0:00:02 > 0:00:04My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:04 > 0:00:05Woooo!
0:00:05 > 0:00:10And this is my search... for 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.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19My crew and I are travelling the planet.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21And you're coming with me!
0:00:21 > 0:00:23Every step of the way.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Deadly.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32This time on Deadly 60, we're in Sri Lanka,
0:00:32 > 0:00:35a paradise island in the middle of the Indian Ocean,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38and it's packed full of deadly animals.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Found just off the tip of southern India,
0:00:40 > 0:00:45the small island of Sri Lanka, at about half the size of England,
0:00:45 > 0:00:47packs a punch well above its size.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50'Sri Lanka has already delivered some mighty mammals.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56'We've filmed the largest animal ever known to have lived here,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59'but this time, we're seaborne on a search for something
0:00:59 > 0:01:01'rather smaller, but a real toxic treat.'
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Whoa, look at the size of it!
0:01:03 > 0:01:06'Last time on land, we tangled with a hefty elephant,
0:01:06 > 0:01:10'but now I'm aiming to film a big cat,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13'in what has to be the best place on Earth to see leopards.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23'But our first target is a crocodile,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26'the most common species on the continent.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28'It's known as the mugger crocodile,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31'which translates as "the water monster".'
0:01:38 > 0:01:40They can grow to five metres in length,
0:01:40 > 0:01:44and have a broad, stout snout to deliver a bone-crushing bite.
0:01:46 > 0:01:47They're an underwater stalker,
0:01:47 > 0:01:52the eyes, ears and nostrils situated on the top of the head,
0:01:52 > 0:01:57so the body can stay concealed, while they scan for a likely target.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03To find one in the daytime would be a real test,
0:02:03 > 0:02:08and this stretch of water allows me to demonstrate why that is.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Mugger crocodiles are by far the most common species of crocodile
0:02:11 > 0:02:15found in this part of the world, and quite often they are found,
0:02:15 > 0:02:17like here, very close to human beings.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20However, because there are people around here all the time,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22they tend to be quite shy.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25There is, though, a way that I can absolutely prove to you
0:02:25 > 0:02:27that there are muggers living here.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31To do that though, I'm going to have to stop this water.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33This is actually an artificial stream.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36It's draining a big reservoir that's up there,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38and we can shut off the water, and when that happens,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41I can show you something quite remarkable
0:02:41 > 0:02:43about the lives of mugger crocodiles.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47'These silent hunters spend much of their lives hidden in
0:02:47 > 0:02:49'murky freshwater ponds and lakes,
0:02:49 > 0:02:54'but by draining this stream, I can reveal their hidden world,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57'to show you where the crocs are hiding.'
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Right, the water level's dropped substantially now.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Let's see what we can find.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12OK.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Well, that's a start.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Right there.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22That is a mugger crocodile burrow.
0:03:23 > 0:03:29And you can this spoil pile here, this large area of sand
0:03:29 > 0:03:32that's been dug out by the crocodile and left behind.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Let's see if we can find something a bit bigger than that.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38'Considering these crocs can get up to five metres long,
0:03:38 > 0:03:40'I'm looking for a burrow fit for a king.'
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Oh, wow, that's more like it. Oh, yes!
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Now that is a PROPER burrow.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Mugger crocodiles actually build burrows for two purposes.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57The first one is for when they have extremes of temperature,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00so usually for hibernating if it's very, very hot,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03or very, very cold, they'll go deep into these burrows
0:04:03 > 0:04:06and it keeps them protected from exposure from the elements.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09The other is a so-called guard burrow which is built
0:04:09 > 0:04:12for a female to be close to her nest, so she can protect it.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17These burrows can go ten metres, 20 metres back into the ground,
0:04:17 > 0:04:23and they're dug by both males and females with their powerful feet.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26And you can see that this one here is pretty big, actually.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30I mean, I reckon I could just about get in that, actually.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Several species of crocodilian dig burrows along the banks
0:04:34 > 0:04:36of lakes and rivers.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Underground, the temperature remains stable,
0:04:38 > 0:04:43while outside it can be baking hot, or in some locations, freezing cold.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Protected from extremes in temperature,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49the mugger croc can easily lie up and rest for months on end.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54This could be one of the reasons crocodiles have been so successful.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57In lean times, they can lay up and do nothing.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01It's enabled them to outlast even the dinosaurs.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07'Having found a big burrow,
0:05:07 > 0:05:11'I can't resist the temptation to take a peek inside.'
0:05:11 > 0:05:17I've got a camera here that records in infrared,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20so it can still see in darkness.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Let's see what we can get.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49The way it works is that this portion that I'm in now
0:05:49 > 0:05:51would all be underwater.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54So all of this, when the river level comes up,
0:05:54 > 0:05:55will be completely submerged.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59But then it comes up into a chamber that has air in it.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04So back there somewhere is probably where the crocodile is right now.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07It'll wait there during the day if it's too hot,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09and then probably come out at night.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16'This is a highly populated part of Sri Lanka,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19'and during the daytime, the crocs tend to stay hidden.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22'At night, though, they should show themselves.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27'To give them a little incentive,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31'I laid out some chunks of chicken to entice them out into the open.'
0:06:37 > 0:06:40(Now that the light's gone, we've set up an infrared camera.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45(So this can see even in total darkness,
0:06:45 > 0:06:49(by firing out a beam of infrared light which should be invisible
0:06:49 > 0:06:52(to the animals and will bounce back off everything we see.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56(And this camera should be able to see everything in front of us.)
0:06:57 > 0:07:01'After a few hours of waiting, a burning eye appears.'
0:07:03 > 0:07:04(OK, he's out.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07(Out of the burrow now.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09(Properly into the stream.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13(It's now sat right at the entrance to the burrow.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16(All that we can see so far is just the eye shine.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20(That's all that's exposed above the surface of the water is the eye,
0:07:20 > 0:07:24(and it's reflecting back light from our infrared light
0:07:24 > 0:07:27(that we've got on top of the camera.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30(To begin with, it's going to be very cautious.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33(It's going to be very, very careful that nothing out here
0:07:33 > 0:07:35(is any danger to it before it emerges.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39(And when it does that, I'm really, really hoping it's going to pick up
0:07:39 > 0:07:41(the scent of our bait.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44(Oh, that was fantastic!
0:07:44 > 0:07:49(It just gave a great big blink from the nictitating membrane.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54(That's the third eyelid which it uses to cover its eye when it dives.
0:07:54 > 0:08:00(You see the eye blinking both from the side, from below and above.
0:08:00 > 0:08:01(That's incredible.)
0:08:08 > 0:08:12I'm going to get this chunk of meat in on a string.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22'Johnny can see through his viewfinder,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25'but I don't dare turn on my torch and spook him.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29'I have to rely entirely on Johnny to let me know what's happening.'
0:08:39 > 0:08:42(Fishing for mugger crocodiles in the middle of the night,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44(and I can't see anything at all.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48(All I can do is listen.)
0:08:48 > 0:08:51(He's just moved up a bit.)
0:08:58 > 0:09:01(Just made a full-on pounce at the chicken,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04(and is now waiting on the other side of the stream again.)
0:09:06 > 0:09:08(He's gone under.)
0:09:20 > 0:09:23(Can you...? What can you see?
0:09:23 > 0:09:25(Close to the chicken?)
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Oh-h! Ooh, going to lose my fingers here.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36OK, so he's got a hold of it now. I can feel it.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Just tugging gently on the string.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43I don't want to make him feel that he can't take it.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46It's very, very odd knowing that I've got a crocodile
0:09:46 > 0:09:49on the end of this line and I can't see it.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58(I wish I could see what's going on!)
0:09:58 > 0:10:01'Although I can't see anything,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04'our bait definitely seems to be going down a treat,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07'and Johnny gets some fantastic footage on the night camera,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10'seeing our crocodile snapping down an easy chicken dinner.'
0:10:10 > 0:10:12(This is crazy.)
0:10:14 > 0:10:16There he is.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Oh-h, yes!
0:10:25 > 0:10:26Fantastic.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36What an animal.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41With its bulldog appearance, its power, its jaws, that incredible
0:10:41 > 0:10:46burning eye shine, the mugger crocodile is definitely on my list.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56They can remain hidden in the shallowest waters,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00and possess a potent bite force.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04The water monster of Sri Lanka - spooky.
0:11:06 > 0:11:07Deadly.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14'Our next objective is out in the Indian Ocean,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17'but we're never off-duty, and this place is so rich with wildlife
0:11:17 > 0:11:20'that even urban gardens have animals on offer.'
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Just pulled into our driver's house,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30and as we were pulling into the driveway,
0:11:30 > 0:11:34saw a big old snake heading under here.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48'The shape, size and colour match that of the cobra,'
0:11:48 > 0:11:51common round here and lethally venomous.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56I'm taking great care where I put my hands.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Just give us a shout if you see anything, chaps,
0:12:00 > 0:12:02even if it's a tail.
0:12:07 > 0:12:08Oh! Hey!
0:12:10 > 0:12:13'As it shot past, I could see it wasn't a venomous cobra.'
0:12:13 > 0:12:14Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Fantastic!
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Well...
0:12:19 > 0:12:20Well, it made a break for freedom,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24and it's one of the more common snakes
0:12:24 > 0:12:26found in this part of the world.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29It's a common rat snake,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33and they're really rather wonderful animals.
0:12:33 > 0:12:38As you can see, it's twisting its whole body to escape my grasp.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43And very, very quick indeed.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44It's incredibly rapid.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49But this is a snake that people genuinely do want to have
0:12:49 > 0:12:53in their back garden, because it's not venomous,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57it's not going to do any harm whatsoever to people,
0:12:57 > 0:13:02but what it does do is feed on the rodents that nobody wants
0:13:02 > 0:13:04around their house.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08So this will munch down rats, Indian gerbils,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12and it could quite easily eat two or three of those in a night.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15This snake really demonstrates the problem that snakes face here
0:13:15 > 0:13:17in Sri Lanka.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20At first sight, there is no way you could tell it apart from a cobra.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23So, obviously, if people perceive this as being a dangerous,
0:13:23 > 0:13:27highly venomous snake, the first thing they'll do is kill it.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29And that would be an absolute tragedy,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33because it's not only harmless, but extremely beneficial.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39'This is just the beginning of a full-on serpent odyssey.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42'We're going to be trawling the seas in search of a slithering
0:13:42 > 0:13:44'sub-aquatic subject.'
0:13:47 > 0:13:50For our next target animal, we're going fishing,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53but the animal we're looking for isn't a fish.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57Instead, it's something that preys on what's caught in these nets.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00It's one of the most venomous creatures on the planet -
0:14:00 > 0:14:02the hook-nosed sea snake.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06There are over 60 different types of sea snake,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09including some of the most venomous snakes on earth.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Some species can grow up to two metres in length
0:14:12 > 0:14:15and use their paddle-like tail to help them swim at speed
0:14:15 > 0:14:17through the water, hunting down fish.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Spending most of their lives out at sea, they don't have gills,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23so they have to come to the surface to breathe,
0:14:23 > 0:14:28but can spend two hours underwater when they need to.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Our hunt is for the most venomous species of them all -
0:14:31 > 0:14:32the hook-nosed sea snake.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37'This lagoon is a haven for fishermen,
0:14:37 > 0:14:39'but sometimes when they haul up their nets,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42'they find a highly toxic sea snake tangled inside.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45'We're paying them all a visit, in the hope of finding one.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56'After five hours at sea, we get lucky.'
0:14:58 > 0:15:02Just had a shout from this boat here. Seems they've got something.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04I think I can see it hanging over the edge of the boat.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Is that it? Yes, it is!
0:15:07 > 0:15:11Whoa, look at the size of it! It's huge!
0:15:15 > 0:15:16Agh!
0:15:16 > 0:15:20'Bumpy seas are not the ideal place to tangle with one of the world's
0:15:20 > 0:15:23'most venomous snakes.' Yeah, yeah, yeah!
0:15:23 > 0:15:26OK, yeah, I've got it, I've got it, I've got it.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!
0:15:31 > 0:15:35This would have to be one of the most unusual-looking snakes
0:15:35 > 0:15:36I have ever seen.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39You can really see how this snake gets its name.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42It genuinely has a hooked nose.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45The scale, at the end of the upper jaw, points downwards,
0:15:45 > 0:15:47and then the two halves of the lower jaw
0:15:47 > 0:15:51are very clearly split, so you get this incredible pincer-like
0:15:51 > 0:15:55arrangement which is perfect for catching hold of slippery fish.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58The fangs are at the front of the mouth on the top jaw.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01They're short, they're stout, they're downward-pointing
0:16:01 > 0:16:05and they don't move, they're not hinged like the fangs of a viper.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09So it stabs those into its food, injecting a neurotoxic venom.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12That is a venom that affects the nervous system, the heart
0:16:12 > 0:16:15and the respiratory system as well of the fish that it's feeding on.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19And this has one of the most potent toxins found in any venom
0:16:19 > 0:16:22of any snake on Earth. And it has to be that way,
0:16:22 > 0:16:26because the things that it's feeding on are very quick.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29What it needs to do is to stop them struggling very quickly.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33There are fish in these waters that have spines, some of them venomous.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36They can actually put up an awful lot of fight.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40But if they've had venom pumped into them and they die very quickly,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43that means much, much less danger for the sea snake.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Looking at the underside of this snake,
0:16:45 > 0:16:50it's got this great, big, long groove running down the belly.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Their skin is really slack running over the top of it.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58This means that this snake could take in very large fish prey
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and swell to bring them in.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Most sea snakes really are no potential danger to human beings.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08They're not at all aggressive, they have very, very small mouths,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11small fangs and it's difficult for them to land a bite,
0:17:11 > 0:17:12even if they wanted to.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15That's not really the case with the hook-nosed sea snake.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19It's one of the very few that can actually land a potentially
0:17:19 > 0:17:21fatal bite on a human being. The hook-nosed sea snake -
0:17:21 > 0:17:24it can hold its breath for a couple of hours,
0:17:24 > 0:17:29and it has a venom that could stop a fish moving in a matter of seconds.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32It's kind of ugly, but I reckon it's full-on deadly.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50The hook-nosed sea snake has me hooked, and is seriously...
0:17:50 > 0:17:51Deadly.
0:17:54 > 0:18:00'Sri Lanka may be the best place in the world to see this next animal,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03'and it's a real feline favourite.'
0:18:04 > 0:18:06We've come to Yala National Park.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09It's the most famous national park in Sri Lanka
0:18:09 > 0:18:11and one of the most beautiful,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14and we're here to find Sri Lanka's largest cat, the leopard.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21These leopards are the largest found anywhere on Earth,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24which means the legendary leopard bite and pounce
0:18:24 > 0:18:26is even more effective.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Leopard use stealth and camo colours to creep within metres of their mark
0:18:34 > 0:18:37before making a decisive leap.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47In most of Asia, leopards are out-competed by tigers,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49but Sri Lanka has no tigers.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51This makes leopards top cat.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54They're bigger, bolder, more brazen,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58and they're Sri Lanka's number one predator.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Here in Yala National Park, there's probably a higher density
0:19:03 > 0:19:06of leopards than anywhere else on Earth. But that said,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10this is still a leopard, so finding them isn't going to be easy.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15'Which means we have to be as canny as the big cats themselves.'
0:19:18 > 0:19:21One of the best ways of actually trying to find a predator
0:19:21 > 0:19:24is to use the eyes and the ears of the other animals in the forest,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27because they're looking out for these animals at all times.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30'It's not long before we get our first lead.'
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Stop, stop, stop!
0:19:34 > 0:19:36DEER CALLS
0:19:36 > 0:19:41That call there is the alarm call of a spotted deer
0:19:41 > 0:19:44which is always given in response to a predator,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46and round here, that is a leopard.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47OK, let's go, let's go.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57'In this dense undergrowth, a leopard could be a few metres away
0:19:57 > 0:19:59'and we wouldn't see it.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02'And when we finally find the spotted deer,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04'they're no longer alarm-calling.'
0:20:04 > 0:20:08Spotted deer are the most common deer found in this part of the world
0:20:08 > 0:20:11and one of the main constituents of the leopard's diet.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16This small herd behind me now has quite a small fawn with them,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19which explains why they're quite skittish.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Why they're instantly keen to keep moving away from us.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Always on the lookout for the presence of leopard.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29But our strapping felines will also take more sturdy prey.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33These are wild water buffalo.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37They're a really big, large, stocky animal,
0:20:37 > 0:20:41and they have the broadest horns of any cow around the world.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44It's quite a menacing beast, and they're fully capable
0:20:44 > 0:20:47of forming into groups to protect themselves against predators.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50But believe it or not, there have been instances of leopards
0:20:50 > 0:20:53actually taking down fully-grown water buffalo.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56And leopards are opportunists.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Nothing furred or feathered is safe.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04A good deal of their prey is made up of things like this - peafowl.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07And a peacock like this has a very obvious handicap
0:21:07 > 0:21:10to being caught by a leopard - that massive tail.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Now, the tail serves a function, really, basically,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15of saying to the females,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18"Look at me, check me out, look how hot I am."
0:21:18 > 0:21:20But also, there's one other function as well,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23because this is almost like a deliberate handicap.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28He's kind of saying, "Think how strong and tough and hard I must be
0:21:28 > 0:21:30"if I can survive, carrying this lot around with me."
0:21:31 > 0:21:35At the same time, it does make it much easier prey for a leopard.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43'We scour the roads, always keeping an eye on the sand,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46'in the hope of spotting signs a leopard's passed this way.'
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Although one of the best places to see leopards,
0:21:51 > 0:21:55there are only around 30 or so in the whole of the park.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57LEOPARD GROWLS
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Like most cats, they're usually solitary,
0:22:00 > 0:22:04with the exception of mothers and their young.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11'Finally, something tantalising catches my eye.
0:22:11 > 0:22:12'A story in the sand.'
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Does that look like a female to you?
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Down in the tracks.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22There's a line of leopard footprints running down the side
0:22:22 > 0:22:25of the road here. They're big and broad, so it's from an adult male,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29but the really interesting thing is that we've got very, very fresh
0:22:29 > 0:22:34jeep tracks from this morning and the prints are on top of them.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36This has been left really, really recently,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38like, within the last few minutes.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41So a leopard has been walking in that direction
0:22:41 > 0:22:45and that is obviously where we have to go.
0:22:45 > 0:22:46'The plot thickens.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50'We head in the general direction of our leopard,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53'hoping it hasn't vanished into the scrub.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56'There's something moving in the undergrowth,
0:22:56 > 0:22:58'but we can't quite get a glimpse.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00'Is it our spotted champion?'
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Just here, this is going to be good. This is going to be good!
0:23:26 > 0:23:30And a little more, little more, little more, little more.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34OK, now stop and look that way.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40We have two leopards in dense undergrowth,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43to the side of the vehicle. They're wandering along this way.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46I'm hoping that they're just going to come out into the open
0:23:46 > 0:23:49and show themselves.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52And it looks like they're coming now.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54OK, spin around.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59'And then, for a second, one emerges.'
0:24:03 > 0:24:08It looks to me like we have a mother and a reasonably well-developed cub,
0:24:08 > 0:24:12just strolling around in the dense undergrowth behind us.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16At this distance, it's not easy to tell if they're male or female,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19and they're certainly not massively active.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22I mean, this isn't an animal that's thinking about hunting.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26But we're just getting tantalising glimpses, which really shows how
0:24:26 > 0:24:29they just blend in seamlessly with their background.
0:24:29 > 0:24:35'This perfect camouflage aids the leopard's hunting strategy.'
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Leopards won't indulge in an all-out chase like a cheetah will.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43What they need to do is creep up on their prey and get to within no more
0:24:43 > 0:24:46than perhaps five metres before they pounce,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50and then when they do, they deliver a killing bite to the throat
0:24:50 > 0:24:51or to the back of the neck.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Well, we've had a tiny fleeting glimpse,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58but a fleeting glimpse that to me sums up everything that's lethal
0:24:58 > 0:25:00about the leopard.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Stealth, cunning and cryptic colouration.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06There's no doubt the Sri Lankan leopard's going to go on my list,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09but before I do that, I'd like to get a slightly better look
0:25:09 > 0:25:12at this incredible predator.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22'As long as the sun's up, I'm determined to keep looking.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25'Seeing a leopard out in the open would be the perfect end
0:25:25 > 0:25:27'to our big cat-spotting day.'
0:25:30 > 0:25:34Whoa! Our driver's suddenly put the pedal right down
0:25:34 > 0:25:38and is going crazy fast, which I think means that he might have had
0:25:38 > 0:25:41a call from someone saying they've seen a leopard.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44'Bouncing over potholed roads, it's all we can do to hang on
0:25:44 > 0:25:47'to our equipment and make sure we're not beaten black and blue.'
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Stop, stop!
0:25:53 > 0:25:55(Yes, yes!
0:25:56 > 0:25:58(S-s-sh!
0:26:00 > 0:26:05(We've got a female leopard sat in perfect view,
0:26:05 > 0:26:09(right on top of a rock just above us.)
0:26:09 > 0:26:12It really is a formidable animal.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16Even from here, you can see how big the paws are.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19They kind of look like they're too big for the legs.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24And those can be used as a powerful tool for clouting smaller prey.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27I mean, whacking a peacock or a rabbit or something
0:26:27 > 0:26:30with one of those paws is easily enough to kill it outright.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33But the paws are just half the story.
0:26:34 > 0:26:40Just got a yawn and a really nice look at those big canine teeth.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45As long as my thumb, sharply-pointed
0:26:45 > 0:26:47and driven in with sturdy jaw muscles,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50these are the leopard's bit of killer kit.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Had a bit of a stretch.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57And now standing up,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00and off it goes.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03What a fantastic encounter.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Sri Lankan leopard.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Cunning, and perfectly concealed cat.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Utterly beautiful, totally deadly.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17This camouflaged predator sneaks up on prey unnoticed,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20then pounces, overpowering prey...
0:27:21 > 0:27:24..and suffocating with a bite to the throat.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29The Sri Lankan leopard - spotted and certainly...
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Deadly.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38Join me next time as I continue my search for the Deadly 60.
0:27:41 > 0:27:42This is extraordinary!
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd