0:00:02 > 0:00:04My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:04 > 0:00:05Whoo!
0:00:05 > 0:00:10And this is my search... for the Deadly 60.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12That's not just animals deadly to me,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15but animals deadly in their own world.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20My crew and I are travelling the planet.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24And you're coming with me. Every step of the way.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30'Deadly!'
0:00:30 > 0:00:32This time on Deadly 60, we're in Nepal,
0:00:32 > 0:00:37gateway to the mighty Himalayas, my favourite place on the planet.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41And it's a very fitting home for some extraordinary wildlife.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Oh! Ho-ho! 'From the dizzy heights of the Himalayas...'
0:00:46 > 0:00:48That is phenomenal!
0:00:48 > 0:00:51'..to the misty forests of Chitwan National Park...'
0:00:51 > 0:00:53This is so exciting!
0:00:53 > 0:00:56'..and the hustle and bustle of a town street,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58'we put Nepal firmly on the Deadly map.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02'Nestling between the vast countries of China and India,
0:01:02 > 0:01:04'Nepal is a hidden gem.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11'First stop, Chitwan National Park,
0:01:11 > 0:01:15'home to some of Nepal's most stunning wildlife.
0:01:15 > 0:01:16'Elephants, tigers,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19'bizarre-looking crocodiles
0:01:19 > 0:01:23'and the greater one-horned rhino.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26'They weigh in at well over two tonnes and are one of the biggest
0:01:26 > 0:01:29'and strongest of all land animals.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31'But they're fast.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36'When defending territories, males battle with other males.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39'Their eyesight's poor and, if they're surprised
0:01:39 > 0:01:44'or feel threatened, they'll charge. Even at people.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49'They're the most aquatic of all of the rhino
0:01:49 > 0:01:52'and are rarely found far from water.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56'So the river is a good place to start looking.'
0:01:58 > 0:02:00There's a gharial.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03This is an incredibly rare animal.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06This is an extraordinary privilege.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09That is wonderful!
0:02:09 > 0:02:14'Gharial are one of the rarest crocodilians in the world.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17'There are less than 2,000 left in the wild.'
0:02:20 > 0:02:24Looking at the riverbank over there, you can see very clearly
0:02:24 > 0:02:29an area where large mammals are coming to the waterside to drink.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34That's probably either elephant or rhino.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37'Let's go find out which.'
0:02:39 > 0:02:45With some animals, tracking is quite a difficult, tricky business.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50But with others, it's easy. You can see exactly where they've been.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53I mean, the animal that left those tracks
0:02:53 > 0:02:55is certainly not discreet.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57That is a very, very big animal
0:02:57 > 0:03:00which has pretty much created a landslide
0:03:00 > 0:03:02as it's come down here.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07And at the same time, left behind
0:03:07 > 0:03:10some pretty substantial droppings.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Looking at this, you can tell instantly
0:03:13 > 0:03:15that it's a herbivore.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17It feeds on grasses.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19And that it's big.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23A dropping that size has come out of a very large bottom.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26This is a sign of the animal
0:03:26 > 0:03:29we've come here to find, the one-horned rhino.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33'Rhinos tend to leave their droppings together in piles,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36'so probably come through here regularly.'
0:03:36 > 0:03:38These dense, heavy grasses over here
0:03:38 > 0:03:42are exactly the kind of place I'd expect to find a one-horned rhino.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47They're incredibly dense. If we get closer, you'll see how dense.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51This isn't an animal that you want to walk into and surprise it.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Because they can be very, very grumpy.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59'Rhino spend most of their day in amongst impenetrable grasses.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03'In here, I wouldn't see one until I was metres away.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08'What I need is some kind of mobile, all-terrain, viewing platform.'
0:04:15 > 0:04:17It's a fairly misty morning.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Quite tricky for looking for wildlife.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22We have got something special on our side.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25This beautiful old girl.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Asian elephants are an old friend of the Deadly 60.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32And riding up there is one of the very best ways
0:04:32 > 0:04:34of going out looking for wildlife.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40'Wild Asian elephants naturally inhabit the park,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43'so other wildlife like rhinos are used to the sight of them
0:04:43 > 0:04:46'and won't be scared away.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49'Not the easiest to film from, though.'
0:04:49 > 0:04:51STEVE LAUGHS
0:04:51 > 0:04:54- How are you getting on there, buddy? - All right.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59'Despite the rocky ride, this is the safest way to get through
0:04:59 > 0:05:03'the three-metre-high and aptly-named elephant grass.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06This is so exciting!
0:05:08 > 0:05:10GRUNTING
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Ooh! What's that?
0:05:14 > 0:05:17I can hear them, but I can't see them.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22There they are, they're just over there, look.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28- Behind you.- Oh, yes! Wow!
0:05:28 > 0:05:32That is extraordinary!
0:05:34 > 0:05:38One's...turned to face us now.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45They're both eyeing us up... quite cautiously.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49'They're usually solitary animals
0:05:49 > 0:05:53'and it isn't long before the pair go their separate ways.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56'But on our sure-footed, four-footed 4x4,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59'we were able to follow the rhino's tracks.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04'One-horned rhinos love the water and one headed for the river.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06'The other stayed on land,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10'enabling us to witness a truly prehistoric-looking giant.'
0:06:11 > 0:06:15The way the skin is folded over its skeleton,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18you can see the ribs poking through,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21you can see these lumpy bumps, they're called tubercles,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25all over the folds of skin. It just looks like a suit of armour.
0:06:25 > 0:06:31And just standing there in the mist, he looks like a dinosaur.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34'Rhino are highly unlikely to charge elephant.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38'If we were on foot, it would be too dangerous to get this close.'
0:06:38 > 0:06:40My word!
0:06:40 > 0:06:44Most of the animals we feature on the Deadly 60 are predators.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48They're animals that actually feed on other animals.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52But rhinos are herbivores. All they eat is plant matter.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56The reason I'm suggesting this incredible animal for the Deadly 60
0:06:56 > 0:06:59is really down to its temper.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- SNORTING - Ooh!
0:07:05 > 0:07:08That little snort and turn towards us
0:07:08 > 0:07:12was, I think, a bit of a threat.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14This is an animal that has to be
0:07:14 > 0:07:17very, very good at looking after itself
0:07:17 > 0:07:21because it has, in the Bengal tiger,
0:07:21 > 0:07:25the largest of the big cats living right here in its own territory.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29And a Bengal tiger will take a young rhino.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33These animals have to be able to look after themselves
0:07:33 > 0:07:37against one of the top predators in the whole world.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41And the way they do that is just by having a really bad temper.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Wonderful!
0:07:43 > 0:07:47The one-horned rhino - grumpy, short-sighted,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51a little bit angry, armour-plated wonder.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Definitely Deadly.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01'Huge, thick-skinned, armour-plated bulldozers.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04'With a surprisingly quick top speed of 30 miles an hour,
0:08:04 > 0:08:08'combined with a quick temper and aggressive nature,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12'making the one-horned rhino defiantly Deadly.'
0:08:12 > 0:08:14'Deadly!'
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Our next target is a predator and one of THE most magnificent.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21The Bengal tiger.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Chitwan is full of wildlife
0:08:25 > 0:08:29and one of the few places you can still see tigers in the wild.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32But with only 125 in an area twice the size of the Isle of Wight,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34we needed to cover a lot of ground.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40So, we swapped four legs for four wheels and hit the trails.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43We're going to have a really tough time
0:08:43 > 0:08:46trying to find wildlife in this.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50It's very pretty, but the undergrowth here is very dense.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54A tiger or a rhino could be just 10 or 20 metres alongside the road
0:08:54 > 0:08:56and we would never see it.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59We will need an awful lot of luck to find anything here.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Tiger territories in Chitwan are some of the smallest on Earth
0:09:04 > 0:09:07at around only 20 square kilometres,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09which probably means there's plenty for them to eat.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13I'm off to look for some big cat clues,
0:09:13 > 0:09:19and every cat loves a good scratching post.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25Looks like someone's just taken a bunch of chisels,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28whacked them into the tree and ripped them down
0:09:28 > 0:09:30the side of the bark.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32But actually,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36those are a tiger's claw marks.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39And they're really high as well - look how high they go.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41That's really impressive.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46Next stop, a likely-looking trail that leads down to a river crossing.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Oh, yes!
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Yes, yes, yes!
0:09:55 > 0:10:00That is as beautiful and perfect
0:10:00 > 0:10:04a tiger print as you will ever see.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07And another one here.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09That is glorious!
0:10:09 > 0:10:13So I reckon that the animal is using this as a thoroughfare.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16You can see there is a trail over there and then animals,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19including the tiger, coming across here
0:10:19 > 0:10:21and heading into the forest over there.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26Just going out and looking for tigers is a real gamble.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29So we have some technology on our side.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32This is a camera trap. What we can do is put this in a place
0:10:32 > 0:10:34where we think it's possible a tiger might pass.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38It has an invisible beam coming out of the front of it
0:10:38 > 0:10:39and if that is broken,
0:10:39 > 0:10:43it will start recording video of anything that comes nearby.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47It's like having a silent cameraman waiting at the side of the road.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51The best thing about this is that it will run through the night,
0:10:51 > 0:10:56so we can be tucked up in bed and this will be looking for tigers.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02I'm looking for likely sites where I think a tiger might wander
0:11:02 > 0:11:04and putting the traps in place.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Game trails, crossroads, scent-marking hotspots
0:11:07 > 0:11:11and places we see tracks or droppings.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Just knelt in a really fresh bit of rhino poo. Yuck!
0:11:15 > 0:11:19Right, let's leave it to do its work.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26Tigers are great ambush predators, relying on not being noticed.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29So it's no surprise it's tough to find one in the wild.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31They sneak up on their prey,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34getting as close as they can before pouncing.
0:11:38 > 0:11:44They're too massive for a lengthy chase. It needs to be over - fast.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51The camera traps were left in the forest for three days.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Then we returned to see what we'd got.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00OK, well, it's recorded something.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04The question is what? OK.
0:12:09 > 0:12:15Porcupine! There is the shape of a porcupine just shuffling off-camera.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17What have we got here?
0:12:17 > 0:12:23Elephant, big, male elephant, just wandering right out of the shot.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26And there's a sloth, there!
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Fantastic! Fabulous!
0:12:29 > 0:12:32And it's come right up
0:12:32 > 0:12:36and had a really good snuffle around the camera.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39In fact, it looks like it's got a hold of the camera.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43That is absolutely superb.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Still there, still sticking his snout into the camera.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Off into the distance. Fabulous!
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Civet!
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Wow! That's a great shot!
0:12:58 > 0:13:02Absolutely beautiful shot of a civet running in and out of frame.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Very distinctive banded tail, fabulous eye-shine
0:13:05 > 0:13:09from the infrared light source that's coming off the camera.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Wow!
0:13:11 > 0:13:17Well, pretty much the only animal that we're missing off these
0:13:17 > 0:13:18is a tiger.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23We continue to check, but with no joy.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Nope, nothing on that one.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28They were eluding us and our cameras.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31It seemed we weren't going to get our tiger after all.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37I've spent many months looking for tigers and it's never easy.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40One of the main reasons is down to the fact
0:13:40 > 0:13:45that they have just been hunted so excessively by human beings.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49The reason for that is down to what makes them such a wonderful animal.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52They've been hunted for their coat because it's so beautiful.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Also because human beings want to take on their powers,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59so tigers are hunted in order to be used for medicines,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01for traditional medicines.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05It's meant that tigers now are in terrible trouble all over the world.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08There's probably as few as 3,000 left in the wild
0:14:08 > 0:14:12and here in Nepal, it could only be 150 animals.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15There's an awful lot of forest, there are very few tigers.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Finding them is always going to be a challenge.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22We've given up and we're heading back on our last day
0:14:22 > 0:14:25when we finally got some of that good old Deadly luck.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27Slow, slow, slow, slow!
0:14:32 > 0:14:37There's a tiger just sauntering down the track.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Perhaps 200 metres ahead of us.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43It's going in the opposite direction away from us.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47Even at this distance, you can see the swagger this animal has,
0:14:47 > 0:14:51the majesty, just the knowledge that this is an animal
0:14:51 > 0:14:53that really rules this area.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55It has absolutely nothing to fear.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59It's just walking down the road with unbelievable ease,
0:14:59 > 0:15:00almost with arrogance.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05He just turned round to look at us.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Even at this distance,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13he knows exactly how many people are in this car, exactly where we are.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17And now, crossing over the road.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21The tiger just sprayed up against a tree,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24that's the spray that actually advertises
0:15:24 > 0:15:25the edge of its territory.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29It's so beautiful.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33One of the most iconic sights in wildlife you will find anywhere
0:15:33 > 0:15:39in the world and possibly THE most majestic animal, the Bengal tiger.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Definitely deadly.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45Beautifully camouflaged and almost impossible to spot,
0:15:45 > 0:15:47the largest of the big cats,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50with claws that can rip through tough hide
0:15:50 > 0:15:54and 7cm long canine teeth, as long as my thumb.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00Painfully rare, heart-stoppingly beautiful.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06We're leaving the lowlands now and making our way
0:16:06 > 0:16:08to Himalayan high country.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13My attention was caught by something at the side of the road.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17It was unexpected but then that's what Deadly's all about.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22As we were driving through this small Nepalese village,
0:16:22 > 0:16:26something caught my eye on one of the buildings. Have a look at that!
0:16:26 > 0:16:28These are Nepalese honeybees.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32There are three quite substantial nests,
0:16:32 > 0:16:36right on this family's balcony. Let's go and have a closer look.
0:16:36 > 0:16:41Nepal is home to some of the largest honeybees found anywhere on Earth.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45These are the appropriately named giant honeybee, up to 2cm long.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48More often found on trees or cliffs,
0:16:48 > 0:16:52they'll sometimes construct their nests on buildings.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56It is absolutely extraordinary that this family are living with
0:16:56 > 0:17:01three huge honeybee nests, effectively right in their house.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04I am just going to go down to this one at the end here,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06because it's the one that's closest to my level,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09and see if I can get some shots.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12We moved carefully. One bee sting would hurt,
0:17:12 > 0:17:17but if the whole swarm decided to attack, it could be lethal.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21The second these bees think they're in any kind of threat whatsoever,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24they do something really rather remarkable.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27They lift their abdomens in a wonderful Mexican wave
0:17:27 > 0:17:31that rises up through the entire nest,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34creating this incredible shimmering impression through the nest,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36and it's enough to scare away a bird
0:17:36 > 0:17:39that might want to tuck into a tasty larvae,
0:17:39 > 0:17:43perhaps a hornet or a wasp that might want to eat the adult insects,
0:17:43 > 0:17:47It's one of the most dramatic, beautiful displays in nature.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50There is a tremendous deadly potential there as well.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53There are tens of thousands of bees up there.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57If they were to decide to get angry, I wouldn't stand a chance.
0:17:57 > 0:18:03As long as I move calmly and casually and don't raise my voice
0:18:03 > 0:18:08then I shouldn't be in any danger at all here.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13When bees sting, they tear out a big chunk of their abdomen
0:18:13 > 0:18:16and they die, so they won't actually sting
0:18:16 > 0:18:20unless they really have to, unless they feel that they are protecting
0:18:20 > 0:18:24their nest, so as long as I offer no threat to them whatsoever,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28I will not get stung, I am absolutely certain of that.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31But why share your balcony with a bunch of bees?
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Nepalese honeybees produce some of the most delicious honey
0:18:35 > 0:18:36found anywhere in the world.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39These are all sisters, all female bees,
0:18:39 > 0:18:44and they will fly off in sorties to go and find nectar and pollen.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Then they return here and they render the nectar down,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52they get rid of as much moisture as they can and turn it into honey
0:18:52 > 0:18:53and, obviously,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57that's the reason that the people here allow these bees to stay here.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08Bees - one of THE great wonders of the natural world.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10I think they're fascinating.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Each bee is armed with a stinger attached to a venom sac,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20and a mass attack with thousands of bees
0:19:20 > 0:19:24could deliver a huge dose of venom that could prove fatal.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28They certainly do make yummy honey.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34We're continuing our journey north,
0:19:34 > 0:19:39towards the might of the Himalayas and a soaring bird of prey.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Vultures - mostly scavengers,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45but with all the killer tools a bird of prey needs.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50We're in search of one very special species with its own deadly trait.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Vultures are one of THE most important of all creatures.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57And to see why and how, we've come to a vulture restaurant.
0:19:59 > 0:20:05So, up there, our guys are just setting up our little cameras
0:20:05 > 0:20:06around the carcass.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11Hopefully, fairly soon, the vultures are going to start accumulating,
0:20:11 > 0:20:15so what we need to do is be very still and quiet
0:20:15 > 0:20:16and hope for the best.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20With the cameras in place, all we have to do is sit and wait
0:20:20 > 0:20:21and see who turns up for dinner.
0:20:23 > 0:20:29There's a dog sniffing round at the moment.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34It's a good sign. Often, vultures will be watching from the skies
0:20:34 > 0:20:39to see what happens when another animal breaks into the carcass.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42If they see things are safe, then they head on down.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47The vultures begin to circle and gather in the trees
0:20:47 > 0:20:51but there's still no sign of the one I really want to see.
0:21:07 > 0:21:12The first vulture has just landed alongside the carcass.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17It's a white-ruffed vulture
0:21:17 > 0:21:21and it's being incredibly cautious,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23moving in towards the free food.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Vultures are intelligent birds
0:21:27 > 0:21:30and so careful before descending to feed,
0:21:30 > 0:21:35aware to the presence of other scavengers and predators.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39It's just like someone rang the dinner bell.
0:21:39 > 0:21:45The second the first vulture took a nibble,
0:21:45 > 0:21:51all of a sudden, the skies are full of vultures.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55They're all descending in towards the food. This is extraordinary.
0:21:56 > 0:22:05There is now 20, 30, 40. This is incredible. Get a load of this.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10There are feathers flying, beaks all over the place.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15There are six or seven different species here.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Hide, blood, bone and sinew are flying everywhere
0:22:19 > 0:22:21in a melee of beaks and feathers,
0:22:21 > 0:22:25but the vulture I'm here to film is smaller, more discreet
0:22:25 > 0:22:26and has bags of brains.
0:22:28 > 0:22:34That small, white one, strolling around on the outside of the group,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37that has a deadly attribute that has to be seen to be believed.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43It's the Egyptian vulture. And it's incredibly intelligent.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45They're one of the few birds
0:22:45 > 0:22:47that's learned to use tools to get food.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54They use stones to break into bird's eggs, even tough ostrich eggs.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57For a human, breaking into one of these is difficult.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Whack too hard and the whole thing smashes,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02and the food spills in the dirt.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Back at the restaurant, having waited hours for the vultures
0:23:06 > 0:23:10to come dine with me, they were done in minutes.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Well...from empty skies to completely bare bones
0:23:15 > 0:23:19in about 30 minutes. That is out of this world.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23But perhaps the most majestic thing about vultures
0:23:23 > 0:23:24is how they get airborne.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28To see that in full effect, we're heading to the mountains.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34In the foothills of the Himalayas,
0:23:34 > 0:23:39it's possible to have the Egyptian vulture encounter of a lifetime -
0:23:39 > 0:23:41paragliding alongside Kevin,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44a rescued, hand-reared Egyptian vulture,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and my perfect wingman.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52It takes pilots years of experience to learn how to ride the thermals
0:23:52 > 0:23:56and the rising air currents here in order to stay aloft, like this guy,
0:23:56 > 0:24:00something that our vulture here will do with absolute ease.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05We're going to have a flight using the bird as our eyes to the skies.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10While I pile on the equipment I need to fly, Kevin waits patiently.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12As part of his rehab,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15he's been flying with the parahawking team for years now.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19We're going to see this smart bird showing off the soaring skills
0:24:19 > 0:24:23and eyesight that help it scour the highlands in search of food.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25- We're good to go?- We're good to go.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Oh, ho-ho!
0:24:40 > 0:24:46Ah-ha! Well, I've seen some views in my time, but that beats all of them!
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Unbelievable!
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Within seconds, Kevin cruises in,
0:24:52 > 0:24:56almost disdainful of our limited flying skills.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01Right, he's right alongside us, absolutely effortless!
0:25:01 > 0:25:05And off he goes! That is phenomenal!
0:25:07 > 0:25:10So totally effortless.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15This is such a privilege to get this kind of view of this bird.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18It's something that normally only another vulture would see.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25Look at that delicate tweezer-like beak plucking away at the meat
0:25:25 > 0:25:26and then he's off.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Oh-ho-ho!
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Is that where we took off?
0:25:31 > 0:25:35How can we be higher than we were when we took off? That's ridiculous!
0:25:35 > 0:25:39This is one of the coolest things I've ever done in my life!
0:25:39 > 0:25:43The thermal air current has carried us up hundreds of metres.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47There's a real art to spotting these rising, warm currents of air.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51If you can get into them, you don't have to flap your wings to fly.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55You just open them broadly and glide into them, wings spread wide
0:25:55 > 0:25:59and they will carry you aloft with absolutely no expenditure of energy.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02So, these birds with their phenomenal eyesight
0:26:02 > 0:26:05are looking out for the tiniest signals
0:26:05 > 0:26:07that there could be a thermal air current.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11That could be the rustling of leaves in trees down below,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13it could be rising pieces of dust, or insects.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15But this bird, with its eyesight,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19can spot those from hundreds of metres, perhaps a mile away.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22He's circling around behind us.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Ah, yes! Wow!
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Every single rustling of that feather
0:26:31 > 0:26:34tells them what the air is doing.
0:26:58 > 0:26:59The Egyptian vulture,
0:26:59 > 0:27:03with its extraordinary eyesight, its ability to solve problems,
0:27:03 > 0:27:07it really is the master of the mountain skies.
0:27:08 > 0:27:09Definitely Deadly.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Able to soar effortlessly and spy out thermal air currents
0:27:16 > 0:27:18invisible to the human eye,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21this winged wonder spies food from great distances
0:27:21 > 0:27:24and is one of the few birds to use tools.
0:27:26 > 0:27:31The Egyptian vulture makes me wish I was born a bird.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36It's got some wicked-looking teeth. Look at those.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Join me next time as I continue my search for the Deadly 60.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Whoa, whoa, whoa, is this safe? Are you totally sure?
0:27:46 > 0:27:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd