Deadly Neighbours Deadly 60

My name's Steve Backshall.

And this is my search...

for the Deadly 60.

That's not just animals that are deadly to me,

but animals that are deadly in their own world.

My crew and I are travelling the planet -

and you're coming with me - every step of the way.

Deadly 60 takes us

on grand journeys into the unknown in search of wildlife.

Let's go to the front of the boat, front of the boat!

Here we go!

We often travel to the most remote locations, scouring the wilderness.

Oh, wow. The size of that!

But sometimes the animals are much closer than you might think.

In today's towns and cities, human beings are not the only residents.

As we expand

into the natural environment with our buildings

and our cars, we're pushing the animals out,

but more and more often the animals are choosing to move back in.

They're becoming our deadly neighbours.

Deadly neighbours are adaptable animals that have learnt

to thrive in the urban environment.

They're smart, cunning,

resilient,

even cheeky.

Sometimes we're glad to live alongside them,

sometimes they're less welcome.

But they're always fascinating.

Living alongside animals may be rewarding

but some could be dangerous to us.

RESIDENT: Hey guys, come look at this.

Bears are cruising the streets of America,

alligators are taking the plunge in Florida's swimming pools,

and moose can cause chaos on our roads.

CAR HORNS HONK

As animals are searching for space in an increasingly crowded world

the boundaries between our world and theirs get blurred.

Where towns border the wilderness animals can often be found

wandering the streets.

And quite often that means that wild animals end up wandering

right into people's back gardens, like moose.

Now this guy

who's in the local strawberry patch,

is a young male, but he's absolutely massive.

The moose is the largest species of deer found on the planet and this

one's quite young, he doesn't have big branching

antlers but when they do,

a fully grown male, it can be a very intimidating animal indeed.

Don't be deceived by the calm,

almost amusing appearance of the moose.

They're big, strong and sometimes just plain scary.

When they feel threatened they either flee or they attack.

Moose as large as two metres tall wander through city centres

and down highways and byways.

This leads to crashes and collisions as dangerous to us

as they are to the moose.

ONLOOKER: Wow!

The moose's cousin, the elk can be equally problematic.

During the rutting season hundreds of elk

come into town in Wyoming, USA.

And it's during this time that things can get pretty heated.

Weighing as much as a small car and with antlers that can stretch

over a metre across, an elk in love

is definitely a neighbour you don't want to get into an argument with.

And if you think that's scary, well the people around here also

have to put up with bears, both brown and black

wandering right into their back gardens

and going through their garbage.

Bears are huge heavy beasts with strength that's almost unparalleled.

Armed with massive claws and impressive canines,

an adult male can kill a deer with a single swipe of its paw.

So it's not surprising that most people

want to give them a wide berth. That, though, isn't always possible.

Their sense of smell is about a hundred thousand times

more potent than our own, meaning they smell an easy meal miles away

and they get drawn in by our mountains of rubbish.

Although bears are generally shy and usually avoid humans,

the more time they spend in our towns

the less afraid they are of people,

and this is when they can become dangerous.

Bears don't seek humans out as food but if they feel frightened,

cornered or are protecting cubs they can lash out.

BEAR SCREECHES

In British Colombia, Canada,

'I saw one of these urban bears for myself.'

I don't believe it!

Be under no illusion,

these bears may look cute and cuddly

but trying to cuddle one would be quite a bad idea.

Wandering across the road in front of us is a bear.

Look at this, it's just walking

right down the footpath and this is the kind of situation

the people in Whistler deal with everyday.

Black bears may feed mainly on plants but this is still a bear.

In spring they emerge from their dens, they haven't eaten in months,

they're lean, hungry and ready to stuff their faces.

As our towns and cities expand into the wilderness

bears are learning that the quickest way to bulk up is to eat

our high calorie junk.

It's an animal's fast food,

a magnet that draws many bears into town.

So people do everything they can to discourage bears.

The way you get rid of rubbish is really important around bears

and with their incredible sense of smell

they can actually pick up the scent of rubbish from miles around

and they can get into a conventional rubbish bin really easily,

so special bear bins like this,

that they can't get their paws into, are absolutely essential.

These bins are an important way to put off bears.

They're designed to be extremely tough

and to withstand a hungry determined 400 kilogram bear.

There's no doubt bears are an impressive animal,

and one that you don't want to run into unexpectedly.

But there is another deadly neighbour which

people are encountering more often,

and these can be even more dangerous than bears -

saltwater crocodiles.

In Australia, saltwater crocodiles are one of the few animals

that can on occasion hunt, and even kill a human being.

They can exceed six metres in length and weigh almost a ton,

feeding mostly on large animals that come down to the waterside to drink.

The proximity of much of its habitat to people means run-ins do happen.

And these can sometimes lead to attacks.

If there is a known dangerous crocodile living close to humans

then all we can do is remove the problem animal.

This is something I witnessed firsthand in Australia

with a giant saltwater crocodile.

Here on Australia's Northern Territories

the rivers genuinely are full of big crocodiles

but local people have learnt how to deal with it

and so it's very rarely a problem.

Every once in a while

a crocodile starts to associate people with food,

and then that is a problem and it needs to be moved.

I'm here with local rangers to help them out

and also to get as close as you possibly can in the wild

to a saltwater crocodile.

Tonight we're hunting a particular croc that the rangers know

has been getting a bit too close to fishermen on the riverbank.

CREW: I'll take the bag first, Steve.

Healthy crocs very rarely pose a threat to humans

but when a massive crocodile starts to take an interest in people

something needs to be done, and fast.

So we've got one now about 20 metres off to our left,

just there look.

Not our croc for sure.

After several hours of searching we spot our croc,

just metres away from a fisherman on the bank.

OK, up here look, just go to your right, he's midstream there.

Yeah. Yeah, he's just in there.

OK, neutral.

OK, just put it up there now.

'I didn't realise how massive the crocodile was until it got closer.'

Here he comes.

The croc's rolling.

This is part of the way it feeds,

he's using, clamping down those massive jaws

then using its bulk to tear its prey apart, but it's also using that now

to try and escape the noose,

and you can feel the power,

it's actually lifting the boat up and down.

'As if to prove a point, he tries to eat the boat!'

Just put two on him. Yeah, pull him up.

CROC GROWLS

So this is the problem croc we were hoping to find.

They've actually been calling him Mister Stinky because you can,

you can smell him.

He's not in amazingly good condition and he has been hanging out

in an area where there are quite a lot of people

and sort of picking up scraps, and a croc this size

could certainly do an awful lot of damage.

This croc's probably too big to get onto the boat

so I think they'll drag him back to the ramp and get him onto dry land,

suss out his condition

and then work a plan about what we're going to do with this monster.

When you've got the animal here you can see why it is that this

croc could become a potential danger.

I mean he's been in a fair few fights with some other larger crocs,

some of his feet are a bit mangled,

he's got some nasty scaring here and he's looking a bit thin really.

Obviously not a croc in absolute peak condition

and that's why he's turned from his usual prey of fish

which obviously swims quite fast to,

to kind of, picking up scraps

and getting too close to people and it's not that

much of a leap from where he is now to actually taking a person.

He will now live out the rest of his days in captivity.

It's important to remember that these crocodiles are just

doing what feels natural to them, but still it's not surprising

most people don't want a saltie as a next door neighbour!

The crocodile's American cousin, the alligator,

is moving even further into our towns.

They can get a taste for feeding on our pets and domestic animals,

and very occasionally will bite a person.

This is one creature you certainly wouldn't want

prowling round your neighbourhood at night.

Alligators have inhabited Florida's swamps and rivers for millennia

but in recent years Florida's been overrun by human development.

Alligators looking for new territories are frequently

turning up on the streets and in people's gardens.

Only with the help of expert animal handlers

and human vigilance can both humans and animals stay happy.

As our towns and cities grow,

more and more deadly neighbours come in searching for space and food.

This means we're increasingly finding ourselves

living alongside some remarkable wildlife.

When these successful predators put their deadly skills to use

in populated areas, conflicts can occur.

These animals don't want to cause us harm,

they're just doing what comes naturally

in a far from natural world.

Our next deadly neighbours can get into all the hard-to-reach places,

are often venomous and also happen to be a favourite on Deadly 60.

Snakes.

In most of the world, snakes pose little threat to people.

But in places where people work barefoot in the fields,

like India and Sri Lanka, accidents do happen.

Sometimes the snakes slither into people's homes looking for food.

Mice and rats are attracted in by our food, and the snakes follow.

Some people live happily

side-by-side with these living pest controllers

but if the snakes are venomous, who you going to call?

'Well, in South Africa,

'it was me!'

So Donald is responsible for picking up snakes

that have actually gone into people's houses and their gardens.

We've had a call that there's a spitting cobra

right inside someone's garden

so I think now we're going to find out exactly where it is

and head in, and hopefully catch and release the snake.

So the initial call has suggested that this is a spitting cobra

so the obvious thing we have to be thinking about, really, is our eyes.

This is a snake that in the right conditions

could spit two metres, perhaps even three,

and if it gets into your eyes, it could potentially blind you

so everyone's going to be very, very careful

to wear protective eye covering.

Spitting cobras aren't anyone's idea of the ideal neighbour.

When they feel threatened,

spitting cobras can spit venom from their fangs.

The spray is incredibly accurate

and the snake aims straight for the eyes.

The venom burns into the eyes,

causing temporary and sometimes permanent blindness.

This is just to give the cobra a chance to slither off.

Knowing they're just defending themselves, though,

isn't going to help your average homeowner

so it's not surprising they wanted rid of this unwanted neighbour.

Hello, are you Cherene?

-Hi. Yes, I am.

-Hi, hello.

'We've run through exactly what we'll do

'and have all the right equipment and protection.

'With all the work that I do with venomous snakes in the wild,

'it'd be crazy to risk getting bitten

'by a snake in a suburban garden.'

We're going to have to move these pots, aren't we?

-Just shift them back slightly.

-They'll be heavy.

'The spitting cobra's chosen quite a nice neighbourhood to make its home.

'Unfortunately, its new neighbours

'are not quite so thrilled that it's moved in.'

There, do you see it?

-You see it? Where, out the back?

-Under this pipe.

-Ah, yeah, I see it.

-You can see it?

-I still can't.

So it is a spitting cobra.

So the most important thing, really,

is to make sure the wind's blowing in this direction

so it'll take the venom away from us, that way

but very, very careful about it not getting in the eyes.

OK, that one is really heavy.

Yeah.

Oh! Just had a spit, couple of spits.

And there it is.

OK, so I've got the head quite well secured.

The next thing to do is to just

get a hold of the tail...

..and there we have it,

out in the open.

Look at that, what a beautiful snake.

Now, the reason that it's chosen to come in here, obviously,

is because it feeds primarily on things like small rodents,

which are very much attracted to human habitation

and certainly means people no harm

but it just offers a wonderful opportunity for the snake...

It just spat.

If I wasn't wearing my goggles, it would have got me in the eyes

and actually, if you look at the centre of the snake,

it looks to me, it's got a couple of lumps in there,

I reckon this snake has actually

been feeding on rodents

so actually, these animals can be wonderful for pest control

if you can put up with having them in your garden

and obviously, a lot of people can't.

Oh, bam!

Ee-yah!

OK, let's get this in the box.

And...

the snake's secure.

Yay! Well done. You saved the snake.

-Great stuff.

-Excellent. Yeah. And now we go somewhere safe...

-And set it free.

-Yeah.

-Wonderful.

A happy ending for the snake and for the people.

So we drove well out of town away from people to release the snake.

'Releasing the snake out here has not just protected the people

'but the snake too.

'Most people would kill a venomous snake on sight.

'Ironically, when they're taking on the snake

'is just when people are most likely to get bitten.'

And there's plenty of wild land here

for it to make a home.

So...

This should make for one very happy snake.

So with both snake and people happy

I'd say that's a job well done!

It isn't always the case, though,

that people want to avoid or get rid of animals.

Sometimes they actively encourage them into town.

In Ethiopia, people have learned to live happily

alongside a top predator - the spotted hyena.

Spotted hyenas have a filthy reputation

as bone-crunching scavengers, but that's not the full story.

They're also superlative predators.

It's unbelievable, then,

that you can find them living so close to human beings.

HYENAS YOWL

When I was in Harar in Ethiopia,

I was amazed to find loads of hyena sign

just yards away from where people were living.

It's all been munched!

Look at that.

They'd have gone in there

and made sure they get the brain out of the brain cavity there.

It's all pretty gruesome stuff.

This is just extraordinary.

Harar city is just a stone's throw that way.

We're surrounded on all sides by houses,

you can hear donkeys braying just over there,

I mean, we are right in the middle of full-on human habitation

and this is an active hyena den.

Now, I can tell it's active instantly.

There's lots and lots of shed hair around here,

there's a horn just there,

which has been chewed up and left behind.

This is in constant use.

Personally, I think it's incredibly exciting

that people can live harmoniously alongside a hunter like the hyena.

What's even more surprising

is that hyenas are actively encouraged to come into the city.

People obviously use these holes now as entranceways into the city

but originally they were built so that hyenas could come inside.

'Generations ago, the people of Harar started feeding the hyenas.'

In return, they hoped

the hyenas would protect them from evil spirits.

This tradition still goes on every night.

As night fell, the local hyena man, Yusef,

introduced me to his nocturnal guests.

YUSEF WHISTLES

Oh, my goodness!

YUSEF SPEAKS HIS OWN LANGUAGE

I just can't get used to this at all.

Imagine any other situation

where you could come nose to nose with a predator this powerful...

..and not get savaged!

This is a bit much for me, I have to say.

'With a bit of mutual respect and understanding,

'humans can learn to live alongside almost any wild neighbour,

'even some of the deadliest on earth.'

HE WHISTLES

Animals are not just visitors to our towns.

Some never leave.

Our gardens and homes are overrun by creepy-crawlies -

in particular, spiders.

As a child growing up in England,

the insects and spiders I found around my house and garden

didn't pose me any threat, but this isn't the case

if you're growing up in Australia!

Australia's well-known for having some of the most venomous,

the most potentially dangerous spiders on the planet

and it's obviously those that I'm looking for.

The one I'm hoping to find

is probably Australia's most well-known deadly spider -

the redback.

Although it's only small, around 350 people are put in hospital

by redback bites every year.

'It's very common in populated areas

'and is particularly fond of outbuildings, roofs and garages.'

Watch your head, Steve.

I'm not doing very well at the moment.

Come and get a load of this.

OK, I'm not entirely sure how we're going to film this.

Yeah, that's going to work.

Tucked in here

is one of the most feared spiders in the world.

In some other parts of the world,

this is known as the black widow.

Here in Australia, it's called a redback.

Let's see if I can get her out.

If I can just coax her out onto the web.

Here she comes. There.

There she is.

Let's see if I can light it up with my torch.

Isn't she wonderful?

It probably looks like this is just an untidy mess of a web,

certainly in comparison to the beautiful dew-drop covered ones

you'll find in your back garden,

but actually, this is an absolutely brilliantly designed

way of catching flying insects.

The dry, sheltered sites found in junk piles, sheds or toilets

are an ideal place for the redback's web.

The threads are placed under high tension.

It's like someone's got an elastic rope

and stuck it down using a patch of glue.

When an insect,

like this ant here, wanders by,

it snags one of those trap lines,

firing it up into the air,

leaving it dangling there suspended.

The redback spider then heads down to haul it up,

bite it and paralyse it.

That venom, designed to immobilise the prey,

has the unfortunate side effect

of being extremely painful and toxic to us too.

The redback spider is truly taking advantage of the new opportunities

that man-made habitats provide.

Not all of the animals we live with are dangerous to us.

Some of them are top predators in their own world

but completely harmless to people.

And they hunt the high places of our cities

with all the skills and speed they use to dominate their own world.

The red-tailed hawk stalks New York,

its screaming call ringing around the skyscrapers.

HAWK SCREECHES

And the red fox has adapted so well to city life

that in a single year, a fox can turn from being completely rural

to totally urban.

And in cities like Bangkok,

there are lights and activity 24 hours a day,

drawing in endless flying bugs

for the moth-munching tokay gecko.

These are welcome house guests

as they eat insects, acting as living pest control.

They've learned to hang out around lamps and other sources of light

that attract insects into the home at night.

Tokay geckos are as much at home in the urban jungle

as in the natural forest.

Cityscapes are also the perfect vertical world

for a bird with the need for speed -

the peregrine falcon.

To begin with, peregrines weren't always successful in cities.

Urban sprawl meant their own homes were destroyed

to make way for skyscrapers and other buildings. But now,

peregrines are taking back some of the habitat they lost.

And they're breeding in more and more cities.

Perhaps for the peregrine, our teetering tower blocks

are like concrete cliff faces,

the ideal vantage point to spot prey and make their nests.

Cities attract pigeons, which are their number one food of choice.

And the peregrine plummets from the clouds at 200 miles an hour,

outpacing any city sports car.

Being a deadly hunter is not much use

if you're not able to move with the times

and the peregrine does it in city slicker style.

Our deadly neighbours are adaptable opportunists,

able to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Whether it's animals wandering in from the wilderness

or city slickers that are here to stay,

as our urban sprawl eats away at the wild world,

more and more of the animals take action,

taking advantage of new opportunities

to make the most of what we leave behind

and while you can still see great animals out in the wild,

some of the best ones are right in your back yard.

Join me next time as I continue my search for the Deadly 60.

Size of that!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

Deadly!