0:00:02 > 0:00:04My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:04 > 0:00:05Whoo!
0:00:05 > 0:00:07And this is my search...
0:00:07 > 0:00:10for 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 > 0:00:20'My crew and I are travelling the planet.'
0:00:20 > 0:00:21And you're coming with me!
0:00:21 > 0:00:22Every step of the way.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35On Deadly 60 we're incredibly lucky.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Oh, my goodness! 'Travelling the world...'
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Wow, it is a massive herd!
0:00:40 > 0:00:42'..to see wild animals...'
0:00:42 > 0:00:43No way.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45'..at their lethal best.'
0:00:46 > 0:00:49But even the toughest animals in an ever-changing world,
0:00:49 > 0:00:53can come under threat and this special programme is about them.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55This is Deadly Endangered.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Animals become endangered when their numbers drop dangerously low.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06So low that they're at risk of becoming extinct
0:01:06 > 0:01:09and disappearing for ever from the wild.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Around 5,600 species
0:01:13 > 0:01:17are listed as being endangered, plus almost 4,000
0:01:17 > 0:01:19that are critically endangered.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22The cat family is very much at risk,
0:01:22 > 0:01:27with all 36 species under threat and declining in numbers -
0:01:27 > 0:01:30including the mightiest of them all - the tiger.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32The tiger is critically endangered,
0:01:32 > 0:01:36with fewer than 3,200 left in the wild.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41The Caspian, Balinese and Javan tigers have already gone extinct.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46So we were incredibly lucky to see tigers in the wild.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48ALL: Tiger, tiger!
0:01:53 > 0:01:56'When in India, I had the opportunity to see
0:01:56 > 0:01:59'arguably the most formidable land predator alive today.'
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Oh, yes, I can see it.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Oh, wow!
0:02:10 > 0:02:13That's just so beautiful.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20It's getting up now, moving further away into the forest.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23You'd think that bright orange,
0:02:23 > 0:02:25black and white would be a lousy colour scheme
0:02:25 > 0:02:28and would show up anywhere but I can barely see her.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32It's about to come out and cross the road.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Look at that!
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Just sauntering across the road in front of us.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48'So why is this tough, top predator in so much trouble?'
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Well, one of the reasons is the very thing
0:02:51 > 0:02:54that makes them so treasured.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Cats have incredibly beautiful fur coats, and sadly,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01these have become objects of human desire.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05For many, wearing a fur from an animal like a tiger
0:03:05 > 0:03:07is a status symbol.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09But attitudes can change.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12In countries like Tibet, people stopped wearing these skins
0:03:12 > 0:03:15after the Dalai Lama, their spiritual leader,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18called for a ban on wearing them.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20But there is still much to be done.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Records show around 800 animals have gone extinct in recent times.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31Animals like the dodo became extinct in the late 17th century,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34when these large flightless birds were hunted for food.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39The thylacine or Tasmanian wolf
0:03:39 > 0:03:43was systematically hunted to extinction by humans.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48The last known animal died in a zoo in Tasmania in 1936.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Today, there's another animal that's currently very close
0:03:51 > 0:03:54to going the same way as the Tasmanian wolf.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58This time, it's the endangered Ethiopian wolf.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05These are the Central Highlands of Ethiopia - a really special place.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Some of the animals that occur here are found nowhere else on earth.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13But one animal we've come here to find is under tremendous pressure.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15In recent years, it's suffered from hunting, habitat loss,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17and most recently, from disease.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20It's the most threatened species of the dog family,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22it's the Abyssinian wolf.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Even more endangered than the tiger, the Abyssinian or Ethiopian Wolf
0:04:28 > 0:04:31is the rarest member of the dog family.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36And with less than 500 in the wild, it's teetering on the edge.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40It could easily disappear for ever in the next few years.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44So given this animal is so rare, it's one of my greatest privileges
0:04:44 > 0:04:46to have had a glimpse of one
0:04:46 > 0:04:50when we were in Ethiopia's Guassa mountains.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56That's it, that's it, that's it, that's it!
0:04:57 > 0:05:01OK, come on, guys, get out very, very quietly.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06This is unbelievable.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12The hillside here is covered in gelada baboons and heading off,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15right through the middle of them, up through that valley,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17is an Ethiopian wolf.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23I don't know what to say about this, really,
0:05:23 > 0:05:27I mean, wolves are my favourite animal in the whole world
0:05:27 > 0:05:30and this is the rarest member of the dog family
0:05:30 > 0:05:32found on the whole planet.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37There's anywhere from 200 to 500 individuals left in the wild.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39This really is one of the most privileged sights you can have
0:05:39 > 0:05:42in wildlife
0:05:42 > 0:05:43in the whole world.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50The main reason this wolf is so rare is habitat loss.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Ethiopia's population is expanding at a frightening rate.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59All those people need more and more space to live,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02and also to grow their food.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05And as people take over the land
0:06:05 > 0:06:07for farming, that means less and less space
0:06:07 > 0:06:12for the Ethiopian Wolf to live and raise their own families.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Now, all the wolves have been squeezed into the highest
0:06:17 > 0:06:20mountain ranges of Ethiopia, which is where we are now.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24He sees something, he stops dead
0:06:24 > 0:06:27and then just goes into stealth mode,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30moving really, really slowly.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33There's definitely something in front of him.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44CAMERAMAN: Think he caught a mole, I think, too.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46No, no.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Well, that is conclusive proof
0:06:52 > 0:06:54that this is a seriously effective predator,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57and there's more than enough of its favourite rodent prey up here
0:06:57 > 0:07:00for it to feed on.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04But sadly this wolf isn't just threatened by habitat loss.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10Local Ethiopians, like so many people around the world, keep dogs,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12and pet dogs in Ethiopia
0:07:12 > 0:07:15have one of the highest rates of rabies in the world,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19a disease which ultimately is fatal.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24And wolves can easily catch rabies
0:07:24 > 0:07:26when they come into contact with pet dogs.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29DOGS BARK
0:07:30 > 0:07:33So vaccinations are being given to these local dogs
0:07:33 > 0:07:37to reduce the threat of rabies to the Ethiopian Wolf.
0:07:42 > 0:07:48Such a distinctive, striking-looking animal, really bright red colour
0:07:48 > 0:07:51with a white rump and a dark tail.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53The Abyssinian wolf,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57probably the rarest animal we'll ever encounter on Deadly 60
0:07:57 > 0:08:00and I think, one of the most special and definitely,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02definitely, going on my list.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09This truly is one of the rarest and most endangered mammals on earth.
0:08:09 > 0:08:14The crisis that's affecting the world's wildlife is perhaps
0:08:14 > 0:08:16even more acute out at sea.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21Our oceans have long been seen as an endless source of infinite food.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24But we catch fish by the billions
0:08:24 > 0:08:25and harvest sharks by the millions
0:08:25 > 0:08:28in order to meet a seemingly insatiable demand
0:08:28 > 0:08:30for shark fin soup.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34It's recently become clear that we're simply emptying the seas.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Over the years, there's one kind of animal that's suffered more
0:08:39 > 0:08:42at human hands than perhaps any other, and that's the whales.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Hunted for their meat, their fat and special oils
0:08:45 > 0:08:47that they keep in their heads.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52There's two basic kinds of whales - toothed whales, like sperm whales...
0:08:56 > 0:08:59..and the baleen whales -
0:08:59 > 0:09:01those that sieve food out of the water,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04using special plates that hang from their upper jaw.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07This is the skull of a minke whale,
0:09:07 > 0:09:11which is, believe it or not, the smallest of the baleen whales.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14But this monster,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17this belongs to a fin whale.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Now the fin whale is the second largest creature
0:09:22 > 0:09:25that's ever known to have lived on this planet.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27This is the top of the skull
0:09:27 > 0:09:30and running down here is the upper jaw.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34All the way down to there.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37But there's another kind of whale that dwarfs even this -
0:09:37 > 0:09:41the largest animal on earth, the blue whale.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48The blue whale is the largest animal that's ever known to have lived,
0:09:48 > 0:09:50even bigger than the dinosaurs.
0:09:53 > 0:09:5730 metres long and weighing as much as a jumbo jet,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00its tongue alone weighs as much as an elephant.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05But after years of persecution, by the 1990s,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08it was in serious trouble.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Numbers of this icon amongst animals
0:10:10 > 0:10:13had been reduced from around a quarter of a million
0:10:13 > 0:10:14to just a few thousand
0:10:14 > 0:10:19and that's because they were hunted by man for their meat and oil.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27The hunting of whales had been occurring for centuries.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33At its peak, as many as 30,000 blue whales were killed every year.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39Huge factory ships used cutting edge technology to find whales,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42run them down and harpoon them.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47There was simply no escape and more and more were killed every year.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Whales take a long time to mature and reproduce.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Populations simply couldn't sustain so much plunder.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Eventually things got so bad that in 1986,
0:10:57 > 0:10:59the International Whaling Commission
0:10:59 > 0:11:02banned the commercial hunting of whales.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Though a few countries still continue whaling,
0:11:05 > 0:11:09slowly the numbers of some whales have been building back up.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11In particular, the humpback whale,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15which I was lucky enough to encounter in Alaska.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Keep an eye out if you see any whales, relay it back to us,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19cos these folks are interested in filming 'em.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29There's quite a lot of bird activity here.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32You see lots of different seabirds, all off the side of the boat
0:11:32 > 0:11:34and this is all down to the fact that these seas
0:11:34 > 0:11:37are just stuffed full of life.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40They're very cold, but because the tides are so heavy
0:11:40 > 0:11:43and there are so many currents, it brings up nutrients from down low.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45The small fish feed on that, the bigger fish feed on those
0:11:45 > 0:11:47and the predators feed on them
0:11:47 > 0:11:51and that's why these seas are so full of some of the largest,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54some of the most spectacular animals in the whole world.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57And humpbacks are certainly one of those.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00They're the most playful and social of all whales,
0:12:00 > 0:12:02breaching,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05slapping the water and charming us
0:12:05 > 0:12:09with one of the most beautiful mournful songs imaginable.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12If hunting had continued at previous levels,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15these animals would almost certainly be extinct and sights like these
0:12:15 > 0:12:17would be for ever forgotten.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24- Straight ahead. - That, yes, yes, I see one.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Ooh, yes!
0:12:28 > 0:12:31'When I was a kid, these animals were so rare
0:12:31 > 0:12:33'that few people would ever see a sight like this.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37'Commercial whaling decimated the numbers of humpbacks
0:12:37 > 0:12:40'to just a few thousand, in all the oceans of the world.'
0:12:44 > 0:12:45It's a humpback
0:12:45 > 0:12:50and it looks to me like probably a mother and calf.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Just off to the side of us here.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Just here, Johnny, look.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58That's definitely a calf.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Humpback whales migrate throughout the year.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03So in the summer months,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07they come up here where it's really rich and the sea is full of food,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09and gorge themselves.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11They get really, really fat.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13After not eating all winter,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16the whales here will be really ready to feed up.
0:13:16 > 0:13:21Their plated throats expand as they gulp in huge mouthfuls of water,
0:13:21 > 0:13:25full of shrimp-like krill, plankton and small fish.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29They then strain the water out through their baleen plates.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30Pretty impressive stuff.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34But to capitalise on the food bonanza of the Alaskan summer,
0:13:34 > 0:13:38the humpbacks are doing something more extraordinary.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42They've developed a unique way of hunting as a team.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50After diving down and taking their positions,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53the herd circles the fish, keeping them contained,
0:13:53 > 0:13:58before another whale dives below the shoal and emits a deafening cry
0:13:58 > 0:14:01that's as loud as a rocket launch.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08These sounds drive the fish upwards as they try and escape the noise.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13Next, another whale begins blowing a net of bubbles around the shoal.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17As the fish are driven up and herded from the sides,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20they're forced into this bubble net. There's no escape.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22With their mouths wide open,
0:14:22 > 0:14:26the team of hunters come charging up through the tunnel of bubbles,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29engulfing the fish in their mouths.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33They can eat more than ten times my weight in food every day.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Some countries continue whaling, even today,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46and still lobby to allow commercial whaling to return,
0:14:46 > 0:14:51again exposing the few thousand humpbacks to the hunter's harpoons.
0:14:51 > 0:14:52But many other countries
0:14:52 > 0:14:56are learning from the mistakes of the past,
0:14:56 > 0:15:00using human reasoning to plan for a more understanding future.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03One of the new ways to make money from whales is tourism,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06tracking them down with cameras,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09rather than harpoons and spears.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Every year, millions of people pay billions of pounds
0:15:17 > 0:15:19to go and watch whales,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23and now, some countries are realising
0:15:23 > 0:15:26that whales are worth more alive than dead.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36The ban on commercial whaling is starting to work,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40with the populations of many kinds of whales starting to recover.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Another marine mammal that faced extinction from hunting
0:15:44 > 0:15:46wasn't hunted for food, but for its glorious fur.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Far from being an ocean giant,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54this is the smallest marine mammal.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56The sea otter.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Now, this is the reason that sea otters have struggled
0:16:01 > 0:16:04so much over the years. This is its pelt.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08And what you're looking at here is just remarkably soft and warm.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12It's so good at insulating, just putting your hand on it,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14it instantly starts to feel hot,
0:16:14 > 0:16:16almost like the fur has some heat of its own.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19It's just down to the density of the fur here.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23There's as many as a million hairs per square inch.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26It's absolutely remarkable for keeping the sea otter warm,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30but human hunters have valued this more than almost any other fur.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32In the 1700s and 1800s,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35this animal was hunted to the brink of extinction.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38But now, in Alaska, it's made a remarkable recovery.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43In fact, about 90% of the world's sea otters are found right here.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45As many as 150,000 animals.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50It is, without doubt, one of the cutest animals
0:16:50 > 0:16:51we've featured on the Deadly 60.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54But I wouldn't advise trying for a cuddle!
0:16:54 > 0:16:57They're in the weasel family
0:16:57 > 0:16:59and have a brutal bite.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01They're also resourceful,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04one of the few mammals to use tools to get at their food.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10They dive down, chose a nice, flat rock, place it on their chest,
0:17:10 > 0:17:14and repeatedly smash stubborn, hard to open shellfish against it
0:17:14 > 0:17:17until the tasty snacks are revealed.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20They've even been known to hammer open shells
0:17:20 > 0:17:23on the sides of expensive yachts.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28And we're at one of their favourite hangouts.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32Wow. There's a pretty good raft just over there.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve...
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Oh, my goodness! That's unreal!
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Wow!
0:17:43 > 0:17:46The recovery of sea otters has been a real success story.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50This animal was hunted almost to extinction for its fur.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55And just off our bow here, there must be 20 animals,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58all tied into the kelp in what's known as a raft.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01They're just making sure they don't drift away
0:18:01 > 0:18:04and can just rest easy at the surface.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10They're just wonderful animals, like little floating bears.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13And luckily for us, they breed all year round.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15So there are loads of pups about,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19looking even more like fluffy teddy bears than their parents.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23And although they're no longer hunted for their fur,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26there are still other threats to the sea otter.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34In 1989, a huge oil tanker called the Exxon Valdez
0:18:34 > 0:18:37spilled millions of gallons of oil
0:18:37 > 0:18:42in one of Alaska's most pristine environments.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Despite huge efforts to clean up the oil,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49it was inevitable that wildlife would suffer.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53A huge spill like this in one of the sea otter's strongholds
0:18:53 > 0:18:57killed hundreds, if not thousands, of them,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59along with tens of thousands of sea birds.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Man-made environmental disasters
0:19:02 > 0:19:05remain a serious threat to our endangered wildlife.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08But with protection,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11the otter population has recovered
0:19:11 > 0:19:16and Alaska is one of the best places in the world to see sea otters.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21Hunting of the sea otter for its fur
0:19:21 > 0:19:24was the main cause of its decline.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26But now that it's protected by law,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28its populations are recovering.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31But even if animals are protected,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34life is very tough if there's nowhere for them to live.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Habitat loss is probably
0:19:36 > 0:19:40the main cause of animals becoming endangered,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43and of animals being pushed to extinction.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47The human population continues to expand at a fast rate
0:19:47 > 0:19:51and the pressure on our wilderness and wildlife is growing.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54There are over double the amount of people in the world now
0:19:54 > 0:19:56than 50 years ago.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Those people are moving ever outwards
0:19:59 > 0:20:03into lands that were once safe for wildlife.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06But we can help preserve some of the wildest countryside
0:20:06 > 0:20:08for our endangered animals.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12The first ever national park was Yellowstone,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15set up in America in 1872.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20At nearly 9,000 square kilometres,
0:20:20 > 0:20:24it's huge and is home to grizzly bears, grey wolves,
0:20:24 > 0:20:26and the American bison.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34Around 40 million of these mighty beasts used to roam North America.
0:20:34 > 0:20:35But wholesale hunting,
0:20:35 > 0:20:39with tens of thousands of buffalo killed in a single day,
0:20:39 > 0:20:44meant that numbers quickly dropped to a few thousand remaining animals.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48But with conservation efforts that began in the early 1900s,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51numbers have risen and there are around 30,000 in the wild,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54and the bison is no longer endangered,
0:20:54 > 0:20:59with the biggest wild herd here in the protected lands of Yellowstone.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Yellowstone was the first, but today, 140 years later,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10there are over 6,000 national parks around the world,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13many of them home to endangered wildlife.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Africa's first national park was opened in 1925,
0:21:19 > 0:21:23in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Today, it's home to one of Africa's most endangered
0:21:26 > 0:21:29and probably most protected animals.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34There are more people looking after mountain gorillas
0:21:34 > 0:21:37than there are mountain gorillas alive on the planet.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43A team of vets is dedicated to their welfare.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45They're on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49ready to respond at a moment's notice.
0:21:52 > 0:21:53As well as these vets,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57teams of wildlife rangers monitor the gorillas' every movement.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01Anti-poaching squads protect them from harm.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04And scientists study their behaviour.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07Thanks to all this effort,
0:22:07 > 0:22:11we can still see mountain gorillas in the wild,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14as I did on one of my most memorable encounters
0:22:14 > 0:22:17with this not-always-so-gentle giant!
0:22:19 > 0:22:22For an animal that feeds entirely on vegetation,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25gorillas are one of the most over-powered,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27deadly creatures on the planet.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33They're stacked with huge muscles and have enormous teeth.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36But as they only feed on plants,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38why are they built like an all-in wrestler?
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Well, gorillas are fiercely loyal
0:22:42 > 0:22:46and will fight to the death to defend their families.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52That can mean big predators like leopards
0:22:52 > 0:22:54and other massive mountain gorillas.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06There, Johnny.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Our first sight. Look, they're all around us.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13There! A silverback.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19'It feels quite vulnerable to be so close,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22'knowing if he wanted to charge, he'd be on me in a heartbeat.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25'We try and keep a respectful distance,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28'so we don't disturb the gorillas as they feed.'
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Johnny, Johnny, Johnny.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36'Suddenly a cheeky, confident young male moves menacingly towards us.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41'The guides make me stand my ground as he comes in for a closer look.'
0:23:43 > 0:23:44Ooh!
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Right, well, that...
0:23:54 > 0:23:59..is a black-backed gorilla, letting us know who's boss.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Ooh!
0:24:01 > 0:24:03HE LAUGHS
0:24:06 > 0:24:09The fact that mountain gorillas still exist in the wild
0:24:09 > 0:24:12has taken superhuman efforts.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Although with only around 700 left in the wild,
0:24:15 > 0:24:20they remain endangered and are still under constant threat.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24But as long as we can protect them,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26numbers will hopefully rise
0:24:26 > 0:24:29and it proves that we can make a difference.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32But perhaps one of the greatest back-from-the-brink
0:24:32 > 0:24:36extinction stories occurs with another iconic African mammal.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Up to four metres long and weighing over two tonnes,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42the rhino is the second biggest land mammal,
0:24:42 > 0:24:46and although it's not a predator, it's certainly deadly.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49They're bad-tempered, surprisingly fast
0:24:49 > 0:24:53and, well, really big.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58Territorial males and females with calves can be a real handful.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04But wherever rhino are found, they're in trouble.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06White rhino.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Black rhino.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10The armour-plated Indian rhino are all endangered.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14The Javan rhino is down to the last few individuals,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16and is unlikely to survive.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24Rhino might look like massive, living armoured tanks,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27and you might think they're perfectly capable of looking after
0:25:27 > 0:25:30themselves, but actually, every species that's found throughout
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Africa and Asia is under threat and it's all for the same reason.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36This giant, impressive horn
0:25:36 > 0:25:41is actually made pretty much out of matted hair.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44But many people believe that it can be used in medicines.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48There's absolutely no scientific proof that it works but, regardless,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52it can actually fetch as much as 60,000 per kilo
0:25:52 > 0:25:54and because of that,
0:25:54 > 0:25:59these animals are being absolutely plundered by poachers.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02But there's been a superhuman effort to try and protect
0:26:02 > 0:26:05rhinos around the world, with armed patrols
0:26:05 > 0:26:07to prevent poaching.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11At one point, the numbers of southern white rhino dropped
0:26:11 > 0:26:13to as low as just 20 to 30 animals.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19But what followed was one the greatest conservation
0:26:19 > 0:26:21success stories of recent times.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28Today, over 17,000 of these rhino can be found in Africa.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33It's all due to the hard work of those who have chosen to protect
0:26:33 > 0:26:35this magnificent animal.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Our attitudes to wildlife are changing.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40My goodness, that's unreal!
0:26:40 > 0:26:42We're realising that animals are important
0:26:42 > 0:26:45and the planet would be a much poorer place
0:26:45 > 0:26:47without our wild counterparts.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49We've also realised that it's no good just giving up,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51because we can make a difference.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53We've got one!
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Even animals that seem doomed can be brought back from the brink.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Ooh!
0:26:59 > 0:27:02To enrich our world and totally overwhelm us.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Fill us with a sense of wonder
0:27:07 > 0:27:10and make us realise what it is to be human.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13These are the sights and sounds that make planet Earth wonderful.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Our world would not be complete without them.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27Join me next time, as I continue my search for the Deadly 60.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Subtitles by Ericsson