Tracks and Signs

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0:00:02 > 0:00:04My name's Steve Backshall...

0:00:06 > 0:00:08'..and this is my search for the Deadly 60.'

0:00:10 > 0:00:12Amazing!

0:00:12 > 0:00:14That's not just animals that are deadly to me,

0:00:14 > 0:00:17but that are deadly in their own world.

0:00:17 > 0:00:19'My crew and I are travelling the planet...'

0:00:19 > 0:00:23And you're coming with me every step of the way.

0:00:31 > 0:00:33'A quest to find deadly animals from around the globe may sound

0:00:33 > 0:00:36'like the greatest job ever. And it is.

0:00:36 > 0:00:39'But sometimes, it's harder than it looks.

0:00:39 > 0:00:41'Some animals practically leap out at you.

0:00:41 > 0:00:45'Others have to be tracked down by the signs they leave behind.'

0:00:45 > 0:00:47No matter where you go in the world,

0:00:47 > 0:00:49there will always be wild animals out there,

0:00:49 > 0:00:51whether you see them or not.

0:00:51 > 0:00:54The trick is learning to read the story they leave behind.

0:00:54 > 0:00:57This edition of Deadly 60 is going to help you read those signs.

0:01:01 > 0:01:05Tracks and signs, our very own wildlife CSI.

0:01:05 > 0:01:07There's a knuckle print.

0:01:07 > 0:01:09Its claws on the trunk here.

0:01:09 > 0:01:12Outside is absolutely littered with bones.

0:01:13 > 0:01:16The bark's been completely rubbed off this tree.

0:01:16 > 0:01:19You can even see the bits of hair that it's left behind.

0:01:19 > 0:01:21That is lion dung.

0:01:21 > 0:01:25I can smell it. It's very fresh, believe me! Don't step in that.

0:01:29 > 0:01:32'To find the clues, we need to use our three main senses.

0:01:32 > 0:01:34'That's sight, sound...

0:01:34 > 0:01:38'and smell.

0:01:38 > 0:01:41'These help us to locate the animals, see what they've been doing

0:01:41 > 0:01:43'and even learn about their deadly lifestyle.

0:01:45 > 0:01:48'First up, we need to use our eyes to look out for visual clues.

0:01:48 > 0:01:54'Perhaps the most awesome predator in Namibia is the lion.

0:01:54 > 0:01:56'Huge, ferocious felines.

0:01:56 > 0:01:58'But not always that easy to spot.

0:01:58 > 0:02:01'Time to get tracking.'

0:02:03 > 0:02:06There is absolutely oodles going on around here.

0:02:06 > 0:02:10I mean, looking down at the ground, there's...

0:02:10 > 0:02:12Well, that's oryx droppings.

0:02:15 > 0:02:18These are blue wildebeest.

0:02:20 > 0:02:24There is so much going on. But this...

0:02:24 > 0:02:26is the real deal.

0:02:26 > 0:02:32That is the biggest carnivore poo you'll find around here.

0:02:33 > 0:02:35Full of hair.

0:02:35 > 0:02:38Kind of black and tarry and stinky.

0:02:38 > 0:02:40That is lion dung.

0:02:43 > 0:02:45Oh, have a look at this.

0:02:52 > 0:02:54Wow!

0:02:54 > 0:02:57Feathers everywhere.

0:02:57 > 0:03:01'These feathers belong to an avian undertaker - the vulture.

0:03:01 > 0:03:04'Chances are an animal has met its end nearby.'

0:03:06 > 0:03:10And...one very dead oryx.

0:03:12 > 0:03:15Somewhere round here, lions have been at work

0:03:15 > 0:03:17and had their meal.

0:03:21 > 0:03:24'So we've clear evidence that lions have been here.

0:03:24 > 0:03:27'But the carcass and dung were several days old.

0:03:27 > 0:03:28'We need fresher signs.

0:03:29 > 0:03:33'We set up camp nearby, with the hope of getting back on their trail

0:03:33 > 0:03:35'in the morning.

0:03:35 > 0:03:39'Only a fool would sleep out in lion country without any protection.

0:03:39 > 0:03:42'For us, it's a makeshift fence, made from thorn bushes.

0:03:42 > 0:03:45'Locals call this protective fence a boma.

0:03:45 > 0:03:49'It's enough to put off all but the most determined of predators.

0:03:49 > 0:03:52'These acacia trees have spines like big needles.'

0:03:52 > 0:03:55But it's these spines that we're going to use as our protection

0:03:55 > 0:03:57in the walls of our boma.

0:04:00 > 0:04:04'The signs in the sand told us there are dangerous animals around here.

0:04:04 > 0:04:06'So we should take the right precautions.

0:04:06 > 0:04:09'Reading the signs around you could save your life.'

0:04:10 > 0:04:12It's a good job we built that boma.

0:04:12 > 0:04:16Makes you think, tonight we're going to have to be very vigilant.

0:04:16 > 0:04:19Make sure we're on the lookout all the time.

0:04:20 > 0:04:24'At night, human eyesight is dulled by darkness.

0:04:24 > 0:04:26'It's time to feed up and then sleep.

0:04:26 > 0:04:29'But for animals that see well in the dark,

0:04:29 > 0:04:31'it's feeding time.

0:04:31 > 0:04:35'Our night vision's poor but you can still read wild signs by listening.'

0:04:37 > 0:04:39HYENAS CALL

0:04:39 > 0:04:41It's about two o'clock in the morning

0:04:41 > 0:04:46and I've just been woken up by the sound of spotted hyena calling.

0:04:46 > 0:04:48Just off in the distance that way.

0:04:48 > 0:04:53It's very exciting and a little bit spooky,

0:04:53 > 0:04:57knowing that just beyond the walls of our boma,

0:04:57 > 0:05:00there could be just about anything wandering about.

0:05:00 > 0:05:02ROAR

0:05:02 > 0:05:05There's a lion. There's a lion calling off in the distance,

0:05:05 > 0:05:09off that way. It's quite a way away.

0:05:09 > 0:05:13But they can travel huge distances in the night.

0:05:15 > 0:05:17No reason why he couldn't come past here.

0:05:20 > 0:05:22'A lion's roar is like language, saying,

0:05:22 > 0:05:25'"This is my territory, don't mess with me."

0:05:25 > 0:05:28'Or, "I feel like hunting." If you learn their language,

0:05:28 > 0:05:31'you can suss what they're up to without ever seeing them.'

0:05:31 > 0:05:33When you're looking for tracks,

0:05:33 > 0:05:35the first and probably most important thing

0:05:35 > 0:05:37is the ground that they're laid down in.

0:05:37 > 0:05:40Certain kinds of ground will hold a track much better than others.

0:05:40 > 0:05:42For example, the soft banks of a river...

0:05:44 > 0:05:46..or snow.

0:05:48 > 0:05:51But sand is also wonderful.

0:05:51 > 0:05:54And look at those prints.

0:05:54 > 0:05:56You will never get better than that.

0:06:00 > 0:06:03'These tracks are super-fresh.'

0:06:05 > 0:06:07So once you've found your print,

0:06:07 > 0:06:10the next thing is to try and work out what kind of animal left them.

0:06:12 > 0:06:13That there...

0:06:13 > 0:06:17is about the size of my hand.

0:06:17 > 0:06:20So we're talking about a good-sized animal.

0:06:20 > 0:06:26We've got four very clear, rounded front toes.

0:06:26 > 0:06:28And a pad at the back.

0:06:28 > 0:06:32Now, this is an absolutely perfect cat print.

0:06:32 > 0:06:37The way I can tell it's a cat and not a dog is that there are

0:06:37 > 0:06:41no visible claws at the front of each toe.

0:06:41 > 0:06:46All of the big cats apart from cheetahs can retract their claws

0:06:46 > 0:06:48into their toes, as they're walking along.

0:06:48 > 0:06:51Which protects them and keeps them sharp.

0:06:51 > 0:06:53'So we have droppings,

0:06:53 > 0:06:56'an old carcass, calls...'

0:06:56 > 0:07:00There's a lion calling off in the distance, off that way.

0:07:00 > 0:07:02'..And now, crisp, fresh tracks.'

0:07:02 > 0:07:06These are the prints of a lion.

0:07:06 > 0:07:10OK, once you've figured out which animal the prints belong to,

0:07:10 > 0:07:14next you can figure out other things by looking at the prints closely.

0:07:14 > 0:07:16First of all, the direction it's travelling in.

0:07:16 > 0:07:18The toes at the front, here...

0:07:21 > 0:07:22..and at the front here,

0:07:22 > 0:07:24so this animal's been going in this direction.

0:07:24 > 0:07:26And this animal's been going this way.

0:07:26 > 0:07:28Once you start to look carefully,

0:07:28 > 0:07:31you can figure out what speed they've been travelling at,

0:07:31 > 0:07:34how many animals there are, possibly even how old they are,

0:07:34 > 0:07:35just by looking at the prints.

0:07:35 > 0:07:39There's a whole wonderful drama that can unfold down here in the sand.

0:07:43 > 0:07:46Oh, look at those tracks!

0:07:46 > 0:07:50'The clarity of the tracks means they were made very recently.

0:07:50 > 0:07:53'Follow a fresh track and you may find what made it.'

0:07:58 > 0:08:00(Look at that.)

0:08:00 > 0:08:03(Oh, that's some purpose.)

0:08:04 > 0:08:07Looks like they've spotted something.

0:08:07 > 0:08:10(There's a couple of warthog off to our left.)

0:08:10 > 0:08:14Our lions have spotted them.

0:08:14 > 0:08:18And this is the perfect time for things to start happening.

0:08:20 > 0:08:23The warthog are getting closer, they don't realise what they're doing.

0:08:23 > 0:08:26This one here's moving forward with purpose.

0:08:30 > 0:08:31It's going to happen.

0:08:36 > 0:08:39One down... No, he's got away. He got away!

0:08:39 > 0:08:42Scattered in completely different directions.

0:08:42 > 0:08:43And one over there...

0:08:43 > 0:08:48Unfortunately it's just met its end in the thicket just over there.

0:08:48 > 0:08:50The others all escaped.

0:08:50 > 0:08:52WARTHOG SQUEALS

0:08:52 > 0:08:56That would have to be one of the quickest,

0:08:56 > 0:09:00most completely perfect hunts I think I've ever seen.

0:09:06 > 0:09:09'Becoming aware of what's been going on in the wild world around you

0:09:09 > 0:09:11'can lead to unforgettable encounters.

0:09:11 > 0:09:14'And it's not just large mammals that leave tracks.

0:09:14 > 0:09:16'In the Namibian deserts,

0:09:16 > 0:09:19'we were looking for a different kind of predator.

0:09:19 > 0:09:22'Sand dunes are exhausting to get around in.

0:09:22 > 0:09:25'so desert creatures have very specialised ways of moving

0:09:25 > 0:09:27'and leave distinctive marks behind.'

0:09:27 > 0:09:32We're out looking for the absolute master hunter of the desert.

0:09:32 > 0:09:36This is the Peringuey's adder, otherwise known as the sidewinder.

0:09:37 > 0:09:41Now, they're only very small, but they are very, very deadly

0:09:41 > 0:09:46and we've got an ENORMOUS amount of dunes to cover.

0:09:46 > 0:09:50So, what I suggest is that we all spread out in a line

0:09:50 > 0:09:52and we're looking for a sign...

0:09:54 > 0:09:58..that looks something...like this.

0:10:01 > 0:10:04As I've mentioned before, sand holds a track really well.

0:10:04 > 0:10:07Our snake doesn't leave a footprint,

0:10:07 > 0:10:10but its body leaves a flick mark as it sidewinds.

0:10:13 > 0:10:17The long shadows of dawn and dusk make tracks much easier to spot,

0:10:17 > 0:10:19so these are the best times to go out tracking.

0:10:19 > 0:10:22When the sun's directly overhead, the tracks barely stand out at all.

0:10:27 > 0:10:29Sidewinders usually move by night,

0:10:29 > 0:10:31which means we have to find one fast,

0:10:31 > 0:10:33before his tracks are blown away by the wind.

0:10:35 > 0:10:37WHISTLING Over here!

0:10:38 > 0:10:43- What have you got? - Sidewinder tracks.- Woo!

0:10:43 > 0:10:47Our camouflage killer has been busted by his slithering signs.

0:10:47 > 0:10:50Did you spot them, Mark?

0:10:50 > 0:10:54I have, mate. I have got the tracks.

0:10:54 > 0:10:59- Did I hear right? Did someone shout "sidewinder"?- Tracks.

0:10:59 > 0:11:01- Just running up the face of that dune?- Yes.

0:11:01 > 0:11:05Yes! You beauty!

0:11:05 > 0:11:11They start down here... And look at that!

0:11:11 > 0:11:14That is just perfect.

0:11:14 > 0:11:16- Which way is he going? - Actually, he's going this way.

0:11:16 > 0:11:19I don't know, mate.

0:11:19 > 0:11:22So, all we need to do is follow the tracks.

0:11:24 > 0:11:26Sidewinders bury themselves

0:11:26 > 0:11:29in the soft sand at the base of grasses like these.

0:11:29 > 0:11:31I've got him! I've got him.

0:11:32 > 0:11:33Yes!

0:11:33 > 0:11:35I can see his head.

0:11:36 > 0:11:38Just down there.

0:11:38 > 0:11:43And you probably can't even see him, but if I take my snake hook...

0:11:44 > 0:11:47..and you follow the line directly down from the end of that...

0:11:47 > 0:11:49See him?

0:11:50 > 0:11:54All that pokes above the sand is a well-hidden snout and tiny eyes.

0:11:54 > 0:11:57Imagine trying to find that in all this desert

0:11:57 > 0:11:59without finding the trail first.

0:11:59 > 0:12:00Thick, leather gloves.

0:12:03 > 0:12:06Oh-ho-ho-ho! Look at that!

0:12:09 > 0:12:14What an utterly beautiful little snake.

0:12:14 > 0:12:18This is the master of the dunes.

0:12:18 > 0:12:20But the thing that makes the snake so special

0:12:20 > 0:12:23is what left that track over there.

0:12:23 > 0:12:28Sidewinding. It's its method of moving on these soft shifting sands.

0:12:28 > 0:12:32We're hopefully about to see one of the most remarkable ways

0:12:32 > 0:12:34of getting around in the animal kingdom.

0:12:39 > 0:12:41Look at that!

0:12:42 > 0:12:44This is such an efficient way

0:12:44 > 0:12:45of moving across sand.

0:12:45 > 0:12:48He just throws one coil of the body forward,

0:12:48 > 0:12:51anchors it and throws the next one forward.

0:12:51 > 0:12:57And he's moving across very soft sand here. That is brilliant.

0:12:57 > 0:13:00Using this method, he can go up the steepest dunes

0:13:00 > 0:13:03and look at the track he's leaving behind.

0:13:03 > 0:13:07And, hopefully, when he gets some soft sand, he'll bury himself.

0:13:08 > 0:13:09Here he goes.

0:13:10 > 0:13:16Just gently worming the body in, easing himself down into the sand

0:13:16 > 0:13:19and then those camouflage colours are going to come into play.

0:13:19 > 0:13:22And he will disappear.

0:13:25 > 0:13:27HE CHUCKLES

0:13:28 > 0:13:32That is utterly remarkable.

0:13:32 > 0:13:34Sidewinder...on the Deadly 60.

0:13:35 > 0:13:38One of the best-camouflaged creatures in the world,

0:13:38 > 0:13:41given away by a simple slither.

0:13:47 > 0:13:50Look at those prints.

0:13:50 > 0:13:54The marks animals leave when they move around are just the beginning.

0:13:54 > 0:13:56Look at that!

0:13:56 > 0:13:59These tracks can get blown away...

0:14:01 > 0:14:02..stepped on,

0:14:02 > 0:14:04washed out,

0:14:04 > 0:14:05or even melt.

0:14:05 > 0:14:09However, there's something else they leave behind.

0:14:09 > 0:14:11Poo.

0:14:11 > 0:14:15OK. Now, you don't want to be too squeamish.

0:14:16 > 0:14:20If you pull it apart, particularly if it's a herbivore -

0:14:20 > 0:14:23that is, an animal that feeds exclusively on plant matter -

0:14:23 > 0:14:25it's not going to do you any harm.

0:14:25 > 0:14:28You can really get a sense of what this animal's been eating.

0:14:28 > 0:14:34And, inside here, we've got lots of the indigestible bits of plants.

0:14:34 > 0:14:39So there's the stems and the stalks from things like this.

0:14:39 > 0:14:41There's also the midribs from the leaves,

0:14:41 > 0:14:45and it's all clustered together in quite a fresh lump.

0:14:45 > 0:14:50A good smell...will actually tell me that this is quite old.

0:14:50 > 0:14:51This has been here for a while.

0:14:51 > 0:14:54So you can learn an awful lot about an animal,

0:14:54 > 0:14:55just by looking at its poo.

0:14:55 > 0:14:58Very important, though - wash your hands afterwards.

0:14:58 > 0:15:02Oh, and in case you're wondering, this comes from a forest elephant.

0:15:05 > 0:15:09The first place you should learn to track is your home patch.

0:15:09 > 0:15:12You might be surprised what's going on in your local woodlands,

0:15:12 > 0:15:13if you take the time to look.

0:15:15 > 0:15:17For human beings, going to the toilet

0:15:17 > 0:15:20is just all about getting waste products out of your body.

0:15:20 > 0:15:23But for some animals, it's a whole means of communication.

0:15:23 > 0:15:27They actually save up their poo and do it all together in one spot,

0:15:27 > 0:15:32called a latrine, and around me now are loads of little lumps.

0:15:32 > 0:15:35Dung tells you what an animal's been eating

0:15:35 > 0:15:38and can be a big clue as to what it might be.

0:15:38 > 0:15:40This one is really fresh.

0:15:40 > 0:15:45That one there is from last night.

0:15:45 > 0:15:47Still very, very sticky.

0:15:48 > 0:15:51Quite highly-scented, but not unpleasant, actually.

0:15:51 > 0:15:53And if you look closely,

0:15:53 > 0:15:57I can actually do a proper animal CSI right here,

0:15:57 > 0:16:03because those little white dots there are eggs from a fly.

0:16:03 > 0:16:05And the fact that they haven't even

0:16:05 > 0:16:07started hatching out into maggots yet

0:16:07 > 0:16:10means that this is within the day that they've laid their eggs

0:16:10 > 0:16:13and it was probably last night that this dung was left.

0:16:14 > 0:16:17The poo was also full of beetle wing casings.

0:16:19 > 0:16:22Let's find some other signs and see if you can guess what left it.

0:16:24 > 0:16:28Despite this being a particularly beautiful patch of woodland,

0:16:28 > 0:16:31it does look like someone's been through here

0:16:31 > 0:16:34with an industrial digger, just turning up the ground.

0:16:34 > 0:16:39All of this here is material that's been dug out from deep in there.

0:16:39 > 0:16:43And that's been done by a very, very powerful animal,

0:16:43 > 0:16:45an absolute digging machine.

0:16:45 > 0:16:46They're badgers.

0:16:46 > 0:16:50Somewhere under the ground around us now is a whole clan,

0:16:50 > 0:16:53a big extended family of badgers. They're nocturnal.

0:16:53 > 0:16:55During the daytime, they'll be fast asleep.

0:16:55 > 0:16:59But come dusk, come the early evening, they'll come out to forage.

0:16:59 > 0:17:01But that doesn't mean that during the daytime,

0:17:01 > 0:17:04there isn't plenty of sign of what they've been up to.

0:17:10 > 0:17:14It may seem strange that creatures of the woodland use paths,

0:17:14 > 0:17:16like we do, but they definitely do,

0:17:16 > 0:17:20partially because they're creatures of habit, partially for ease.

0:17:20 > 0:17:21You can see through here,

0:17:21 > 0:17:27all of these bluebells are flattened down low and some definite evidence

0:17:27 > 0:17:29that we've got badgers coming through here.

0:17:29 > 0:17:33A fox or a deer would just daintily step over the top of these trees,

0:17:33 > 0:17:36but you can see that low-slung badgers

0:17:36 > 0:17:40have actually worn off the moss with their bodies.

0:17:44 > 0:17:46Oh, and look at this as well.

0:17:48 > 0:17:51That...is a badger hair.

0:17:53 > 0:17:56Our culprit is definitely close by.

0:17:58 > 0:18:00Though badgers build their homes

0:18:00 > 0:18:04and lead a lot of their lives in woodlands like this,

0:18:04 > 0:18:07these fields are wonderful places for them to go out at night

0:18:07 > 0:18:10and go looking for food, particularly earthworms,

0:18:10 > 0:18:14insects, insect larvae, which they can dig down for in the soft ground.

0:18:14 > 0:18:17So places like here, where the woodland meets the field

0:18:17 > 0:18:21and they're going to have to move under fences like this...

0:18:21 > 0:18:25you quite often see signs that they've been here.

0:18:25 > 0:18:29Look at all that badger fur, white and black.

0:18:29 > 0:18:32With their thick coats, they barely notice

0:18:32 > 0:18:35that they were scraping by under this fence, but it's a sure sign

0:18:35 > 0:18:38that the badgers have been moving through here.

0:18:39 > 0:18:43The joy of tracking is that you can learn about

0:18:43 > 0:18:47the lives of the animals around you even when you can't see them.

0:18:57 > 0:19:02Hair and dung are choice clues for the animal detective,

0:19:02 > 0:19:05but some signs are even more dramatic.

0:19:06 > 0:19:10Searching for leopard in Namibia, we came across a cave

0:19:10 > 0:19:11with a dark secret.

0:19:16 > 0:19:17This is really exciting.

0:19:17 > 0:19:21There's a small cave entrance here,

0:19:21 > 0:19:26and the outside is absolutely littered with bones.

0:19:31 > 0:19:33There's a strong smell coming from inside.

0:19:33 > 0:19:35There's something living in here.

0:19:35 > 0:19:38Charlie, can I have the camera?

0:19:42 > 0:19:43OK...

0:19:43 > 0:19:46I'm going to tread carefully, because...

0:19:46 > 0:19:49it could be a hyena or a leopard,

0:19:49 > 0:19:51but I think it's something else.

0:19:54 > 0:19:56Yes!

0:19:56 > 0:19:59I'm going to be quite cautious.

0:19:59 > 0:20:00Wow.

0:20:00 > 0:20:04This is a properly eerie place.

0:20:04 > 0:20:07Someone is living inside.

0:20:07 > 0:20:11Just sitting quietly in the corner up here...

0:20:11 > 0:20:13is a porcupine.

0:20:13 > 0:20:16He's watching me very closely, but...

0:20:16 > 0:20:20what I really don't want is for him to back up and charge me

0:20:20 > 0:20:22with those quills.

0:20:22 > 0:20:25That's the weapon that he'll use

0:20:25 > 0:20:27to drive off animals as big as lions.

0:20:29 > 0:20:31He's great!

0:20:33 > 0:20:36Porcupines are actually well known for dragging...

0:20:36 > 0:20:39the bones from disused carcasses

0:20:39 > 0:20:43up to the places they're sleeping. That's not to say that

0:20:43 > 0:20:46a hyena or a leopard hasn't used this cave before,

0:20:46 > 0:20:47but at the moment,

0:20:47 > 0:20:50this little fella lives here.

0:20:51 > 0:20:53He's great!

0:20:55 > 0:20:58OK, let's leave him be.

0:20:59 > 0:21:04That big bone pile could have pointed to a messy predator,

0:21:04 > 0:21:08but it was always more likely to be a porcupine.

0:21:08 > 0:21:11They chew on bones to get vital minerals.

0:21:11 > 0:21:15You can track animals from discarded bits of food...

0:21:15 > 0:21:16even underwater.

0:21:17 > 0:21:22On a mission in British Columbia, in Canada, we were on the trail of

0:21:22 > 0:21:25what can be best described as an eight-legged sea monster.

0:21:25 > 0:21:29It looks like John's found something cool!

0:21:29 > 0:21:31I'm not sure what it is,

0:21:31 > 0:21:33but he seems quite excited.

0:21:33 > 0:21:38This pile of discarded shellfish is evidence of a local hunter

0:21:38 > 0:21:40with a big appetite.

0:21:40 > 0:21:43Oh, wow, look at this!

0:21:45 > 0:21:49There's a large area...

0:21:49 > 0:21:50of scattered shells...

0:21:53 > 0:21:57..big chunks of dead crab.

0:21:59 > 0:22:02Up here, we've got the, er...

0:22:02 > 0:22:08the carapace of a dead crab. This is definitely the work...

0:22:10 > 0:22:14..of the super-predator that we've come here to find.

0:22:16 > 0:22:18Now, all we need to do is find the animal itself.

0:22:21 > 0:22:24The giant creature we're looking for is a specialist at

0:22:24 > 0:22:30dismembering its armoured prey. But even it doesn't eat the shells,

0:22:30 > 0:22:32and they lead us right to its den.

0:22:32 > 0:22:36It's a Giant Pacific Octopus.

0:22:36 > 0:22:41And I think they're in this hole... Oh, my goodness, yes, I see one!

0:22:42 > 0:22:44Oh, wow!

0:22:44 > 0:22:47Now, that is a big octopus!

0:22:47 > 0:22:51We gently coax him out into the open.

0:22:54 > 0:22:56Oh, my goodness!

0:22:56 > 0:22:59He's absolutely monstrous.

0:23:01 > 0:23:03And I thought this was a small one!

0:23:07 > 0:23:09Whoa!

0:23:09 > 0:23:11Oh, my goodness!

0:23:11 > 0:23:14It feels like it could rip my arm out of its socket!

0:23:14 > 0:23:16Oh!

0:23:17 > 0:23:21Those bits of shell were the undersea equivalent of a skeleton

0:23:21 > 0:23:23lying on the African plains.

0:23:23 > 0:23:26They were a sure sign that a predator

0:23:26 > 0:23:27was feeding nearby.

0:23:30 > 0:23:32So, we've shown you how spotting footprints

0:23:32 > 0:23:35can help you track down animals... Smell.

0:23:35 > 0:23:39..and finding droppings, or signs like hair and bones, can act

0:23:39 > 0:23:43as clues to where they've been, or where they're hiding.

0:23:47 > 0:23:51When you're tracking wildlife, it's very tempting to just use your eyes

0:23:51 > 0:23:54and forget about your other senses, and that's a big mistake,

0:23:54 > 0:23:59particularly your hearing can open a whole new wild world

0:23:59 > 0:24:02of things that are going on around you but you might not see.

0:24:02 > 0:24:05Zeroing in on a song, call, or noises from movement

0:24:05 > 0:24:08- can lead you straight to an animal. - HE WHISTLES

0:24:08 > 0:24:10WAILING

0:24:10 > 0:24:11ROARING, THEN SQUEAKING

0:24:11 > 0:24:14- Woof-woof! - HOWLING

0:24:14 > 0:24:15- BUZZING - Tok-tokay!

0:24:15 > 0:24:16WAILING, THEN SQUEAKING

0:24:16 > 0:24:17- HISSING - Ooh!

0:24:17 > 0:24:19WHISTLING, THEN BELLOWING

0:24:19 > 0:24:20- BUZZING - Owww!

0:24:20 > 0:24:22GURGLING, THEN SQUEAKING

0:24:22 > 0:24:25- HOWLING, THEN BELLOWING - Ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha!

0:24:26 > 0:24:29In the jungles of Madagascar, we tracked

0:24:29 > 0:24:32one of the noisiest animals around.

0:24:32 > 0:24:37We kept moving in the direction we thought the sounds were coming from,

0:24:37 > 0:24:38then when the sounds seemed quieter,

0:24:38 > 0:24:42we listened again and changed direction.

0:24:42 > 0:24:47DISTANT ANIMAL CALLS

0:24:47 > 0:24:52That is the sound of the animal we're trying to find this morning.

0:24:52 > 0:24:54They're still quite a way off.

0:24:54 > 0:24:58It's the Indri, the largest species of lemur...

0:24:58 > 0:25:01- CALLING CONTINUES - ..and what a sound.

0:25:04 > 0:25:06MORE DISTANT CALLING

0:25:09 > 0:25:11After trekking deep into the forest,

0:25:11 > 0:25:14following the haunting calls of the Indri,

0:25:14 > 0:25:16we're finally rewarded with our first glimpse.

0:25:18 > 0:25:21LOUD CALLING

0:25:23 > 0:25:27I think there might be two... Yeah, there's two over there.

0:25:27 > 0:25:31- There's one there... - CALLING CONTINUES

0:25:40 > 0:25:43It's one of the loudest, completely natural noises I've ever heard.

0:25:49 > 0:25:52The Indris are calling to mark out their territory.

0:25:52 > 0:25:57They're making sure that other Indris around know where they are,

0:25:57 > 0:26:00that this is their patch and they shouldn't come any closer.

0:26:00 > 0:26:06CALLING CONTINUES

0:26:13 > 0:26:16Totally eerie and weird.

0:26:17 > 0:26:19Like some bizarre trumpet call.

0:26:24 > 0:26:28And there are other Indris off in the distance singing back as well.

0:26:28 > 0:26:30DISTANT CALLING

0:26:35 > 0:26:39He's sat so close, I feel like I could reach out

0:26:39 > 0:26:42and take him by the hand, just eating.

0:26:42 > 0:26:44When animals are eating in front of you,

0:26:44 > 0:26:46it means they're comfortable

0:26:46 > 0:26:48it means they're not stressed out.

0:26:48 > 0:26:50And they're that comfortable,

0:26:50 > 0:26:52these inquisitive creatures come right in

0:26:52 > 0:26:55to have a closer look at us.

0:26:55 > 0:26:57Boing!

0:27:00 > 0:27:04Oh, wow, they're so bouncy!

0:27:04 > 0:27:09It's like one big rubber ball full of stored-up energy.

0:27:09 > 0:27:12And those long limbs...

0:27:12 > 0:27:15What would you give to be able to do that?

0:27:20 > 0:27:22Boing!

0:27:22 > 0:27:25Eyes, ears and a nose for a story could all help you find

0:27:25 > 0:27:27wild wonders you might otherwise miss.

0:27:27 > 0:27:29Wow!

0:27:29 > 0:27:31Now, it's your turn. Become a wildlife detective

0:27:31 > 0:27:35and look at the world around you with your eyes wide open.

0:27:37 > 0:27:38Join me next time,

0:27:38 > 0:27:41as I continue my search for the Deadly 60.

0:27:41 > 0:27:43He just stuck his tongue in my eye.

0:27:43 > 0:27:44Look!

0:27:46 > 0:27:48How good is that?!

0:27:52 > 0:27:55Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:27:55 > 0:27:58E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk