1 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:49,553 Africa. 2 00:00:52,160 --> 00:00:57,792 No continent on Earth today has such spectacular wildlife. 3 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:06,354 At its heart lies a vast tropical rainforest. 4 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:14,310 Over a million square miles of wilderness, 5 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:17,512 much of it still unexplored... 6 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:18,960 ...even now. 7 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:28,396 There are more species of animals and plants in these jungles 8 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:30,830 than anywhere else on the continent. 9 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,194 But even in this land of plenty... 10 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:42,995 ...wildlife now faces major challenges. 11 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:00,909 The forests of the Ivory Coast 12 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:05,318 contain over 1,500 species of plant, 13 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:07,750 but some are very difficult to get at... 14 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,118 ...even for one of the most intelligent of animals. 15 00:02:21,640 --> 00:02:23,119 Chimpanzees. 16 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:39,476 The elders in this group know where to find the most nutritious food 17 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,513 and how to extract it. 18 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,199 But if they are to survive to adulthood, 19 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:51,598 the youngsters must learn these skills from their parents. 20 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,233 This young female is five years old... 21 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:10,195 (THUDDING) 22 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:13,676 ...old enough to be given an important lesson. 23 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:15,837 (THUDDING CONTINUES) 24 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:30,957 And this is her teacher. 25 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:33,839 Her mother. 26 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,752 The lesson is how to crack a nut. 27 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,473 Using tools like this is so complex 28 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,833 that it has only been mastered by a handful of chimpanzee communities. 29 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:17,119 This is a skill that has been practised by chimps for several thousand years. 30 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:31,952 Time to try for herself. 31 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:56,790 She needs to find a better tool. 32 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:19,191 Small rocks just don't have the clout. 33 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,717 And larger ones are too cumbersome. 34 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,114 Wood is both light and strong... 35 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:41,674 ...but not strong enough. 36 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:48,512 Back to teacher. 37 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:56,640 It may take a young chimp up to a decade to perfect 38 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:59,354 the skills it needs for nut-cracking. 39 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,714 But she's already mastered one thing. 40 00:06:08,840 --> 00:06:11,912 When her fingers can't reach the nut inside... 41 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:17,512 ...she strips down a branch to size... 42 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:25,758 ...and makes herself a spoon. 43 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:39,316 She'll learn to use many tools in her life... 44 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:43,914 ...and eventually she'll share this knowledge 45 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:46,873 with youngsters of her own, 46 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:51,949 enabling them to harvest the riches of their rainforest home. 47 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:00,871 The sheer abundance of life in the rainforests 48 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,959 is rivalled by that on the eastern side of the continent. 49 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:14,433 The Great Rift Valley runs for 4,000 miles down the length of Africa. 50 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:19,479 It developed some 30 million years ago, 51 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:23,673 when a giant plume of molten rock pushing up from the depths 52 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,792 cracked the Earth's crust apart. 53 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:40,395 Fresh water began to accumulate on the floor of this rift... 54 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:45,071 ...and a chain of lakes developed. 55 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:50,790 These lakes are now one of the richest freshwater habitats 56 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:52,718 to be found anywhere. 57 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:09,358 One single family of fish here - the cichlids - 58 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:13,519 has evolved into more than 1,500 different species. 59 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:23,234 This might look like paradise, 60 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:27,752 but competition between these cichlid species is intense. 61 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:35,796 This crowded world is a dangerous one. 62 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:41,595 Baby fish, after all, make a tasty meal. 63 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:49,113 So, many cichlid mothers have developed a very effective way 64 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:51,436 of keeping their offspring safe. 65 00:08:53,560 --> 00:08:58,396 They use their mouths as a mobile nursery. 66 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:18,395 It's a safe haven where the fry can stay until danger has passed. 67 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:25,158 When the coast is clear, she releases them. 68 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,676 This kind of behaviour starts when the cichlid female 69 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:54,510 picks up her newly laid eggs and holds them in her mouth to keep them safe. 70 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:08,994 During spawning, her mate flashes his yellow tail spots 71 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:10,997 to encourage her to keep laying. 72 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,957 As each batch of eggs emerges, 73 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:23,515 she scoops them up. 74 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:35,352 But this couple are being watched... 75 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:42,429 ...by cuckoo catfish. 76 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:06,671 They work as a gang 77 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:09,792 and devour as many cichlid eggs as they can find. 78 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,959 Then, in the middle of all this activity, 79 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:24,789 one of the catfish also spawns. 80 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:32,270 The cichlid mother collects every egg she can see. 81 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:44,236 Now, by herself, she must wait 82 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:46,670 while the eggs in her mouth develop. 83 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,000 It will take three weeks. 84 00:11:56,320 --> 00:12:00,678 She doesn't eat throughout that entire time. 85 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:14,592 But 18 days later, 86 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:17,872 something is not right. 87 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:35,432 The female blows out her young before they're fully ready to emerge. 88 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:43,990 And they are followed by young cuckoo catfish... 89 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:56,471 ...three times the size of her own babies. 90 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:01,590 She may have as many as six of them in her mouth. 91 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:08,429 And now 92 00:13:08,560 --> 00:13:11,552 they begin to eat the cichlid babies. 93 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:22,152 The female cichlid treats the baby catfish as if they were hers. 94 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:28,432 They are truly cuckoos among fish! 95 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:41,993 The forces that created the Great Rift Valley 96 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:45,238 continue to shape Africa's landscape 97 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:46,919 even today. 98 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:56,754 At weak spots in the Earth's crust, molten rock continues to erupt. 99 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:05,996 There are some 200 volcanoes on the continent... 100 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:12,391 ...many of them active. 101 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:24,754 They may bring destruction 102 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:29,511 but also, eventually, fertility. 103 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:40,279 This is Ol Doinyo Lengai. 104 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:48,158 For the past 400,000 years, ash from this great volcano 105 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:51,796 has fallen on the surrounding savannas of the Serengeti 106 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:54,355 and greatly enriched them. 107 00:14:59,960 --> 00:15:03,510 This is the best grazing on the continent. 108 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:17,070 On it live the world's largest herds of migrating animals... 109 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:23,878 ...and they, in turn, support predators. 110 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:44,752 Here, in Kenya, cheetahs have formed an unusual alliance. 111 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:55,834 These swiftest of cats usually hunt in groups of two or three. 112 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:02,752 But this team of five is one of the largest ever recorded. 113 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:19,233 Two sets of brothers 114 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:20,953 and a lead male. 115 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:29,356 They have now lived and hunted together for almost three years. 116 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,235 By teaming up, they can hold 117 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,239 the best territory in the area. 118 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:58,309 But, even so, with five mouths to feed, every hunt is very important. 119 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:09,072 They haven't eaten for three days. 120 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:18,834 To make a kill, they must get within 30 metres of their quarry 121 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:20,871 without being detected. 122 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:31,913 Thick cover. 123 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:34,753 That will help them. 124 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:54,034 Topi - nearly three times their size... 125 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:03,558 ...and quite strong enough to fight off a lion, 126 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:05,432 let alone a single cheetah. 127 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:17,592 Now out in the open... 128 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:23,550 ...every step the cheetahs take increases their chance of success. 129 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:51,394 The herd scatter, and the team splits up. 130 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:56,071 But they didn't get close enough. 131 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:02,475 They switch targets to zebra. 132 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:35,598 Everyone now knows that they're here. 133 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,354 They must devise a different approach. 134 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:01,513 All eyes are on the brothers. 135 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:16,356 Out in the open, they seem to be no threat. 136 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:21,714 But the lead male is missing. 137 00:20:37,120 --> 00:20:40,431 The brothers are decoys. 138 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:56,755 The trap is set. 139 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:05,158 The other four now join the lead male. 140 00:22:09,360 --> 00:22:12,591 Under the combined weight of five cheetah, 141 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:14,791 death comes quickly. 142 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:34,833 Today, Africa's savannas support larger herds of big game 143 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:37,873 than anywhere else in the world. 144 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:42,110 And they, one way or another, 145 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:46,154 provide food for all kinds of smaller creatures. 146 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:51,717 An oxpecker. 147 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:59,437 A resourceful little bird with an unusual diet. 148 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:19,318 Fleas, ticks and even dandruff are food, 149 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:21,909 as far as they are concerned. 150 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:41,157 Both parties benefit. 151 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:46,519 The oxpecker gets a good meal... 152 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:52,840 ...and the host is cleaned in those places it could never reach for itself. 153 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:11,918 Each bird, every day, collects hundreds of ticks 154 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:14,873 and thousands of insect larvae. 155 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:21,549 But some oxpeckers go for rather riskier meals. 156 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:37,630 Hippopotamus are highly territorial and very aggressive... 157 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:44,870 ...so oxpeckers tackling them must always be on their guard. 158 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:53,115 But there's much to be gained. 159 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:07,113 Blood is the most nutritious meal of all. 160 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:13,071 Pecking ensures that cuts remain open and blood keeps flowing. 161 00:25:16,360 --> 00:25:20,194 And an oxpecker, once it's found an open wound, 162 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:25,394 will stay alongside it, no matter how much that irritates its host. 163 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:46,234 The reward? An endless supply of food, 164 00:25:46,360 --> 00:25:48,112 whatever the conditions. 165 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:58,276 Not all of Africa is rich and fertile. 166 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:08,476 A third of the continent is desert. 167 00:26:21,120 --> 00:26:24,636 This is the Namib in the Southwest. 168 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:34,317 At its heart, a disused diamond mine 169 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:38,195 that was abandoned nearly 70 years ago. 170 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:48,192 But it still has one inhabitant. 171 00:26:56,360 --> 00:26:59,079 A desert specialist... 172 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:05,270 ...and one of Africa's rarest predators. 173 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:14,837 The brown hyena. 174 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:28,873 This ghost town is her home. 175 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:43,319 Its ruins give her valuable protection from the elements. 176 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:53,951 She has been here for 15 years. 177 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:12,317 She's already reared nine generations of cubs. 178 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:39,829 These two youngsters have reached a critical stage in their lives. 179 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:52,669 They're four months old, and now they need regular solid food. 180 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:58,112 But there is nothing edible in these ruins, 181 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:00,709 so their mother has to look elsewhere 182 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:04,356 and may leave them for several days on end. 183 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:19,160 Brown hyenas may walk over 20 miles a day in search of food. 184 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:33,631 This is some of the most hostile country on the planet. 185 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:07,990 Temperatures reach a blistering 50 degrees Celsius. 186 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:18,718 (WIND GUSTS) 187 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:24,399 Strong winds blow incessantly. 188 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:39,156 Hyenas from all over the Namib head for where the sand dunes meet the sea. 189 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:50,709 Somewhere along 190 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:53,719 this seemingly barren stretch of sand, 191 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:58,391 there is food in great quantity. 192 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:00,909 (GRUNTING AND WHINING) 193 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:12,431 Cape fur seals. 194 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:19,359 There are around 10,000 of them here. 195 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:36,754 Adult seals are large and strong. 196 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:45,956 But their pups are neither. 197 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:54,280 The youngsters are closely guarded by their mothers. 198 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:59,390 A hyena, however, knows to be patient. 199 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:10,037 Sooner or later, seal mothers must return to the ocean to cool off. 200 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:24,233 A single seal pup could feed a hyena and her family for days. 201 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:31,993 But finding food is only half the battle. 202 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:38,629 It now has to be carried back. 203 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:46,310 A jackal is here too... 204 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:52,876 ...and it's not alone. 205 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:03,509 If a hyena loses her kill, she'll have nothing with which to feed her cubs. 206 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:22,276 The jackals won't follow her very far from the coast. 207 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:27,151 It's too hot for them in the desert interior. 208 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:34,949 Only by making these long journeys 209 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:40,029 can brown hyenas manage to survive in the middle of the Namib. 210 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:46,991 But some desert animals seldom move far. 211 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:53,752 The Kalahari Desert. 212 00:33:56,880 --> 00:33:59,633 Here, food is more plentiful... 213 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:02,678 ...but it's hidden. 214 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:13,318 A pangolin. 215 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:25,154 She can collect food that others can't reach. 216 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:30,999 A keen sense of smell enables her to detect 217 00:34:31,120 --> 00:34:35,591 the presence of ants and termites in their nests beneath the sand. 218 00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:58,751 Her sticky tongue, some 30cm long, 219 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:02,111 enables her to collect them from deep underground. 220 00:35:10,240 --> 00:35:12,470 And she's being carefully watched. 221 00:35:19,240 --> 00:35:22,870 The drier it gets, the deeper the termites live. 222 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:28,956 Many are way beyond the reach of even a pangolin. 223 00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:33,034 But not of an aardvark. 224 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:42,155 It's the world's largest burrowing animal. 225 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:51,431 Its sense of smell is extremely acute. 226 00:35:57,120 --> 00:35:58,872 (SNUFFLES) 227 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:11,709 Shovel-like claws and powerful legs enable it to dig down 228 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:14,434 to depths of five or six metres. 229 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:23,676 A full-grown aardvark needs to eat about 50,000 termites every day. 230 00:36:27,960 --> 00:36:32,238 Termites are highly nutritious and full of moisture, 231 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:35,671 and they can be collected here year round. 232 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:50,040 Aardvark are usually nocturnal. 233 00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:56,832 But the fact that this one is foraging in daylight 234 00:36:56,960 --> 00:36:59,952 is a sign that food is scarce. 235 00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:08,476 Recent droughts in the Kalahari have led to low termite numbers 236 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:13,674 and, as a consequence, aardvarks here are close to starvation. 237 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:24,229 Changes in the world's climate are affecting many of Africa's animals. 238 00:37:32,240 --> 00:37:35,631 It's predicted that in the next century, 239 00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:40,311 Southern Africa will warm twice as much as the global average. 240 00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:51,277 The future will be bleak for those that cannot adapt fast enough. 241 00:37:58,280 --> 00:38:02,353 In Zimbabwe, it hasn't rained in six months. 242 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:15,636 During a drought, food becomes harder and harder to find. 243 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:41,916 Apple-ring acacias produce pods that are full of protein... 244 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:45,795 ...but mostly on their higher branches. 245 00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:53,234 Six metres up, they're out of reach 246 00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:56,591 even for the continent's largest animals. 247 00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:20,271 (ELEPHANT SNORTS) 248 00:39:34,720 --> 00:39:41,319 This bull elephant needs to eat about 90kg of vegetation every day. 249 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:48,479 (SNORTS) 250 00:39:57,840 --> 00:40:01,629 He's worked out a remarkable way of surviving 251 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:04,639 in these lean times. 252 00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:10,114 But it requires great physical strength. 253 00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:31,709 Only a handful of bulls have mastered the skill. 254 00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:57,757 He weighs over five tonnes. 255 00:40:57,880 --> 00:41:01,271 This is a truly monumental effort. 256 00:41:38,680 --> 00:41:41,638 Those around him benefit too. 257 00:41:56,360 --> 00:42:00,831 Elephants have used their great intelligence to help them survive 258 00:42:00,960 --> 00:42:03,759 Africa's driest times for millennia. 259 00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:12,156 But today, they face an even greater threat. 260 00:42:18,480 --> 00:42:24,431 It's thought that as many as 20 million elephants once roamed the continent, 261 00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:28,758 but many have been killed for their tusks... 262 00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:35,999 ...their ivory used for entirely ornamental purposes. 263 00:42:41,280 --> 00:42:45,831 Now just 350,000 elephants remain. 264 00:42:53,320 --> 00:42:56,358 These stockpiles of confiscated tusks 265 00:42:56,480 --> 00:43:00,519 represent half of the elephants killed on the continent 266 00:43:00,640 --> 00:43:03,029 in just one year. 267 00:43:14,800 --> 00:43:17,519 But of all of Africa's remaining wildlife, 268 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:22,191 it is the rhinoceros that has been most affected by poaching. 269 00:43:27,680 --> 00:43:32,754 In the Far East, its horn is used as traditional medicine. 270 00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:41,396 ALI of Africa's rhinos are now under threat... 271 00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:49,109 ...but for one subspecies, it's likely to be already too late. 272 00:43:52,240 --> 00:43:56,120 The northern white rhinoceros is facing extinction. 273 00:43:58,600 --> 00:44:00,876 Scientists are working on a solution, 274 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:05,039 but no male now survives, so natural breeding is impossible. 275 00:44:10,840 --> 00:44:14,515 These two females are the last of their kind. 276 00:44:15,760 --> 00:44:17,558 When they die, 277 00:44:17,680 --> 00:44:23,392 an entire subspecies that inhabited the Earth for millions of years 278 00:44:23,520 --> 00:44:26,990 will have disappeared for ever. 279 00:44:31,320 --> 00:44:33,357 Right across Africa, 280 00:44:33,480 --> 00:44:39,317 human beings are having a devastating impact on all wildlife. 281 00:44:42,400 --> 00:44:44,437 Cheetah numbers are decreasing 282 00:44:44,560 --> 00:44:46,039 year on year. 283 00:44:48,040 --> 00:44:53,194 Today, there are fewer than 8,000 left on the continent. 284 00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:09,471 The global demand for pangolin scales for use in traditional medicine 285 00:45:09,600 --> 00:45:13,673 has now made them the most trafficked animal on the planet. 286 00:45:18,840 --> 00:45:22,834 And western chimpanzees are so threatened by the loss of their habitat 287 00:45:22,960 --> 00:45:25,998 that they are now critically endangered. 288 00:45:29,680 --> 00:45:31,273 In this female's lifetime, 289 00:45:31,400 --> 00:45:34,836 three-quarters of the forest in the Ivory Coast 290 00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:37,315 has been felled for plantations. 291 00:45:42,640 --> 00:45:45,792 Deforestation - and not only in Africa - 292 00:45:45,920 --> 00:45:49,276 continues on an enormous scale. 293 00:45:54,200 --> 00:45:58,671 64 million acres of forest are destroyed every year 294 00:45:58,800 --> 00:46:02,236 to make way for agriculture and industry. 295 00:46:03,680 --> 00:46:07,196 An area of forest the size of a football field 296 00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:09,311 is disappearing every second. 297 00:46:15,080 --> 00:46:18,550 Climate change is affecting global weather patterns. 298 00:46:20,400 --> 00:46:24,359 Rainfall is increasingly unpredictable. 299 00:46:24,480 --> 00:46:28,838 Average temperatures are soaring all over the globe. 300 00:46:35,080 --> 00:46:38,232 Extreme weather is now affecting wildlife 301 00:46:38,360 --> 00:46:41,591 on all seven of the planet's continents. 302 00:46:55,200 --> 00:47:00,479 Today, scientists tell us that we are at the start of a mass extinction, 303 00:47:00,600 --> 00:47:05,151 and one that is being caused by human activity. 304 00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:11,991 Over a million species could be wiped out, 305 00:47:12,120 --> 00:47:14,999 many within the next few decades. 306 00:47:21,920 --> 00:47:28,030 But with help, even the most vulnerable wildlife populations can still recover. 307 00:47:33,920 --> 00:47:36,799 In Africa's Virunga National Park, 308 00:47:36,920 --> 00:47:41,278 an intensive conservation programme for the mountain gorilla 309 00:47:41,400 --> 00:47:47,396 has raised their numbers above 1,000 for the first time since records began. 310 00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:06,795 And in Antarctica, 311 00:48:06,920 --> 00:48:10,754 the international ban on whaling has meant that the great whales 312 00:48:10,880 --> 00:48:15,670 have returned to the Southern Ocean in numbers not seen for a century. 313 00:48:19,840 --> 00:48:21,717 So we can improve things... 314 00:48:23,840 --> 00:48:26,275 ...if we determine to do so. 315 00:48:30,920 --> 00:48:34,436 This is a crucial moment in time. 316 00:48:34,560 --> 00:48:36,756 The decisions we take now 317 00:48:36,880 --> 00:48:41,795 will influence the future of animals, humanity, 318 00:48:41,920 --> 00:48:45,709 and indeed all life on Earth. 319 00:49:17,360 --> 00:49:21,911 DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: For the Africa team, each shoot presented its own challenge... 320 00:49:23,240 --> 00:49:27,313 ...but one tested them in ways they never imagined. 321 00:49:30,160 --> 00:49:35,075 The team journeyed for six days to the heart of the Congo rainforest. 322 00:49:36,240 --> 00:49:40,711 Their aim - to film the intimate lives of lowland gorillas. 323 00:49:43,120 --> 00:49:46,750 They worked with local expert trackers, 324 00:49:46,880 --> 00:49:50,475 who can pick up the trail of evidence left by the gorillas. 325 00:49:55,000 --> 00:49:59,756 From the plant, they can tell which way the group has gone. 326 00:50:03,560 --> 00:50:07,997 As they close in, the team wear masks to stop the spread of disease. 327 00:50:14,440 --> 00:50:19,071 Finally, a silverback and his family in the trees. 328 00:50:23,320 --> 00:50:25,072 (WHISPERS) Look at that big boy. 329 00:50:32,680 --> 00:50:34,751 (WHISPERS) He's huge! 330 00:50:39,840 --> 00:50:42,514 You don't want to look him in the eye because that... 331 00:50:42,640 --> 00:50:43,914 Oh, OK! (LAUGHS) 332 00:50:48,120 --> 00:50:51,795 The trackers have known this male for 20 years 333 00:50:51,920 --> 00:50:54,389 and use clicking noises to reassure him. 334 00:50:54,520 --> 00:50:57,080 (TONGUE CLICKS) 335 00:50:57,200 --> 00:51:00,397 It was a completely amazing experience. 336 00:51:00,520 --> 00:51:02,909 Just came closer and closer and closer, 337 00:51:03,040 --> 00:51:05,759 and my eyes got wider and wider and wider. 338 00:51:07,880 --> 00:51:10,076 Yeah, it was incredible. I'm just sort of smiling. 339 00:51:10,200 --> 00:51:11,952 It's kind of hard to process. (LAUGHS) 340 00:51:16,240 --> 00:51:20,552 But soon, the gorillas head into the thickest jungle... 341 00:51:21,720 --> 00:51:23,472 (WHISPERS) Heavy, heavy. 342 00:51:23,600 --> 00:51:25,432 (GROANS) 343 00:51:25,560 --> 00:51:28,279 ...which means that keeping up ls difficult. 344 00:51:28,400 --> 00:51:33,998 (WHISPERS) There are a group of gorillas somewhere in this mass of vegetation 345 00:51:34,120 --> 00:51:39,638 but it takes us about ten minutes just to cut a few-metres path through it. 346 00:51:41,920 --> 00:51:44,309 Filming them is virtually impossible. 347 00:51:44,440 --> 00:51:49,230 (WHISPERS) Oh, there's always a piece of vegetation in the way. 348 00:51:49,360 --> 00:51:51,556 Oh, God, 1 can barely see anything. 349 00:51:52,720 --> 00:51:54,597 (INSECTS BUZZ) 350 00:51:56,360 --> 00:52:01,833 As the days pass, the jungle begins to take its toll. 351 00:52:01,960 --> 00:52:03,712 Oh, God, this is awful. 352 00:52:05,440 --> 00:52:10,150 Your ears, your nose, my eyes... They're flying everywhere. 353 00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:17,278 And with little filmed, the reality of the situation is sinking in. 354 00:52:17,400 --> 00:52:21,837 It's going to be a real challenge for me to get a sequence here, 355 00:52:21,960 --> 00:52:24,474 and it's a long way to come to get nothing. 356 00:52:26,960 --> 00:52:30,191 Yeah, I'd say I'm feeling the pressure at the moment. 357 00:52:30,320 --> 00:52:32,436 (SIGHS) 358 00:52:36,600 --> 00:52:38,637 Half the shoot is now over, 359 00:52:38,760 --> 00:52:42,469 so the crew decide to move to a more open area. 360 00:52:46,440 --> 00:52:47,839 Their destination - 361 00:52:47,960 --> 00:52:51,157 a clearing known as a ball. 362 00:52:53,320 --> 00:52:57,996 So, our luxurious home for the next ten days or so is the top of this mirador. 363 00:53:01,520 --> 00:53:04,672 It's a little cramped, but from this platform 364 00:53:04,800 --> 00:53:08,111 they hope to spot the gorillas emerging from the forest. 365 00:53:12,920 --> 00:53:16,959 On their first morning, the crew awaken to a visitor. 366 00:53:20,440 --> 00:53:22,716 It's our first elephant on this trip. 367 00:53:22,840 --> 00:53:25,195 There's a big bull in the middle of the bai. 368 00:53:28,600 --> 00:53:29,829 And finally, 369 00:53:29,960 --> 00:53:32,713 the risk of moving pays off. 370 00:53:34,840 --> 00:53:37,832 (WHISPERS) It's been a really, really quiet morning, 371 00:53:37,960 --> 00:53:40,315 but a big group of gorillas, about 15, 372 00:53:40,440 --> 00:53:45,355 has suddenly appeared really, really close to us and, apparently, 373 00:53:45,480 --> 00:53:48,950 this very rarely happens. Maybe about once a month they'll come this close. 374 00:53:53,280 --> 00:53:56,557 Over the next week, the gorillas continue to visit the ba. 375 00:54:12,400 --> 00:54:14,516 Until one afternoon... 376 00:54:15,600 --> 00:54:17,079 (GUNSHOT) 377 00:54:19,000 --> 00:54:21,116 - (GUNSHOT) - (GORILLAS ROAR) 378 00:54:21,240 --> 00:54:22,674 ...gunshots. 379 00:54:24,960 --> 00:54:27,349 On the platform, the team are vulnerable. 380 00:54:27,480 --> 00:54:31,235 There's been poachers probably within eyeshot of us. 381 00:54:31,360 --> 00:54:33,317 They know we're here. We can't see them. 382 00:54:33,440 --> 00:54:35,113 And two big gunshots. 383 00:54:36,200 --> 00:54:38,111 They decide to evacuate. 384 00:54:39,680 --> 00:54:42,399 But there's also a risk of walking through the jungle at night. 385 00:54:44,800 --> 00:54:48,430 The one rule of the forest is not to walk in the forest when it gets dark, 386 00:54:48,560 --> 00:54:53,430 so we're going as fast as we can. 387 00:54:53,560 --> 00:54:57,474 Elephants are in the area, so this is extremely dangerous. 388 00:55:02,240 --> 00:55:04,356 (CLATTERING) 389 00:55:05,680 --> 00:55:08,593 An hour later, the team reach a camp. 390 00:55:08,720 --> 00:55:10,279 Oh, God. 391 00:55:13,240 --> 00:55:14,674 (EXHALES) 392 00:55:16,320 --> 00:55:19,233 That is not an experience I'd want to repeat again. 393 00:55:20,800 --> 00:55:23,155 We had to choose between the risk 394 00:55:23,280 --> 00:55:25,669 of getting charged by an elephant in the dark 395 00:55:25,800 --> 00:55:28,269 or getting shot by poachers. 396 00:55:28,400 --> 00:55:29,834 Um... 397 00:55:29,960 --> 00:55:34,158 So, yeah, it's...pretty stressful. 398 00:55:34,280 --> 00:55:37,432 (EXHALES) I'm going to have a sit-down. 399 00:55:37,560 --> 00:55:40,120 If they're ivory poachers, this is quite serious, 400 00:55:40,240 --> 00:55:41,992 and they've got nothing to lose, 401 00:55:42,120 --> 00:55:45,670 and the gunshot was aimed in our direction, that's where the sound was. 402 00:55:45,800 --> 00:55:47,950 It's a pretty scary situation to be in. 403 00:55:51,680 --> 00:55:56,800 Overnight, an armed anti-poaching unit ls called in to scout the area. 404 00:55:59,000 --> 00:56:01,230 Because of the remoteness of this park, 405 00:56:01,360 --> 00:56:03,795 there's been no poaching recorded in the last 20 years, 406 00:56:03,920 --> 00:56:08,232 so this is a really significant moment and it's a really sad moment, 407 00:56:08,360 --> 00:56:12,240 because it means that, as roads are being built here, 408 00:56:12,360 --> 00:56:17,070 it's becoming less and less remote, the animals here are in more and more danger. 409 00:56:22,800 --> 00:56:26,350 Within a few hours, the anti-poaching unit return 410 00:56:26,480 --> 00:56:31,600 with a stash of tusks and news of a slaughtered elephant. 411 00:56:31,720 --> 00:56:36,317 It's about as tragic as it gets, really, and we heard the two shots go off, 412 00:56:36,440 --> 00:56:39,831 so we were there when it happened and the elephant went down. 413 00:56:41,080 --> 00:56:43,594 With the armed poachers still on the run, 414 00:56:43,720 --> 00:56:46,838 the team decide to abandon the shoot. 415 00:56:46,960 --> 00:56:49,873 It's really tough leaving on such a sad note. 416 00:56:50,000 --> 00:56:54,073 We've been watching these elephants in the bai for the last week, 417 00:56:54,200 --> 00:56:58,751 and knowing that one of them was killed yesterday is, um, 418 00:56:58,880 --> 00:57:04,114 is horrible and, yeah, it's sad to be leaving like this. 419 00:57:06,760 --> 00:57:10,037 The poachers were caught, but this incident 420 00:57:10,160 --> 00:57:13,915 is a reminder of how vulnerable wildlife has become on the continent. 421 00:57:18,640 --> 00:57:22,315 Even animals in the remotest parts of Africa, 422 00:57:22,440 --> 00:57:25,592 and indeed all our seven worlds, 423 00:57:25,720 --> 00:57:27,791 are now at risk.