All language subtitles for Dynr5

The Dynasties crew spent two
years capturing the story

of these chimpanzees.

This is how every day begins.

Walking over 1,500 miles...

You know it's steep when the chimps
are being careful.

...carrying around 80 kilos each day
in some of the hottest

temperatures on Earth.

It's got to be 46,
47 degrees right now.

I think it's fair to say filming
a blazing fire,

when it's 40 degrees wasn't
probably my best idea.

It's crazy, it's the second time
we've had to run away

from bees this morning.

I got stung, and as
you might be able to tell,

it's swollen up a little bit.

Oh, my God.

How stuck is it?

It's pretty stuck.

But the hardest challenge
of all is understanding

the complexities of
the lives of these chimps.

This is only possible thanks
to scientist Jill Pruetz

and her team, who have been studying
this troupe for nearly 20 years.

One of the reasons I think
I like to have people see the chimps

is, it is almost like a soap opera.

It really is this social group
that is not that different

from humans. So you have
relationships change

and you have
different personalities.

Jill's insights helped the team get
to know all the different characters

she has given names
to over the years.

But right from the start,
one chimp named David,

grabs everyone's attention.

We've only been here a few days
but immediately David stood out.

He's really recognisable.

He's a bit of a game player,
but also he's often on his own.

He's very, very charismatic.

He's got a real kind
of swagger to him.

He reminds me of Marlon Brando,
actually, he's got this real kind

of presence to him.

David is one of my favourite chimps.

I maybe a little biased,
I think he's quite clever.

I think of him as a very strong,
you know, strong willed chimp,

a very dominant chimp
and he was very ambitious

when he first became a young adult,
and he rose up the hierarchy

really quickly for his age.

So he became alpha, actually,
when he was a teenager.

He's constantly having to fend off
challenges from other younger males.

And it just goes to show
it's tough being alpha.

It's tough being at the top.

After following David
for so many months,

he seems almost like
family to the crew.

So when he's violently
attacked its a real shock.

Coming out this morning,
it's sort of heartbreaking to see

this chimp that was so powerful...

...just looking so weak.

Oh, he doesn't look good,
he's covered in flies.

And he's looking, looking
really bad, actually.

It's like a frail old man, suddenly.

Like he's ready to die, almost.

The following day
their concerns deepen.

We arrived at 5am and leave not
been able to find any of the chimps.

So we've no idea what condition
David's in,

and he's in a bad way already.

We wish him luck.

I'm sort of worried
about him, and his state.

I just really hope he's OK.

So we're still looking.

They check the remote camera
at the water hole,

where they hope David might have
gone to drink.

I've just gone from the beginning...

...and it looks like David hasn't
been to drink here.

Michelle has just found some tracks.

How he finds these things
I don't know, but there's a chance

we might catch up with him.
Good find, let's go.

Luckily, the tracks
do indeed lead to David.

We've been really worried
with the extent of his injuries,

we didn't know if he was alive,
or if he was ever coming back.

He came right back in and maintained
that alpha status.

David has been alpha for almost
double what we've seen

with other alphas.

He's been challenged a few times,
but he's been able to hold on.

We saw him, not only nearly
lose his position in the hierarchy,

but we saw him nearly lose his life.

The injuries he sustained
in the last coup,

would have been enough to kill me.

David has been able to overcome
the many challenges

that have come from within,

but there's a greater threat that he
and his group face.

In Senegal right now, I'd say the
main threat to chimpanzees

is the gold rush, which just
obliterates huge areas.

Less than a decade ago,
the prices of gold rose,

and people have intensified gold
mining, so that really has increased

the number of people here.

Chimps here have lived alongside
people for thousands of years.

David's group has so far adapted
to life alongside humans

in a remarkable way.

But, with such demand
for these minerals,

and ever more people searching
for gold in this region,

habitat destruction and poaching
is inevitable.

You know, there's not
that many chimpanzees left.

The West African chimp
here in Senegal,

and in west Africa in general, has
been upgraded

to critically endangered
because so many have been lost.

In Senegal, the number
of chimpanzees is now

just in the hundreds.

In the last 25 years,
80% of Western chimpanzees

have disappeared.

And in the future,
studies like Jill's

will become increasingly important
to help conservationists

and local governments protect
the surviving chimpanzees,

not only in Senegal,
but across the whole of Africa.

Next time...

A dynasty of thousands.

A great march into the frozen wastes
of Antarctica,

to face the coldest and
cruellest winter on earth.