0:00:02 > 0:00:05My name's Steve Backshall. Wow!
0:00:05 > 0:00:08And this is my mission to find the Deadly 60.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12That's not just animals that are deadly to me,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15but animals that are deadly in their own world.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20My crew and I are exploring the planet.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23And you're coming with me every step of the way.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32This time on Deadly 60 we're in South Africa.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36It's a place that's legendary for its wildlife and its contrasts.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41From searing deserts to mountains, to steamy jungles,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Africa has it all.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47And we're based at the southern tip.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50It's one of my favourite places for finding deadly animals.
0:00:52 > 0:00:57And we're going to be jumping all over the place to show you the best South Africa has to offer.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02I'm up here in the Drakensberg mountains down to the coasts and the bottom of the sea.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08We've been in South Africa before for the Deadly 60
0:01:08 > 0:01:10and lived to tell the tale.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Just!
0:01:12 > 0:01:14I got chased by hippos....
0:01:14 > 0:01:16Tried my hand at fishing...
0:01:16 > 0:01:20And I got a bit too friendly with a honey badger.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28But this place is so over flowing with deadly animals we just had to come back.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35First, we're off to the coast.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41We've got to brave those waves to sniff out our first contender.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48This part of South Africa's Indian Ocean Coast
0:01:48 > 0:01:52is legendary for one kind of animal. Sharks.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56There are more different species and in greater numbers here
0:01:56 > 0:01:58than just about anywhere else in the world.
0:01:58 > 0:02:05So this is the perfect place to find us two new contenders for the Deadly 60.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09One hunts in packs and the other is a nocturnal specialist.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13The only thing is to get to the sharks we've got to get out past that.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19I hope your camera is waterproof, Mark. Is it?
0:02:19 > 0:02:20Oh, dear!
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Hoping my crew and I on our quest to find sharks are our guides
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Mark and Marcus.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37The best spot was about two miles off shore.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40And to get the sharks to come to the table,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42we ring the dinner bell
0:02:42 > 0:02:46by pouring a whole bunch of stinky sardines into the sea.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52One thing we have on our side is their incredible sense of smell,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55particularly when they're scenting blood.
0:02:55 > 0:03:00Marcus is going to drop that drum full of fish down to the bottom of the sea
0:03:00 > 0:03:03and hopefully all the sharks around here are going to scent
0:03:03 > 0:03:08the bloody molecules and come round and try and find out if there's anything worth feeding on.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Sharks can scent blood from a mile away
0:03:13 > 0:03:17and when it's time for tea they rock up in a matter of minutes.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Shark!
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Two. Wow! Five. Six.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Whoa, look at this fin coming in!
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Suddenly there are blacktip sharks everywhere.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Look at the size of those!
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Blacktips hunt together in packs.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39They've smelt blood and now it's shark party time.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44This is fantastic!
0:03:44 > 0:03:50We've been here with bait in the water for no more than three or four minutes and all ready
0:03:50 > 0:03:53we are absolutely surrounded with sharks.
0:03:58 > 0:03:59This is amazing!
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Whoa!
0:04:03 > 0:04:06They're very, very quick.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Really dynamic hunters.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12I'm not that sure I want to get in there, really!
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Yeah, it may sound bonkers
0:04:16 > 0:04:19but me and the crew are going overboard.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23The only way to understand a shark is to enter their world.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28So it's time to kit up and join the feast.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30I'm ready to go.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Two, three, go!
0:04:38 > 0:04:41This is Shark Central.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45We feel painfully clumsy and slow by comparison.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49Amazing!
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Wow!
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Sharks are said to snap at anything in so-called feeding frenzies
0:05:00 > 0:05:04but they are smarter and more precise than the myths make out.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10That was too close!
0:05:11 > 0:05:13I know they know what they're doing
0:05:13 > 0:05:16but when they snatch like that in front of your face
0:05:16 > 0:05:18it's really scary!
0:05:18 > 0:05:20So, what makes these sharks so deadly?
0:05:20 > 0:05:26Well, the blacktip's body shape is like a blueprint for an underwater hunter.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30Look at the way the body's designed. Thanks a lot!
0:05:30 > 0:05:35They're like a torpedo. Sharp nose,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37slender sleek lines,
0:05:37 > 0:05:43so perfect for cutting through the water at speed.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48They're highly manoeuvrable and just like wolves,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50they hunt in packs.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58Working as a team, they sniff out their prey with their scintillating sense of smell
0:05:58 > 0:06:00corralling it into a tight shoal.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05And from here on in it's just chaos.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24The sharks corkscrew through the fishy feast snatching with razor-sharp teeth
0:06:24 > 0:06:28making mincemeat of entire shoals of fish.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Each single shark is a formidable force
0:06:31 > 0:06:34but together as a team they're unstoppable.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Oh!
0:06:43 > 0:06:48Despite their flashing teeth, the blacktips know exactly what they're doing.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51My crew return to the boat all in one piece.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56But while the crew dry off,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58I can't bring myself to get out the water.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Oh-ho!
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Look at this!
0:07:03 > 0:07:10That dorsal fin of the shark is one of the things that frightens people more than anything.
0:07:10 > 0:07:15There's no way I could go home without putting these animals on the Deadly 60.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17They're awesome!
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Look at that!
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Blacktip sharks are lethal pack hunters
0:07:24 > 0:07:28using their killer sense of smell to locate their pray
0:07:28 > 0:07:32and a nifty turn of speed to nail their prey.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35They've earned a place on my Deadly 60 list.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46One deadly animal down and with all our fingers and toes still attached,
0:07:46 > 0:07:51we're heading into the Drakensberg mountains to find a group of animals
0:07:51 > 0:07:54that strike fear into the hearts of all but the foolhardy.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Most of the creatures we go looking for
0:08:00 > 0:08:04they're actually deadly when they're hunting other animals to eat.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08But there are creatures that become dangerous when they're trying to defend themselves.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11These next animals definitely fall into that category.
0:08:11 > 0:08:17There's about 80,000 of them at the bottom of that cliff face just down there.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23When they attack, they attack in hundreds or even thousands...
0:08:26 > 0:08:30..they have a venom that's fierce and capable of killing a human.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37They're African honey bees - sometimes known as killer bees.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44The killer bee is the most aggressive of all bees
0:08:44 > 0:08:47because it has to be.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Out here in Africa,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52any unarmed hive would be raided in minutes
0:08:52 > 0:08:56because it's rammed full of liquid gold - honey.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00This hidden treasure is crucial to the survival of the colony
0:09:00 > 0:09:04and so it's defended by an army of deadly recruits
0:09:04 > 0:09:08which will attack any potential intruder en masse.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13In theory, African bees could kill a pride of lions in minutes.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17So those with any sense don't hang around.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24But with a few simple precautions,
0:09:24 > 0:09:29I should be able to get within sniffing distance and live to tell the tale.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33This particular swarm have picked a safe spot to build their hive,
0:09:33 > 0:09:37but they're still on guard and just as aggressive.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41With a bit of luck, I'll get to see what makes them so deadly.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44If this all seems like overkill,
0:09:44 > 0:09:50it's worth remembering that one single bee sting can - and has - killed a person.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56A single sting's unlikely to kill an adult human unless they're allergic to their venom.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59With a chance of getting several hundred stings,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01we're leaving nothing to chance.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04With every possible attack point taped up,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07ropes in place, paramedics on standby
0:10:07 > 0:10:10it was time to drop in on the bees.
0:10:10 > 0:10:11Good to go.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15And as ever, you're coming with me.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I'll go a lot slower than I normally would abseiling down here.
0:10:18 > 0:10:23Fast sharp actions are much more likely to annoy the bees.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30As if 80,000 potential killers wasn't enough to deal with,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33I had a 50 metre void beneath me.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Hanging off a cliff in a bee-keeper's suit.
0:10:42 > 0:10:43This is madness.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49But it's not long before our efforts paid off.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52I see them. They're just underneath this rocky overhang here.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58They're about as far away as you could possibly get
0:10:58 > 0:11:01from any predators.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08OK... So the hive is right in front of me.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13I'm going to move as carefully and slowly as I can now.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16I really don't want to harm them in any way.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20And obviously if I annoy them, there's more chance I'll get stung.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29For me, African honey bees are one of the wonders of nature.
0:11:29 > 0:11:35The fact all these tiny insects, each one with brains no bigger than a full stop
0:11:35 > 0:11:41can all act together to go out, collect honey, build an amazing hive like that
0:11:41 > 0:11:43it's just extraordinary.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46They work together like one giant super-organism.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Which is precisely why they're so deadly.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56When a bee stings it releases a chemical into the air.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59And it's this which switches all the other bees into attack mode.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03So, if you upset one killer bee,
0:12:03 > 0:12:05then you'll upset 80,000 others.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07And out here in Africa,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10if you're on the receiving end, that's disastrous
0:12:10 > 0:12:12however big you are!
0:12:18 > 0:12:22There were just three things I had to keep reminding myself.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Watch my footing,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28avoid sudden movement,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31and never knock the hive.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Oops!
0:12:33 > 0:12:38OK, so I just slightly knocked the hive there
0:12:38 > 0:12:42and in a second we've got an awful lot more activity.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47The noise has also intensified massively.
0:12:47 > 0:12:54It's quite intimidating being this close. It's a really heavy droning buzz.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05And suddenly it's obvious why killer bees are called killer bees.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15The thing that makes African bees more dangerous than honey bees
0:13:15 > 0:13:20is not because they are any bigger or their venom is stronger than European honey bees.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23it's because they're so much more aggressive.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26They'll sting in much greater numbers
0:13:26 > 0:13:31and they'll chase an attacker for as much as a mile away from their hive.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36And, well, a couple of hundred stings can easily kill a person.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41So, the clock is ticking. It's almost time to evacuate.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45It's very tempting, but you've got to stay calm.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49You mustn't thrash around - that's the absolute worst thing to do.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54OK, they're now trying to sting me through the suit.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Really heavily around my head.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01I was feeling the force of thousands of killer bees in full attack mode.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03It was only a matter of time.
0:14:05 > 0:14:06Ah! Ow!
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Ow, ow, ow, ow!
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Aw!
0:14:10 > 0:14:12One stung me through the veil.
0:14:12 > 0:14:17Right on the chin! Aw, you forget how much they hurt.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Oh, ho, huh!
0:14:19 > 0:14:22And that's the final straw. Ow!
0:14:24 > 0:14:26I think it's time to head down.
0:14:27 > 0:14:33When they go on the attack like this all together it doesn't really matter how fast you can run,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35you're in big trouble.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40And that's why African bees are going on the Deadly 60.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46These are some of the world's most aggressive bees.
0:14:46 > 0:14:54Working as a lethal army, they chase down and sting anyone or thing mad enough to raid their hive.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Now that's deadly!
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Duh? What, Steve?
0:15:05 > 0:15:07They think I look like Desperate Dan!
0:15:07 > 0:15:09- Let's get a side profile. - Yeah.- Hang on.
0:15:17 > 0:15:18With the sun setting,
0:15:18 > 0:15:23it's time for me, and my chin, to head back out to the ocean.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27This is the time of day that we have been waiting for.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30It's dusk, the sun's just starting to go down
0:15:30 > 0:15:33and this is when things underwater get really interesting,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36particularly with sharks. A shark that, during the day,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39has been slow moving, passive, almost lazy, can, all of a sudden,
0:15:39 > 0:15:43turn into a fast, fearsome and, perhaps, quite frightening animal,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46with one thing on it's mind - hunting.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51'And the shark I'm hoping to find is a scary-looking monster.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53'Want to know what it looks like?'
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Well, it's your basic swimming horror movie.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01These mugshots show our killer before it's even born.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05These creatures will have eaten up to 20
0:16:05 > 0:16:08of their brothers and sisters, while still inside their mother.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Not just deadly, but full-on grotesque.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18'To find this monster,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21I head down to the murky depths of the ocean floor.'
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Diver Steve to the surface. This is a comms check.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31'Hearing you loud and clear, Steve.'
0:16:31 > 0:16:36'The currents were so strong, it was like being in a washing machine.'
0:16:38 > 0:16:43Where we are going looking for our sharks
0:16:43 > 0:16:45is in this dark cave.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48The visibility in the water here...
0:16:50 > 0:16:51..isn't very good.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55You really can't see what's coming.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57It's a bit spooky, really.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03As if it wasn't enough diving in the early evening,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05knowing there are sharks around.
0:17:07 > 0:17:08Right, let's go in.
0:17:13 > 0:17:14Now, let's go in quite cautiously.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22There is an incredible amount of life down here.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Loads and loads of fish.
0:17:28 > 0:17:29Look at that!
0:17:30 > 0:17:31That...
0:17:35 > 0:17:37..is a ragged-tooth shark.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43'It's the exact shark we came here to find.'
0:17:45 > 0:17:48The name "ragged-tooth" shark
0:17:48 > 0:17:51comes from the way
0:17:51 > 0:17:54their teeth almost seem to spill out of their mouths.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00'It's these needle-like teeth
0:18:00 > 0:18:03'that allow the "raggy" to grab and hold fish
0:18:03 > 0:18:05'like no other shark species.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09'There are almost 100 teeth in those huge jaws.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14'With a lethal turn of speed and awesome night vision,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17'this predator can hunt in complete darkness.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29'Luckily for me,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31'raggies don't eat divers!'
0:18:32 > 0:18:36That is as close as you ever want to get...
0:18:37 > 0:18:39..to a ragged-tooth shark.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43'Raggies are really of no danger to humans.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47'This is a lean, mean fish-killing machine.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53'It's a fish-filleting fright-fest of a shark.'
0:18:55 > 0:18:56Oh, wow!
0:18:57 > 0:18:59And he's off.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04'The ragged-tooth shark wouldn't be out of place in a horror movie
0:19:04 > 0:19:08'and it is just one the many reasons I'm glad I'm not a fish!
0:19:14 > 0:19:17'More scary than a bucketload of spiders,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20'the raggy certainly gets my vote.'
0:19:24 > 0:19:26The ragged-tooth shark...
0:19:26 > 0:19:28With daggers for teeth
0:19:28 > 0:19:30and superb night vision.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34With a turbo-twisting turn of speed...
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Definitely deadly!
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Our final contender for the Deadly 60
0:19:46 > 0:19:48is an awesome airborne athlete.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50But to understand how it functions,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53let's first meet what it is having for dinner.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59This animal scratching itself in front of me
0:19:59 > 0:20:02is a dassie, or rock hyrax.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Now, I'm obviously not suggesting
0:20:07 > 0:20:09that we put dassies on the Deadly 60.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13Let's face it, the only way that you could get hurt by one of these
0:20:13 > 0:20:17is if you tripped over one and fell off a cliff.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24They may be about as frightening as a bunch of daisies,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28but dassies are superbly adapted to surviving in their mountain home.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Their feet are more gripping than the best climbing shoes
0:20:32 > 0:20:35and live in huge groups, with many eyes looking for danger.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40And one second they are there
0:20:40 > 0:20:42and the next, they've vanished!
0:20:42 > 0:20:45To catch a dassie unawares takes a cunning predator.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48And that is the animal that I am looking for.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51It's a dark, silent, winged assassin
0:20:51 > 0:20:54and these guys have to be on the look-out for them
0:20:54 > 0:20:55every second of the day.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58The name of our hero?
0:20:58 > 0:20:59The black eagle.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02And there is one circling above me right now.
0:21:05 > 0:21:06Oh!
0:21:08 > 0:21:09Look at this!
0:21:09 > 0:21:11He's folding his wings, stooping,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14coming crashing in to land!
0:21:14 > 0:21:15Wow!
0:21:17 > 0:21:18That was extraordinary!
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Keep your face away.
0:21:20 > 0:21:21That's it.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24So, obviously, this isn't a wild eagle.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27This is Rourke. He was rescued as a very young chick
0:21:27 > 0:21:29and has been living, for the last five years,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31in very good human company.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34He is an utterly magnificent predator
0:21:34 > 0:21:37and if you want to see why, you don't have took any further
0:21:37 > 0:21:39than those talons.
0:21:39 > 0:21:40Look at those.
0:21:40 > 0:21:45Each one is like a long, curved kitchen knife of a weapon.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Owner Doug assures me that,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50if I wasn't wearing this thick leather glove,
0:21:50 > 0:21:51he could actually punch that talon
0:21:51 > 0:21:54right through my hand and out the other side.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Obviously, if you were a dassie, you wouldn't stand a chance.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00They are magnificent.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04The eyes...the talons...
0:22:04 > 0:22:06the beak...are all very much things
0:22:06 > 0:22:09that any eagle has and can use to hunt,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12but something that is unique about the black eagle
0:22:12 > 0:22:15is the way the male and female, the pair, will hunt together.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Black eagles are the ultimate tag team.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23They have got their hunting strategy nailed
0:22:23 > 0:22:25and here's how it works.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29One hunter acts as a deadly decoy,
0:22:29 > 0:22:30distracting the dassies...
0:22:32 > 0:22:35..whilst its mate, using every bit of cover it can,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38sneaks around the cliff edge to stoop in for the kill.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47So, the black eagle is doubly deadly.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49The dassies don't stand a chance.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53And with a ravenous chick to feed,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56a breeding pair will need to kill every single day.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Key to a black eagle's success as a hunter is its skill in the air.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06And eagles are known for their phenomenal ability
0:23:06 > 0:23:09to soar for hours as they search for prey.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Now, though he is magnificent sat in my hand,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17you can see what he really wants to do.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21He wants to show you what eagles are all about - and that's flying.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Come on, Rourke. Do your thing.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29And there is only one way to see how difficult this flying lark is.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33I mean, being an aerial assassin can't be that difficult, right?
0:23:34 > 0:23:38'Time to slip into something a bit less comfortable
0:23:38 > 0:23:39'and catch some big air.'
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Seeing that magnificent bird soaring above us is utterly awe-inspiring
0:23:46 > 0:23:50and does make you feel pretty useless down here on the ground,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53which, of course, is not Deadly 60's style, at all.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55As you've probably guessed,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58it's my theory that you can have no idea of how amazing a killer
0:23:58 > 0:24:01the black eagle is without getting up there and joining him.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03OK, Hans? It's good to go.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06One, two, three, let's go.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Run. Run, run, run, run, run.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11Hay-hay!
0:24:11 > 0:24:13And there he is! Look!
0:24:14 > 0:24:16There he is, right there!
0:24:19 > 0:24:20Just flying under my feet.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23We are sharing the air
0:24:23 > 0:24:26with Rourke, the black eagle. How good is that?!
0:24:31 > 0:24:34He just soared right under our canopy!
0:24:34 > 0:24:36That was unbelievable!
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Just incredible!
0:24:42 > 0:24:45OK, now the real trick...
0:24:45 > 0:24:49to this paragliding lark, is very much the same thing
0:24:49 > 0:24:52that the eagle will be looking for, and that's thermals.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55A thermal is a rising current of warm air,
0:24:55 > 0:25:00which would especially come up off a dark ploughed field,
0:25:00 > 0:25:01a big area of road.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05Just that warm air is enough to get you heading for the heavens
0:25:05 > 0:25:09and that's the weapon the black eagle uses to get high.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15'We're sharing the skies with a true master
0:25:15 > 0:25:18'and Rourke is giving us a proper flying lesson.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23'Using every single air current,
0:25:23 > 0:25:25'Rourke was soon way above us.'
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Where's Rourke? Where's he gone?
0:25:28 > 0:25:29Rourke will be up top, there.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31'His Top-Gun ability
0:25:31 > 0:25:34'allows black eagles to cover hundreds of miles a day,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36'scouring the ground for dassies.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40'And when they spy their quarry from half a mile up,
0:25:40 > 0:25:42'they press the stealth button.'
0:25:44 > 0:25:45When black eagles hunt,
0:25:45 > 0:25:49they use all kinds of methods to disorientate their prey.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Quite often, they fly right up into the sun,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54so their prey won't be able to see them coming
0:25:54 > 0:25:57and then swoop down with the sun behind them.
0:25:57 > 0:25:58With the sun way up there,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01if he was up there, there's no way I'd see him.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05'A dassie can't run from what it can't see.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08'Eagles can spot the tiniest movement from potential prey
0:26:08 > 0:26:11'while they're still invisible above.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14'Who'd want to be a small mammal with this flying terror around?
0:26:15 > 0:26:18'And Rourke headed towards the heavens.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21'We soared less and less like an eagle with every second,
0:26:21 > 0:26:22'dropping ever earthwards,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25'unlike Rourke.'
0:26:26 > 0:26:27Look at that!
0:26:29 > 0:26:33'And suddenly we were soaring with all the lift and grace...
0:26:33 > 0:26:35'of a brick.'
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Aaaargh!
0:26:38 > 0:26:40- CRASH! - Ugh! Oh!
0:26:40 > 0:26:45And that was the worst landing one could imagine.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48- STEVE LAUGHS You're OK, are you?- Yes.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52That's what you call a crash-landing.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Yes. Absolutely.
0:26:54 > 0:27:00Aw! Guessing that his landing was a little bit more graceful than ours!
0:27:00 > 0:27:03In fact, everything about the black eagle
0:27:03 > 0:27:05is done an awful lot better than we did it
0:27:05 > 0:27:08and there's no way we're leaving here
0:27:08 > 0:27:11without putting the black eagle on the Deadly 60.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14What a bird! Come on!
0:27:16 > 0:27:18The black eagle's eyesight is second to none.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23Its Top-Gun-fighter-pilot skills means you never see him coming.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27They work as a team to outwit their prey.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Black eagle. Brutal!
0:27:35 > 0:27:36'Join me next time
0:27:36 > 0:27:39'as I continue my search for the Deadly 60.'
0:27:41 > 0:27:42That is brilliant!
0:27:42 > 0:27:47(Oh. Ah! What an absolute melee.)
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:03 > 0:28:06E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk