Declan, VO] ...to have any chance of finding gorillas

somewhere in all of this.

[Aldo, VO] And the community has no idea how many are living in the forest.

[click]

So we'll be using Dec's camera traps

and my tracking skills, to locate them.

Luckily for us, Vianet has been filming gorillas for nearly a decade.

They are very dominating,

and you've got to put your eyes down, be submissive.

They will trust you, they feel like you want to be one of them,

if you are vocalizing a bit like them.

Like... [low, throaty grunts]

- Like clearing your throat? - Yeah.

Are you telling me that because it's an aggressive noise

- and gonna get me in trouble? - [Vianet] No. That is a gentle noise.

It might save your life.

[Aldo, VO] Those that are used to human contact

are known as habituated gorillas.

Glad we're not getting our feet wet on the very first day.

[Aldo, VO] We're heading to a troop that's already been habituated

in the neighboring national park.

[Vianet] Let's do it.

[Aldo, VO] These gorillas are not part of Doussala's planned tourism project.

But it's a chance to see how close we can get

when they've grown used to visitors.

[radio bleeps]

[Aldo] We've just got ourselves into the last 100 meters or so

of where the gorillas are,

and we've had to put our masks on

so that we don't communicate any diseases or viruses.

[birds chirping]

[Aldo, VO] While they're used to humans, the troop is always on the move.

And Etienne's team still needs to find them daily.

[low, repetitive clicking]

[whispering] That noise is the gorillas communicating.

[low clicking]

[low clicking]

[whispering] There's a gorilla just there.

[clicking continues]

[Vianet, whispering] Yes!

[Aldo, whispering] The first gorilla we see is the silverback. It's amazing.

The big boss of this group.

[Declan, VO] These gentle giants are often called the gardeners of the forest.

Seeds in the food they eat get spread far and wide.

And this helps new plants to grow,

benefiting all the animals that call this place home.

[Vianet, whispering] He's counting the number of people around him.

They're so tuned in to the world around them.

The baby when he saw us

was so excited he started clapping.

This is what I love about gorillas.

[Aldo, whispering] Just blown away by how similar they are to us.

- [Vianet] Their eyes, it's amazing. - [Aldo] Yeah.

[Vianet] That's why they are so, so important to save.

You know, this is our cousins.

If we can't save these guys, what can we save?

[Declan, VO] We share over 98 percent of our DNA with gorillas.

And that special connection is why tourists pay good money to see them.

[Declan] To be surrounded by animals

that really don't mind us being here is pretty special.

[Declan, VO] Habituating gorillas can take a decade.

But Doussala's project has only just begun.

So, to help kick-start it,

we need to find gorillas that have never seen people before.

[birdsong]

[Aldo] In the back of my head, I've had this thing.

Should we even be trying to habituate gorillas?

I mean, they're wild. We could just leave them alone.

I think, if the habituation makes them look like a zoo exhibit,

I would feel uncomfortable. But they're not gonna do that.

They will do what they can, and the experience will be very organic.

I feel like it's the best thing that can happen to the community here,

and the gorillas.

I guess eco-tourism really is, you know,

- a way that these guys can... - [Vianet] Survive.

- ...survive, because it's harsh out here. - Mm.

If they then have an interest in protecting the gorillas,

then they'll be more inclined to not let logging come in,

more inclined to protect and conserve the forest.

Yeah. The gorillas help them, and they help protecting the gorillas.

[insects chirping]

[knocking at door] Coffee's ready.

[Aldo, VO] It's time to go deeper into the jungle...

- Dec, coffee's on. - Cheers, man.

[Aldo, VO] ...to search for truly wild gorillas

for Doussala to habituate.

[Aldo] We're gonna find a new silverback.

- I like that confidence. - I'm gonna call them in.

[all grunt like gorillas]

[engine revs]

[Aldo, VO] Etienne has caught glimpses of a potential troop

on camera traps he rigged in the forest.

And the community decided to name the silverback Papa Yitu

because "yitu" means "hope" in the local language.

But the troop's exact location remains a mystery.

So, to try and find them,

Vi and I are entering the forest from opposite sides.

[Vianet, VO] Habituation only begins if the silverback lets us get close.

This lens will capture

at least a bit of the fast-moving of gorillas across the forest.

Uh, let's go.

[speaks French]

[Vianet, VO] I'll be working with local trackers

to try to win over Papa Yitu's trust.

[whispering] You're walking too fast.

[Vianet, VO] Rodrigue leads the project for the people of Doussala.

I can't be more excited, because I've actually never been involved

in this very beginning of habituation.

It's hot, and very, very, very humid.

[Aldo, VO] Two miles west of Vianet, I'm using tracking skills

honed during ten years of military service.

[whispering] We've moving super, super quietly.

Looking, listening, smelling.

[Aldo, VO] Searching for signs of where Papa Yitu's troop might be hiding.

Gorilla poo right there.

And a well-worn track on the other side.

Like a regular bridge for gorillas.

This might be an absolute gold mine.

So we've just found a site with three gorilla nests.

You can tell by how dead the leaves are roughly how old it is.

Over three weeks, more likely four or five weeks old.

[Aldo, VO] Gorillas build a new nest every night,

as they're constantly on the move.

Lots of signs of gorilla here in the forest.

Um, these are completely wild,

never been habituated.

And probably no one has ever seen them before.

[Aldo, VO] We're on the right track, but it's time to head back to camp.

[Aldo] What's that in there?

[in French] It's the old sawmill.

Ah, okay.

That's like a graveyard.

[door creaks]

It's huge.

[Aldo, VO] These ruins belong to a company that logged this forest.

How many people worked here?

[in French] Five thousand, this was a big company here.

How many people lived in Doussala?

[in French] Nearly a thousand people in Doussala.

Yes, Doussala was big.

- Wow! - Yeah.

Five thousand people that were living and working here,

surely for logging.

Logging, in my head, I'm like, "It's bad. That needs to stop."

But then when you see a community like this, that's got absolutely nothing,

and they've got absolutely tons of resources, then...

who are we to say that they shouldn't be doing that?

Eco-tourism here potentially could be the answer,

because I guess the other answer is go back to logging.

[Aldo, VO] The forest just north of Doussala

has been sold to a timber company

which continues to cut down trees.

- What are you up to? - Take a load off.

Yeah?

- Rodrigue showed me the logging station. - Yeah.

He said most of this area has been logged.

[Akomo] I want to show you a map of logging area in Gabon.

- Mm-hm. - [Aldo] Okay.

This is... All this area here with all these different colors

- they're being logged and mined? - [Akomo] Mm. Exactly.

- That's a lot of the country. - Mm.

How much of Gabon has been sold off for mining and logging concessions?

It's over 50 percent.

- Wow! - Yeah. Yeah, really.

Seems like a lot of your country's gonna change.

During logging, gorilla go far away from the logging area.

- Okay. - Yeah.

[Aldo] Part of the threats to gorillas is the habitat loss.

- Mm. - You know, if you can habituate

one or two groups of gorillas in this area...

- Yeah. - If you've got tourists coming here,

then these animals and the forest

are more valuable together and alive than for logging.

That's why our project is very important here at Doussala.

[Aldo, whispering] Gorilla poo, but it's pretty dry.

So it's been here a while.

[Declan, VO] Whilst Aldo and Vi are trying to find Papa Yitu...

We are on their trail. We're just gonna keep going

until we find where they are.

[Declan, VO] ...I'm on a different mission,

searching for undiscovered troops.

- [engine revs] - Right, the big rig.

We've got a lot to get out today.

[Declan, VO] One group alone can't sustain gorilla tourism for the village.

They need more.

But we have no idea where they might be,

so I need to cast the net wider

to find gorillas deep in uncharted forest.

[Declan] Etienne, the area we're heading into, have you ever really explored it?

Or is it quite new to you as well?

- From here, we already explore. - Okay.

But where we are going, you will be the first to set up camera trap there.

- That's cool. - Yeah.

[Declan, VO] I'm going to rig 50 cameras across an area of forest

that is almost 20 times bigger than New York's Central Park.

It's dense jungle, but luckily, there's plenty of trails we can use.

[Declan] We're moving through the forest now,

and it's shaped by elephants.

They create these wicked walkways,

which are, like, so big that I don't have to crouch down.

I can just walk.

I'd never bang my head in this type of forest, so it's great.

[Declan, VO] Forest elephants are easily startled, though,

and can be aggressive.

So there's huge elephant poo right there.

And this is on the trail we're using.

So we've got to tread real carefully.

[Declan, VO] And that's not all.

[Akomo] Feces of gorilla.

[Declan] Wow! How old do you think that is?

[Akomo] Maybe one week.

- Really? - Yeah.

So we've got gorilla poo here, which is great stuff.

We've got an elephant running around not too far,

so I think this is a really cool spot to get some cameras up.

- Yeah. - All right, let's do it.

Etienne, do you want to put this camera on?

Yeah.

[Declan, VO] Remote cameras are the best way to discover new gorillas.

This is a quality spot, Etienne.

[Declan, VO] But to make our job harder, we need to find a family,

not just individuals.

For habituation, we need at least 11 members.

The bigger the group, the better.

Yeah. But for sustainability,

we hope not only one group to be habituated,

- but two or three groups. - Okay. Why is that?

If, during the process,

for example, we lost the silverback,

we can shift and focus on another group.

- Okay. - Yeah.

That one's ready.

[branch snaps]

- [low growling] - Etienne.

[branches snap]

[trumpeting]

[Akomo] Elephant!

You should be calm.

[low growling]

Now, we change direction.

[Declan, whispering] That ele smelt us and it absolutely ran away.

You can smell where it's just been here.

So we're gonna move this way.

This place is off the hook.

[Declan, VO] Job done.

[whirring and beeping]

My network of cameras is up and running.

Now we've just got to hope they discover new gorillas.

[electronic whirr]

But before we head back for the night, Etienne wants to show me something.

So we've got a little, uh...

Yeah, you know what, I'll let Etienne tell what we're going to be doing.

Now we will burn the savanna.

Why we burn the savanna?

We burn the savanna because we want to keep savanna ecosystem.

- [Declan] The big burn. - Yeah.

The fire will increase, increase and... will burn this area.

We've done the fire, now we'd better get out.

Look how quickly that's burning.

Oy, oy, oy, that is mighty hot!

[Declan, VO] Animals like buffalo, waterbuck

and countless species of birds

rely on these savannas for food.

[Aldo] Whoa, that is so hot!

Whoa!

Wow!

That fire back there was a planned burn.

At the end of the dry season, they burn all the grass,

to get these new shoots that come up of grass.

All these fresh shoots are good food. It's quite clever.

[Aldo, VO] The savanna burn happens when the grass is at its driest.

And that's just before the rainy season.

[thunder rumbles]

The heavens have absolutely... opened,

and it is tipping down.

[Aldo, VO] It's a welcome chance to cool off.

But bad weather could kill the mission.

[Vianet, VO] As soon as the rains clear, we get back to work,

searching for Papa Yitu.

[indistinct radio chatter]

[in French] Ok, which way did the elephants go?

[voice over radio in French] The elephants went north.

[in English] This is exciting.

[in French] Ok, where can we head in?

[radio crackles]

[radio crackles]

[Vianet] Rodrigue's just been radioed by his team.

They spotted the gorillas.

But they got charged by a herd of elephants.

So now they've lost track.

But at least we know where we can enter the forest.

[Aldo, VO] Vianet is off to the gorillas' last known location,

and I'm going to approach from the opposite direction.

This pincer movement should give us the best chance of finding them.

[in French] He's been here.

[Aldo, whispering] That's huge.

- C'est fresh. - Fresh.

Check this out.

A couple of absolutely ginormous knuckle prints.

Vianet, Vianet, this is Aldo.

Just to let you know that we are one to two hours behind

- a group of gorillas. - Great.

[Aldo, VO] But the trail suddenly goes cold.

We've been going for nearly two hours, and not seen any sign of gorillas.

Um...

But that's the game. We're on a wild gorilla chase.

[Aldo, VO] The troop has vanished.

Everybody's a little bit on edge.

And we're pushing, pushing, pushing,

and that could create a lot of stress,

especially for wild gorillas.

The last thing we want to do is to stress these gorillas.

[Aldo] What is it about gorillas, Vi, that you love so much?

When I film, I can see lots of elements that resemble us.

- Mm. - Seeing this big silverback lying down

and the baby coming and using its back as a trampoline,

"Daddy, wake up, wake up!" Have you not done that with your son?

- Lots, yeah! - [Declan chuckles]

So these are the thing that just makes me fall in love with gorillas.

- And then they are critically endangered. - Mm.

And I just love to give them a voice, that's all.

[birds chirping]

[Vianet, VO] It's been three days

since the trackers last saw any signs of gorillas.

I'm worried we're scaring them away,

so we're streamlining the tracking team.

[Aldo, VO] Which frees me up to help Dec check his camera traps.

[Declan] Oh, that feels good.

[Aldo] It's almost a crime not getting in that.

- Shall I check this one? - [Declan] Yeah.

Right, let's see what we got, eh?

[electronic beeping]

[Declan, VO] It looks like my cameras have been busy.

A night vision shot of a leopard...

chimpanzees...

and a family of elephants.

But there's more.

[Declan] Oh, my word!

- Gorille, gorille, gorille! - [Aldo chuckles]

[Declan, VO] It's exactly what we were hoping for.

Whoa, and another!

Oh, my word!

[Declan, VO] A new gorilla family, never filmed before.

Proof that the forest surrounding Doussala is home to other troops.

- He's a beast! - Yeah, really big.

- Thank you. - No, thank you.

- You showed me the spot. - Thank you.

[Aldo, VO] These gorillas are a great find.

And on the other side of the forest,

the trackers have also found fresh signs of Papa Yitu's troop.

So that's where Vi's heading.

It's the new plan. The trackers have split up

and taken different directions to go and find gorillas.

So I've been left alone.

I'll wait until...

they come back.

Look at this.

What a place to wait!

[Aldo, VO] Vi's got his strategy.

And Dec and I also have a plan to help find Papa Yitu.

- These tsetses are annoying, aren't they? - Yeah, they are.

The one good thing we've got on this mission

is tsetse fly bashing sticks.

I don't like killing insects, but tsetses...

[Aldo, VO] We're packing some cutting-edge technology

that's never been tested before in the rainforest.

Ugh!

So this is the log bridge I found the other day.

- Do you think it's a good spot? - [Declan] Definitely.

There's a lot of animals in this jungle that don't like getting wet.

- Including me. - And me.

[Aldo, VO] We're using special fixed cameras

that beam images straight back to camp via satellite.

I shouldn't be on here.

This is dodgy.

- Oi. - [yelps] Don't.

[both chuckle]

[Declan, VO] Normally we have to collect the memory cards

to see what the cameras have recorded,

and by then, the gorillas will be long gone.

But not with this system.

If they walk across this bridge,

we should be notified live.

[Aldo] We may have to get the satellite antenna up that tree.

[Declan] Good luck with that one!

[Declan, VO] Thankfully, Aldo's brought a slingshot

to get his climbing ropes into the canopy.

[Aldo] Ready.

[Declan] Ooh!

Jeez, that weren't far!

[Aldo] Essentially, I'm a little bit short.

- Well, we know that! - [Declan chuckles]

- Attempt 28. - If we just keep doing this long enough,

we'll see the gorillas!

- Right. - This is the one.

- [Aldo gasps] Get in! - You did it!

[Aldo chuckles]

[Declan, VO] Now for one of Aldo's favorite things.

Tree climbing.

- Fine technique you've got there, sir! - Thanks.

These are trees that gorillas and chimps climb.

And now me.

Hup, up, up, up!

[Aldo grunts] Oy.

Managed to get the battery and the base station up here,

so that we've got the three antennas up above, just there.

And then that's the bridge where we're going to put some camera traps

and hopefully see gorillas crossing.

[Aldo, VO] It seems to be working.

This system could speed up gorilla tracking massively,

both here and in rainforests all over Africa.

[Vianet, VO] And that's not all.

[indistinct radio chatter]

The trackers ahead of us have sent back a message.

[whispering] The trackers have heard the gorillas vocalizing.

[in French] No speaking as we go.

The adrenaline is starting to kick in.

This might be our only chance of getting even a tiny little glimpse.

[Rodrigue, in French] Gorillas.

We are filming the wild gorillas!

[Vianet, VO] A troop that Rodrigue has only glimpsed on camera traps.

Until now.

[Vianet sobs]

This is my very first time filming...

a wild gorilla.

[Vianet, VO] It's incredibly rare for unhabituated gorillas

to let people get this close to them.

[speaking French]

[Vianet, in French] There's a baby here!

[Vianet, VO] But there's still no sign of the silverback.

[Vianet in French] Is that Papa?

Papa Yitu, Papa Yitu, Papa Yitu!

[Vianet, VO] It seems like he trusts us.

He's allowing us to spend time with his family.

[Vianet, whispering in French] Mission accomplished, Papa Yitu.

[in English] This is hope, isn't it?

[Rodrigue] Yeah!

[Vianet, VO] It's a major breakthrough.

And so important for their habituation...

helping to protect them, and their rainforest home.

[Vianet, whispering] Gorillas sometimes like to play a game of hide-and-seek.

And they know you're there.

They'll make it hard for you, just to test your patience.

And then, they will give you what you want.

This here was a group of six or seven gorillas.

This was a nesting site, five nests.

[joyful clamor in distance]

[all singing and banging on the roof]

[Aldo] Is that Vianet?

[cheering and banging]

I think they've found gorillas!

[all cheering and laughing]

[Aldo] Did you find gorillas?

- [cheering continues] - Yes!

[Aldo] Well done, mate!

[Aldo laughing] Happy? Well done!

- How did it feel? - I mean, I'm speechless.

No one I know has filmed wild gorillas with a community

in the rainforest.

[Declan] Got your shot of a gorilla?

Well, yeah. I was expecting flashes of...

- Yeah. - When Papa Yitu saw us, he didn't...

- They knew. - Mm-hm.

- So they let you film them. - Papa Yitu is up for habituation.

- Wow. - I guess that's the start of the process

- of getting tourists here. - Good!

In five years' time, those guys will be in a good position.

- That's cool. - Yeah.

- [Declan] Everyone's buzzing - Buzzing, happy, dancing.

[Declan] Yeah.

[Aldo, VO] If it succeeds,

this will be the world's only gorilla tourism project

run and owned by the community itself,

benefiting both the animals

and the people who live here.

And with over half of all gorillas living on land not protected by governments,

this could be a blueprint

for saving these amazing great apes

across Africa.

[Aldo, VO] Next time, we're off the coast of Canada...

[Aldo] Here we go! Woo-hoo!

[Aldo, VO] ...searching for one of the most endangered whales in the world.

[Declan] Oh, here we go!

[Aldo, VO] But nothing prepares us...

[Declan shrieks, laughs]

That's pretty scary!

[Aldo, VO] ...for what happens next.

I've got eyes on the whale.

There she is. That's our entangled whale.

[rescuer] She's coming right at us, guys.

She's coming up.

- Her tail's up. - Whoa!

[theme music playing]