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Africa.
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00:00:51,343 --> 00:00:56,983
No continent on Earth today has
such spectacular wildlife.
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00:01:00,463 --> 00:01:05,543
At its heart lies
a vast tropical rainforest.
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00:01:09,822 --> 00:01:13,302
Over a million square miles
of wilderness,
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much of it still unexplored...
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00:01:16,622 --> 00:01:17,942
even now.
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00:01:23,862 --> 00:01:27,397
There are more species of animals
and plants in these jungles
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00:01:27,502 --> 00:01:29,902
than anywhere else on the continent.
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00:01:35,662 --> 00:01:38,182
But even in this land of plenty...
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00:01:39,542 --> 00:01:42,142
wildlife now faces major challenges.
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00:01:57,422 --> 00:01:59,902
The forests of the Ivory Coast
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contain over 1,500 species of plant,
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00:02:04,422 --> 00:02:07,088
but some are very difficult
to get at...
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00:02:07,982 --> 00:02:11,448
even for one of
the most intelligent of animals.
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00:02:20,622 --> 00:02:22,102
Chimpanzees.
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00:02:33,702 --> 00:02:38,462
The elders in this group know
where to find the most nutritious food
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00:02:38,582 --> 00:02:41,502
and how to extract it.
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00:02:43,382 --> 00:02:46,182
But if they are to
survive to adulthood,
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00:02:46,302 --> 00:02:50,582
the youngsters must learn these skills
from their parents.
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00:03:03,462 --> 00:03:06,222
This young female is five years old...
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00:03:09,302 --> 00:03:12,662
old enough to be given
an important lesson.
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00:03:28,062 --> 00:03:29,942
And this is her teacher.
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Her mother.
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00:03:39,742 --> 00:03:42,742
The lesson is how to crack a nut.
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00:03:54,702 --> 00:03:57,462
Using tools like this is so complex
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00:03:57,582 --> 00:04:02,315
that it has only been mastered by
a handful of chimpanzee communities.
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00:04:10,662 --> 00:04:16,102
This is a skill that has been practised
by chimps for several thousand years.
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00:04:27,862 --> 00:04:30,942
Time to try for herself.
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00:04:52,302 --> 00:04:55,782
She needs to find a better tool.
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Small rocks just don't have the clout.
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00:05:21,502 --> 00:05:24,702
And larger ones are too cumbersome.
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Wood is both light and strong...
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but not strong enough.
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Back to teacher.
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00:05:51,742 --> 00:05:55,622
It may take a young chimp
up to a decade to perfect
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the skills it needs for nut-cracking.
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00:06:01,102 --> 00:06:03,702
But she's already mastered one thing.
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00:06:07,822 --> 00:06:10,955
When her fingers can't reach
the nut inside...
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00:06:13,502 --> 00:06:16,502
she strips down a branch to size...
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00:06:21,702 --> 00:06:24,742
and makes herself a spoon.
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00:06:34,942 --> 00:06:38,302
She'll learn to use many tools
in her life...
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00:06:40,382 --> 00:06:42,917
and eventually she'll share
this knowledge
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with youngsters of her own,
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00:06:45,982 --> 00:06:50,942
enabling them to harvest the riches
of their rainforest home.
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00:06:56,462 --> 00:06:59,862
The sheer abundance of life
in the rainforests
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is rivalled by that
on the eastern side of the continent.
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The Great Rift Valley runs
for 4,000 miles down the length of Africa.
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00:07:15,662 --> 00:07:18,462
It developed some 30 million years ago,
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00:07:18,582 --> 00:07:22,662
when a giant plume of molten rock
pushing up from the depths
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00:07:22,782 --> 00:07:25,782
cracked the Earth's crust apart.
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00:07:35,702 --> 00:07:39,768
Fresh water began to accumulate
on the floor of this rift...
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00:07:40,742 --> 00:07:44,062
and a chain of lakes developed.
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00:07:46,142 --> 00:07:49,797
These lakes are now
one of the richest freshwater habitats
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to be found anywhere.
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00:08:04,142 --> 00:08:08,342
One single family of fish here -
the cichlids -
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00:08:08,462 --> 00:08:12,502
has evolved into more
than 1,500 different species.
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00:08:19,702 --> 00:08:22,222
This might look like paradise,
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00:08:22,342 --> 00:08:26,742
but competition between
these cichlid species is intense.
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00:08:31,262 --> 00:08:34,782
This crowded world is a dangerous one.
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00:08:36,822 --> 00:08:40,582
Baby fish, after all,
make a tasty meal.
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00:08:43,942 --> 00:08:48,102
So, many cichlid mothers have developed
a very effective way
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of keeping their offspring safe.
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00:08:52,542 --> 00:08:57,382
They use their mouths
as a mobile nursery.
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00:09:11,222 --> 00:09:13,356
It's a safe haven
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where the fry can stay
until danger has passed.
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00:09:21,022 --> 00:09:24,142
When the coast is clear,
she releases them.
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00:09:45,222 --> 00:09:48,677
This kind of behaviour starts
when the cichlid female
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00:09:48,782 --> 00:09:53,848
picks up her newly laid eggs and holds
them in her mouth to keep them safe.
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00:10:02,822 --> 00:10:07,982
During spawning,
her mate flashes his yellow tail spots
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00:10:08,102 --> 00:10:10,235
to encourage her to keep laying.
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00:10:16,742 --> 00:10:19,942
As each batch of eggs emerges,
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she scoops them up.
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00:10:31,342 --> 00:10:34,342
But this couple are being watched...
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00:10:38,942 --> 00:10:41,422
by cuckoo catfish.
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00:11:03,742 --> 00:11:05,662
They work as a gang
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00:11:05,782 --> 00:11:09,115
and devour as many cichlid eggs
as they can find.
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00:11:17,062 --> 00:11:19,942
Then,
in the middle of all this activity,
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one of the catfish also spawns.
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The cichlid mother
collects every egg she can see.
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00:11:39,862 --> 00:11:43,222
Now, by herself, she must wait
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00:11:43,342 --> 00:11:45,742
while the eggs in her mouth develop.
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It will take three weeks.
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She doesn't eat
throughout that entire time.
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00:12:10,502 --> 00:12:13,582
But 18 days later,
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00:12:13,702 --> 00:12:16,862
something is not right.
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00:12:28,702 --> 00:12:34,422
The female blows out her young
before they're fully ready to emerge.
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00:12:38,262 --> 00:12:42,982
And they are followed
by young cuckoo catfish...
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three times the size of her own babies.
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00:12:57,102 --> 00:13:00,582
She may have as many as six of them
in her mouth.
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00:13:06,182 --> 00:13:07,422
And now
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00:13:07,542 --> 00:13:10,542
they begin to eat the cichlid babies.
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00:13:15,422 --> 00:13:21,142
The female cichlid treats
the baby catfish as if they were hers.
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00:13:24,262 --> 00:13:27,422
They are truly cuckoos among fish!
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00:13:38,062 --> 00:13:40,997
The forces that created
the Great Rift Valley
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continue to shape Africa's landscape
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00:13:44,342 --> 00:13:45,902
even today.
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00:13:49,262 --> 00:13:55,742
At weak spots in the Earth's crust,
molten rock continues to erupt.
98
00:14:00,302 --> 00:14:04,982
There are some 200 volcanoes
on the continent...
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00:14:09,382 --> 00:14:11,382
many of them active.
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00:14:21,142 --> 00:14:23,742
They may bring destruction
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00:14:23,862 --> 00:14:28,502
but also, eventually, fertility.
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00:14:36,462 --> 00:14:39,262
This is Ol Doinyo Lengai.
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00:14:41,542 --> 00:14:47,142
For the past 400,000 years,
ash from this great volcano
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has fallen on the surrounding savannas
of the Serengeti
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and greatly enriched them.
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00:14:58,942 --> 00:15:02,502
This is the best grazing
on the continent.
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00:15:11,182 --> 00:15:16,062
On it live the world's largest herds
of migrating animals...
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00:15:18,502 --> 00:15:22,862
and they, in turn,
support predators.
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00:15:38,102 --> 00:15:43,742
Here, in Kenya, cheetahs have formed
an unusual alliance.
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00:15:49,582 --> 00:15:54,822
These swiftest of cats usually hunt
in groups of two or three.
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But this team of five
is one of the largest ever recorded.
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Two sets of brothers
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and a lead male.
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00:16:23,662 --> 00:16:28,342
They have now lived and hunted together
for almost three years.
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00:16:43,862 --> 00:16:46,222
By teaming up, they can hold
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the best territory in the area.
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But, even so, with five mouths to feed,
every hunt is very important.
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00:17:05,062 --> 00:17:08,062
They haven't eaten for three days.
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00:17:13,982 --> 00:17:17,837
To make a kill, they must get
within 30 metres of their quarry
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00:17:17,942 --> 00:17:19,862
without being detected.
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00:17:29,382 --> 00:17:30,902
Thick cover.
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00:17:32,142 --> 00:17:33,742
That will help them.
123
00:17:49,022 --> 00:17:53,022
Topi - nearly three times their size...
124
00:17:58,262 --> 00:18:02,542
and quite strong enough
to fight off a lion,
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00:18:02,662 --> 00:18:04,462
let alone a single cheetah.
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00:18:14,742 --> 00:18:16,582
Now out in the open...
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00:18:17,822 --> 00:18:22,542
every step the cheetahs take
increases their chance of success.
128
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The herd scatter,
and the team splits up.
129
00:18:53,062 --> 00:18:55,262
But they didn't get close enough.
130
00:18:59,022 --> 00:19:01,462
They switch targets to zebra.
131
00:19:31,622 --> 00:19:34,582
Everyone now knows that they're here.
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00:19:43,662 --> 00:19:46,342
They must devise a different approach.
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00:19:57,582 --> 00:20:00,502
All eyes are on the brothers.
134
00:20:10,662 --> 00:20:15,342
Out in the open,
they seem to be no threat.
135
00:20:18,182 --> 00:20:20,702
But the lead male is missing.
136
00:20:36,102 --> 00:20:39,422
The brothers are decoys.
137
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The trap is set.
138
00:22:01,022 --> 00:22:04,142
The other four now join the lead male.
139
00:22:08,342 --> 00:22:11,582
Under the combined weight
of five cheetah,
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00:22:11,702 --> 00:22:13,782
death comes quickly.
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00:22:29,742 --> 00:22:33,822
Today, Africa's savannas support
larger herds of big game
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00:22:33,942 --> 00:22:36,862
than anywhere else in the world.
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00:22:38,942 --> 00:22:41,102
And they, one way or another,
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00:22:41,222 --> 00:22:45,142
provide food for all kinds
of smaller creatures.
145
00:22:48,662 --> 00:22:50,702
An oxpecker.
146
00:22:53,902 --> 00:22:58,422
A resourceful little bird
with an unusual diet.
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00:23:12,782 --> 00:23:18,302
Fleas, ticks and even dandruff
are food,
148
00:23:18,422 --> 00:23:20,902
as far as they are concerned.
149
00:23:38,182 --> 00:23:40,142
Both parties benefit.
150
00:23:42,782 --> 00:23:45,502
The oxpecker gets a good meal...
151
00:23:46,622 --> 00:23:51,822
and the host is cleaned in those places
it could never reach for itself.
152
00:24:06,542 --> 00:24:10,902
Each bird, every day,
collects hundreds of ticks
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00:24:11,022 --> 00:24:13,862
and thousands of insect larvae.
154
00:24:15,582 --> 00:24:20,542
But some oxpeckers
go for rather riskier meals.
155
00:24:31,902 --> 00:24:36,622
Hippopotamus are highly territorial
and very aggressive...
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00:24:39,142 --> 00:24:43,862
so oxpeckers tackling them
must always be on their guard.
157
00:24:49,662 --> 00:24:52,102
But there's much to be gained.
158
00:25:01,942 --> 00:25:06,102
Blood is
the most nutritious meal of all.
159
00:25:07,502 --> 00:25:12,062
Pecking ensures that cuts remain open
and blood keeps flowing.
160
00:25:15,342 --> 00:25:19,182
And an oxpecker,
once it's found an open wound,
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will stay alongside it, no matter
how much that irritates its host.
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00:25:39,982 --> 00:25:45,222
The reward? An endless supply of food,
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whatever the conditions.
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00:25:53,902 --> 00:25:57,262
Not all of Africa is rich and fertile.
165
00:26:04,022 --> 00:26:07,462
A third of the continent is desert.
166
00:26:20,102 --> 00:26:23,622
This is the Namib in the southwest.
167
00:26:30,022 --> 00:26:33,302
At its heart, a disused diamond mine
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00:26:33,422 --> 00:26:37,182
that was abandoned nearly 70 years ago.
169
00:26:44,022 --> 00:26:47,182
But it still has one inhabitant.
170
00:26:55,342 --> 00:26:58,062
A desert specialist...
171
00:27:01,942 --> 00:27:04,608
and one of Africa's rarest predators.
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00:27:11,782 --> 00:27:13,822
The brown hyena.
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00:27:24,942 --> 00:27:27,862
This ghost town is her home.
174
00:27:38,262 --> 00:27:42,302
Its ruins give her valuable protection
from the elements.
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00:27:49,542 --> 00:27:52,942
She has been here for 15 years.
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00:28:06,702 --> 00:28:11,302
She's already reared
nine generations of cubs.
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00:28:33,862 --> 00:28:38,822
These two youngsters have reached
a critical stage in their lives.
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00:28:46,702 --> 00:28:51,662
They're four months old,
and now they need regular solid food.
179
00:28:54,022 --> 00:28:57,102
But there is nothing edible
in these ruins,
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00:28:57,222 --> 00:28:59,702
so their mother has to look elsewhere
181
00:28:59,822 --> 00:29:03,342
and may leave them
for several days on end.
182
00:29:12,942 --> 00:29:18,142
Brown hyenas may walk
over 20 miles a day in search of food.
183
00:29:28,062 --> 00:29:32,622
This is some of the most
hostile country on the planet.
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00:30:02,182 --> 00:30:06,982
Temperatures reach
a blistering 50 degrees Celsius.
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00:30:20,662 --> 00:30:23,382
Strong winds blow incessantly.
186
00:30:32,062 --> 00:30:38,142
Hyenas from all over the Namib head for
where the sand dunes meet the sea.
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00:30:48,542 --> 00:30:49,702
Somewhere along
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this seemingly barren stretch of sand,
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00:30:52,822 --> 00:30:57,382
there is food in great quantity.
190
00:31:09,342 --> 00:31:11,422
Cape fur seals.
191
00:31:14,382 --> 00:31:18,342
There are around 10,000 of them here.
192
00:31:33,142 --> 00:31:35,742
Adult seals are large and strong.
193
00:31:41,502 --> 00:31:44,942
But their pups are neither.
194
00:31:49,382 --> 00:31:53,262
The youngsters are closely guarded
by their mothers.
195
00:31:54,742 --> 00:31:58,382
A hyena, however, knows to be patient.
196
00:32:03,182 --> 00:32:09,022
Sooner or later, seal mothers
must return to the ocean to cool off.
197
00:32:17,902 --> 00:32:23,222
A single seal pup could feed a hyena
and her family for days.
198
00:32:28,142 --> 00:32:30,982
But finding food is
only half the battle.
199
00:32:35,222 --> 00:32:37,622
It now has to be carried back.
200
00:32:43,142 --> 00:32:45,302
A jackal is here too...
201
00:32:49,662 --> 00:32:51,862
and it's not alone.
202
00:32:57,542 --> 00:33:02,608
If a hyena loses her kill, she'll have
nothing with which to feed her cubs.
203
00:33:17,742 --> 00:33:21,342
The jackals won't follow her
very far from the coast.
204
00:33:22,742 --> 00:33:26,142
It's too hot for them
in the desert interior.
205
00:33:31,462 --> 00:33:33,942
Only by making these long journeys
206
00:33:34,062 --> 00:33:39,022
can brown hyenas manage to survive
in the middle of the Namib.
207
00:33:42,742 --> 00:33:45,982
But some desert animals
seldom move far.
208
00:33:50,982 --> 00:33:52,742
The Kalahari Desert.
209
00:33:55,862 --> 00:33:58,622
Here, food is more plentiful...
210
00:34:00,022 --> 00:34:01,662
but it's hidden.
211
00:34:10,502 --> 00:34:12,302
A pangolin.
212
00:34:19,062 --> 00:34:24,142
She can collect food
that others can't reach.
213
00:34:27,182 --> 00:34:29,997
A keen sense of smell
enables her to detect
214
00:34:30,102 --> 00:34:34,582
the presence of ants and termites
in their nests beneath the sand.
215
00:34:54,422 --> 00:34:57,742
Her sticky tongue, some 30cm long,
216
00:34:57,862 --> 00:35:01,262
enables her to collect them
from deep underground.
217
00:35:09,222 --> 00:35:11,488
And she's being carefully watched.
218
00:35:18,222 --> 00:35:21,862
The drier it gets,
the deeper the termites live.
219
00:35:23,102 --> 00:35:27,942
Many are way beyond the reach
of even a pangolin.
220
00:35:29,342 --> 00:35:32,022
But not of an aardvark.
221
00:35:37,542 --> 00:35:41,142
It's the world's largest
burrowing animal.
222
00:35:47,102 --> 00:35:50,422
Its sense of smell is extremely acute.
223
00:36:06,902 --> 00:36:10,717
Shovel-like claws and powerful legs
enable it to dig down
224
00:36:10,822 --> 00:36:13,422
to depths of five or six metres.
225
00:36:16,662 --> 00:36:22,662
A full-grown aardvark needs to eat
about 50,000 termites every day.
226
00:36:26,942 --> 00:36:31,222
Termites are highly nutritious
and full of moisture,
227
00:36:31,342 --> 00:36:34,662
and they can be collected here
year round.
228
00:36:46,382 --> 00:36:49,022
Aardvark are usually nocturnal.
229
00:36:52,742 --> 00:36:55,837
But the fact that this one
is foraging in daylight
230
00:36:55,942 --> 00:36:58,942
is a sign that food is scarce.
231
00:37:02,782 --> 00:37:07,462
Recent droughts in the Kalahari
have led to low termite numbers
232
00:37:07,582 --> 00:37:12,662
and, as a consequence,
aardvarks here are close to starvation.
233
00:37:18,182 --> 00:37:23,222
Changes in the world's climate
are affecting many of Africa's animals.
234
00:37:31,222 --> 00:37:34,622
It's predicted that
in the next century,
235
00:37:34,742 --> 00:37:39,302
Southern Africa will warm twice as much
as the global average.
236
00:37:44,502 --> 00:37:50,262
The future will be bleak for those
that cannot adapt fast enough.
237
00:37:57,262 --> 00:38:01,342
In Zimbabwe,
it hasn't rained in six months.
238
00:38:09,782 --> 00:38:14,622
During a drought, food becomes
harder and harder to find.
239
00:38:36,062 --> 00:38:40,902
Apple-ring acacias produce pods
that are full of protein...
240
00:38:42,342 --> 00:38:44,942
but mostly on their higher branches.
241
00:38:49,622 --> 00:38:52,222
Six metres up, they're out of reach
242
00:38:52,342 --> 00:38:55,582
even for the continent's
largest animals.
243
00:39:33,702 --> 00:39:40,302
This bull elephant needs to eat
about 90kg of vegetation every day.
244
00:39:56,822 --> 00:40:00,622
He's worked out a remarkable way
of surviving
245
00:40:00,742 --> 00:40:03,622
in these lean times.
246
00:40:05,262 --> 00:40:09,102
But it requires
great physical strength.
247
00:40:26,902 --> 00:40:30,702
Only a handful of bulls
have mastered the skill.
248
00:40:53,462 --> 00:40:56,742
He weighs over five tonnes.
249
00:40:56,862 --> 00:41:00,262
This is a truly monumental effort.
250
00:41:37,662 --> 00:41:40,622
Those around him benefit too.
251
00:41:55,342 --> 00:41:59,822
Elephants have used their great
intelligence to help them survive
252
00:41:59,942 --> 00:42:02,742
Africa's driest times for millennia.
253
00:42:07,622 --> 00:42:11,142
But today,
they face an even greater threat.
254
00:42:17,462 --> 00:42:23,422
It's thought that as many as 20 million
elephants once roamed the continent,
255
00:42:23,542 --> 00:42:27,742
but many have been killed
for their tusks...
256
00:42:30,942 --> 00:42:34,982
their ivory used for entirely
ornamental purposes.
257
00:42:40,262 --> 00:42:44,822
Now just 350,000 elephants remain.
258
00:42:52,302 --> 00:42:55,342
These stockpiles of confiscated tusks
259
00:42:55,462 --> 00:42:59,502
represent half of the elephants killed
on the continent
260
00:42:59,622 --> 00:43:02,022
in just one year.
261
00:43:13,782 --> 00:43:16,517
But of all of Africa's
remaining wildlife,
262
00:43:16,622 --> 00:43:21,182
it is the rhinoceros that has been
most affected by poaching.
263
00:43:26,662 --> 00:43:31,742
In the Far East, its horn is used
as traditional medicine.
264
00:43:36,862 --> 00:43:40,382
All of Africa's rhinos
are now under threat...
265
00:43:43,142 --> 00:43:48,102
but for one subspecies,
it's likely to be already too late.
266
00:43:51,222 --> 00:43:55,102
The northern white rhinoceros
is facing extinction.
267
00:43:57,582 --> 00:43:59,877
Scientists are working on a solution,
268
00:43:59,982 --> 00:44:04,048
but no male now survives,
so natural breeding is impossible.
269
00:44:09,822 --> 00:44:13,502
These two females
are the last of their kind.
270
00:44:14,742 --> 00:44:16,542
When they die,
271
00:44:16,662 --> 00:44:22,382
an entire subspecies that inhabited
the Earth for millions of years
272
00:44:22,502 --> 00:44:25,982
will have disappeared for ever.
273
00:44:30,302 --> 00:44:32,342
Right across Africa,
274
00:44:32,462 --> 00:44:38,302
human beings are having
a devastating impact on all wildlife.
275
00:44:41,382 --> 00:44:43,422
Cheetah numbers are decreasing
276
00:44:43,542 --> 00:44:45,022
year on year.
277
00:44:47,022 --> 00:44:52,182
Today, there are fewer than 8,000
left on the continent.
278
00:45:03,982 --> 00:45:08,477
The global demand for pangolin scales
for use in traditional medicine
279
00:45:08,582 --> 00:45:10,289
has now made them
280
00:45:10,395 --> 00:45:12,767
the most trafficked animal
on the planet.
281
00:45:17,822 --> 00:45:19,634
And western chimpanzees
282
00:45:19,740 --> 00:45:22,231
are so threatened
by the loss of their habitat
283
00:45:22,331 --> 00:45:25,181
that they are now
critically endangered.
284
00:45:28,662 --> 00:45:30,277
In this female's lifetime,
285
00:45:30,382 --> 00:45:33,822
three-quarters of the forest
in the Ivory Coast
286
00:45:33,942 --> 00:45:36,302
has been felled for plantations.
287
00:45:41,622 --> 00:45:44,782
Deforestation -
and not only in Africa -
288
00:45:44,902 --> 00:45:48,262
continues on an enormous scale.
289
00:45:53,182 --> 00:45:57,662
64 million acres of forest
are destroyed every year
290
00:45:57,782 --> 00:46:01,222
to make way for agriculture
and industry.
291
00:46:02,662 --> 00:46:06,182
An area of forest
the size of a football field
292
00:46:06,302 --> 00:46:08,302
is disappearing every second.
293
00:46:14,062 --> 00:46:17,595
Climate change is affecting
global weather patterns.
294
00:46:19,382 --> 00:46:23,342
Rainfall is increasingly unpredictable.
295
00:46:23,912 --> 00:46:28,701
Average temperatures
are soaring all over the globe.
296
00:46:34,062 --> 00:46:37,702
Extreme weather
is now affecting wildlife
297
00:46:37,807 --> 00:46:41,375
on all seven
of the planet's continents.
298
00:46:54,182 --> 00:46:59,462
Today, scientists tell us that we are
at the start of a mass extinction,
299
00:46:59,582 --> 00:47:04,142
and one that is being caused
by human activity.
300
00:47:07,340 --> 00:47:10,982
Over a million species
could be wiped out,
301
00:47:11,102 --> 00:47:14,558
many within the next few decades.
302
00:47:20,902 --> 00:47:27,422
But with help, even the most vulnerable
wildlife populations can still recover.
303
00:47:34,217 --> 00:47:35,797
In Africa's Virunga National Park,
304
00:47:35,902 --> 00:47:40,262
an intensive conservation programme
for the mountain gorilla
305
00:47:40,382 --> 00:47:47,031
has raised their numbers above 1,000
for the first time since records began.
306
00:48:03,342 --> 00:48:05,782
And in Antarctica,
307
00:48:05,902 --> 00:48:10,090
the international ban on whaling
has meant that the great whales
308
00:48:10,195 --> 00:48:15,707
have returned to the Southern Ocean
in numbers not seen for a century.
309
00:48:18,822 --> 00:48:21,845
So we can improve things...
310
00:48:22,822 --> 00:48:25,998
if we determine to do so.
311
00:48:29,902 --> 00:48:33,422
This is a crucial moment in time.
312
00:48:33,542 --> 00:48:35,742
The decisions we take now
313
00:48:35,862 --> 00:48:40,782
will influence the future of animals,
humanity,
314
00:48:40,902 --> 00:48:44,702
and indeed all life on Earth.
315
00:49:16,142 --> 00:49:17,608
For the Africa team,
316
00:49:17,714 --> 00:49:21,586
each shoot presented
its own challenge...
317
00:49:22,222 --> 00:49:26,302
but one tested them
in ways they never imagined.
318
00:49:29,142 --> 00:49:34,062
The team journeyed for six days
to the heart of the Congo rainforest.
319
00:49:35,222 --> 00:49:39,702
Their aim - to film the intimate lives
of lowland gorillas.
320
00:49:42,102 --> 00:49:45,742
They worked with local expert trackers,
321
00:49:45,862 --> 00:49:49,862
who can pick up the trail
of evidence left by the gorillas.
322
00:49:53,982 --> 00:49:58,742
From the plant, they can tell
which way the group has gone.
323
00:50:02,542 --> 00:50:07,142
As they close in, the team wear masks
to stop the spread of disease.
324
00:50:13,422 --> 00:50:18,062
Finally, a silverback and his family
in the trees.
325
00:50:22,302 --> 00:50:24,062
Look at that big boy.
326
00:50:31,662 --> 00:50:33,742
He's huge!
327
00:50:38,822 --> 00:50:41,517
You don't want to look him in the eye
because that...
328
00:50:41,622 --> 00:50:42,902
Oh, OK!
329
00:50:47,102 --> 00:50:50,782
The trackers have known this male
for 20 years
330
00:50:50,902 --> 00:50:53,568
and use clicking noises
to reassure him.
331
00:50:56,182 --> 00:50:59,382
It was a completely amazing experience.
332
00:50:59,502 --> 00:51:01,917
Just came closer and closer and closer,
333
00:51:02,022 --> 00:51:04,822
and my eyes got
wider and wider and wider.
334
00:51:06,862 --> 00:51:09,077
Yeah, it was incredible.
I'm just sort of smiling.
335
00:51:09,182 --> 00:51:11,115
It's kind of hard to process.
336
00:51:15,222 --> 00:51:19,542
But soon, the gorillas head
into the thickest jungle...
337
00:51:20,702 --> 00:51:22,462
Heavy, heavy.
338
00:51:24,542 --> 00:51:27,277
which means that keeping up
is difficult.
339
00:51:27,382 --> 00:51:32,982
There are a group of gorillas
somewhere in this mass of vegetation
340
00:51:33,102 --> 00:51:36,097
but it takes us about ten minutes
341
00:51:36,203 --> 00:51:39,396
just to cut a few-metres path
through it.
342
00:51:40,902 --> 00:51:43,317
Filming them is virtually impossible.
343
00:51:43,422 --> 00:51:48,222
There's always
a piece of vegetation in the way.
344
00:51:48,342 --> 00:51:50,675
Oh, God, I can barely see anything.
345
00:51:55,342 --> 00:52:00,822
As the days pass,
the jungle begins to take its toll.
346
00:52:00,942 --> 00:52:02,702
Oh, God, this is awful.
347
00:52:04,422 --> 00:52:09,142
Your ears, your nose, my eyes...
They're flying everywhere.
348
00:52:10,742 --> 00:52:16,262
And with little filmed, the reality
of the situation is sinking in.
349
00:52:16,382 --> 00:52:18,214
It's going to be a real challenge
350
00:52:18,320 --> 00:52:20,822
for me to get a sequence here,
351
00:52:20,942 --> 00:52:23,875
and it's a long way to come
to get nothing.
352
00:52:25,942 --> 00:52:29,542
Yeah, I'd say I'm feeling
the pressure at the moment.
353
00:52:35,582 --> 00:52:37,622
Half the shoot is now over,
354
00:52:37,742 --> 00:52:41,462
so the crew decide
to move to a more open area.
355
00:52:45,422 --> 00:52:46,822
Their destination -
356
00:52:46,942 --> 00:52:50,142
a clearing known as a bai.
357
00:52:52,302 --> 00:52:55,573
So, our luxurious home
for the next ten days or so
358
00:52:55,679 --> 00:52:57,673
is the top of this mirador.
359
00:53:00,502 --> 00:53:03,662
It's a little cramped,
but from this platform
360
00:53:03,782 --> 00:53:07,582
they hope to spot the gorillas
emerging from the forest.
361
00:53:11,902 --> 00:53:15,942
On their first morning,
the crew awaken to a visitor.
362
00:53:19,422 --> 00:53:21,717
It's our first elephant on this trip.
363
00:53:21,822 --> 00:53:24,822
There's a big bull
in the middle of the bai.
364
00:53:27,582 --> 00:53:28,822
And finally,
365
00:53:28,942 --> 00:53:31,702
the risk of moving pays off
366
00:53:33,822 --> 00:53:36,822
It's been
a really, really quiet morning,
367
00:53:36,942 --> 00:53:39,317
but a big group of gorillas, about 15,
368
00:53:39,422 --> 00:53:40,864
has suddenly appeared
369
00:53:40,970 --> 00:53:44,342
really, really close to us
and, apparently,
370
00:53:44,462 --> 00:53:49,528
this very rarely happens. Maybe about
once a month they'll come this close.
371
00:53:52,262 --> 00:53:56,262
Over the next week,
the gorillas continue to visit the bai.
372
00:54:11,382 --> 00:54:13,502
Until one afternoon...
373
00:54:20,222 --> 00:54:21,662
gunshots.
374
00:54:23,942 --> 00:54:26,357
On the platform,
the team are vulnerable.
375
00:54:26,462 --> 00:54:30,222
There's been poachers
probably within eyeshot of us.
376
00:54:30,342 --> 00:54:32,317
They know we're here.
We can't see them.
377
00:54:32,422 --> 00:54:34,102
And two big gunshots.
378
00:54:35,182 --> 00:54:37,102
They decide to evacuate.
379
00:54:38,662 --> 00:54:42,928
But there's also a risk of walking
through the jungle at night.
380
00:54:43,517 --> 00:54:45,664
The one rule of the forest is
381
00:54:45,770 --> 00:54:48,070
not to walk in the forest
when it gets dark,
382
00:54:48,470 --> 00:54:52,521
so we're going as fast as we can.
383
00:54:52,542 --> 00:54:56,475
Elephants are in the area,
so this is extremely dangerous.
384
00:55:04,662 --> 00:55:07,582
An hour later, the team reach a camp.
385
00:55:07,702 --> 00:55:09,262
Oh, God.
386
00:55:15,302 --> 00:55:18,768
That is not an experience
I'd want to repeat again.
387
00:55:19,782 --> 00:55:22,142
We had to choose between the risk
388
00:55:22,262 --> 00:55:24,677
of getting charged
by an elephant in the dark
389
00:55:24,782 --> 00:55:27,262
or getting shot by poachers.
390
00:55:28,942 --> 00:55:33,142
So, yeah, it's... pretty stressful.
391
00:55:33,262 --> 00:55:36,422
I'm going to have a sit-down.
392
00:55:36,542 --> 00:55:39,117
If they're ivory poachers,
this is quite serious,
393
00:55:39,222 --> 00:55:40,997
and they've got nothing to lose,
394
00:55:41,102 --> 00:55:44,677
and the gunshot was aimed in our
direction, that's where the sound was.
395
00:55:44,782 --> 00:55:47,382
It's a pretty scary situation to be in.
396
00:55:50,662 --> 00:55:55,782
Overnight, an armed anti-poaching unit
is called in to scout the area.
397
00:55:57,982 --> 00:56:00,237
Because of the remoteness
of this park,
398
00:56:00,342 --> 00:56:02,797
there's been no poaching
recorded in the last 20 years,
399
00:56:02,902 --> 00:56:07,237
so this is a really significant moment
and it's a really sad moment,
400
00:56:07,342 --> 00:56:11,222
because it means that,
as roads are being built here,
401
00:56:11,342 --> 00:56:13,337
it's becoming less and less remote,
402
00:56:13,443 --> 00:56:17,335
the animals here
are in more and more danger.
403
00:56:21,782 --> 00:56:25,342
Within a few hours,
the anti-poaching unit return
404
00:56:25,462 --> 00:56:30,582
with a stash of tusks
and news of a slaughtered elephant.
405
00:56:30,702 --> 00:56:33,191
It's about as tragic
as it gets, really,
406
00:56:33,297 --> 00:56:35,097
and we heard the two shots go off,
407
00:56:35,197 --> 00:56:39,555
so we were there when it happened
and the elephant went down.
408
00:56:40,062 --> 00:56:42,597
With the armed poachers
still on the run,
409
00:56:42,702 --> 00:56:45,822
the team decide to abandon the shoot.
410
00:56:45,942 --> 00:56:48,877
It's really tough
leaving on such a sad note.
411
00:56:48,982 --> 00:56:53,077
We've been watching these elephants
in the bai for the last week,
412
00:56:53,182 --> 00:56:57,742
and knowing that one of them
was killed yesterday is, um,
413
00:56:57,862 --> 00:57:03,102
is horrible and, yeah,
it's sad to be leaving like this.
414
00:57:05,742 --> 00:57:09,022
The poachers were caught,
but this incident
415
00:57:09,142 --> 00:57:13,808
is a reminder of how vulnerable
wildlife has become on the continent.
416
00:57:17,622 --> 00:57:21,302
Even animals
in the remotest parts of Africa,
417
00:57:21,422 --> 00:57:24,582
and indeed all our seven worlds,
418
00:57:24,702 --> 00:57:26,782
are now at risk.
419
00:57:30,317 --> 00:57:34,850
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