0:00:02 > 0:00:05My name is Steve Backshall. Wow!
0:00:05 > 0:00:10And this is my mission - to find the Deadly 60!
0:00:10 > 0:00:12It's not just animals that are deadly to me,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16but 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.
0:00:31 > 0:00:36We're in Namibia, and this is the mighty Namib Desert.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38As far as the eye can see in every direction,
0:00:38 > 0:00:41it's just rolling dunes and sand.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Namibia is in south-western Africa.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49It's an extreme environment with deadly animals to match.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Deserts have a reputation as being dead places.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54That couldn't be further from the truth.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57There's loads of life here. Tough, hardy creatures
0:00:57 > 0:01:00that can withstand the wind, the sun and the sand.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05And that's my first challenge - getting around in this stuff.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07# I like the way you move! #
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Getting around on this tricky terrain is
0:01:09 > 0:01:12just one obstacle facing these animals.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15But they've achieved it in some remarkable ways,
0:01:15 > 0:01:19'from speeding on four legs, cart wheeling on eight,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22'to slithering on no legs at all.'
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Oh-ah! 'It's quite a challenge.'
0:01:25 > 0:01:27To show you how much of a challenge that really is,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31I'm going to give this a go. It's going to be very interesting.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Oh-argh!
0:01:43 > 0:01:47'I've got sand up my nose, in my ears, in my eyes,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50'I'm practically choking on the stuff!'
0:01:50 > 0:01:54How on earth do these animals manage to live out here
0:01:54 > 0:01:55is totally beyond me.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03So, you've got to be hard as nails to live here.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06The sand can get so hot, you can cook your breakfast on it.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09So, getting through the day without burning alive
0:02:09 > 0:02:11is challenge number one. But any animal that
0:02:11 > 0:02:15can use the heat to their advantage is a step ahead of the game.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20As always, I'm going to need the help of my crew.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Charlie, our researcher...
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Giles, our director...
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Mark, our eyes...
0:02:31 > 0:02:34and Rich, our ears.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41The sun here in the Namib is utterly scorching.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43It can be a bit like wandering around in a sauna.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48And the sun's rays are soaked up by the surface of the sand,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51which is unbearably hot.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56Mind you, if you dig down just a short way...
0:02:56 > 0:02:57the sand's still cool.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01There's lots of animals that use these things to their advantage.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05They'll bury down beneath the sand to stay cool during the daytime
0:03:05 > 0:03:08and they can use the heat on the surface of the sand as a weapon.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14'The creature we're looking for does exactly that.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16'But finding it is easier said than done.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20'Like all animals that dig under the sand to escape the heat,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24'finding them is all about detective work, and a little bit of luck.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26'You have to spot tiny footprints
0:03:26 > 0:03:29'and track them back to their source.'
0:03:30 > 0:03:34Paul, our fixer and guide, has just found
0:03:34 > 0:03:38exactly the creature that we're hoping to find up here somewhere.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41So I'm going to follow his footsteps and hope I can see it.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48- 'Our next animal doesn't pose any threat to me.'- Wait for us.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53'But the same definitely can't be said for the local ant population.'
0:03:57 > 0:04:02We've been looking a lot at tracks and signs of animals.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07And under here is the hiding place of a very special hunter.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Let's see if we can get it out.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Wow! I think I might have him.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21There he is.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24This is a spoor spider.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28He's only very tiny, but he's a very ferocious
0:04:28 > 0:04:31and really quite clever little hunter.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37The spider uses the heat of the sand to kill its ant prey.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41And these are no ordinary ants.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44These are dune ants, and they're tough.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47They live on small islands of vegetation, dashing between them
0:04:47 > 0:04:51on long legs that keep them up off the scorching sand.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55As this heat-sensitive camera shows us, these islands stay cooler than
0:04:55 > 0:04:58the surrounding desert and are so valuable that ant groups
0:04:58 > 0:05:01will wage war on each other to get control of them.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05So how do you catch a feisty ant that's twice your size?
0:05:05 > 0:05:08You lay a clever trap.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Unlike most spiders, the spoor spider spins their web
0:05:13 > 0:05:17on the ground, carefully weaving together fine grains of sand.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22They flip themselves under this and, protected from the sun,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26begin to construct a burrow in the cool layers beneath.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30It's here that the spoor spider waits patiently
0:05:30 > 0:05:33until an unsuspecting dune ant wanders past.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35And...bang!
0:05:35 > 0:05:40It rockets up its burrow and grabs the ant with one super-strong leg,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44clamping it down against the baking hot sand
0:05:44 > 0:05:47until it actually cooks the ant alive.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51It then drags the body back into its burrow to be devoured.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55One of the coolest things about this little spider is seeing how quickly
0:05:55 > 0:05:57he can create that camouflage blanket.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00I've got a tiny little camera here,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03so I can shoot him close-up,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06see him at work.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Thanks, Giles.
0:06:11 > 0:06:17So, he's spinning silk from his spinnerets.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Around and around in a circle.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23Any second now, he'll grab it and flip it over his head.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28- Like that. - STEVE LAUGHS
0:06:29 > 0:06:31That's amazing!
0:06:34 > 0:06:38They're only tiny, but they're very, very cool.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41They take on ants many times their own size,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44and they do it through brains.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Spoor spider is on the Deadly 60.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Spinning an invisibility cloak to rival any wizard,
0:06:55 > 0:06:59spoor spiders take down dune ants over twice their size,
0:06:59 > 0:07:03barbecuing them alive on the searing sand.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Tiny, but mighty.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14With night approaching and temperatures falling,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17it's time for us to set up our camp.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20- Dib-dib-dib, dob-dob-dob and all that.- The plan
0:07:20 > 0:07:23is to head out once it's completely dark
0:07:23 > 0:07:25to find more creatures for my Deadly 60 list.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32Once it's got properly dark, it can be the most rewarding time
0:07:32 > 0:07:34to go looking for animals in the desert.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Totally new animals come out and quite often animals
0:07:37 > 0:07:41that can't withstand heat during the day will come out now to play.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Let's go see what we can find.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47'As day cools to night,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50'creatures who've hidden from the ferocious heat emerge
0:07:50 > 0:07:54'and the night shift begins.' There are so many scampery little things.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59'They come out to explore, but, more importantly, to hunt.'
0:08:02 > 0:08:03Look at that.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Oh! It's a beauty.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10You're a bit fiery, aren't you?
0:08:10 > 0:08:13'This desert scorpion can go months without eating.'
0:08:13 > 0:08:16They're actually snapping right at all these moths.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19'This one's hunting right in front of us.'
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Oh, look, he just caught a moth, did you see that?
0:08:23 > 0:08:27'Scorpions have already got their place on the list,
0:08:27 > 0:08:29'so the search goes on.'
0:08:30 > 0:08:33That is a barking gecko.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38It kind of looks like a normal gecko that's run into the end of a bus.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42'But this wasn't the only lizard we'd find.'
0:08:43 > 0:08:44Yes!
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Just see that lizard there out in the middle of that patch of sand.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- Just there, look.- OK.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03It's a dune gecko, sometimes called a web-footed gecko.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07And the reason for that - look at those feet.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12It almost looks like someone's taken a couple of duck's feet
0:09:12 > 0:09:14and Sellotaped them on to a gecko.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19That webbing just gives him amazing purchase
0:09:19 > 0:09:22to stay up above the sands, stops him sinking in.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27He is beautiful. But don't let that prettiness fool you.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30He's also a superb hunter.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35'Which makes him a possible contender for my list.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37'But the night's not over yet.'
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Oh! Come here, Mark, come here, quick, quick, quick!
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Yes!
0:09:47 > 0:09:51I'm quite surprised to find this chap out at night.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56They're much more active usually during the daytime.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58It's a shovel-snouted lizard.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02They're actually quite famous for a remarkable little dance they do,
0:10:02 > 0:10:07lifting their feet alternately off the hot sand to keep them cool.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Absolutely fantastic.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18That's an impressive list of lizards for one night's wondering.
0:10:18 > 0:10:23Each one's a formidable hunter and therefore a contender for my list.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27'But there's another cold-blooded killer out there
0:10:27 > 0:10:32'that could eat these guys for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41'What I'm looking for is the deadliest animal in these dunes
0:10:41 > 0:10:44'and it likes nothing more than munching on tasty lizard.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47'It's a snake called a sidewinder
0:10:47 > 0:10:50'and it's exactly what I want to show you next.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54'But our best chance to find one is at the crack of dawn.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57'So we head back to camp to get our heads down and to dream
0:10:57 > 0:10:59'of that sandy serpent.'
0:11:02 > 0:11:05It's first light, and the crew and I are raring to go.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07Well, some of us are.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15We need to get cracking to maximise our chances of finding a sidewinder.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20They're unbelievably well camouflaged
0:11:20 > 0:11:22and, like our spoor spider,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26our best way of finding one is identifying tracks in the sand.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30Although, not everyone seems to be taking it seriously.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Look, Steve, Steve.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33Here's some sidewinder tracks.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42I think my crew might need a quick lesson in sidewinder tracking.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47We're out looking for the absolute master hunter of the desert.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51Now, they're only very, very small, but they are very, very deadly.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56And we've got an enormous amount of dunes to cover.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59So what I suggest is that we all spread out in a line.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02And we're looking for a sign...
0:12:04 > 0:12:08..that looks something like this.
0:12:13 > 0:12:14That's the general idea.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18- Up for it, guys? - ALL: Yep. Raring to go.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22Yep? Let's go find one.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30This is a bit like searching for a deadly needle in a sandy haystack.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35You could easily step right over one and never know it was there.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39So we keep our eyes glued to the sand and trudge on over the dunes.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44'Then cameraman Mark lets out a shout.'
0:12:44 > 0:12:48- Over here!- What have you got?
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Sidewinder tracks.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Whoo!
0:12:56 > 0:13:00- Did you spot them, Mark? - I have, mate, I have got...
0:13:00 > 0:13:03I have got the tracks.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Did I hear right? Did someone shout "sidewinder"?
0:13:06 > 0:13:10- Tracks.- Awesome.
0:13:12 > 0:13:13Oh, ho-ho!
0:13:16 > 0:13:21- Just running up the face of that dune?- Yeah.- Yes! You beauty!
0:13:21 > 0:13:24They start down here.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27And look at that!
0:13:27 > 0:13:30That is just perfect.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33- Which way's it going? - Actually, he's going this way!
0:13:33 > 0:13:36- I don't know, mate.- Yeah!
0:13:36 > 0:13:39'So we've got some tracks, but where's our snake?'
0:13:39 > 0:13:43You look that way, I'm just going to follow them this way.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51I've got him, I've got him. Yes!
0:13:51 > 0:13:53I can see his head.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Just down there.
0:13:57 > 0:14:03And you probably can't even see him. But if I take my snake hook...
0:14:03 > 0:14:06and you follow a line directly down from the end of that...
0:14:06 > 0:14:07See him?
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Sidewinder, or Peringuey's adder, is a viper,
0:14:14 > 0:14:18and it does have a venom that could do me harm. But because it's small,
0:14:18 > 0:14:23it shouldn't be able to bite through these thick leather gloves.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Oh, ha-ha! Oh, look at that!
0:14:31 > 0:14:37What an utterly beautiful little snake.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40- IT HISSES - Now, I know he's only tiny,
0:14:40 > 0:14:45but this is the master of the dunes. Wow.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49He's striking there and hissing. He might well try...
0:14:49 > 0:14:53Yes, look at that. Trying to bite into the leather of my glove.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Thankfully, it's too tough for him to get his fangs into.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Just alongside these chunks of grass,
0:15:00 > 0:15:04you get a lot of very soft sand accumulating. The wind blows in
0:15:04 > 0:15:07and all this soft sand accumulates here. This is exactly where...
0:15:07 > 0:15:11- HISSING - ..those little lizards like to dive.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14And it's also where this wonderful snake
0:15:14 > 0:15:17hides and lies in wait for them.
0:15:19 > 0:15:25Every part of the sidewinder is camouflaged, even its eyeballs.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28The sidewinder's eyes are on top of its head,
0:15:28 > 0:15:33poking above the sand while the rest of the body lies hidden.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37They can lie perfectly still for hours, even days,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40just waiting for a tasty lizard to get in range.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45But to speed things up a bit, they do have a rather special trick.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50They can poke the tips of their tails up through the sand,
0:15:50 > 0:15:55and wiggle them around like a struggling worm. Any curious lizard
0:15:55 > 0:15:59hoping to get a juicy meal on the cheap will soon wish it hadn't.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04With a super-fast strike, the sidewinder grasps the lizard tightly
0:16:04 > 0:16:08while a cocktail of toxic venom is injected through needle-like fangs.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11That shovel-snouted lizard didn't stand a chance.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15HISSING
0:16:15 > 0:16:19Wow! He's got an attitude for a little snake, whoa!
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Very, very fast strike as well. I'll keep my fingers well away,
0:16:25 > 0:16:30because, although he's only little, the venom is sufficiently nasty
0:16:30 > 0:16:35that it would certainly give me a very bad day. Wow!
0:16:35 > 0:16:37HISSING CONTINUES
0:16:37 > 0:16:40But the thing that makes this snake so special
0:16:40 > 0:16:44is what left that track over there - sidewinding.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48It's its method of moving on these soft, shifting sands.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51We're hopefully about to see one of the most remarkable ways
0:16:51 > 0:16:55of getting around in the animal kingdom.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Look at that!
0:17:01 > 0:17:05This is such an efficient way of moving across sand,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07it just throws one coil of the body forward,
0:17:07 > 0:17:11anchors it, then throws the next one forward.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16And he's moving across very soft sand here. That is brilliant.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Using this method, he can go up the steepest dunes,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22and look at the track he's leaving behind.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27Hopefully, when he gets to some soft sand, he'll bury himself.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Here he goes.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Just gently worming the body in.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Easing himself down into the sand and then those camouflage colours
0:17:40 > 0:17:44are going to come into play... and he will disappear.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53HE LAUGHS
0:17:54 > 0:17:57That is utterly remarkable.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Sidewinder, on the Deadly 60.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05THE CREW LAUGHS
0:18:06 > 0:18:10Brilliantly camouflaged, the sidewinding, sand-surfing viper
0:18:10 > 0:18:12is almost impossible to see.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15With a scintillating strike, and a cocktail of deadly venom,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19the sidewinder really rules the dunes.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32So, success at the very last minute. Well, hopefully,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35the next contender for my list should be a little easier.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40In fact, my plan should have them coming straight to us.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42It's another animal
0:18:42 > 0:18:45that uses Namibia's extreme environment to deadly effect.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48we're moving on from the dusty dunes and heading inland
0:18:48 > 0:18:50to visit a special place.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55On Deadly 60, most of the animals we look for are predators.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59But there's one group we've been a little bit remiss in dealing with.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02That's scavengers. After all, scavengers really are
0:19:02 > 0:19:05just predators that are getting their meals the easy way.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09One of the most impressive, I think, is the vulture.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11We've got a very special one in here
0:19:11 > 0:19:14who, hopefully, is going to come out and say hello.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Oh, ho-ho! I don't know if you saw that, but, um...
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Hey. OK.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27This is Gnasher.
0:19:27 > 0:19:33He's a five-year-old Cape Griffin vulture.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38Let's see if we can get him out into the open a bit. Come on this way.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41This is a little bit surreal,
0:19:41 > 0:19:43leading a vulture for a walk.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Let's see if we can show you
0:19:46 > 0:19:49what's particularly remarkable about the vulture.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Really, it's all about that beak.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56It's a fabulous tearing tool.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00I'm glad I'm wearing these heavy leather gloves,
0:20:00 > 0:20:04although, if he chose to, I'm pretty sure he'd go through them.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08This is an animal that's perfectly capable of killing prey.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11But why go to all that effort when he can get it for free?
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Now, I guess, from being this close to a vulture,
0:20:18 > 0:20:22you can already see why I'm thinking of putting him on the Deadly 60.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24They're a mightily impressive animal.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29But really, I think we need to see one out in the wild,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31and that's our next step.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40But to find vultures in the wild is going to take a bit more ingenuity.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47'The plan is for Mark the cameraman and I to set up cameras...
0:20:48 > 0:20:51'..and hide in the back of our crew vehicle.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56'To get the vultures' attention, we'll need some bait.'
0:20:56 > 0:20:59OK, so I think we're pretty much ready to go. We've got our meat.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03This is an antelope unfortunately killed on the roads a few days ago.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06It's started to get a bit stinky. Perfect vulture food.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Over here, Rich the soundie
0:21:08 > 0:21:14has put a microphone inside this pile of bones, so we can hear
0:21:14 > 0:21:18all of the nasty noises coming as they try to rip into the carcass.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22And this is my personal favourite.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24This is skull cam.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27'So, with cameras covering every angle,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30'we're ready for our vulture stakeout.'
0:21:32 > 0:21:34As well as their brutal beak,
0:21:34 > 0:21:38vultures have other formidable weapons at their disposal.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Their food won't come to them, and spotting a dead or dying animal
0:21:41 > 0:21:44in this infinite wilderness takes some doing.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47But vultures have incredible vision.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Soaring at over 1,000 metres above the ground,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53they can easily detect and lock on to a food source way below.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59They actually work as a huge aerial network,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03with each vulture able to scan up to 200 miles in a single day.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09When food is spotted, a vulture will dive to earth at breakneck speeds
0:22:09 > 0:22:13of up to 80 miles an hour. This acts as a signal
0:22:13 > 0:22:16for hundreds of others to come to the dinner table.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Within minutes, these ugly undertakers of the bush
0:22:20 > 0:22:24can completely strip a carcass of every scrap, including
0:22:24 > 0:22:29the grotty, rotten bits of meat no other animal on Earth could stomach.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Right, OK, so I'm starting my watch now.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Let's see how long it takes before something turns up.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Good luck, everyone.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53OK, so we've just started our stakeout.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56There's no sign of anything yet.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01What we're really waiting for is for just really a single bird
0:23:01 > 0:23:04circling overhead to spot the carcass down below.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13This kind of feels like watching wildlife from a burger van.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Do you want sauce with that, mate?
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Vultures have sensational eyesight.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26They can easily spot a dead animal from a mile up.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31Oh, ah, we've got our first circling vultures already.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Two, two up there.
0:23:34 > 0:23:39They look like... Three, three vultures.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42I don't believe it.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46We've been in here for three minutes.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Three minutes, and already our carcass has been spotted.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56'With the carcass spotted, hopefully it's only a matter of time
0:23:56 > 0:23:59'until those first vultures give their signal to the others.'
0:23:59 > 0:24:04The sky is thick with vultures.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10There must be 20 or 30 over us already.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14And a couple of them are dropping down lower to take a look,
0:24:14 > 0:24:18they're going to land in a tree nearby to suss the situation out.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22This is all, so far, very, very good.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Oh, you beauty.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32I can't even begin to estimate how many birds we've got coming in now.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Come on, fellas, be brave.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42There's a vulture coming in, Markie.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48When this actually kicks off, it's going to be mayhem.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Oh, ho-ho-ho! Wow!
0:25:01 > 0:25:04That is incredible.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08It's like suddenly someone rang the dinner bell.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Wow, what an absolute melee.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Oh, the skull cam has got an awesome shot.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28Oh, my goodness. I couldn't even begin to count
0:25:28 > 0:25:32how many animals we've got here at the moment.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35And there are more birds arriving every second.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38That carcass isn't going to be there for long.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Those beaks are a powerful tool for ripping into flesh.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51I mean, they're going to take this rotting carcass
0:25:51 > 0:25:56and turn it into a pile of bones, probably in a matter of minutes.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03They have really strong stomach acids
0:26:03 > 0:26:05to break down not only the meat and stuff,
0:26:05 > 0:26:09but also all of the diseases that could be held in that carcass.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14If that wasn't enough, if you get too close to one of these birds,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17they can actually vomit back up at you
0:26:17 > 0:26:21all of the contents of their stomach, along with that nasty acid.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24It's a very effective way of getting rid of predators.
0:26:26 > 0:26:32This is just chaos! There's birds standing on each other,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35standing on the carcass, tearing it to shreds.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45Vultures are birds of prey. They will occasionally kill animals
0:26:45 > 0:26:48and are perfectly capable of catching things if they wanted to.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52But really, isn't a scavenger just a predator
0:26:52 > 0:26:54with the brains to figure out
0:26:54 > 0:26:57there are easier ways of getting a meal than hunting for it?
0:26:57 > 0:27:01They've got that powerful bill, and that sublime soaring ability,
0:27:01 > 0:27:06amazing eyesight, they can actually pick up a meal from miles away.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10For that reason, I reckon vultures have got to go on the Deadly 60.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Vultures have formidable bone-shredding beaks.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20Their high-powered eyesight can spot food from miles away.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23And their team tactics and vast numbers
0:27:23 > 0:27:27can turn a body to bones in a matter of minutes.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Join me next time as I continue my search for the Deadly 60.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36There's a lion. There's a lion calling in the distance.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40- Aargh! - LAUGHTER
0:27:40 > 0:27:44If she gets any closer, guys, don't move a muscle.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47GROWLING
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd