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Sync and corrections by explosiveskull
www.addic7ed.com
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Imagine a world where temperatures
rise to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
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00:00:44,850 --> 00:00:49,430
Where there's no escape
from sun, wind and dust.
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00:00:54,770 --> 00:00:59,870
Imagine a world with
almost no food or water.
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00:01:08,570 --> 00:01:10,809
These are the conditions in
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one third of the lands of our planet.
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To live here demands the most
extraordinary survival strategies.
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This is the oldest desert in the world.
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The Namib in south-west Africa.
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It's been dry for 55 million years.
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Life here for a hunter
is as hard as it gets.
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A pride of lions.
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One of the very few that endures
this desert's scorching temperatures
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and lack of water.
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00:02:42,570 --> 00:02:46,430
Hunting here presents special problems.
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A herd of oryx, the only
prey within 20 miles.
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00:03:01,410 --> 00:03:05,129
Out here, there is no cover for an ambush.
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It'll have to be a straight chase.
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They have failed
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00:03:46,890 --> 00:03:51,590
and each failed hunt brings
the lions closer to starvation.
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To find enough to eat,
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00:04:05,170 --> 00:04:10,510
the pride continually searches
an area the size of Switzerland.
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00:04:18,970 --> 00:04:26,350
Three days and 100 miles
later, and still no kill.
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00:04:27,690 --> 00:04:30,369
These are desperate times.
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00:04:33,970 --> 00:04:37,230
A dry riverbed on the
edge of their territory.
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00:04:40,370 --> 00:04:43,609
The only animals here are giraffe,
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but these one-tonne giants could
kill a lion with a single kick.
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00:05:01,570 --> 00:05:05,070
Lions seldom tackle such formidable prey...
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00:05:07,850 --> 00:05:13,030
...but this pride can't go
on much longer without food.
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00:05:40,410 --> 00:05:44,470
The whole pride must work together
as a team if they're to succeed.
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00:06:13,050 --> 00:06:15,169
Two lionesses lead the chase.
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Others race to cut off
possible escape routes.
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00:06:35,250 --> 00:06:40,350
The giraffe has the speed and
stamina to outrun the pride...
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...but it's being chased into a trap.
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00:06:46,250 --> 00:06:49,510
Up ahead, the lead female waits.
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It's now up to her.
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00:07:20,770 --> 00:07:23,790
Most lion hunts end in failure.
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00:07:25,250 --> 00:07:30,510
But no lions fail more often than
those that live in the desert.
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00:07:33,850 --> 00:07:38,030
Once again, the pride
must continue their search.
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00:08:02,010 --> 00:08:06,390
It does, sometimes, rain in the desert.
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00:08:09,250 --> 00:08:14,990
Here, in the American West, storms
can strike with devastating force.
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00:08:20,010 --> 00:08:22,009
After ten months of drought,
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millions of tonnes of water are
dumped on the land in under an hour.
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00:09:16,490 --> 00:09:18,209
Over millions of years,
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sand and gravel carried
by the rampaging floods
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have carved channels
through the solid rock.
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00:09:29,490 --> 00:09:33,670
Slot canyons, 150 feet deep.
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00:10:05,570 --> 00:10:08,609
In some places, these canyons have widened
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until the land between them
is sculpted into tablelands
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00:10:12,570 --> 00:10:14,889
and isolated pinnacles,
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00:10:14,890 --> 00:10:19,150
some of the most dramatic
landscapes on the planet.
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The rain may be long gone...
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...but there is water here...
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...locked away within the tissues
of specialist desert plants.
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00:10:49,450 --> 00:10:53,150
Cacti are unique to American deserts.
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00:10:55,050 --> 00:10:56,929
They all hoard water,
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storing it in swollen stems
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00:10:59,450 --> 00:11:03,230
and protecting it behind
a barricade of spines.
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00:11:07,090 --> 00:11:10,950
They're so successful that
they dominate these deserts.
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00:11:13,330 --> 00:11:15,649
But this forest of spikes can cause
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problems for the animals that live here.
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00:11:26,210 --> 00:11:28,150
A Harrisxxx hawk.
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00:11:30,890 --> 00:11:35,230
It has developed special techniques
for hunting amongst the cacti.
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Ground squirrels.
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Prey.
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00:11:52,770 --> 00:11:56,750
At the first sign of danger they
bolt for the safety of the thorns.
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00:12:06,250 --> 00:12:09,230
But the hawks have a
tactic to flush them out.
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00:12:12,530 --> 00:12:16,550
These are the only birds
of prey that hunt in packs.
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00:12:18,810 --> 00:12:23,350
Flying in formation, they try to
drive their quarry into the open.
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00:12:34,290 --> 00:12:36,990
But this squirrel is staying put.
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00:12:43,050 --> 00:12:45,950
So now the hawks continue the hunt...
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...on foot.
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They're closing in from all sides.
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00:13:20,290 --> 00:13:24,070
Soon, all escape routes are cut off.
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The squirrel is trapped.
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00:13:40,730 --> 00:13:44,129
The spines that cover almost
every plant in this desert
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can provide protection and
shelter for many animals.
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00:13:55,730 --> 00:14:01,030
So, why should these
spikes be hung with corpses?
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What kind of creature could be responsible
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00:14:09,530 --> 00:14:12,310
for creating such a gruesome scene?
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00:14:21,410 --> 00:14:25,470
There's a mysterious killer
at work in this desert.
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It's a butcherbird.
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00:14:36,090 --> 00:14:41,609
This little songbird uses the
spines as a butcher uses his hook...
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to hold its prey as it dismembers it.
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00:14:54,970 --> 00:14:59,750
And with chicks to feed, he
also uses the spines as a larder.
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00:15:05,290 --> 00:15:07,790
He's been stocking it for weeks.
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00:15:10,610 --> 00:15:14,489
Hanging his prey out of the
reach of scavengers on the ground
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00:15:14,490 --> 00:15:18,390
ensures that his newly hatched
young will never go hungry.
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00:15:19,650 --> 00:15:24,870
An ingenious solution to making
the good times last in the desert...
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...if a little macabre.
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00:15:38,690 --> 00:15:41,009
Some deserts are so arid,
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they appear totally
devoid of all vegetation.
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00:15:47,170 --> 00:15:52,430
Yet even these landscapes can be
transformed in a matter of days.
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00:16:03,090 --> 00:16:07,249
The deserts of Peru are
amongst the driest in the world,
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00:16:07,250 --> 00:16:11,209
but just add a little water and
plants that have lain dormant
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00:16:11,210 --> 00:16:14,070
for months will burst into life.
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00:16:30,650 --> 00:16:33,609
And when a desert suddenly turns green,
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even the most seemingly desolate
can become a land of opportunity.
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00:16:51,570 --> 00:16:55,249
No creature exploits the
greening of a desert more quickly
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00:16:55,250 --> 00:16:57,870
or more dramatically than a locust.
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00:17:06,850 --> 00:17:09,089
Madagascar's arid south-west
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has received its highest rainfall in years.
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00:17:17,970 --> 00:17:20,889
Now, an army is on the march,
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00:17:20,890 --> 00:17:24,070
attracted by the smell
of newly sprouting grass.
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00:17:35,970 --> 00:17:38,449
Locusts are normally solitary creatures,
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00:17:38,450 --> 00:17:42,129
but when food becomes suddenly
plentiful they come together
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00:17:42,130 --> 00:17:46,750
into an unstoppable force that
devours everything in its path.
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00:18:05,170 --> 00:18:09,710
But this devastation is
about to get a lot worse.
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00:18:21,170 --> 00:18:26,169
The locusts now transform
into winged adults,
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00:18:26,170 --> 00:18:28,249
and with conditions as good as this,
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they do so three times faster than normal.
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00:18:32,930 --> 00:18:37,209
Now they are at their most voracious...
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00:18:37,210 --> 00:18:40,470
and with wings, they can take to the skies.
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00:19:05,330 --> 00:19:09,369
Once airborne, the locusts
can travel over 60 miles a day
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00:19:09,370 --> 00:19:12,070
in their search for new feeding grounds.
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00:19:26,090 --> 00:19:30,950
A super swarm of this scale may
only appear once in a decade.
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This one extends over 200 square miles
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and contains several billion individuals.
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00:19:39,890 --> 00:19:44,550
Between them, they will devour
40,000 tonnes of food in a day.
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00:20:20,210 --> 00:20:24,089
Nothing can strip a land of
its vegetation with such speed
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00:20:24,090 --> 00:20:27,670
and thoroughness as a plague of locusts.
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00:20:30,410 --> 00:20:35,289
When the food eventually runs
out, the whole army will die...
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00:20:35,290 --> 00:20:38,190
but not before it's devastated the land.
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With no plants to bind them,
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00:20:55,450 --> 00:20:59,470
thin soils soon turn to dust and blow away.
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00:21:05,770 --> 00:21:10,910
Now, these barren lands are left
to the mercy of the elements.
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00:21:27,210 --> 00:21:32,529
Scorched by the sun and
scoured by windblown sand,
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00:21:32,530 --> 00:21:37,630
desert rock is shaped into
strange, otherworldly landscapes.
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00:21:43,890 --> 00:21:47,969
These rocky deserts may
have a beguiling beauty,
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00:21:47,970 --> 00:21:52,030
but when they become this barren,
very little life can endure.
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00:21:58,690 --> 00:22:02,849
For many animals, the only way
to survive the most hostile times
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00:22:02,850 --> 00:22:04,870
is to keep moving.
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00:22:11,850 --> 00:22:16,350
In the Kalahari, brief rains
have given way to the dry season.
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00:22:17,210 --> 00:22:20,750
Food and water are becoming
increasingly scarce.
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00:22:22,330 --> 00:22:25,070
For these zebra, it's time to leave.
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00:22:37,770 --> 00:22:39,129
They're setting off on
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00:22:39,130 --> 00:22:43,809
the longest overland migration
made by any mammal in Africa,
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00:22:43,810 --> 00:22:47,430
marching towards the
scent of distant rains.
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00:22:51,050 --> 00:22:53,329
As drought intensifies,
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00:22:53,330 --> 00:22:56,729
desert-living elephants must
also undertake long journeys
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00:22:56,730 --> 00:22:59,030
in search of water.
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00:23:19,650 --> 00:23:22,249
The older females can remember where,
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00:23:22,250 --> 00:23:27,249
even in times of extreme
drought, there may still be water
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00:23:27,250 --> 00:23:31,129
and sometimes lead the herd to a
water hole they may not have visited
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00:23:31,130 --> 00:23:32,750
for decades.
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00:24:02,290 --> 00:24:06,310
These zebra are almost at
the end of their journey.
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00:24:12,850 --> 00:24:15,390
This is what they've been heading for...
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00:24:19,410 --> 00:24:20,950
...a rare water hole.
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00:24:31,330 --> 00:24:34,729
In deserts, most water
holes are short lived.
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00:24:34,730 --> 00:24:36,209
They appear after rains,
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00:24:36,210 --> 00:24:39,270
but then vanish almost
as quickly as they came.
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00:24:46,170 --> 00:24:49,670
Animals have come here
from many miles around.
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00:24:54,250 --> 00:24:58,990
Yet this can be a dangerous
place in which to linger.
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60 miles away, in the heart of the desert,
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sandgrouse chicks are hatching.
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00:25:13,530 --> 00:25:15,790
It's safer for them to be here.
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00:25:20,530 --> 00:25:24,070
But being so distant
from water is a gamble.
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00:25:27,490 --> 00:25:30,169
With only their mother to
shield them from the sun,
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00:25:30,170 --> 00:25:34,150
if they get nothing to drink,
they will be dead within hours.
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00:25:42,530 --> 00:25:44,950
Their only hope is their father.
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00:25:48,410 --> 00:25:52,289
Every morning he makes
the 120-mile round trip
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00:25:52,290 --> 00:25:54,830
to get water for the family.
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00:25:58,090 --> 00:26:01,609
Grouse from all over the
desert visit this oasis,
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arriving together in large flocks,
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and that is important.
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00:26:10,130 --> 00:26:12,270
There's safety in numbers.
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The male snatches a drink,
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00:26:29,450 --> 00:26:33,430
but he also needs to
collect water for his chicks.
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00:26:34,090 --> 00:26:36,449
Using specially adapted breast feathers,
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00:26:36,450 --> 00:26:39,390
he can soak up water like a sponge.
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00:26:40,170 --> 00:26:43,550
But it takes time, and he is in danger.
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Goshawk.
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00:27:08,770 --> 00:27:11,510
Sandgrouse here are their main prey.
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00:27:17,130 --> 00:27:21,929
Again and again, the male
sandgrouse risk their lives
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00:27:21,930 --> 00:27:24,710
in order to collect water for their chicks.
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00:27:44,770 --> 00:27:49,430
This is why sandgrouse nest
so far from water holes.
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00:28:12,850 --> 00:28:16,670
At last, he's soaked up as much as he can.
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00:28:18,050 --> 00:28:21,089
Carrying a quarter of
his body weight in water,
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00:28:21,090 --> 00:28:24,550
he can now set off on
the long journey home.
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00:28:51,010 --> 00:28:54,070
He's back, and just in time.
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He can give the chicks
their first ever drink.
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00:29:05,730 --> 00:29:09,769
But he will have to undertake
this perilous journey every day
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00:29:09,770 --> 00:29:14,129
for the next two months until his
chicks can finally make the flight
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to the water hole for themselves.
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00:29:28,690 --> 00:29:33,910
It's July in the deserts of Nevada
in the western United States.
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The hottest time of the year.
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00:29:50,970 --> 00:29:53,929
Bands of wild horses, mustang,
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00:29:53,930 --> 00:29:58,350
are converging on one of the last
remaining water holes for miles.
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00:30:03,530 --> 00:30:07,209
Now, water not only offers
them the chance to drink,
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00:30:07,210 --> 00:30:09,630
it can also bring power.
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00:30:12,890 --> 00:30:16,289
If a stallion can control access to water,
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00:30:16,290 --> 00:30:19,430
he will have secured mating
rights to the entire herd.
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00:30:20,970 --> 00:30:23,969
So stallions try to dominate these pools,
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00:30:23,970 --> 00:30:26,750
fighting off rivals who venture too close.
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00:30:39,410 --> 00:30:41,110
A stranger.
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00:30:42,690 --> 00:30:45,129
He's travelled ten miles to be here
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00:30:45,130 --> 00:30:48,510
because the pools where he's
come from have already dried up.
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00:30:52,530 --> 00:30:54,910
With him come his females.
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00:30:57,170 --> 00:30:59,849
If he can't provide them with
water, they will leave him
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00:30:59,850 --> 00:31:04,350
for the white stallion who
already dominates this pool.
201
00:31:14,610 --> 00:31:16,990
So, he will have to fight.
202
00:32:17,210 --> 00:32:18,910
There is everything to lose.
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00:32:20,530 --> 00:32:22,729
A broken leg or a shattered jaw
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00:32:22,730 --> 00:32:25,830
would mean a slow and painful death.
205
00:32:46,250 --> 00:32:49,390
A missed kick, and it's all over.
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00:32:51,730 --> 00:32:55,929
The new arrival has won...
207
00:32:55,930 --> 00:33:00,169
and his prize is more than
just the chance to drink.
208
00:33:00,170 --> 00:33:03,369
He has provided for his
herd, and in the process,
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00:33:03,370 --> 00:33:06,030
stolen his rival's females.
210
00:33:07,530 --> 00:33:10,470
The white stallion's rule is over.
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00:33:17,770 --> 00:33:22,369
Desert life is not only shaped
by the scarcity of water,
212
00:33:22,370 --> 00:33:27,270
but also by the relentless
power of the sun.
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00:33:33,490 --> 00:33:35,849
The highest temperatures on Earth
214
00:33:35,850 --> 00:33:38,790
have all been recorded in its deserts.
215
00:33:50,090 --> 00:33:53,009
Changes in the climate
mean temperatures here
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00:33:53,010 --> 00:33:56,129
are rising more than
the global average and,
217
00:33:56,130 --> 00:33:59,710
as deserts heat up,
they are also expanding.
218
00:34:01,730 --> 00:34:06,609
Every year, a further 50,000
square miles of grass and farmland
219
00:34:06,610 --> 00:34:10,670
are turning into barren
stretches of dust and rock.
220
00:34:15,930 --> 00:34:21,489
In the heat of the day, surface
temperatures can reach 160 degrees,
221
00:34:21,490 --> 00:34:24,390
far too hot to handle for most.
222
00:34:26,650 --> 00:34:30,270
But not for this shovel-snouted lizard.
223
00:34:34,650 --> 00:34:37,270
Raising its feet off the ground in turn...
224
00:34:40,530 --> 00:34:43,070
...enables each to briefly cool.
225
00:34:49,050 --> 00:34:52,289
But even this dancing desert specialist
226
00:34:52,290 --> 00:34:54,310
can't stand the heat for long.
227
00:35:02,930 --> 00:35:05,390
One option is to find shade.
228
00:35:10,010 --> 00:35:14,969
Dune grass, the only vegetation
here, provides virtually none,
229
00:35:14,970 --> 00:35:17,889
but just an inch beneath
the surface of the sand,
230
00:35:17,890 --> 00:35:20,750
it is several degrees cooler.
231
00:35:27,930 --> 00:35:33,110
Avoiding the extreme heat
imposes a rhythm on desert life.
232
00:35:35,730 --> 00:35:39,590
And many animals here choose
the simplest option of all...
233
00:35:42,370 --> 00:35:43,849
...staying hidden all day,
234
00:35:43,850 --> 00:35:47,110
and only venturing out
in the cool of the night.
235
00:35:55,890 --> 00:36:01,030
As darkness falls, animals
appear from seemingly nowhere.
236
00:36:07,770 --> 00:36:11,329
And, among them, inevitably,
237
00:36:11,330 --> 00:36:12,830
are hunters.
238
00:36:27,650 --> 00:36:31,089
One of the most voracious
nocturnal predators
239
00:36:31,090 --> 00:36:34,750
is also one of the hardest to see.
240
00:36:36,810 --> 00:36:41,670
This mysterious creature hardly ever
appears on the surface of the dunes.
241
00:36:48,330 --> 00:36:52,430
But there are signs on the
sand that can give it away.
242
00:37:05,890 --> 00:37:09,609
It lives only here, where the
sand grains are so perfectly dry
243
00:37:09,610 --> 00:37:13,230
and polished, that they
flow almost like water.
244
00:37:16,290 --> 00:37:18,670
It's no bigger than a ping-pong ball.
245
00:37:22,970 --> 00:37:24,950
A golden mole.
246
00:37:25,730 --> 00:37:28,329
It's totally blind,
247
00:37:28,330 --> 00:37:30,950
but there's nothing to
see underground anyway.
248
00:37:37,170 --> 00:37:40,030
Instead, it has superb hearing.
249
00:37:42,530 --> 00:37:45,129
Its entire head acts as an amplifier
250
00:37:45,130 --> 00:37:49,449
that picks up vibrations through
the sand, so, to locate prey
251
00:37:49,450 --> 00:37:52,929
on the surface of the
dune, it has, paradoxically,
252
00:37:52,930 --> 00:37:55,870
to thrust its face into the dune.
253
00:38:04,210 --> 00:38:06,289
Termites.
254
00:38:06,290 --> 00:38:08,750
Not easy to catch when you're blind.
255
00:38:12,610 --> 00:38:15,670
Far better to go into stealth mode.
256
00:38:17,090 --> 00:38:21,710
Once below the sand, it can
detect the slightest movement...
257
00:38:24,690 --> 00:38:28,150
...allowing it to strike
with pinpoint accuracy.
258
00:38:37,010 --> 00:38:40,350
Well, most of the time.
259
00:38:51,690 --> 00:38:55,910
They can travel two thirds of a mile
a night in search of its dinner...
260
00:38:58,650 --> 00:39:02,790
...and right now, it has
just detected its main course.
261
00:39:04,370 --> 00:39:08,390
Little wonder it's sometimes
called "the shark of the dunes".
262
00:39:16,810 --> 00:39:21,329
Food can be so scarce in the
desert that, even at night,
263
00:39:21,330 --> 00:39:25,190
animals can't afford to be
choosy about what they eat.
264
00:39:30,850 --> 00:39:33,390
Israel's Negev desert.
265
00:39:42,730 --> 00:39:47,470
Otonycteris, the desert
long-eared bat, is on the hunt.
266
00:39:51,330 --> 00:39:55,769
Most bats catch flying insects
on the wing, but there are so few
267
00:39:55,770 --> 00:40:00,430
of these in the desert that this
bat must do things differently.
268
00:40:03,690 --> 00:40:06,150
It has to hunt on the ground.
269
00:40:13,130 --> 00:40:17,270
But what really sets it
apart is what it's hunting...
270
00:40:24,930 --> 00:40:27,070
...a deathstalker scorpion.
271
00:40:28,490 --> 00:40:32,870
The venom of this species is
potent enough to kill a human.
272
00:40:34,450 --> 00:40:38,990
Tackling it seems madness for a
bat weighing just half an ounce.
273
00:40:43,290 --> 00:40:48,369
In the pitch-black, both predator
and prey are effectively blind,
274
00:40:48,370 --> 00:40:50,849
but the scorpion has one advantage...
275
00:40:50,850 --> 00:40:55,670
he can sense the approach of the
bat through vibrations in the sand.
276
00:40:59,050 --> 00:41:03,430
Otonycteris must rely
entirely on its hearing.
277
00:41:04,250 --> 00:41:07,670
If the scorpion doesn't move,
it won't know it's there.
278
00:41:22,290 --> 00:41:23,750
The battle is on.
279
00:41:26,650 --> 00:41:30,329
Armed with crushing pincers
and a sting loaded with venom,
280
00:41:30,330 --> 00:41:33,270
this scorpion is a dangerous opponent.
281
00:41:46,370 --> 00:41:48,710
A direct strike on the head.
282
00:41:51,130 --> 00:41:52,710
Is it all over?
283
00:41:56,450 --> 00:41:58,470
Not for this bat.
284
00:42:13,730 --> 00:42:17,729
Otonycteris clearly has
some immunity to the venom,
285
00:42:17,730 --> 00:42:21,870
but repeated stings must still
be extraordinarily painful.
286
00:42:29,730 --> 00:42:31,769
And if the bat is not to go hungry,
287
00:42:31,770 --> 00:42:35,790
it must catch another three
scorpions before sunrise.
288
00:43:03,570 --> 00:43:06,889
Desert animals have developed
remarkable strategies
289
00:43:06,890 --> 00:43:10,590
to make the most of the rare
opportunities that come their way.
290
00:43:12,690 --> 00:43:16,329
Although some deserts may not
see rain for several years,
291
00:43:16,330 --> 00:43:20,150
most will hold a little
water in one form or another.
292
00:43:21,010 --> 00:43:24,430
The trick is simply
knowing how to reach it.
293
00:43:32,930 --> 00:43:38,470
Dawn in the dunes of the Namib,
and something magical is happening.
294
00:43:56,810 --> 00:44:01,529
Moist air lying over the
neighbouring Atlantic is cooled
295
00:44:01,530 --> 00:44:06,910
and blown inland, forming fog banks
that shroud the desert in mist.
296
00:44:14,170 --> 00:44:18,209
This precious moisture lies
tantalisingly out of reach
297
00:44:18,210 --> 00:44:22,729
at the top of the dunes,
and it won't last long.
298
00:44:22,730 --> 00:44:26,950
It'll be burnt off by the
sun just hours after it rises.
299
00:44:42,290 --> 00:44:45,289
Darkling beetles race
to the top of the dunes
300
00:44:45,290 --> 00:44:48,030
to reach the fog before it vanishes.
301
00:44:57,130 --> 00:45:01,649
Some of the Namib's
dunes are 1,000 feet high,
302
00:45:01,650 --> 00:45:03,230
the tallest in the world.
303
00:45:04,930 --> 00:45:08,609
For a beetle no larger than a
thumbnail, this is the equivalent
304
00:45:08,610 --> 00:45:12,230
of us climbing a dune
twice the height of Everest.
305
00:45:16,570 --> 00:45:20,510
But even more impressive
is what it does next.
306
00:45:25,370 --> 00:45:28,609
Standing perfectly still,
facing into the wind,
307
00:45:28,610 --> 00:45:31,230
the beetle does a headstand.
308
00:45:34,330 --> 00:45:37,350
Fog begins to condense on its body.
309
00:45:40,570 --> 00:45:44,169
Microscopic bumps on its
wing cases direct the water
310
00:45:44,170 --> 00:45:46,790
to grooves that channel
it towards the mouth.
311
00:45:52,290 --> 00:45:54,489
Before returning down the slip face,
312
00:45:54,490 --> 00:45:57,510
it will drink 40% of its body weight.
313
00:46:02,610 --> 00:46:07,689
This little beetle has learned
how to conjure water out of the air
314
00:46:07,690 --> 00:46:10,750
in one of the driest places on earth.
315
00:46:14,450 --> 00:46:17,830
And it's not alone on the top of the dunes.
316
00:46:24,050 --> 00:46:27,150
Web-footed geckos use a similar trick.
317
00:46:36,970 --> 00:46:40,950
Surely, few animals go to
greater lengths to get a drink.
318
00:46:59,290 --> 00:47:03,209
Unfortunately, Namaqua chameleons
know that on foggy mornings,
319
00:47:03,210 --> 00:47:08,270
the beetles coming down the dunes
are juicier than those going up.
320
00:47:19,530 --> 00:47:24,009
The diversity of life that thrives
in a world almost totally devoid
321
00:47:24,010 --> 00:47:26,710
of water is truly remarkable.
322
00:47:29,370 --> 00:47:33,289
Success in the desert depends
on an extraordinary variety of
323
00:47:33,290 --> 00:47:37,590
survival strategies that have
evolved over millions of years.
324
00:47:39,650 --> 00:47:42,430
But our planet is changing.
325
00:47:45,010 --> 00:47:49,089
The world's deserts are growing
bigger, hotter and drier,
326
00:47:49,090 --> 00:47:52,270
and they're doing so
faster than ever before.
327
00:47:53,770 --> 00:47:58,950
How life will cope here in
the future remains to be seen.
328
00:48:15,410 --> 00:48:19,809
Finding animals in these vast empty
landscapes was a persistent problem
329
00:48:19,810 --> 00:48:21,449
for the Deserts team.
330
00:48:21,450 --> 00:48:24,649
But surely this wouldn't be the
case when they set out to film
331
00:48:24,650 --> 00:48:28,150
one of the greatest concentrations
of wildlife on earth.
332
00:48:30,850 --> 00:48:35,710
It can't be hard to find
a billion locusts, can it?
333
00:48:38,810 --> 00:48:40,369
OK.
334
00:48:40,370 --> 00:48:42,849
With news that freak rains have triggered
335
00:48:42,850 --> 00:48:46,489
a mass emergence of locusts
in a remote part of Madagascar,
336
00:48:46,490 --> 00:48:48,630
the team sets off in pursuit.
337
00:48:56,210 --> 00:48:58,529
We've got some young hopper
locusts just crossing the road
338
00:48:58,530 --> 00:49:00,929
in front of us here. We've
just had to stop the cars.
339
00:49:00,930 --> 00:49:03,769
Here they are, here, all on
the side of the road, look.
340
00:49:03,770 --> 00:49:05,769
It looks promising.
341
00:49:05,770 --> 00:49:08,089
But though finding hoppers is easy,
342
00:49:08,090 --> 00:49:10,649
filming them proves more of a challenge.
343
00:49:10,650 --> 00:49:13,809
Can we rethink this? Because
it's not really working.
344
00:49:13,810 --> 00:49:15,529
The locusts are really skippy.
345
00:49:15,530 --> 00:49:18,169
Any kind of movement, they just
freak out, So we're now doing
346
00:49:18,170 --> 00:49:21,169
our best locust-herding
techniques to try to get them to go
347
00:49:21,170 --> 00:49:24,750
in front of the lens, which is
proving harder than anticipated.
348
00:49:33,730 --> 00:49:37,630
This is my Monday morning
locust-herding jazz hands.
349
00:49:54,730 --> 00:49:56,569
- Ah!
- What? What's that?
350
00:49:56,570 --> 00:49:58,270
- What?
- It's a wasp nest.
351
00:50:01,970 --> 00:50:05,489
Soon, the crew find themselves
surrounded by locusts.
352
00:50:05,490 --> 00:50:08,510
No need for jazz hands now.
353
00:50:12,290 --> 00:50:16,169
It's a good start, but the team
still need to film the winged swarms
354
00:50:16,170 --> 00:50:17,990
that complete the story.
355
00:50:22,170 --> 00:50:25,689
But, once airborne, they
can travel 60 miles a day,
356
00:50:25,690 --> 00:50:28,110
so finding a swarm won't be easy.
357
00:50:31,530 --> 00:50:35,289
Fortunately, the UN's Food
and Agriculture Organisation
358
00:50:35,290 --> 00:50:37,590
are here, too, to help.
359
00:50:40,970 --> 00:50:44,209
The FAO are on a mission
to eradicate the plagues
360
00:50:44,210 --> 00:50:47,449
decimating crops across Madagascar,
361
00:50:47,450 --> 00:50:52,169
and if anyone knows where the locusts are,
362
00:50:52,170 --> 00:50:55,529
it's the local expert, Hasibelo.
363
00:50:55,530 --> 00:50:58,470
He thinks that they are moving this way.
364
00:51:00,810 --> 00:51:03,350
Time to go swarm-chasing.
365
00:51:06,050 --> 00:51:09,369
But chasing is the operative word.
366
00:51:09,370 --> 00:51:12,910
The locusts always seem one step ahead.
367
00:51:14,370 --> 00:51:16,729
It's amazing, really,
because this plan's completely
368
00:51:16,730 --> 00:51:19,769
- radically changing, hour by hour.
- We now have to travel
369
00:51:19,770 --> 00:51:23,049
several hours further north, which is...
370
00:51:23,050 --> 00:51:25,030
- a bit of a pain.
- It's a bit of a pain.
371
00:51:28,370 --> 00:51:30,409
As they venture into the unknown,
372
00:51:30,410 --> 00:51:33,710
it's clear it's been
a very wet year indeed.
373
00:51:40,450 --> 00:51:44,649
Traffic is one thing,
but boats on the road?
374
00:51:44,650 --> 00:51:46,830
Unconventional traffic.
375
00:51:51,130 --> 00:51:54,670
Progress is slow, and
soon stops altogether.
376
00:52:00,410 --> 00:52:04,790
The locusts are just across the
water, so the team must follow...
377
00:52:07,170 --> 00:52:08,950
...on this.
378
00:52:10,650 --> 00:52:13,150
What could possibly go wrong?
379
00:52:18,010 --> 00:52:22,049
We're now stuck on, possibly,
the world's most antiquated raft
380
00:52:22,050 --> 00:52:24,969
trying to cross a very fast-flowing river.
381
00:52:24,970 --> 00:52:27,569
But, onwards and upwards.
382
00:52:27,570 --> 00:52:31,049
We've now got an hour-long river
crossing, and we'll just have to see
383
00:52:31,050 --> 00:52:32,790
what's on the other side.
384
00:52:49,610 --> 00:52:53,270
With the river behind them,
it should be plain sailing.
385
00:52:57,050 --> 00:53:00,769
But once across, the team
discovers that, yet again,
386
00:53:00,770 --> 00:53:03,310
the locusts are nowhere to be seen.
387
00:53:10,050 --> 00:53:11,889
And, after two weeks on the road,
388
00:53:11,890 --> 00:53:15,630
the local street food is
beginning to take its toll.
389
00:53:19,170 --> 00:53:23,550
So Ed's not very well.
Been yacking up and...
390
00:53:24,490 --> 00:53:27,529
And not very nice stomach.
391
00:53:27,530 --> 00:53:29,169
We just need to do whatever it takes now
392
00:53:29,170 --> 00:53:32,289
to get us to where the swarms are.
393
00:53:32,290 --> 00:53:34,750
The next day, the team forges on.
394
00:53:36,730 --> 00:53:38,310
Briefly.
395
00:53:42,250 --> 00:53:44,649
Here's Jamal, our driver.
396
00:53:44,650 --> 00:53:46,710
What do we think? Yeah?
397
00:53:47,450 --> 00:53:49,089
No?
398
00:53:49,090 --> 00:53:52,249
The road has turned into a bog.
399
00:53:52,250 --> 00:53:54,729
The cars can go no further.
400
00:53:54,730 --> 00:53:58,449
We need to cross this area
of water to get to the savanna
401
00:53:58,450 --> 00:54:00,470
and find our locust swarms.
402
00:54:01,250 --> 00:54:04,489
And it's amazing to think that,
with the combined might of the
403
00:54:04,490 --> 00:54:10,030
United Nations and the BBC, we are
eventually defeated by a puddle.
404
00:54:11,730 --> 00:54:13,990
Back to the drawing board.
405
00:54:17,970 --> 00:54:21,030
Once again, it's Hasibelo to the rescue.
406
00:54:22,530 --> 00:54:24,070
Well, we have a plan.
407
00:54:27,570 --> 00:54:30,049
Taking to the air was never on the cards,
408
00:54:30,050 --> 00:54:32,569
but thanks to the FAO's helicopter,
409
00:54:32,570 --> 00:54:36,230
the team can now play the
locusts at their own game.
410
00:54:59,810 --> 00:55:01,230
More smoke?
411
00:55:04,730 --> 00:55:07,990
This time, it's a billion locusts...
412
00:55:16,170 --> 00:55:19,670
...and one very relieved producer.
413
00:55:32,370 --> 00:55:35,209
Woohoo!
414
00:55:35,210 --> 00:55:39,510
Against the odds, the team
has located a super-swarm.
415
00:55:57,250 --> 00:56:00,489
This is exactly what we've been
looking for. We've driven halfway
416
00:56:00,490 --> 00:56:03,609
across Madagascar to one of
the most remote parts there is.
417
00:56:03,610 --> 00:56:07,289
It's just been a nightmare,
but, finally, we're here.
418
00:56:07,290 --> 00:56:10,129
I mean, this is the biggest swarm
we could have even hoped for.
419
00:56:10,130 --> 00:56:11,529
It is just amazing.
420
00:56:11,530 --> 00:56:13,910
Look at here, I'm going to film here.
421
00:56:15,250 --> 00:56:18,569
It's incredibly exhilarating,
and yet totally shocking,
422
00:56:18,570 --> 00:56:21,809
to think of the devastation that
swarms like this are causing.
423
00:56:21,810 --> 00:56:24,889
It just makes you realise
how important the FAO are
424
00:56:24,890 --> 00:56:27,790
in getting this under control.
425
00:56:31,090 --> 00:56:32,529
I'm just going to run through it.
426
00:56:32,530 --> 00:56:34,790
I should be naked for this, but...
427
00:56:49,450 --> 00:56:53,689
Thankfully, Rob kept his clothes
on, and, more importantly,
428
00:56:53,690 --> 00:56:56,089
this plague has now been halted,
429
00:56:56,090 --> 00:56:59,729
but not before the team had
witnessed one of the biggest swarms
430
00:56:59,730 --> 00:57:01,390
ever recorded on film.
431
00:57:13,970 --> 00:57:18,849
Next time, we journey to
the world's great plains,
432
00:57:18,850 --> 00:57:24,110
where spectacular gatherings of
wildlife cope with extreme change...
433
00:57:26,170 --> 00:57:30,790
...and surprising creatures
survive in unexpected ways.
434
00:57:33,216 --> 00:57:38,216
Sync and corrections by explosiveskull
www.addic7ed.com
36169
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