0:00:02 > 0:00:03Welcome to my Nightmares Of Nature.
0:00:03 > 0:00:04IT HOWLS
0:00:07 > 0:00:08I'm Naomi Wilkinson.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10SHE SCREAMS
0:00:10 > 0:00:13And I'm coming face to face with the nightmares of the animal world.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20The ones that make your spine tingle...
0:00:21 > 0:00:23- ..your heart beat faster... - SHE GASPS
0:00:23 > 0:00:26- SHE SHRIEKS - ..and your blood run cold.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30Are they truly terrifying?
0:00:30 > 0:00:31Ooh!
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Or is there a twist in the tale?
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Whoo-hee.
0:00:35 > 0:00:40Come with me as I shine a light on wildlife's deepest darkest secrets.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45And see if you can guess which will be my worst nightmare.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55I'm visiting some pretty nightmarish environments
0:00:55 > 0:01:00throughout this series but this one takes it to extremes.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01We're in Namibia,
0:01:01 > 0:01:05and what you can see below me is the oldest desert in the world.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11It's a desert that stretches the entire length of this country,
0:01:11 > 0:01:15and is almost totally uninhabited.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18It's one of the most inhospitable in the world,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21so little escapes this barren wasteland.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26What could possibly survive out there?
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Well, I'm about to find out as we travel across the country
0:01:31 > 0:01:33in search of Namibia's nightmare contenders.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40I'll be meeting a cartwheeling critter with a need for speed...
0:01:40 > 0:01:42Oh, my goodness! Ugh!
0:01:42 > 0:01:46..a seriously social pack of dogs with a bit of an attitude
0:01:46 > 0:01:48and a very voracious appetite...
0:01:50 > 0:01:55..and an avian scavenger that dines out on rotting flesh.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58But the first animal under my nightmare spotlight
0:01:58 > 0:02:00lives right down there.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08But these Cape fur seals seem ludicrously lovable.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13So, right now, I have no idea how they're going to qualify
0:02:13 > 0:02:15as a nightmare of nature.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24- Pieter. 'I've come to meet Pieter...'- Nice to meet you.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27'..who spends a lot of time with the coastal wildlife here,
0:02:27 > 0:02:32'and can get me closer to these super-streamlined marine mammals.'
0:02:32 > 0:02:33Wah!
0:02:35 > 0:02:38And it wasn't long before they started to make a show.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43- Huh!- There's one.- We've got one coming right up next to us.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46- Oh, ha-ha. - SEAL GRUNTS
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Ah. How adorable are you?
0:02:48 > 0:02:49Hello.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54It's really funny, everywhere you look there's a little nose with
0:02:54 > 0:02:57whiskers popping up out of the water, or flippers in the air.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03He-he-he.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Look at this little one. So nosy and inquisitive as to what's going on.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10And he seems to be taking a particular interest
0:03:10 > 0:03:12in our filming boat.
0:03:12 > 0:03:13It's right up next to you. Ah!
0:03:15 > 0:03:17- Ah! - NAOMI LAUGHS
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Told you they were nosy.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20Ha-ha-ha.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25That is some power in that body, isn't it?
0:03:25 > 0:03:28To launch it straight out of the water and up onto your boat.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Amazing.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36They just twist and turn and flip and move
0:03:36 > 0:03:38in every direction, don't they?
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Make it look completely effortless.
0:03:42 > 0:03:43And fish is their favourite food, is it?
0:03:43 > 0:03:45They're good fishermen?
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Yes. 70, 80% of their food would be fish,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50and then... You know, there'll be other things as well.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52We see them here eating birds.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Well, that's my first insight into them
0:04:01 > 0:04:03being a little bit of a nightmare.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07I wonder if we can go on land and have an even closer look at them.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10You know, there's a few things as we get closer...
0:04:10 > 0:04:11Just going to get this out.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Presume you brought yours along, huh?
0:04:13 > 0:04:14What's that?
0:04:14 > 0:04:15Pieter, is that...?
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Why are you all wearing them as well?
0:04:18 > 0:04:19What's...?
0:04:19 > 0:04:21What do we need that for, Pieter?
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Nose peg? Eh?
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Apparently, these vast colonies of seals
0:04:30 > 0:04:32create a rather potent pong.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Oof!
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Smelling a little bit ripe.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Thanks to a lot of damp bodies and rather a lot of poo.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46- So, this is nightmare number two - quite literally.- Yes.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48SHE LAUGHS
0:04:48 > 0:04:50SEALS BARK
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Oh, what a sight!
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Oh, look at the little ones.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01- How adorable are they? - I know, very cute.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04- Let's go and take a look at them. - Let's go and look.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Think we can try and get a little bit closer still
0:05:12 > 0:05:14but I think we have to try and look a little bit like seals.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16- OK.- So, if we can waddle down slowly.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18All right, so, do a waddle.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21See if we'll fool them.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30- Pup's coming right up to us. - Here we go, look at that.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31IT MAKES A "BAA" SOUND
0:05:31 > 0:05:33PIETER MIMICS SEAL PUP
0:05:33 > 0:05:34IT BAAS
0:05:34 > 0:05:35PIETER MIMICS SEAL PUP
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Precious.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43But it wasn't long before my charming encounter was shattered.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Look at those two males in the water.
0:05:49 > 0:05:50What are they fighting about?
0:05:50 > 0:05:54These males are very dominant over territories cos it's mating season.
0:05:54 > 0:05:55If they don't actively defend an area,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58they won't have females, and they won't have mating opportunities.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00So, they'll contest that fiercely.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06Combat between male fur seals is fought chest to chest,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08while they attack the tender parts of the body
0:06:08 > 0:06:11with those powerful jaws.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14These fights nearly always end in injury,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16and, occasionally, in death.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Can see their teeth!
0:06:19 > 0:06:22I never would have thought they'd have teeth that size.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Oh, it's quite frightening to be this close.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27Nightmare number three.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Cor, you can see those pups right in-between these two males fighting,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36- how easily they could be in trouble. - Exactly, yeah.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39They just can't move out of the way fast enough, can they?
0:06:39 > 0:06:40These big males are fighting,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43and they're totally focused on what they're doing.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46And in that process, 300, 350kg of seal can move over a tiny
0:06:46 > 0:06:49little one like this and injure them...even kill them.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Nightmare number four.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Hard to keep a track of what's going on where.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59You've got the babies calling, you've got males roaring
0:06:59 > 0:07:02and sizing each other up, it's just...
0:07:02 > 0:07:03Activity everywhere.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Well, it really is one big beach battle.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15And quite a smelly one at that.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20This super-streamlined marine mammal does have nightmare credentials
0:07:20 > 0:07:22hidden under that doe-eyed exterior, and I am
0:07:22 > 0:07:25totally torn between the lovable pups
0:07:25 > 0:07:27and the aggressive adults they become.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32Could they be my worst Namibian nightmare?
0:07:32 > 0:07:34I guess that depends what else is out there.
0:07:37 > 0:07:38To find out...
0:07:38 > 0:07:40I'm heading away from the coast
0:07:40 > 0:07:44and into a completely different desert habitat,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46where I'll be looking for one of my worst nightmares.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Sandwiched between the cool coastline
0:07:50 > 0:07:51and its sweltering centre
0:07:51 > 0:07:54are these famous Namibian sand dunes.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56They look absolutely beautiful.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Living here requires some pretty serious survival skills.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04And with temperatures here rising so high
0:08:04 > 0:08:09it's hot enough to fry an egg on the sand, most of the desert inhabitants
0:08:09 > 0:08:12choose to head underground for the cooler sands below.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17And my next contender is no exception
0:08:17 > 0:08:21but it could be lurking beneath my feet right now.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24And, for that reason alone, it's already making my skin crawl!
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Ooh!
0:08:30 > 0:08:34The golden wheel spider emerges from its secret underground burrow,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37casting an eerily sinister shadow on the sand.
0:08:37 > 0:08:43It hunts by night, and by day, this arachnid is a master of camouflage.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47It may have some pretty respectable dance moves up its sleeve
0:08:47 > 0:08:49but I'm not sure even that's enough to win me over.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57I'm meeting up with wildlife whiz Dayne...
0:08:59 > 0:09:01..who's going to attempt to change my mind.
0:09:02 > 0:09:03- I've got to be honest, Dayne...- Yes.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06..spiders are not my favourite thing in the world.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08They're probably, in fact, one of my worst nightmares.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Am I right in thinking they could be under our feet?
0:09:10 > 0:09:13There's a great possibility around here, yes.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16How exactly are we going to find a spider though,
0:09:16 > 0:09:17in all of this sand?
0:09:17 > 0:09:21OK, what we're looking for now is signs from last night.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23You'll see not a heap of sand,
0:09:23 > 0:09:26but just sand scattered around in a circle.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- All right.- And the hole will be in the middle.
0:09:30 > 0:09:35And as we began our search, the task ahead seemed somewhat impossible.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38It was easy to see the beetles scurrying on top of the sand
0:09:38 > 0:09:41but not so easy to find what we we're out here to look for.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46Just a tiny, tiny little sand door in the sand.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Who CAN'T find one of those?
0:09:49 > 0:09:52If you come have a look here near me.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54- Have you found something?- Looks like it.- Ah,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56so, this is like a little silk entrance, a little flap.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Just a little flap.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01But unfortunately, there was no spider at home.
0:10:01 > 0:10:02Let's try again.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09They are "wheely" good at hiding.
0:10:09 > 0:10:10SHE LAUGHS
0:10:13 > 0:10:14OK, Naomi,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17- come and have a look here. - Have you found one?- Yep.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21- Has it come out?- Yeah, it's come out.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23- Where, where, where? - It just rolled down here.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Wow, it's a lot smaller than I thought it was going to be.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28- Compared to the hand size, it's not...- Yeah.
0:10:28 > 0:10:29Not a very big spider at all.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32And the reason being, if they run across the dunes,
0:10:32 > 0:10:33they don't sink down.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34So, very light.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39And the all-important question, how dangerous is this spider?
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Um, to humans, only allergic reactions have been recorded.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44No serious bites.
0:10:44 > 0:10:45Is it quite an aggressive spider?
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Er, some of them are quite aggressive, yes.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51- Oh.- This one hasn't shown much aggression yet.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54- Can we pick it up then?- We can try...- Can you pick it up then?
0:10:54 > 0:10:56- I can try and get it onto the hand without biting.- Ooh!
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- Just get it very carefully.- So, the chances are it could bite?
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Yes. Any fast movement, or if I try
0:11:03 > 0:11:06and grab her, she'll think I'm a threat and she will bite.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09She's quite relaxed. Would you like to have a go?
0:11:09 > 0:11:11- Yep.- You ready?- Yeah.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14- Ooh.- Going to walk her slowly onto your hand.- Please, don't bite me.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16- Ooh. Please, don't bite me.- Check her...
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Her pads are sticking onto me.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19Ah, so light!
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Barely even feel she's there.
0:11:23 > 0:11:24Tiny.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Such a dainty spider. Please, don't bite me.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30I...I used to call myself an arachnophobe.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33I must be getting a bit better cos I feel all right holding her.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35She's a sweet little spider.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39But this heat is pretty powerful. Shall we get her in the shade?
0:11:39 > 0:11:41I think let's try and get some shade for her.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47And some nearby rocks provide the perfect cover.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49- Phew-ew-ew.- So, I'm going to run her quickly into the shade.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Oh, look! She's already using her legs like...power tools.
0:11:54 > 0:11:55Pneumatic drills, digging.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59And you'll see the abdomen come around in that same time as well,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01starting to line the tunnel with silk.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06This silk holds the sand in place around the edge
0:12:06 > 0:12:08of their underground burrows.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11The main reason this spider burrows under the sand then
0:12:11 > 0:12:12is to keep cool.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16Trying to keep itself cool, and also trying to escape predators.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19The main predator for this spider is the pompilid wasp.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24The pompilid wasp hovers across the desert,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27searching for the tunnels of the wheel spider.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Once the wasps have located their target,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34they encourage the wheel spider out of their hideouts,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36paralyse them with their sting
0:12:36 > 0:12:40and lay their eggs inside the body of the spider.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42But to avoid such a bitter end,
0:12:42 > 0:12:47these spiders do have one clever trick up their eight sleeves.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49And that's where they get their name.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53When under attack, the wheel spider will tuck in its legs and hurtle
0:12:53 > 0:12:56down the dunes, escaping its prey
0:12:56 > 0:13:00at an incredible 44 cartwheels a second!
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Ugh, that's enough to make you feel sick, isn't it?
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Imagine rolling down a sand dune that fast.
0:13:06 > 0:13:07Ohh.
0:13:09 > 0:13:10What?!
0:13:10 > 0:13:12"Ever heard of dune zorbing?"
0:13:13 > 0:13:14No.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22Trust my supportive crew to have found an activity to mimic the moves
0:13:22 > 0:13:24of this agile arachnid.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26I can't say I'm looking forward to it though!
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Are you ready, Naomi?
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Yeah, ready.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Anyone have any sea sickness tablets?
0:13:34 > 0:13:38- And three, two, one...- Ugh.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Ugh, ugh.
0:13:40 > 0:13:41The spider will get to the edge of the dune,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45tuck it's legs in and basically just go with the momentum like this!
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Woo-hoo, rolling! Ah!
0:13:48 > 0:13:51So, I'm not going as fast as the wheel spider would travel... Ugh!
0:13:51 > 0:13:53..but I still don't know which way is up.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Oh, my goodness. Ugh!
0:13:55 > 0:13:57I'm starting to feel so dizzy.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59That's because of what's going on inside my inner ear.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Wheel spiders don't have inner ears, so they don't feel dizzy
0:14:02 > 0:14:04or disorientated... Lucky them.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08In fact, they get up as soon as they stop rolling, instantly alert,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10straight into that defensive stance.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12I don't think I'll be doing that.
0:14:12 > 0:14:13Ughhh.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16I wish I'd brought a pin with me.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20I am glad that is over.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22I feel green.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26Rolling... Ooh! Rolling down a sand dune even at that speed...
0:14:26 > 0:14:28oh, that's horrible.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30Hats off to the wheel spider. Granted, it might be smaller
0:14:30 > 0:14:32than I thought it was going to be, and I guess you could say
0:14:32 > 0:14:35it's cute...for a spider.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38But because they hide themselves, camouflaging themselves completely
0:14:38 > 0:14:40under the sand, and there could be thousands of them
0:14:40 > 0:14:41on the Namibian desert,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44I'm going to say that this amazingly-agile arachnid
0:14:44 > 0:14:47could "wheely" be my worst nightmare
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Who's got a bucket?
0:14:56 > 0:14:59I couldn't come to Africa without tracking down one of its most
0:14:59 > 0:15:01infamous inhabitants.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05These soaring scavengers quite literally search out death.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Wherever there's rotting flesh, they'll never be far behind.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Sounds like a nightmare to me.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Vultures are the undertakers of the natural world.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Using their incredibly keen eyesight,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23they can hone in on a target over a mile away.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26A rotting carcass is like a bellowing dinner bell
0:15:26 > 0:15:29for the vultures. And, once found, what follows
0:15:29 > 0:15:31is nothing short of carnage.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Devouring it within minutes.
0:15:35 > 0:15:36But are these bone-crunching carnivores
0:15:36 > 0:15:39deserving of their rotten reputation?
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Would you believe it? We've just had a call from a member of our team
0:15:47 > 0:15:50to say there are a load of vultures on a carcass
0:15:50 > 0:15:52right outside their accommodation.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55So we are heading straight there now to see what's going on.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Look at the size of them as they take off.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Ah!
0:16:02 > 0:16:04- SHE LAUGHS - They're everywhere!
0:16:04 > 0:16:08There's got to be at least 20 or 30 there at the minute that can see
0:16:08 > 0:16:09in the sky.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Unfortunately, I think we've missed the main event
0:16:15 > 0:16:18because they're all soaring up in the sky having had their fill.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23But I want to take a look at what they've left behind
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Well, isn't that incredible?
0:16:27 > 0:16:29It's a hartebeest which probably died last night.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32The jackals would've come in and taken the vast majority of it,
0:16:32 > 0:16:34and then the vultures have come in. And look,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37you can just see it is stripped to the bone.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39There's next to nothing left.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45So, I've had my first, albeit brief, encounter with wild vultures
0:16:45 > 0:16:49but I want to get a closer look at the bird capable of doing this.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56So, I've come to the Rare and Endangered Species Trust
0:16:56 > 0:17:00to meet Maria, who has some willing volunteers.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04OK, this is Nesher and Halle.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06What sort of vultures are these?
0:17:06 > 0:17:09- These are Cape griffons.- Cape griffon. Are they the biggest?
0:17:09 > 0:17:14- These are the heaviest. - The heaviest vultures in Africa.
0:17:14 > 0:17:15THEY LAUGH
0:17:15 > 0:17:17And standing this close to them,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- they're pretty intimidating, aren't they?- They're pretty big, yeah.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23- Would you like to give them a little bit of food?- OK, yes.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25All right, well, what I'm going to do is...
0:17:25 > 0:17:26We're very careful about it, OK?
0:17:26 > 0:17:29- Vultures are very strong animals... - Yeah.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31..so, what I want you to do is put on the glove.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36All right? Let's go ahead and stand behind here.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38This is a nice perch for her, it's a good height for us.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Close your fingers and just let her work at it a little bit.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46- You sure?- You'll see her strength. - She won't take my finger off?
0:17:46 > 0:17:49No, she can't. You're wearing gloves. OK?
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Oof, did you hear that sound?
0:17:54 > 0:17:57- That's the beak just snapping together, is it?- Yeah.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59And it's got a very sharp hook on the end.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01What's that for?
0:18:01 > 0:18:04They've got to open that carcass up to get to the meat,
0:18:04 > 0:18:06so they've got to have something that tears.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08So it's a bit like a tin opener or something?
0:18:08 > 0:18:10SHE LAUGHS A bit, yes.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12- Rip it open.- That's a good analogy.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14WHOA!
0:18:14 > 0:18:18Look at that wingspan!
0:18:18 > 0:18:22That's enormous. Are you just showing it off for the camera?
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Thank you very much, Halle.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28How...how big is their wingspan?
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Well, that wingspan is about 2.5m.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35So, you can see, if you did this, that's about her wingspan
0:18:35 > 0:18:37- at the moment.- The length of me from the tip of my fingers to my toes?
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Yeah, and she hasn't opened her wings fully.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41- It's longer than that, isn't it? - Yeah.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47I suppose this comes in pretty useful
0:18:47 > 0:18:49when she's soaring over the savannah.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52- A vulture in the sky doesn't have to flap very much.- Yeah.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Now, they're able to catch the wind and soar on that wind,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58and the size of those wings allows them to do it for hundreds
0:18:58 > 0:19:00and hundreds of kilometres.
0:19:00 > 0:19:01They're not bad looking.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04I must admit, these are quite good-looking vultures.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08Although, having no feathers on his head is not helping
0:19:08 > 0:19:09in the good-looking stakes.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Why don't they have feathers on their head?
0:19:11 > 0:19:14If you think about it, where do they go when they eat?
0:19:14 > 0:19:16- They stick their head right in a carcass.- Exactly.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19So, that allows them to stay clean in nature.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22With a diet of dead and rotten decaying flesh,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24does that mean they carry all sorts of diseases?
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Well, you would think so, but actually, it's just the opposite.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30They actually destroy a lot of these diseases by eating the carcasses
0:19:30 > 0:19:31so quickly.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35They're getting rid of diseases for everybody
0:19:35 > 0:19:37- in the environment? People and animals?- Yeah,
0:19:37 > 0:19:39they're the garbage collectors. They clean up the environment
0:19:39 > 0:19:41for everyone - humans and animals.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Vultures may have a gruesome reputation,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48and their table manners do leave a little to be desired,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51but without them we would be knee deep in rotting flesh,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54and that would be pretty disgusting.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56It seems they spend most of their time trying to keep clean
0:19:56 > 0:19:59and soaring through the skies disease-free.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03So, can I really make them my worst Namibian nightmare?
0:20:08 > 0:20:09My next contenders
0:20:09 > 0:20:13certainly have some serious nightmare credentials.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19African wild dogs hunt in packs of up to 20 individuals.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22And with over 80% of their hunts resulting in a kill,
0:20:22 > 0:20:26they're the most efficient large carnivores in Africa.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Clocking up speeds of 34mph,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32it's no wonder little escapes their powerful jaws.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36But are they just cold-blooded killers?
0:20:43 > 0:20:45I've come to a game reserve to meet up with Tim...
0:20:46 > 0:20:49..an animal tracking expert...
0:20:49 > 0:20:51which will come in handy, as wild dogs
0:20:51 > 0:20:54are highly endangered and very rarely seen.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56How are we hoping to find them today?
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Well, today we're going to be using a device called a telemetry.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03It's a tiny machine, and it works with the animals' collar.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05One of the wild dog has a collar
0:21:05 > 0:21:06that sends a little pulse out.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09And this machine will tell us,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11or pick up the pulse if it's close.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13- So we can track the dogs.- Exactly. - Great.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18And we soon reach an elevated position
0:21:18 > 0:21:20perfect for tracking them down.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25With this aerial we will be able to pick up the pulses sent out
0:21:25 > 0:21:30from the collared dog, and hopefully see if the pack are close by.
0:21:30 > 0:21:31We're in business now.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34- Start picking up CBBC.- Yeah.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41And now, you'll swing it around trying to pick up a beep.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49CRACKLY SOUND
0:21:49 > 0:21:51- Is that it?- Yeah, sounds like it.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53- That was quick.- We've got a beep, yeah.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58These beeps indicate that the dogs are really close,
0:21:58 > 0:21:59so there's no time to lose.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02- Shall we go?- Let's go.- Cool!
0:22:08 > 0:22:09First one to spot them gets a prize.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11OK.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18- There they are, there they are. - Where, where, where?
0:22:18 > 0:22:20- (Ah, right there!)- Yes.
0:22:23 > 0:22:24- There are pups?- Yes.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Oh, we've got all the pups together,
0:22:27 > 0:22:28under that bush there.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32- And they're totally fine for us to be this close?- Yeah.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Look at the pups, they're so sweet.
0:22:36 > 0:22:37Haven't they got big ears?
0:22:37 > 0:22:39Massive ears.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43- Is their...hearing their main sense for finding prey?- Definitely, yeah.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45And smell as well.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50But they are looking all - especially the pups - quite skinny.
0:22:50 > 0:22:51So, they're quite hungry.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56So, they're all moving off in that direction now.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00Yeah, so it looks like we might be hunting with the pack now.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04So, we're actually going to see the whole unit work together
0:23:04 > 0:23:05which is quite special.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07- Shall we follow them?- Yes.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Let's follow them...see what happens.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Look at them all, just stalking through the thicket,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20ears back.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Got a job to do, this lot.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28- There they go.- They're off.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31They're actually... Broken into a bit of a gallop now, haven't they?
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Picked up. Speed is up.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38They've gone into a sprint as well.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43African wild dogs rely on teamwork and cooperation
0:23:43 > 0:23:45when hunting their prey.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48- Big antelope here. - Oh, it's an eland.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Eland are the largest antelopes in Namibia.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56One of the pack looks a bit sick and skinny.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59- And they'll always go for the weaker one?- Yeah, they've got it.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01- They've got it?- I think.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04- They've got it.- They've taken it down. Yes, there it is, over there.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07See it.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17BARKING AND GROWLING
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Pff, cor, you can see how efficient they did that.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23I'm sorry, I've never seen a kill before, so...
0:24:24 > 0:24:28- Um, it's a very emotional thing to watch but...- Yeah.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30It's part of the circle of life though, isn't it?
0:24:30 > 0:24:33For hundreds of years you've...
0:24:33 > 0:24:35There's been wild dogs that have been roaming Africa,
0:24:35 > 0:24:39- and they don't have a supermarket to go and buy food at.- No.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46It's turned my stomach a little bit.
0:24:48 > 0:24:54But what a privilege to have seen that with such a rare animal.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58One that's so endangered. We have been massively fortunate to have
0:24:58 > 0:24:59found them in the first place.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03And then, to see them all working cooperatively as a team
0:25:03 > 0:25:06and killing an animal to feed on and feed those little puppies.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10On the upside, you can see how skinny this animal is.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13And so, it has been struggling throughout this dry season
0:25:13 > 0:25:19in a drought in Namibia, so it would most probably have died quite soon.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21The condition is very poor.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24And it's quite rough to see wild dogs do this.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26But it's going back into the ecosystem.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30- Instead of dying and... - Being wasted.- ..and being wasted,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32it's feeding five little wild dog pups.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36So, the adults eat first,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39and then they will go and help the pups to feed?
0:25:39 > 0:25:45Yes, exactly. If you notice now that the pups are actually now involved.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48You can see the two pups fighting over a piece there.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50- It's standing still.- Oh, a stand off.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52They're trying to show dominance by it.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Staying still, it's a tug of war.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00- Oh, half each.- Yeah.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Even amongst all this carnage, they're still looking out
0:26:03 > 0:26:06for one another, making sure those points are well fed?
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Exactly, exactly. It's all about family.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13But, as well, the other dogs are also looking around for predators...
0:26:13 > 0:26:15mainly hyenas.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18So, again, it's all about the families.
0:26:18 > 0:26:19Guarding their family.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Well, I've certainly seen the voracious side of these carnivores
0:26:25 > 0:26:28during their fearsome feeding frenzy.
0:26:28 > 0:26:29There's no doubt in during dinner time,
0:26:29 > 0:26:33these cooperative hunters have some serious bite,
0:26:33 > 0:26:34but between meals
0:26:34 > 0:26:38they do have a softer side, where family is the centre of their world.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43But is that enough to win me over, or are their mealtime manners
0:26:43 > 0:26:46enough to make them my worst nightmare?
0:26:49 > 0:26:52So, my search for Namibia's nightmare nominees is at an end.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56But which one is going to take the title as my worst?
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Will it be hundreds of voracious vultures devouring a decaying
0:27:00 > 0:27:02carcass in no time at all?
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Or the camouflaged cartwheeling critter
0:27:06 > 0:27:09that darts across the dusty desert dunes.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12I'm not going as fast as the wheel spider would travel... Ugh!
0:27:12 > 0:27:14But I still don't know which way is up.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Or the fiercely-focused meat-eating wild dogs
0:27:18 > 0:27:20that disembowel their dinner?
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Cor, you can see how efficiently they did that.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25I'm sorry, I've never seen a kill before.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Surprisingly, they are not going to be top dog on my list,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31because, after all, they have to survive out here
0:27:31 > 0:27:33and their teamwork was faultless.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35My number one spot is going to go to
0:27:35 > 0:27:38the super-streamlined yet positively-pongy marine mammal,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41because its bullish bad attitude never lets up.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44My worst Namibian nightmare is the Cape fur seal.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Can I get out? Can I get out?
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Guys? Guys?
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Guys? Yoo-hoo! Can I get out?
0:28:02 > 0:28:03Can I get out?