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00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:24,080
All life as we know it
evolved under the same moon.

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00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,640
She's a constant
but changeable force.

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As she waxes and wanes...

4
00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:41,519
...so do the fates of animals
across our planet.

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00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:51,559
Just months old,

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00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:56,719
all this baby elephant has known is
Botswana's punishing dry season.

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00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:03,039
Born on the move,

8
00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:07,759
he must follow his family
on their search for scattered food

9
00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:09,960
and lifesaving water.

10
00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:19,000
Keeping up is a struggle...

11
00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,920
...but falling behind would be worse.

12
00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:39,639
The lions that haunt the routes
to waterholes here

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00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,160
are known elephant killers.

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00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,239
90% of their hunts
take place after dark.

15
00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:58,080
No night on Earth is ever the same.

16
00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:01,880
The Moon changes everything.

17
00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:09,279
Our Moon shapes life on Earth
in extraordinary ways.

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00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,680
Creating the swelling tides...

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00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,200
...dictating the length of day...

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00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,640
...summoning the seasons.

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00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:25,640
She can light the way to love...

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...reveal hidden pathways...

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00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:34,920
...bring times of plenty

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...or strip away chances of survival.

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00:02:55,640 --> 00:03:00,359
The moon's unmistakable face has
looked down on Earth

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00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:02,679
for billions of years...

27
00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:07,240
but how she looks to life
on our planet changes.

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She doesn't make her own light.

29
00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:15,959
She borrows it from the Sun.

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00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:27,560
Once a month, the Moon's orbit takes
her between the Sun and Earth.

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Backlit,
she reflects no light our way.

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00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:39,160
This dark new-Moon phase
starts the lunar cycle.

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As she orbits our planet,

34
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the Moon's angle to the Sun changes.

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Until two weeks later,

36
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she sits on the opposite side
of Earth to the Sun.

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00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:00,839
At full moon,

38
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she appears fully bathed in light.

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These monthly phases
are like clockwork.

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00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:15,839
So reliable,

41
00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:19,160
they can be predicted
thousands of years in advance.

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But her constantly shifting
cycle of light

43
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fuels the drama between hunter
and hunted.

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In Botswana,

45
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there's no rest
for the baby elephant.

46
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His family ate today,

47
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but they desperately need water.

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00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,640
The cool of night
helps them cover more ground.

49
00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:05,239
But nights in the wild,
away from artificial light,

50
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can be profoundly dark.

51
00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:15,239
Lions are night stalkers,

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with eyes more sensitive
to low light than elephants.

53
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They rely on the dark to kill.

54
00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:29,999
But tonight,

55
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the Moon phase
is in this baby's favour.

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00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:50,560
The light of a full moon is 400,000
times dimmer than the Sun.

57
00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:53,719
But for 12 hours,

58
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she will be the brightest object
in his night sky.

59
00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:04,639
And the barren landscape acts
as a reflector,

60
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enhancing her glow.

61
00:06:16,280 --> 00:06:18,399
The lions have
their eyes on the baby.

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He's small, vulnerable,

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a prime target.

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00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:35,719
But under a full moon,

65
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the calf's family have no
problem seeing the lions.

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00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,719
Better than squinting
into midday sun,

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moonlight is easier for them.

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It would need the whole pride
to take on just one adult elephant.

69
00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:08,000
There's no chance against a dozen
watchful bodyguards.

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00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:14,159
Lions can go two weeks without food.

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They can wait for darker phases.

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As long as he's with his family,

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the baby is protected.

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00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:39,680
The moonlight helps him
find his way on uneven ground.

75
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But for each of his mother's steps,

76
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he must take six.

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His mother drops to his pace.

78
00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:01,720
But her decision means they leave
the safety of their family.

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Even at full moon,

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it's a chance an opportunistic hyena
can't pass up.

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The calf's mother can keep
an eye on a single hyena.

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If he calls his clan,
the power will shift.

83
00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:06,920
The elephants must
find their family.

84
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Distant low frequency rumbles

85
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are the sound of safety,
guiding them.

86
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They're close.

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His mother can smell water.

88
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Tonight,
the Moon is on the calf's side.

89
00:10:06,680 --> 00:10:09,080
She will be in the sky until dawn...

90
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...shedding light
on potential predators.

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For many animals,
moonlight can be a lifeline at night.

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For some, it can tip the balance
between survival

93
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and starvation.

94
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In Brazil,

95
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the buds of this apple cactus
have taken nearly

96
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a whole lunar cycle to mature.

97
00:10:48,560 --> 00:10:52,720
They've been waiting
for a moonlit night just like this.

98
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With this grand opening
timed to the brightest phases,

99
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the blooms mirror the Moon,

100
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reflecting maximum borrowed light.

101
00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:36,959
Like neon signs
on an all-night diner,

102
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they're designed to attract
one very hungry customer.

103
00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,799
The first flight
of this Manduca hawkmoth

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will be the most important
of his life.

105
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Freshly emerged from his pupa,

106
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he must eat tonight to survive.

107
00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:15,919
The apple cactus flowers
have deep wells of sugary nectar.

108
00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:21,360
But this pop-up diner is
here for one night only.

109
00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:26,840
With dawn,
the flowers will wither and die.

110
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Rapid movements
warm the moth's flight muscles.

111
00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:42,839
But each beat burns precious energy.

112
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There's no time to lose.

113
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His search isn't random.

114
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He keeps the Moon in the same spot
in his field of vision.

115
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It helps him stay straight
so he doesn't go in circles.

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It's the most efficient way
to cover ground.

117
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But wait! There's another moon!

118
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Brighter. Closer.

119
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His reserves are running low.

120
00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,999
But his desire to keep this false
moon in his line of sight...

121
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...sends him in dizzying circles.

122
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Our need to light up the shadows

123
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creates problems
for nocturnal animals.

124
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A simple switch...

125
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...can release them
from its seduction.

126
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He has to hurry.

127
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It's nearly last orders.

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His eyes are primed to see contrast.

129
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The white petals are like a beacon.

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With a proboscis
twice his body length...

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...he is the only animal who can reach
the nectar deep in the flower.

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To get enough energy to survive,

133
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he'll visit
more than 20 flowers tonight.

134
00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:58,760
And he doesn't dine and dash...

135
00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:02,640
...he pays his bill...

136
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...through pollination.

137
00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:27,680
But this moth will only
live for a single lunar month.

138
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He'll seize every opportunity...

139
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the moonlight gives him.

140
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Even at her brightest,

141
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moonlight is too dim for human eyes
to see much detail...

142
00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:06,040
...and the night seems monochrome
to us.

143
00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:11,120
But there is more to moonlight
than meets our eyes.

144
00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:18,559
When it passes through water
in the air...

145
00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:21,280
a lunar rainbow forms.

146
00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:34,920
Every moonbeam holds all wavelengths
of sunlight...

147
00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:38,199
...not just visible colours

148
00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:42,679
but also hidden wavelengths
beyond human vision,

149
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including ultraviolet.

150
00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:55,760
It's the hidden UV in lunar light...

151
00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:00,960
...that's thought
to help one creature find food.

152
00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:13,800
This hungry Malaysian colugo
has an urgent supply run to make.

153
00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:20,280
She's eating for two.

154
00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:33,440
Her two-month-old isn't weaned yet.

155
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It takes a lot of calories
to make milk.

156
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Luckily,
her huge eyes are so sensitive,

157
00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:55,840
it's thought she can see in the
moonlight what most mammals can't...

158
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...colour.

159
00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:13,360
When UV in moonlight is absorbed
by some animals and plants...

160
00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:22,320
...the energy is released
as a faint visible glow.

161
00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:37,559
Revealed with specialist cameras,

162
00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:42,640
this phenomenon of fluorescence
can come in a variety of colours.

163
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Its purpose is still a mystery.

164
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For a carnivorous pitcher plant...

165
00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:56,680
...it could be a lure
for unsuspecting victims.

166
00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:04,640
While the colugo is thought to be
looking for the blue glow...

167
00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:07,880
...of juicy, fresh shoots.

168
00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:16,039
The moonlight will help her
see the young leaves.

169
00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:21,000
But they're high in exposed canopies
where it isn't safe to sleep.

170
00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:25,480
She'll have to cross
the forest to get them.

171
00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:30,680
Her baby better hold on tight.
He's going with her.

172
00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:39,880
The 15-metre climb
will be worth the effort.

173
00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:50,920
It gives her the height
she needs to reveal another secret.

174
00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:14,000
Her forward-facing eyes
give her excellent depth perception.

175
00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:22,320
While a membrane of skin from wrist
to ankle acts as a wing suit.

176
00:20:28,360 --> 00:20:32,559
She can glide up to 100 metres
through the dark

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00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:34,600
and never miss her mark.

178
00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:42,040
With maximum distance
travelled in seconds...

179
00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:47,360
...she can spend more
of her night eating.

180
00:20:56,760 --> 00:21:02,079
And since her eyes can take advantage
of all moonlight has to offer...

181
00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,199
she can continue late night feeds

182
00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,600
even as the Moon
enters its darkest phases.

183
00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:21,039
The Moon is celebrated
as a symbol of the night.

184
00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:22,919
But in reality,

185
00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:25,720
moonrise isn't synchronised
with sunset.

186
00:21:27,120 --> 00:21:31,720
Each phase is in the sky for 12 hours
out of every 24.

187
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A full moon
happens to rise with sunset...

188
00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:41,080
...but as she cycles
towards a new moon...

189
00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:47,440
...she rises later and later until
she starts to overlap with day...

190
00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:50,760
...and is seen less at night.

191
00:21:55,360 --> 00:21:57,119
In Botswana,

192
00:21:57,120 --> 00:22:00,880
the nights have got darker
in the days approaching new moon.

193
00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:06,159
The baby elephant's family
can only go three days without water.

194
00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:12,120
Dehydration is most dangerous
for him and his nursing mother.

195
00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:20,839
But each waterhole visit close to new
moon comes with increased risk.

196
00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:33,359
The waning crescent rose
in the early hours

197
00:22:33,360 --> 00:22:35,919
and is barely brighter
than starlight.

198
00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:41,240
The baby's full moon advantage
has gone.

199
00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:49,600
The darker the night,
the bolder lions get.

200
00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:04,640
Thankfully, the sun is rising.

201
00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:10,560
The family has quenched
their thirst...

202
00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:13,719
...but with no food here

203
00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:16,920
and the hungry lions sticking close
to the water...

204
00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:20,680
...it's time to leave.

205
00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:25,599
Thanks to the lions,

206
00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:29,720
a waning moon
means danger for the baby.

207
00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:33,479
But for elephants elsewhere,

208
00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:37,200
darker-moon phases bring opportunity.

209
00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:47,880
This lush Tanzanian forest
is full of food.

210
00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:52,759
An adult bull can eat

211
00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:56,559
over one hundred kilograms
of plant life a day.

212
00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:59,360
But he knows there's
something sweeter.

213
00:24:04,120 --> 00:24:07,399
Fields of carbohydrate-rich wheat

214
00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:10,120
would give him
the ultimate energy boost.

215
00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:16,799
When sharing space with humans,

216
00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:21,159
waning moon phases
become friend to this elephant.

217
00:24:35,360 --> 00:24:37,120
When there's no moonlight...

218
00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:40,599
...humans need artificial light

219
00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:42,800
and thermal cameras to see.

220
00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:54,360
Crop raids can double
during the darkest Moon phases.

221
00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:59,640
This bull knows humans will be
less able to spot him.

222
00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:04,639
He can't see much,

223
00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:08,159
but led by a nose
better than any blood hound,

224
00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:12,040
he can smell the wheat
tantalisingly close.

225
00:25:26,360 --> 00:25:29,320
With the Moon still to rise...

226
00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:32,040
...the night is as dark as it gets.

227
00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:36,880
If he can just keep quiet.

228
00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:43,360
Now.

229
00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:54,400
His cushioned footpads
act as shock absorbers.

230
00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:59,520
He can move without noise.

231
00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:04,600
All that's in his way now
is a single wire.

232
00:26:09,120 --> 00:26:12,320
But this is no ordinary fence.

233
00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:18,919
Suspended every ten metres along its
seven-kilometre length are hives,

234
00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:22,120
full of African honeybees.

235
00:26:23,120 --> 00:26:25,719
If one bee stings the elephant,

236
00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:28,799
a pheromone will call
the whole hive to attack.

237
00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:34,879
The bull isn't just testing
the fence,

238
00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:37,760
he's testing the bees' patience.

239
00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:42,199
And if the buzzing increases,

240
00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,440
it will raise the alarm.

241
00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:50,519
Bees can't see in the dark,

242
00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:53,439
but they CAN detect heat.

243
00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:58,959
The hottest areas are the thin
skin around the elephant's eyes.

244
00:27:05,120 --> 00:27:08,919
This bull has met
African honeybees before.

245
00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:12,720
An elephant never forgets
the pain of being stung.

246
00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:18,600
The alarm system is working.

247
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,240
He can smell the guards coming.

248
00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:29,479
It's a clever
plan to raid on a dark phase...

249
00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:31,999
but despite his stealth,

250
00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:35,720
this bull has met his match.

251
00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:54,199
As the lunar cycle continues,

252
00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:58,959
the Moon will rise later and later
each night until,

253
00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:03,800
once a month,
she doesn't rise at night at all.

254
00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:14,679
A new moon is a daytime moon.

255
00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:17,960
She rises and sets with the Sun.

256
00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:22,559
As they travel across the sky,

257
00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:26,000
the Moon is normally hidden
in the Sun's glare.

258
00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:30,920
From Earth,
she's too faint to be seen.

259
00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:34,920
But today's new moon...

260
00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:38,200
...is about to make
her presence known...

261
00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,320
...over Mexican mountains...

262
00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:45,799
...across American prairielands...

263
00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,519
...and all the way to the lakes
of Canada

264
00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:57,280
thanks to a quirk in the way
she moves.

265
00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:02,559
The Moon's orbit is tilted,

266
00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:05,520
which means
she changes course each day.

267
00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:10,280
If her path is at
just the right angle...

268
00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,240
...she'll eclipse the Sun.

269
00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:24,639
Even though the Sun
is 400 times larger than the Moon,

270
00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,639
thanks to a cosmic coincidence,

271
00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:32,159
the Moon is 400 times
closer to Earth.

272
00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:39,359
If they align exactly,

273
00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:41,919
they'll be a perfect fit.

274
00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:45,880
During a total solar eclipse...

275
00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:50,239
the Moon can throw her shadow
across the Earth

276
00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:53,920
at over 2,400 kilometres per hour.

277
00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:56,759
For a brief moment,

278
00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,160
the Moon turns day to night.

279
00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:08,480
It's an event that can be
predicted to the second.

280
00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:14,839
But because the Moon keeps
moving on her changing path...

281
00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:20,359
...this precise combination
won't repeat here...

282
00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:23,120
for over 500 years.

283
00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:49,959
The eclipse
is a dramatic demonstration

284
00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:53,080
of the Moon's relationship
with the Earth and Sun.

285
00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:59,919
The same relationship
that drives her phases

286
00:31:59,920 --> 00:32:03,880
and powers another rhythm vital
to life.

287
00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:14,679
The Moon's mass is just
one 1% of Earth's,

288
00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:19,720
but her gravity is strong enough
to pull the oceans towards her.

289
00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:29,919
As Earth spins,

290
00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:31,840
life across the planet...

291
00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:36,599
...sees the twice daily ebb
and flow...

292
00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:38,520
of tides.

293
00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:52,719
Over billions of years,

294
00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:56,919
these moon powered-tides
have shifted sediments,

295
00:32:56,920 --> 00:32:58,880
broken down rocks...

296
00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:02,000
...carved coastlines...

297
00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:07,440
...and shaped unique behaviours
across the globe.

298
00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:15,959
On this small Thai island,

299
00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:20,919
the Moon has set the table for a
young long-tailed macaque

300
00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:23,679
and her family.

301
00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:30,240
Daily low tides
expose protein-rich seafood.

302
00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:35,720
Sea snails are a great starter...

303
00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:38,760
...but come in protective packaging.

304
00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:45,720
Luckily, the Moon has brought
the macaque a solution.

305
00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:49,359
In her hands,

306
00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:55,000
rocks shaped by millennia
of tides can become stone tools.

307
00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:03,920
Fewer than 1% of animals
have the brains to use tools.

308
00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:15,239
Passed from family member
to family member,

309
00:34:15,240 --> 00:34:18,280
it's a skill that has to be learned.

310
00:34:26,680 --> 00:34:30,800
The small snails make
a dent in the macaque's hunger.

311
00:34:32,720 --> 00:34:36,800
But rock oysters
would be the ultimate delicacy.

312
00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:43,120
Just one is worth 20 sea snails.

313
00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:49,119
Unfortunately,

314
00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:52,120
oysters have evolved
shells so strong...

315
00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:55,880
...they inspired bullet-proof glass.

316
00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:14,960
They can withstand simple smashing.

317
00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:20,639
To get this main course,

318
00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:23,839
she'll need to learn from a master.

319
00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:43,799
This alpha male is so good,

320
00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:45,720
he has a fan club.

321
00:35:51,240 --> 00:35:54,319
If the female watches closely,

322
00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:56,480
she can learn his secrets.

323
00:36:00,640 --> 00:36:04,640
The tides have ground some rocks
into a point.

324
00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:14,079
She needs a stone
that will focus her force

325
00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:16,120
and cause more damage.

326
00:36:42,760 --> 00:36:44,759
With the tide turning,

327
00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:47,440
her ingenuity pays off.

328
00:36:48,560 --> 00:36:51,960
And now,
she can perfect her new skills...

329
00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:56,040
...with each daily low tide.

330
00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:03,759
Other diners...

331
00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:08,480
have to wait for when the lunar
tides are at their strongest.

332
00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:13,679
Twice a month,

333
00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:16,639
when the Moon is either new or full,

334
00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:19,480
her gravity combines
with the Sun's...

335
00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:23,560
...amplifying the raw power
of the tides.

336
00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:38,279
When the force of these
Moon-powered spring tides

337
00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:41,200
comes up against
monsoon ocean currents...

338
00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:47,239
...they create a suction pump
that pulls all manner

339
00:37:47,240 --> 00:37:50,120
of alien-like creatures
from the deep.

340
00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:08,999
Comb jellies can
gulp ten times their weight a day,

341
00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:11,560
swallowing anything in their path.

342
00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:20,479
And the deadly fishing lines of sea
gooseberries are ideal

343
00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:24,640
for catching the smallest and most
important animals in the sea.

344
00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:32,680
Microscopic zooplankton...

345
00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:38,320
...copepods...

346
00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:41,000
...crab larvae...

347
00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:43,720
...mysid shrimp...

348
00:38:44,680 --> 00:38:47,359
...they're the ultimate
seafood cocktail

349
00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:50,560
and the basis of ocean food chains.

350
00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:16,199
Their natural instinct
is to sink back to the depths.

351
00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:18,239
But before they can,

352
00:39:18,240 --> 00:39:21,319
the tide sweeps the plankton-rich
waters

353
00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:25,280
into the dead end
of The Maldives' Hanifaru Bay.

354
00:39:28,920 --> 00:39:33,839
The increase in plankton creates
an all-you-can-eat buffet

355
00:39:33,840 --> 00:39:36,160
for one of the largest fish
in the ocean.

356
00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:46,160
A reef manta ray.

357
00:39:58,440 --> 00:40:01,400
His balletic moves have a purpose.

358
00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:05,720
They give him multiple hits
at the plankton soup...

359
00:40:10,960 --> 00:40:15,000
...while specialised fins
funnel the food into his mouth.

360
00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:26,879
Thanks to the Moon-driven
spring tides,

361
00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:29,120
there's plenty to go around.

362
00:40:35,960 --> 00:40:39,800
Within minutes, hundreds more arrive.

363
00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:44,080
It's the greatest gathering
of reef mantas...

364
00:40:45,080 --> 00:40:47,040
...on Earth.

365
00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:02,120
With the largest brain of any fish...

366
00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:05,760
...the mantas have learned
to work together.

367
00:41:14,040 --> 00:41:18,999
Coordinated circular
moves create a vortex,

368
00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:21,360
trapping the plankton in the middle.

369
00:41:36,720 --> 00:41:39,920
It means the mantas can eat more...

370
00:41:41,040 --> 00:41:43,200
...before the tide changes again...

371
00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:50,520
...and sweeps what's left...

372
00:41:55,400 --> 00:41:57,360
...back out to sea.

373
00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:12,120
The Moon's tidal power
is an unstoppable force...

374
00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:17,239
...that also helps
set another rhythm...

375
00:42:17,240 --> 00:42:19,479
so familiar,

376
00:42:19,480 --> 00:42:22,240
almost all living things abide by it.

377
00:42:26,480 --> 00:42:28,639
Over billions of years,

378
00:42:28,640 --> 00:42:32,279
the tides created drag on the Earth,

379
00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:37,560
slowing it so it turns
only once every 24 hours.

380
00:42:40,160 --> 00:42:44,319
And with that spin
comes the inevitable change

381
00:42:44,320 --> 00:42:46,640
from day into night.

382
00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:02,840
Botswana's dry season
has taken its toll.

383
00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:06,799
On the brink of dehydration,

384
00:43:06,800 --> 00:43:11,639
the baby and his family risk
a visit to the waterhole,

385
00:43:11,640 --> 00:43:13,400
on the darkest night of the month.

386
00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:18,160
Tonight, no Moon will rise.

387
00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:21,879
They can't see well,

388
00:43:21,880 --> 00:43:25,520
but they know there's danger
in the dark.

389
00:43:31,400 --> 00:43:36,679
The lions have waited two hungry
weeks for this moonless night.

390
00:43:38,600 --> 00:43:41,839
Reflective tissues
behind their retinas

391
00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:44,880
amplify even the faintest starlight.

392
00:43:49,080 --> 00:43:51,600
The baby is in their sights.

393
00:44:00,120 --> 00:44:03,559
But a single whiff of lion...

394
00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:08,760
...shifts the elephants
into defence mode.

395
00:44:15,880 --> 00:44:17,999
Without moonlight,

396
00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:22,160
the baby relies
on scent and touch to stick close.

397
00:44:23,840 --> 00:44:28,280
The hungry lions have lost
the element of surprise.

398
00:44:32,120 --> 00:44:34,559
If stalking doesn't work,

399
00:44:34,560 --> 00:44:36,720
a charge might split the group.

400
00:45:06,800 --> 00:45:11,399
The baby is protected
by a wall of angry females.

401
00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:19,759
Throwing sand and fanning ears

402
00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:24,359
makes the already massive elephants
appear even more intimidating.

403
00:45:27,280 --> 00:45:31,040
But he isn't the only youngster
near the waterhole tonight.

404
00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:38,399
This four-year-old male is older,

405
00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:40,600
but he isn't wiser.

406
00:45:49,880 --> 00:45:52,519
Testing his growing independence,

407
00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:55,160
he's wandered away from HIS family.

408
00:46:14,440 --> 00:46:17,959
His mother hears his frantic calls.

409
00:46:53,320 --> 00:46:57,239
The mother can smell
and hear the lions on all sides

410
00:46:57,240 --> 00:46:59,679
but can't pinpoint them.

411
00:47:10,280 --> 00:47:13,799
The pride
has darkness in their favour.

412
00:47:13,800 --> 00:47:17,279
But this young male is no morsel.

413
00:47:17,280 --> 00:47:20,039
He weighs eight times
an adult lion...

414
00:47:23,840 --> 00:47:26,680
...and one blow
from his mother could be fatal.

415
00:47:33,920 --> 00:47:36,999
If the lions don't seize this chance,

416
00:47:37,000 --> 00:47:39,359
the new moon will pass

417
00:47:39,360 --> 00:47:41,840
and their fortunes will shift again.

418
00:48:09,960 --> 00:48:12,959
The mother couldn't
protect her son alone.

419
00:48:29,200 --> 00:48:32,640
But the pride finally
has a chance to eat.

420
00:48:47,160 --> 00:48:50,239
The baby has survived
this new moon phase

421
00:48:50,240 --> 00:48:52,320
and learned a crucial lesson.

422
00:48:53,480 --> 00:48:55,999
There's power in family.

423
00:49:05,560 --> 00:49:11,199
The passing of the new moon
marks the start of a new lunar cycle.

424
00:49:11,200 --> 00:49:15,479
If the baby makes it
through his first year,

425
00:49:15,480 --> 00:49:17,479
he may live to be 80

426
00:49:17,480 --> 00:49:21,279
and see close to 1,000 more.

427
00:49:24,960 --> 00:49:30,599
The Moon plays a pivotal role
in the survival of any creature

428
00:49:30,600 --> 00:49:33,039
who relies on the timing,

429
00:49:33,040 --> 00:49:38,839
tides and light that come
with her everchanging phases.

430
00:49:51,840 --> 00:49:56,519
In filming lunar-linked elephant
behaviour in Tanzania,

431
00:49:56,520 --> 00:50:00,999
the Moon team collaborated
with a unique community-run project

432
00:50:01,000 --> 00:50:04,160
that's solving
a centuries-old conflict.

433
00:50:06,560 --> 00:50:11,000
The land here is part of an
ancient elephant migration route.

434
00:50:14,280 --> 00:50:17,840
A long time ago, this is a forest.

435
00:50:21,440 --> 00:50:23,239
So the elephant remember that,

436
00:50:23,240 --> 00:50:25,240
"This was our territory."

437
00:50:26,440 --> 00:50:28,120
We're supposed to live with them.

438
00:50:29,480 --> 00:50:33,880
What is important is to live
with elephant peacefully.

439
00:50:37,360 --> 00:50:39,119
Elephants are very important because

440
00:50:39,120 --> 00:50:41,520
of their ecological
contribution first.

441
00:50:42,600 --> 00:50:44,679
When they break the big trees,

442
00:50:44,680 --> 00:50:49,319
they bring some fertiliser
on the ground to bring other plants

443
00:50:49,320 --> 00:50:52,080
so that the ecology is balanced.

444
00:50:53,400 --> 00:50:58,199
But a single elephant can wipe out
a farmer’s entire year's work

445
00:50:58,200 --> 00:50:59,920
and life savings.

446
00:51:01,240 --> 00:51:03,879
District wildlife officer Lengai

447
00:51:03,880 --> 00:51:08,119
manages all human-wildlife
conflict in the area.

448
00:51:08,120 --> 00:51:11,440
We understand that movements
of elephant is very important...

449
00:51:12,400 --> 00:51:15,199
...but we have also a number of
people killed by the elephants,

450
00:51:15,200 --> 00:51:16,880
their crop raided...

451
00:51:18,360 --> 00:51:20,799
...the infrastructures are destroyed,

452
00:51:20,800 --> 00:51:22,680
so it's a huge conflict.

453
00:51:24,320 --> 00:51:27,800
The anger created
helps fuel another conflict.

454
00:51:28,800 --> 00:51:33,560
Tanzania lost 60% of its elephants
to a recent poaching epidemic.

455
00:51:36,000 --> 00:51:40,399
NGO Wild Survivors helps
address these issues

456
00:51:40,400 --> 00:51:44,400
by empowering local communities
to be part of the solution.

457
00:51:48,560 --> 00:51:51,119
Today,
we are installing a beehive fence.

458
00:51:51,120 --> 00:51:54,559
We are actually finishing
the two kilometres

459
00:51:54,560 --> 00:51:56,280
that remain from Kitete village.

460
00:51:57,280 --> 00:52:00,199
Hundreds of white boxes
along the fence

461
00:52:00,200 --> 00:52:04,119
will house a surprising natural
elephant deterrent...

462
00:52:04,120 --> 00:52:06,079
honey bees.

463
00:52:06,080 --> 00:52:07,999
When there was no fence,

464
00:52:08,000 --> 00:52:10,919
the elephants normally moved freely
from the forest into the farms

465
00:52:10,920 --> 00:52:12,959
every night.

466
00:52:12,960 --> 00:52:15,879
And now, the community
is going to be helped

467
00:52:15,880 --> 00:52:19,679
because, I believe, the frequency of
elephants coming into the farms

468
00:52:19,680 --> 00:52:21,480
is going to reduce.

469
00:52:23,880 --> 00:52:25,639
With the extension,

470
00:52:25,640 --> 00:52:28,679
the fence will reach
over seven kilometres

471
00:52:28,680 --> 00:52:31,199
and protect two villages.

472
00:52:31,200 --> 00:52:34,559
It's cheap,
simple for the farmers to maintain,

473
00:52:34,560 --> 00:52:37,279
and above all, it's successful.

474
00:52:39,800 --> 00:52:43,359
John Massay was born in Upper Kitete

475
00:52:43,360 --> 00:52:47,199
and now monitors fence
activity for Wild Survivors.

476
00:52:47,200 --> 00:52:51,919
Through camera traps, we can count
the frequence of elephant.

477
00:52:51,920 --> 00:52:56,879
The frequence of elephant
before the fence is 754 per year.

478
00:52:56,880 --> 00:53:00,400
After the fence, there's only 63.

479
00:53:01,720 --> 00:53:04,720
There is no conflict
after the fence.

480
00:53:06,800 --> 00:53:11,639
A 92% decrease
in human-elephant interactions

481
00:53:11,640 --> 00:53:14,999
is not the only benefit of the fence.

482
00:53:15,000 --> 00:53:17,559
It's like the bees
are acting on my behalf.

483
00:53:17,560 --> 00:53:20,959
They are doing my job,
so I'm happy about it.

484
00:53:20,960 --> 00:53:23,759
Apart from deterring the elephant,

485
00:53:23,760 --> 00:53:27,119
these bee hives
brought huge connection

486
00:53:27,120 --> 00:53:29,480
between the conservation
and the local community.

487
00:53:30,880 --> 00:53:33,319
If I begin with the pollination
role of bees,

488
00:53:33,320 --> 00:53:36,199
they increase even
harvest for the farmers.

489
00:53:36,200 --> 00:53:39,599
They also pollinate forest,
they increase the forest cover,

490
00:53:39,600 --> 00:53:43,559
so everything is just important,
the bees and the elephants.

491
00:53:43,560 --> 00:53:45,959
And that's not all.

492
00:53:45,960 --> 00:53:49,760
Honey from the hives
is changing women's lives.

493
00:54:27,680 --> 00:54:32,399
We have farmers who are not
experiencing crop raids frequently.

494
00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:35,199
People are living in harmony
with elephants

495
00:54:35,200 --> 00:54:40,080
and are benefiting from bee
products. The community is at peace.

496
00:54:50,040 --> 00:54:53,480
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