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Australia -
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an island continent
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cast adrift
during the time of the dinosaurs.
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Isolated from the rest of life on land
for millions of years,
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the animals cast away here
are today like none elsewhere.
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This is a land of survivors.
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The jungles of northern Australia -
the oldest on our planet.
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Unchanged for 180 million years.
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The animals and plants here are armed...
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...built to live alongside dinosaurs.
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Now there is just one giant left.
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With claws longer than a velociraptor
and nearly two metres tall...
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...the cassowary rules this forest.
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But the key to its success
is not its stature...
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...it's the male's abilities as a parent.
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This one's chicks are six weeks old,
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and he will raise them by himself.
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Every morsel of food is valuable
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if his chicks are to grow up
tall and strong.
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But in this forest,
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most of the fruit
is too big for the chicks.
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It must be cut up for them.
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There is food to be gathered
throughout their territory...
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...but it's not easy to find.
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Re shows them how to cross water.
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But when your legs are only 20cm long,
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a stream like this is very deep.
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One takes the plunge...
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...but for the other,
this is too daunting.
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Re turns and goes back the way he came.
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Out of sight and without
his father's protection,
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he's vulnerable.
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Only half of cassowary chicks
make it to adulthood...
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...and for very good reason.
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Australia's prehistoric forests
are still full of predators.
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Many manage to survive here
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by eating almost anything
that's smaller than they are.
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Re needs to find his father...
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...and quickly.
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The male hears his cries and answers...
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...using a special call that carries well
through the thick forest.
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And then a glimpse of some reassuring
bright colours.
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Their bonds are stronger than their fears.
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The male will guide and protect his chicks
for another eight months
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before he mates again.
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Australia was once part of
the vast supercontinent of Gondwanaland...
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...covered in forest and full of life.
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Dinosaurs dominated.
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Mammals had only just appeared.
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Then Australia began to break away.
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Cast adrift on this new island were
reptiles, birds and early mammals
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that then evolved in isolation
from the rest of the world.
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None could now leave this giant island,
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and very few could get here...
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...unless they could fly.
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A little red flying fox.
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Their ancestors flew here,
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travelling along the chain
of volcanic islands
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that links Asia to Australia.
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But their huge wings, which stretch
from their fingers to their toes,
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make it difficult for them
to walk or take off from the ground,
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so, when they want to rest,
they hang upside down in trees.
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But the bats have to drink every day.
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And they do so on the wing.
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They swoop just low enough
to wet their bellies
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and then, back in their roosts,
they will suck out the water.
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Each evening, 10,000 of them come here.
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Not all of them return.
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Every two metres of river, there is...
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...a crocodile.
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They were here long before the bats...
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...survivors from
Australia's prehistoric past.
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These dramas have been taking place
for millions of years...
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...aerial agility...
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...versus patience...
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...and deadly speed.
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Australia's forests are hostile places
in which to make your home.
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As you move inland,
the forest thins, the air cools
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and the land, as it gets higher,
changes dramatically.
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The Great Dividing Range,
2,000 metres above the jungle.
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To survive here, you must be able to
tolerate really harsh conditions.
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Kangaroos, like nearly all
of the continent's native mammals,
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are marsupials...
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...mammals that rear their young
usually in a pouch on the mother's belly.
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And the young up here
certainly need such shelter.
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No kangaroos can survive for long
higher than this.
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But there is an even tougher marsupial
up here.
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A wombat.
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She usually shelters underground
in a burrow,
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but now that is under a metre of snow,
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together with all the grass
on which she lives.
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She weighs as much a big dog
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and has the legs of a small one -
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not ideal for deep snow.
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Fragments of bark hardly count
even as a snack...
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...and she's hungry.
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She needs grass.
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But it's over a mile away,
across a frozen river.
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Wombats might not be fast,
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but then they don't need to be up here.
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They can survive on next to nothing.
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A few mouthfuls will be enough food
for over a week.
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And there's not much competition for it
in this small corner of the continent.
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Snowy peaks are hardly typical
of Australia,
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but the Great Dividing Range is a remnant
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of what were once some of
the longest mountain chains on Earth.
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They connected Australia and Antarctica.
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But then these sister continents
broke apart.
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Antarctica, drifting southwards,
became locked in ice.
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Australia drifted northwards
towards the equator
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and became hotter and drier.
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Woodlands developed,
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and in places where rainfall was low -
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open grasslands.
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On these grassy plains,
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animals had the space to thrive.
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These are also eastern grey kangaroos,
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and this is their true home.
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Here, they are well fed and powerful.
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Adults can stand over two metres tall
and travel as fast as a racehorse.
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And on these open plains,
you need speed...
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...because where there are large herds,
there will be predators.
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Dingoes - descendants of wolves
that were brought here
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over 4,000 years ago
by human visitors from Asia.
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This pack is led by a white female...
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...and they are hunting.
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Creating panic tests the herd.
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Mothers with young in their pouches
might be slower...
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...but they can still outrun a dingo.
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Maybe an ambush will work.
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But even young, newly independent
kangaroos seem uncatchable.
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Across these open, flat plains,
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the dingoes are just not fast enough.
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But what makes the white female
their leader is her stamina
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and, particularly, her intelligence.
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She has run 18 miles today,
but she still doesn't give up.
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A different group of kangaroos,
this time on uneven ground.
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It's what she's been looking for.
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Driving them uphill,
she's struggling to keep up with them.
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And as they hurtle down the other side,
the kangaroos pick up speed.
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They will easily outpace her,
if they stay in control.
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The white dingo has more than one reason
to be so relentless.
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She's a mother.
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This is a rare sight.
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Dingo pups are hardly ever seen.
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With so much effort for just one meal,
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the open plains are tough places
on which to raise young.
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These are gumtrees.
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They have leaves
that are poisonous to most animals.
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But not the koala.
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They eat almost nothing else.
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There are echidnas in these forests, too -
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mammals that don't even have pouches
but lay eggs, like reptiles.
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And there is an assassin here
that has only recently been discovered.
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A Jotus jumping spider.
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She's only 5mm long,
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but, nonetheless,
she's a stealthy and ferocious hunter.
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She searches for prey
among the grass stems.
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She's single-minded
and focused on hunting.
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But today might be different.
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This is something new,
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something fast...
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...and a little trickier.
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But what is it?
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Is it food?
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It's a male Jotus, looking for a mate.
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He needs to catch her attention,
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but female Jotus only mate once.
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If she's mated before, she might kill him.
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He will need to seduce her with care.
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Waving his arms
makes his intentions clear.
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He's a friend, not food.
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No sign of an attack... yet.
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But she doesn't seem
particularly impressed.
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Time to try his best move...
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...the double paddle.
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That surely will do the trick.
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One final wave...
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...and he's tamed her.
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She stays still for just long enough.
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And then he retreats quickly,
before she has second thoughts.
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If you travel still further
towards the centre of Australia,
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the landscape changes yet again.
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Trees and grass disappear.
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The continent, throughout prehistory,
continued to drift north,
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and as it entered the tropics,
it got hotter and hotter.
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Over thousands of years,
the grasslands of the centre dried,
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and lakes and rivers turned dust.
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The rocks have been reduced to sand
by the hot, blasting winds.
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Now Australia's centre is one vast desert.
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Its immensity is almost impossible
to comprehend.
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This train running north
is a half a mile long.
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Travelling at nearly 50 miles an hour,
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it takes almost three days
to get from one side to another.
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Australia today is the driest
inhabited continent on Earth.
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Rain hardly ever falls in 70% of it.
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From space, the continent is seen
to be stained red by iron oxide -
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rust from its disintegrating rocks.
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In the surface are lines carved by winds
over millennia.
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The very bones of the continent
are now stripped bare...
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...the foundations of what once
were mountains.
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At its heart stands the
great rock mountain of Uluru...
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...sacred to the first people
to arrive here 60,000 years ago.
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There is almost no soil here,
few plants, few animals
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and almost no permanent water.
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It's a place
where only the toughest can survive.
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This is the land of reptiles.
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Australia has more species of them
than any other continent.
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The perentie, two metres long,
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is the biggest here, and he's thirsty.
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It only rains here once or twice a year.
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And when there isn't any rain,
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perenties get their water
from eating lizards.
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There are several kinds to choose from...
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...bearded dragons...
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...blue-tongued skinks...
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...and thorny devils.
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All are on the menu.
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The thorny devil also gets its water
from its food.
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It's only the size of a mouse,
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but, even so, it must eat hundreds of ants
every day to get what it needs.
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Most storm clouds pass by
without releasing any water.
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But just sometimes,
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there's a brief shower.
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Everyone makes the most
of the opportunity.
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It's so hot the droplets will disappear
within minutes.
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But the thorny devil has a trick.
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He's found a tiny puddle,
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only a few millimetres deep,
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and he dips his toe into it.
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His skin is like blotting paper.
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It collects moisture by capillary action,
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sucking it up along the inter-connecting
grooves until he glistens all over.
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When the water reaches his mouth,
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he can collect it...
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...while still keeping his head up,
on the lookout for danger.
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The perentie is 200 times the size
of a thorny devil.
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Tiny puddles and droplets
are of no use to him.
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What he needs is a juicy lizard.
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That was a bearded dragon
that wasn't quite quick enough.
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Even the perentie sometimes
gets a chance to quench his thirst.
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There is one species that has truly
conquered the Australian desert.
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They don't wait for water to come to them.
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They sometimes travel over 300 miles
in a single day to find it.
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Australia's hardiest animal...
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...the wild budgerigar...
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...the most accomplished
of all desert nomads.
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These have been travelling together
for weeks...
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...and that has evidently caused
a few domestic arguments.
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This is truly an immense community.
251
00:34:12,281 --> 00:34:15,761
There are over 10,000 budgies
in this flock.
252
00:34:22,761 --> 00:34:25,321
Every one of them is thirsty.
253
00:34:33,361 --> 00:34:35,881
But although they've found
this billabong...
254
00:34:37,081 --> 00:34:39,081
...they must be wary.
255
00:34:41,561 --> 00:34:44,721
A hawk - and one that eats budgies.
256
00:34:51,321 --> 00:34:56,401
As long as it remains on the ground,
the budgies will risk taking a drink.
257
00:35:15,001 --> 00:35:19,681
Once it takes to the air, however,
the budgies are in danger.
258
00:35:23,201 --> 00:35:26,921
And it's not the only bird of prey here.
259
00:35:28,681 --> 00:35:33,281
The budgies have a simple
but very effective defence -
260
00:35:33,401 --> 00:35:35,241
they all take to the wing at once.
261
00:35:39,361 --> 00:35:43,361
An aerial hunter needs to lock on to
a single target for a few seconds
262
00:35:43,481 --> 00:35:45,321
if it is to catch it,
263
00:35:45,441 --> 00:35:48,401
but in this swirl, that's very hard to do.
264
00:35:58,641 --> 00:36:04,001
Flying in a flock keeps the budgies safe,
but they're still desperate to drink.
265
00:36:11,401 --> 00:36:15,921
As soon as a particularly brave one
takes the plunge, they all do.
266
00:36:22,121 --> 00:36:25,681
But once on the water,
they are easier to target.
267
00:36:31,161 --> 00:36:34,281
They must drink quickly
and stick together.
268
00:36:53,961 --> 00:36:58,561
The last ones to leave
will be the ones in most danger.
269
00:37:22,481 --> 00:37:27,441
Only one has been taken
from a flock of 10,000.
270
00:37:36,561 --> 00:37:39,521
In a few days,
they will leave the area,
271
00:37:39,641 --> 00:37:41,161
on their never-ending search
272
00:37:41,281 --> 00:37:44,681
for the next brief opportunity
to feed and drink.
273
00:38:02,201 --> 00:38:05,321
As the continent continued to drift north,
274
00:38:05,441 --> 00:38:08,761
it eventually entered warm, tropical seas.
275
00:38:11,521 --> 00:38:15,401
And here,
in the crystal-clear, sunlit water,
276
00:38:15,521 --> 00:38:18,401
just a metre or two beneath the surface,
277
00:38:18,521 --> 00:38:20,601
life proliferated.
278
00:38:24,561 --> 00:38:28,481
Coral grows into reefs
in these shallow seas.
279
00:38:31,521 --> 00:38:33,481
This is Ningaloo...
280
00:38:34,801 --> 00:38:38,281
...today one of the richest
anywhere in the world.
281
00:38:46,641 --> 00:38:51,241
Thousands of species of fish
and all kinds of other organisms
282
00:38:51,361 --> 00:38:54,161
thrive in these coral cities.
283
00:38:55,601 --> 00:39:00,681
And they have attracted
the most ancient of living predators.
284
00:39:07,921 --> 00:39:09,801
Sharks.
285
00:39:09,921 --> 00:39:15,601
They were around 200 million years
before the dinosaurs.
286
00:39:18,561 --> 00:39:21,361
They're fast and agile,
287
00:39:21,481 --> 00:39:25,041
well able to pick off the small reef fish.
288
00:39:27,241 --> 00:39:30,641
But they come here for bigger rewards.
289
00:39:35,201 --> 00:39:38,881
These are fish from the open ocean,
290
00:39:39,001 --> 00:39:43,361
and every so often, for some reason,
they swim over the reef.
291
00:39:53,801 --> 00:39:58,641
The small fish swirl like the budgies,
and for the same reason.
292
00:39:58,761 --> 00:40:02,961
It makes it harder for a hunter to
single out a particular target.
293
00:40:08,561 --> 00:40:12,401
But, in fact, the sharks aren't trying
to catch them individually.
294
00:40:18,961 --> 00:40:23,761
They're driving them closer to the shore,
penning them against the beach.
295
00:40:28,401 --> 00:40:33,561
Slowly, the sharks drive
each new wave of fish into shallow water,
296
00:40:33,681 --> 00:40:36,201
and the bait ball grows.
297
00:40:44,441 --> 00:40:48,961
More sharks arrive,
some from many miles away.
298
00:40:57,721 --> 00:41:00,041
And still the sharks don't attack.
299
00:41:01,161 --> 00:41:03,081
They're waiting...
300
00:41:04,161 --> 00:41:05,841
...for the right moment.
301
00:41:13,481 --> 00:41:17,441
Millions of fish are now trapped
in these shallow waters.
302
00:41:19,201 --> 00:41:23,441
It only happens like this
once in every decade or so.
303
00:41:30,041 --> 00:41:32,841
The time has come to strike.
304
00:41:44,681 --> 00:41:48,081
For the sharks, this is a bonanza.
305
00:41:50,201 --> 00:41:52,201
They work together.
306
00:41:53,321 --> 00:41:56,961
Each shark now fills its stomach.
307
00:42:03,281 --> 00:42:08,281
These shallow seas
are exceptionally rich in sharks.
308
00:42:10,161 --> 00:42:14,521
There are more species here
than anywhere else on Earth.
309
00:42:26,081 --> 00:42:30,761
Australia is not only fringed
by rich reefs
310
00:42:30,881 --> 00:42:36,281
but girdled with islands -
some big, some small.
311
00:42:42,441 --> 00:42:46,321
Off the south coast
lies by far the biggest of them.
312
00:42:47,761 --> 00:42:49,561
Tasmania.
313
00:42:52,441 --> 00:42:56,441
And that has its own special marsupial...
314
00:42:57,561 --> 00:43:01,361
...one that seldom appears
until after dark.
315
00:43:04,361 --> 00:43:06,681
The Tasmanian devil.
316
00:43:12,601 --> 00:43:16,521
Many predators inhabit
a territory packed with prey.
317
00:43:16,641 --> 00:43:19,401
But here,
there's nothing like that for them.
318
00:43:28,401 --> 00:43:32,161
Each may travel for miles
night after night,
319
00:43:32,281 --> 00:43:36,601
prepared to eat anything it can find,
dead or alive.
320
00:43:46,041 --> 00:43:48,801
The shoreline is a good place to search.
321
00:43:49,921 --> 00:43:53,401
There might be some small creatures
to catch here,
322
00:43:53,521 --> 00:43:55,881
or maybe something
that the tide has brought in.
323
00:44:06,401 --> 00:44:09,881
The carcass of a wallaby
has been washed ashore.
324
00:44:17,321 --> 00:44:22,761
Tasmanian devils can eat
40% of their body weight in one session,
325
00:44:22,881 --> 00:44:25,561
and they have hugely powerful jaws.
326
00:44:25,681 --> 00:44:29,321
They tackle everything - even bones.
327
00:44:33,481 --> 00:44:34,801
Back at the den,
328
00:44:34,921 --> 00:44:37,641
there are other hungry mouths.
329
00:44:44,681 --> 00:44:47,481
Her two youngsters are six months old.
330
00:44:49,121 --> 00:44:55,081
They still rely on their mother's milk,
but they're feeling peckish!
331
00:44:58,881 --> 00:45:02,401
There must be something solid
they could find for themselves
332
00:45:02,521 --> 00:45:04,241
while they're waiting for a drink.
333
00:45:12,161 --> 00:45:13,681
Is this food?
334
00:45:21,881 --> 00:45:24,281
That possum smells tasty...
335
00:45:26,681 --> 00:45:29,161
...but it's a little high up.
336
00:45:31,521 --> 00:45:34,121
This looks more promising.
337
00:45:44,161 --> 00:45:47,761
At last, a giant stick!
338
00:45:49,641 --> 00:45:51,681
Not bad for a first go.
339
00:45:57,201 --> 00:46:01,841
Their mother will protect and feed
these youngsters for another three months.
340
00:46:03,801 --> 00:46:08,641
Their survival is important to her,
but also for us...
341
00:46:09,881 --> 00:46:14,321
...because these are one
of the last devil families in the world.
342
00:46:20,681 --> 00:46:23,401
Tasmanian devils are now endangered...
343
00:46:24,441 --> 00:46:26,521
...found in only a few places,
344
00:46:26,641 --> 00:46:31,161
such as this remote islet
off the coast of Tasmania.
345
00:46:37,401 --> 00:46:40,841
But they once lived
across the whole of Australia.
346
00:46:42,481 --> 00:46:45,161
Evidence that this was so
347
00:46:45,281 --> 00:46:50,041
can be seen nearly 2,500 miles away
from the devils' family den,
348
00:46:50,161 --> 00:46:54,001
on Australia's northern coast.
349
00:47:01,361 --> 00:47:04,361
This great stretch of boulders
350
00:47:04,481 --> 00:47:11,081
is covered by the largest concentration of
prehistoric images anywhere in the world.
351
00:47:16,921 --> 00:47:20,361
Over one million pictures of wildlife...
352
00:47:24,721 --> 00:47:26,201
...and among them...
353
00:47:27,961 --> 00:47:29,601
...a Tasmanian devil.
354
00:47:32,441 --> 00:47:37,241
It was engraved on stone
60,000 years ago
355
00:47:37,361 --> 00:47:41,081
by some of the first human beings
to reach the continent.
356
00:47:44,801 --> 00:47:47,361
Then, just 200 years ago,
357
00:47:47,481 --> 00:47:53,201
European settlers arrived
with guns and dogs, foxes and cats.
358
00:47:54,481 --> 00:47:58,521
Together, they decimated
Australia's unique wildlife.
359
00:48:04,401 --> 00:48:08,521
This was one of the continent's
biggest animal predators -
360
00:48:08,641 --> 00:48:11,241
a marsupial wolf, or thylacine.
361
00:48:13,321 --> 00:48:18,121
The last-known remaining one
was filmed in 1936
362
00:48:18,241 --> 00:48:20,481
in a zoo just before it died...
363
00:48:21,921 --> 00:48:26,681
...and so brought the final extinction
of its species.
364
00:48:31,681 --> 00:48:34,961
These rocks are now its memorial.
365
00:48:39,521 --> 00:48:43,321
And they may become that
for the Tasmanian devil as well.
366
00:48:45,681 --> 00:48:51,681
Mammals in Australia are disappearing
faster than anywhere else on Earth.
367
00:48:55,681 --> 00:49:00,721
They succeeded in adapting to life
as their home changed around them.
368
00:49:02,401 --> 00:49:05,601
But now they face
their greatest challenge -
369
00:49:05,721 --> 00:49:09,801
the change to their world
brought by humanity.
370
00:49:11,961 --> 00:49:15,921
Which of its unique species
will survive the coming decades
371
00:49:16,041 --> 00:49:18,201
now depends on us.
372
00:49:31,081 --> 00:49:34,241
The most
ambitious shoot for the Australia team
373
00:49:34,361 --> 00:49:38,841
Was filming the continent's top predator -
the dingo - hunting.
374
00:49:42,801 --> 00:49:46,081
Elusive and shy, they're rarely seen.
375
00:49:50,721 --> 00:49:55,201
The crew journeyed
to the high plains of Australia,
376
00:49:55,321 --> 00:50:00,841
where park rangers had reported sightings
of a white dingo and her pack.
377
00:50:04,361 --> 00:50:07,361
In their first week,
the team confirm the sightings...
378
00:50:07,481 --> 00:50:08,641
There she is.
379
00:50:10,001 --> 00:50:12,361
...and begin to catch glimpses.
380
00:50:13,961 --> 00:50:15,841
But with the dingoes
constantly on the move,
381
00:50:15,961 --> 00:50:19,721
keeping track of them is a challenge.
382
00:50:19,841 --> 00:50:23,601
They teleport around,
because you just lose them in the grass.
383
00:50:23,721 --> 00:50:25,041
It's madness.
384
00:50:25,161 --> 00:50:29,321
Each time the crew arrive to set up...
385
00:50:30,401 --> 00:50:32,401
...they're too late.
386
00:50:43,761 --> 00:50:45,841
I couldn't believe how far she'd gone.
387
00:50:45,961 --> 00:50:48,481
By the time we managed to drive
over the brow of the hill,
388
00:50:48,601 --> 00:50:50,881
she was a kilometre away.
389
00:50:52,041 --> 00:50:55,201
If they lose them,
it could take days to find them again.
390
00:50:57,281 --> 00:51:02,241
And searching in outback Australia
can be dangerous work.
391
00:51:10,481 --> 00:51:13,801
Brown snakes
are one of the world's most venomous.
392
00:51:15,401 --> 00:51:18,721
And it's not only the snakes
that have a nasty bite.
393
00:51:18,841 --> 00:51:19,841
Oh, dear!
394
00:51:19,961 --> 00:51:21,201
Look at that.
395
00:51:22,881 --> 00:51:24,001
Sorry.
396
00:51:28,601 --> 00:51:30,881
Turns out I just stood in an ants' nest.
397
00:51:34,641 --> 00:51:39,641
Over the coming weeks, the dingoes
continue to give the crew the runaround.
398
00:51:40,961 --> 00:51:43,001
With such a large area to search,
399
00:51:43,121 --> 00:51:46,161
they enlist the help
of two additional cameramen.
400
00:51:47,401 --> 00:51:52,321
Dan is a dingo expert
and studied them for five years,
401
00:51:52,441 --> 00:51:55,241
and even he struggled to follow them.
402
00:51:55,361 --> 00:51:59,801
Dingoes are Australia's most heavily
persecuted native animal...
403
00:51:59,921 --> 00:52:02,401
...and that makes them
404
00:52:02,521 --> 00:52:05,161
so incredibly elusive and hard to film.
405
00:52:06,161 --> 00:52:08,001
They're very scared of humans.
406
00:52:09,121 --> 00:52:13,441
Dingoes have lived in Australia
for over 4,000 years,
407
00:52:13,561 --> 00:52:17,761
but when Europeans arrived with livestock,
they were seen as a threat.
408
00:52:18,801 --> 00:52:23,081
Today, they continue to be shot,
poisoned and trapped,
409
00:52:23,201 --> 00:52:25,441
which explains why they avoid the crew.
410
00:52:26,641 --> 00:52:30,321
So Dan suggests a new approach.
411
00:52:33,441 --> 00:52:36,201
From the air, they have a better view.
412
00:52:37,321 --> 00:52:41,481
Now they can track the dingoes
and follow their trails.
413
00:52:42,641 --> 00:52:47,881
And they notice the white dingo repeatedly
returning to the same patch of forest.
414
00:52:49,881 --> 00:52:54,361
Ben, the park ranger, goes to explore...
415
00:52:54,481 --> 00:52:56,001
Dog's had a scratch in here.
416
00:52:58,561 --> 00:52:59,841
Old roo leg.
417
00:52:59,961 --> 00:53:02,801
...and unearths a den site.
418
00:53:02,921 --> 00:53:04,561
Den site in here. Look at it. Jeez.
419
00:53:04,681 --> 00:53:08,681
Only a handful of wild dingo dens
420
00:53:08,801 --> 00:53:11,321
have ever been filmed,
so the team set up a stakeout.
421
00:53:20,481 --> 00:53:23,881
And after a few days waiting...
422
00:53:29,281 --> 00:53:32,521
To the best of my knowledge,
this is some of the first footage
423
00:53:32,641 --> 00:53:34,201
of wild dingo pups at the den.
424
00:53:36,481 --> 00:53:40,881
Being able to capture this really
intimate, up-close footage is amazing.
425
00:53:41,001 --> 00:53:43,281
Really, really special.
426
00:53:44,721 --> 00:53:47,641
The den site is a major breakthrough.
427
00:53:51,121 --> 00:53:54,081
Now the team can find the white dingo
each morning...
428
00:53:54,201 --> 00:53:55,361
Yeah, I've got her.
429
00:53:55,481 --> 00:53:58,801
...and begin to understand
her hunting patterns.
430
00:54:02,201 --> 00:54:05,521
At this point, she's just testing
the water to see which...
431
00:54:05,641 --> 00:54:09,681
...which ones are weaker, or if there are
any joeys around that she can hunt easily.
432
00:54:12,201 --> 00:54:16,201
But her chases cover such vast distances
433
00:54:16,321 --> 00:54:20,281
that filming them from start to finish
is impossible.
434
00:54:21,641 --> 00:54:24,841
Time for the final crew members.
435
00:54:28,321 --> 00:54:32,281
With the filming helicopter,
436
00:54:32,401 --> 00:54:37,921
the team can stay airborne for long enough
to capture her marathon hunts.
437
00:54:38,041 --> 00:54:43,921
But to be successful, the ground and
aerial team will need to work together.
438
00:54:46,481 --> 00:54:48,761
So we've got spotters
all around the valley,
439
00:54:48,881 --> 00:54:50,801
and if anything happens,
if anything moves,
440
00:54:50,921 --> 00:54:52,121
we can run to the helicopter
441
00:54:52,241 --> 00:54:55,601
and we can be up in the air
in about three minutes and filming.
442
00:54:55,721 --> 00:54:59,241
We're just on standby all morning
and all afternoon.
443
00:55:02,001 --> 00:55:06,241
With nine people monitoring
the white dingo's every move,
444
00:55:06,361 --> 00:55:08,401
all they can do...
445
00:55:09,481 --> 00:55:10,481
...is wait.
446
00:55:19,841 --> 00:55:21,881
Until one morning...
447
00:55:22,001 --> 00:55:25,481
She really looks like she's eyeing up
those roos over there.
448
00:55:25,601 --> 00:55:27,321
She's just stopped
and just looking at them.
449
00:55:30,601 --> 00:55:34,601
Yeah, she's definitely
looking for some roos. Over.
450
00:55:39,361 --> 00:55:42,401
With the dingo on the move,
the hunt seems imminent.
451
00:55:46,161 --> 00:55:51,881
As the helicopter prepares to launch,
the ground team keep track of her.
452
00:55:59,321 --> 00:56:01,121
Yep, she's running, she's running,
she's running.
453
00:56:15,401 --> 00:56:16,801
She looks good.
454
00:56:34,281 --> 00:56:35,761
Finally able to keep up,
455
00:56:35,881 --> 00:56:41,801
the team film these dingoes
hunting kangaroos for the first time,
456
00:56:41,921 --> 00:56:46,321
adding to the little we know about
these remarkable predators.
457
00:56:49,361 --> 00:56:51,921
After five weeks
following the white dingo,
458
00:56:52,041 --> 00:56:55,441
the team are left in awe of her.
459
00:56:55,561 --> 00:56:57,081
She's worked so hard,
460
00:56:57,201 --> 00:57:00,161
catching roos
and looking after her babies,
461
00:57:00,281 --> 00:57:02,681
and it's been just amazing.
462
00:57:03,841 --> 00:57:05,481
I'll never forget it.
463
00:57:09,401 --> 00:57:15,001
Next time -
a world transformed by mankind...
464
00:57:16,201 --> 00:57:18,921
...where extraordinary animals
are found...
465
00:57:20,281 --> 00:57:23,001
...in surprising places.
466
00:57:30,881 --> 00:57:32,201
Europe.