0:00:04 > 0:00:08'On Deadly 60 I've had loads of incredible animal encounters.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11'Here's just one of my many favourites.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16'This is Deadly 60...Bites!'
0:00:17 > 0:00:19I'm here in South Africa.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21It's about there.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24I'm surrounded by the Kruger National Park,
0:00:24 > 0:00:25one of the largest in Africa,
0:00:25 > 0:00:28and it's full of animals that are fast and furious,
0:00:28 > 0:00:30and some of them are deadly.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35The deadly animal I'm here to find is the African fish eagle.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38They're master fishermen.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42When a fish eagle hunts, it uses all of its skill and precision
0:00:42 > 0:00:44to hit the water at just the right angle.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Their excellent eyesight pinpoints their prey.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Rather than diving straight down,
0:00:50 > 0:00:51they skim along the surface,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54staying out of the fishes' field of vision
0:00:54 > 0:00:55until the last possible moment.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Then they strike with those lethal talons.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00When fish are scarce,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03they've been known to hunt birds even as big as flamingos,
0:01:03 > 0:01:07and will also take turtles, and even small crocodiles.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11In order to get really close to these incredible creatures,
0:01:11 > 0:01:13I've got a date with a very special fish eagle
0:01:13 > 0:01:14called Bono.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Bono's story is that he was taken from the wild as a chick, illegally.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21But, luckily, he was rescued,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24and he spent his days very happily in a rescue centre near here.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28I can tell you that he is really quite heavy.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30It's quite a strain keeping him on my wrist.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33He's got gigantic breast muscles, like huge pecs,
0:01:33 > 0:01:34which drive those wings,
0:01:34 > 0:01:38and the main weapon is those talons, look at those,
0:01:38 > 0:01:40they are like razor blades.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Actually, feeling that with my finger,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47I can tell you you wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of those.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50He's called Bono because of his wonderful singing voice.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Let's see if we can get him to show it off. Bono...
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Whoo-whoo, whoo! Whoo!
0:01:56 > 0:01:59BONO SQUAWKS
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Look at that.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03The way he throws his head back at the end there
0:02:03 > 0:02:06is to extend the vocal chords, to make the sound even bigger.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10But I'm a little concerned, cos he's looking around...
0:02:10 > 0:02:14at a wild fish eagle, which is circling around us...
0:02:16 > 0:02:20..probably getting all territorial, cos Bono here is in his patch.
0:02:22 > 0:02:23FISH EAGLE SQUAWKING
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Can you hear that?
0:02:26 > 0:02:31This is unbelievable. There's one over there, a wild one...
0:02:31 > 0:02:34and they're having a wee chat.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36What do you reckon to that, Bono?
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Talk about eagle-eyed,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Bono's not paying me any attention,
0:02:45 > 0:02:49he's just looking directly at the other eagle.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52The wild one in the tree is just watching us, very closely,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54from about a hundred metres away.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57African fish eagles have the most extraordinary way
0:02:57 > 0:02:59of fishing and hunting.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01As I've already said, it's so effective,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03they only need to do it for ten minutes a day.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05As Bono's kept in captivity,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08he doesn't get the chance to go out and fish in the wild.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10So they've had him on a bit of a diet for a few days,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12and we're hoping, fingers crossed,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16he'll show us quite what it is that makes this bird so special.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Bono, hey!
0:03:20 > 0:03:22If you've got sharp eyesight,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25you might notice the guys are using a plastic fish to train Bono.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29The idea is, it mimics a fish hanging around near the surface,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33and also means that if Bono gets a hold of it, he won't eat it,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35get full and lose interest.
0:03:41 > 0:03:42With birds in captivity,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45it's a key part of their fitness and development
0:03:45 > 0:03:47to keep them flying and hunting like this.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51It helps build and tone those large muscles needed to fly,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54and literally gives them a chance to spread their wings.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57In the wild, they'd be hunting like this every day.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00For Bono, it's a relatively new experience,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03and he hasn't quite got the hang of it yet.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07While Bono gets his eye in, I have a cunning plan.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10To show you quite how hard that is,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14we've come up with a, well, a kind of scientific experiment.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18With the help of my glamorous assistant, James,
0:04:18 > 0:04:19and another plastic fish,
0:04:19 > 0:04:23I'm going to become a fish eagle for the afternoon.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Aargh!
0:04:25 > 0:04:29All I have to do is copy the fish eagle's grace and coordination,
0:04:29 > 0:04:34its lethal precision timing and accuracy,
0:04:34 > 0:04:38and its awesome, aerodynamic skills.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Well, as you can see,
0:04:46 > 0:04:50I'm about as far away from the grace and elegance of an eagle
0:04:50 > 0:04:52as it's possible to be.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Let's see how the experts do it.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Now Bono's had a few trial runs and got his eye in,
0:04:57 > 0:05:01let's see if he can get those lethal talons working.
0:05:01 > 0:05:02Hey!
0:05:02 > 0:05:05- Hey!- Bono's looking interested now...
0:05:11 > 0:05:12Good boy.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13- Wow!- Stop.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16That is unbelievable.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20He did it!
0:05:20 > 0:05:23And now he's just sat up here in a bush...
0:05:23 > 0:05:26tearing the plastic fish to bits.
0:05:26 > 0:05:27Stop it!
0:05:31 > 0:05:34I don't really envy Mark, now,
0:05:34 > 0:05:39having to convince this huge killing machine to give up its prey.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Mark, that was really quite remarkable.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45He's eyeing up my toes, I don't like that.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47There's not enough meat on those.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51I'm going to try and get him back up on the glove.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55- Good boy.- How about that?!
0:05:55 > 0:05:59- Well done!- That's was awesome, eh? - Wasn't it just? Third time lucky.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Bono, you are an absolute superstar.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06And just to prove it wasn't a fluke...
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Oh! That is extraordinary!
0:06:16 > 0:06:20You can't tell me that's not worthy of getting on the Deadly 60.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23African fish eagles are fast, skilful,
0:06:23 > 0:06:27employing their deadly talons to maximum effect.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30This eagle is a fish's worst enemy,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34earning it a place on my Deadly 60 list.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Chocks away!
0:06:38 > 0:06:41OK, it's got to be worth one last go.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54I got it!
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:07:08 > 0:07:11E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk