Jungle River Deadly Pole to Pole

My name's Steve Backshall...

..and this is Deadly Pole To Pole.

Oh!

From the top of the world to the bottom...

Whoa! Ha-ha!

Deadly places, deadly adventures

and deadly animals.

And you're coming with me,

every step of the way!

Argh!

We're continuing our adventure into South America...

..as we explore deeper into the jungles of Guiana.

Guiana lies just north of the equator.

Over 70% of it is covered in dense forests

and much of it is totally unexplored.

Now, me and my crew are on an expedition

into its most remote reaches.

The entire team is heading upriver for about four or five hours,

way into the jungle.

What we find there, we have no idea,

but trust me, it's going to be deadly.

'We're going fishing for a reptilian monster...'

How did he get out of that?!

Argh!

'..coming eye to eye with a high-voltage horror...'

Holy moly!

'..and living rough in the heart of darkness.'

Wow! Look at that!

We have liftoff!

We're motoring up the Rupununi River.

Deep in the jungle, we're setting up a remote base camp.

For the next five days, this is going to be home.

This looks...

like it doesn't get any better. This is perfect.

As the sun goes down, we head back out onto the river.

There is no doubt that the best time to be out and about

in the rainforest is at night.

This is when things really start to happen.

All of a sudden, you see animals you simply would not see in the daytime.

'And it's under the cover of darkness

'when the largest predator in these rivers comes out to hunt.

'We're on the search for the giant black caiman.'

Black caiman can grow to be longer than a minibus.

They're aquatic ambush hunters

with one of the most powerful bites in the animal kingdom.

And I'm hoping to catch one.

What we're looking out for with our torches is eye shine.

Crocodiles have a reflective layer of cells at the back

of their eyeballs which enhances their night vision

but it also glows under light.

It kind of looks like a burning, red-hot coal.

So just flickering the torch around at the edge of the water

quite often will give away the presence of a crocodile.

'But the first blood-red pair of eyes

'is a more precious find.'

This...

is an inhabitant of the river that we just haven't been seeing by day.

But at night time, its wonderful eye shine gave it away.

It's a dwarf caiman

and they are one of the smallest species of crocodilians

found on the planet,

but size isn't everything.

They are real fighters and at the moment,

the armoured scales - called scoots - behind the head

are cutting right into my hand.

They're really, really tough and fantastic at protecting the animal.

They feed primarily on fish

and they do it by sensing their vibration in the water.

Running all down the lips are scales

which are packed full of nerve endings,

which are incredibly sensitive to movement in the water,

so if a fish gets too close to that spiky trap,

it'll snap out at it, catch it and swallow it whole.

And there's no doubt that this animal really does mean business. It took me quite a lot to restrain him.

And...this one here, he's probably only just over a metre in length.

On any other trip this would be the absolute prize of our search.

But round here we can go one better.

But to catch a black caiman, I'm going to need some backup.

Out on the main river, I'm meeting up with a caiman capture team.

This team of scientists is keeping a close eye on the caiman population.

Historically, caiman around here were hunted almost to extinction.

Now they are starting to make a real recovery, and that's thanks in no small part to surveys like this.

It's really important to find out how many animals there are and how they're doing.

And to do that, you've got to catch them.

Black caimans get to be possibly 5m in length,

which is really enormous.

I mean, a croc of that size could probably turn our boat over, so we

are going to have to have enormous amounts of respect for these animals if we do manage to catch one.

We need to slip a noose over the caiman's head.

But even with an expert capture team, this isn't going to be easy.

Caiman have highly tuned senses for hunting in the dark.

They can see, feel and hear us coming.

They are also muscular powerhouses.

How did it get out of that?!

But lead scientist Fernando isn't giving up.

Right, this one looks like it might just work.

Yes, he's got it, he's got it!

I've got it, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, we have him.

Success. He's a good-sized animal as well.

The noose is now behind the caiman's head.

This isn't going to do it any harm.

To examine the caiman, we have to get it to the river bank.

Whoa!

He is so strong.

Tossing our boat round all over the place.

To keep the team safe, we need to keep those jaws shut.

Crocodilians have the strongest crushing bite in the animal kingdom.

But the muscles that open the jaws are actually quite weak,

so they can be held shut with just a piece of electrical tape.

We can now haul this monster on to dry land.

Caiman are in the alligator family,

and when you look at the snout it is classically alligator-like.

That means that it is relatively short in this direction,

quite broad here, which means it can exert really large bite forces.

Inside this mouth are 60-80 cone-shaped teeth.

Those can be replaced throughout its life,

so if it breaks them it will grow new ones back.

As we go down the body, you can see here behind the neck

are these heavily armoured scoots,

or scales, which protect the animal. That's why our noose is not going to do it any harm whatsoever.

You see the front feet are not webbed, and these are mostly used for walking along the bottom.

The back feet, though, do have webbing between the toes.

They can be used for doing a sort of breast-stroke, although when they are travelling fast

these legs will fold in flat alongside the body, like that,

and this thick, broad tail will be used

to drive it forwards.

You can see here that great pack of muscle

is what's used to power this tail.

It's a phenomenal body plan,

one that hasn't changed in tens of millions of years.

And the reason for that is it's incredibly successful.

it has the ability to change different prey sources depending on what's available.

It can feed on birds, it can feed on mammals, it can feed on fish.

That's what makes it so successful.

Before we release this magnificent beast

we're taking measurements for the survey.

This data will help ensure these black caiman

continue to thrive here.

The black caiman - strong, powerful and supremely adaptable.

And the finest predator found in these waters.

Without doubt, deadly.

-Ready, guys?

-Yeah.

He's going to be hunting this river for a very long time yet.

As long as a limousine.

Huge, crushing jaws.

Hard, armour-plated bodies, packed with muscle.

The black caiman is a near-perfect predator.

Living in our remote jungle base camp

means we're on the lookout 24 hours a day.

And some of the animals are a little too close for comfort.

This is the bathroom.

You call it a longdrop.

So, essentially, it's just a big pit, then you park yourself on there

and hope to goodness that the logs don't break and put you down inside.

But that's not the most scary thing about our bathroom.

Just here...at the base of this tree...

is a little hole.

It's home to an insect with the world's most painful sting.

Local people call these 24-hour ants,

because if you get stung by one

then you can't think of anything else but the pain for 24 hours.

Around Latin America they are much more commonly known as bullet ants.

Because the pain of being stung by one

is comparable to being shot.

This is the largest species of ant on the planet

and it's the main reason why both animals

and people in this part of the world

fear ants more than spiders, scorpions, snakes or anything else.

Though they have this formidable weapon in the form of their sting,

when they are hunting they much more often use those massive mandibles.

The sting is really kept for defence.

And it's a very, very effective one.

Ants. The little things that make the world go round.

They are absolutely fascinating.

But treat them with immense respect.

Not surprisingly, the team and I choose to leave base camp

and head out to see what else lives in the forest nearby.

Wow.

You get some monster insects in these forests.

And that grasshopper is an absolute beauty.

Whoa!

We have lift-off!

Everywhere I look there are bizarre beasts.

That is going to grow into a very, very big moth.

But in the jungle it is often the beauties that are the most deadly.

Look at that!

This...is one of the most precious rainforest jewels.

It's called a bumblebee dart frog. The bumblebee part of the name

is kind of obvious

it looks a little bit like it's wearing

a big, shiny yellow and black bumblebee costume.

The dart frog bit,

that's the important part

of its deadly function.

Poison dart frogs have the strongest natural toxins on the planet.

There are some species that have poisons that are strong enough

that in one tiny frog this size,

there's enough poison to kill ten men.

They are called poison dart frogs because tribal hunters

rub the tip of their blowpipe darts on the frogs,

covering them in their toxic secretions.

The poison is so lethal that any animal that is hit by a dart

will be brought down in a matter of minutes.

Isn't it wonderful?

The forest floor has more than its fair share of miraculous wildlife.

But it's the rivers I want to concentrate on.

I've got a feeling they're loaded with lethal.

The rivers that thread their way through these trees

are the lifeblood of the forest,

and they are absolutely bursting with life.

Some of it is bizarre, beautiful and utterly fearsome.

So to find it, we're going fishing.

These pools are the hunting ground of a fiendish fish

so ferocious it's rumoured to attack dogs,

even people, that enter the water.

To see it, first I have to catch it.

The problem is, I am without doubt one of the world's worst fishermen.

'So I've brought Kevin, our local guide, along to give us a hand.'

If that's what it's feeding on,

what we're going to catch is going to be enormous.

'Well, that doesn't look too hard. Let's have a go.'

'Hmm. Let's try again.'

STEVE LAUGHS

Oh, dear.

Just as well I'm not trying to feed a family of ten, isn't it?

'And again...'

Oh, no.

Now I'm stuck on a rock.

'And again.'

Oh... Hang on. I've got something.

Yeah, I've got one. I've got one.

'This is unheard of! I've actually caught a fish.

'And it's exactly what we're after.'

Yes, got it! Got it, got it.

Wow! Look at that.

'It's a wicked-looking wolf fish.

'Now, I need to be careful not to get bitten

'getting it out of the net.'

Agh! No, no, no, no...

I don't believe it!

That was my fault. That was totally my fault, I did that.

'I think I'll let Kevin take over from here.'

Nice throw.

'But even with his expertise, we're in for a long wait.'

'After four hours, I'm beginning to give up hope.'

I don't believe it...

Yes, we have one!

No way.

Right...

Now, this time I'm going to keep it above the net.

As you can see, they are real fighters.

So... This is the wolf fish.

Also known in these waters as the aimara.

It is a wonderful-looking beast.

The mouth's laden with needle-like teeth which point back

towards the gullet, so they work like fish hooks.

It does look like the face full of teeth

you'd expect to see in a wolf's mouth.

This is one of THE most dynamic predators of these rivers,

and they get to be a real prodigious size,

well over a metre in length, and so heavy that I would

probably struggle to be holding one like this.

They are ambush attackers,

so they'll lie in wait using this dark colouration

to blend in with the murky waters,

in those slow-moving ponds and pools at the side of the river.

It's...

It's built for explosive speed over short distances,

and you wouldn't want to be a small fish in these streams.

Because that mouth would be the most frightening thing out there.

The wolf fish.

A bulky, brutish predator,

with explosive speed

and a face full of teeth that would really make you wince.

I think they're extraordinary,

and it took an awful lot of effort, but it's undeniably deadly.

'Wolf fish can survive out of the water for long periods.

'It'll be absolutely fine.'

Wonderful!

'Bullish bulk, to overpower prey.

'Cryptic camouflage colours.

'Rows of sharp teeth that rival a piranha's.

'Another thing that makes these rivers so scary.'

'There's still one animal in this river that I want to show you.

'It's the most dangerous yet. Just touching it could stop my heart.

'It's the electric executioner...

'..the electric eel.

'This supercharged shocker

'has the incredible ability to make,

'store and discharge electricity.

'When it unleashes its 600-volt shock wave,

'it can instantly kill the fish it preys upon.

'I've experienced their shocking capabilities before,

'when I caught one in Venezuela.'

Oh, I can't tell you how spooky this is.

Yes!

'Even through my protective clothing, I got quite a shock.'

Eugh!

'This time, I want to show you eels like you've never seen them before -

'in their underwater world.

'But to do that, I'm going to have to get in the water WITH one.'

The bigger the eel, the bigger the potential shock.

So, ideally, I want to stay away from the big ones.

OK... Here goes nothing.

'The crew are kitting up in rubber waders.

'These should protect them from electric shocks.

'If I get stunned or knocked unconscious

'by a blast of electricity, they'll drag me out of the river.'

'This river is one of the only places in the world

'I'd attempt to swim with an electric eel.

'They're normally found in muddy pools with zero visibility.

'At least here, I should be able to see them coming.'

'But eels aren't the only frightening fish in this river.'

Freshwater stingray!

Absolutely beautiful.

No bigger than a dinner plate,

but they have at the base of the tail a stinger that they can

thrash around, with a venom gland at the base of it.

It's one of the creatures fishermen here fear most -

in fact, when they're watching through the water

they'll shuffle their feet to try and scare the stingray away

because you do not want to get stung.

'We're notching up the Deadly count - but still no electric eels.'

'A dark shape under a rock catches my eye.'

Oh, my goodness!

No way! No way.

I've got one!

And it's big as well, it's probably as thick and round as my lower leg.

Maybe a metre and a half long.

Just inches away from the glass - I can see it even above the water.

Right. I have to go very, very easy here.

The last thing I want to do is to make it feel cornered

and make it give off a shock.

That's one of the spookiest,

most ghoulish sights I have ever seen.

With that incredible, undulating fin running down the entire

length of its body, it can swim just as well backwards as forwards.

This is kind of exactly what I didn't want,

it's a really big electric eel.

The bigger the eel, the bigger the potential shock -

this one here could without doubt stun an animal as large as me.

'I really don't want to push my luck.

'I'm blocking his only escape route,

'and definitely don't want a defensive jolt.

'Time to move on.

'Some deep pools downriver

'might be a better place to find eels out in the open.

'First, I have to navigate the rapids.'

'And then, I see the undulating form of a swimming eel.

'He's sensed me - and is approaching.

'It seems he wants to check me out.'

'It probably can't see me well through the gloom.

'Instead, it's sensing me and its environment

'by sending out tiny electrical pulses - like an eel radar.'

'The whole thing is incredibly unnerving.'

Holy moly! Holy moly.

Oh, my goodness.

I've just had an electric eel

swimming alongside me.

Only a handful of people have ever seen an electric eel like this.

It's totally mesmerising.

But it's easy to forget just how dangerous it can be.

ELECTRICAL BUZZ

Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

Oh! Just had my first shock.

HE PANTS

-You all right?

-Yeah.

I'm not sure what happened.

I think I might have touched it by mistake. I put my hand down...

..onto a log...

and I think I touched the head of an electric eel.

And it was just like grabbing a hold of a cow fence.

And the shock just buzzed right up my arm.

Ooh, ow!

By electric eel standards, that was just a little warning.

I need to be more careful where I put my hands and my feet.

I'm heading down for one last encounter.

And the eels seem to be getting used to me.

And now eels are emerging from everywhere.

There must be four in this pool alone.

This is, without doubt, the most ELECTRIFYING experience in nature.

Swimming alongside the most powerful electric animal on the planet

in their natural habitat, like I've never seen them before.

That was SO beautiful!

It came right up and investigated me!

It came right up into the lens!

HE SIGHS HAPPILY

Wow!

What an experience. It is one of the most

ghoulish-looking animals you'll ever see.

Even if you didn't have that phenomenal electrical power,

it would still be special.

With it, it is one of the wonders in the natural world.

The electric eel - shocking and deadly.

Reaching over 2m in length.

Eel radar to hunt in zero visibility.

Capable of creating 600 volts of electricity.

The electric eel

is a super-powered, high-voltage natural wonder.

Join me next time as I continue my journey on Deadly Pole To Pole.

Yes!

(First ever jaguar!)