Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:39,201 --> 00:00:40,841
Australia -
2
00:00:40,961 --> 00:00:42,681
an island continent
3
00:00:42,801 --> 00:00:47,361
cast adrift
during the time of the dinosaurs.
4
00:01:06,761 --> 00:01:12,201
Isolated from the rest of life on land
for millions of years,
5
00:01:12,321 --> 00:01:18,201
the animals cast away here
are today like none elsewhere.
6
00:01:21,481 --> 00:01:24,961
This is a land of survivors.
7
00:01:52,441 --> 00:01:57,601
The jungles of northern Australia -
the oldest on our planet.
8
00:02:00,201 --> 00:02:04,401
Unchanged for 180 million years.
9
00:02:07,641 --> 00:02:11,281
The animals and plants here are armed...
10
00:02:13,841 --> 00:02:16,841
...built to live alongside dinosaurs.
11
00:02:20,041 --> 00:02:23,801
Now there is just one giant left.
12
00:02:28,481 --> 00:02:32,841
With claws longer than a velociraptor
and nearly two metres tall...
13
00:02:34,041 --> 00:02:37,161
...the cassowary rules this forest.
14
00:02:47,121 --> 00:02:50,321
But the key to its success
is not its stature...
15
00:02:54,041 --> 00:02:58,081
...it's the male's abilities as a parent.
16
00:03:00,321 --> 00:03:03,841
This one's chicks are six weeks old,
17
00:03:03,961 --> 00:03:07,241
and he will raise them by himself.
18
00:03:13,881 --> 00:03:16,201
Every morsel of food is valuable
19
00:03:16,321 --> 00:03:19,561
if his chicks are to grow up
tall and strong.
20
00:03:24,721 --> 00:03:26,601
But in this forest,
21
00:03:26,721 --> 00:03:29,641
most of the fruit
is too big for the chicks.
22
00:03:35,201 --> 00:03:36,881
It must be cut up for them.
23
00:03:48,161 --> 00:03:51,561
There is food to be gathered
throughout their territory...
24
00:03:52,881 --> 00:03:56,001
...but it's not easy to find.
25
00:04:03,681 --> 00:04:06,441
Re shows them how to cross water.
26
00:04:08,881 --> 00:04:12,721
But when your legs are only 20cm long,
27
00:04:12,841 --> 00:04:15,761
a stream like this is very deep.
28
00:04:20,681 --> 00:04:23,121
One takes the plunge...
29
00:04:25,681 --> 00:04:28,961
...but for the other,
this is too daunting.
30
00:04:33,641 --> 00:04:37,961
Re turns and goes back the way he came.
31
00:04:39,161 --> 00:04:42,561
Out of sight and without
his father's protection,
32
00:04:42,681 --> 00:04:44,561
he's vulnerable.
33
00:04:49,441 --> 00:04:54,441
Only half of cassowary chicks
make it to adulthood...
34
00:04:55,721 --> 00:04:57,561
...and for very good reason.
35
00:05:03,161 --> 00:05:08,081
Australia's prehistoric forests
are still full of predators.
36
00:05:19,681 --> 00:05:21,961
Many manage to survive here
37
00:05:22,081 --> 00:05:26,481
by eating almost anything
that's smaller than they are.
38
00:05:27,721 --> 00:05:29,801
Re needs to find his father...
39
00:05:29,921 --> 00:05:31,201
...and quickly.
40
00:05:48,681 --> 00:05:51,961
The male hears his cries and answers...
41
00:05:53,361 --> 00:05:58,921
...using a special call that carries well
through the thick forest.
42
00:06:07,321 --> 00:06:12,641
And then a glimpse of some reassuring
bright colours.
43
00:06:35,641 --> 00:06:38,801
Their bonds are stronger than their fears.
44
00:06:46,041 --> 00:06:51,121
The male will guide and protect his chicks
for another eight months
45
00:06:51,241 --> 00:06:52,761
before he mates again.
46
00:07:02,841 --> 00:07:08,481
Australia was once part of
the vast supercontinent of Gondwanaland...
47
00:07:08,601 --> 00:07:12,041
...covered in forest and full of life.
48
00:07:13,481 --> 00:07:15,481
Dinosaurs dominated.
49
00:07:15,601 --> 00:07:18,161
Mammals had only just appeared.
50
00:07:19,881 --> 00:07:23,281
Then Australia began to break away.
51
00:07:24,721 --> 00:07:30,201
Cast adrift on this new island were
reptiles, birds and early mammals
52
00:07:30,321 --> 00:07:34,161
that then evolved in isolation
from the rest of the world.
53
00:07:35,361 --> 00:07:37,721
None could now leave this giant island,
54
00:07:37,841 --> 00:07:39,721
and very few could get here...
55
00:07:41,321 --> 00:07:42,881
...unless they could fly.
56
00:07:47,881 --> 00:07:49,961
A little red flying fox.
57
00:07:53,041 --> 00:07:55,841
Their ancestors flew here,
58
00:07:55,961 --> 00:07:58,721
travelling along the chain
of volcanic islands
59
00:07:58,841 --> 00:08:00,801
that links Asia to Australia.
60
00:08:04,001 --> 00:08:09,521
But their huge wings, which stretch
from their fingers to their toes,
61
00:08:09,641 --> 00:08:13,801
make it difficult for them
to walk or take off from the ground,
62
00:08:13,921 --> 00:08:19,721
so, when they want to rest,
they hang upside down in trees.
63
00:08:42,961 --> 00:08:46,441
But the bats have to drink every day.
64
00:08:48,921 --> 00:08:51,601
And they do so on the wing.
65
00:09:03,521 --> 00:09:06,601
They swoop just low enough
to wet their bellies
66
00:09:06,721 --> 00:09:10,761
and then, back in their roosts,
they will suck out the water.
67
00:09:17,521 --> 00:09:20,561
Each evening, 10,000 of them come here.
68
00:09:34,241 --> 00:09:36,721
Not all of them return.
69
00:09:38,641 --> 00:09:41,121
Every two metres of river, there is...
70
00:09:41,241 --> 00:09:42,681
...a crocodile.
71
00:09:45,961 --> 00:09:50,761
They were here long before the bats...
72
00:09:53,561 --> 00:09:58,281
...survivors from
Australia's prehistoric past.
73
00:10:32,681 --> 00:10:37,121
These dramas have been taking place
for millions of years...
74
00:10:41,241 --> 00:10:43,281
...aerial agility...
75
00:10:44,601 --> 00:10:45,681
...versus patience...
76
00:10:48,041 --> 00:10:49,561
...and deadly speed.
77
00:11:06,481 --> 00:11:12,241
Australia's forests are hostile places
in which to make your home.
78
00:11:20,001 --> 00:11:24,521
As you move inland,
the forest thins, the air cools
79
00:11:24,641 --> 00:11:28,601
and the land, as it gets higher,
changes dramatically.
80
00:11:40,121 --> 00:11:44,961
The Great Dividing Range,
2,000 metres above the jungle.
81
00:11:48,121 --> 00:11:53,081
To survive here, you must be able to
tolerate really harsh conditions.
82
00:12:06,881 --> 00:12:11,441
Kangaroos, like nearly all
of the continent's native mammals,
83
00:12:11,561 --> 00:12:12,601
are marsupials...
84
00:12:15,321 --> 00:12:20,161
...mammals that rear their young
usually in a pouch on the mother's belly.
85
00:12:22,401 --> 00:12:26,481
And the young up here
certainly need such shelter.
86
00:12:38,521 --> 00:12:43,241
No kangaroos can survive for long
higher than this.
87
00:13:02,201 --> 00:13:06,201
But there is an even tougher marsupial
up here.
88
00:13:19,281 --> 00:13:20,441
A wombat.
89
00:13:21,481 --> 00:13:25,481
She usually shelters underground
in a burrow,
90
00:13:25,601 --> 00:13:28,921
but now that is under a metre of snow,
91
00:13:29,041 --> 00:13:31,761
together with all the grass
on which she lives.
92
00:13:33,321 --> 00:13:36,161
She weighs as much a big dog
93
00:13:36,281 --> 00:13:38,681
and has the legs of a small one -
94
00:13:38,801 --> 00:13:41,881
not ideal for deep snow.
95
00:13:48,441 --> 00:13:52,041
Fragments of bark hardly count
even as a snack...
96
00:13:53,281 --> 00:13:54,761
...and she's hungry.
97
00:14:03,281 --> 00:14:05,681
She needs grass.
98
00:14:14,201 --> 00:14:18,521
But it's over a mile away,
across a frozen river.
99
00:14:22,921 --> 00:14:25,481
Wombats might not be fast,
100
00:14:25,601 --> 00:14:27,561
but then they don't need to be up here.
101
00:14:28,601 --> 00:14:30,921
They can survive on next to nothing.
102
00:14:36,521 --> 00:14:40,401
A few mouthfuls will be enough food
for over a week.
103
00:14:43,081 --> 00:14:47,761
And there's not much competition for it
in this small corner of the continent.
104
00:14:55,721 --> 00:14:59,881
Snowy peaks are hardly typical
of Australia,
105
00:15:00,001 --> 00:15:03,281
but the Great Dividing Range is a remnant
106
00:15:03,401 --> 00:15:07,081
of what were once some of
the longest mountain chains on Earth.
107
00:15:10,241 --> 00:15:13,761
They connected Australia and Antarctica.
108
00:15:15,841 --> 00:15:19,441
But then these sister continents
broke apart.
109
00:15:19,561 --> 00:15:24,201
Antarctica, drifting southwards,
became locked in ice.
110
00:15:24,321 --> 00:15:28,161
Australia drifted northwards
towards the equator
111
00:15:28,281 --> 00:15:31,441
and became hotter and drier.
112
00:15:33,041 --> 00:15:34,921
Woodlands developed,
113
00:15:35,041 --> 00:15:38,161
and in places where rainfall was low -
114
00:15:38,281 --> 00:15:39,881
open grasslands.
115
00:15:46,401 --> 00:15:48,481
On these grassy plains,
116
00:15:48,601 --> 00:15:51,601
animals had the space to thrive.
117
00:15:53,881 --> 00:15:56,921
These are also eastern grey kangaroos,
118
00:15:57,041 --> 00:15:59,321
and this is their true home.
119
00:15:59,441 --> 00:16:02,321
Here, they are well fed and powerful.
120
00:16:03,801 --> 00:16:09,841
Adults can stand over two metres tall
and travel as fast as a racehorse.
121
00:16:17,121 --> 00:16:21,441
And on these open plains,
you need speed...
122
00:16:22,801 --> 00:16:28,001
...because where there are large herds,
there will be predators.
123
00:16:33,241 --> 00:16:37,921
Dingoes - descendants of wolves
that were brought here
124
00:16:38,041 --> 00:16:42,201
over 4,000 years ago
by human visitors from Asia.
125
00:16:46,841 --> 00:16:50,361
This pack is led by a white female...
126
00:16:51,481 --> 00:16:53,041
...and they are hunting.
127
00:17:16,281 --> 00:17:20,521
Creating panic tests the herd.
128
00:17:48,561 --> 00:17:51,121
Mothers with young in their pouches
might be slower...
129
00:17:54,521 --> 00:17:57,161
...but they can still outrun a dingo.
130
00:18:01,841 --> 00:18:04,041
Maybe an ambush will work.
131
00:18:12,041 --> 00:18:18,041
But even young, newly independent
kangaroos seem uncatchable.
132
00:18:24,561 --> 00:18:27,761
Across these open, flat plains,
133
00:18:27,881 --> 00:18:30,881
the dingoes are just not fast enough.
134
00:18:34,321 --> 00:18:38,121
But what makes the white female
their leader is her stamina
135
00:18:38,241 --> 00:18:41,761
and, particularly, her intelligence.
136
00:18:44,561 --> 00:18:48,881
She has run 18 miles today,
but she still doesn't give up.
137
00:18:51,361 --> 00:18:55,761
A different group of kangaroos,
this time on uneven ground.
138
00:18:59,041 --> 00:19:01,081
It's what she's been looking for.
139
00:19:09,121 --> 00:19:12,561
Driving them uphill,
she's struggling to keep up with them.
140
00:19:30,761 --> 00:19:35,201
And as they hurtle down the other side,
the kangaroos pick up speed.
141
00:19:37,641 --> 00:19:41,881
They will easily outpace her,
if they stay in control.
142
00:20:23,361 --> 00:20:27,601
The white dingo has more than one reason
to be so relentless.
143
00:20:31,681 --> 00:20:32,721
She's a mother.
144
00:20:37,601 --> 00:20:39,521
This is a rare sight.
145
00:20:40,881 --> 00:20:43,881
Dingo pups are hardly ever seen.
146
00:20:48,761 --> 00:20:51,121
With so much effort for just one meal,
147
00:20:51,241 --> 00:20:55,761
the open plains are tough places
on which to raise young.
148
00:21:02,201 --> 00:21:04,641
These are gumtrees.
149
00:21:05,801 --> 00:21:09,121
They have leaves
that are poisonous to most animals.
150
00:21:11,081 --> 00:21:12,961
But not the koala.
151
00:21:13,081 --> 00:21:15,081
They eat almost nothing else.
152
00:21:18,761 --> 00:21:21,361
There are echidnas in these forests, too -
153
00:21:21,481 --> 00:21:26,921
mammals that don't even have pouches
but lay eggs, like reptiles.
154
00:21:34,041 --> 00:21:38,561
And there is an assassin here
that has only recently been discovered.
155
00:21:43,721 --> 00:21:46,281
A Jotus jumping spider.
156
00:21:48,241 --> 00:21:50,801
She's only 5mm long,
157
00:21:50,921 --> 00:21:55,521
but, nonetheless,
she's a stealthy and ferocious hunter.
158
00:21:57,241 --> 00:22:00,361
She searches for prey
among the grass stems.
159
00:22:20,881 --> 00:22:24,481
She's single-minded
and focused on hunting.
160
00:22:31,961 --> 00:22:34,001
But today might be different.
161
00:22:37,921 --> 00:22:41,761
This is something new,
162
00:22:41,881 --> 00:22:44,361
something fast...
163
00:22:46,961 --> 00:22:48,481
...and a little trickier.
164
00:22:54,881 --> 00:22:56,721
But what is it?
165
00:22:56,841 --> 00:22:58,201
Is it food?
166
00:23:17,801 --> 00:23:22,241
It's a male Jotus, looking for a mate.
167
00:23:28,281 --> 00:23:31,401
He needs to catch her attention,
168
00:23:31,521 --> 00:23:35,521
but female Jotus only mate once.
169
00:23:35,641 --> 00:23:38,801
If she's mated before, she might kill him.
170
00:23:42,441 --> 00:23:45,041
He will need to seduce her with care.
171
00:23:49,001 --> 00:23:53,321
Waving his arms
makes his intentions clear.
172
00:23:53,441 --> 00:23:55,441
He's a friend, not food.
173
00:23:59,441 --> 00:24:01,801
No sign of an attack... yet.
174
00:24:07,561 --> 00:24:10,801
But she doesn't seem
particularly impressed.
175
00:24:15,241 --> 00:24:18,241
Time to try his best move...
176
00:24:19,801 --> 00:24:20,881
...the double paddle.
177
00:24:22,321 --> 00:24:24,361
That surely will do the trick.
178
00:24:42,721 --> 00:24:44,601
One final wave...
179
00:24:53,761 --> 00:24:55,321
...and he's tamed her.
180
00:24:55,441 --> 00:24:58,201
She stays still for just long enough.
181
00:25:17,881 --> 00:25:21,761
And then he retreats quickly,
before she has second thoughts.
182
00:25:38,281 --> 00:25:41,881
If you travel still further
towards the centre of Australia,
183
00:25:42,001 --> 00:25:45,041
the landscape changes yet again.
184
00:25:45,161 --> 00:25:47,801
Trees and grass disappear.
185
00:25:51,081 --> 00:25:55,161
The continent, throughout prehistory,
continued to drift north,
186
00:25:55,281 --> 00:25:59,401
and as it entered the tropics,
it got hotter and hotter.
187
00:26:01,161 --> 00:26:05,281
Over thousands of years,
the grasslands of the centre dried,
188
00:26:05,401 --> 00:26:07,761
and lakes and rivers turned dust.
189
00:26:09,361 --> 00:26:14,721
The rocks have been reduced to sand
by the hot, blasting winds.
190
00:26:16,881 --> 00:26:20,801
Now Australia's centre is one vast desert.
191
00:26:22,441 --> 00:26:26,041
Its immensity is almost impossible
to comprehend.
192
00:26:36,081 --> 00:26:40,161
This train running north
is a half a mile long.
193
00:26:43,081 --> 00:26:45,481
Travelling at nearly 50 miles an hour,
194
00:26:45,601 --> 00:26:49,161
it takes almost three days
to get from one side to another.
195
00:26:57,321 --> 00:27:03,241
Australia today is the driest
inhabited continent on Earth.
196
00:27:07,241 --> 00:27:11,281
Rain hardly ever falls in 70% of it.
197
00:27:15,241 --> 00:27:20,801
From space, the continent is seen
to be stained red by iron oxide -
198
00:27:20,921 --> 00:27:24,121
rust from its disintegrating rocks.
199
00:27:27,401 --> 00:27:33,561
In the surface are lines carved by winds
over millennia.
200
00:27:34,721 --> 00:27:38,561
The very bones of the continent
are now stripped bare...
201
00:27:40,041 --> 00:27:44,241
...the foundations of what once
were mountains.
202
00:27:55,841 --> 00:28:01,081
At its heart stands the
great rock mountain of Uluru...
203
00:28:04,281 --> 00:28:09,801
...sacred to the first people
to arrive here 60,000 years ago.
204
00:28:34,761 --> 00:28:39,961
There is almost no soil here,
few plants, few animals
205
00:28:40,081 --> 00:28:42,401
and almost no permanent water.
206
00:28:44,681 --> 00:28:48,441
It's a place
where only the toughest can survive.
207
00:28:52,921 --> 00:28:56,161
This is the land of reptiles.
208
00:28:57,681 --> 00:29:02,081
Australia has more species of them
than any other continent.
209
00:29:04,041 --> 00:29:06,241
The perentie, two metres long,
210
00:29:06,361 --> 00:29:10,041
is the biggest here, and he's thirsty.
211
00:29:16,921 --> 00:29:20,001
It only rains here once or twice a year.
212
00:29:20,121 --> 00:29:23,041
And when there isn't any rain,
213
00:29:23,161 --> 00:29:27,281
perenties get their water
from eating lizards.
214
00:29:31,801 --> 00:29:35,281
There are several kinds to choose from...
215
00:29:38,841 --> 00:29:40,401
...bearded dragons...
216
00:29:43,881 --> 00:29:45,881
...blue-tongued skinks...
217
00:29:50,081 --> 00:29:51,481
...and thorny devils.
218
00:29:51,601 --> 00:29:53,681
All are on the menu.
219
00:29:56,481 --> 00:30:00,641
The thorny devil also gets its water
from its food.
220
00:30:06,001 --> 00:30:07,961
It's only the size of a mouse,
221
00:30:08,081 --> 00:30:13,321
but, even so, it must eat hundreds of ants
every day to get what it needs.
222
00:30:20,801 --> 00:30:26,561
Most storm clouds pass by
without releasing any water.
223
00:30:30,401 --> 00:30:32,441
But just sometimes,
224
00:30:32,561 --> 00:30:35,121
there's a brief shower.
225
00:30:58,441 --> 00:31:01,801
Everyone makes the most
of the opportunity.
226
00:31:10,161 --> 00:31:14,641
It's so hot the droplets will disappear
within minutes.
227
00:31:15,721 --> 00:31:18,281
But the thorny devil has a trick.
228
00:31:23,961 --> 00:31:26,321
He's found a tiny puddle,
229
00:31:26,441 --> 00:31:28,321
only a few millimetres deep,
230
00:31:28,441 --> 00:31:30,841
and he dips his toe into it.
231
00:31:42,961 --> 00:31:46,081
His skin is like blotting paper.
232
00:31:51,641 --> 00:31:54,321
It collects moisture by capillary action,
233
00:31:54,441 --> 00:31:59,001
sucking it up along the inter-connecting
grooves until he glistens all over.
234
00:32:03,081 --> 00:32:04,921
When the water reaches his mouth,
235
00:32:05,041 --> 00:32:06,361
he can collect it...
236
00:32:07,601 --> 00:32:11,201
...while still keeping his head up,
on the lookout for danger.
237
00:32:14,801 --> 00:32:19,361
The perentie is 200 times the size
of a thorny devil.
238
00:32:19,481 --> 00:32:23,561
Tiny puddles and droplets
are of no use to him.
239
00:32:26,361 --> 00:32:30,361
What he needs is a juicy lizard.
240
00:32:52,161 --> 00:32:56,481
That was a bearded dragon
that wasn't quite quick enough.
241
00:33:04,401 --> 00:33:09,041
Even the perentie sometimes
gets a chance to quench his thirst.
242
00:33:17,001 --> 00:33:22,961
There is one species that has truly
conquered the Australian desert.
243
00:33:25,041 --> 00:33:27,841
They don't wait for water to come to them.
244
00:33:27,961 --> 00:33:33,641
They sometimes travel over 300 miles
in a single day to find it.
245
00:33:35,201 --> 00:33:37,921
Australia's hardiest animal...
246
00:33:40,761 --> 00:33:42,641
...the wild budgerigar...
247
00:33:45,881 --> 00:33:49,681
...the most accomplished
of all desert nomads.
248
00:33:49,801 --> 00:33:52,681
These have been travelling together
for weeks...
249
00:33:55,361 --> 00:33:59,241
...and that has evidently caused
a few domestic arguments.
250
00:34:08,281 --> 00:34:12,161
This is truly an immense community.
251
00:34:12,281 --> 00:34:15,761
There are over 10,000 budgies
in this flock.
252
00:34:22,761 --> 00:34:25,321
Every one of them is thirsty.
253
00:34:33,361 --> 00:34:35,881
But although they've found
this billabong...
254
00:34:37,081 --> 00:34:39,081
...they must be wary.
255
00:34:41,561 --> 00:34:44,721
A hawk - and one that eats budgies.
256
00:34:51,321 --> 00:34:56,401
As long as it remains on the ground,
the budgies will risk taking a drink.
257
00:35:15,001 --> 00:35:19,681
Once it takes to the air, however,
the budgies are in danger.
258
00:35:23,201 --> 00:35:26,921
And it's not the only bird of prey here.
259
00:35:28,681 --> 00:35:33,281
The budgies have a simple
but very effective defence -
260
00:35:33,401 --> 00:35:35,241
they all take to the wing at once.
261
00:35:39,361 --> 00:35:43,361
An aerial hunter needs to lock on to
a single target for a few seconds
262
00:35:43,481 --> 00:35:45,321
if it is to catch it,
263
00:35:45,441 --> 00:35:48,401
but in this swirl, that's very hard to do.
264
00:35:58,641 --> 00:36:04,001
Flying in a flock keeps the budgies safe,
but they're still desperate to drink.
265
00:36:11,401 --> 00:36:15,921
As soon as a particularly brave one
takes the plunge, they all do.
266
00:36:22,121 --> 00:36:25,681
But once on the water,
they are easier to target.
267
00:36:31,161 --> 00:36:34,281
They must drink quickly
and stick together.
268
00:36:53,961 --> 00:36:58,561
The last ones to leave
will be the ones in most danger.
269
00:37:22,481 --> 00:37:27,441
Only one has been taken
from a flock of 10,000.
270
00:37:36,561 --> 00:37:39,521
In a few days,
they will leave the area,
271
00:37:39,641 --> 00:37:41,161
on their never-ending search
272
00:37:41,281 --> 00:37:44,681
for the next brief opportunity
to feed and drink.
273
00:38:02,201 --> 00:38:05,321
As the continent continued to drift north,
274
00:38:05,441 --> 00:38:08,761
it eventually entered warm, tropical seas.
275
00:38:11,521 --> 00:38:15,401
And here,
in the crystal-clear, sunlit water,
276
00:38:15,521 --> 00:38:18,401
just a metre or two beneath the surface,
277
00:38:18,521 --> 00:38:20,601
life proliferated.
278
00:38:24,561 --> 00:38:28,481
Coral grows into reefs
in these shallow seas.
279
00:38:31,521 --> 00:38:33,481
This is Ningaloo...
280
00:38:34,801 --> 00:38:38,281
...today one of the richest
anywhere in the world.
281
00:38:46,641 --> 00:38:51,241
Thousands of species of fish
and all kinds of other organisms
282
00:38:51,361 --> 00:38:54,161
thrive in these coral cities.
283
00:38:55,601 --> 00:39:00,681
And they have attracted
the most ancient of living predators.
284
00:39:07,921 --> 00:39:09,801
Sharks.
285
00:39:09,921 --> 00:39:15,601
They were around 200 million years
before the dinosaurs.
286
00:39:18,561 --> 00:39:21,361
They're fast and agile,
287
00:39:21,481 --> 00:39:25,041
well able to pick off the small reef fish.
288
00:39:27,241 --> 00:39:30,641
But they come here for bigger rewards.
289
00:39:35,201 --> 00:39:38,881
These are fish from the open ocean,
290
00:39:39,001 --> 00:39:43,361
and every so often, for some reason,
they swim over the reef.
291
00:39:53,801 --> 00:39:58,641
The small fish swirl like the budgies,
and for the same reason.
292
00:39:58,761 --> 00:40:02,961
It makes it harder for a hunter to
single out a particular target.
293
00:40:08,561 --> 00:40:12,401
But, in fact, the sharks aren't trying
to catch them individually.
294
00:40:18,961 --> 00:40:23,761
They're driving them closer to the shore,
penning them against the beach.
295
00:40:28,401 --> 00:40:33,561
Slowly, the sharks drive
each new wave of fish into shallow water,
296
00:40:33,681 --> 00:40:36,201
and the bait ball grows.
297
00:40:44,441 --> 00:40:48,961
More sharks arrive,
some from many miles away.
298
00:40:57,721 --> 00:41:00,041
And still the sharks don't attack.
299
00:41:01,161 --> 00:41:03,081
They're waiting...
300
00:41:04,161 --> 00:41:05,841
...for the right moment.
301
00:41:13,481 --> 00:41:17,441
Millions of fish are now trapped
in these shallow waters.
302
00:41:19,201 --> 00:41:23,441
It only happens like this
once in every decade or so.
303
00:41:30,041 --> 00:41:32,841
The time has come to strike.
304
00:41:44,681 --> 00:41:48,081
For the sharks, this is a bonanza.
305
00:41:50,201 --> 00:41:52,201
They work together.
306
00:41:53,321 --> 00:41:56,961
Each shark now fills its stomach.
307
00:42:03,281 --> 00:42:08,281
These shallow seas
are exceptionally rich in sharks.
308
00:42:10,161 --> 00:42:14,521
There are more species here
than anywhere else on Earth.
309
00:42:26,081 --> 00:42:30,761
Australia is not only fringed
by rich reefs
310
00:42:30,881 --> 00:42:36,281
but girdled with islands -
some big, some small.
311
00:42:42,441 --> 00:42:46,321
Off the south coast
lies by far the biggest of them.
312
00:42:47,761 --> 00:42:49,561
Tasmania.
313
00:42:52,441 --> 00:42:56,441
And that has its own special marsupial...
314
00:42:57,561 --> 00:43:01,361
...one that seldom appears
until after dark.
315
00:43:04,361 --> 00:43:06,681
The Tasmanian devil.
316
00:43:12,601 --> 00:43:16,521
Many predators inhabit
a territory packed with prey.
317
00:43:16,641 --> 00:43:19,401
But here,
there's nothing like that for them.
318
00:43:28,401 --> 00:43:32,161
Each may travel for miles
night after night,
319
00:43:32,281 --> 00:43:36,601
prepared to eat anything it can find,
dead or alive.
320
00:43:46,041 --> 00:43:48,801
The shoreline is a good place to search.
321
00:43:49,921 --> 00:43:53,401
There might be some small creatures
to catch here,
322
00:43:53,521 --> 00:43:55,881
or maybe something
that the tide has brought in.
323
00:44:06,401 --> 00:44:09,881
The carcass of a wallaby
has been washed ashore.
324
00:44:17,321 --> 00:44:22,761
Tasmanian devils can eat
40% of their body weight in one session,
325
00:44:22,881 --> 00:44:25,561
and they have hugely powerful jaws.
326
00:44:25,681 --> 00:44:29,321
They tackle everything - even bones.
327
00:44:33,481 --> 00:44:34,801
Back at the den,
328
00:44:34,921 --> 00:44:37,641
there are other hungry mouths.
329
00:44:44,681 --> 00:44:47,481
Her two youngsters are six months old.
330
00:44:49,121 --> 00:44:55,081
They still rely on their mother's milk,
but they're feeling peckish!
331
00:44:58,881 --> 00:45:02,401
There must be something solid
they could find for themselves
332
00:45:02,521 --> 00:45:04,241
while they're waiting for a drink.
333
00:45:12,161 --> 00:45:13,681
Is this food?
334
00:45:21,881 --> 00:45:24,281
That possum smells tasty...
335
00:45:26,681 --> 00:45:29,161
...but it's a little high up.
336
00:45:31,521 --> 00:45:34,121
This looks more promising.
337
00:45:44,161 --> 00:45:47,761
At last, a giant stick!
338
00:45:49,641 --> 00:45:51,681
Not bad for a first go.
339
00:45:57,201 --> 00:46:01,841
Their mother will protect and feed
these youngsters for another three months.
340
00:46:03,801 --> 00:46:08,641
Their survival is important to her,
but also for us...
341
00:46:09,881 --> 00:46:14,321
...because these are one
of the last devil families in the world.
342
00:46:20,681 --> 00:46:23,401
Tasmanian devils are now endangered...
343
00:46:24,441 --> 00:46:26,521
...found in only a few places,
344
00:46:26,641 --> 00:46:31,161
such as this remote islet
off the coast of Tasmania.
345
00:46:37,401 --> 00:46:40,841
But they once lived
across the whole of Australia.
346
00:46:42,481 --> 00:46:45,161
Evidence that this was so
347
00:46:45,281 --> 00:46:50,041
can be seen nearly 2,500 miles away
from the devils' family den,
348
00:46:50,161 --> 00:46:54,001
on Australia's northern coast.
349
00:47:01,361 --> 00:47:04,361
This great stretch of boulders
350
00:47:04,481 --> 00:47:11,081
is covered by the largest concentration of
prehistoric images anywhere in the world.
351
00:47:16,921 --> 00:47:20,361
Over one million pictures of wildlife...
352
00:47:24,721 --> 00:47:26,201
...and among them...
353
00:47:27,961 --> 00:47:29,601
...a Tasmanian devil.
354
00:47:32,441 --> 00:47:37,241
It was engraved on stone
60,000 years ago
355
00:47:37,361 --> 00:47:41,081
by some of the first human beings
to reach the continent.
356
00:47:44,801 --> 00:47:47,361
Then, just 200 years ago,
357
00:47:47,481 --> 00:47:53,201
European settlers arrived
with guns and dogs, foxes and cats.
358
00:47:54,481 --> 00:47:58,521
Together, they decimated
Australia's unique wildlife.
359
00:48:04,401 --> 00:48:08,521
This was one of the continent's
biggest animal predators -
360
00:48:08,641 --> 00:48:11,241
a marsupial wolf, or thylacine.
361
00:48:13,321 --> 00:48:18,121
The last-known remaining one
was filmed in 1936
362
00:48:18,241 --> 00:48:20,481
in a zoo just before it died...
363
00:48:21,921 --> 00:48:26,681
...and so brought the final extinction
of its species.
364
00:48:31,681 --> 00:48:34,961
These rocks are now its memorial.
365
00:48:39,521 --> 00:48:43,321
And they may become that
for the Tasmanian devil as well.
366
00:48:45,681 --> 00:48:51,681
Mammals in Australia are disappearing
faster than anywhere else on Earth.
367
00:48:55,681 --> 00:49:00,721
They succeeded in adapting to life
as their home changed around them.
368
00:49:02,401 --> 00:49:05,601
But now they face
their greatest challenge -
369
00:49:05,721 --> 00:49:09,801
the change to their world
brought by humanity.
370
00:49:11,961 --> 00:49:15,921
Which of its unique species
will survive the coming decades
371
00:49:16,041 --> 00:49:18,201
now depends on us.
372
00:49:31,081 --> 00:49:34,241
The most
ambitious shoot for the Australia team
373
00:49:34,361 --> 00:49:38,841
Was filming the continent's top predator -
the dingo - hunting.
374
00:49:42,801 --> 00:49:46,081
Elusive and shy, they're rarely seen.
375
00:49:50,721 --> 00:49:55,201
The crew journeyed
to the high plains of Australia,
376
00:49:55,321 --> 00:50:00,841
where park rangers had reported sightings
of a white dingo and her pack.
377
00:50:04,361 --> 00:50:07,361
In their first week,
the team confirm the sightings...
378
00:50:07,481 --> 00:50:08,641
There she is.
379
00:50:10,001 --> 00:50:12,361
...and begin to catch glimpses.
380
00:50:13,961 --> 00:50:15,841
But with the dingoes
constantly on the move,
381
00:50:15,961 --> 00:50:19,721
keeping track of them is a challenge.
382
00:50:19,841 --> 00:50:23,601
They teleport around,
because you just lose them in the grass.
383
00:50:23,721 --> 00:50:25,041
It's madness.
384
00:50:25,161 --> 00:50:29,321
Each time the crew arrive to set up...
385
00:50:30,401 --> 00:50:32,401
...they're too late.
386
00:50:43,761 --> 00:50:45,841
I couldn't believe how far she'd gone.
387
00:50:45,961 --> 00:50:48,481
By the time we managed to drive
over the brow of the hill,
388
00:50:48,601 --> 00:50:50,881
she was a kilometre away.
389
00:50:52,041 --> 00:50:55,201
If they lose them,
it could take days to find them again.
390
00:50:57,281 --> 00:51:02,241
And searching in outback Australia
can be dangerous work.
391
00:51:10,481 --> 00:51:13,801
Brown snakes
are one of the world's most venomous.
392
00:51:15,401 --> 00:51:18,721
And it's not only the snakes
that have a nasty bite.
393
00:51:18,841 --> 00:51:19,841
Oh, dear!
394
00:51:19,961 --> 00:51:21,201
Look at that.
395
00:51:22,881 --> 00:51:24,001
Sorry.
396
00:51:28,601 --> 00:51:30,881
Turns out I just stood in an ants' nest.
397
00:51:34,641 --> 00:51:39,641
Over the coming weeks, the dingoes
continue to give the crew the runaround.
398
00:51:40,961 --> 00:51:43,001
With such a large area to search,
399
00:51:43,121 --> 00:51:46,161
they enlist the help
of two additional cameramen.
400
00:51:47,401 --> 00:51:52,321
Dan is a dingo expert
and studied them for five years,
401
00:51:52,441 --> 00:51:55,241
and even he struggled to follow them.
402
00:51:55,361 --> 00:51:59,801
Dingoes are Australia's most heavily
persecuted native animal...
403
00:51:59,921 --> 00:52:02,401
...and that makes them
404
00:52:02,521 --> 00:52:05,161
so incredibly elusive and hard to film.
405
00:52:06,161 --> 00:52:08,001
They're very scared of humans.
406
00:52:09,121 --> 00:52:13,441
Dingoes have lived in Australia
for over 4,000 years,
407
00:52:13,561 --> 00:52:17,761
but when Europeans arrived with livestock,
they were seen as a threat.
408
00:52:18,801 --> 00:52:23,081
Today, they continue to be shot,
poisoned and trapped,
409
00:52:23,201 --> 00:52:25,441
which explains why they avoid the crew.
410
00:52:26,641 --> 00:52:30,321
So Dan suggests a new approach.
411
00:52:33,441 --> 00:52:36,201
From the air, they have a better view.
412
00:52:37,321 --> 00:52:41,481
Now they can track the dingoes
and follow their trails.
413
00:52:42,641 --> 00:52:47,881
And they notice the white dingo repeatedly
returning to the same patch of forest.
414
00:52:49,881 --> 00:52:54,361
Ben, the park ranger, goes to explore...
415
00:52:54,481 --> 00:52:56,001
Dog's had a scratch in here.
416
00:52:58,561 --> 00:52:59,841
Old roo leg.
417
00:52:59,961 --> 00:53:02,801
...and unearths a den site.
418
00:53:02,921 --> 00:53:04,561
Den site in here. Look at it. Jeez.
419
00:53:04,681 --> 00:53:08,681
Only a handful of wild dingo dens
420
00:53:08,801 --> 00:53:11,321
have ever been filmed,
so the team set up a stakeout.
421
00:53:20,481 --> 00:53:23,881
And after a few days waiting...
422
00:53:29,281 --> 00:53:32,521
To the best of my knowledge,
this is some of the first footage
423
00:53:32,641 --> 00:53:34,201
of wild dingo pups at the den.
424
00:53:36,481 --> 00:53:40,881
Being able to capture this really
intimate, up-close footage is amazing.
425
00:53:41,001 --> 00:53:43,281
Really, really special.
426
00:53:44,721 --> 00:53:47,641
The den site is a major breakthrough.
427
00:53:51,121 --> 00:53:54,081
Now the team can find the white dingo
each morning...
428
00:53:54,201 --> 00:53:55,361
Yeah, I've got her.
429
00:53:55,481 --> 00:53:58,801
...and begin to understand
her hunting patterns.
430
00:54:02,201 --> 00:54:05,521
At this point, she's just testing
the water to see which...
431
00:54:05,641 --> 00:54:09,681
...which ones are weaker, or if there are
any joeys around that she can hunt easily.
432
00:54:12,201 --> 00:54:16,201
But her chases cover such vast distances
433
00:54:16,321 --> 00:54:20,281
that filming them from start to finish
is impossible.
434
00:54:21,641 --> 00:54:24,841
Time for the final crew members.
435
00:54:28,321 --> 00:54:32,281
With the filming helicopter,
436
00:54:32,401 --> 00:54:37,921
the team can stay airborne for long enough
to capture her marathon hunts.
437
00:54:38,041 --> 00:54:43,921
But to be successful, the ground and
aerial team will need to work together.
438
00:54:46,481 --> 00:54:48,761
So we've got spotters
all around the valley,
439
00:54:48,881 --> 00:54:50,801
and if anything happens,
if anything moves,
440
00:54:50,921 --> 00:54:52,121
we can run to the helicopter
441
00:54:52,241 --> 00:54:55,601
and we can be up in the air
in about three minutes and filming.
442
00:54:55,721 --> 00:54:59,241
We're just on standby all morning
and all afternoon.
443
00:55:02,001 --> 00:55:06,241
With nine people monitoring
the white dingo's every move,
444
00:55:06,361 --> 00:55:08,401
all they can do...
445
00:55:09,481 --> 00:55:10,481
...is wait.
446
00:55:19,841 --> 00:55:21,881
Until one morning...
447
00:55:22,001 --> 00:55:25,481
She really looks like she's eyeing up
those roos over there.
448
00:55:25,601 --> 00:55:27,321
She's just stopped
and just looking at them.
449
00:55:30,601 --> 00:55:34,601
Yeah, she's definitely
looking for some roos. Over.
450
00:55:39,361 --> 00:55:42,401
With the dingo on the move,
the hunt seems imminent.
451
00:55:46,161 --> 00:55:51,881
As the helicopter prepares to launch,
the ground team keep track of her.
452
00:55:59,321 --> 00:56:01,121
Yep, she's running, she's running,
she's running.
453
00:56:15,401 --> 00:56:16,801
She looks good.
454
00:56:34,281 --> 00:56:35,761
Finally able to keep up,
455
00:56:35,881 --> 00:56:41,801
the team film these dingoes
hunting kangaroos for the first time,
456
00:56:41,921 --> 00:56:46,321
adding to the little we know about
these remarkable predators.
457
00:56:49,361 --> 00:56:51,921
After five weeks
following the white dingo,
458
00:56:52,041 --> 00:56:55,441
the team are left in awe of her.
459
00:56:55,561 --> 00:56:57,081
She's worked so hard,
460
00:56:57,201 --> 00:57:00,161
catching roos
and looking after her babies,
461
00:57:00,281 --> 00:57:02,681
and it's been just amazing.
462
00:57:03,841 --> 00:57:05,481
I'll never forget it.
463
00:57:09,401 --> 00:57:15,001
Next time -
a world transformed by mankind...
464
00:57:16,201 --> 00:57:18,921
...where extraordinary animals
are found...
465
00:57:20,281 --> 00:57:23,001
...in surprising places.
466
00:57:30,881 --> 00:57:32,201
Europe.
38608
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.