1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,720 (EERIE GROANING) 2 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,120 DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: This is Guelta d'Archei 3 00:00:17,240 --> 00:00:18,840 in Central Africa... 4 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,600 (EERIE GROANING) 5 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:27,080 ...a hostile, seemingly empty world. 6 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,080 (GROANING GETS LOUDER) 7 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:39,800 There is life here... 8 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:41,760 (DISTANT VOICES) 9 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:51,960 ...but it exists at the very limits of survival... 10 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:55,160 (BELLOWING) 11 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:18,240 ...for this is a world with almost no water. 12 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:37,120 Lands like these cover over a third of our planet. 13 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:49,120 Here, life is forced to do things differently. 14 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,480 This is the most ancient desert of all. 15 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,360 The Namib in southwest Africa. 16 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:35,440 It is one of the hottest places on Earth. 17 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:46,560 Yet this male ostrich and his mate... 18 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,720 ...have come here to start a family. 19 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,560 (SQUAWKS) 20 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:58,400 Few predators venture out during the heat of the day. 21 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:00,640 (CHIRPING) 22 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:04,120 But such safety comes at a price. 23 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:07,520 Out in the open, 24 00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:11,040 the newly hatched chicks are exposed 25 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:13,160 to the crushing heat of the sun. 26 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:19,760 But not all of the brood have hatched. 27 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:27,480 Until they do, the family will stay here. 28 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,880 The adults take it in turns to protect the brood. 29 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:48,040 So Whilst the female takes a well-earned break, 30 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:53,840 the male takes over for the most testing shift. 31 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,920 He gently rolls the unhatched eggs... 32 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:06,760 ...calling to the young Within them. 33 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:08,840 (SQUAWKS) 34 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,840 He doesn't want to leave anyone behind. 35 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:15,960 (CHIRPING) 36 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:23,280 The temperature continues to rise 37 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:27,040 by five degrees Celsius every hour. 38 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,640 He protects the chicks that have emerged... 39 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:41,480 ...shading them with his own body. 40 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:48,720 At the end of another gruelling day in the sun... 41 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:51,920 (INSECT BUZZES) 42 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,520 ...he's lost almost all his energy. 43 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:10,240 But he must resist the urge to rest. 44 00:05:30,280 --> 00:05:33,400 The cool of the night brings some relief, 45 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:37,800 but now predators are out and about. 46 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,480 (YELPING) 47 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:52,600 (HOWLING) 48 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:22,680 It's going to be a long night. 49 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:37,600 Dawn brings a surprise. 50 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:45,440 Three additions to the family... 51 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:50,440 ...to greet the returning female. 52 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:58,280 But there's a problem. 53 00:06:59,840 --> 00:07:02,120 The chicks won't survive another day 54 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:03,840 in these temperatures. 55 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,720 Yet the male is reluctant to leave. 56 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:18,200 Some of the eggs have still not hatched. 57 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:30,000 But time has run out. 58 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:41,240 They must depart. 59 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:11,400 Just a few minutes too late. 60 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:32,080 (CHIRPS) 61 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:39,720 (CHIRPING) 62 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:03,200 Alone, and without 63 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:05,360 the protection of its parents, 64 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:07,920 this hatchling's chances are slim. 65 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:22,760 (CHIRPS) 66 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:35,480 (CHIRPING) 67 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:42,360 (CHIRPING) 68 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:45,440 (CHIRPING) 69 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:02,120 (SQUAWKS) 70 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:07,080 (SQUAWKING) 71 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:18,000 (SQUAWKING) 72 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:22,880 (CHIRPS) 73 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:24,720 (SQUAWKING) 74 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:28,560 (CHIRPING) 75 00:10:55,680 --> 00:10:57,000 Survival here, 76 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:01,400 as in all deserts, is on a knife edge... 77 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:20,360 ...so desert dwellers have had to evolve in remarkable ways. 78 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:32,920 Some have even given rise 79 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:37,000 to legends of dragons and unicorns. 80 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:48,600 (RUSTLING) 81 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:55,280 And even the dunes have their own magical quality. 82 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:56,920 (WIND WHISTLES) 83 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:02,240 Indeed, some have their own voice. 84 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:06,560 (EERIE HUMMING) 85 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:16,480 Here in Arabia, this extraordinary sound 86 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:20,640 is created by billions of moving sand grains 87 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:23,720 vibrating against one another. 88 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:26,880 (EERIE HUMMING) 89 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:36,200 The eerie song they produce can be heard for miles 90 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:40,720 across the world's biggest sand desert. 91 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:42,800 (EERIE HUMMING) 92 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:53,120 Winds have also built sand into surreal shapes. 93 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:04,600 Deserts around the world can appear so alien 94 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:08,080 that they seem to belong to another planet altogether... 95 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:16,560 ...few more so than here in Australia. 96 00:13:16,680 --> 00:13:19,320 (CHIRPING) 97 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:20,760 Yet one little creature 98 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:23,640 chooses this desert to prepare 99 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:26,360 for a most important event in its life. 100 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:33,800 A male spotted bowerbird. 101 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:35,960 For the last two months, 102 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,560 he's been busy in anticipation of brief rains. 103 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:46,880 That is when females will look for a mate. 104 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,240 So he's built a bower, a sort of theatre, 105 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,400 a stage on which he will dance with the female 106 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:57,480 if she's willing. 107 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:02,960 He decorates the entrance 108 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:05,880 with piles of empty snail shells and bones. 109 00:14:07,560 --> 00:14:08,800 (SQUAWKS) 110 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:12,440 How could any female resist? 111 00:14:12,560 --> 00:14:14,560 (DISTANT THUNDER) 112 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:22,240 The rains are due any day, 113 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:25,880 so it's his last chance for improvements. 114 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:29,240 You can never have too many shells. 115 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:36,840 But in his absence... 116 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:42,880 ...a rival male drops by to size up the competition... 117 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:48,400 ...and cause trouble. 118 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:58,320 Wreck your neighbour's bower, and your own might look better. 119 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:10,240 (SQUAWKS) 120 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:13,960 And perhaps one of the best bits 121 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:16,680 would look good in his bower. 122 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:22,480 The owner is back... 123 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:26,560 ...and something isn't right. 124 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:28,880 (SQUAWKS) 125 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:31,920 (SQUAWKS) 126 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:37,000 Repairs are needed. 127 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:51,880 Still no sign of rain, or females. 128 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:58,000 Undeterred, he continues his preparations. 129 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:02,400 (SQUAWKS) 130 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:05,200 Time to rehearse his courtship display. 131 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:07,720 (SQUAWKS) 132 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:30,360 But sadly, he may only ever dance alone. 133 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:35,480 For the last three years, the rains have failed. 134 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:44,320 Without them, the females won't mate. 135 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:45,600 They need the rains 136 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:48,040 to provide food for their family. 137 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:54,200 Changes in the climate are affecting these birds, 138 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,760 just as they are affecting us. 139 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:09,520 (HINGE CREAKS) 140 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:21,160 A quarter of the world's people live in arid lands. 141 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:27,720 So we, too, have to deal with climate change. 142 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:35,840 Less rainfall and extended droughts 143 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:38,000 allow deserts to grow. 144 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,200 And as they do, so does the likelihood 145 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:47,480 of one of nature's most intimidating events. 146 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:50,360 (WIND RISES) 147 00:17:57,160 --> 00:17:59,040 (WIND GUSTS) 148 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:05,320 A dust storm. 149 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:11,800 (WIND HOWLS) 150 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:32,000 A wall of dust, up to a mile high, 151 00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:35,360 travelling at almost 70mph. 152 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:40,560 Today, these destructive storms 153 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,480 are some of the most powerful ever seen. 154 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:54,840 Unstoppable, they can travel thousands of miles, 155 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:59,440 overwhelming towns and cities across the world... 156 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:04,360 ...in an instant. 157 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:20,400 It takes millennia for life to adapt 158 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:22,680 to the extremes of deserts. 159 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:32,240 These baboons manage 160 00:19:32,360 --> 00:19:35,040 to survive in one of the driest environments 161 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:36,520 on Earth... 162 00:19:39,120 --> 00:19:42,240 ...the Erongo Region in Namibia. 163 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:53,560 Not a single drop of rain has fallen here 164 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:55,600 for eight months. 165 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:06,200 Life here for these baboons is as hard as it gets. 166 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:09,960 (GRUNTING AND SCREECHING) 167 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:20,000 And it's especially difficult 168 00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:22,360 for this young female. 169 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:29,160 She has just given birth to her first baby. 170 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:41,040 She's desperate for water. 171 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:45,520 Without it, she can't produce milk. 172 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:55,840 The tiny amount of moisture in her food 173 00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:59,320 is simply not enough for both of them. 174 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:09,960 The troop must constantly search for water. 175 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:12,200 (CHATTERING) 176 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:14,320 And they won't wait for her. 177 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:07,720 (BARKS) 178 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:15,720 At last, 179 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:21,640 one of the troop's scouts finds a tiny trickle on a rock face. 180 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:23,440 (SLURPS) 181 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:38,720 Relief. 182 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:43,560 But not for everyone. 183 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:48,880 The young mother will have to wait. 184 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:56,960 Access to the precious water is determined by rank. 185 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:04,200 (SCREECHES) 186 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:12,840 She is so low in the pecking order... 187 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:19,640 ...she might fail to get any drink at all... 188 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:21,480 (GRUNTS) 189 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:30,480 ...because jumping the queue is severely punished. 190 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:32,320 (SCREECHING) 191 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:06,400 It's risky... 192 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:10,040 ...but she can't wait any longer. 193 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:21,720 A dangerous move. 194 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:24,840 (SCREECHING) 195 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:39,320 But there's no match for a mother's determination. 196 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,960 This will be enough to keep her and her baby alive 197 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:55,040 until rain falls. 198 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:06,600 Rain brings salvation not just to her and the troop, 199 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:08,960 but to the thirsty land. 200 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:28,160 When it does fall, it can transform a desert... 201 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:41,480 ...and turn it into 202 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:44,760 one of Earth's most productive landscapes. 203 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:58,000 (GRUNTING) 204 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:05,320 Grasslands. 205 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:06,440 They support 206 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:08,960 the greatest concentrations of large animals 207 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:11,640 to be found anywhere on the planet. 208 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:20,640 (BRAYING) 209 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:35,840 Here, nature is at its most spectacular. 210 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:52,560 This leopardess, believe it or not, 211 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:56,240 is ready to hunt at a moment's notice. 212 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:02,360 She is one of the few special leopards 213 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:04,280 that have learnt to hide in the treetops 214 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:08,080 and wait for their prey to come to them. 215 00:27:13,360 --> 00:27:15,480 Without making a sound... 216 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:18,440 ...she gets into position. 217 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:35,720 (THUD) 218 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:38,280 (SNORTS) 219 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:50,480 Not this time. 220 00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:00,880 And now her presence is known to all. 221 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:02,960 (SNORTS) 222 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:04,360 (BARKS) 223 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:19,040 But leopards will go to astonishing lengths to succeed. 224 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:28,640 And some are more daring than others. 225 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:55,360 This leopard climbs up to a branch 226 00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:59,280 nine metres above the ground. 227 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:07,600 He's higher than the roof of a two-storey house. 228 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:17,360 Leopards have killed themselves jumping from these heights. 229 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:51,240 (SNORTING) 230 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:13,840 To succeed on these equatorial grasslands, 231 00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:16,960 you must be adaptable 232 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:19,160 and sometimes brave. 233 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:21,200 (CRUNCHING) 234 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:34,160 (WIND HOWLS) 235 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:40,840 The Eurasian Steppe, the largest grassland on Earth. 236 00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:45,720 It tests animals in a different way. 237 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:50,360 Here, the wind can blow 238 00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:53,640 at speeds of nearly 80mph... 239 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:02,840 ...and temperatures drop to below -30 degrees Celsius. 240 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:11,080 Yet one bizarre creature has evolved ways to survive 241 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:12,800 in these extremes. 242 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:17,280 (SNORTING) 243 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:21,680 Saiga antelope - 244 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:24,000 small but tough animals 245 00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:26,520 that lived alongside woolly mammoths. 246 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:28,520 (SNORTING) 247 00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:36,520 The male's enormous nose both filters out the dust 248 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:40,720 and warms up the cold air before it reaches his lungs. 249 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:45,160 But at this time of year, 250 00:32:45,280 --> 00:32:48,160 it also serves a very different purpose. 251 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:49,880 (SNORTS) 252 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:56,000 It impresses the females. 253 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:01,440 And the bigger it is, the better. 254 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:11,800 This old male knows what it takes 255 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:13,760 to hold their attention. 256 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:17,920 (SNORTS) 257 00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:22,720 But they make him work for it. 258 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:46,160 And if that isn't effective, 259 00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:49,200 he has other ways of impressing them. 260 00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:53,440 A bush. 261 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:55,720 Very majestic. 262 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:18,720 But when you are king of the steppe, 263 00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:22,680 there's always someone waiting to claim your crown. 264 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:28,080 This young buck fancies his chances. 265 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:33,440 He aims to steal the king's harem. 266 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:39,880 (SNORTS) 267 00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:44,840 The challenger charges, ready to do battle. 268 00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:49,720 This could be a fight to the death. 269 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:56,480 70% of rutting males will die. 270 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:12,320 The older male eventually begins to gain the upper hand. 271 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:26,960 And with one final effort, he drives the young rival away. 272 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:38,880 The king has kept his crown 273 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:40,840 and his harem. 274 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:47,840 Only the strongest sagas can endure and succeed 275 00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:52,360 in one of the harshest places on Earth. 276 00:35:58,240 --> 00:36:00,280 But close to the equator, 277 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:03,880 Where there is constant warmth and water, 278 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:07,640 there are grasslands close to paradise. 279 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:15,840 This is the most biodiverse grassland 280 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:17,840 in the world - 281 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:20,920 the Cerrado in Brazil. 282 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:29,360 Here, there are thousands of species 283 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:33,560 of both animals and plants found nowhere else. 284 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:40,280 A rich and complex community 285 00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:44,680 that is kept in balance by this ghostly creature. 286 00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:56,400 The maned wolf. 287 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:02,400 Quiet and shy, 288 00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:06,320 it's little known and seldom seen. 289 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:12,960 Unlike any other wolf in the world, 290 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:16,800 their diet is mostly vegetarian, 291 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:20,720 and they particularly like Iobeira fruit. 292 00:37:22,920 --> 00:37:26,040 This plant increases the fertility of the land 293 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:29,520 and helps to sustain the entire Cerrado. 294 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:36,680 The maned wolves, odd though it may seem, 295 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:41,120 are, in effect, the gardeners of these unique plains. 296 00:37:46,840 --> 00:37:50,480 The dense grass, in turn, provides this female 297 00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:52,240 with a comfortable home... 298 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:55,640 (WHINING) 299 00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:59,880 ...and somewhere to hide her three puppies, 300 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:02,240 just one month old. 301 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:19,720 She is so rare that she's been fitted with a radio collar 302 00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:23,720 so that scientists can study her continuously. 303 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:28,920 And our remotely controlled den camera 304 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:31,040 reveals a mother only comes here 305 00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:34,000 for a few hours a day to suckle her pups. 306 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:45,000 She spends much of her time foraging 307 00:38:45,120 --> 00:38:47,680 to provide for her growing family. 308 00:38:55,720 --> 00:38:58,200 Now alone in the den, 309 00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:01,400 her puppies are suddenly in danger... 310 00:39:08,720 --> 00:39:10,520 ...not from other predators... 311 00:39:10,640 --> 00:39:13,480 (CRACKLING) 312 00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:16,760 ...but from fire. 313 00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:41,240 Their home is being burnt all around them. 314 00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:58,360 These fires can race through a mile of grassland 315 00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:01,040 in a matter of minutes. 316 00:40:27,840 --> 00:40:31,400 The Cerrado devastated. 317 00:40:34,440 --> 00:40:35,960 Why? 318 00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:40,520 In order to clear land to grow crops. 319 00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:18,360 This particular fire didn't reach their den... 320 00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:23,280 ...but it's empty. 321 00:41:23,400 --> 00:41:25,240 (PANTS) 322 00:41:36,520 --> 00:41:39,200 (WHINING) 323 00:41:41,080 --> 00:41:43,680 This time the family were lucky... 324 00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:46,520 (WHINING) 325 00:41:49,920 --> 00:41:54,960 ...but her species faces an alarmingly uncertain future. 326 00:41:57,320 --> 00:42:00,080 At the current rate of habitat destruction, 327 00:42:00,200 --> 00:42:03,680 these may be some of the last maned wolves 328 00:42:03,800 --> 00:42:06,160 to survive in the Wild. 329 00:42:19,440 --> 00:42:20,880 In grasslands, 330 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:25,040 the land and the animals are so closely interconnected 331 00:42:25,160 --> 00:42:27,680 that the loss of one key species 332 00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:31,760 could well trigger the collapse of the entire ecosystem. 333 00:42:34,280 --> 00:42:37,480 That's what happened here in Central Africa, 334 00:42:37,600 --> 00:42:40,520 when 95% of the elephant population 335 00:42:40,640 --> 00:42:44,520 were killed for their ivory. 336 00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:47,520 Without these essential gardeners, 337 00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:49,520 life couldn't flourish. 338 00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:58,400 This male is one of the few survivors. 339 00:42:58,520 --> 00:43:01,160 (GRUNTS) 340 00:43:01,280 --> 00:43:05,960 He still bears the scars from his persecuted past. 341 00:43:09,520 --> 00:43:12,840 But the slaughter was stopped just in time. 342 00:43:18,320 --> 00:43:20,320 With an end to poaching, 343 00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:23,600 this male is part of a growing herd 344 00:43:23,720 --> 00:43:26,160 that now lives in safety. 345 00:43:29,560 --> 00:43:31,280 Today, it's thought that 346 00:43:31,400 --> 00:43:34,400 this is one of the largest groups of African elephants 347 00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:36,120 surviving in the Wild. 348 00:43:42,200 --> 00:43:43,960 As they recovered their numbers, 349 00:43:44,080 --> 00:43:46,640 their grazing encouraged a healthy growth 350 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:48,440 of new grasses... 351 00:43:51,960 --> 00:43:55,200 ...and they created space for other animals... 352 00:43:58,200 --> 00:44:02,120 ...bringing life back to Zakouma. 353 00:44:40,720 --> 00:44:45,120 This miraculous transformation shows what can happen 354 00:44:45,240 --> 00:44:49,320 if nature is allowed to restore its own balance. 355 00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:55,080 (GRUNTS) 356 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:03,160 Abakar is part of the team of local rangers 357 00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:06,360 who risked their lives to protect these elephants. 358 00:45:21,120 --> 00:45:24,240 And the elephants didn't just heal the land. 359 00:45:28,560 --> 00:45:32,040 They did something no-one had anticipated. 360 00:45:51,760 --> 00:45:55,800 As we understand more about the wonders, the connections 361 00:45:55,920 --> 00:45:59,360 and the fragility of these landscapes... 362 00:46:01,480 --> 00:46:04,000 ...the consequences of our actions 363 00:46:04,120 --> 00:46:06,360 are thrown into sharp focus. 364 00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:12,960 They show that we urgently need to do everything we can 365 00:46:13,080 --> 00:46:16,200 to help nature heal itself. 366 00:46:32,480 --> 00:46:36,000 (DRONE BUZZES) 367 00:46:36,120 --> 00:46:38,320 DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: To film maned wolves, 368 00:46:38,440 --> 00:46:41,320 the Planet Earth crew joined pioneering scientists 369 00:46:41,440 --> 00:46:43,400 in Brazil. 370 00:46:43,520 --> 00:46:45,720 If you get a direction, please let me know. 371 00:46:45,840 --> 00:46:47,480 Yeah, she's, like, three o'clock 372 00:46:47,600 --> 00:46:48,880 from the car here. 373 00:46:49,000 --> 00:46:51,360 Like, 800 metres, too. 374 00:46:53,120 --> 00:46:56,440 Without their help, the wolves are almost impossible to track, 375 00:46:56,560 --> 00:46:57,760 let alone film, 376 00:46:57,880 --> 00:47:00,520 in the dense grass of the Cerrado. 377 00:47:00,640 --> 00:47:01,880 It's so hard to find them. 378 00:47:02,000 --> 00:47:03,760 They're sort of solitary animals 379 00:47:03,880 --> 00:47:06,560 in a huge grassland with sort of metre-high grass, 380 00:47:06,680 --> 00:47:08,480 which is the same height as the wolf, 381 00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:09,800 and it's like looking for 382 00:47:09,920 --> 00:47:11,200 a needle in a haystack currently. 383 00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:13,560 Shall we turn the car around if she's going 384 00:47:13,680 --> 00:47:15,280 - to head that way? - Yeah, maybe. 385 00:47:19,600 --> 00:47:21,800 The researchers have radio-collared 386 00:47:21,920 --> 00:47:23,280 two female wolves. 387 00:47:23,400 --> 00:47:25,640 Both have puppies. 388 00:47:25,760 --> 00:47:28,560 They hope to track one to a den 389 00:47:28,680 --> 00:47:31,240 and set up remote cameras inside. 390 00:47:31,360 --> 00:47:34,280 The footage would provide the researchers 391 00:47:34,400 --> 00:47:35,920 with crucial information 392 00:47:36,040 --> 00:47:38,920 and help to protect this endangered species. 393 00:47:39,040 --> 00:47:41,800 She's in there somewhere. 394 00:47:41,920 --> 00:47:44,880 Maned wolf, they're so special. 395 00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:46,440 It's very important 396 00:47:46,560 --> 00:47:49,040 to understand more of this species. 397 00:47:49,160 --> 00:47:51,080 When we get more knowledge, 398 00:47:51,200 --> 00:47:53,640 it's getting easier to protect them. 399 00:47:58,560 --> 00:48:01,200 But the signal from one of the females 400 00:48:01,320 --> 00:48:04,400 takes them in a worrying direction. 401 00:48:04,520 --> 00:48:06,240 So, it's led us directly 402 00:48:06,360 --> 00:48:09,160 into this huge, epic-scale farmland, 403 00:48:09,280 --> 00:48:10,680 the likes of which, to be honest, 404 00:48:10,800 --> 00:48:11,960 I've never seen before. 405 00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:14,960 And it shows you what little is left 406 00:48:15,080 --> 00:48:16,720 of their natural habitat. 407 00:48:21,680 --> 00:48:26,080 50% of maned wolf habitat has been lost to farmland... 408 00:48:30,560 --> 00:48:34,080 ...and the radio collars show they now regularly stray 409 00:48:34,200 --> 00:48:36,400 into this unfamiliar landscape. 410 00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:43,040 Tragically, the researchers discover the body 411 00:48:43,160 --> 00:48:47,600 of one collared mother wolf on farmland, 412 00:48:47,720 --> 00:48:50,320 the cause of her death unknown. 413 00:48:52,480 --> 00:48:55,400 Her puppies won't survive alone for long. 414 00:48:56,440 --> 00:49:00,480 Without delay, the researchers set out to find them. 415 00:49:11,320 --> 00:49:15,080 They rescue five one-month-old pups 416 00:49:15,200 --> 00:49:16,640 hidden in the long grass. 417 00:49:16,760 --> 00:49:19,040 (WHINING) 418 00:49:23,560 --> 00:49:25,560 To assess their condition, 419 00:49:25,680 --> 00:49:29,320 the pups are taken to an emergency rescue facility. 420 00:49:36,360 --> 00:49:38,440 (WHINING) 421 00:49:43,160 --> 00:49:45,440 They will be cared for around the clock 422 00:49:45,560 --> 00:49:46,880 until they are strong enough 423 00:49:47,000 --> 00:49:49,360 to be released back into the Wild. 424 00:49:56,280 --> 00:49:59,760 Their mother's death is a huge blow for everyone. 425 00:50:01,560 --> 00:50:02,640 For the crew, 426 00:50:02,760 --> 00:50:04,720 the only chance of filming in a den 427 00:50:04,840 --> 00:50:07,600 now lies with one remaining collared female, 428 00:50:07,720 --> 00:50:09,480 known as Nhorinha. 429 00:50:15,360 --> 00:50:17,400 WOMAN: She's more here to the right. 430 00:50:17,520 --> 00:50:20,920 - MAN: Is that her there? - No. 431 00:50:21,040 --> 00:50:23,720 WOMAN: Yeah, I can see her. She's there. She's there. 432 00:50:23,840 --> 00:50:26,280 Yeah, got her, got her, got her. 433 00:50:26,400 --> 00:50:28,800 So she's at... She's coming towards two o'clock now. 434 00:50:30,240 --> 00:50:32,320 50 metres away from the car. 435 00:50:32,440 --> 00:50:34,920 She's coming behind this tree in the middle here. 436 00:50:35,040 --> 00:50:35,960 Let's wait for her. 437 00:50:36,080 --> 00:50:37,560 - I've got her, I've got her. - OK. 438 00:50:45,560 --> 00:50:47,400 Eventually, the team captured 439 00:50:47,520 --> 00:50:51,280 the first images of Nhorinha on camera. 440 00:50:51,400 --> 00:50:53,080 To finally see our wolf is amazing. 441 00:50:56,040 --> 00:51:00,040 Using a drone camera, they follow her to her den. 442 00:51:09,840 --> 00:51:11,920 The drone reveals the first glimpse 443 00:51:12,040 --> 00:51:13,840 of Nhorinha's puppies... 444 00:51:15,040 --> 00:51:17,200 WOMAN: Oh, my God. 445 00:51:20,520 --> 00:51:22,400 ...and she's moving them... 446 00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:28,080 ...something that's never been witnessed before. 447 00:51:31,400 --> 00:51:33,120 This is very special. 448 00:51:33,240 --> 00:51:34,400 My heart stopped. 449 00:51:34,520 --> 00:51:37,920 I, like... I can't believe I'm really seeing here. 450 00:51:38,960 --> 00:51:41,200 We know Where the den is now. 451 00:51:51,080 --> 00:51:53,920 The following morning, they return to the den site. 452 00:51:55,560 --> 00:51:57,360 They want to rig their cameras, 453 00:51:57,480 --> 00:51:59,120 but can only approach when they know 454 00:51:59,240 --> 00:52:01,320 Nhorinha is not at the den. 455 00:52:02,840 --> 00:52:06,160 - Is she nearby? - No. No signal yet. 456 00:52:07,240 --> 00:52:11,840 Nhorinha, it's out of here, at least 1 km. 457 00:52:11,960 --> 00:52:15,720 So it's very good news for us. Let's try to approach it. 458 00:52:19,560 --> 00:52:22,400 Barbara checks that Nhorinha is away from the den 459 00:52:22,520 --> 00:52:25,600 so the team can go in without disturbing her. 460 00:52:28,800 --> 00:52:30,480 MAN: (WHISPERS) Going in. 461 00:52:30,600 --> 00:52:33,520 The den isn't immediately obvious, 462 00:52:33,640 --> 00:52:36,360 but the grass here is flattened, 463 00:52:36,480 --> 00:52:39,800 so they place their cameras and hope for the best. 464 00:52:41,000 --> 00:52:43,840 (WHISPERS) We're about 80 metres from the den. 465 00:52:43,960 --> 00:52:48,040 This is as close as we could be safely. 466 00:52:48,160 --> 00:52:51,040 This is the moment of truth. We're turning them on. 467 00:52:53,480 --> 00:52:56,720 And we're live and the camera hasn't moved. 468 00:52:59,680 --> 00:53:03,080 Luke keeps watch over the cameras 469 00:53:03,200 --> 00:53:04,640 while the team continue 470 00:53:04,760 --> 00:53:07,080 to monitor Nhorinha's movements. 471 00:53:08,560 --> 00:53:12,720 Before long, they're stopped in their tracks. 472 00:53:12,840 --> 00:53:15,280 Just seen this huge plume of smoke in the distance, 473 00:53:15,400 --> 00:53:17,160 you know, directly behind the den 474 00:53:17,280 --> 00:53:20,400 Where our mother maned wolf has been with her puppies. 475 00:53:21,760 --> 00:53:22,800 I'm quite anxious. 476 00:53:22,920 --> 00:53:24,640 I'm sure all the researchers are as well. 477 00:53:28,040 --> 00:53:32,080 And the fire may well have been started by farmers 478 00:53:32,200 --> 00:53:34,880 in order to clear land to grow crops 479 00:53:35,000 --> 00:53:37,920 that will be used to feed chicken and cattle 480 00:53:38,040 --> 00:53:39,320 around the world. 481 00:53:42,160 --> 00:53:43,600 MARK: The heat from the fire 482 00:53:43,720 --> 00:53:45,520 when we're working that close is so intense 483 00:53:45,640 --> 00:53:47,480 that I can feel it burning the skin of my arm. 484 00:53:47,600 --> 00:53:48,600 It moves so fast. 485 00:53:48,720 --> 00:53:51,360 There's no way you'd escape something like that. 486 00:53:53,080 --> 00:53:54,840 KIRI: Every single cell in your body 487 00:53:54,960 --> 00:53:56,560 just wants to get out of there. 488 00:53:56,680 --> 00:53:58,960 But actually, this whole place, this whole Cerrado, 489 00:53:59,080 --> 00:54:01,400 is surrounded by farmland and roads. 490 00:54:01,520 --> 00:54:03,400 80 actually, when you really think about it, 491 00:54:03,520 --> 00:54:05,000 the Wildlife has nowhere to run. 492 00:54:16,600 --> 00:54:17,880 After a difficult few weeks 493 00:54:18,000 --> 00:54:19,920 for Barbara and the research team... 494 00:54:20,040 --> 00:54:21,760 Hello. 495 00:54:21,880 --> 00:54:23,160 How are you doing? 496 00:54:23,280 --> 00:54:24,560 - How was it? - It was good. 497 00:54:24,680 --> 00:54:28,080 ...the crew have some good news for them. 498 00:54:28,200 --> 00:54:30,640 Oh, check. There's one right there. 499 00:54:30,760 --> 00:54:32,480 - Right now? - Yeah. Can you see? 500 00:54:32,600 --> 00:54:34,120 - That's... - That's the puppy there. 501 00:54:34,240 --> 00:54:36,000 - That's live? - Yeah, yeah, that's live. 502 00:54:36,120 --> 00:54:38,440 Oh, my God! 503 00:54:42,440 --> 00:54:45,720 I've never seen anything so cute in my entire life. 504 00:54:45,840 --> 00:54:47,680 - Me neither. - Me neither, guys. 505 00:54:47,800 --> 00:54:50,480 - Look at this. - It's looking at the camera. 506 00:54:53,360 --> 00:54:54,720 Unbelievable. 507 00:54:57,360 --> 00:55:00,320 That's the first record in the world, 508 00:55:00,440 --> 00:55:03,120 so intimate inside the den. 509 00:55:03,240 --> 00:55:04,640 Nobody ever saw this. 510 00:55:04,760 --> 00:55:08,520 Such new information of such important species. 511 00:55:12,040 --> 00:55:13,800 KIRI: Are you feeling emotional, Barbara? 512 00:55:13,920 --> 00:55:17,760 Difficult not to be. I don't have words to describe it. 513 00:55:17,880 --> 00:55:20,800 It's like... It's too much for me. 514 00:55:24,320 --> 00:55:28,600 The cameras continue to gather the first-of-its-kind footage, 515 00:55:28,720 --> 00:55:32,040 providing insight into the all-important first weeks 516 00:55:32,160 --> 00:55:33,960 of a maned wolf's life... 517 00:55:37,120 --> 00:55:38,320 ...and, crucially, 518 00:55:38,440 --> 00:55:40,600 how much space must be protected 519 00:55:40,720 --> 00:55:43,240 to support future generations. 520 00:55:44,640 --> 00:55:47,600 I really hope that every person in the world 521 00:55:47,720 --> 00:55:50,000 could see from their house 522 00:55:50,120 --> 00:55:53,800 how special and how beautiful, amazing 523 00:55:53,920 --> 00:55:56,480 these animals are. 524 00:55:56,600 --> 00:56:01,160 I feel quite worried, but not hopeless. 525 00:56:01,280 --> 00:56:05,560 I will fight every day and every year to help them. 526 00:56:05,680 --> 00:56:08,000 I was born in Cerrado. 527 00:56:08,120 --> 00:56:12,520 I grew up in Cerrado, and Cerrado, it's my home. 528 00:56:12,640 --> 00:56:13,880 I have to protect it.