1 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:39,600 Predators give us a dramatic health check on our planet's wild places. 2 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:43,160 They are the top of the food chain 3 00:00:43,160 --> 00:00:46,920 and need an abundance of prey and vast territories for hunting. 4 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,200 But as the human population grows, 5 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,800 the conflict between people and wildlife is on the rise. 6 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,440 Over 75% of the world's top predators are now declining. 7 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,120 Humans have created this crisis, 8 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,400 but we also have the power to resolve it. 9 00:01:12,960 --> 00:01:15,840 We meet the pioneers at the front line, 10 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:17,760 searching for bold solutions. 11 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:26,000 The question is whether we are prepared to allow room 12 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,400 for the natural world's greatest hunters. 13 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:49,600 The world's forests cover a third of its land surface, 14 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:53,200 and contain over 50% of our wildlife. 15 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:01,280 In the jungles of India, the top predator is the tiger. 16 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:06,000 Once on the point of extinction, 17 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,600 its numbers are now steadily rising here 18 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,240 for the first time in over 50 years. 19 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:23,080 India is also home to 1.2 billion people 20 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,200 and the fastest-growing economy on the planet. 21 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,680 So, how is the tiger making a comeback? 22 00:02:36,640 --> 00:02:40,600 Tigers are the largest of all big cats. 23 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,640 They need a territory of up to 60 square miles 24 00:02:43,640 --> 00:02:46,400 and must make a kill every week to survive. 25 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,920 He's so perfectly camouflaged. 26 00:02:59,920 --> 00:03:03,760 A deer could just come close to him without knowing the tiger's there 27 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:05,720 and he'd just go for it. 28 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:09,600 Dr Ullas Karanth from the Wildlife Conservation Society 29 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:13,160 is the world's leading expert on tigers. 30 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:17,760 Watching a tiger hunt is a dream, it's just spectacular. 31 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:22,440 You realise what a perfectly-designed killing machine this animal is. 32 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:56,480 500 years ago, there were over 300,000 tigers in India. 33 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:03,680 But in the last century, their numbers fell to just 2,000, 34 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:08,000 due to a combination of poaching and the loss of half of their forest. 35 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:12,640 In the late 1970s, 36 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:16,800 tigers were almost on the verge of extinction in India. 37 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:21,600 But strong measures by the Indian government to create protected areas 38 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:26,120 and a strong law enforcement effort led to a major recovery 39 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,720 better than anything else the world has seen. 40 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:32,280 As a result, tigers have come back big time in many places. 41 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:37,640 There are now around 2,500 tigers in India 42 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,120 and their numbers are steadily rising. 43 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:46,880 The problem now is not so much a shortage of tigers, 44 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:48,720 it's a lack of space for them. 45 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:54,520 India's human population has doubled in the last 30 years. 46 00:04:55,840 --> 00:04:58,600 With so many people living in national parks, 47 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,080 conflict is inevitable. 48 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:06,960 These enclaves make a living out of raising crops, raising livestock 49 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:10,920 and they're competing for space and food with tigers directly. 50 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:14,200 So, this forces a conflict on them 51 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:17,920 and eventually the tigers lose out and people lose out. 52 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,320 The government has come up with a radical solution - 53 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:25,840 paying villagers to move out of their homes, to make way for tigers. 54 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:32,800 Relocating local people out of the forest is a highly emotive issue. 55 00:05:34,280 --> 00:05:37,240 India has been strongly criticised in the past 56 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:40,840 for carrying out forced mass evictions. 57 00:05:40,840 --> 00:05:43,200 It is extremely controversial, 58 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,600 because in some places, it's been done badly, 59 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,240 where people who have moved out were forcibly moved out. 60 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,240 But in many other places, it's been done right. 61 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:58,920 Ullas' daughter Krithi also works for the Wildlife Conservation Society. 62 00:05:59,960 --> 00:06:03,440 Her job is to manage their village relocations 63 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:06,720 and make sure they're done responsibly. 64 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,840 KRITHI SPEAKS INDIAN 65 00:06:09,840 --> 00:06:11,960 Mani and his wife Jyothi 66 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:15,560 have volunteered to leave the forest in return for compensation. 67 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:19,280 TRANSLATION: 68 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:36,080 They feel very strong ties to this place, 69 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:39,400 even though they have a very difficult life here. 70 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:44,360 And constantly living in fear of elephants, leopards and tigers. 71 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:48,200 When you have little children, those challenges are even greater. 72 00:06:50,280 --> 00:06:54,040 Mani and Jyothi are leaving their old way of life behind. 73 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:59,000 India is changing very rapidly and you have to sometimes make 74 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:03,240 really hard choices and sometimes that involves moving people. 75 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:05,640 And I'm very proud of the way we've done it right, 76 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:08,280 helping them through every step of the way. 77 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:13,520 But not everyone is happy about being moved out. 78 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:15,880 HE SPEAKS INDIAN 79 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:32,200 It's the fear of the outside and unknown that is keeping them here. 80 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:34,080 Once that fear is broken 81 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:37,240 and they know they are better off, everybody wants out. 82 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:44,960 Mani and Jyothi are the latest of 631 families 83 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:47,280 to leave Nagarhole National Park. 84 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:54,160 In total, almost 30,000 people across India have been relocated. 85 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:01,560 As humans move out of the forest, tigers move in. 86 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:06,840 A very strong proof that relocation works is to look at 87 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:09,640 some of the tiger reserves where it's been done well. 88 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,560 People have moved out, prey numbers have multiplied 89 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:15,640 and in many cases, the tiger numbers have doubled or tripled. 90 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:18,160 There are many, many such cases in India. 91 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:27,600 Mani and Jyothi are coming to live in a newly-built relocation centre. 92 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:31,480 Here, they will have to find jobs and fend for themselves. 93 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:36,720 Each adult receives the equivalent of £10,000 - 94 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:39,000 a huge sum in India. 95 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,760 This is paid part cash and part in the form of a new house 96 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:44,640 and three acres of land. 97 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:47,760 TRANSLATION: 98 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,800 There is a widespread view that forest-dwelling people 99 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:01,120 should live in remote locations, 100 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:03,600 cut-off from all signs of civilisation, 101 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:07,560 eating fruits and nuts, and that's far removed from reality. 102 00:09:07,560 --> 00:09:10,200 What these people want is good education, 103 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:12,840 modern amenities and health. 104 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:16,360 And all of that is not available in the remote jungle. 105 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:18,000 People want to live in cities 106 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:20,880 and you're going to see this huge transition, 107 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:25,200 where India is going from 70% of the country being rural 108 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:28,200 to 50% of the country being urban in the next 20 years 109 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:30,480 and this is going to open up land. 110 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,920 And once you move people out, the vegetation comes back, 111 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:37,440 the prey numbers rebound and then tiger numbers come back. 112 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:39,760 So, ecological recovery takes time, 113 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:42,480 but I think nature knows how to heal itself. 114 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:51,840 Relocation may be an extreme solution, 115 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:55,920 but India's tigers are proof that given enough space, 116 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:57,880 predators can bounce back. 117 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:07,200 The greatest tropical forest on Earth is the Amazon. 118 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:10,240 It covers almost half of South America 119 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,800 and is home to more species than anywhere else on the planet. 120 00:10:24,560 --> 00:10:28,760 In the jungles of Venezuela, the canopy's deadliest hunter - 121 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:30,280 the harpy eagle. 122 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:41,120 This is the most powerful bird of prey in the world. 123 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,120 It has a two-metre wing-span, 124 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:51,880 and it hunts silently, on the lookout for monkeys and sloths. 125 00:10:57,680 --> 00:10:59,480 HARPY EAGLE SCREECHES 126 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:06,160 The harpy eagle's territory stretches over 30 square miles. 127 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:10,360 At the heart of it, the nest, with a very hungry chick. 128 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:15,520 At two months old, the chick is vulnerable 129 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:17,920 and is fiercely guarded by her mother. 130 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:25,960 Down below on the forest floor, 131 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:28,600 others are also keeping a close watch. 132 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:36,440 Dr Alexander Blanco monitors 20 different pairs of harpy eagles, 133 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:38,800 trying to police this area of forest 134 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:42,080 and keep the nest sites safe from human encroachment. 135 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:49,360 Throughout the harpy eagle's range, across Central and South America, 136 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:52,400 an area of forest the size of Switzerland 137 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,400 is being cut down every year. 138 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:58,080 CHAINSAWS BUZZ 139 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:09,880 Alexander is studying the impacts of this loss on the harpy eagle - 140 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:12,320 and to do that, he must first get himself 141 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,240 35 metres up to the nest in the canopy. 142 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:18,080 HARPY EAGLE CHIRPS 143 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,840 When the chick reaches six months old, before she fledges, 144 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:24,400 Alexander must climb up and bring her down. 145 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:34,240 He'll then fit a small radio transmitter on the chick, 146 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:37,440 so he can keep track of her after she's left the nest. 147 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:42,560 The mother eagle could attack, 148 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:46,160 so Alexander is wearing a stab proof vest. 149 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:49,200 It's dangerous work, 150 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:53,280 but it's driven by a lifelong passion for the harpy eagle. 151 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:11,280 As soon as he reaches the nest, 152 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:15,560 Alexander must secure the harpy eagle's deadliest weapons - 153 00:13:15,560 --> 00:13:17,000 its talons. 154 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,160 HARPY EAGLE SCREECHES 155 00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:47,840 Today, the female is keeping her distance, 156 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:51,160 but Alexander has been attacked several times. 157 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:55,360 OK... 158 00:13:57,200 --> 00:13:59,320 But as Alexander starts his descent, 159 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:01,920 he realises there's a problem with his ropes. 160 00:14:10,680 --> 00:14:14,280 DULL THUD ALEXANDER SCREAMS 161 00:14:16,560 --> 00:14:18,960 AMBULANCE SIREN 162 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:23,520 Amazingly, both Alexander and the eagle survive the fall. 163 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:27,800 But Alexander breaks both his wrist and his leg. 164 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:51,680 Alexander's assistant Don Blas 165 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:54,960 brings the young eagle back to camp, to keep an eye on her. 166 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:20,160 Don Blas attaches the radio as planned. 167 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:22,560 Very little is known about these eagles, 168 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:25,800 so this transmitter will help the scientists understand 169 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:29,120 how they survive in a disappearing forest. 170 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:37,080 Finally, the team return the young eagle to its nest, 171 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:40,360 under the watchful eye of her anxious parents. 172 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:51,360 The adult eagles waste no time bringing in more prey... 173 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:59,760 ..and life at the nest returns to normal. 174 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:14,720 The harpy eagle is now 18 months old. 175 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:17,560 Alexander is returning to study her progress 176 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:19,480 for the first time since his fall. 177 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:44,560 The transmitter on the eagle sends out a radio signal 178 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:47,640 and the scientists can now track her through the forest 179 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:49,280 as she learns to hunt. 180 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:52,760 TRACKING APPARATUS BEEPS 181 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,360 She can now recognise her prey, 182 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:00,760 but she's doesn't expect it to fight back. 183 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:07,640 But Alexander's studies show the monkeys and sloths 184 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:09,760 that form the eagle's main prey 185 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:12,560 are disappearing as the forest is cleared. 186 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:16,680 In the face of this crisis, 187 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:20,440 the harpy eagle has proved to be remarkably resourceful. 188 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:27,320 The eagles are starting to hunt ground-dwelling prey 189 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:28,880 in more broken areas. 190 00:17:48,120 --> 00:17:51,920 There are now less than 50,000 harpy eagles left. 191 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:54,440 At the current rate of deforestation, 192 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:58,040 their numbers will drop by a third in the next 50 years. 193 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:01,760 The only hope is that Alexander's data 194 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:05,120 will persuade governments to protect their habitat, 195 00:18:05,120 --> 00:18:08,480 even if he has to risk his life in the process. 196 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:17,680 Nearly half of the world's land surface 197 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:19,880 is covered by grasslands and deserts 198 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:22,680 and none are richer than the plains of Africa. 199 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:27,280 This vast savanna is home 200 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:31,440 to some of the most celebrated predators on the planet. 201 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:36,000 And the most celebrated of them all is the lion. 202 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,320 The Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania 203 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:48,240 has the highest density of lions on Earth. 204 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:55,920 There are four prides of lions here 205 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:58,960 and they're engaged in a constant war with their human neighbours, 206 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:00,600 the Maasai people. 207 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:13,320 The Maasai rely on their cattle for survival. 208 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:16,560 When the lions attack their livestock, 209 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:19,320 the Maasai retaliate by killing them. 210 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:27,240 This is an ancient conflict between warrior and predator 211 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:29,680 that's been played out for millennia. 212 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:40,160 The human population here has nearly tripled in the last 20 years 213 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:43,520 and the conflict has now reached crisis point. 214 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:52,280 Craig Packer is the world's top lion expert. 215 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:55,080 He and assistant Ingela Jansson 216 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:57,800 are trying to stop the Maasai from killing lions 217 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,440 and allow them to breed in peace. 218 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:04,920 Those animals have to run the gauntlet of Maasai with spears. 219 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:08,560 And so, with that kind of armed guard all the way round the crater, 220 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:11,720 it's very difficult for the males to be able to come into the crater 221 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:14,760 from somewhere else to rejuvenate this population. 222 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,520 Time is running out for the lions of Ngorongoro. 223 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:25,480 Craig has roughly 100 of them 224 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:29,960 and the Maasai are killing an average of ten a year. 225 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:31,720 The one with the scar, MG103 - 226 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:35,480 she had cubs in May and two of hers were lost 227 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:38,200 and I didn't even see what sex they were. 228 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:41,680 Whenever one of our study lions is speared, 229 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:45,680 it's like right, that's just one more nail in the coffin. 230 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:48,920 It's like one more example of why something must be done 231 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:50,360 to address this problem. 232 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:56,920 The only way to solve the conflict here 233 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:00,640 is by brokering peace between these two ancient enemies. 234 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:06,560 Ingela and Craig have employed a team of Maasai scouts 235 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:08,240 from within the community. 236 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:12,280 Their job is to document lion attacks 237 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:14,680 and try and stop people from retaliating. 238 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:20,440 So, I'm asking them "Do you like lions?" 239 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:23,800 And yeah, there was some murmuring "yes" but then she said, 240 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:29,000 "No, I don't like lions", because a lion attacked her son last year. 241 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:31,960 SHE SPEAKS MAASAI DIALECT 242 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:35,400 Oh, he's like 22 years old. 243 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:38,160 He went then to defend their livestock 244 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:41,520 and then he got into a close fight with a lion. 245 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:44,920 After four years of Ingela's incredible dedication 246 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:48,400 to slowly, gradually build trust with people, 247 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:51,760 people are very much are more likely to tell her what's happened. 248 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:54,520 They might even have speared a lion in retaliation. 249 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:57,920 So, she can get a better picture of what really happens here. 250 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:02,120 And therefore, how best to improve circumstances. 251 00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:03,320 TRANSLATION: 252 00:22:17,120 --> 00:22:20,720 Craig, Ingela and their scouts have their work cut out. 253 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:26,040 The war between people and lions has been waged here 254 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:28,560 for over two million years. 255 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:30,400 And there is one deadly tradition 256 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:34,160 that's still widely practised today - 257 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:36,800 the ritual killing of lions. 258 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,440 The team are travelling to a remote settlement 259 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:48,080 on the edge of the Serengeti. 260 00:22:49,360 --> 00:22:52,560 MAASAI SING 261 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:56,240 This is the front line in the conflict with lions. 262 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:03,600 We've come out here today to attend a Maasai wedding 263 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:06,040 in an area that's had a lot of ritual lion killing 264 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:07,920 over the last decade. 265 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:10,960 One of the things that Ingela has learnt in her research 266 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:15,520 is that these hunting parties often assemble at an event like this. 267 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:19,680 So, as you can see, 268 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,800 everybody's getting worked up and that level of excitement... 269 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:26,000 It's like they've got all this energy and all that testosterone ready to go 270 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:30,520 and one of the things they really get excited about doing is going to hunt a lion. 271 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:33,440 Ingela is hoping that the presence of her scouts 272 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:37,680 may be enough to deter the warriors from hunting lions. 273 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:40,440 They know these guys, they're friends, they're relatives 274 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:45,280 and everyone knows here that they work for Lion Conservation, 275 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:50,320 so they kind of know that they can't go hunting if that person is present. 276 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:54,120 Ingela's head scout, Roimen, comes from this area. 277 00:23:54,120 --> 00:23:58,160 He killed two lions by himself in ritual hunts when he was younger, 278 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:01,680 and has the respect of his fellow warriors. 279 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:03,400 ROIMEN SPEAKS MAASAI DIALECT 280 00:24:19,120 --> 00:24:23,600 Today, no-one is going hunting and the lions in this area are safe. 281 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:28,600 But it could take decades to solve the conflict, 282 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:32,560 so Craig is proposing a highly controversial solution - 283 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:37,120 putting up fences to keep people and predators apart. 284 00:24:37,120 --> 00:24:40,800 Our romantic visions of Africa's unspoilt wilderness - 285 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:42,640 that's already out of date. 286 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:45,640 The human population now is already one billion people. 287 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:48,680 It's expected to quadruple by the end of this century. 288 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:53,000 So, it's time to consider erecting fences between people and wildlife. 289 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:55,480 It's time to rethink the basic need 290 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:58,800 for the safety of the people around these parks 291 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:01,240 and the safety of the animals themselves. 292 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:06,720 Craig is calling for fortress conservation - 293 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:11,360 protecting vast areas with hundreds of miles of electric fencing. 294 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:14,720 In South Africa, 295 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:18,000 all the wildlife parks have already been completely fenced in. 296 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:24,840 There are now 1,000 highly protected game reserves here 297 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:28,240 and the number of top carnivores is steadily rising. 298 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:35,280 But for wide-ranging predators like cheetah, 299 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:38,320 being fenced in poses a deadly problem. 300 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:50,640 Cheetahs need vast territories to survive. 301 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:10,840 The world's fastest land animal is mainly solitary 302 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:13,920 and must roam long distances to find a mate. 303 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:20,440 But when they're trapped in behind fences with their own families, 304 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:23,880 in-breeding becomes the biggest threat to their survival. 305 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:34,320 The only way to prevent this is by playing Cupid with cheetahs. 306 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:46,240 Vincent Van Der Merwe from the Endangered Wildlife Trust 307 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:50,400 runs what could be described as a cheetah dating agency. 308 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:51,960 These population are small 309 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:55,480 and inbreeding is a terrible thing, in the long run. 310 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:59,680 So, it's not a natural thing, you know? 311 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:01,480 We'd prefer natural dispersal, 312 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:04,160 natural migration between the populations, 313 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:07,000 but South Africa is a highly-developed country 314 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:09,280 compared to the rest of Africa. 315 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:12,800 And you know, we have to move them artificially. 316 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:25,560 Vincent has come to Dinokeng Game Reserve to remove two males. 317 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:28,120 They're 18 months old 318 00:27:28,120 --> 00:27:30,920 and would normally have left their mother by now. 319 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:34,760 So, these two males are related to the two females 320 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:37,560 and they're reaching sexual maturity now, 321 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:40,680 so there is the possibility that inbreeding will take place. 322 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:45,880 So, it's important that we remove these two males to prevent inbreeding. 323 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:47,320 Before they can be moved, 324 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:51,840 the cheetah must be immobilised by wildlife vet Shaun Beverley. 325 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:53,480 Let's just have a look and see. 326 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:55,600 I just want to check what these two do. 327 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:58,120 Just reverse. 328 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:04,160 Stop here. 329 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:06,720 These animals are very sensitive to drugs 330 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:09,400 and there's a high risk of overdose or injury. 331 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:11,920 OK, I'm going to take it. 332 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:20,760 Just watch the female - she's not happy at all about the vehicle. 333 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:23,760 She's quite intent in protecting her... The young male. 334 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:25,360 CHEETAH HISSES 335 00:28:25,360 --> 00:28:27,200 With an eye out for the angry mother, 336 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:30,600 Shaun carefully removes the first young male. 337 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:33,560 Ready. We're just going to pop him in here. 338 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:38,400 By collecting DNA samples, Vincent creates a profile for each cheetah 339 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:43,320 and matches them up with unrelated females on other fenced reserves. 340 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:46,680 OK, got some blood vials over there. 341 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:51,320 A single population on a small fenced reserve like this 342 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:53,440 is not viable in the long term. 343 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:58,440 But 53 small populations on 53 reserves 344 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:02,680 are viable in the long term, if managed as a single population. 345 00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:06,440 So, we continuously have to move these cheetah 346 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:09,160 between the 53 small fenced reserves 347 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:12,160 to ensure that they remain genetically viable. 348 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:16,280 Just support his neck here. 349 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:19,160 You can put it in as deep as you can 350 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:22,360 and just grab him from the outside and drag him through. 351 00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:24,120 Just give him an antidote. 352 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:31,400 Far more comfortable, once they're awake. 353 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:33,200 CHEETAH HISSES 354 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:34,680 OK, let's go. 355 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:36,280 ENGINE STARTS 356 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:45,720 Vincent has now moved 98 cheetah. 357 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:49,360 But alarmingly, one in five of them have died in the process. 358 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:53,640 It's a terrible price to pay for conservation. 359 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:57,560 A small box, it's a very, very confined space for a cheetah. 360 00:29:57,560 --> 00:29:59,920 We don't like to keep them there too long. 361 00:29:59,920 --> 00:30:02,920 Unfortunately, some of the reserves are really far from each other 362 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:05,960 and we have to move them over a day or two. 363 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:07,640 So, we really fear for them, 364 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:11,840 and we lose a lot of cheetah because of chronic stress. 365 00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:13,280 CHEETAH HISSES 366 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:21,040 The two brothers are travelling 100 miles to their new home, 367 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:25,080 Sable Ranch, where they will stay for the rest of their lives. 368 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:27,160 Plenty of cheetah food over here. 369 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:38,440 These two young cheetah have survived their journey unscathed. 370 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:44,760 They are doing 100%, just a case of opening up now. 371 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:46,280 CHEETAH HISSES 372 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:58,240 Vincent will soon bring in a female, so they can start a family. 373 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:01,760 When their offspring have reached adulthood, 374 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:04,640 they'll need to be moved to another reserve. 375 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:06,480 It's never-ending work. 376 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:14,000 There are now less than 10,000 cheetahs left. 377 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:19,720 South Africa is the only country where the population is growing, 378 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:21,520 thanks to human intervention. 379 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:24,280 But at what cost? 380 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:31,440 Will all of Africa's wildlife end up living on fenced private reserves? 381 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:36,160 I really think that this is going to be the future of conservation, 382 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:39,920 because we're not going to find wide open spaces in Africa any more. 383 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:42,680 There's just too many people, too much development. 384 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:45,560 But we will find small fragments of natural habitat 385 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:47,480 where we can reintroduce cheetah. 386 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:51,200 So this is really a way to increase the range of cheetah, 387 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:52,720 to beef up their numbers, 388 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:56,160 because in the rest of Africa, their numbers are going down. 389 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:11,440 There is at least one place left in Africa 390 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:14,560 where you can still find wide open spaces. 391 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:17,720 Zambia. 392 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:26,880 With over 100,000 square miles of untamed wilderness, 393 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:30,400 Zambia is simply too large to fence in. 394 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:36,960 One hunter needs this vast landscape more than any other 395 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:40,640 and it's the most endangered of all the predators on the plains. 396 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:44,200 The African wild dog. 397 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:54,960 Wild dogs are highly social animals. 398 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:59,000 Before hunting, they carry out a greeting ritual, 399 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,120 reinforcing bonds within the pack. 400 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,800 They also care for their old and injured, 401 00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:11,280 making sure no dog goes hungry or gets left behind. 402 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:16,440 But these greetings are becoming a rarity. 403 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:20,160 Wild dogs have lost over 90% of their former range 404 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:24,280 and there are now just 6,000 remaining in the whole of Africa. 405 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:27,600 Mike Bravo, go ahead. 406 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:31,280 Yeah, we have the hot springs pack just upstream. 407 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:33,640 Copy that, going there right now. 408 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:35,560 It's five o'clock in the morning 409 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:38,360 and a team from the Zambian Carnivore Programme 410 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:41,080 are tracking a pack of wild dogs. 411 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:43,240 Their study animals are getting caught 412 00:33:43,240 --> 00:33:46,880 in the crossfire of a war with illegal poaching 413 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:50,520 and Thandive and Henry are trying to keep watch over them. 414 00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:53,880 It's a huge area and to look for animals like that 415 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:56,640 is like looking for a needle in a haystack 416 00:33:56,640 --> 00:34:00,720 and worse still, these dogs are moving at really high speeds. 417 00:34:00,720 --> 00:34:03,840 They're heading out hunting, huh? 418 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:06,880 They're joined on their search by air support. 419 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:11,560 Team leader Dr Matt Becker is spotting from above, 420 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:15,000 trying to work out which direction the dogs are heading. 421 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:17,880 Tango Mike, Tango Mike, Mike, Bravo. 422 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:20,080 Mike Bravo, go ahead. 423 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:22,000 Yeah, we have the hot springs pack - 424 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:27,920 got a visual, all 15 of them, just upstream from the Kalousie. 425 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:31,880 Copy that, we'll head there right now and try to keep up as best as we can. 426 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:33,240 OK, sounds good. 427 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:39,720 Wild dog territories stretch over 600 square miles. 428 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:43,360 They're constantly on the move, 429 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:46,480 so the scientists track them using radio collars. 430 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:50,760 If you don't follow them on the ground for a couple of days, 431 00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:53,240 you often have no idea where they may be. 432 00:34:53,240 --> 00:34:56,240 So the quickest, easiest thing to do is get up in the air 433 00:34:56,240 --> 00:34:58,520 and pick up the signal from a long ways away, 434 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:03,240 and then, we'll radio those locations to our ground teams, 435 00:35:03,240 --> 00:35:05,520 who will come in with their Land Rovers 436 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:07,160 and follow the dogs on the ground 437 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:10,520 and collect all sorts of critical information on them. 438 00:35:10,520 --> 00:35:12,480 Mike Bravo, I copy that. 439 00:35:13,720 --> 00:35:15,440 Do you have the location right now? 440 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:20,480 Yeah, I've got them. 11 o'clock, moving in now. 441 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:25,800 Oh, that's great. 442 00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:32,920 The team observe the pack hunting almost every day. 443 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:39,920 Once they've selected their target, it's all about teamwork. 444 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:48,160 When they actually encounter wildebeest or other prey, 445 00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:52,120 you'll see them reacting to where the other dogs are running as well. 446 00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:54,320 They are very aware of what's going on 447 00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:56,880 and what their other pack members are doing. 448 00:36:03,440 --> 00:36:05,040 You know, they take down wildebeest 449 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:07,760 that one dog can't possibly do by itself, 450 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:10,640 so through working together and helping each other out, 451 00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:13,480 they're able to take down big animals like that. 452 00:36:23,240 --> 00:36:28,080 No matter how many times I see a wild dog hunt, it's always amazing. 453 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:31,720 The grace and speed of the dogs in a hunt 454 00:36:31,720 --> 00:36:35,680 is something that you can't get with any other species. 455 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:49,360 There's nothing like wild dogs 456 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:53,480 and if we lose them, there will never be anything like them again. 457 00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:01,800 The greatest threat to wild dogs comes from humans. 458 00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:08,920 The dogs are getting caught in snares intended for other animals. 459 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:13,800 Zambia's growing population is creating a huge 460 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:16,960 and increasing demand for commercial bushmeat, 461 00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:20,160 with poachers targeting species like gazelles. 462 00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:24,080 But snares are indiscriminate 463 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:27,280 and thousands of other animals are caught by accident. 464 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:34,640 With the dogs in constant danger, 465 00:37:34,640 --> 00:37:38,320 the team keeps an eye on them, in case they get caught in snares. 466 00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:44,680 To follow the dogs, they need to collar only one animal, 467 00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:47,080 as they normally stick together as a pack. 468 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:50,480 WILD DOG YELPS 469 00:37:53,040 --> 00:37:57,040 Once the dog is safely down, the team can slowly move in. 470 00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:04,720 A lot of them are getting snared. 471 00:38:04,720 --> 00:38:07,200 And so, these radio collars enable us to get an animal, 472 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:09,600 find it and de-snare it. 473 00:38:09,600 --> 00:38:12,080 So, this collar may save this dog's life, 474 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:15,520 it may save its brothers and sisters and other pack members. 475 00:38:16,720 --> 00:38:20,800 So, once the pack member is down, the other dogs will stay in the area. 476 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:23,280 As you can see, some in the background - 477 00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:26,720 so that makes it easier for the immobilised dog to join the group 478 00:38:26,720 --> 00:38:28,200 after the drugs wear off. 479 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:34,840 When he comes round, the young male is unsteady on his feet, 480 00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:37,640 but he soon catches up with the rest of the pack. 481 00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:44,240 I think the best sight of the whole darting 482 00:38:44,240 --> 00:38:47,160 is when the dog gets up and rejoins the pack. 483 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:51,040 It doesn't get any better than that. 484 00:38:56,960 --> 00:39:00,920 The team are searching for a pair of females that they're worried about. 485 00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:05,400 It's not unusual for females to leave the pack 486 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:07,240 to look for new males, 487 00:39:07,240 --> 00:39:09,920 but these two sisters have run into trouble. 488 00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:15,600 A few weeks ago, we de-snared one of the females - 489 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:17,640 she had a snare around her waist 490 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:21,640 and was actually one of the worst we've ever seen. 491 00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:25,960 If you look very closely, you can also see just where the wire was. 492 00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:30,760 Her sister's also got an injured back leg. 493 00:39:30,760 --> 00:39:33,440 We can't see any open wounds at the moment, 494 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:36,400 but she's clearly not putting any weight on it at all. 495 00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:38,600 And that does not bode well for them, 496 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:41,880 when it comes to hunting, looking for food. 497 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:44,560 Looks like they have not eaten for a while, now. 498 00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:46,080 They look very thin. 499 00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:49,000 I don't think they have a good chance of survival. 500 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:52,800 We will keep monitoring them and see how it goes. 501 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:56,320 It's going to be difficult. We might just end up picking up 502 00:39:56,320 --> 00:39:59,600 two empty collars in the next few weeks. 503 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:02,800 Sadly, the snared female doesn't make it 504 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:05,080 and is found dead a month later, 505 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:08,240 but her sister manages to join another pack. 506 00:40:10,280 --> 00:40:13,640 Matt's team works closely with anti-poaching patrols 507 00:40:13,640 --> 00:40:16,560 from the South Luangwa Conservation Society 508 00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:19,240 and the Zambian Wildlife Authority, 509 00:40:19,240 --> 00:40:23,640 looking for snares and searching vehicles for bushmeat and guns. 510 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:30,200 But as always, the greatest weapon in the war against poaching 511 00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:32,720 is the next generation. 512 00:40:32,720 --> 00:40:34,920 HENRY SPEAKS AFRICAN DIALECT 513 00:40:41,760 --> 00:40:44,640 This is conservation club. 514 00:40:44,640 --> 00:40:48,200 Every week, Thandi and Henry take children on safari, 515 00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:52,360 so they can appreciate wildlife and the opportunities it brings. 516 00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:55,160 How many people have seen wild dogs before? 517 00:40:56,480 --> 00:40:58,360 They hunt in packs of course, 518 00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:01,360 and they prefer to chase the animal down. 519 00:41:01,360 --> 00:41:04,000 Probably the most important aspect of our work 520 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:07,240 is ensuring that the people that are most responsible for conservation 521 00:41:07,240 --> 00:41:11,200 of wild dogs and wild life in general are the Zambians themselves. 522 00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:14,080 Henry and Thandi are fantastic and are continuing 523 00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:17,600 to help kids get engaged in wildlife conservation. 524 00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:20,560 For those of you that have never seen a snare before, 525 00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:22,320 this is what it looks like. 526 00:41:22,320 --> 00:41:24,880 The mechanism is so that it should tighten 527 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:27,600 as the animal struggles to get away. 528 00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:31,720 The best thing that can come out of this is a generation of people 529 00:41:31,720 --> 00:41:33,880 that are interested in wildlife. 530 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:36,000 Regardless of what field they join later on - 531 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:38,680 they could be teachers, or bankers, or whatever - 532 00:41:38,680 --> 00:41:41,320 but just environmentally-minded people. 533 00:41:42,720 --> 00:41:47,840 The animals are important, because they are the sources of income 534 00:41:47,840 --> 00:41:52,440 that can develop our Zambia - our nation. 535 00:41:52,440 --> 00:41:57,280 When I grow up, I just want to teach people about wildlife. 536 00:41:57,280 --> 00:41:59,000 Just like Mr Henry do. 537 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:21,760 Oceans cover over 70% of the planet. 538 00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:27,600 This immense blue wilderness 539 00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:30,960 is home to the largest predator that's ever lived... 540 00:42:37,600 --> 00:42:39,480 ..the blue whale - 541 00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:43,920 up to 30 metres long and weighing 200 tonnes. 542 00:42:59,840 --> 00:43:04,080 Since commercial whaling was banned 30 years ago, 543 00:43:04,080 --> 00:43:06,200 off the coast of California, 544 00:43:06,200 --> 00:43:09,040 its numbers have almost fully recovered. 545 00:43:11,720 --> 00:43:13,920 But they face a new problem. 546 00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:20,400 Here, blue whales are feeding on krill, 547 00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:23,320 in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. 548 00:43:26,520 --> 00:43:31,240 Container ships plough through these waters 24 hours a day, 549 00:43:31,240 --> 00:43:33,960 heading in and out of Los Angeles. 550 00:43:40,040 --> 00:43:43,400 When the bow strikes a whale, it's usually fatal. 551 00:43:46,840 --> 00:43:50,240 Some scientists have suggested that this could be one reason 552 00:43:50,240 --> 00:43:53,320 why the blue whale population here is not increasing. 553 00:43:56,320 --> 00:44:00,000 But proving it requires very challenging research. 554 00:44:02,960 --> 00:44:06,000 So, we'll go through the area where we've had the sightings 555 00:44:06,000 --> 00:44:08,640 and it looks like both those whales moved last night 556 00:44:08,640 --> 00:44:11,160 to the shipping lanes, right in that zone... 557 00:44:11,160 --> 00:44:14,120 On the MS Shearwater in LA harbour, 558 00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:18,800 a team of marine biologists are heading out to hunt for blue whales. 559 00:44:18,800 --> 00:44:22,960 Their mission is to investigate the impacts of ship strike. 560 00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:34,160 I think we'll have a chance at this angle - 561 00:44:34,160 --> 00:44:35,800 it looks like he's back into 562 00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:38,160 a little bit more of a travelling mode. 563 00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:41,120 John Calambokidis from Cascadia Research 564 00:44:41,120 --> 00:44:44,080 is the world's top expert on blue whales 565 00:44:44,080 --> 00:44:47,960 and has been studying them for 29 years. 566 00:44:47,960 --> 00:44:51,400 I first became aware of the ship strike issue in 2007, 567 00:44:51,400 --> 00:44:54,520 when we had at least four blue whales that were struck 568 00:44:54,520 --> 00:44:58,640 and killed by ships just in Southern California in a few months' period. 569 00:45:11,560 --> 00:45:14,080 The port of Los Angeles Long Beach 570 00:45:14,080 --> 00:45:17,320 is the largest shipping complex in the United States. 571 00:45:18,400 --> 00:45:23,120 Container traffic here has increased ten-fold in the last 30 years. 572 00:45:26,080 --> 00:45:28,200 This spot right here probably has 573 00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:30,680 some of the densest concentration of ships 574 00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:34,480 that will funnel through here, coming into Los Angeles Long Beach. 575 00:45:34,480 --> 00:45:37,040 This also, right here, is a canyon 576 00:45:37,040 --> 00:45:40,920 that has quite a bit of krill for blue whales to feed on. 577 00:45:40,920 --> 00:45:43,400 And we've often got concentrations of blue whales 578 00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:45,080 right in this same area. 579 00:45:51,520 --> 00:45:53,440 John is tagging a number of whales 580 00:45:53,440 --> 00:45:55,720 to see how they respond to the ships. 581 00:45:56,840 --> 00:46:00,480 Right now, we have a whale that's in the shipping lane, 582 00:46:00,480 --> 00:46:02,560 so we're going to try to take this opportunity 583 00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:04,240 to put a tag on this whale, 584 00:46:04,240 --> 00:46:08,400 monitor both what it's doing and get the reaction of the whale. 585 00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:20,400 Deploying a suction cup tag requires precision timing. 586 00:46:21,960 --> 00:46:25,360 This first critical point, till you figure out what a whale's doing, 587 00:46:25,360 --> 00:46:26,800 it's very easy to lose it. 588 00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:30,760 Right now, there's a little bit of pressure. 589 00:46:35,000 --> 00:46:37,080 He may come up again here. 590 00:46:37,080 --> 00:46:38,560 Yep, here he comes. 591 00:46:43,400 --> 00:46:45,040 All right! Let's go. 592 00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:50,280 Coming up. 593 00:46:57,480 --> 00:46:58,960 OK, nice job there. 594 00:47:01,720 --> 00:47:04,040 So, that's attached with a suction cup. 595 00:47:04,040 --> 00:47:05,320 We hope it will stay on 596 00:47:05,320 --> 00:47:08,000 for something of the order of a few hours. 597 00:47:11,400 --> 00:47:15,000 These modern day whalers with hi-tech harpoons 598 00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:18,840 are hunting for new information about the whales' behaviour 599 00:47:18,840 --> 00:47:22,040 and why they don't simply swim out of harm's way. 600 00:47:23,600 --> 00:47:27,440 Blue whales don't seem to respond very strongly to the ship presence. 601 00:47:27,440 --> 00:47:29,280 You think about a long ship, 602 00:47:29,280 --> 00:47:31,880 the engine of that ship that's generating the noise 603 00:47:31,880 --> 00:47:34,720 and the propeller are all the way at the far end. 604 00:47:34,720 --> 00:47:36,920 What might be of danger to the blue whale 605 00:47:36,920 --> 00:47:39,000 might be 300 metres in front of that. 606 00:47:44,520 --> 00:47:49,080 The tags reveal how much time the whales spend in the shipping lanes, 607 00:47:49,080 --> 00:47:50,520 especially at night. 608 00:47:52,200 --> 00:47:54,120 The first thing that's rather surprising 609 00:47:54,120 --> 00:47:56,880 is that the whale crosses the shipping lanes twice. 610 00:47:56,880 --> 00:47:59,040 And we see that the blue whales are spending 611 00:47:59,040 --> 00:48:01,760 about twice as much of their time at night near the surface, 612 00:48:01,760 --> 00:48:04,560 where they will be vulnerable to being struck by a ship, 613 00:48:04,560 --> 00:48:06,000 compared to the day time. 614 00:48:08,120 --> 00:48:10,560 John is now working with the authorities 615 00:48:10,560 --> 00:48:14,600 to try to divert the shipping lanes and slow the vessels down. 616 00:48:18,240 --> 00:48:21,560 All sides are keen to find a solution 617 00:48:21,560 --> 00:48:24,640 and allow the whales to feed in peace. 618 00:48:40,720 --> 00:48:43,800 The polar regions are the least-inhabited 619 00:48:43,800 --> 00:48:46,880 and the most remote wildernesses on Earth. 620 00:48:49,080 --> 00:48:53,080 Here in the Arctic, the top predator is the polar bear. 621 00:48:55,880 --> 00:48:59,680 Over almost half a million years, these bears have adapted to 622 00:48:59,680 --> 00:49:03,080 the Arctic's dramatic annual changes of season. 623 00:49:08,840 --> 00:49:12,520 They're the only predators to hunt on sea ice 624 00:49:12,520 --> 00:49:15,680 and they rely on it for almost all of their prey. 625 00:49:28,960 --> 00:49:33,640 But due to changes in the global climate, the ice is getting thinner. 626 00:49:36,520 --> 00:49:39,560 And their season for hunting is getting shorter. 627 00:49:46,200 --> 00:49:49,440 To prove this is happening, you need hard evidence. 628 00:49:49,440 --> 00:49:51,560 And there's one team of scientists 629 00:49:51,560 --> 00:49:55,280 who've been collecting that evidence for the last 30 years. 630 00:49:59,920 --> 00:50:01,320 What is that? 631 00:50:01,320 --> 00:50:02,720 It might be a swan. 632 00:50:02,720 --> 00:50:04,920 - Oh, just this side of the ridge? - Yeah. 633 00:50:04,920 --> 00:50:07,560 In West Hudson Bay in Northern Canada, 634 00:50:07,560 --> 00:50:09,840 Government biologists are carrying out 635 00:50:09,840 --> 00:50:12,840 the world's longest study on polar bears. 636 00:50:14,040 --> 00:50:16,680 Oh, there's a bear, right below me - holy smokes. 637 00:50:16,680 --> 00:50:19,520 I think if I was going to do this guy, I'd try to get on his left 638 00:50:19,520 --> 00:50:21,800 and just push up onto this ridge here. 639 00:50:21,800 --> 00:50:25,080 If we get him on this ridge, I think we're laughing. 640 00:50:28,280 --> 00:50:31,480 The scientists are like health visitors for bears, 641 00:50:31,480 --> 00:50:34,040 checking the pulse of the local population. 642 00:50:35,280 --> 00:50:39,920 For Dr Evan Richardson, summer is the perfect time to call. 643 00:50:39,920 --> 00:50:42,880 As the bears are resting on land right now, 644 00:50:42,880 --> 00:50:46,680 living off their stored fat reserves, waiting for the sea ice 645 00:50:46,680 --> 00:50:49,320 to come back in the fall, in November and December, 646 00:50:49,320 --> 00:50:51,920 it really gives us a good opportunity 647 00:50:51,920 --> 00:50:54,720 to come and study this particular population of bears. 648 00:50:57,360 --> 00:50:59,720 The bears need to be immobilised 649 00:50:59,720 --> 00:51:02,400 before the biologists can get to work. 650 00:51:02,400 --> 00:51:05,480 I'll just keep pushing him in the direction he's headed now, OK? 651 00:51:05,480 --> 00:51:08,760 Dr Nick Lunn's team has darted over 5,000 bears 652 00:51:08,760 --> 00:51:11,040 since the project first started. 653 00:51:11,040 --> 00:51:13,200 That bear's going into the water. 654 00:51:13,200 --> 00:51:16,720 It's a place they consider safe, they head out to sea. 655 00:51:16,720 --> 00:51:19,800 And we don't want to be darting him in the water, 656 00:51:19,800 --> 00:51:22,960 so we need to move him back out where we can get a safe shot 657 00:51:22,960 --> 00:51:24,920 and have him go down on the land. 658 00:51:32,640 --> 00:51:35,880 Though it's stressful for the individuals in the short-term, 659 00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:40,280 this research could help save the entire species in the long-term. 660 00:51:48,080 --> 00:51:49,560 Once the dart is in, 661 00:51:49,560 --> 00:51:53,360 the crew wait at a safe distance until the bear is down. 662 00:52:02,320 --> 00:52:05,720 They must be extremely cautious when leaving the helicopter. 663 00:52:10,160 --> 00:52:13,240 Working around polar bear country, one always has to be vigilant 664 00:52:13,240 --> 00:52:15,720 and aware that there are other bears around - 665 00:52:15,720 --> 00:52:18,480 they're curious, they're going to come in. 666 00:52:18,480 --> 00:52:23,320 We have firearms, as a protective measure, just in case of an incident. 667 00:52:24,960 --> 00:52:29,920 Let's see if we can reposition him - which might be easier said than done. 668 00:52:29,920 --> 00:52:31,680 The team have to work fast. 669 00:52:32,960 --> 00:52:35,040 Once the anaesthetic wears off, 670 00:52:35,040 --> 00:52:37,800 this bear will quickly become very dangerous. 671 00:52:43,120 --> 00:52:46,560 This bear was first caught back in 2003 672 00:52:46,560 --> 00:52:49,200 and he's got about another ten capture histories. 673 00:52:50,480 --> 00:52:54,880 We collect hair samples, we'll take fat samples, 674 00:52:54,880 --> 00:52:57,360 we'll take a few standard measurements. 675 00:52:57,360 --> 00:53:00,400 Head length - 343. 676 00:53:01,440 --> 00:53:04,880 So now, we're going to get a straight line body length of this bear. 677 00:53:04,880 --> 00:53:06,680 233. 678 00:53:07,720 --> 00:53:11,600 His canines are one. Tooth wear is one. 679 00:53:12,880 --> 00:53:15,680 By updating their health records each year, 680 00:53:15,680 --> 00:53:19,400 the team can keep an eye on this bear's condition. 681 00:53:19,400 --> 00:53:22,520 The number is 016. 682 00:53:22,520 --> 00:53:24,280 Typically, male bears would be 683 00:53:24,280 --> 00:53:26,920 10% larger than this particular individual, 684 00:53:26,920 --> 00:53:29,120 so the bears are actually shorter, 685 00:53:29,120 --> 00:53:32,760 smaller than they used to be in the 1980s and 1990s. 686 00:53:32,760 --> 00:53:36,040 We believe it's probably related to nutritional stress 687 00:53:36,040 --> 00:53:38,800 and the population and reduced access to food. 688 00:53:41,960 --> 00:53:43,640 The bears are going hungry 689 00:53:43,640 --> 00:53:47,600 because the winters here have become warmer and shorter 690 00:53:47,600 --> 00:53:50,040 and the summers longer and hotter. 691 00:53:51,760 --> 00:53:55,840 The bears need to see ice as a platform to hunt their prey, 692 00:53:55,840 --> 00:53:58,280 to travel, they mate out on the sea ice, 693 00:53:58,280 --> 00:54:00,440 but we see sea ice breaking up 694 00:54:00,440 --> 00:54:03,040 around two and a half to three weeks earlier 695 00:54:03,040 --> 00:54:06,400 and forming around two and a half to three weeks later, 696 00:54:06,400 --> 00:54:08,560 so the bears have less time to feed. 697 00:54:08,560 --> 00:54:12,560 They're thinner, they don't have the same amount of fat on their bodies. 698 00:54:12,560 --> 00:54:16,280 We're seeing fewer cubs being produced, declines in cubs' survival, 699 00:54:16,280 --> 00:54:18,800 bears coming ashore in poor condition, 700 00:54:18,800 --> 00:54:22,760 weighing a lot less now than they did 30 years ago. 701 00:54:24,600 --> 00:54:29,040 The scientists can now prove that these bears are, on average, 702 00:54:29,040 --> 00:54:32,840 20% smaller than when their study first started. 703 00:54:32,840 --> 00:54:34,880 If the loss of ice continues, 704 00:54:34,880 --> 00:54:37,960 the polar bear will gradually become extinct. 705 00:54:46,280 --> 00:54:49,000 Climate change is happening fairly rapidly, 706 00:54:49,000 --> 00:54:51,880 so even though these bears are really good at fasting 707 00:54:51,880 --> 00:54:55,920 and living off their body reserves and going long periods without food, 708 00:54:55,920 --> 00:54:58,400 what we're seeing is, we're starting to push these bears 709 00:54:58,400 --> 00:55:00,200 to their physiological limits, 710 00:55:00,200 --> 00:55:02,880 and as they're pushed to the limits of their body reserves, 711 00:55:02,880 --> 00:55:06,040 obviously, that has implications for their survival. 712 00:55:08,000 --> 00:55:10,200 More than any other predator, 713 00:55:10,200 --> 00:55:12,480 the polar bear has evolved to cope 714 00:55:12,480 --> 00:55:16,320 with dramatic changes in the Arctic seasons. 715 00:55:16,320 --> 00:55:19,200 But with the current pace of climate change, 716 00:55:19,200 --> 00:55:22,600 the bears simply cannot adapt fast enough. 717 00:55:24,600 --> 00:55:27,240 If polar bears are to survive, 718 00:55:27,240 --> 00:55:29,600 we will all have to play our part. 719 00:55:39,960 --> 00:55:42,320 DR ULLAS KARANTH: If people do smart things, 720 00:55:42,320 --> 00:55:44,720 like different ways of producing energy, 721 00:55:44,720 --> 00:55:47,440 I think we will have room for large predators 722 00:55:47,440 --> 00:55:50,120 as well as people living really well. 723 00:55:51,200 --> 00:55:54,240 - JOHN CALAMBOKIDIS: - If humans are going to survive on this Earth 724 00:55:54,240 --> 00:55:56,320 and do so in harmony with other species, 725 00:55:56,320 --> 00:55:59,280 we're going to have to find a more sustainable way to live than we do, 726 00:55:59,280 --> 00:56:01,400 and a lot of that is going to have to involve 727 00:56:01,400 --> 00:56:03,000 lower levels of consumption. 728 00:56:03,000 --> 00:56:04,840 We have to accept the fact that 729 00:56:04,840 --> 00:56:07,840 we can't just blindly go on the trajectory we're currently on 730 00:56:07,840 --> 00:56:09,680 and expect things to work out well. 731 00:56:09,680 --> 00:56:11,400 We've got to make changes. 732 00:56:12,880 --> 00:56:15,520 CRAIG PACKER: We need to start thinking about the ways 733 00:56:15,520 --> 00:56:17,000 the whole world can contribute. 734 00:56:17,000 --> 00:56:19,960 These precious animals belong to all of us. 735 00:56:19,960 --> 00:56:21,680 These are a world resource 736 00:56:21,680 --> 00:56:25,240 and the world as a whole should guard these animals against poachers, 737 00:56:25,240 --> 00:56:28,200 habitat loss and protect them into the future. 738 00:56:32,840 --> 00:56:36,760 If we can't save the planet's most charismatic predators, 739 00:56:36,760 --> 00:56:40,120 what hope is there for the rest of the natural world? 740 00:56:42,000 --> 00:56:45,040 Wildlife has the power to recover 741 00:56:45,040 --> 00:56:47,160 and people have the power to change. 742 00:56:48,520 --> 00:56:52,600 What happens next depends on us. 743 00:57:08,040 --> 00:57:12,000 For a free interactive Open University poster, call... 744 00:57:16,040 --> 00:57:17,480 ..or go to... 745 00:57:20,240 --> 00:57:23,040 ..and follow the links to the Open University.