0:00:02 > 0:00:06My name's Steve Backshall. People 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 > 0:00:20You're coming with me every step of the way.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Ow!
0:00:32 > 0:00:37'We've travelled across the world to find animals for my Deadly 60 list.'
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Look, look, look.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42'Most of these animals are armed and dangerous.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46'And that's what this programme is all about - weapons.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51'Claws, jaws,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54'venom and speed.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58'We went to South Africa to meet a monster
0:00:58 > 0:01:01'with the most fearsome weapons of all - teeth.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06'And there's no animal more bristling with terrifying gnashers
0:01:06 > 0:01:08'than the great white shark.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11'As much as six metres long
0:01:11 > 0:01:14'and weighing up to two tonnes,
0:01:14 > 0:01:17'this monster can rip apart seals...
0:01:18 > 0:01:21'..and bite right through turtles.'
0:01:31 > 0:01:35'Despite seriously stormy seas, we managed to get out
0:01:35 > 0:01:38'in search of our great white shark.'
0:01:38 > 0:01:41A shark! Great white shark!
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Wow! Hey!
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Well done, Mark!
0:01:48 > 0:01:50She is big!
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Coming right underneath the boat right now, look at this!
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Mike, come round the other side now!
0:01:56 > 0:02:00- How big do you think, Mark?- A good size. At least three and a half.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04'Great whites can be almost twice as big as this one,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06'but this is still a very big fish.'
0:02:06 > 0:02:10She's come back round. She's here again. Look at that!
0:02:10 > 0:02:13'3.5 metres of sleek killing machine,
0:02:13 > 0:02:15'and using those fearsome teeth,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18'she's ripped right through our bait.'
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Look! She's shredded the rope on the buoy.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Look, just torn to shreds!
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Those teeth have ripped the rope to bits.
0:02:26 > 0:02:31That's all that's left of the giant fish that we had on there as bait.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34She's come back round. She's here again.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38She's going to come up and hit the boat any second.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Oh, yes, right out the water!
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Oh, wow, she's right up next to me! Look at this!
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Unbelievable!
0:02:48 > 0:02:51This is a much smaller shark, a different one.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54It's absolutely death-rolling over the bait.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59I think I must have got a shot on the camera. She came right up close.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Despite all the evidence
0:03:07 > 0:03:12about how little danger sharks actually pose to humans,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16this is still the most feared animal in the world.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Wow!
0:03:19 > 0:03:22'Sharks have rows of teeth that move forward in the jaw
0:03:22 > 0:03:25'as other teeth are lost or broken,
0:03:25 > 0:03:29'so the great white always has a face full of scalpel-sharp teeth.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33'The serrated edge on every tooth helps cut through bone and blubber
0:03:33 > 0:03:35'like a chainsaw through chocolate.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39'The next animal who is armed with deadly teeth
0:03:39 > 0:03:42'is the stuff of nightmares.'
0:03:43 > 0:03:46The sun has just gone down
0:03:46 > 0:03:50and the creatures of the night are out to hunt.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53And I'm sat outside an old, abandoned gold mine
0:03:53 > 0:03:56cos tonight we're on a ghost hunt.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02CRACK OF THUNDER, SCREAMS
0:04:02 > 0:04:07'Our spooky search starts in the depths of a disused goldmine
0:04:07 > 0:04:09'in northern Australia.'
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Oh, this is hideous.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14I hate cockroaches.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23'The animal we're after is a terrifying phantom hunter.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25'It's called the ghost bat.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30'And it's one of the largest carnivorous bats in the world.'
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Kill the light.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36We've just turned our lights out for a second
0:04:36 > 0:04:40to let the bats settle down, so they're not freaked out.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45I'm a little bit less worried about them being freaked out than me.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50This place is Spook Central.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54'We found a small chamber where Damian, our guide,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57'thinks the ghost bats may be roosting.'
0:04:57 > 0:05:01- When you're ready, shine your light up there. Are you ready?- Yeah.
0:05:07 > 0:05:08Whoa!
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Here they come.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Whoa!
0:05:14 > 0:05:16They're absolutely huge.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20'The only way to get a proper look at the ghost bat is to catch one,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24'so Damian took us to a spot where the tunnel narrowed
0:05:24 > 0:05:27'and we might have a chance to net one.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31'Here they come.'
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Got it, got one. Yeah, I got one.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44That is the most remarkable-looking bat I've ever seen.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51We're going to get bombarded by his cousins while we're doing this.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55Quite a lot of bats of this kind of size
0:05:55 > 0:05:59I would expect to be trying to eat through my arm.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02When you're up close to it like this,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05you can see first of all where it gets its name from.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09I mean, he does look like a little phantom.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12I want to show you these teeth
0:06:12 > 0:06:16because they are really mean. Look at those incisors there!
0:06:16 > 0:06:20If I can maybe show you the bottom jaw as well,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23look at those!
0:06:23 > 0:06:27- I can't believe you're not getting bitten when you do that.- I know.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30That is a set of gnashers!
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Teeth like that are what allow this remarkable creature
0:06:34 > 0:06:37to feed not only on insects,
0:06:37 > 0:06:39but on lizards, frogs,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42other bats, birds, small mammals.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45He really is a flying nightmare.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50'Those long, needle-sharp teeth make short work of their prey.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54'And the ghost bat's silent, Ninja-like attack means
0:06:54 > 0:06:58'that if you're a frog or a lizard and you see a ghost bat,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00'it'll already be too late.
0:07:01 > 0:07:06'6,000 miles away, we met another critter with no teeth at all,
0:07:06 > 0:07:11'but with, pound for pound, one of the most powerful jaws on Earth.'
0:07:13 > 0:07:15We're here in Louisiana, USA.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Louisiana is in the heart of the Deep South.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23It's hot, humid and very wet,
0:07:23 > 0:07:28the perfect breeding ground for all sorts of incredible wildlife.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32But our chomping hero is the proud owner
0:07:32 > 0:07:36of one of the world's most fearsome jaws -
0:07:36 > 0:07:38the alligator snapping turtle.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43Most of our snapper's life is spent motionless looking just like a log.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48The clever thing is they get their lunch to come to them.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50On the inside of their open mouth,
0:07:50 > 0:07:54a pink, fleshy growth wriggles like a tantalising worm.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Investigating the bait is the last mistake
0:07:57 > 0:08:01this little fish will ever make.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13'To help find one in the wild,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17'I elicit the help of Mitch who is studying the turtles.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21'We'd put out some net traps,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24'giving us our only chance of seeing a wild one.'
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Oh, wow!
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Yes!
0:08:36 > 0:08:38There's two in there!
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Look at the size of it!
0:08:43 > 0:08:46We actually have three.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48I don't believe it!
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Look at the size of the head on that one!
0:08:55 > 0:08:59I cannot tell you how heavy this is.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05- That is an absolute monster. - Two enormous males.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10'That jaw looks like a medieval weapon of war.'
0:09:11 > 0:09:13As we're moving in to the turtle,
0:09:13 > 0:09:17we're going to keep our hands a lot further away from the head
0:09:17 > 0:09:20than you would expect.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25When it strikes, the head extends forward from the front of the shell.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30Whereas with the small one here, I'd be in danger of losing a finger,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32I think it's pretty safe to say
0:09:32 > 0:09:37that if my hand or even my arm were to get too close to the jaws
0:09:37 > 0:09:40of this big fella, then I'd probably lose it.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Just make sure your right hand doesn't stray from that spot.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46OK...
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- Right...- Good job, man. Good job.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52- You got him.- Whoo-hoo-hoo!
0:09:52 > 0:09:55That is a big turtle.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Probably the largest freshwater turtle in the world.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03But that isn't really what's so impressive about him.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Look at the size of that head!
0:10:05 > 0:10:10It's totally out of proportion to the whole of the rest of the body.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14And most of that is just pure muscle power driving that jaw.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19At the edge of it is... Well, it's incredibly sharp.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22It doesn't have teeth cos it doesn't need them.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26It's almost like a great, big, curved kitchen knife.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28You can see the hooked snout at the end.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33Oh, look at that! You can see I'm really straining to hold him.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36But you can see how far the neck extends.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39And that's how he hunts.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43As soon as a fish gets too close, the head snaps out like that,
0:10:43 > 0:10:48the jaws clamp shut incredibly quickly and the fish is history.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Capable of crushing my arm to pulp,
0:10:53 > 0:10:58the alligator snapping turtle's jaw is a truly deadly weapon.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08There's no doubt that jaws and teeth make for formidable weapons
0:11:08 > 0:11:11when defending or attacking,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14but check out the claws on this sloth bear.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Claws and talons are used by many animals
0:11:18 > 0:11:21for protecting themselves or when out hunting.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24The sloth bear's claws are so strong,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28they can rip through earth baked as hard as concrete.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32And this is Bono, a fish eagle who lives in South Africa.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Look at those. They are like razor blades.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42But some of the most vicious weaponry belongs to insects.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45These are praying mantises and they have barbs all over their arms
0:11:45 > 0:11:49to help them catch and hold their unlucky victim.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56It wields its weapons with such skill
0:11:56 > 0:12:00that the praying mantis has inspired its own style of kung fu.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05One...two, yeah!
0:12:05 > 0:12:10If you were to scale a mantis up to human size,
0:12:10 > 0:12:14it would take on any other Deadly 60 creature.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20They are the perfect insect assassin.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27There's no doubt that the praying mantis has vicious weaponry,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31but they are also masters of disguise.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35It's this combination that makes them such formidable predators.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39After searching for nearly an hour, I've finally found one.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45I'm guessing you still can't see it
0:12:45 > 0:12:48because the camouflage and the colouring is so perfect
0:12:48 > 0:12:51to blend in with these leaves.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55If I get Johnny my cameraman to zoom in here and I get some light in...
0:12:57 > 0:13:00..hopefully, you should see it.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Look at that!
0:13:03 > 0:13:06It's like something out of a monster movie.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Look at those brutal spines!
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Those are the mantis's chief way of catching its prey.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22The forearms are drawn in to the side of the body,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26ready to spring open like a steel trap and catch any insect close by.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31I've caught these in the wild and had them draw blood from my fingers.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36They're that strong. Obviously, if they can draw blood on me,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40then there is no insect that is really a match for the mantis.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49The praying mantis, a master of disguise,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53absolute alien when you look at them close up
0:13:53 > 0:13:57and to a flying insect, the equivalent of a great white shark.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04Believe it or not, some giant mantids will even attack birds.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Now, that's what I call punching above your weight.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14SCREAMS
0:14:16 > 0:14:20'One of the finest Deadly 60 locations is Borneo
0:14:20 > 0:14:24'in South East Asia where we met a namesake of the praying mantis.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29'But this fabulous creature lurks in a deep burrow on the sea bed.'
0:14:33 > 0:14:36I'm approaching very slowly,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39very purposely,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42because what lives in this hole here
0:14:42 > 0:14:46is an animal I've been trying to find for many years.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50'It's called a mantis shrimp.'
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Let's see if we can get it out to play.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00'With only its eyes and antenna on show,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03'the mantis shrimp doesn't look like much, but...'
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Ohh!
0:15:11 > 0:15:13So fast!
0:15:13 > 0:15:19I've heard it said that that strike can be as fast
0:15:19 > 0:15:23and have as much power as a small-calibre bullet.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Wow!
0:15:33 > 0:15:38They come out and catch that shrimp just like a praying mantis would.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42'Tempted out by a tasty piece of prawn,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46'the mantis shrimp's alien shape and hidden bulk is revealed.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50'This one is about the size of my forearm.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57'Much like the praying mantis, our shrimp's extendable arms are barbed
0:15:57 > 0:16:00'and can fire out in the blink of an eye.'
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Ohh!
0:16:21 > 0:16:26The mantis shrimp - absolutely awe-inspiring!
0:16:29 > 0:16:33'Before its prey has even seen the mantis shrimp,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37'he's snapped, trapped and dragged into the darkness.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40'Absolutely awesome!
0:16:41 > 0:16:46'So we've seen how teeth and claws can be used as lethal weapons
0:16:46 > 0:16:50'and have met some critters who can use them with awesome speed,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54'but on our search around the planet, we also met some animals
0:16:54 > 0:16:58'with something special to seal the deal - venom.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03'And perhaps the creepiest venomous critter we met on Deadly 60
0:17:03 > 0:17:08'was deep inside a spooky cave system in Borneo.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12'Not a place for anyone who is scared of heights.'
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Wow!
0:17:19 > 0:17:22What a place!
0:17:28 > 0:17:30Look at that!
0:17:32 > 0:17:36'These majestic caves are home to millions of bats and swiftlets.'
0:17:39 > 0:17:44Up in the roof of the cave with the bats and birds circling around you,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46it's kind of like paradise.
0:17:46 > 0:17:52But all those birds and two million bats create an awful lot of poo.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56'And a lot of poo attracts animals with filthy appetites.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59'Cockroaches.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05'Feeding on the cockroaches are some of the most scary,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09'spine-chilling creatures that we've come across on our travels.'
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Of all of the horrors
0:18:14 > 0:18:18that live in this absolutely nightmarish place,
0:18:18 > 0:18:22down here is perhaps the most frightening.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26And it's the animal that I'm suggesting for the Deadly 60.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Oh!
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Crumbs, I have to say I absolutely hate them!
0:18:33 > 0:18:36There you go. Eugh!
0:18:37 > 0:18:39That one just ran over my hand.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Right, I'll be more gutsy this time.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46This is Scutigera, the long-legged centipede.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50I think there's another one on the other side of the rock as well,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53so I'm being careful about how I handle this.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55It is quite venomous.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59One of the guys living in the area here was bitten by one not long ago
0:18:59 > 0:19:04and spent a week in hospital, so I'm taking care not to get bitten.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06They have, like most centipedes...
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Oh, just ran over my arm!
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Eugh!
0:19:11 > 0:19:14They really are such frightening creatures.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22'There are no creatures better equipped for hunting in the dark.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26'They can grow as long as a man's hand, have a mightily venomous bite
0:19:26 > 0:19:30'and with those long legs, nothing down here can escape them.'
0:19:37 > 0:19:41And nothing that's more guaranteed to give you nightmares.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44So, Scutigera is going on the Deadly 60
0:19:44 > 0:19:47and I'm going somewhere else.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Their powerful venom goes straight to the nervous system of their prey,
0:19:54 > 0:19:58causing intense pain and total physical shutdown.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02The Scutigera's weapons make it a sure shot for the Deadly 60 list.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07'South Africa is home to some of the deadliest snakes on the planet
0:20:07 > 0:20:11'and this is where I came face to face with one - the rinkhals.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15'Not only is this snake highly venomous,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17'but it's also unusually clever.'
0:20:17 > 0:20:19This is a fiery snake.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22You can see he's rearing up towards me.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26Oh, and just flicked venom all down my arm!
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Now, look at that... Oh! Perfect.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37He actually flicked venom straight at me.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39A bit of it went into my mouth.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43You can taste it. It has a rusty taste to it.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47'The venom can't do me any harm unless it gets into my bloodstream.'
0:20:47 > 0:20:49That actually went into my mouth.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53What I'm trying to do is restrain the head,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56so to give it an impression of what would happen
0:20:56 > 0:21:00if an animal was to attack it, what it would do.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04And he just spat straight at the camera.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07I think there are a few flecks of venom
0:21:07 > 0:21:10just on the outside of the lens hood here.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13'This gentle pressure doesn't hurt the snake,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17'but it will help show how cunning it can be.'
0:21:17 > 0:21:19With the head restrained
0:21:19 > 0:21:23and the snake really feeling like it has nowhere to go...
0:21:24 > 0:21:28..the next thing that the rinkhals does...
0:21:29 > 0:21:31..is play dead.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Look at that.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39So this is the rinkhals' last line of defence.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43It's been fast, it's been aggressive, it's spat venom at me
0:21:43 > 0:21:46and now it's just playing dead.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50No motion whatsoever.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54And any animal that won't take dead prey, it's going to leave it alone.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Anything that will and gets too close
0:21:57 > 0:22:01is going to get a nasty surprise and probably a bite.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03That's what I call a clever snake.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12Using not just venom, but sneaky tactics,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15the rinkhals is a snake to be respected.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23Teeth, claws and venom are all very well,
0:22:23 > 0:22:27but they're not much good if you can't get close to your prey.
0:22:27 > 0:22:32To do that, you need speed. These next animals are turbo-charged.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41'One of the fastest in the ocean is the tuna fish
0:22:41 > 0:22:45'which we encountered in the waters off south Australia.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49'The tuna is built for speed. They're incredibly streamlined
0:22:49 > 0:22:52'and can accelerate faster than a Ferrari.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57'My attempt to travel at tuna speed lost me my dignity...'
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Aaagh!
0:22:59 > 0:23:01'And my shorts.'
0:23:02 > 0:23:06He's lost his trunks! LAUGHTER
0:23:06 > 0:23:09'More suitably attired,
0:23:09 > 0:23:12'I went to meet the real masters of speed.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17'Tuna come in many shapes and sizes.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20'These bluefin tuna are about the same size as I am,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23'but the biggest one ever was heavier than a horse.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27'Luckily for me, they eat small fish like sardines.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31'If I was a sardine, I wouldn't even have time to finish this sentence
0:23:31 > 0:23:33'before I was lunch.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39'When tuna corner a shoal of sardines,
0:23:39 > 0:23:43'the result is one of the world's great wildlife spectacles.'
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Yeeeow!
0:24:11 > 0:24:15'Moving fast through water is actually incredibly hard,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18'but these guys make it look easy.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22'The ocean's most streamlined speedster is the tuna fish.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26'The final animal right at the front of the grid
0:24:26 > 0:24:29'is the peregrine falcon.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32'Peregrines are resident British birds
0:24:32 > 0:24:36'found in mountainous, rugged parts of the country
0:24:36 > 0:24:39'and they are the fastest creature that has ever lived.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42'Ever. Full stop.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47'They have been clocked at an incredible 180 miles an hour
0:24:47 > 0:24:50'when they are going into a dive known as a stoop.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53'They hunt all medium-sized birds
0:24:53 > 0:24:58'and there's nothing can out-fly them, even speeding pigeons.'
0:24:59 > 0:25:03A peregrine hunting is one of the most dramatic, explosive,
0:25:03 > 0:25:05dynamic sights in the animal kingdom
0:25:05 > 0:25:10and to demonstrate that, we've come up with a Deadly 60 experiment.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15'As I can't fly, the only way I can pretend to be a peregrine's prey
0:25:15 > 0:25:18'is in this super-fast sports car.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21'All being well, the peregrine will hunt us down.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28'It's time for our peregrine's handler Lloyd
0:25:28 > 0:25:31'to jump in with a lure in his hand and the chase is on.'
0:25:31 > 0:25:35She can see us. The wings are spread.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38- Hey!- There she goes!
0:25:40 > 0:25:42She's heading straight for us.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45We're getting faster, we're up to 30, 40 mph.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49She's right alongside us. I can see her in my mirror.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52- Faster, faster! - Whoa! Right over our heads!
0:25:52 > 0:25:55- Here she comes.- This is unbelievable.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59She's keeping pace with us without even trying.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05Whoa! Big fly-by!
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Right in close. She's up alongside Mark!
0:26:08 > 0:26:11It's incredible. She's a foot away from the camera!
0:26:11 > 0:26:14We're out of space.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Whoa-oa-oa!
0:26:17 > 0:26:21That was so much fun, I think we might have to try it again.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27'We were doing 60 miles an hour
0:26:27 > 0:26:31'and she caught us like we were standing still.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35'That's not surprising. In a stoop, she could easily triple that speed.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40'My hi-tech sports car is totally put to shame by this winged wonder,
0:26:40 > 0:26:42'one of the most beautiful
0:26:42 > 0:26:46'and the most perfectly developed bird I've ever seen.'
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Whoa!
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Nearly took my head off!
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Oh, my life!
0:27:16 > 0:27:19That was too close!
0:27:20 > 0:27:24I've just had a quick look at what it must feel like to be a pigeon
0:27:24 > 0:27:28with a peregrine coming out of the sun towards you.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Absolutely terrifying!
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Nothing is faster than the peregrine falcon and nothing ever has been.
0:27:35 > 0:27:40When you're that fast, what other weapons do you need?
0:27:42 > 0:27:46Join me next time for more deadly animal encounters.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2009
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk