1 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:08,240 'The Serengeti, East Africa, 2 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:12,640 stage to one of the world's most extraordinary natural spectacles. 3 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,360 Each year, 1.3 million wildebeest 4 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:24,120 make an incredible 650km journey 5 00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:27,280 from the vast Serengeti plains in Tanzania 6 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:29,840 to the highlands of Kenya's Maasai Mara 7 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:31,320 and back again. 8 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:39,040 I'm spending a year following them on their epic journey... 9 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,840 ..from the birthing plains 10 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:45,240 to the treacherous river crossings...' 11 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,320 A crocodile! It's got it, it's got it, it's got it. 12 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:51,640 Wow. 13 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,080 '..and the perilous fight for survival.' 14 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:56,400 (LION ROARS) 15 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,560 'I'll get up close with the animals...' 16 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:03,120 Really? Yeah. Really? 17 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:04,800 The male is right next to me. 18 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:08,360 (SIGHS) 19 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:09,640 My heart's still pounding. 20 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:11,920 '..and meet the people...' 21 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:14,440 This is nuts. 22 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,320 '..who are an integral part of this... 23 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,640 ..one of the largest mammal migrations on earth.' 24 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:32,680 'On the first stage of the migration, in February, 25 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:36,840 250,000 wildebeest calves were born 26 00:01:36,960 --> 00:01:39,440 and I began working with Dr Grant Hopcraft, 27 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:42,720 one of the world's leading researchers of wildebeest. 28 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,120 He GPS collared four mothers, 29 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:48,480 so that we could follow them in their hoof prints. 30 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:56,880 But a month in, 31 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,040 and drought left the earth parched. 32 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:04,480 Life struggled for survival.' 33 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:06,520 (FLIES BUZZ) 34 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,760 'The migration, already having trekked 200km, 35 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:13,080 was off-course... 36 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,320 ..as hungry and desperate wildebeest scattered... 37 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:21,200 ..in search of fresh grass.' 38 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:25,280 (BIRDS OF PREY SCREECH) 39 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:29,240 (THUNDER RUMBLES) 40 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:35,760 (RUMBLING CONTINUES) 41 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:47,240 (WILDEBEEST LOW) 42 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:56,040 'At long last, rain has finally arrived... 43 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,560 ..providing much-needed nourishment for the flagging migration. 44 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,000 Young and old can now feast again... 45 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:09,520 ..with grass in plentiful supply.' 46 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:11,560 (WILDEBEEST LOW) 47 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:20,120 'It's now June. 48 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:23,400 The fertile lands have reenergised everyone... 49 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:26,800 ..and the herds are on the move. 50 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,840 I want to know where these lush plains are taking them.' 51 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,360 I can't believe how the landscape's changed 52 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:40,320 in a relatively short amount of time, 53 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:42,600 it's unrecognisable. 54 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:45,560 The grass has shot up to sort of waist height. 55 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:48,320 This was a dustbowl last time I was here. 56 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,440 I mean, it looked like it couldn't sustain any life. 57 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:53,360 You know, what's so exciting this time is 58 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:56,560 it really does feel like a different place, 59 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,360 so it kind of feels like a whole new adventure. 60 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:06,600 'Grant has been monitoring the migration's movements.' 61 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:09,120 Ben! How are you? 62 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:11,520 Very well, thank you. How are you? Very well, thanks. 63 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:12,640 A cup of coffee for you. 64 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,400 So, according to previous data, 65 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:19,800 the wildebeest should, and correct me if I'm wrong, 66 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,320 be roughly around here somewhere. That's right, yeah. 67 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:24,840 That's exactly where they should be. So where are they? 68 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:27,200 Well, it's not a normal year, unfortunately, Ben, 69 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:31,640 and so, what's actually happened is that we've had a division in erm... 70 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:34,360 in the migration, actually, which is really interesting. 71 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:36,520 As in, it's broken up? It's broken up, yeah. 72 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,200 And it's going two very different directions, 73 00:04:39,280 --> 00:04:40,680 one heading northwards 74 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:43,080 and the other one's heading sort of southwest. 75 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:45,840 So no-one's...no-one's west, where they should be. 76 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,640 But first of all, why have they actually split into two, then? 77 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:50,080 Well, good question. 78 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,360 Erm...that, we don't really know, 79 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,680 but all the evidence is suggesting 80 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,360 that this is probably to do with the weather, 81 00:04:57,480 --> 00:04:59,760 it's just become less predictable. Mm-hm. You know? 82 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:02,120 We can see that in the rainfall patterns over time. 83 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:03,680 It's becoming less predictable, 84 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,200 and what's happened is they don't know which way to go. 85 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,320 'We named our four collared wildebeest 86 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:13,320 after famous conservationists. 87 00:05:15,840 --> 00:05:18,600 Rachel and Dian have ventured into the woodlands 88 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:20,080 with the northern herd... 89 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:23,680 ..whilst Jane and Virginia have made the decision 90 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,600 to stick with the southern group in the treeless savannah. 91 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,800 Since their calves were born four months ago, 92 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:37,480 each herd has travelled around 200km, searching for food.' 93 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:39,520 (WILDEBEEST LOW) 94 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:45,240 'The closest group to us is the southern herd, 95 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:47,560 so we head off to search for Jane.' 96 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:51,880 So we've got a location from her this morning... Yep. 97 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:53,320 ..which we downloaded. Yeah. 98 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:54,760 We've plugged that into the GPS 99 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:57,120 and we're asking the GPS to take us there. Mm-hm. 100 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,160 And we're still a few kilometres from her, 6km, 101 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:00,520 but it's out that way, 102 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:02,920 so we're definitely heading in the right direction 103 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:04,760 from her last observation. 104 00:06:04,840 --> 00:06:06,520 'But before we can reach her, 105 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:08,960 another collared animal steps in our path.' 106 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:17,480 Yeah. She's got a collar, so someone else is tracking her. 107 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:19,320 Look how fat she is. 108 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:22,760 She's probably got 20 or 30 kilos of meat inside her. 109 00:06:22,840 --> 00:06:24,120 Possibly wildebeest. 110 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:25,600 I hope to God that's not Jane. 111 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:27,360 (BOTH LAUGH UNEASILY) 112 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:28,920 Wouldn't that be ironic, though, 113 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:31,440 one collared animal eating another collared animal? 114 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,480 Even in this grass that's been pretty heavily grazed, 115 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,040 she's pretty hidden, isn't she? Oh, yeah, completely. 116 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:39,440 In fact, once she goes down, you won't see anything. 117 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:43,440 And we've got vultures circling around. 118 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:46,960 They might have been feasting off whatever the lion left behind. 119 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:49,080 That's right. In fact, I'm pretty much sure 120 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:51,520 that she's eaten probably just in the last few hours, 121 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:53,960 there's going to be a kill around here somewhere, 122 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:56,640 why don't we go and see if we can see what she's been eating? 123 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:02,120 (VULTURES SQUAWK) 124 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,120 And that is obviously not a wildebeest. 125 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:07,800 That's not Jane. Not Jane, phew! That's a zebra. 126 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:08,960 Yeah, it's a zebra. 127 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:10,360 Look at... Those... 128 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:12,880 They're really digging in there, aren't they? 129 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:14,920 (ANIMALS SQUAWK AND CRY) 130 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:21,920 'Out here, hyenas and vultures have a mutually-beneficial relationship. 131 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:26,480 Circling flocks of vultures lead hyenas to a carcass, 132 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,600 while hyenas drive away other potential predators.' 133 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,400 Just look at that one, it's covered in blood. It's unbelievable. 134 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:38,560 They're not particularly delicate, are they? No, they're not at all. 135 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:40,760 They're very greedy eaters, they get right in. 136 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:41,840 But you can see, like, 137 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,680 that one is going almost right inside the ribcage. 138 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:46,120 It's coming in from the anus 139 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,200 and going...climbing inside the body cavity of the zebra. 140 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:01,520 'Vultures eat almost entirely rotting flesh. 141 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:06,640 Their stomach acid is more corrosive than that of other animals, 142 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:10,360 allowing them to happily feed on even diseased carcasses.' 143 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,360 If we go and get samples from this animal, 144 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:16,720 we'll be able to get a little bit more information 145 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:18,120 as to what's actually going on. 146 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:21,640 How is it that that lioness, presumably, if it was that lioness, 147 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:22,960 caught this animal? 148 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:25,240 (ANIMALS CHATTER AND GROWL) 149 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:27,480 Is this fighting between the hyenas? 150 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:29,120 Yeah. 151 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:31,480 I'm assuming you're not going to take a sample now, 152 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:33,480 given all the hyenas and vultures around. 153 00:08:33,560 --> 00:08:35,120 We should probably leave them to it. 154 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:36,560 Well, you know what? 155 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:38,880 These hyenas look full to me. 156 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,600 I reckon we hop out of the vehicle, we start clapping our hands 157 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:44,480 and we try and see if we can shoo them off, 158 00:08:44,560 --> 00:08:45,680 and then we get a sample. 159 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:46,760 I love this royal we. 160 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:48,040 (BOTH LAUGH) 161 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:49,760 You'll get out. No, you. 162 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:51,360 You. (LAUGHS) I'll come with you. 163 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:54,120 You really think that they'll just be scared off, will they? 164 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,240 Go on, you go first. (LAUGHS) 165 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:58,640 (CLAPPING AND SHOOING) (VULTURES SQUAWK) 166 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:06,840 Keep an eye out for lions. Yeah. 167 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:09,040 And the hyenas. (SHOOS) 168 00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:14,320 Look at that, they've taken the whole rear end. Yeah. 169 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:16,040 Ooh! A few flies around here. 170 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:18,000 (FLIES BUZZ) Oh, the smell! 171 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:20,800 So, lion kill, to me. Mm-hm. 172 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:22,080 Hyenas, when they kill, 173 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:24,880 they'll grab the testicles or the udder... Mm-hm. 174 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:27,240 ..and they'll start disembowelling the animal 175 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:28,360 as it's coming down, 176 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:30,840 so you end up with a big blood spot all around. Right. 177 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:33,000 Here we've got just a little blood spot. Yeah. 178 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:35,440 Lions are much more efficient when they kill. 179 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:37,000 (BIRDS CAW AND SCREECH) 180 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,040 'To study the Serengeti's ecology, 181 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:42,560 Grant has to take samples whenever possible.' 182 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:44,840 Pretty gruesome, this, out here. 183 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:47,880 You know, new kill, hyenas all around us... 184 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,920 Do you enjoy this or is this just a part of...? 185 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:55,080 You know, what I do enjoy is, I enjoy the forensic side of it. 186 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:56,200 Whodunit? Mm-hm. 187 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:57,520 It's a bit of a...sort of a... 188 00:09:57,640 --> 00:09:59,440 You become a detective out here. Exactly. 189 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:00,920 It's a murder mystery, isn't it? 190 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:04,280 Somebody's killed this animal. Who did it and why did they do it? 191 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,520 First thing is, we can tell right away that it's a male. Yep. 192 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:10,280 So it's got that canine there? Yes. 193 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:12,280 Looks like a fairly youngish male. 194 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:15,840 What we'd like to have a look at is the femur. Mm-hm. 195 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,360 OK, tell me what you'd like me to do. 196 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:19,920 So I want you to smash it. Yup. 197 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:22,000 And what we're going to try and do is, 198 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:23,760 we're going to get a bit of bone marrow 199 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:25,160 right out of the middle there. 200 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:26,960 OK, this one here? Yeah, that's it. 201 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:28,160 Oh, nice! 202 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:31,880 Wow, that's interesting. Is that the...? 203 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:34,280 OK, we're going to need a bit more back this way. 204 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:36,120 Can you smash that again? Yeah, sure. 205 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:42,040 Yeah, let's see if we can get in there. 206 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:44,240 I'm helping the hyenas here, aren't I? You are. 207 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:46,720 And in fact, the vultures are going to love you for this. 208 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:48,000 Yeah, look at that. 209 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:50,520 The bone marrow is the last resource of fat. Mm-hm. 210 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:51,840 What we should be seeing here 211 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:54,720 is something that looks a bit like, sort of, pale butter. Mm-hm. 212 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:58,320 What we're seeing instead is red erm... 213 00:10:58,400 --> 00:10:59,760 bloody bone marrow. 214 00:10:59,880 --> 00:11:01,320 To me, that's infection. Right. 215 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:02,600 This animal isn't healthy. 216 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:04,960 It's trying to build red blood cells. 217 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:08,840 Erm...and what it's done is that it's sacrificed its fat 218 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:10,160 to make red blood cells. 219 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:14,280 So this animal probably was killed when it wasn't healthy. Right. 220 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:16,640 So the story is becoming more complete now. 221 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:17,800 What we're seeing is that 222 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:19,680 that lion didn't take a healthy animal, 223 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:21,000 it took a sick animal. 224 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:29,440 'As we continue our pursuit for the wildebeest, 225 00:11:29,560 --> 00:11:31,520 the Serengeti's unpredictable weather 226 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:32,920 reveals itself. 227 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:37,480 With daylight fading, 228 00:11:37,560 --> 00:11:39,800 our search for Jane is put on hold... 229 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:44,600 ..but not before we catch our first glimpse of the southern herd.' 230 00:11:44,680 --> 00:11:45,720 I love this. 231 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:47,680 We're sheltering from the rain in the car, 232 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:48,760 but they're loving it. 233 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:50,680 It's just so entertaining to watch them. 234 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:51,760 I mean, you know, 235 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:54,480 I love watching the way they sort of jump and frolic around. 236 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:57,160 Look at the kicking and things like that, you know? 237 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:58,800 'At this time of year, 238 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:02,800 the wildebeest have only one thing on their minds... 239 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:04,600 the annual mating season, 240 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:07,680 also known as the rut, is upon them. 241 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,800 Fresh pastures and rising testosterone levels 242 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,000 are making the bulls a little frisky.' 243 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:16,800 And is this a sort of, 'I'm loving this rain,' 244 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:19,760 or is this the start of this so-called rut? 245 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:22,200 OK, well, there's a couple of things going on here. 246 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:25,440 Definitely, they're starting to prime themselves up for the rut. 247 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:27,880 The rut hasn't started yet, 248 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:29,720 but they're getting primed-up for it. 249 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:31,680 On top of that, they're getting rained on, 250 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:34,120 and rain always induces playful behaviour 251 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:35,400 in almost all animals. 252 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:38,920 But presumably, the rain, 253 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:41,280 that is lasting far longer than it should... Yeah. 254 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:43,480 ..perhaps because they arrived late... Yeah. 255 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:45,440 ..but this is unseasonal again, isn't it? 256 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:46,840 It is a little bit unseasonal. 257 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:49,200 I mean, we're getting rain now in June. 258 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:51,440 And June is typically drying month, 259 00:12:51,560 --> 00:12:53,400 this is the beginning of the dry season, 260 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:55,920 and that's usually when the rut would be happening, 261 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:58,000 so we're just seeing the very start of it. 262 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:19,560 'Daybreak in the Serengeti...' 263 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:22,920 (WILDEBEEST LOW) 264 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:24,840 '..and the southern wildebeest herd 265 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:27,640 is finally starting to get back on course, 266 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:30,280 winding its way to the west of the park. 267 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:34,720 But this is their biggest danger zone... 268 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:39,040 ..it's prime poaching territory. 269 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:51,120 Each year, a vast 80,000 to 120,000 wildebeest 270 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:54,120 are caught in snares or shot with arrows 271 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:56,600 as they're illegally hunted for bushmeat. 272 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:01,480 Many more are injured in the process. 273 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:05,840 Here in the west, 274 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:09,000 where villages back straight onto the Serengeti, 275 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:13,480 a booming population means a huge 95% of homes 276 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:16,640 consider bushmeat their main source of protein. 277 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:27,480 I've come to meet a man who runs a project called COCOBA, 278 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:29,840 which aims to reduce these illegal killings.' 279 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:33,160 Hey, Benny. 280 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:35,000 How are you? Good. Very nice to meet you. 281 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:37,080 How are you? Nice to meet you, too. Likewise. 282 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:39,840 You are welcome to our COCOBA group. Thank you very much. 283 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:43,920 Hello. (SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE) 284 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:46,480 So these are the community members 285 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:51,760 which, actually, in the past, some of them used to be poachers. 286 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:53,920 Really? Yes. 287 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:56,600 Why we focus in this particular area, 288 00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:58,600 in this western part of the Serengeti, 289 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:04,040 because wildebeest have been seriously attacked by poaching. 290 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:06,640 Can...? Only people who mind, 291 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,240 could they put up their hands if they used to be poachers? 292 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:10,640 Could you ask them? Oh, yeah. 293 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:12,680 (SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE) 294 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:21,160 Wow, quite a lot. Yes, there is some poachers. 295 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:23,520 But no longer. They're reformed poachers. Yeah. 296 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:25,920 So tell me about how the community group works, then. 297 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:28,920 OK, so instead of being involved in the poaching, 298 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:30,400 they can access loans 299 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:34,640 and then they can come up with some income-generating activities. 300 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:35,840 Like...? 301 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:38,920 Well, some, they will tell what the business. 302 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:40,160 They are telling? Yeah. 303 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:54,440 Wow! Yeah. Very good. 304 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:59,080 'The group stores the loans in a safe before they're approved, 305 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:02,080 and today, everyone needs to pay in their share.' 306 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:17,160 Each member has his number or her number. 307 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:24,680 One baobab tree, 308 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:27,920 it means 2,500. 309 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:37,440 What's fascinating is that everyone in here trusts one another, then. 310 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:39,920 So there's complete trust within the room... Yeah. 311 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:42,880 ..but maybe, beyond these walls, not so much. Yeah, not so much. 312 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:46,000 But will you thank everyone? Yeah. It's amazing to see this. 313 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:48,040 (MEMBERS CLAP AND SING) 314 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:56,880 That was amazing. 315 00:16:58,080 --> 00:16:59,520 I just wasn't expecting that. 316 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:01,640 Walking into a classroom, very simple, 317 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:03,360 and just to be confronted 318 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:08,160 by a sea of such proud faces. 319 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:12,560 You know, it was moving, it was incredibly inspiring. 320 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:16,360 It's giving them the opportunity to do it for themselves. 321 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:18,960 And the fact they've turned their life around, 322 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:23,000 going from an illegal trade to entrepreneurs, 323 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:24,920 they...it was amazing. 324 00:17:43,360 --> 00:17:46,320 'I return to the southern wildebeest herd. 325 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:48,880 It's been two days since I last saw Grant, 326 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:52,160 and the mating season has well and truly kicked in. 327 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:54,960 All around, bulls are turning their attention 328 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:56,720 to attracting the opposite sex. 329 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:02,400 We've stationed ourselves in the thick of the action.' 330 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:05,240 What happens in the rutting season? 331 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:06,400 How long does it go on for? 332 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:08,080 OK, so, well the rutting season 333 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,160 usually lasts for about two or three weeks. 334 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:12,200 And what's going to happen is, you'll see, 335 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:13,760 like that bull's doing right now, 336 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:15,800 his head's right up and he's looking around 337 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:17,240 and he's trying to find females 338 00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:19,840 and he's going to bring them into his little harem there. 339 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:21,080 And what's going to happen 340 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:23,920 is that every single bull is going to break up this entire herd 341 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:26,760 into just a series of harems of females. 342 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:28,800 (WILDEBEEST LOW) 343 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:36,000 So, you know, over there, 344 00:18:36,120 --> 00:18:37,960 we can already see that male has rounded up 345 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:40,520 half a dozen or so females, 346 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:43,080 is he going to mate with all of them? 347 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:44,560 He's going to try. (LAUGHS) 348 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:46,040 But what's going to happen there 349 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:48,720 is that while he's off getting some more females, 350 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:50,800 somebody's going to come and steal his ones. 351 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:56,000 'Bulls reach their prime between five and ten, 352 00:18:56,120 --> 00:18:59,040 which is when they're strong enough to fight off the competition 353 00:18:59,120 --> 00:19:00,680 and defend their territories. 354 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,640 Whether they're a novice or a veteran, 355 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:11,680 this is when they come to blows.' 356 00:19:14,360 --> 00:19:17,200 So, the males, are they just doing this solidly? 357 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:20,280 They're going to do this solidly. They're not spending time eating. 358 00:19:20,360 --> 00:19:22,320 And in fact, what we actually see is 359 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:24,760 the males' physical condition actually goes down. 360 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:26,920 Cos they're just thinking about sex? 361 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:28,840 They're obsessed by sex. 362 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:30,080 (BOTH LAUGH) 363 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:32,120 (WILDEBEEST LOW) 364 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:37,200 I feel like we're two dirty old men. 365 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:38,280 (LAUGHS) 366 00:19:38,360 --> 00:19:39,640 We're like voyeurs, 367 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:42,520 we've come out to watch wildebeest. 368 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:44,560 (WILDEBEEST SNORT AND LOW) 369 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:48,520 Why are the wildebeest only doing it for three weeks? 370 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,000 Why is this their... their kind of sexy time? 371 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:52,160 Yeah. 372 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:55,000 Wildebeest are really tied to their environment, unlike us. 373 00:19:55,120 --> 00:19:57,920 We're a little bit removed from our environment, 374 00:19:58,000 --> 00:19:59,360 we can breed at any time, 375 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:02,160 wildebeest have to be in synchrony with their environment, 376 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:05,000 and that's because it's expensive, raising a calf. 377 00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:07,080 And the only time you can raise a calf 378 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:09,080 are when the resources are most abundant. 379 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:12,680 So you have to be able to synchronise your calving event 380 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:15,240 with the rainfall patterns happening in the system. 381 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:18,640 Are the females releasing their eggs now? 382 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:19,960 Is this...? That's right. 383 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:22,320 The more females that are becoming fertile, 384 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:24,480 the more bulls are getting cued, 385 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:26,600 and the more bulls that are getting cued, 386 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:28,680 the greater the competition becomes. 387 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:30,560 And eventually, what's going to happen 388 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:32,400 is that everybody gets so exhausted. 389 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:35,360 The bulls almost drop in the dust because they're so tired, 390 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:37,720 at which point, another bull comes straight in, 391 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:40,280 that female's exhausted, she has no more choice anymore, 392 00:20:40,360 --> 00:20:41,720 everybody's mated all at once. 393 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:46,400 'For some unlucky bulls, 394 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:50,800 disabling injuries on the battlefield can ultimately spell their end. 395 00:20:58,120 --> 00:21:02,240 As the males continue to focus their energies on sex and violence, 396 00:21:02,360 --> 00:21:04,600 it's up to the females to carry on nursing 397 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:06,160 their four-month-old calves. 398 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:09,560 They might be nurturing their young, 399 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:12,680 but in between, they'll also be bred again, 400 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,560 ready to give birth in eight months' time. 401 00:21:20,120 --> 00:21:23,480 We focus our attention on tracking down Jane.' 402 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:25,640 Yeah, she's definitely this way. 403 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:27,560 I'm getting quite excited. Yeah. 404 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:30,400 I'm looking forward to seeing Jane again. 405 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:32,880 'Last time I saw five-year-old Jane, 406 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:34,440 she'd given birth 407 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:37,680 and had a GPS collar fitted around her neck.' 408 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:39,360 So given how much grass there is now, 409 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:41,920 are you expecting she's going to be in pretty good shape? 410 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:44,080 Mum has been lactating since we saw her, 411 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:46,840 and lactation is really a difficult time for wildebeest 412 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:49,200 because they've just got to pour out that energy, 413 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:51,560 as much energy as you can produce to give to your calf. 414 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:54,000 And so Mum should be in fairly decent condition. 415 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:56,040 (WILDEBEEST LOW) 416 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:01,880 OK, you have a little look. 417 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,400 Pretty much 12:00 on the nose of the car... Right. 418 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:06,280 ..there's a little group there. 419 00:22:06,360 --> 00:22:07,920 Let's she if she's... Oh, yeah. 420 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:09,520 No, I think that's her. Is it? 421 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:10,720 I think that's her. 422 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:19,320 I can't see, though... I'm looking for her calf. 423 00:22:20,360 --> 00:22:23,280 Would the calf definitely be with her? 424 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:25,360 Could it have tagged onto someone else? No. 425 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:27,320 No, they don't adopt each other's calves. 426 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:32,560 I mean, there are no calves that are unattended anywhere near. 427 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:34,560 This looks like she's lost her calf. 428 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:35,680 I mean, you can see, 429 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:37,760 all the other calves are with their mothers. 430 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:41,560 Is that particularly unusual or is that all part of the...? 431 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:43,120 Losing a calf? Yeah. 432 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:44,880 It's all part of the game. Yeah. Yeah. 433 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,240 I mean, you know, of the calves that are born, 434 00:22:47,360 --> 00:22:51,320 about 30-40% of them die, you know, by this point, you know. 435 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:53,000 It's a shame about her calf. 436 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:54,440 It is a shame about the calf. 437 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:56,080 Maybe it just couldn't keep up. 438 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:00,640 'Wildebeest produce their first calves at three 439 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:03,000 and they'll have around five in their lifetime. 440 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,000 Next year's young will be Jane's third, 441 00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:10,160 and she's already being courted by an excited bull.' 442 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:12,920 Is this a male over here? 443 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:16,440 He seems to be, sort of, showing off a little bit. 444 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:18,520 He's kind of... He's kind of prancing. Yeah. 445 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:21,880 And in fact, he's actually starting to act territorial. 446 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:24,720 You can see he's chasing off all these other males as well. 447 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:31,080 He's getting that rutting... 448 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:33,160 Yeah, a bit more than that grunt, actually. 449 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:34,440 (LAUGHS) That's right. 450 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:36,120 I don't know how to tell you this, 451 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:38,040 but erm...yeah, he's got a big erection. 452 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:40,000 (LAUGHS) I think. Really? 453 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:43,040 I think I've er...seen that before. 454 00:23:43,120 --> 00:23:46,200 Yeah, he does have an erection, yep, 455 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:48,240 so Jane's obviously attractive. 456 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:50,280 (WILDEBEEST LOW) 457 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:54,600 I don't know if he's doing particularly well, though. 458 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:56,720 It looks to me like they've all lost interest, 459 00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:58,600 most of them are heading off to the left. 460 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:01,800 Yeah, they're leaving him. Oh. 461 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:03,640 Nobody's interested in him, yeah. 462 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:04,760 (WILDEBEEST SNORTS) 463 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:07,520 He's looking pretty despondent. 464 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:10,360 Poor guy, it's like the guy that's been rejected in the pub. 465 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:12,080 Yeah. He's gone back to his mates... 466 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:14,280 Yeah, and he's like, 'Oh, no, now, what do I do?' 467 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:16,000 Start again. 'I'll eat some grass.' 468 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:18,000 (BOTH LAUGH) 469 00:24:18,120 --> 00:24:19,840 Get a bag of crisps, that's what I do. 470 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:22,040 Used to do, obviously. (BOTH LAUGH) 471 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:25,960 'As the herd continues their migration towards the west, 472 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:29,760 Jane is swept away in a sea of wildebeest.' 473 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:32,280 Obviously, we're going to keep tracking her. We can. 474 00:24:32,360 --> 00:24:33,680 We'll keep seeing her online, 475 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:35,840 but the next time we should get a visual on her, 476 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:39,560 hopefully, if all goes to plan, north, the Mara? Maasai Mara, yep. 477 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:41,000 She's got to cross - The river. 478 00:24:41,120 --> 00:24:42,920 She's got to cross all those crocodiles, 479 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:44,480 she's got a long trip ahead of her, 480 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:46,880 but that will be, probably, the next time we see her. 481 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:48,520 It's a long, long journey for her. 482 00:24:55,430 --> 00:24:56,470 (BIRDSONG) 483 00:24:56,750 --> 00:24:58,190 'It's the middle of June, 484 00:24:58,270 --> 00:25:00,110 and the southern wildebeest herd 485 00:25:00,230 --> 00:25:02,270 is in the midst of the western corridor. 486 00:25:05,390 --> 00:25:08,790 Here, the biggest threat they face are humans. 487 00:25:12,030 --> 00:25:16,830 This is the 350,000-acre Singita Grumeti Reserve, 488 00:25:16,910 --> 00:25:18,670 which borders the Serengeti. 489 00:25:20,350 --> 00:25:24,790 Created in 1994 to protect the path of the wildebeest migration, 490 00:25:24,910 --> 00:25:27,910 its wildlife was decimated by prolific hunting.' 491 00:25:27,990 --> 00:25:29,950 (ANIMALS CALL) 492 00:25:34,070 --> 00:25:35,670 'In 2002, 493 00:25:35,790 --> 00:25:38,070 a private management company took over 494 00:25:38,150 --> 00:25:41,030 and declared war on poaching. 495 00:25:41,110 --> 00:25:43,030 They've trained the toughest men 496 00:25:43,150 --> 00:25:47,150 and now run one of the most elite anti-poaching teams in the country. 497 00:25:50,470 --> 00:25:53,830 These two men head up their troop.' 498 00:25:53,950 --> 00:25:58,830 So how many security and anti-poaching guys do you have here? 499 00:25:58,950 --> 00:26:03,230 For anti-poaching, I have 102 game scouts, 500 00:26:03,350 --> 00:26:05,990 who do all the anti-poaching activities. 501 00:26:06,110 --> 00:26:09,470 And I'm assuming that they have to be in peak physical form, 502 00:26:09,590 --> 00:26:11,630 these guys are looking pretty impressive. 503 00:26:11,710 --> 00:26:14,550 Absolutely. I mean, I have 143 guys. 504 00:26:14,670 --> 00:26:18,510 These are the quick reaction team that support the game scouts 505 00:26:18,590 --> 00:26:19,830 should there be an incident. 506 00:26:19,950 --> 00:26:21,870 So we train 6:30 every morning with PT 507 00:26:21,990 --> 00:26:24,230 and we do weapons training continually, 508 00:26:24,350 --> 00:26:27,470 so we're always doing something erm...physical, if you like. 509 00:26:27,590 --> 00:26:31,310 Have they come into contact or into conflict with poachers? 510 00:26:31,390 --> 00:26:32,390 Yes, they do. 511 00:26:32,510 --> 00:26:37,190 Sometimes there is one incident in which we lost a game scout 512 00:26:37,270 --> 00:26:39,270 with a poisoned arrow, 513 00:26:39,350 --> 00:26:41,790 so it's happened so many times. 514 00:26:41,870 --> 00:26:45,230 Have you ever hired any ex-poachers? 515 00:26:45,350 --> 00:26:48,790 Yes. Yes, in fact, most of them are ex-poachers. 516 00:26:48,910 --> 00:26:51,750 So they know all the environment, where to find them, 517 00:26:51,870 --> 00:26:56,150 so you can use those skills which they had 518 00:26:56,270 --> 00:26:58,510 during the time when they were poachers 519 00:26:58,630 --> 00:27:02,510 to fight against the poachers themselves. 520 00:27:02,630 --> 00:27:06,710 So how can you ensure that information doesn't leak out? 521 00:27:06,830 --> 00:27:10,150 Yes, I just keep reminding them that they should not do so. 522 00:27:10,230 --> 00:27:11,830 And if they do it 523 00:27:11,950 --> 00:27:14,190 and if we prove that they have done it, 524 00:27:14,270 --> 00:27:15,750 we fire them. 525 00:27:15,830 --> 00:27:17,790 (ELEPHANT BELLOWS) 526 00:27:19,350 --> 00:27:22,750 'Most of the world's illegal ivory comes from Tanzania. 527 00:27:33,070 --> 00:27:36,710 To protect the reserve's recovering elephant population, 528 00:27:36,830 --> 00:27:40,470 12 observation posts are strategically placed 529 00:27:40,550 --> 00:27:42,630 to oversee the entire park. 530 00:27:42,750 --> 00:27:46,350 These are manned 24 hours a day to catch hunters.' 531 00:27:47,470 --> 00:27:49,710 And how many poachers do you think you stop 532 00:27:49,830 --> 00:27:52,550 or do you catch on a weekly basis, for example? 533 00:27:52,630 --> 00:27:56,230 We usually arrest around... 534 00:27:56,310 --> 00:27:59,550 more than 300 of them in a year. 535 00:28:00,670 --> 00:28:03,830 That is an average of one poacher a day. 536 00:28:03,950 --> 00:28:08,270 Is it this small-scale, sort of, bushmeat scenario 537 00:28:08,350 --> 00:28:10,550 or is there a higher level? 538 00:28:10,670 --> 00:28:13,470 I've worked over most countries in East Africa. 539 00:28:13,550 --> 00:28:14,910 It's getting worse, 540 00:28:15,030 --> 00:28:17,070 it's getting more technical, more advanced, 541 00:28:17,190 --> 00:28:19,790 the backers to get this are training their guys properly, 542 00:28:19,910 --> 00:28:21,470 so we've got to counter that threat 543 00:28:21,550 --> 00:28:22,950 by training our guys properly. 544 00:28:23,070 --> 00:28:25,310 And that's really what I'm doing here with these, 545 00:28:25,430 --> 00:28:27,030 taking their training to a next level. 546 00:28:27,150 --> 00:28:29,110 You know, people hunt because they are poor 547 00:28:29,230 --> 00:28:32,710 and they find this as a way of making their lives. 548 00:28:32,830 --> 00:28:36,910 So it will take us a long time to make sure 549 00:28:37,030 --> 00:28:39,070 that the poaching is completely eradicated. 550 00:28:39,190 --> 00:28:40,790 As long as there's poverty... Yeah. 551 00:28:40,870 --> 00:28:42,350 ..there will always be poaching. 552 00:28:42,430 --> 00:28:44,870 There will always be poaching. 553 00:28:45,990 --> 00:28:49,910 '80% of Singita Grumeti's rangers are ex-poachers, 554 00:28:50,030 --> 00:28:54,390 and unlike the bushmeat hunters that target the wildebeest migration, 555 00:28:54,510 --> 00:28:57,590 many here used to work for organised crime syndicates 556 00:28:57,670 --> 00:28:59,870 that export ivory around the world. 557 00:29:03,590 --> 00:29:05,190 Charles was one of them.' 558 00:29:17,110 --> 00:29:20,150 And did you get lots of money from the elephants and the lions? 559 00:29:26,470 --> 00:29:29,550 But we hear that ivory sells for a huge amount of money, 560 00:29:29,670 --> 00:29:32,790 so who got the most money, where did that all go? 561 00:29:48,390 --> 00:29:49,830 How do you kill an elephant? 562 00:30:12,710 --> 00:30:14,190 Does the elephant cry out? 563 00:30:26,150 --> 00:30:27,350 You never felt sad? 564 00:30:42,670 --> 00:30:45,350 And now that you work here as an anti-poacher, 565 00:30:45,470 --> 00:30:50,230 do you have regrets, do you feel...shame, almost, 566 00:30:50,310 --> 00:30:51,910 of the animals that you killed? 567 00:31:07,990 --> 00:31:09,230 It's... 568 00:31:09,310 --> 00:31:12,030 You know, it's so out of my... 569 00:31:12,110 --> 00:31:13,870 realm of comprehension. 570 00:31:13,990 --> 00:31:15,910 You know, I see these beautiful animals, 571 00:31:16,030 --> 00:31:19,190 I travel the world to photograph them, 572 00:31:19,270 --> 00:31:22,230 to take visual memories of them... 573 00:31:22,350 --> 00:31:25,470 so the image of an animal lying on the ground, 574 00:31:25,590 --> 00:31:29,270 crying out in pain, having been shot, 575 00:31:29,350 --> 00:31:31,950 having been caught in a trap, 576 00:31:32,030 --> 00:31:34,230 I can't really go there. 577 00:31:34,310 --> 00:31:36,430 It's too... I kind of... 578 00:31:36,550 --> 00:31:41,110 I get too emotional if I start thinking about the actuality. 579 00:31:41,190 --> 00:31:43,150 (ELEPHANTS BELLOW) 580 00:31:43,270 --> 00:31:46,950 There's two sides of poaching, and I've met one side, 581 00:31:47,030 --> 00:31:48,710 and those are the foot soldiers. 582 00:31:48,830 --> 00:31:51,270 Those are the people on the ground, near to the animals, 583 00:31:51,350 --> 00:31:52,990 who do it because they have to do it. 584 00:31:53,110 --> 00:31:56,870 They're, like, the very bottom rung of the poaching ladder. 585 00:31:56,950 --> 00:31:59,750 The villains are much higher up, 586 00:31:59,870 --> 00:32:02,310 far from, probably, anywhere around here, 587 00:32:02,430 --> 00:32:04,750 probably never even seen an elephant in their lives. 588 00:32:10,630 --> 00:32:13,270 'It's time to bid farewell to the southern herd, 589 00:32:13,390 --> 00:32:16,150 who I've spent all my time with so far, 590 00:32:16,230 --> 00:32:17,670 and head north 591 00:32:17,790 --> 00:32:19,630 in search of the group that's journeying 592 00:32:19,710 --> 00:32:21,030 towards the Kenyan border.' 593 00:32:30,490 --> 00:32:33,210 'As this leg of the migration is coming to an end, 594 00:32:33,330 --> 00:32:37,970 I go in search of the northern herd that includes Rachel and Dian, 595 00:32:38,090 --> 00:32:41,330 as they migrate upwards, towards the Mara River.' 596 00:32:50,850 --> 00:32:52,570 'Within the next two weeks, 597 00:32:52,650 --> 00:32:54,130 the rut will be finished, 598 00:32:54,250 --> 00:32:59,170 and some 300,000 pregnant wildebeest will be continuing their journey. 599 00:33:04,490 --> 00:33:07,730 Migrating alongside the wildebeest, for protection in numbers, 600 00:33:07,850 --> 00:33:11,330 are other herbivores such as zebra and antelope. 601 00:33:12,970 --> 00:33:14,490 And here in the north, 602 00:33:14,610 --> 00:33:17,490 where open woodlands and hills make up the terrain, 603 00:33:17,610 --> 00:33:21,290 an unexpected individual is driving the herd. 604 00:33:23,850 --> 00:33:25,810 Having found the northern half, 605 00:33:25,890 --> 00:33:27,290 I meet up with Grant.' 606 00:33:29,090 --> 00:33:31,610 OK. 607 00:33:31,730 --> 00:33:33,690 A beautiful light now. Yes, isn't it? 608 00:33:33,770 --> 00:33:35,370 Just at sunset. 609 00:33:36,650 --> 00:33:38,050 'It's at this time of day 610 00:33:38,170 --> 00:33:41,250 that wildebeest communication reaches its peak 611 00:33:41,370 --> 00:33:44,930 as thousands begin to call out to each other in synchrony, 612 00:33:45,050 --> 00:33:47,850 a display that's known as the big hum.' 613 00:33:47,930 --> 00:33:49,890 (WILDEBEEST LOW IN UNISON) 614 00:33:55,050 --> 00:33:57,890 What do you think they're saying when they're making this noise? 615 00:33:58,010 --> 00:33:59,970 I'd love to know what it would translate as. 616 00:34:00,050 --> 00:34:01,090 I mean, just the gnus, 617 00:34:01,210 --> 00:34:03,650 it's like they're having dozens of conversations. 618 00:34:03,770 --> 00:34:05,690 (LAUGHS) 'Yes, no, gnu.' 619 00:34:05,810 --> 00:34:07,290 'Gnu, gnu.' Yes. 620 00:34:07,410 --> 00:34:10,970 But when they're actually doing this in unison... 621 00:34:11,090 --> 00:34:13,450 Yeah, so when they're doing it in unison, 622 00:34:13,530 --> 00:34:15,170 when the whole hum is going on, 623 00:34:15,290 --> 00:34:16,970 this is hundreds of males all saying, 624 00:34:17,050 --> 00:34:19,410 'Mine, mine, mine, mine,' 625 00:34:19,530 --> 00:34:21,370 and they're going to be arguing about it. 626 00:34:21,450 --> 00:34:22,850 That's what the rut's all about. 627 00:34:22,970 --> 00:34:25,210 It's these males going, 'Mine, mine, mine, mine,' 628 00:34:25,330 --> 00:34:29,330 and women, the females going, 'No, no, no, no, no.' 629 00:34:29,410 --> 00:34:31,370 (WILDEBEEST LOW IN UNISON) 630 00:34:35,450 --> 00:34:37,650 The hum is all about the rut. 631 00:34:37,770 --> 00:34:40,130 Dick Estes is one of the leading wildebeest experts, 632 00:34:40,210 --> 00:34:41,570 and he's a great friend of mine, 633 00:34:41,690 --> 00:34:44,210 and one of Dick's experiments was to try and see 634 00:34:44,290 --> 00:34:45,610 if he could induce ovulation 635 00:34:45,730 --> 00:34:49,330 just by playing the hum of the males to the females. 636 00:34:49,450 --> 00:34:52,330 And what he found is that there's probably some cues 637 00:34:52,450 --> 00:34:55,170 that these females are increasing their ovulation, 638 00:34:55,290 --> 00:34:58,890 and cueing themselves to a feedback mechanism 639 00:34:58,970 --> 00:35:00,610 between the males and the females. 640 00:35:00,730 --> 00:35:03,290 So the females are sending off pheromones to the males, 641 00:35:03,370 --> 00:35:04,610 the males start humming, 642 00:35:04,730 --> 00:35:06,810 and that brings even more females into oestrus, 643 00:35:06,930 --> 00:35:09,010 so it's sort of a positive feedback cycle. 644 00:35:19,810 --> 00:35:21,250 'As night falls, 645 00:35:21,330 --> 00:35:23,170 we're able to continue filming 646 00:35:23,290 --> 00:35:25,610 with the use of a special infrared camera 647 00:35:25,690 --> 00:35:27,330 and night-vision binoculars.' 648 00:35:30,730 --> 00:35:32,810 (WILDEBEEST LOW IN UNISON) 649 00:35:32,930 --> 00:35:35,010 What's fascinating about this for me is that, 650 00:35:35,130 --> 00:35:37,610 you know, I've been lucky enough to come out to East Africa 651 00:35:37,730 --> 00:35:40,490 a number of times over the years, I've been on safari quite a lot, 652 00:35:40,610 --> 00:35:43,050 but you rarely come out at night like this. 653 00:35:43,170 --> 00:35:45,410 Now, it feels like the whole Serengeti 654 00:35:45,530 --> 00:35:47,370 is alive with wildebeest and that's it. 655 00:35:47,490 --> 00:35:49,290 (LAUGHS) I can't hear any other animals. 656 00:35:49,370 --> 00:35:50,490 No, that's right. 657 00:35:50,610 --> 00:35:52,410 I mean, you can hear, sort of, faint ones, 658 00:35:52,530 --> 00:35:55,010 but really, I mean, suddenly, our acoustics now tell us, 659 00:35:55,130 --> 00:35:57,370 you know, how many animals there really are here, 660 00:35:57,450 --> 00:35:58,450 it replaces our visuals. 661 00:35:58,530 --> 00:35:59,850 And in some sense, 662 00:35:59,970 --> 00:36:02,410 it is a true indicator of what's actually going on here. 663 00:36:02,530 --> 00:36:04,890 I mean, the wildebeest really do rule the Serengeti, 664 00:36:05,010 --> 00:36:07,290 everything is determined by the wildebeest. 665 00:36:07,370 --> 00:36:09,330 (WILDEBEEST LOW IN UNISON) 666 00:36:11,730 --> 00:36:14,330 Wildebeest are rarely seen mating during the day, 667 00:36:14,450 --> 00:36:17,130 this is obviously when all the action happens. 668 00:36:17,210 --> 00:36:18,570 We should see a lot more mating, 669 00:36:18,690 --> 00:36:20,650 but we just don't see it during the day. 670 00:36:20,770 --> 00:36:23,050 It happens, sort of, under the cover of darkness. 671 00:36:24,370 --> 00:36:26,490 When they do mate, it's over in seconds, 672 00:36:26,610 --> 00:36:29,490 and it's sort of a wham, bam, thank you, ma'am, 673 00:36:29,570 --> 00:36:30,770 and off they go. 674 00:36:30,890 --> 00:36:34,250 It's even worse than the worst one-night stand 675 00:36:34,330 --> 00:36:35,610 you could ever imagine. 676 00:36:35,690 --> 00:36:37,330 (LAUGHS) 677 00:36:37,410 --> 00:36:39,610 (THUNDER RUMBLES) 678 00:36:42,170 --> 00:36:44,650 These clouds over here are just incredible, 679 00:36:44,730 --> 00:36:46,050 it's like being in a theatre. 680 00:36:46,170 --> 00:36:49,730 You know, that's directly due north. Mm-hm. 681 00:36:49,850 --> 00:36:51,730 And that's where the rains are happening. 682 00:36:51,850 --> 00:36:53,770 Down in the south, the rains have stopped, 683 00:36:53,890 --> 00:36:56,490 so everybody's trying to head north, towards those clouds. 684 00:36:56,610 --> 00:36:58,530 (THUNDER RUMBLES) (WILDEBEEST LOW) 685 00:37:14,570 --> 00:37:17,530 'The wildebeest herds and our collared females 686 00:37:17,650 --> 00:37:21,210 have travelled 100km on this part of their migration, 687 00:37:21,290 --> 00:37:23,850 but they continue to remain divided. 688 00:37:23,970 --> 00:37:26,450 Both are now heading straight for Kenya 689 00:37:26,530 --> 00:37:28,970 and the perilous Mara River crossing, 690 00:37:29,090 --> 00:37:31,330 the biggest obstacle on their journey. 691 00:37:33,970 --> 00:37:36,970 As droves of wildebeest and other herbivore 692 00:37:37,050 --> 00:37:39,090 follow the rains to the north, 693 00:37:39,210 --> 00:37:42,490 they leave these plains for the last time this year, 694 00:37:42,570 --> 00:37:44,610 blissfully unaware that it's home 695 00:37:44,730 --> 00:37:47,290 to the park's most highly-endangered species. 696 00:37:51,050 --> 00:37:54,810 I hear news that I've been granted unprecedented access 697 00:37:54,890 --> 00:37:57,330 to visit a secret location 698 00:37:57,450 --> 00:38:01,130 where just a small number of these threatened animals roam.' 699 00:38:05,130 --> 00:38:06,610 If you imagine rhinos are probably 700 00:38:06,730 --> 00:38:11,530 one of the most coveted animals in the world, in terms of poachers. 701 00:38:11,650 --> 00:38:16,330 And anyone that has them goes to great lengths 702 00:38:16,450 --> 00:38:19,290 to either protect them with heavy guards 703 00:38:19,370 --> 00:38:22,330 or to keep them in complete secret, 704 00:38:22,450 --> 00:38:24,690 keep them in isolation, away from everyone else. 705 00:38:24,810 --> 00:38:28,130 So the herd that live here in the Serengeti 706 00:38:28,210 --> 00:38:30,810 are kept miles from anywhere 707 00:38:30,930 --> 00:38:33,810 and they're kept in a top-secret location. 708 00:38:33,930 --> 00:38:37,250 And to allow someone like me to come along and film them 709 00:38:37,330 --> 00:38:39,210 is pretty much impossible. 710 00:38:39,330 --> 00:38:42,650 But we've managed to, kind of, get through umpteen loops, 711 00:38:42,730 --> 00:38:44,930 the paperwork, officials, 712 00:38:45,050 --> 00:38:47,010 and we've finally been granted permission, 713 00:38:47,090 --> 00:38:48,330 which is pretty amazing. 714 00:38:48,410 --> 00:38:50,010 'I'm directed to a checkpoint, 715 00:38:50,090 --> 00:38:51,650 where I meet the team of rangers 716 00:38:51,770 --> 00:38:54,010 who are solely responsible for protecting 717 00:38:54,090 --> 00:38:56,250 the park's black rhino population.' 718 00:39:01,450 --> 00:39:04,410 I'm in the Area 51 of the Serengeti. 719 00:39:04,530 --> 00:39:07,170 This is where the rhinos are, somewhere. 720 00:39:07,250 --> 00:39:08,530 I don't know exactly where. 721 00:39:08,650 --> 00:39:11,210 So I don't even know where we're going, to be quite honest. 722 00:39:11,290 --> 00:39:12,890 I've been told to get in this truck. 723 00:39:12,970 --> 00:39:16,370 There's lots of formalities going on 724 00:39:16,450 --> 00:39:19,530 cos this is pretty unique. 725 00:39:41,930 --> 00:39:44,570 'All 25 rhinos in the Serengeti 726 00:39:44,690 --> 00:39:48,130 have GPS trackers implanted into their horn, 727 00:39:48,250 --> 00:39:51,170 enabling the rangers to monitor their every move 728 00:39:51,250 --> 00:39:53,450 to keep them safe from poachers.' 729 00:39:56,770 --> 00:39:58,610 (SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE) 730 00:39:59,730 --> 00:40:01,810 So is he...? Your colleague is speaking to... 731 00:40:01,890 --> 00:40:03,490 other rangers? 732 00:40:07,530 --> 00:40:08,890 And just so I'm clear, 733 00:40:09,010 --> 00:40:12,130 you're a special unit of rangers here. 734 00:40:12,250 --> 00:40:14,170 So you're not like the other park rangers 735 00:40:14,250 --> 00:40:15,970 in the Serengeti, is that right? 736 00:40:31,770 --> 00:40:36,050 So you eat and sleep rhino, your whole life is about rhino. 737 00:40:36,130 --> 00:40:37,170 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 738 00:40:58,810 --> 00:41:00,890 Oh, Mama with her calf, Mama with her calf. 739 00:41:04,810 --> 00:41:06,370 It's just... 740 00:41:06,490 --> 00:41:09,650 The calf is just on the other side of it. 741 00:41:09,770 --> 00:41:11,650 You'll see, it's just coming through now. 742 00:41:20,650 --> 00:41:23,410 I was thinking, at one stage, we might not find them. 743 00:41:23,530 --> 00:41:27,610 And to all intents and purposes, this looks like an English meadow, 744 00:41:27,690 --> 00:41:29,330 just like a summer's day, 745 00:41:29,450 --> 00:41:32,890 so the fact that there's rhino hiding in this grass is amazing 746 00:41:33,010 --> 00:41:35,250 and to find one with its calf is pretty magical. 747 00:41:41,610 --> 00:41:42,850 How old is the calf? 748 00:41:42,930 --> 00:41:45,130 It was born last year, in June. 749 00:41:48,130 --> 00:41:50,650 'The Serengeti has five rhino calves, 750 00:41:50,730 --> 00:41:52,170 and at 30 years old, 751 00:41:52,250 --> 00:41:54,850 Mama has been a mother 15 times.' 752 00:41:55,970 --> 00:41:58,090 Does that make you proud, when you see your rhino? 753 00:41:58,170 --> 00:41:59,210 Very happy. 754 00:41:59,330 --> 00:42:01,130 (CHUCKLES) You see, just look. 755 00:42:06,090 --> 00:42:08,330 'Black rhinos are critically endangered 756 00:42:08,450 --> 00:42:13,210 after a wave of poaching killed 96% of them in the '70s. 757 00:42:14,410 --> 00:42:18,650 Today, just 5,000 survive in the whole of Africa.' 758 00:42:20,050 --> 00:42:21,610 Have you lost any rhino here yet? 759 00:42:26,650 --> 00:42:28,210 Did he just take the horn? 760 00:42:35,450 --> 00:42:37,970 How did it make you feel, though, to lose a rhino? 761 00:42:40,970 --> 00:42:43,330 This one. Yeah? Yeah, because... 762 00:42:48,450 --> 00:42:50,530 Presumably, one of the biggest risks for you 763 00:42:50,650 --> 00:42:53,610 is information leaking out as to where these rhino are. 764 00:42:53,690 --> 00:42:55,210 Is that why this is so secret here? 765 00:42:55,330 --> 00:42:57,930 Because if people leaked the information 766 00:42:58,010 --> 00:43:00,930 of the GPS positions of the rhino, 767 00:43:01,010 --> 00:43:02,490 poachers might be able to come in? 768 00:43:17,930 --> 00:43:19,610 Have you got children? Yeah, yeah. 769 00:43:19,730 --> 00:43:21,650 Have your children ever seen a black rhino? 770 00:43:24,170 --> 00:43:25,610 Would you like her to see one day? 771 00:43:26,450 --> 00:43:27,970 (RHINO CRIES) 772 00:43:40,210 --> 00:43:43,890 These are black rhino, this is a highly endangered species, 773 00:43:44,010 --> 00:43:46,250 and to see the pride on these guys' faces, 774 00:43:46,370 --> 00:43:48,290 you know, they were genuinely disappointed 775 00:43:48,410 --> 00:43:50,650 that we might not have been able to track them. 776 00:43:51,770 --> 00:43:53,210 But to be able to see that, 777 00:43:53,290 --> 00:43:55,090 that's the stuff of memories. 778 00:43:56,490 --> 00:43:58,330 That is a magical experience, thank you. 779 00:44:07,050 --> 00:44:09,850 'Next time, I'm in Kenya. 780 00:44:09,930 --> 00:44:11,450 I'll follow the wildebeest 781 00:44:11,570 --> 00:44:15,010 as they cross the dangerous, crocodile-infested Mara River...' 782 00:44:16,690 --> 00:44:18,810 A crocodile! It's got it, it's got it. 783 00:44:18,890 --> 00:44:21,330 Oh, my God. 784 00:44:21,410 --> 00:44:23,850 '..and witness the migration mass 785 00:44:23,970 --> 00:44:26,010 as it reaches its most northerly point... 786 00:44:27,290 --> 00:44:29,970 ..where elephants stray into bordering villages 787 00:44:30,050 --> 00:44:32,370 with horrific consequences.' 788 00:44:32,450 --> 00:44:34,650 You know, it has to stop. 789 00:44:36,570 --> 00:44:38,490 subtitles by Deluxe