0:00:01 > 0:00:04My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06You can call me Steve.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12I'm on a mission to find the Deadly 60 -
0:00:12 > 0:00:17that's 60 deadly creatures from around the world.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21And you're coming with me every step of the way.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31So where are we this week?
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Borneo. Louisiana, USA. India!
0:00:36 > 0:00:40South Africa. And Australia.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43I've travelled the world for my Deadly 60 list.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47From the smallest to the largest,
0:00:47 > 0:00:51all the animals we met are deadly in their own right.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56But this programme is about animals that can be deadly to people.
0:00:58 > 0:01:04First we meet an animal people in South Africa fear the most.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06The hippopotamus.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16More people are killed by hippos here than any other mammal.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20One who lived to tell the tale is Robert.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25If you're having your tea, you might want to look away now.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Wow.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32If any of you out there have any doubt whatsoever
0:01:32 > 0:01:37that the hippo can be a lethal creature, just see this.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41'Robert was out picking fruit when he was charged by a hippo.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46'He tried to escape up a tree, but the hippo caught him.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50'It bit right through his leg and into the tree,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54'which still shows the tooth mark.'
0:01:57 > 0:02:01To get close to them, I'm taking to the kayak.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12'Hippos eat plants, not people, but don't like people on their patch
0:02:12 > 0:02:16'and can be very protective of their young.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19'Two have been sighted downstream.'
0:02:21 > 0:02:24That's our first hippo.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Just around this corner.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32He's big and he's spotted us as well.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Oh.
0:02:35 > 0:02:40I don't know if you heard that, but that was an audible threat to us.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50He's the one that's nervous,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54but actually there's no doubt who's more at home in this environment.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57It's definitely him.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02That huge breath of air was definitely meant to scare me.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06Starting to get dark now. They'll get more active.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10They come out of the water. This is the most dangerous time.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15I'm certainly not hanging around when he could bite my boat in half
0:03:15 > 0:03:18and could be right underneath me.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27Look - he's just there! He's come right past us!
0:03:27 > 0:03:31I don't believe it. He's just sat in the river.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36That's the other one. 'He's come up, blocking my exit.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41'The crew can see him. I can't. They have to be my eyes.'
0:03:41 > 0:03:45- He's in front here... - He's right there.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49Coming right towards you! Steve, go, go, go!
0:03:49 > 0:03:54- I'm coming to the bank, guys. - THEY ALL SHOUT
0:03:54 > 0:03:58'This has now become a very serious situation.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02'I can't go upstream or downstream.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06'I'm going to have to try to find another way out.'
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Go back the way you came!
0:04:08 > 0:04:12- Here in front of you...- Yeah? - Follow my arm.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16'He's turned and he's coming for me again.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18'It's now or never.'
0:04:18 > 0:04:23- Go, go, go!- 'I've seen a possible exit. It's a shallow stream,
0:04:23 > 0:04:28'not somewhere I want to get stuck with an angry hippo.'
0:04:31 > 0:04:33He's coming to the bank, guys!
0:04:33 > 0:04:35You all right?
0:04:40 > 0:04:43I tell you what, that just shows you
0:04:43 > 0:04:47you can never be complacent with wild animals.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51It also shows why hippos have to be on the Deadly 60.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56That was too close for comfort.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59'That was one of our closest calls.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03'Next up is a predator that's been haunting the world's waterways
0:05:03 > 0:05:06'since before the dinosaurs.'
0:05:10 > 0:05:15It's an essential candidate for the Deadly 60. We headed to Australia.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21The saltwater crocodile, also known as the salty.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Now these things really do scare me.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28It's the world's largest crocodile
0:05:28 > 0:05:33and can grow to over six metres and weigh as much as a ton.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38They live in rivers, lakes and even in the sea.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42It's one of the few animals that can hunt, kill
0:05:42 > 0:05:48and eat a human being. If they do attack, they rarely leave survivors.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58Here in the Northern Territories, rivers are full of big crocodiles,
0:05:58 > 0:06:02but local people have learnt how to deal with it.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Every once in a while, though,
0:06:04 > 0:06:09a crocodile associates people with food. That IS a problem.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14'Tonight we're hunting a particular croc
0:06:14 > 0:06:18'that's been taking a bit too much interest in some fishermen.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22'We have to find this crocodile. If we leave it much longer,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26'there could be lethal consequences.
0:06:28 > 0:06:34'After several hours of searching, one ranger thinks we've found it.'
0:06:34 > 0:06:38- Just go to your right. He's mid-stream there.- Yeah.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41He's just in there.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49OK, neutral.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54- Bigger than I thought. - He's a good size!
0:06:56 > 0:06:57Oh, wow!
0:06:59 > 0:07:04- Watch the camera.- 'Good job we've got a metal-hulled boat.'
0:07:05 > 0:07:09- OK, Charlie? - Good job.- That's it.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20'This is a seriously tough creature and we're not doing him any harm,
0:07:20 > 0:07:24'but he is understandably pretty angry.'
0:07:24 > 0:07:26CROC GROWLS
0:07:30 > 0:07:35So this is the problem croc we were hoping to find.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37He has been hanging out near people.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41A croc this size could do a lot of damage.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45I think we'll drag him to the ramp and get him onto dry land,
0:07:45 > 0:07:50then work out a plan of what to do with this monster.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57'A half-ton crocodile that's playing dead takes quite some shifting.'
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Now that he's out the water,
0:08:00 > 0:08:05you can appreciate what makes this such an incredibly powerful animal.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10Look at the size of the tail down next to Mark the cameraman.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14I mean, that is just packed with muscle.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18It really is a terrifying looking creature.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Obviously not a croc in absolute peak condition.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28That's why he's turned from his usual prey of fish
0:08:28 > 0:08:33to kind of picking up scraps and being too close to people.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37It's not much of a leap from there to actually taking a person.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43'The hippo and the croc are giants of the animal world,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47'but you don't have to be big to be dangerous.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51'Australia is home to one of the smallest creatures on our list.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56'Despite it being small, it's one people fear more than anything.'
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Come and get a load of this!
0:09:07 > 0:09:13Tucked in here is one of the most feared spiders in the world.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14And...
0:09:14 > 0:09:19in some other parts of the world this is known as the Black Widow.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21In Australia it's called a Redback.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24I'll see if I can get her out.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27I'll just coax her out onto the web.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Here she comes. There.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34There she is. Let's see if I can light it up with my torch.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Isn't she wonderful?
0:09:38 > 0:09:43It probably looks like this is just an untidy mess of a web,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47in comparison to the beautiful dewdrop-covered ones
0:09:47 > 0:09:49you find in your back garden,
0:09:49 > 0:09:53but actually this is a brilliantly designed way
0:09:53 > 0:09:55of catching insects.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59'It's underneath this messy part of the web
0:09:59 > 0:10:04'that the really clever stuff happens. This maze of trap lines
0:10:04 > 0:10:08'is attached to the ground so when this ant wanders by
0:10:08 > 0:10:13'it trips one of the threads and is catapulted into the air.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21'It's left dangling, helpless.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25'The silken threads of the Redback can catch large trapdoor spiders
0:10:25 > 0:10:30'and even lizards. The victim's struggles cause the line to vibrate,
0:10:30 > 0:10:37'alerting the ever-ready female Redback. She'll haul it up, bite it
0:10:37 > 0:10:39'and paralyse it.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47'The venom, which is designed to immobilise its prey,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50'is also extremely toxic to us.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53'About 600 people a year get bitten.'
0:10:53 > 0:10:58Right. To get a closer look at her, I need to bring her out of the web.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03Being as this is one of the most venomous spiders in the world,
0:11:03 > 0:11:08with a bite dangerous to humans, I'll have to do that carefully.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Right. Come on, lady.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16'I'm just going to use my rope knife to coax her out.'
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Come on.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21There she is. Wow!
0:11:21 > 0:11:25As long as she doesn't feel restrained or restricted,
0:11:25 > 0:11:29you can really... She's very unlikely to bite.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36Right.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43That wonderful red flash down the abdomen gives her her name.
0:11:45 > 0:11:51Their amazing elastic web and a bite which could even do me some damage
0:11:51 > 0:11:56means the Redback spider is definitely on the Deadly 60.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01'50 or 60 years ago, Redbacks did kill people,
0:12:01 > 0:12:06'but if I got bitten now, a dose of anti-venom and I should be OK.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10'Although it would still hurt - a lot.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15'The next group of animals do kill thousands of people every year.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17'They're the snakes.'
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Oh! Perfect!
0:12:19 > 0:12:23'Snakes will only strike us in self-defence
0:12:23 > 0:12:26'and very few are deadly to humans.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31'But on my travels, I met some of the most lethal ones on the planet.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33'Like this Rinkhals in Africa,
0:12:33 > 0:12:37'the Tiger snake in Australia, rattlesnakes in America,
0:12:37 > 0:12:41'the reticulated python in Borneo...' Awesome!
0:12:41 > 0:12:44'..and even our home-grown adder.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49'But one snake kills more people than any other.'
0:12:49 > 0:12:53- Have you got it? - A saw-scale viper.- No!
0:12:53 > 0:12:57'We're in India, home to the saw-scaled viper.'
0:13:05 > 0:13:09- Is that the noise of the scales? - Yes.- Wow, that's fantastic.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13Can you get your boom in so you can listen to that?
0:13:14 > 0:13:17SCUFFING SOUND
0:13:17 > 0:13:22The way it makes that sound and is the saw-scaled viper
0:13:22 > 0:13:27is that all of the scales are running against each other,
0:13:27 > 0:13:31like being drawn against each other, as if you took a comb
0:13:31 > 0:13:35and run your finger down the end of it. That's how it makes the noise.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44It's crazy to think of all the snakes in this area,
0:13:44 > 0:13:50so many are much bigger but, to humans, nothing like as dangerous.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56We're supposed to lose 20,000-50,000 people every year to snake bites.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00- From this one exactly we don't know. - That's absolutely amazing.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06'20,000-50,000. That's like a small town of people
0:14:06 > 0:14:09'being killed every year.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18It's a simple equation. Millions of people are working in the fields.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22'Bare feet plus camouflaged snakes
0:14:22 > 0:14:27'equals all over in as little as 15 minutes.'
0:14:32 > 0:14:34That's just to tell me to go away.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39Being as it's so early in the morning, I think I'll go away.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46'He's tiny, but the saw-scaled viper is the most deadly snake in India
0:14:46 > 0:14:50'and, arguably, in the world.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55'Like the saw-scaled viper, the next killer is packed with venom
0:14:55 > 0:14:58'so I need to tread carefully.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01'I wasn't trying to find one in a disco.
0:15:01 > 0:15:06'This is a fat-tailed scorpion. It's nocturnal and it glows
0:15:06 > 0:15:10'under this blueish ultraviolet light.'
0:15:16 > 0:15:17Oh!
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Ooh!
0:15:23 > 0:15:25OK. Got to hold my nerve here.
0:15:26 > 0:15:31I'm getting pinched, but the pinch is not the problem.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35I can hold him down.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40This is the scorpion I was really hoping to find round here.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Now I'm going to show you why I've been carrying this torch around.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48If I get rid of my normal light, look at that.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Now you'll notice that I haven't got this one on my hand,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57nor am I trying to get it to sting me.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01If it did, well, my trip would certainly be over.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05This is probably one of the most venomous scorpions in Africa.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09The rule of thumb is to look at the size of its pincers
0:16:09 > 0:16:13and if those are big they'll be its primary weapon.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17And if you look and the tail is big and fat,
0:16:17 > 0:16:24the pincers small and thin, this one here has a really nasty punch.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37'Our search has taken us to every corner of the globe -
0:16:37 > 0:16:43'oceans, deserts, mountains and the frozen tundra of Alaska,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47'home to the largest land predator in the world.'
0:16:47 > 0:16:51That is like stepping into a deep freeze!
0:16:51 > 0:16:56'We're here to find the mighty polar bear.'
0:16:56 > 0:17:00There's something out there! A bear!
0:17:00 > 0:17:03No more than 150 metres from shore.
0:17:03 > 0:17:08So exciting. I can just feel my heart start beating.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Out there is our first polar bear.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18'He might look cute and cuddly, but be under no illusion.
0:17:18 > 0:17:23'Life is harsh out here. Anything that moves is a potential meal
0:17:23 > 0:17:25'and that includes me.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32'Temperatures here are cold enough to freeze human flesh solid.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34'Only the toughest survive,
0:17:34 > 0:17:38'but the polar bear is perfectly equipped for these conditions.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42'They can smell a seal from up to 20 miles away.
0:17:42 > 0:17:47'Once located, they can punch clean through ice and snow.
0:17:48 > 0:17:54'It's game over for any animal pursued by this awesome predator.'
0:17:59 > 0:18:01What a magnificent creature.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09'We then headed south to try to find another bear for the list -
0:18:09 > 0:18:12'the iconic grizzly.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18'The grizzly bear is a predator at the top of the food chain.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20'They can eat just about anything,
0:18:20 > 0:18:25'can outrun a racehorse, stand over 10 feet high,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29'and have a sense of smell to put a bloodhound to shame.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31'All we need to do now is find one.'
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Oh, bear! Bear!
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Dead ahead of us.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Look at that.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49He's gone right into the water!
0:18:49 > 0:18:53He's just caught a salmon!
0:18:53 > 0:18:56He just reached in and grabbed a salmon!
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Wow!
0:18:59 > 0:19:05That is the perfect Alaskan wildlife experience.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10Brown bear coming right down to the shoreline to take salmon.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15And even though you can't see him, he's only a couple of metres back.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22'It's a seriously exciting moment, but we still have to be cautious.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27'This bear could get to us in a matter of seconds.'
0:19:29 > 0:19:34He's going back down to the shore. Look, here he comes.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37He's just sussing us out.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Sniffing the air.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46'This bear has a tracking device around its neck.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50'This doesn't mean he's tame, but he has been caught
0:19:50 > 0:19:56'and this collar allows scientists to keep track of his movements.'
0:19:56 > 0:19:58What a privilege.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00There he goes!
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Success?
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Did he catch one? Is he going to emerge with a fish in his mouth?
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Yes! Look at that!
0:20:12 > 0:20:15That's just incredible.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19They are utterly spectacular predators.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25I don't believe it!
0:20:25 > 0:20:30'OK, we're nearly at the end of our killers special.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33'And we've seen some awesome animals.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38'But there's one whose name strikes fear into the hearts of many people
0:20:38 > 0:20:42'and I've come face to face with hundreds of them.'
0:20:42 > 0:20:46This time on Deadly 60, we're in the Bahamas!
0:20:46 > 0:20:51Here! I'm looking for one very special kind of animal -
0:20:52 > 0:20:54sharks.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00'On our trip to the Bahamas, we were mobbed by reef sharks,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05'got a bit too close for comfort to some lemon sharks
0:21:07 > 0:21:13'and then had an encounter with one of the deadliest sharks anywhere -
0:21:13 > 0:21:15'the tiger shark.'
0:21:17 > 0:21:21There's just a few tantalising shapes just out here,
0:21:21 > 0:21:26probably 15 metres behind the boat. I'm sure there's a tiger shark.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29I'll have to get in and look.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31Look! There's loads!
0:21:31 > 0:21:36'Despite their terrible reputation, tiger sharks can be incredibly shy.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41'It's really important that our surface team keep the water baited
0:21:41 > 0:21:45'to keep our mysterious dark shapes near the boat.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57'As we get into the water, the sharks move further away.'
0:22:00 > 0:22:04I reckon that barracuda head could feed me for a week!
0:22:04 > 0:22:09It's the perfect bait to bring tigers in.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14Look! There ARE tigers about! That's just a youngster, though.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19Look at the back. The markings are much clearer at this age.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24Go on, take it. Yes! Yes, look at that!
0:22:24 > 0:22:25Oh, look!
0:22:25 > 0:22:29That's a seriously big tiger coming in.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32I knew it - it's female.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36That must be double the size of the baby.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39I bet that was the big shape we saw.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47We need to move slowly and relax.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52We don't want to scare her off or, worse still, she might go for me
0:22:52 > 0:22:54and not the bait.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Here we go!
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Now we'll see you in action!
0:23:10 > 0:23:12That is awesome!
0:23:12 > 0:23:18The guys up top are ready to pull. I reckon she weighs 0.25 of a ton.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30She's fairly gentle.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35Those teeth could go straight through a turtle's shell.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41She's playing with it like a big puppy dog.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47'That was unbelievable,
0:23:47 > 0:23:53'to get so close to one of the most awesome predators in the ocean.
0:23:55 > 0:24:01'But this wasn't the only tiger on the Deadly 60.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06'Its namesake is found in India and I've come to find one.
0:24:06 > 0:24:11'It wasn't long till I saw the first signs of our striped hero.'
0:24:12 > 0:24:18Those four claw marks there are the scratches of a tiger,
0:24:18 > 0:24:23stood up on its hind legs, sharpening its claws.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28That's pretty high. That's got to be eight feet off the ground.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32But our driver said he's seen them 12 feet off the ground.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37Way higher than I can reach. That is a serious-sized cat.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41'Our driver urges us into the Jeep
0:24:41 > 0:24:46'as he thinks the tiger might cross the road deeper in the forest.'
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Tiger! Tiger!
0:24:54 > 0:24:59We just passed some people who said somebody is watching a tiger.
0:24:59 > 0:25:04So we've hit the gas to get down there as quickly as possible
0:25:04 > 0:25:06and we hope it hasn't gone.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09There - three cars up ahead.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Oh, yes. I see it.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26He's lying still. Oh, wow!
0:25:29 > 0:25:33This isn't quite how I'd hoped to see her, surrounded by trucks,
0:25:33 > 0:25:37but in some ways this is even more special.
0:25:37 > 0:25:42The tiger is really very important to the Indian people.
0:25:42 > 0:25:47There's one sitting right there! That's just so beautiful.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Moving further away into the forest.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56You'd think bright orange, black and white is a lousy colour scheme
0:25:56 > 0:26:00but in amongst these leaves I can barely see her.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Absolutely amazing.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08It's going to cross the road in front of us.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Look at that.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19Just sauntering across the road in front of us.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27She's gone, just like that.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31That an animal that size can just disappear into the undergrowth
0:26:31 > 0:26:35in the blink of an eye... Wow.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37We got one! Fantastic!
0:26:37 > 0:26:39Yes!
0:26:41 > 0:26:45'It's then that we realised there was more than one tiger.
0:26:45 > 0:26:50'Johnny, our cameraman, has moved in for a closer look.'
0:26:53 > 0:26:55SNARLING
0:26:56 > 0:26:58Move, move, move!
0:27:01 > 0:27:05That shows how fast things change with wild animals.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14You really wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that
0:27:14 > 0:27:19at a bad time. That's why the tiger has to make it onto the Deadly 60.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Move, move, move, move!
0:27:28 > 0:27:33Shark! 'Join me next time for more deadly animal encounters.'
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2009
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk