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Today, the WHO declared
COVID-19 to be a pandemic.
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I'm issuing a
"stay home, stay safe" executive order.
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...directing nearly all of our residents
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to quite simply stay at home.
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From this evening,
I must give a very simple instruction.
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You must stay at home.
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March 2020.
A deadly virus sweeps around the world.
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Overnight, our lives are put on pause.
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But as we stop...
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remarkable things
start to change in the natural world.
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Clearer air.
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Cleaner waters.
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And animals starting to flourish
in ways we hadn't seen for decades.
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Filming from the start of lockdown
across five continents...
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we've recorded nature's
extraordinary response.
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00:02:01,035 --> 00:02:04,747
From ocean giants communicating
in new ways with their young...
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00:02:08,834 --> 00:02:13,589
And cheetahs transforming
the chances of survival for their cubs...
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This is the best time
for her to be a mother.
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To endangered penguins
having a record-breaking breeding season.
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This is a unique opportunity to peer into
the lives and worlds of wildlife
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and see what things look like
without as much of our interaction.
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It's a global experiment
of epic proportions.
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This is the year Earth changed.
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00:03:05,808 --> 00:03:11,397
Just hours into lockdown,
many of us notice the silence.
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00:03:14,150 --> 00:03:19,113
With global traffic noise
reduced by up to 70%,
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there is a new sound to be heard...
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birdsong.
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These white-crowned sparrows
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adapt to the quiet
by doing something astonishing.
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Living in the shadow
of the Golden Gate Bridge,
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their song had been drowned out by cars.
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But now, with the traffic here
at its lowest levels since the 1950s...
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researchers are amazed to hear
new notes in the sparrows' mating call.
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00:04:06,702 --> 00:04:11,791
And there's hope that the birds will have
their best breeding season for years.
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00:04:17,462 --> 00:04:20,466
And it's not just noise level
that reduces.
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The speed at which air pollution drops
around the globe is staggering.
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Within days,
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Los Angeles experiences
its best air quality for 40 years.
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00:04:39,026 --> 00:04:44,157
Across China, the levels of toxic gases
in the atmosphere halve.
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00:04:46,159 --> 00:04:52,039
And in India, which typically suffers from
some of the worst pollution in the world...
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just 12 days after lockdown...
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...a breathtaking sight appears.
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We were sitting on the table
having breakfast,
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and then my dad came, rushed in.
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He said, "Come upstairs.
The mountains are visible."
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Amateur photographer Anshul
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goes to see
what all the excitement was about.
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People were standing
on the rooftops saying,
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"Wow. Wow. Mountains. Mountains."
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And I pause, and I saw.
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With the clear skies,
for the first time in a lifetime,
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we can see the Himalayas.
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Over 200 kilometers away,
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the highest mountain range on Earth,
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hidden behind smog for 30 years,
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is suddenly visible.
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I couldn't believe my eyes.
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The Himalayas have been right there
behind the pollution all along.
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Anshul's photograph of
this moment went viral around the world.
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It's a vivid illustration
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that the moment we paused,
the Earth was able to breathe again.
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Lockdown extends into weeks.
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And the travel bans
limit our movement still further.
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Those holidays that you might
have been planning to take, cancel them.
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Passenger numbers
and passenger bookings are all down.
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Air travel has just fallen off a cliff.
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It's down roughly 90% worldwide.
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April 2020,
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and there are 114 million fewer
international tourists
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than in the same month the previous year.
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00:06:44,485 --> 00:06:50,741
In Spain, visitor numbers drop
from over seven million to zero.
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00:06:54,162 --> 00:07:00,460
And in Florida, beaches normally packed
with holidaymakers on spring break...
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00:07:01,419 --> 00:07:03,045
are deserted.
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00:07:06,299 --> 00:07:10,970
Could this be the opportunity
for one endangered sea creature
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to boost its numbers?
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Female sea turtles return
every two to three years
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to the shores
where they themselves hatched
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in order to lay their eggs.
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Globally, turtle numbers
have been in steep decline,
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partly because they have been reluctant
to visit the ever-busier beaches.
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But this year...
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is different.
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Our cameraman,
working with local researchers,
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is lucky enough to film here
on Juno Beach...
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one of the densest nesting sites
for loggerhead turtles in the world.
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As the breeding season begins...
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the female is able to lay her eggs
in peace
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for the first time in her life.
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And over the following weeks,
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hundreds more do the same.
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It's long been thought
that human disturbance
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is a major problem for breeding turtles.
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But this is the first time
that scientists can accurately measure
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00:09:00,371 --> 00:09:02,373
the scale of the impact.
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Each morning, this team of researchers
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counted the number of turtle tracks
that lead to a nest.
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00:09:18,264 --> 00:09:20,099
Over the last ten years,
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the average nesting success rate
for loggerheads
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had dropped to just 40%.
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Have they been any more successful
with the beach to themselves?
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When the beaches were closed to humans,
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that number jumped all the way up to 61%,
which is the highest we've ever seen.
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This is a dramatic improvement.
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Every extra nest means
another hundred or so hatchlings,
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each with the potential to become
breeding adults themselves.
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00:10:03,059 --> 00:10:06,479
With these beach closures,
these animals were able to do
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00:10:06,562 --> 00:10:09,023
what they've been doing
for millions of years
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00:10:09,857 --> 00:10:13,528
more successfully than when we have
a human presence.
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Six thousand kilometers away,
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on the west coast of America...
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a new quiet beneath the waves
offers an opportunity
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for ocean giants.
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Every year,
more than 10,000 humpback whales
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migrate from Hawaii...
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to these bays in Alaska in order to feed.
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00:11:23,097 --> 00:11:25,683
Normally, they would
have to share these waters
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with ships carrying
a million visitors a year.
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00:11:36,194 --> 00:11:39,280
But now, with every cruise canceled...
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it's as much as
25 times quieter underwater.
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00:11:46,746 --> 00:11:51,751
In this hush,
scientists using underwater microphones
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00:11:51,834 --> 00:11:54,295
record a remarkable change.
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00:11:55,046 --> 00:11:58,341
Humpbacks are talking to each other
more often...
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00:12:00,551 --> 00:12:02,720
and in new ways.
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00:12:04,639 --> 00:12:07,350
Well, it was really exciting
and actually very moving
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00:12:07,433 --> 00:12:11,229
to hear these whales
having this long vocal exchange.
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00:12:11,896 --> 00:12:14,565
One vocalizing,
and then a mother and calf.
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00:12:14,649 --> 00:12:16,484
I mean, I'd never heard that before.
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You can imagine, if you were
trying to communicate with your friends,
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00:12:21,072 --> 00:12:22,406
and you're in a crowded bar.
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00:12:22,490 --> 00:12:26,160
It's hard to do, you don't say as much,
and when you do, you have to scream.
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00:12:26,244 --> 00:12:28,913
But if you find yourself
a nice, quiet coffee shop
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where there isn't much noise,
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00:12:30,748 --> 00:12:34,794
you can carry on a much more elaborate
and productive conversation.
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00:12:38,756 --> 00:12:41,634
But there's something
even more surprising.
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00:12:45,096 --> 00:12:50,184
Now the whales can communicate across
greater distances without interruption.
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00:12:50,768 --> 00:12:54,981
And some mothers, like this one,
leave their calves alone.
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An extremely rare sight.
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00:13:01,737 --> 00:13:03,739
She can now head off to feed,
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00:13:03,823 --> 00:13:09,078
safe in the knowledge that she can hear
her calf if it needs her.
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00:13:15,460 --> 00:13:18,755
A nursing mother
needs to eat as much as possible...
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00:13:20,006 --> 00:13:24,010
and the best way to do so
is to hunt with other adults.
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The whales dive down...
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00:13:34,353 --> 00:13:36,898
blowing a circular wall of bubbles...
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00:13:39,066 --> 00:13:41,944
corralling the fish into shoals...
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00:13:44,739 --> 00:13:47,700
before gorging on them
in their thousands.
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00:13:53,247 --> 00:13:56,459
It's one of nature's greatest spectacles.
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00:14:09,931 --> 00:14:12,100
Reassured by the quiet,
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00:14:12,183 --> 00:14:16,938
humpback mothers are able to team up
in this way more often.
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00:14:17,939 --> 00:14:20,316
This year,
they've got the place to themselves.
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00:14:20,399 --> 00:14:24,028
They're doing anything they want,
wherever they want, whenever they want.
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00:14:24,695 --> 00:14:26,197
In previous years,
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as few as 7% of calves
made it to adulthood.
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00:14:31,452 --> 00:14:35,623
But this season, there's every chance
many more will survive.
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00:14:37,750 --> 00:14:42,213
Hopefully, after a few tough years
where whales were not doing so well,
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00:14:42,296 --> 00:14:45,675
this pandemic has given them a break
at a time that they needed it most.
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00:14:49,262 --> 00:14:54,475
This change in underwater
noise levels went far beyond Alaska.
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00:14:56,978 --> 00:15:02,817
Global shipping traffic drops by 17%
in the first three months of lockdown,
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00:15:03,609 --> 00:15:07,488
improving the lives of animals
across the oceans.
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00:15:11,367 --> 00:15:13,453
Dolphins off New Zealand
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triple the range
of their communication.
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00:15:20,793 --> 00:15:26,466
And researchers in Vancouver
record a fourfold reduction in ship noise
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that allows killer whales
to use their sonar
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more effectively in hunting their prey.
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00:15:48,321 --> 00:15:51,449
It's three months into the pandemic.
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00:15:52,283 --> 00:15:57,246
In the United States, nearly half
the labor force is working from home.
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00:15:57,330 --> 00:16:00,958
And globally,
a quarter of businesses are shut.
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00:16:02,919 --> 00:16:06,839
Bars, restaurants and caf�s remain closed.
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00:16:07,799 --> 00:16:12,428
When all is said and done,
the retail business is shut down.
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00:16:13,513 --> 00:16:17,225
Right now it feels abandoned.
Like there's no one around.
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00:16:18,309 --> 00:16:20,645
Across the world's major cities,
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footfall is reduced by more than 90%.
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00:16:27,110 --> 00:16:29,445
With urban centers almost deserted...
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00:16:29,529 --> 00:16:31,364
remarkable pictures emerge
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00:16:31,447 --> 00:16:35,284
of animals taking advantage
of city living.
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00:16:39,038 --> 00:16:42,083
A hippo on a trip to the gas station.
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00:16:47,422 --> 00:16:50,133
Jackals enjoying the local park.
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00:16:55,054 --> 00:16:58,015
Even a puma prowling the sidewalk.
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00:17:05,982 --> 00:17:10,110
But one animal adapts to these
abandoned urban spaces
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with particular ingenuity.
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00:17:25,167 --> 00:17:29,505
The city of Nara
has been home to a group of sika deer
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for at least 1,300 years.
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Most of the meadows
they relied on for food
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had been taken over by buildings.
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00:17:41,809 --> 00:17:45,354
But these normally shy animals
had found a solution.
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The deer turned to the 13 million
annual visitors to Nara's temples...
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00:17:56,866 --> 00:17:59,869
and discovered that showing
a bit of respect...
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would bring tasty rewards.
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00:18:08,377 --> 00:18:12,924
Rice bran crackers
had become a vital part of their diet.
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00:18:22,892 --> 00:18:25,436
But the pandemic changed that.
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00:18:32,068 --> 00:18:35,613
Their favorite takeout
disappeared overnight.
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No people means no crackers.
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00:18:53,047 --> 00:18:56,592
There's concern
that the deer might starve.
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00:18:56,676 --> 00:19:00,888
But some of the older generation
appear to have a plan.
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00:19:06,018 --> 00:19:09,939
They lead a group
out of the temple grounds.
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00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:12,859
And they seem to know exactly
where they're going.
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They're heading down a major road...
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00:19:26,038 --> 00:19:29,250
deep into the concrete jungle of the city.
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00:19:40,803 --> 00:19:44,557
But where will they find food
in this urban sprawl?
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00:19:52,648 --> 00:19:55,067
After a two-and-a-half kilometer trek...
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00:19:56,903 --> 00:19:58,905
the group comes to a halt.
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00:20:04,368 --> 00:20:09,373
This unassuming patch
was once part of their grazing grounds.
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00:20:10,500 --> 00:20:12,627
Remarkably, the older deer
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00:20:12,710 --> 00:20:16,506
seem to have remembered it
as the place where they used to feed.
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00:20:23,721 --> 00:20:26,182
And it provides everything they need:
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00:20:26,766 --> 00:20:30,353
fresh grass, leaves and herbs.
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00:20:35,066 --> 00:20:36,484
Over the following weeks,
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00:20:36,567 --> 00:20:41,906
they graze across a patchwork
of these surviving scraps of land.
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00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:48,121
And there was another upside
to the absence of people.
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00:20:50,164 --> 00:20:55,503
Scientists have discovered that not only
did this new diet make them healthier...
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00:20:57,588 --> 00:21:01,592
but fewer visitors
meant less plastic trash,
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00:21:02,260 --> 00:21:03,970
which can kill deer.
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00:21:09,642 --> 00:21:13,187
Even when it seems that
animals benefit from our presence...
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00:21:16,023 --> 00:21:19,652
in many cases,
they're actually better off without us.
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00:21:30,872 --> 00:21:35,042
Four months into lockdown,
and wherever we step back,
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00:21:35,126 --> 00:21:39,547
the space we leave is providing wildlife
with new opportunities.
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00:21:46,679 --> 00:21:48,139
In Argentina...
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00:21:49,182 --> 00:21:51,476
normally shy capybara
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00:21:51,559 --> 00:21:55,438
raid the manicured gardens
of this well-heeled suburb...
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00:21:57,231 --> 00:22:00,735
which has been built
on their former wetland home.
220
00:22:03,946 --> 00:22:08,743
Nothing seems to stop them enjoying
what was originally theirs.
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00:22:27,386 --> 00:22:28,596
Well...
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00:22:30,306 --> 00:22:31,641
almost nothing.
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00:22:39,148 --> 00:22:44,695
The longer our absence continues,
the more daring animals become.
224
00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:49,909
And when the safari season in Africa
is canceled...
225
00:22:51,077 --> 00:22:55,331
...one deadly hunter rewrites the rule book.
226
00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:00,920
This luxury lodge stands empty.
227
00:23:02,755 --> 00:23:07,468
But it doesn't take long
before new guests begin to check in.
228
00:23:14,725 --> 00:23:17,979
Vervet monkeys reserve a spot by the pool.
229
00:23:24,026 --> 00:23:26,529
While impala and nyala antelope
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00:23:27,321 --> 00:23:29,907
take advantage of the salad bar.
231
00:23:33,953 --> 00:23:36,038
But not far behind...
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00:23:38,082 --> 00:23:42,503
a fully grown male leopard.
233
00:23:49,677 --> 00:23:54,599
The appearance during the day
of this usually nocturnal hunter
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00:23:54,682 --> 00:23:56,976
is a real surprise.
235
00:23:57,059 --> 00:23:59,812
Not least for our film crew.
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00:24:01,105 --> 00:24:02,857
Just stand still, guys.
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00:24:41,187 --> 00:24:46,109
I've had some intimidating moments
in my life, but that is at the top of it.
238
00:24:50,613 --> 00:24:52,031
Across Africa,
239
00:24:52,115 --> 00:24:56,452
leopards have lost over 60%
of their territory to people,
240
00:24:57,036 --> 00:24:59,789
making hunting ever more challenging.
241
00:25:02,417 --> 00:25:05,002
But here, with no guests around,
242
00:25:05,586 --> 00:25:08,339
this leopard sees an opportunity
243
00:25:09,048 --> 00:25:13,094
and makes a remarkable switch
in his behavior.
244
00:25:16,973 --> 00:25:19,809
He starts hunting during the day.
245
00:25:29,735 --> 00:25:32,071
It may take a few attempts...
246
00:25:35,158 --> 00:25:36,826
but it's not long...
247
00:25:38,369 --> 00:25:40,371
before his new strategy...
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00:25:40,955 --> 00:25:42,165
pays off.
249
00:25:49,714 --> 00:25:51,507
Leopard numbers in Africa
250
00:25:51,591 --> 00:25:55,511
have dropped by over 30%
in the last 25 years.
251
00:25:56,471 --> 00:26:02,185
But by taking full advantage of
this new all-you-can-eat lockdown buffet,
252
00:26:02,268 --> 00:26:04,270
this leopard is thriving.
253
00:26:04,937 --> 00:26:08,608
This pretty much has become his lodge.
His private kingdom.
254
00:26:24,749 --> 00:26:27,835
It's six months since the pandemic began.
255
00:26:29,962 --> 00:26:35,176
By September, over 40 countries
still have restrictions in place...
256
00:26:37,136 --> 00:26:41,307
limiting the activities
of over 3 billion people.
257
00:26:42,225 --> 00:26:43,559
Large gatherings,
258
00:26:43,643 --> 00:26:49,398
including live sporting events,
concerts and festivals,
259
00:26:49,482 --> 00:26:54,487
will not be able to return until we have
a reliable treatment like a vaccine.
260
00:26:56,322 --> 00:26:59,075
Whilst we adjust to our new normal,
261
00:26:59,909 --> 00:27:03,121
nature's rejuvenation continues.
262
00:27:06,165 --> 00:27:08,376
In India, the river Ganges
263
00:27:08,459 --> 00:27:12,588
shows an 80% increase
in its oxygen levels.
264
00:27:16,134 --> 00:27:18,344
And on Africa's Atlantic coast,
265
00:27:19,262 --> 00:27:25,184
the water cleanliness rating
leaps from poor to excellent.
266
00:27:29,814 --> 00:27:34,277
And our lighter tread
has now been continuing for long enough
267
00:27:34,360 --> 00:27:37,280
for a whole new generation of animals
to benefit.
268
00:27:39,323 --> 00:27:42,493
Here on the South African coast,
269
00:27:42,577 --> 00:27:46,914
some proud new parents
are on their morning commute.
270
00:27:53,463 --> 00:27:56,299
African jackass penguins.
271
00:28:05,475 --> 00:28:08,936
They have set up home right alongside us.
272
00:28:26,454 --> 00:28:28,414
During the breeding season,
273
00:28:28,498 --> 00:28:32,335
every morning
they head out to sea to go fishing.
274
00:28:39,884 --> 00:28:42,303
Their chicks are very demanding.
275
00:28:43,679 --> 00:28:48,601
They need to eat around 15%
of their body weight every day.
276
00:28:51,437 --> 00:28:55,233
Luckily, jackass penguins
are highly effective hunters...
277
00:28:56,067 --> 00:28:58,486
able to dive to depths of 80 meters
278
00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:02,990
to feast on shoals of fish
and crustaceans.
279
00:29:09,247 --> 00:29:13,292
But delivering the catch
to their hungry chicks is a problem.
280
00:29:18,589 --> 00:29:22,427
In previous years,
these beaches were packed with people.
281
00:29:23,553 --> 00:29:26,431
And by the time the penguins were ready
to return from fishing...
282
00:29:27,140 --> 00:29:29,392
they would find their path blocked.
283
00:29:30,726 --> 00:29:34,313
So many of them waited offshore
until sunset...
284
00:29:36,441 --> 00:29:38,401
when the crowds headed home.
285
00:29:47,702 --> 00:29:51,748
But this year, the beach is deserted.
286
00:29:59,672 --> 00:30:02,341
The penguins abandon their old routine
287
00:30:02,425 --> 00:30:06,304
and now head home
after just a few hours at sea
288
00:30:07,263 --> 00:30:10,057
with a bellyful of fish for their chicks.
289
00:30:16,814 --> 00:30:22,445
And with plenty of daylight still in hand,
they can go out to sea once more.
290
00:30:28,367 --> 00:30:33,498
These chicks are now being fed
twice or even three times a day.
291
00:30:36,334 --> 00:30:39,253
They're not only healthier
and growing more rapidly,
292
00:30:39,337 --> 00:30:44,884
but more families like this one
are successfully rearing twins.
293
00:30:46,844 --> 00:30:49,013
And there's more good news.
294
00:30:49,097 --> 00:30:50,598
Over the next few weeks,
295
00:30:50,681 --> 00:30:56,062
some parents go on to successfully raise
a second clutch of chicks,
296
00:30:56,604 --> 00:31:00,108
the first time this has been seen here
in over a decade.
297
00:31:03,486 --> 00:31:06,823
For years, we've assumed that
penguins and people here
298
00:31:06,906 --> 00:31:08,825
were getting along just fine.
299
00:31:12,620 --> 00:31:17,083
But in reality,
we were making their life difficult.
300
00:31:21,462 --> 00:31:24,340
And given that penguin numbers
in South Africa
301
00:31:24,424 --> 00:31:28,511
have dropped by almost 70%
over the last 30 years...
302
00:31:30,513 --> 00:31:32,932
they need all the help
we can give them.
303
00:31:41,983 --> 00:31:46,320
It's not just the young of city-dwelling
animals that are thriving.
304
00:31:47,989 --> 00:31:51,409
By now,
the effects of this year's restrictions
305
00:31:51,492 --> 00:31:55,037
are even being felt
in the world's wildest places.
306
00:31:57,123 --> 00:32:01,210
Transforming one big cat's ability
to protect its young.
307
00:32:04,672 --> 00:32:05,673
Cheetah.
308
00:32:10,928 --> 00:32:13,765
The fastest sprinter on Earth.
309
00:32:30,114 --> 00:32:31,574
But they have a weakness.
310
00:32:31,657 --> 00:32:36,913
Their slight build means they lack
the strength of rival predators...
311
00:32:38,873 --> 00:32:41,334
like lions and hyenas.
312
00:32:46,047 --> 00:32:48,549
They will happily steal a cheetah's meal
313
00:32:49,300 --> 00:32:51,636
and won't hesitate to kill a cub.
314
00:33:02,647 --> 00:33:05,358
Cheetahs try to keep a low profile.
315
00:33:08,069 --> 00:33:10,071
But with two cubs to feed,
316
00:33:10,863 --> 00:33:14,909
this mother needs to make a kill
every two or three days.
317
00:33:31,634 --> 00:33:32,927
While she hunts,
318
00:33:33,010 --> 00:33:36,973
her six-month-old cubs
stay hidden in the long grass.
319
00:33:40,059 --> 00:33:45,773
But as soon as she's made her kill,
she faces a dilemma.
320
00:33:50,695 --> 00:33:53,072
She is hundreds of meters away from them,
321
00:33:53,531 --> 00:33:56,242
with a carcass too large to drag back.
322
00:33:58,161 --> 00:34:02,373
And if she leaves it, she will risk it
being stolen by scavengers.
323
00:34:05,877 --> 00:34:09,380
Her solution
is to use a soft chirruping call...
324
00:34:10,548 --> 00:34:12,300
to tell her cubs to join her.
325
00:34:15,093 --> 00:34:16,303
She must be careful.
326
00:34:17,013 --> 00:34:19,390
If she calls too loudly or too often,
327
00:34:19,474 --> 00:34:23,060
she will alert her enemies
to her defenseless cubs.
328
00:34:26,397 --> 00:34:28,483
And it's at this very moment
329
00:34:28,566 --> 00:34:32,028
that cheetah here
have found it hardest to be heard.
330
00:34:36,198 --> 00:34:38,618
In the years before lockdown,
331
00:34:38,700 --> 00:34:42,580
seeing a cheetah hunt
was the top of the wish list
332
00:34:42,662 --> 00:34:44,665
for the Maasai Mara's tourists.
333
00:34:45,499 --> 00:34:49,879
But the crowds that surrounded the mother
after her kill posed a problem.
334
00:34:51,756 --> 00:34:55,301
There's a lot of commotion.
Vehicles driving up and down.
335
00:34:55,885 --> 00:34:59,263
Guides talking on radio,
people talking to each other.
336
00:35:00,807 --> 00:35:02,850
The hubbub drowned the calls
337
00:35:02,934 --> 00:35:05,311
of mother cheetahs calling to their cubs.
338
00:35:05,978 --> 00:35:07,730
All that noise
339
00:35:07,814 --> 00:35:12,235
masks the natural cues
that cheetahs rely on to survive.
340
00:35:15,613 --> 00:35:20,576
Forced to keep on calling,
they risked attracting rivals.
341
00:35:30,503 --> 00:35:32,088
But this year...
342
00:35:32,171 --> 00:35:36,134
this mother is experiencing
almost no human disruption.
343
00:35:41,431 --> 00:35:44,934
After just a few calls
across the empty savanna...
344
00:35:48,980 --> 00:35:50,857
her cubs hear her...
345
00:35:57,196 --> 00:35:59,115
and join their mother.
346
00:36:03,578 --> 00:36:06,247
We find that mothers
make fewer calls.
347
00:36:06,330 --> 00:36:09,667
One or two times,
and cubs respond immediately.
348
00:36:12,128 --> 00:36:13,838
Without people around,
349
00:36:13,921 --> 00:36:17,300
researchers are already seeing
cheetah cubs doing better.
350
00:36:19,761 --> 00:36:23,639
In pre-COVID times, you'll find
one out of three cubs will survive.
351
00:36:23,723 --> 00:36:25,725
But currently we are coming across
352
00:36:25,808 --> 00:36:27,935
more cubs
that are more than three months old,
353
00:36:28,019 --> 00:36:29,729
which makes us optimistic
354
00:36:29,812 --> 00:36:32,940
that this time around
we are going to have more cubs surviving,
355
00:36:33,024 --> 00:36:34,692
which means more cheetahs.
356
00:36:37,653 --> 00:36:41,866
With only around 7,000
adult cheetahs left in Africa...
357
00:36:43,868 --> 00:36:45,745
every cub is precious.
358
00:37:05,223 --> 00:37:08,309
While the year
continues to be challenging for us...
359
00:37:09,143 --> 00:37:11,479
...more and more endangered animals
360
00:37:11,562 --> 00:37:15,399
are enjoying a boost
to their chances of survival.
361
00:37:20,446 --> 00:37:23,449
With less disturbance during 2020,
362
00:37:23,533 --> 00:37:24,826
mountain gorillas here
363
00:37:24,909 --> 00:37:28,579
gave birth to twice
the usual number of babies.
364
00:37:34,502 --> 00:37:36,462
On England's south coast,
365
00:37:36,546 --> 00:37:42,593
rare spiny seahorses appear in numbers
not seen for at least ten years
366
00:37:43,094 --> 00:37:48,516
as their seagrass home recovers
from damage caused by visiting boats.
367
00:37:54,188 --> 00:37:58,609
And in Kenya,
no rhinos were killed for their horns
368
00:37:59,277 --> 00:38:02,613
for the first time since 1999.
369
00:38:11,330 --> 00:38:14,000
It's a whole year
since the start of lockdown.
370
00:38:15,334 --> 00:38:20,131
A year in which many of us have found
comfort in the natural world.
371
00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:25,762
A year in which that world
has changed in extraordinary ways.
372
00:38:28,973 --> 00:38:32,101
Annual global emissions of carbon dioxide
373
00:38:32,185 --> 00:38:34,937
have fallen by over 6%,
374
00:38:35,021 --> 00:38:37,482
the largest drop ever measured.
375
00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:43,738
And there have been striking changes
beneath the Earth's surface too.
376
00:38:44,739 --> 00:38:48,534
With the vibrations
from travel and industry halved,
377
00:38:48,618 --> 00:38:53,372
it's been the quietest period underground
in recorded history.
378
00:38:57,710 --> 00:39:00,630
But the impact of this lockdown
won't last forever.
379
00:39:02,131 --> 00:39:05,551
What inspiration can we take
from this moment
380
00:39:05,635 --> 00:39:09,388
to find ways
to better coexist with nature?
381
00:39:14,310 --> 00:39:17,814
In India,
some are already seizing the chance
382
00:39:17,897 --> 00:39:19,607
to live more harmoniously
383
00:39:19,690 --> 00:39:24,070
alongside some very powerful
yet endangered animals.
384
00:39:33,496 --> 00:39:35,540
A fully grown Asian elephant
385
00:39:35,623 --> 00:39:40,294
needs to eat 150 kilos of food every day.
386
00:39:41,504 --> 00:39:44,924
But with only 5%
of their natural habitat remaining,
387
00:39:45,508 --> 00:39:48,886
and with much of their forest home
replaced by farmland,
388
00:39:48,970 --> 00:39:53,599
elephants here
often raid crops to survive.
389
00:40:05,903 --> 00:40:09,949
In response, the farmers
try to defend their fields.
390
00:40:11,367 --> 00:40:17,290
But they still regularly lose over half of
the rice harvest on which they depend.
391
00:40:30,052 --> 00:40:31,971
We would spend the entire night
392
00:40:32,054 --> 00:40:33,806
chasing them away into the forest.
393
00:40:33,890 --> 00:40:35,308
But they'd come back
394
00:40:35,391 --> 00:40:38,936
and we'd have to do it all over again.
395
00:40:53,659 --> 00:40:56,954
And it's not just farms that are at risk.
396
00:40:59,957 --> 00:41:03,544
Elephants also search for food in villages
397
00:41:03,628 --> 00:41:06,255
and have ended up trampling people.
398
00:41:10,968 --> 00:41:11,969
Across the country,
399
00:41:12,053 --> 00:41:15,723
around 400 humans
and a hundred elephants
400
00:41:15,807 --> 00:41:18,810
are killed in these conflicts every year.
401
00:41:25,733 --> 00:41:28,778
But one community
is trying a new approach
402
00:41:28,861 --> 00:41:30,571
to solving the problem.
403
00:41:31,155 --> 00:41:34,325
City workers who've returned home
because of lockdown
404
00:41:34,909 --> 00:41:37,203
can provide the extra hands needed
405
00:41:37,286 --> 00:41:41,541
for a project
spearheaded by a local conservation trust.
406
00:41:43,167 --> 00:41:46,129
We got a great opportunity
during lockdown
407
00:41:46,212 --> 00:41:49,924
to do plantation for wild elephants.
408
00:41:51,717 --> 00:41:54,804
Along the forest edge,
they plant a buffer zone
409
00:41:54,887 --> 00:41:59,934
of fast-growing wild rice and grasses
for the elephants to eat.
410
00:42:02,728 --> 00:42:08,985
The entire community
of more than 500 people came to help.
411
00:42:09,193 --> 00:42:10,945
Over just a few months,
412
00:42:11,028 --> 00:42:17,243
they transform almost 400 acres,
1.6 square kilometers, of their land.
413
00:42:19,287 --> 00:42:22,373
And now, instead of
driving the elephants away
414
00:42:22,457 --> 00:42:25,293
they're holding a ceremony
to welcome them.
415
00:42:34,260 --> 00:42:36,512
The crops are ready for harvest.
416
00:42:38,139 --> 00:42:41,768
But will the elephants eat the grasses
that have been planted for them...
417
00:42:43,811 --> 00:42:46,564
or will they raid the farmers' fields?
418
00:42:51,444 --> 00:42:53,446
As the people return home...
419
00:42:54,864 --> 00:42:58,451
something stirs at the edge of the forest.
420
00:43:06,626 --> 00:43:11,839
One by one, the elephants emerge
from the cover of the trees.
421
00:43:14,842 --> 00:43:16,177
Mothers.
422
00:43:17,678 --> 00:43:19,180
Calves.
423
00:43:19,263 --> 00:43:24,268
A whole extended family
of 26 hungry elephants.
424
00:43:26,604 --> 00:43:28,272
But how far will they come?
425
00:43:33,653 --> 00:43:36,489
Staying close to the edge of the forest...
426
00:43:37,990 --> 00:43:42,829
they choose to feast only on the crops
planted for them.
427
00:43:46,040 --> 00:43:48,709
Before, we used to chase them away.
428
00:43:48,793 --> 00:43:50,795
But now, things have changed.
429
00:43:50,878 --> 00:43:54,173
It feels good... makes us happy.
430
00:43:59,095 --> 00:44:01,681
As the harvest season progresses,
431
00:44:01,764 --> 00:44:06,352
the elephants never stray
onto the farmers' fields
432
00:44:06,978 --> 00:44:08,896
nor do they enter the village.
433
00:44:12,400 --> 00:44:14,527
If we love elephants
434
00:44:14,610 --> 00:44:17,488
then elephants love us too.
435
00:44:21,117 --> 00:44:22,869
A buffer zone of plants
436
00:44:22,952 --> 00:44:25,079
is providing a long-term solution
437
00:44:25,163 --> 00:44:27,373
to an age-old conflict.
438
00:44:29,834 --> 00:44:31,919
And it's one which neighboring villages
439
00:44:32,003 --> 00:44:36,758
are already talking with the local
conservation trust about adopting.
440
00:44:50,188 --> 00:44:52,940
Looking back over the past year,
441
00:44:53,024 --> 00:44:56,444
one that has been so difficult
for many of us,
442
00:44:56,527 --> 00:45:01,115
what can we learn
to secure the future of the natural world
443
00:45:01,199 --> 00:45:02,825
and our own?
444
00:45:05,536 --> 00:45:08,915
We have to think of how we shall coexist.
445
00:45:09,999 --> 00:45:14,128
Awaken us to the fact that
we can share our spaces with wildlife.
446
00:45:14,796 --> 00:45:16,422
Not taking it for granted
447
00:45:16,506 --> 00:45:19,258
that we're going to do the same things
when we go back.
448
00:45:21,177 --> 00:45:25,098
The astonishing speed
and variety of nature's response
449
00:45:25,181 --> 00:45:28,935
has shown that
even modest changes to our lives
450
00:45:29,018 --> 00:45:33,564
can make a vital difference
to wildlife around the world.
451
00:45:37,401 --> 00:45:41,072
There could be some
small shutdowns every single summer.
452
00:45:41,155 --> 00:45:43,991
Nightly beach closures.
It doesn't have to be during the day.
453
00:45:44,075 --> 00:45:46,953
Very small alterations that people can do
454
00:45:47,036 --> 00:45:50,331
to make sure that humans and wildlife
are both successful together.
455
00:45:51,541 --> 00:45:54,460
We know that
if we ask vessels to go slower,
456
00:45:54,544 --> 00:45:58,256
and we maybe group vessel traffic,
they can actually have a smaller footprint
457
00:45:58,339 --> 00:46:01,342
and protect the underwater soundscape
and the whales.
458
00:46:02,218 --> 00:46:04,971
We are making recommendations
to the park authorities
459
00:46:05,054 --> 00:46:10,351
that are aimed at promoting good conduct
among tourists and tour guides
460
00:46:10,435 --> 00:46:12,895
that will ensure
the survival of these animals.
461
00:46:13,980 --> 00:46:18,317
This extraordinary year,
the year Earth changed,
462
00:46:18,901 --> 00:46:22,655
has not only shown us
that we can help wildlife to flourish,
463
00:46:23,448 --> 00:46:25,575
but if we choose to do so,
464
00:46:26,159 --> 00:46:30,079
we can also transform
the health of the planet for all.
465
00:46:31,289 --> 00:46:33,458
I know it's high time now
466
00:46:33,541 --> 00:46:37,879
that we should contribute in every
small way we can to reduce the pollution.
467
00:46:38,629 --> 00:46:42,216
And far from being
separate from the natural world...
468
00:46:44,010 --> 00:46:48,639
we've discovered
that our lives are interconnected
469
00:46:48,723 --> 00:46:51,225
in deep and surprising ways.
470
00:46:53,269 --> 00:46:55,730
If we are to thrive in the future,
471
00:46:55,813 --> 00:46:58,816
now is the crucial moment
472
00:46:59,650 --> 00:47:02,487
to find ways to share our planet...
473
00:47:04,405 --> 00:47:06,783
with all the life on Earth.39619
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