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At the southern tip
of the African continent,

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a tiny refuge
making a huge impact.

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A concentration of life.

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Its varied habitats
offering a sanctuary

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to some of the biggest animals
on the planet -

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And some of the smallest.

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It's a story
of beating the odds,

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of species coming back
from the edge of extinction

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to reclaim their place
in Africa's wilderness.

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This is De Hoop:

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Place of Hope.

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Daybreak
over the De Hoop Nature Reserve.

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The morning mist reveals
a herd of unique antelope.

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These are Bontebok,

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an Afrikaans name referring
to their contrasting

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dark and white coats.

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The dew saturates the coastal
succulent vegetation,

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supplying the Bontebok
with all the water they need.

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It's a tranquil scene,

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and the antelope are calm

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and focused
on their morning feed.

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But their presence here
is a triumph of conservation.

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Less than a century ago,

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relentless hunting had left
no more than 20 Bontebok

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in the world.

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But they were saved
by a peculiar quirk.

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Bontebok cannot jump.

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Herded into fenced camps
by concerned landowners,

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and unable to escape
by jumping over the fences,

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Bontebok numbers
slowly recovered.

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It was the start of a trend
that transformed

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this small part of the world

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into a conservation zone
for nearly-extinct animals.

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In 1957,

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the De Hoop Nature Reserve
was set up

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as an experimental
wildlife protection area

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where rare and endangered
species could be nurtured

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and their numbers
brought back from the brink

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to repopulate surrounding areas.

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Now a part
of a World Heritage Site

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and with an important Marine
Protected Area off its coast,

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De Hoop is a beacon of
conservation in Southern Africa

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and a haven
for vulnerable species.

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Today, Bontebok numbers
have swelled to almost 4 000.

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And other species
have found hope for survival.

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De Hoop contains a number
of habitats in one small area -

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from the coastal rocky shores

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to lowland Fynbos

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and pristine wetlands.

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But its protection
doesn't end at the shoreline.

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The bay is an internationally
renowned sanctuary

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for some iconic marine giants.

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Southern right whales,

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once hunted to near extinction,
migrate here to calve.

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Two vulnerable species,

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the Cape vulture
and the Cape mountain zebra,

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are slowly gaining back
lost ground.

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In the numbers game

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that underpins
the survival of a species,

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this small reserve
is making a big difference.

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Covering just 140 square miles,

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the De Hoop Nature Reserve

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could fit into
Yellowstone Park 25 times.

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And yet, despite its size,

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it is packed with life,

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offering a home
to hundreds of species.

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Part of this abundance

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is thanks
to the concentration of habitats

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found in De Hoop,

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a factor
of its unique geography.

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South of the reserve,

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the Heuningnesrivier,
or Honey Nest River,

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flows into the sea at De Mond.

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This river sweeps vast amounts
of sand into the ocean,

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which the sea
then pushes back onshore,

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creating
majestic beaches and dunes.

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To the east,
the coastline becomes rocky.

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Soft sandstone,

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carved over millennia
by the ocean and the weather,

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creates a dramatic landscape.

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Here, flat rock platforms

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provide ideal hunting grounds
for shore birds,

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while rock pools give shelter
to a variety of marine species.

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Inland,
flat pastures of succulents

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and large expanses of low bush

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provide food and shelter
for many of De Hoop's residents.

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Ocean,

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rocky shores,

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dunes,

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lakes,

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bush

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and open pasture -

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all packed into an area that
extends just 10 miles inland.

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A thin band of sanctuary,

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offering hope to
all the species that live here.

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As morning comes to De Hoop,

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the park's majestic giant
seeks out its favorite pastures.

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The Common eland,

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the second biggest antelope
in the world.

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Eland are huge.

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They can weigh close to a ton

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and stand
6 feet at the shoulder.

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For the indigenous
hunter-gatherers

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of Southern Africa,

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they were a potent symbol
of abundance and strength.

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The San people
immortalized the eland

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in many of their rock paintings

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and religious ceremonies,

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and it was an essential part

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of their coming of age

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and shamanistic
trance dance rituals.

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They are slow giants.

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Even when startled,

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they can barely reach
a peak of 25 miles per hour,

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and they tire easily.

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What they lack in speed,
however,

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they make up in strength.

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When threatened,

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an eland can leap 10 feet
from a standing position.

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Eland are nomads,

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and have adapted
to many of Africa's

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challenging
and diverse environments,

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helped in part
by an incredible ability

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to survive on almost no water.

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They are sociable animals,

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forming large herds
without being territorial,

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and they are content
to graze near other species.

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But among themselves,

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hierarchies
still need to be maintained.

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This large bull

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asserts himself through an
extraordinary adaptation

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of his physiology:

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knee clicking.

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The unusual sound

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is made by tendons slipping over
the bones in his front knees.

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The tendon
vibrates like a string.

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The sound it produces presents a
clear picture of his size

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and potential fighting
capabilities to any challengers.

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The bigger and stronger
an adult bull,

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the deeper and more imposing
his knee-clicks.

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Eland are browsers,

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nibbling juicy shoots and leaves
off small trees and bushes.

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But a feast like this
comes at a price.

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As the antelope presses against
trees and bushes,

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ticks are brushed off onto him,

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burrowing into his hair
and latching onto his back

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for a tasty blood meal.

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Once a tick attaches

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the eland won't feel it
growing fat on its blood.

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But other irritants

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lie frustratingly just out of
reach of his teeth or tongue.

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Luckily,
he has two very useful tools:

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his long,
elegant back-scratchers.

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The eland's spiral horns

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are a throwback
to an ancient Asian ancestor

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that had four horns.

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Over time,
the two pairs fused together,

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intertwining into the corkscrew
we see today.

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Still, there are only
so many spots he can reach.

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And mercifully,
he has help on board.

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Cattle egrets
are a species of heron.

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They get their name

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from their behavior of traveling
on or near large grazers

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such as cattle,
antelope and zebra.

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Moving with the herd
means access

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to an endless supply
of juicy ticks.

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Still, scoring dinner
can be a challenge.

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Their moving dinner table

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comes with heavy hooves
and swishing tails.

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A slow, blood-filled tick
is a treat for an egret.

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But this opportunistic feeder
is here for a bigger bonanza:

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insects, spiders,
frogs and worms

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that are churned up in the soil

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as the herds
tug up tussocks to eat.

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Following browsers and grazers

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offers big rewards
for little effort.

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Parasites don't only affect
the park's big antelope.

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They'll latch onto any
large animal that's passing by.

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In this case, the largest bird
in the world: the Ostrich.

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A young male
enjoys a satisfying dust bath,

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getting rid
of clinging parasites

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and stripping excess oil
off his feathers.

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He's not alone for long.

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It's his mate, wanting her own
quality time in the bath.

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They lie on the ground,
swaying from side to side,

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with their wings spread wide
for maximum coverage.

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A good dust bowl
is a valuable commodity.

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While two is company
in this bath,

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three is definitely a crowd.

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The tallest
and heaviest living bird,

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male Ostriches
can tower at almost 10 feet

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and weigh up to 330 pounds.

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Their giant size
makes flight impossible.

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But they have adapted by
becoming extremely fast runners.

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Long, powerful legs

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allow Ostriches to sprint
at up to 43 miles an hour,

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with strides
of more than 10 feet.

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Elite sprinters
need special footwear,

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and Ostrich are no different.

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Most birds have three
or even four toes on each foot,

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but the Ostrich has only two.

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The inner toes are tipped
with long, curving claws

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that dig into the ground like
spikes on a sprinter's shoe.

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This claw is also used
for self-defense.

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High up above them,
as the sun gathers strength

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and the day heats up,

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a fleeting glimpse

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of one of De Hoop's
greatest conservation successes.

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The Cape vulture.

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One of the biggest vultures
in Africa,

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its wingspan
measures up to 8 feet.

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Some 200
of these reclusive scavengers

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have made their home

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in the Potberg Mountains
that border De Hoop,

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comprising the last remaining
colony in this area.

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Over the years,
their numbers have plunged

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00:18:42,421 --> 00:18:46,525
plunged due to loss of habitat,
power lines, and poison

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00:18:46,525 --> 00:18:49,095
from carcasses
left out by farmers

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to kill other scavengers
like jackals.

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By the 1970s,

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just 30 vultures
remained alive in this area.

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But thanks to a shift in the
attitudes of local farmers,

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and the sanctuary
offered by De Hoop,

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the number of these elusive
scavengers continues to climb.

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The park provides a haven
for many bird species,

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but the region as a whole

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is also an essential habitat
for bird life.

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Beyond the western boundary
of the park,

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Greater flamingos
use this estuary to feed,

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preparing themselves
for their migrations northwards

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after the rainy season.

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00:20:13,512 --> 00:20:17,450
When the time comes,
they will fly the 600 miles

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00:20:17,450 --> 00:20:23,122
to blooming deserts
in Namibia and Botswana.

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If the rains have been good,
they will breed there.

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If not, they will come
all the way back to this region.

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The flamingos are tucking in.

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They are filter feeders, and
here they have plenty to eat.

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The sand flats
in the wetlands near De Hoop

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are full of microscopic
algae and bacteria,

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organic matter that clings
to individual grains of sand.

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00:21:10,102 --> 00:21:14,406
It's also a feast
for these Globular mud snails.

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The algae and bacteria

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make the sediment
particularly rich

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in small crustaceans
and marine worms -

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and the flamingos
are taking full advantage.

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They're on the move,

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sieving through the sediment
for the tastiest morsels.

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When they find
a particularly good spot,

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they will work it over
thoroughly,

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slowly pivoting around
in a circle

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00:21:47,339 --> 00:21:49,375
to dig through the sediment.

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00:21:50,309 --> 00:21:51,844
As the tide retreats,

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00:21:51,844 --> 00:21:54,346
their circular excavations
leave behind

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00:21:54,346 --> 00:21:56,248
a neat bit of landscaping:

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a small island, briefly wrestled
over by a pair of Hermit crabs.

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00:22:03,289 --> 00:22:07,426
In the west,
the shore is a sandy expanse,

257
00:22:07,426 --> 00:22:11,463
but just a few miles away
on the eastern edge of the park,

258
00:22:11,463 --> 00:22:14,333
this is a transformed coast.

259
00:22:22,741 --> 00:22:26,779
This is a harsher,
more demanding environment,

260
00:22:26,779 --> 00:22:30,649
where waves break
on a rugged and rocky shore.

261
00:22:40,125 --> 00:22:42,861
It seems inhospitable to all

262
00:22:42,861 --> 00:22:46,298
except for the toughest
limpets and mussels.

263
00:22:49,401 --> 00:22:52,605
But for this bird, it's perfect.

264
00:22:59,311 --> 00:23:02,314
The African black oystercatcher

265
00:23:02,314 --> 00:23:06,118
is another living symbol
of the success of De Hoop.

266
00:23:07,319 --> 00:23:09,555
Found only in southern Africa,

267
00:23:09,555 --> 00:23:15,728
its numbers had fallen to below
5 000 by the early 1980s.

268
00:23:24,136 --> 00:23:28,307
African black oystercatchers
build their nests on the ground,

269
00:23:28,307 --> 00:23:31,243
which makes them
extremely vulnerable.

270
00:23:33,145 --> 00:23:36,348
From marauding pets
to off-road vehicles,

271
00:23:36,348 --> 00:23:38,284
encroaching human activity

272
00:23:38,284 --> 00:23:42,521
almost doomed this charismatic
resident of the rocky shore.

273
00:23:48,093 --> 00:23:50,362
But protected coasts like this

274
00:23:50,362 --> 00:23:53,132
offer a safe space
to these birds.

275
00:23:56,335 --> 00:24:00,239
Still, life here isn't easy.

276
00:24:06,745 --> 00:24:08,647
The oystercatcher

277
00:24:08,647 --> 00:24:12,351
is restricted to a narrow
and dangerous strip of land -

278
00:24:12,351 --> 00:24:15,354
the intertidal zone.

279
00:24:15,354 --> 00:24:18,824
Surviving here,
avoiding pounding waves,

280
00:24:18,824 --> 00:24:21,593
takes speed and skill.

281
00:24:25,497 --> 00:24:27,366
It feeds at low tide

282
00:24:27,366 --> 00:24:30,569
when the shellfish on
these rocks have been exposed.

283
00:24:38,744 --> 00:24:42,781
A specially adapted bill
and powerful neck muscles

284
00:24:42,781 --> 00:24:45,284
allow it
to grab a mussel quickly

285
00:24:45,284 --> 00:24:48,554
and to tear it free
from its mooring of fibers.

286
00:24:52,091 --> 00:24:55,561
A speedy getaway is essential.

287
00:24:55,561 --> 00:24:58,430
The waves here are powerful,

288
00:24:58,430 --> 00:25:02,501
and even a fraction of a second
could prove costly to a bird

289
00:25:02,501 --> 00:25:04,703
caught in the surging breakers.

290
00:25:15,414 --> 00:25:19,752
Safe from the ocean,
it gets to work on its catch.

291
00:25:30,596 --> 00:25:33,432
His mate
has also been successful:

292
00:25:33,432 --> 00:25:35,667
she's jabbed
a limpet off its rock

293
00:25:35,667 --> 00:25:39,405
and is carving out its soft meat
with her bill.

294
00:25:42,274 --> 00:25:46,412
It's hard, tiring work,
and to sustain themselves,

295
00:25:46,412 --> 00:25:49,281
adult birds
need to crack open and eat

296
00:25:49,281 --> 00:25:52,618
scores of these armored morsels.

297
00:25:54,553 --> 00:25:58,323
With plentiful food and a
protected park around them,

298
00:25:58,323 --> 00:26:01,293
De Hoop's
oystercatchers are thriving,

299
00:26:01,293 --> 00:26:06,064
swelling the numbers
of this threatened species.

300
00:26:14,339 --> 00:26:18,377
As the tide comes in,
the oystercatchers retreat.

301
00:26:31,723 --> 00:26:36,528
The birds have to wait for
the next low tide to eat again.

302
00:26:39,331 --> 00:26:42,201
But for other inhabitants
of the De Hoop coast,

303
00:26:42,201 --> 00:26:43,068
it's feeding time.

304
00:26:45,437 --> 00:26:49,374
A marine protected area,
declared in 1986,

305
00:26:49,374 --> 00:26:55,547
extends for 3 miles
into the ocean off De Hoop.

306
00:26:55,547 --> 00:27:00,219
This allows fish species to
thrive here, close to the coast,

307
00:27:00,219 --> 00:27:04,189
largely untouched
by overfishing in this ocean.

308
00:27:07,226 --> 00:27:10,429
At high tide,
many species of native fish

309
00:27:10,429 --> 00:27:13,565
move into the shallow water
to feed.

310
00:27:21,406 --> 00:27:24,443
And as the rock pools
fill up with marine life,

311
00:27:24,443 --> 00:27:26,678
they become
an ideal hunting ground

312
00:27:26,678 --> 00:27:29,681
for one of this coast's
most cunning predators:

313
00:27:30,482 --> 00:27:34,152
the octopus.

314
00:27:34,152 --> 00:27:40,259
This highly intelligent animal
preys on crabs and rock lobster.

315
00:27:42,094 --> 00:27:45,531
He moves easily
between land and sea,

316
00:27:45,531 --> 00:27:48,400
searching for snacks
between the rocks.

317
00:27:57,242 --> 00:28:01,647
De Hoop is full
of conservation success stories.

318
00:28:13,425 --> 00:28:17,529
Out in the bay, the star of
De Hoop's Marine Protected Area

319
00:28:17,529 --> 00:28:20,632
is coming home to breed.

320
00:28:20,632 --> 00:28:22,801
The Southern right whale.

321
00:28:22,801 --> 00:28:27,205
One of the rarest of all
the planet's large whales.

322
00:28:32,210 --> 00:28:36,381
These giants
have completed a long journey,

323
00:28:36,381 --> 00:28:38,250
leaving behind
their feeding grounds

324
00:28:38,250 --> 00:28:40,352
in the icy waters
off Antarctica,

325
00:28:40,352 --> 00:28:43,221
and journeying north
to the milder coasts

326
00:28:43,221 --> 00:28:47,526
of South America,
Australia and Africa.

327
00:28:55,100 --> 00:28:58,770
They've come here,
to this protected coast,

328
00:28:58,770 --> 00:29:01,273
to mate and to breed,

329
00:29:01,273 --> 00:29:04,509
as part of the largest gathering
of their species

330
00:29:04,509 --> 00:29:06,478
in the southern hemisphere.

331
00:29:08,213 --> 00:29:12,050
Half of all Southern right
calves born in Africa

332
00:29:12,050 --> 00:29:14,553
are born at De Hoop.

333
00:29:23,729 --> 00:29:26,531
They are priceless treasures,

334
00:29:26,531 --> 00:29:28,400
a new generation

335
00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:31,703
inching this species away
from the threat of annihilation

336
00:29:31,703 --> 00:29:35,340
that loomed over it
just 80 years ago.

337
00:29:44,383 --> 00:29:48,754
Their name
reveals their grim history.

338
00:29:48,754 --> 00:29:51,723
Whalers named them
"right whales"

339
00:29:51,723 --> 00:29:55,661
because they were targeted
as the right whales to hunt.

340
00:29:57,829 --> 00:30:02,467
These docile and intelligent
animals were obvious targets

341
00:30:02,467 --> 00:30:05,604
and their high fat content
made them an easy haul

342
00:30:05,604 --> 00:30:09,107
as they floated
after being harpooned.

343
00:30:23,422 --> 00:30:25,824
For over 200 years

344
00:30:25,824 --> 00:30:29,294
they were slaughtered
on an industrial scale,

345
00:30:29,294 --> 00:30:33,765
and by 1935, when they became
officially protected,

346
00:30:33,765 --> 00:30:39,471
fewer than 2 000
remained alive on the planet.

347
00:30:43,775 --> 00:30:46,311
But determined
conservation efforts

348
00:30:46,311 --> 00:30:49,614
have now begun to pay off.

349
00:30:51,349 --> 00:30:53,819
Today,
the population is estimated

350
00:30:53,819 --> 00:30:58,557
to be around 7 000 individuals
in the southern oceans,

351
00:30:58,557 --> 00:31:03,395
and this figure
is doubling about every decade.

352
00:31:11,737 --> 00:31:13,605
The dunes of De Hoop

353
00:31:13,605 --> 00:31:17,442
form a barrier
between the ocean and the land,

354
00:31:20,612 --> 00:31:25,083
but this barrier is
far more mobile than it looks.

355
00:31:35,761 --> 00:31:39,297
Huge volumes of sand
brought down by rivers

356
00:31:39,297 --> 00:31:41,867
and then dumped onto the shore
by the ocean

357
00:31:41,867 --> 00:31:45,437
are swept up these slopes.

358
00:31:45,437 --> 00:31:48,340
Abrasive and always in flux,

359
00:31:48,340 --> 00:31:51,109
it's a tough environment
for life;

360
00:31:59,351 --> 00:32:03,622
But some species
have made a home here.

361
00:32:03,622 --> 00:32:07,359
A Cape legless skink
is in his element,

362
00:32:07,359 --> 00:32:10,495
living and feeding
under the sand.

363
00:32:16,201 --> 00:32:19,304
On the plain,
the park's iconic species

364
00:32:19,304 --> 00:32:22,674
has adapted
to a more forgiving habitat.

365
00:32:25,644 --> 00:32:27,445
These Bontebok

366
00:32:27,445 --> 00:32:29,781
are starting to get down
to the important business

367
00:32:29,781 --> 00:32:32,717
of the survival of the species.

368
00:32:34,486 --> 00:32:38,190
It's mating season,
and sprits are high.

369
00:32:40,625 --> 00:32:43,094
This female is ready to breed,

370
00:32:43,094 --> 00:32:46,731
and the males are starting
to show off for her.

371
00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:51,469
A young male sprints
through a neighbor's territory,

372
00:32:51,469 --> 00:32:54,606
displaying his prowess.

373
00:32:54,606 --> 00:32:56,708
He's been noticed
by the females,

374
00:32:56,708 --> 00:32:59,644
but he's also been seen
by the resident male.

375
00:33:01,379 --> 00:33:03,181
It's a deliberate provocation

376
00:33:03,181 --> 00:33:05,650
to the established male's
dominance,

377
00:33:05,650 --> 00:33:08,820
and it can't go unchallenged.

378
00:33:08,820 --> 00:33:13,091
Bontebok showdowns are usually
more about displaying bravado

379
00:33:13,091 --> 00:33:14,626
than locking horns.

380
00:33:16,361 --> 00:33:19,464
But sometimes
exceptions have to be made,

381
00:33:19,464 --> 00:33:24,269
and young pretenders
need to be put in their place.

382
00:33:24,269 --> 00:33:28,406
It's a test of strength
rather than a duel to the death.

383
00:33:31,243 --> 00:33:35,680
Their horns are for wrestling,
not stabbing.

384
00:33:50,195 --> 00:33:53,398
The bout is over.

385
00:33:53,398 --> 00:33:56,401
The challenger
has been put in his place,

386
00:33:56,401 --> 00:33:58,470
and plods away
to try his luck

387
00:33:58,470 --> 00:34:02,507
with a less experienced
sparring partner.

388
00:34:02,507 --> 00:34:05,710
The winner
has secured his territory,

389
00:34:05,710 --> 00:34:09,447
and with it,
the females of his harem.

390
00:34:12,250 --> 00:34:17,088
Despite his victory,
courting is still required.

391
00:34:18,256 --> 00:34:20,492
He approaches the female,

392
00:34:20,492 --> 00:34:26,097
nose outstretched,
head low and tail lifted -

393
00:34:26,097 --> 00:34:29,167
a Bontebok proposal.

394
00:34:29,167 --> 00:34:32,537
If she is impressed,
she will allow him to sniff her

395
00:34:32,537 --> 00:34:34,773
to see if she's ready to mate.

396
00:34:37,809 --> 00:34:42,314
Their courting
is a delicate ritual of advance

397
00:34:42,314 --> 00:34:43,782
and retreat.

398
00:34:59,698 --> 00:35:03,134
This male is so intrigued
by his potential mate

399
00:35:03,134 --> 00:35:08,206
that another opportunistic
suitor has snuck in unseen.

400
00:35:20,452 --> 00:35:23,989
He escorts the newcomer
off the premises.

401
00:35:27,425 --> 00:35:31,396
At the edge of the pasture,
a flash of black and white.

402
00:35:34,099 --> 00:35:38,636
But these
are no ordinary zebras.

403
00:35:38,636 --> 00:35:42,574
These are Cape mountain zebra.

404
00:35:42,574 --> 00:35:44,442
Found only in South Africa

405
00:35:44,442 --> 00:35:48,513
they are another
De Hoop success story.

406
00:35:52,117 --> 00:35:54,753
Great climbers, with hard,
pointed hooves

407
00:35:54,753 --> 00:35:57,856
perfectly adapted
to walking on rocky slopes,

408
00:35:57,856 --> 00:36:00,558
they generally live
in mountainous regions

409
00:36:00,558 --> 00:36:04,262
up to six and a half thousand
feet above sea level.

410
00:36:09,501 --> 00:36:12,337
But their need
for a rich variety of grazing

411
00:36:12,337 --> 00:36:14,139
and plentiful water

412
00:36:14,139 --> 00:36:17,375
put them in direct competition
with humans.

413
00:36:24,049 --> 00:36:29,454
By the 1950s there were fewer
than 100 zebras left alive.

414
00:36:41,833 --> 00:36:46,604
Now, thanks to national parks
and reserves such as De Hoop,

415
00:36:46,604 --> 00:36:50,175
the current global population
of Cape mountain zebra

416
00:36:50,175 --> 00:36:54,646
is estimated to be around 1 500.

417
00:37:00,251 --> 00:37:02,687
There is hope
that De Hoop's zebras

418
00:37:02,687 --> 00:37:07,492
will in future be able
to swell herds beyond the park.

419
00:37:26,511 --> 00:37:28,646
De Hoop is a sanctuary,

420
00:37:28,646 --> 00:37:31,216
and the larger species
that thrive here

421
00:37:31,216 --> 00:37:33,051
are free from predators.

422
00:37:35,587 --> 00:37:39,557
But down under their hooves,
another world exists

423
00:37:39,557 --> 00:37:44,395
where small but lethal hunters
stalk their prey.

424
00:37:51,503 --> 00:37:55,807
A baby Cape cobra
ventures out from his shelter,

425
00:37:55,807 --> 00:37:58,042
a prince in waiting.

426
00:37:59,444 --> 00:38:01,312
First, though,

427
00:38:01,312 --> 00:38:04,649
it will have to grow to its
full length of almost 5 feet,

428
00:38:04,649 --> 00:38:08,586
shedding its skin as it grows.

429
00:38:08,586 --> 00:38:13,691
While he's still small,
dangers are all around.

430
00:38:13,691 --> 00:38:17,762
As an adult he will be treated
with much more respect,

431
00:38:17,762 --> 00:38:23,034
feared as one of Africa's
most dangerous snakes.

432
00:38:29,140 --> 00:38:32,110
Now, though,
he needs to avoid being trampled

433
00:38:32,110 --> 00:38:34,479
by the park's bigger residents.

434
00:38:43,788 --> 00:38:46,257
When it comes to poison,
however,

435
00:38:46,257 --> 00:38:49,627
size doesn't always
equal danger.

436
00:38:52,697 --> 00:38:55,700
An endangered
Cape burrowing scorpion

437
00:38:55,700 --> 00:38:58,636
on high alert.

438
00:38:58,636 --> 00:39:02,574
It's getting ready to
defend itself from an intruder.

439
00:39:05,710 --> 00:39:10,048
Fearsome-looking stingers
stab and parry like swords,

440
00:39:10,048 --> 00:39:12,450
but although they can land
a vicious strike,

441
00:39:12,450 --> 00:39:15,220
these are not very poisonous.

442
00:39:18,156 --> 00:39:21,059
Scorpions have two weapons:

443
00:39:21,059 --> 00:39:25,096
their venomous stinger,
and their claws.

444
00:39:33,304 --> 00:39:38,610
Less poisonous scorpions need
two bigger, stronger claws

445
00:39:38,610 --> 00:39:42,647
to kill their prey
and see off rivals.

446
00:39:42,647 --> 00:39:47,218
The Black creeping scorpion
looks deadly,

447
00:39:47,218 --> 00:39:50,154
but its massive claws reveal
that its sting

448
00:39:50,154 --> 00:39:53,224
is probably relatively mild.

449
00:39:56,461 --> 00:39:58,263
A passing wood louse shows

450
00:39:58,263 --> 00:40:01,666
scant respect
for the armored beast.

451
00:40:07,672 --> 00:40:13,144
The soil of De Hoop
is largely sandy and chalky,

452
00:40:13,144 --> 00:40:17,615
and yet this nutrient-poor soil
is a perfect home

453
00:40:17,615 --> 00:40:19,784
for one of the planet's
most threatened

454
00:40:19,784 --> 00:40:23,087
and diverse plant realms.

455
00:40:23,087 --> 00:40:28,159
The planet is divided into six
so-called floristic kingdoms,

456
00:40:28,159 --> 00:40:32,830
areas in which similar
plant species tend to grow.

457
00:40:32,830 --> 00:40:37,235
The Cape floral kingdom
is not only the smallest,

458
00:40:37,235 --> 00:40:40,138
but it's also the most diverse:

459
00:40:41,673 --> 00:40:45,543
3% of all the planet's
plant species,

460
00:40:45,543 --> 00:40:50,415
growing in an area the size of
the US state of Maine.

461
00:40:53,318 --> 00:40:59,223
Comprising 80% of this
diverse plant life is Fynbos.

462
00:41:01,659 --> 00:41:06,264
This is not a single species
but rather a type of vegetation

463
00:41:06,264 --> 00:41:09,467
encompassing
a variety of species.

464
00:41:16,541 --> 00:41:21,746
Moving through this world
of flowers, a tiny hunter.

465
00:41:21,746 --> 00:41:26,751
A Flower mantis waits patiently
for a passing victim.

466
00:41:28,419 --> 00:41:31,389
One of the reserve's
smallest creatures

467
00:41:31,389 --> 00:41:34,325
is connected to its biggest.

468
00:41:35,159 --> 00:41:37,095
Like the eland,

469
00:41:37,095 --> 00:41:41,199
revered as a deity by the San
hunters of Southern Africa.

470
00:41:41,199 --> 00:41:44,635
The mantis was the San people's
supreme god,

471
00:41:44,635 --> 00:41:47,638
the trickster deity "/Kaggen".

472
00:41:47,638 --> 00:41:52,577
It was believed that it was
/Kaggen who created the eland.

473
00:42:01,085 --> 00:42:06,324
Success - but he's bitten off
more than he can chew.

474
00:42:07,825 --> 00:42:10,628
The caterpillar is inedible,

475
00:42:10,628 --> 00:42:13,664
protected
by a chemical secretion.

476
00:42:19,137 --> 00:42:23,474
Down below, another possible
meal scuttles nearer.

477
00:42:23,474 --> 00:42:25,676
A juicy cockroach.

478
00:42:25,676 --> 00:42:30,515
But the mantis knows that this,
too, is off the menu.

479
00:42:30,515 --> 00:42:33,551
The cockroach shoots out
a highly toxic fluid

480
00:42:33,551 --> 00:42:35,653
when threatened.

481
00:42:35,653 --> 00:42:37,688
Largely untouched by predators,

482
00:42:37,688 --> 00:42:41,292
it has free reign
over this scrubby wilderness.

483
00:42:44,495 --> 00:42:48,666
It's time for the mantis
to find a better hunting spot.

484
00:42:51,235 --> 00:42:54,539
Soon, another quarry
comes into range.

485
00:42:56,507 --> 00:42:58,543
Camouflaged on its flower,

486
00:42:58,543 --> 00:43:00,211
the mantis lets the wind

487
00:43:00,211 --> 00:43:04,315
nudge it
closer and closer to its victim

488
00:43:16,694 --> 00:43:21,165
A hearty meal for a small
but ferocious predator.

489
00:43:30,775 --> 00:43:35,413
In the afternoon the mythical
creations of the mantis god

490
00:43:35,413 --> 00:43:39,550
are on the move,
looking for fresh pastures.

491
00:43:41,419 --> 00:43:43,488
It's a stately caravan,

492
00:43:43,488 --> 00:43:46,657
and a couple of Ostriches
have joined in.

493
00:43:49,527 --> 00:43:52,730
Young eland
tend to stay together,

494
00:43:52,730 --> 00:43:58,169
forming an informal nursery
at the rear of the procession.

495
00:43:58,169 --> 00:44:00,137
Another generation of eland,

496
00:44:00,137 --> 00:44:04,675
growing up in safety,
their futures secure.

497
00:44:07,078 --> 00:44:11,649
Nearby, living symbols
of the success of De Hoop:

498
00:44:11,649 --> 00:44:16,287
a Bontebok cow and her calf.

499
00:44:16,287 --> 00:44:20,525
For now, she is entirely
dependent on her mother,

500
00:44:20,525 --> 00:44:22,460
but after a year,

501
00:44:22,460 --> 00:44:25,563
she will move away from her
herd, striking out on her own

502
00:44:25,563 --> 00:44:30,635
to join another group
and start her own family

503
00:44:30,635 --> 00:44:34,705
in one of the world's
greatest conservation stories.

504
00:44:51,856 --> 00:44:56,460
Dusk falls on the southern tip
of the African continent.

505
00:45:04,535 --> 00:45:09,473
The eland and Bontebok
are settling down for the night.

506
00:45:18,382 --> 00:45:23,554
Out in the bay, baby whales
press close to their mothers.

507
00:45:31,262 --> 00:45:34,765
Tomorrow
it will all begin again:

508
00:45:34,765 --> 00:45:41,772
a new day
in a place offering new hope.