0:00:04 > 0:00:08On Deadly 60, I've had loads of incredible animal encounters.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Here's just one of my many favourites.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20We start our adventure in beautiful South Africa.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Right, that's enough of all that pretty stuff.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27We've got a deadly animal to find.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31And to get close to them, I'm taking to the kayak.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Whay!
0:00:39 > 0:00:40Aah-ha-ha!
0:00:43 > 0:00:47The first animal on my list lives just downstream from here.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49The animals that make it onto my deadly list
0:00:49 > 0:00:53may be deadly in their own world, or could be deadly to humans.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Like these - hippos.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00While I try and find them, have a look at this.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24More people die from hippo attacks in South Africa
0:01:24 > 0:01:26than from any other mammal.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30But someone who lived to tell the tale is Robert.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32So, Robert was saying he was out...
0:01:32 > 0:01:36- It was at night-time, yes? - It was ten past seven.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39- Ten past seven?- Yeah. - Ten past seven at night.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Robert was out here in the fruit plantation -
0:01:41 > 0:01:43these are lemon trees behind us -
0:01:43 > 0:01:46and a hippo just came charging out of the trees,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49- and you...climbed up here?- Yes.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54As you were climbing up the tree,
0:01:54 > 0:01:56- the hippo caught you with its tooth...- Yeah.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00And then it fixed my leg and the tree.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02That was my leg.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05- So, the bite went through your leg and then through the tree?- Yeah.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07- That's where you see this cut here. - Yes, yes.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10That is amazing! Sorry, do you mind if I look?
0:02:10 > 0:02:15'If you're having your tea, you may want to look away now.'
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Well...
0:02:17 > 0:02:19If any of you out there
0:02:19 > 0:02:24have any doubt whatsoever that the hippo can be a lethal creature,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27you don't need to see anything more than this.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Having told you everything I just have about wild hippos,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34you probably think I'm out of my mind
0:02:34 > 0:02:37to be getting this close to one, and you'd be right.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41But Jessica here is a very special hippo indeed.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45She's the only one in the world you could ever get this close to.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Oh, my life! She's coming out the water! Look at this!
0:02:48 > 0:02:53You would probably instantly assume that we're in a zoo or safari park,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55but this is a totally wild river
0:02:55 > 0:02:58and wild hippos pass through here every single day
0:02:58 > 0:03:01and socialise with Jessica here.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Give us a nice big smile, Jess.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09You see those two huge, gargantuan incisor teeth
0:03:09 > 0:03:10at the side of her mouth there.
0:03:10 > 0:03:16They actually slot in to these two lumps on the top of her head here,
0:03:16 > 0:03:19and they really don't serve any purpose for feeding at all.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22They're purely for fighting and for defence.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26And on a male, these can grow to an enormous size.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30I've actually got a couple here.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34If you can imagine those inside Jessica's mouth.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38THAT is a weapon to be truly frightened of.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Jessica was just two days old
0:03:41 > 0:03:46when she was rescued by Tony and Sheila...and their various dogs.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49The river flooded and Jessica was separated from her mother
0:03:49 > 0:03:51and washed up on a bank.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53She's been part of the family ever since.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06Now this is one of the most extraordinary animal encounters
0:04:06 > 0:04:08I've ever had in my life.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10The thing that's surprising...
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Obviously, I've never touched a hippo before,
0:04:13 > 0:04:14but it's the sensation of the skin.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21She keeps snorting at me,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24and because the diet is so heavy in greens,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27believe me, it's a bit pongy!
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Meanwhile, back to my mission. I'm on the hunt for wild hippos -
0:04:34 > 0:04:40some of the most dangerous and unpredictable animals in Africa.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43We've had a report that there are two downstream.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53Our first hippo... just around this corner.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58He's a big 'un. He's spotted us as well.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00HIPPO SNORTS
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Ooh!
0:05:02 > 0:05:03Don't know if you heard that sound
0:05:03 > 0:05:07but that was a very audible threat to us.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14He's gone under the water.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16This is where we've got to be careful
0:05:16 > 0:05:19because we don't know where he's gonna come up again.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24There he is. He's surfaced right in the middle.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28He's looking straight at me.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Don't really want to get any closer than this.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41The thing is, despite him being such an enormous bulk,
0:05:41 > 0:05:43he could be pretty much anywhere here.
0:05:43 > 0:05:44He could pop up right next to me.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48I'd actually rather keep this shallow bit of water
0:05:48 > 0:05:50between the two of us.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55This is quite nerve-wracking.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00It may seem that he's the one that's nervous,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04but actually, there's no doubt who's more at home in this environment.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07It's definitely him.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10That huge breath of air, that's not just him emptying his lungs.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12That was meant to scare me.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16It's starting to get dark now, they'll be getting more active,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19and pretty soon, looking to come out of the water.
0:06:19 > 0:06:20This is THE most dangerous time,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22and I'm certainly not hanging around
0:06:22 > 0:06:25with an animal that could bite my boat in half
0:06:25 > 0:06:27that could be right underneath me.
0:06:27 > 0:06:32'Well, we found our wild hippo, so I'm heading back upstream
0:06:32 > 0:06:34'to where I can get out.'
0:06:34 > 0:06:35Look, he's just there!
0:06:35 > 0:06:38He's come past us!
0:06:38 > 0:06:40I don't believe it!
0:06:40 > 0:06:43He's just sat in the river...
0:06:43 > 0:06:45- That's the other one? - MAN: That's another one.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49'Another hippo's appeared, blocking my exit.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51'When he dives, I can't see anything.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53'I'll need the eyes of the crew.'
0:06:53 > 0:06:56- He's just about 20 metres in front of you.- 20 metres?
0:06:56 > 0:06:58He's just in line with my arm here.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00He's coming.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02PEOPLE SHOUT OUT
0:07:08 > 0:07:12INDISTINCT SHOUTING
0:07:12 > 0:07:14'This is a serious situation.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17'I can't go upstream, I can't go downstream.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19'I'll have to try and find a way out.'
0:07:19 > 0:07:22He's coming right at you!
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Steve, go back the way you came.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27See the reeds in front of you?
0:07:27 > 0:07:30- Yeah?- Follow my arm - he's just in the water...
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- He is?- ..just here. Just here.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37- So, you cannot come down here, OK? - That's fine.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40- There he is.- 'It's as though he knows he's blocking my exit.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42'I can't do anything but sit and wait.'
0:07:45 > 0:07:47They are SO unpredictable.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49You have no idea what they're gonna do next.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55- Turning... - 'I can't wait any longer.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58'He's turned and he's coming for me.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00'Now I've seen a possible exit.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03'It's a shallow stream and not somewhere I want to get stuck.'
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Just be quick.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Go! Go, go, go!
0:08:07 > 0:08:09He's coming towards you, mate.
0:08:09 > 0:08:10FRANTIC SHOUTING
0:08:22 > 0:08:23I tell you what...
0:08:23 > 0:08:28That just shows you, you can never be complacent with wild animals.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32And it also shows why hippos have to be on the Deadly 60.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34HE SIGHS
0:08:34 > 0:08:37That was too close for comfort.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41The hippo has to be on my Deadly 60 list
0:08:41 > 0:08:43because of its huge size,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45its awesome speed
0:08:45 > 0:08:48those lethal teeth and its unpredictable nature.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Just as well I had the team to help me out of a really tight spot.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:09:06 > 0:09:09E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk