0:00:02 > 0:00:05My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09And 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 > 0:00:19My crew and I are travelling the planet.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22And you're coming with me, every step of the way.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35My search for the Deadly 60 has taken me all over
0:00:35 > 0:00:39this wondrous planet we call home.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42I've met the jewelled miracles of the rainforests,
0:00:42 > 0:00:47soared with the birds of prey that rule our skies,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50and dabbled with the denizens of the ocean deeps.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Look at all the ink it's squirted into the water. Whoa!
0:00:56 > 0:00:57HOWLS
0:00:57 > 0:01:02In this programme, I've chosen some of the deadly animals
0:01:02 > 0:01:04that are also on the endangered list, which means
0:01:04 > 0:01:07they're threatened through loss of habitat and at risk
0:01:07 > 0:01:10of disappearing from the wild forever.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16Endangered animals are few in number
0:01:16 > 0:01:19and can be incredibly difficult to find and film.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21One mysterious bird of prey
0:01:21 > 0:01:24chooses to live as far from human beings as it possibly can.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28So to find one, we had to journey deep into the rainforests of Panama.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31This is where our adventure really starts.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33When this plane goes,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36we're stranded out here in the forest.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40No going back now, Nick.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43All aboard the big pink fun bus.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Then on foot with horses to share the load.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53A magical mystery tour in search of probably the most powerful
0:01:53 > 0:01:55bird of prey on earth.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00The harpy eagle hunts the rainforest tree tops,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03armed with talons longer than a grizzly bear's claws.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06It uses these fearsome daggers to pierce clean through
0:02:06 > 0:02:09the skulls of monkeys and sloths.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12The world's heaviest eagle needs vast areas
0:02:12 > 0:02:16of untouched forests in order to get enough of its chosen prey.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20As human beings cut down the forests and move into the harpies' hunting
0:02:20 > 0:02:24grounds, there's simply nowhere left for the harpies to go.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30It took us three days to penetrate into untouched forests
0:02:30 > 0:02:32and the realm of the eagle king.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38He's pointing at something. Pointing up that way.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41I think that's where the nest must be.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50'The eagles build their nests in the oldest, tallest rainforest trees,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54'just the kind that human loggers value most.'
0:02:54 > 0:02:56This is her tree.
0:02:56 > 0:02:57It's huge!
0:02:59 > 0:03:00She's calling.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04SHRILL SQUEAKING
0:03:04 > 0:03:06That is beautiful.
0:03:06 > 0:03:07She knows we're here.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15Our job now is to try and find another tree around here somewhere
0:03:15 > 0:03:18that we can climb, so we can film it.
0:03:18 > 0:03:19Stealth mode from here on in.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Very, very quiet.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30'The eagles above may well have chicks.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32'For such a rare bird they're incredibly precious.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35'We have to move carefully so as not to disturb them.'
0:03:35 > 0:03:37This is actually really exciting.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39We're about, for the first time,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42to get right up above the forest canopy.
0:03:42 > 0:03:43This is a magnificent tree.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47It's probably as high as a 16-storey building. From up there,
0:03:47 > 0:03:53I'll get an eagle's eye-view of what this forest really looks like.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54Here we go.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02Higher and higher, into the treetops, where eagles dare.
0:04:10 > 0:04:11This is utterly spectacular.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16I'm just coming into the part of the canopy where the harpy eagle hunts.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18It's so thick, so dense up here.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22It's incredible to think a bird of that size can just swoop in
0:04:22 > 0:04:26and out of all of this vegetation and snatch a monkey off a branch.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Now, that's something I'd like to see.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Right. Let's get the bins out. Let's see what we can see.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Right.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Well, there's our eagle tree.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48You can just see the top of it, off in the distance that way.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53You can just make out the top of the tree, but she's too well-hidden.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55I can't really see her.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Oh, dear.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03This is proving to be incredibly tough,
0:05:03 > 0:05:08but that's why the harpy eagle is just so rarely seen.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11You know, they're very canny birds.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14They choose spots where they can see their prey,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17they've got a good view over all the area that the monkeys
0:05:17 > 0:05:21and sloths and the things that they like to eat are moving,
0:05:21 > 0:05:25but they themselves are still quite well hidden.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28We're probably 60 metres up, here.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30And that is a very long way down.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38I think...maybe our best shot,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41actually, is going to be from over that direction.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43But we haven't got time to rig another tree.
0:05:43 > 0:05:44I think, believe it or not,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47we're going to have to try and film this from the ground.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52It's not ideal but I think it's the only option we have left to us.
0:05:52 > 0:05:57'So with no joy from our 60-metre tree top, it's time for plan B.'
0:06:00 > 0:06:03None of us ever thought we'd stand a chance of seeing
0:06:03 > 0:06:04a harpy eagle from the ground.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09But with Johnny's super-powerful lens, miracles can happen.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15We're throwing everything we have at this.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18We can't come all this way and not see them. That would be a tragedy.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23Finally, with a line of sight cleared, and the camera focused,
0:06:23 > 0:06:27we can see the untidy tangle of the nest.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36And then, with a swoop of a mighty wing, the most powerful eagle
0:06:36 > 0:06:40on earth lands above us, standing guard over her eggs or chicks.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46That's better than I thought we'd get from here, I have to say.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49That's pretty good. It's nice to see a bird, you know.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54What we're looking at is probably the biggest eagle in the world.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Wing span - 2.1 metres.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00That's like if I was to stand up and hold my hand up in the air,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02it would be about that long.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04She is magnificent.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12Well, that's cost us several bucket-loads of sweat each,
0:07:12 > 0:07:17but finally we've got our view of the harpy eagle.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21This is something I honestly never thought I'd get the chance to see.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24The most powerful, one of the largest birds in the whole world,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27and also one of the rarest.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30People spend their whole lives in this forest
0:07:30 > 0:07:32and never get a glimpse like we're seeing now.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36There she is, stood up there in the nest
0:07:36 > 0:07:39with possibly chicks, possibly eggs.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43But whatever, hope for the future of harpy eagles.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Harpy eagles would once have ruled the skies
0:07:49 > 0:07:52over much of Latin America.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55But these forests, that once rung to the piercing sounds
0:07:55 > 0:07:59of eagle calls are now dominated by the sounds of chainsaws.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02We're cutting down a football field-sized patch of rainforest
0:08:02 > 0:08:03every second.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08Our insatiable demand for wood, for furniture, building,
0:08:08 > 0:08:13paper, cardboard is bringing these ancient forests to the ground.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15When my parents were young,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18there were half as many people on the planet as there are now,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21and our numbers are still increasing.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24As we spread out, spaces for wildlife get more and more squished.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32There's perhaps nowhere on earth where this is happening as fast
0:08:32 > 0:08:33as in Madagascar.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35It's a unique island with bizarre wildlife.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Almost all of the island of Madagascar was once covered
0:08:38 > 0:08:42in lush green forests, rammed full of unique wildlife.
0:08:42 > 0:08:43Over recent years though,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45the human population of Madagascar has been soaring.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48In order to make way for all those people and their crops,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51those forests are being systemically cut and burnt down.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54If it continues at this rate, then in my lifetime
0:08:54 > 0:08:57there will be simply nowhere for the wildlife to go.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07For a wildlife lover, this is one of the most exciting places imaginable.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12Almost everything you see is new, weird, colourful, crazy,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16but the island's uniqueness is also its curse.
0:09:16 > 0:09:2090% of Madagascar's reptiles only occur here.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24Nearly all of the world's chameleons are found here and nowhere else.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26And it's the only place in the world
0:09:26 > 0:09:29you can see lemurs in the wild.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34So once an animal is gone from Madagascar, it's gone forever.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39To try and prevent the loss of the weirdest of all the lemurs,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42a captive breeding programme has been set up
0:09:42 > 0:09:43in the island's capital city.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48I went along to meet the oddest animal in all the world.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51As the forests where it lives disappear, so this ghostly
0:09:51 > 0:09:54ghoul of the Madagascan night
0:09:54 > 0:09:58could soon go extinct and become no more than a creepy memory.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01As a tropical storm beats down on the roof overhead,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04we quietly set up an infra-red camera that can film
0:10:04 > 0:10:07in complete darkness to try and get our first glimpse
0:10:07 > 0:10:09of this unusual predator.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13Here he comes.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Oh, my goodness!
0:10:17 > 0:10:22That is one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26and I've seen some real animal oddballs in my time.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31This is an aye-aye.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36It's one of the weirdest creatures in the world.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Look at those great big, long, weird fingers.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Right, I think we'll give him a little while just to settle down.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Then we'll go in and get better acquainted.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51How weird was that?
0:10:55 > 0:10:59This gremlin-like creature is totally unique, possessing
0:10:59 > 0:11:02one of the most specialised weapons in the natural world.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Take a look at this.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08That's not a dagger it's carrying around with it,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11that's actually one of its fingers.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14This skinny twig-like finger drums against the tree trunk,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16whilst super-sensitive ears
0:11:16 > 0:11:20are tuned into the rustlings of any potential prey hiding inside.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24If there's a meal to be had, the aye-aye will find it.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Once locked-on, it unleashes its awesome chisel-like teeth
0:11:27 > 0:11:30and they make short work of the bark,
0:11:30 > 0:11:36before poking in that deadly digit and hooking out that juicy meal.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Ewwww! Yuck!
0:11:46 > 0:11:49'These aye-aye will hopefully be returned to the wild
0:11:49 > 0:11:51'and are not used to people.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54'They're bound to be nervous as I enter the cage.'
0:12:05 > 0:12:08This is such a spooky experience.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11You could almost totally forget that you're in a zoo
0:12:11 > 0:12:14with this crazy goblin.
0:12:16 > 0:12:17Crikey!
0:12:17 > 0:12:23I think she thought my finger was something edible for a second there.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27When it comes down to it, they are pretty fierce.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Though it looks like someone has sellotaped together a squirrel,
0:12:31 > 0:12:32a bat and a beaver,
0:12:32 > 0:12:38the aye-aye is actually a primate and distantly related to us humans.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Just using that finger to dig out
0:12:42 > 0:12:47little grubs that are beneath the bark.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49That is crazy!
0:12:55 > 0:12:58'As Madagascar's forests dwindle,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01'aye-ayes in the wild are becoming more and more rare.'
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Perhaps, their only hope lies in places like this,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12where males and females can be brought together
0:13:12 > 0:13:14in a safe environment and encouraged to breed.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Bizarre though they are,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26I really think the aye-aye has a certain charm.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32You can really understand why local people have such a fear of them.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36I mean, they do look like they could be devils or ghouls.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42That is one of the reasons why local people will kill an aye-aye
0:13:42 > 0:13:44as soon as they see it,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48because they consider them to be taboo or bad luck.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52My only opportunity of seeing an aye-aye
0:13:52 > 0:13:55was to come here to this zoo.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01Firstly, because of all of the human pressures that are making them
0:14:01 > 0:14:03much, much rarer in the wild.
0:14:03 > 0:14:09Secondly because they are shy, elusive nocturnal animals, but also
0:14:09 > 0:14:13because the forests they live in are decreasing in size day by day.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18If we're not careful, the only place you'll ever
0:14:18 > 0:14:22be able to see an aye-aye in the future will be in a zoo like this.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24That would be a terrible tragedy.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30'Lemurs big and small are all under threat.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34'When I say small, they do get really small.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36'This is the Madame Berthe's mouse lemur,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38'the smallest primate on earth.'
0:14:38 > 0:14:43Now you can see how delicate, how fragile an animal like this is.
0:14:43 > 0:14:49Really, it's horrifying that these creatures are at risk because of us.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51These forests around us now here in Madagascar
0:14:51 > 0:14:53are disappearing at a terrifying rate.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Unfortunately, us humans are having the same effect all over the planet.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00That has a knock-on effect for all the primates,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03from the smallest to the largest.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Over 2,000 times heavier than the tiny mouse lemur,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13the chimpanzee is another primate in danger.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Uganda is one of the best places left to have breakfast
0:15:17 > 0:15:19with our closest relative.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22We teamed up with expert local trackers who are taking us
0:15:22 > 0:15:24deep into the forest.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32One of our guides reckons there's a tree down here, a fig tree,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35that's in fruit right now...
0:15:36 > 0:15:37Oh, prints!
0:15:37 > 0:15:39We already have the signs.
0:15:39 > 0:15:44Those are some really, really clear prints and very fresh as well.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Those are this morning,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49for sure.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51So they're close.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Let's go.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04What I was saying before was that there's a fig tree down here
0:16:04 > 0:16:05and it's in fruit at the moment.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08So this would be a really good place to try and find the chimps.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15'As we get closer, we find another clue.'
0:16:15 > 0:16:18It's part of a fig,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21which has been left behind by a chimp.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Another good sign. All the signs are pointing this way.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Then we hear haunting calls,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30and spot dark shapes up in the branches.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33HOWLING
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Yes! Fantastic!
0:16:39 > 0:16:42That is the chimpanzee long call.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47It's this excited wail that builds and builds.
0:16:47 > 0:16:53We are utterly surrounded and being pelted from above with figs.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Chimpanzees are found in the forests of central and west Africa.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03They live in family groups of around 30 animals,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07interacting with a variety of calls and facial expressions.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10GRUNTING
0:17:10 > 0:17:12They have big brains and are famously intelligent,
0:17:12 > 0:17:14even learning to use tools.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Honest, they really do!
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Tough forest nuts are cracked open
0:17:21 > 0:17:23with specially-selected rocks and logs.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29This chimp team is a well-oiled machine,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32strutting mean and menacing when they're on the prowl.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37Being able to solve complex problems is a valuable asset.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41In the depths of the forest, where humans rarely roam, it puts chimps
0:17:41 > 0:17:44at the top of the tree, in a manner of speaking.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49- Urgh!- Oh, no! - This is what we expect in the forest.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53- Was that fig or was that poo? - No, it's fig.- No, it wasn't.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55I'm sorry but that is not fig.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00That is chimp poo and that just clouted me right in the face.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04I have a feeling this is how our day is going to go.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11What I can tell you from looking at this dropping is that at the moment
0:18:11 > 0:18:14these chimps are feeding almost exclusively on fig.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16But that isn't always the case.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20In fact, here, less than half of the chimps' diet is made up from fruit.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24What they actually feed on an awful lot of the time is monkeys
0:18:24 > 0:18:26and even small antelope.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Chimps are well-drilled hunters.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Their favourite prey are colobus monkeys.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37These leaf eaters are smaller and more agile than the chimps.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42But they can be cornered and caught when chimps use their team tactics
0:18:42 > 0:18:45to round them up in the trees.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Several males will chase their prey into an ambush.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53Then the hunters gather around to share in the meal.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Meat eating may look gruesome,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00but the protein in the meat is a vital part of the chimps' diet
0:19:00 > 0:19:02and helps to fuel those big brains.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Crikey!
0:19:10 > 0:19:13That's not a chimp either, those are monkeys.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16The chimps are going after them.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17No way!
0:19:19 > 0:19:22There's a couple of monkeys
0:19:22 > 0:19:24just came into the corner of the tree here.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28The chimps didn't like it and just went straight for them.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32The monkeys have got away though. They're heading off this side.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37The branches are coming down, figs coming down, poo coming down.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45It's a good job he's got the umbrella.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49Unfortunately, us humans can't resist our cute cousins.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Young chimps are sometimes taken from the wild
0:19:52 > 0:19:55for use as pets or for tourists to have their photos taken with them.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59As the cute youngsters turn into strong, aggressive adults,
0:19:59 > 0:20:01they're then abandoned or mistreated.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Chimps really should be left alone to live in the wild.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12(Look over there.)
0:20:14 > 0:20:17There's something weirdly prehistoric
0:20:17 > 0:20:20about this whole experience.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22I just feel like I've been transported back in time.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Humans and chimps share a common ancestor.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33They're our closest living relatives.
0:20:33 > 0:20:34When you're this close to them,
0:20:34 > 0:20:36there's so much about their appearance,
0:20:36 > 0:20:42about their gestures, their facial size that's very, very human.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45It's not just chimps that are endangered.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Of the 630 species of known primates,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53more than 300 are threatened with extinction.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Loss of habitat is the main threat to their existence.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00It's important that whatever little forest does remain remains safe.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Anti-poaching patrols try to do exactly that.
0:21:06 > 0:21:07They remove illegal traps and snares
0:21:07 > 0:21:10to try to protect the animals of the forest.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12That includes one of its largest
0:21:12 > 0:21:14and, unfortunately, rarest inhabitants.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18The mountain gorilla.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Found in the forests of Rwanda, Congo and Uganda,
0:21:24 > 0:21:28these majestic animals are around ten times stronger than I am.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33But gorillas are peaceful vegetarians,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35and only aggressive when protecting their families.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40Nowadays though, the mighty male silverback gorillas
0:21:40 > 0:21:42are not merely putting their lives on the line
0:21:42 > 0:21:45to fight off leopards or other natural predators,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47instead they're facing human foes
0:21:47 > 0:21:51and even the power of the silverback can't fight off a poacher's bullet.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53High in the Ugandan cloud forests,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57I creep towards a group of gorillas with my heart thumping in my chest.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59As we start to get closer,
0:21:59 > 0:22:04you'll hear the guides making little reassuring noises,
0:22:04 > 0:22:09so the gorillas know what's coming and know that it's not a threat.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11I can see the bushes moving just ahead of us.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17I'm kind of shaking, half with excitement
0:22:17 > 0:22:19and half with a little bit of trepidation.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26(There, Johnny.)
0:22:28 > 0:22:30(Wow.)
0:22:31 > 0:22:33(Our first sight.)
0:22:33 > 0:22:37'The dense vegetation provides food and shelter.'
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Even the biggest animals are well hidden in the undergrowth.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48This is the silverback, the dominant male,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50and, I have to say,
0:22:50 > 0:22:56there are very few more impressive animals in the whole world.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Just walking across now. You can see that silver saddleback as he goes.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06Just the strength to just brush bushes aside.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Look at that incredible bulk.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15They are majestic animals.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24This is the absolute typical habitat that you'll find gorillas in.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Very, very thick, very, very dense.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30They spend a great deal of time feeding on just about everything
0:23:30 > 0:23:32we can see around us now.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35They're actually surprisingly difficult to spot,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37even though they are very large animals.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40We try and keep a respectful distance, so we don't disturb
0:23:40 > 0:23:42'the gorillas as they feed.'
0:23:42 > 0:23:43Johnny, Johnny, Johnny!
0:23:43 > 0:23:48'But suddenly a cheeky, confident male moves menacingly towards us.'
0:23:50 > 0:23:52(This is the blackback.)
0:23:52 > 0:23:54(He's the young male.)
0:23:56 > 0:24:00They can be more of a worry than the silverback,
0:24:00 > 0:24:02because they have more to prove.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06You can see how easily he just pulled that tree down
0:24:06 > 0:24:07to cover himself.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10People that actually work with gorillas a lot reckon
0:24:10 > 0:24:14they're probably ten times stronger than people.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17They've seen them bend iron bars.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21He's looking at me at the moment, sussing me out.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25But the blackback easily has the measure of me.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31'We stand our ground as he struts towards us.'
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Right. Well, that...
0:24:44 > 0:24:46is a blackback gorilla
0:24:46 > 0:24:49letting us know who's boss.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Phew!
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Yeah, that was quite a left hook.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02I'm quite glad it didn't go a couple of inches to the right.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10So gorillas can be aggressive when defending their families
0:25:10 > 0:25:13or showing off to a film crew, but like us humans,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17they also have a soft side and even share some of our worst habits.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25He just picked a bogey out of his eye and ate it.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31Eating all of those greens gives them appalling table manners.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34FARTS
0:25:34 > 0:25:35Did you hear that?
0:25:35 > 0:25:36PROLONGED FART
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Honestly, Nick!
0:25:47 > 0:25:48FARTS
0:25:50 > 0:25:53They're bold, beautiful, brave
0:25:53 > 0:25:57and there may only be 680 left in the wild.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01They look like an incredibly tough animal,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05but actually here in these forests they're surprisingly fragile.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09They're actually endangered because of us and our actions.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18Mountain gorillas could easily go extinct within my lifetime,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21along with thousands of other sublime species of animal.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Once they're gone, they will never return.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28These animals are disappearing because of us, humans -
0:26:28 > 0:26:31truly the deadliest animal on earth.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33'But there is hope -
0:26:33 > 0:26:38'armies of people who will risk everything to save these beasts
0:26:38 > 0:26:40'and dedicate their lives to protecting them.'
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Wow!
0:26:42 > 0:26:46'Perhaps one day, you could join them...'
0:26:49 > 0:26:52'..come face-to-face to rare and weird beasties like the aye-aye.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56'There are so many wild wonders out there and if you love them as much
0:26:56 > 0:26:59'as I do, it's down to you to protect them.
0:26:59 > 0:27:04'Whether they're swinging from the trees or munching mini-beasts,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06'whether they're cute and cuddly,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09'have boundless bounciness,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12'or are just plain deadly...'
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Yes!
0:27:14 > 0:27:19'..wild animals in all their guises and shapes and sizes,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22'their future is in our hands.'
0:27:22 > 0:27:24HOWLS
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:27:36 > 0:27:38E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk