0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welcome to my nightmares of nature.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10I'm Naomi Wilkinson
0:00:10 > 0:00:14and I'm coming face to face with the nightmares of the animal world.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22The ones that make your spine tingle,
0:00:22 > 0:00:23your heart beat faster...
0:00:25 > 0:00:27..and your blood run cold.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Are they truly terrifying?
0:00:32 > 0:00:33Or is there a twist in the tale?
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Come with me as I shine a light on wildlife's
0:00:38 > 0:00:40deepest, darkest secrets.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45See if you can guess which will be my worst nightmare.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52The crew and I have been travelling all over the world for this
0:00:52 > 0:00:55series, and we've had some close encounters with some real
0:00:55 > 0:00:57nightmare contenders.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00I've been surprised...
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Scared...
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Shocked...
0:01:04 > 0:01:05Goodness me!
0:01:05 > 0:01:06..and shaken.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08Oh, my goodness!
0:01:08 > 0:01:10But the adventure isn't over yet!
0:01:10 > 0:01:14There's a whole host of animals we just couldn't cram in,
0:01:14 > 0:01:19so this programme is packed with our unseen nightmare encounters.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25This global adventure will take us from Alaska to Africa
0:01:25 > 0:01:28and through Central America where I'll be meeting
0:01:28 > 0:01:33a towering three-metre, man-eating, Alaskan predator...
0:01:33 > 0:01:36She's running right towards us.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40..a jungle dweller with a bit of bite...
0:01:40 > 0:01:43And a hungry, hungry hippo.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51But to kick off our unseen encounters,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54I'm in Africa, which certainly delivered
0:01:54 > 0:01:56with its nightmare nominees.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00We experienced a seriously snappy Nile Crocodile...
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Get us out of here!
0:02:02 > 0:02:04..a sea of smelly seals...
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Oof! Smelling a little bit ripe.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12..and got more than we bargained for with a pack of wily wild dogs.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16- They've got it.- Have they? They've got it.- They've taken it down.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18Yes, there it is over there.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21But, there was one animal I met while I was out there,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24that was head and shoulders above the rest!
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Standing at an incredible six metres tall,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32giraffes are the tallest animals in the world,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34towering over the savanna.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39Their long legs and elongated necks allow them exclusive access
0:02:39 > 0:02:43to the tastiest leaves at the very top of their favourite trees.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49But, rumour has it, these tall, gentle vegetarians,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51have a terrifying trait!
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Can that really be true?
0:02:59 > 0:03:02But before I come face to face with one in the wild, though,
0:03:02 > 0:03:06I want to learn a little bit more about them.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08- Naomi.- I'm Derek.
0:03:08 > 0:03:09So, I've come to meet Derek,
0:03:09 > 0:03:15who's a vet here in Africa and right now, he has a rather gorgeous guest.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26- Oh.- Hello, Adelaide. - We can come in with her?
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Yes, come with me, come with me, please! Come with me.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34Isn't she just beautiful.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37- Oh, yes, do you want to touch her? - And I can stroke her, as well?- Yes.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Hello, Adelaide.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46Oh, wow!
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Oh, she's coming to say hello to you, Graham, our cameraman.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53So, how old is she?
0:03:53 > 0:03:57She's about 15, maybe even 18 months old, we're not exactly sure.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00- So, just over a year? She's not that old.- She's not old at all.
0:04:00 > 0:04:01But she's already so tall!
0:04:01 > 0:04:06Well, when they get born they're close to two metres already.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10- At birth, they'd be taller than me? - Yes, that's correct.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15That's crazy. How does that work? Their poor mums.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Well, the poor baby, can you imagine the drop when they get born?
0:04:18 > 0:04:21What, they deliver standing up, so they just fall on the floor?
0:04:21 > 0:04:24What a traumatic beginning to life for a baby giraffe!
0:04:24 > 0:04:26But that's very important.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30That's necessary for the baby to drop and get a fright
0:04:30 > 0:04:33and take its first breath into the real world.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36- That's cool nature at work. - It's fantastic.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Yeah, but you would have thought that would be a bit of a traumatic
0:04:38 > 0:04:42start to life, just landing in a heap with big long legs like that?
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Well, being born as a herbivore in the African wildlife is
0:04:45 > 0:04:48a scary scenario if you think of all the predators
0:04:48 > 0:04:50and the nasty things running around down there.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53- There's plenty after you, isn't there?- Yes, yes.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Their tongue is super long, isn't it?
0:04:56 > 0:05:00It's super long so they can get it around these soft leaves, avoid the
0:05:00 > 0:05:04thorns and, obviously, it also extends their reach
0:05:04 > 0:05:09for the higher ones so they can get those very, very high soft ones.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11- How long can they get? - They can get up to 50cm.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Wow! That's half a metre of tongue!
0:05:13 > 0:05:17- They could pick their own noses with that.- In fact, they do!
0:05:25 > 0:05:26That's disgusting.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29She's so gentle, isn't she?
0:05:29 > 0:05:32She seems a really gentle creature.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36- They are very gentle creatures. They are the gentle giants.- Yeah.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42I'm finding it really hard to believe that an animal this
0:05:42 > 0:05:46beautiful could possibly be a nightmare of nature!
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Hello. But that is the nature of my mission, so I'm going to head
0:05:50 > 0:05:54out into the wild to see if I can try and discover their darker side!
0:05:55 > 0:05:57You haven't got one, have you?
0:06:03 > 0:06:07I'm teaming up with Natasha, a wildlife researcher here at the
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Erindi Game Reserve in Namibia,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13who can get me close to some wild adults.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17- Are there any clues we can look out for to see them?- Absolutely.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20The giraffes are all bigger than the row of trees that we can
0:06:20 > 0:06:22- see around us. - Is that what we're looking for?
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Their heads peeping out over the tops of the trees?
0:06:25 > 0:06:27That's one of the best ways of spotting them, also because
0:06:27 > 0:06:29we've just had rain, we might see tracks,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31so if we do see tracks on the road it'll be fresh.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Literally, in the last ten minutes.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46I keep seeing the very tall orange ant hills
0:06:46 > 0:06:48and thinking it's a giraffe.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50They do a good giraffe impression.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Oh, there, there, there, there,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02two, yes, no, three!
0:07:05 > 0:07:07They've got such long legs, haven't they?
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Like super models or something.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Do they do any damage to each other with those?
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Generally, they don't, or they don't do it on purpose,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16but they'll use those long legs as a defence mechanism,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19so they'll kick with the front and with the hind legs
0:07:19 > 0:07:21if they're attacked by predators, like a lion.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24And the power in those legs, because they're so long.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26it must inflict quite a lot of force.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28They can easily kill a big predator like a lion.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36Giraffes have a huge amount of power in their legs
0:07:36 > 0:07:40and can use these lethal weapons when under threat from predators
0:07:40 > 0:07:42like lions.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48One kick is enough to decapitate a big cat
0:07:48 > 0:07:51and a mother will protects her calf fiercely.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02- What are those two young ones doing? - It looks like they're necking.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05You know that's another form of aggression.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08They swing those necks to hit each other
0:08:08 > 0:08:11and they hit each other unbelievably hard.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Male giraffes like to rule their stretch of the savanna
0:08:15 > 0:08:17and if there's any doubt who's in charge,
0:08:17 > 0:08:22those long, elegant necks also turn into lethal weapons.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31This ritualised fighting is known as "necking".
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Deadly blows delivered to vulnerable areas of the body,
0:08:35 > 0:08:41until the weaker male is defeated, injured or even killed!
0:08:41 > 0:08:45But these battles rarely end in a neck-and-neck draw!
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Well, I never thought I'd be considering making the most
0:08:51 > 0:08:54elegant and graceful animal on the savanna one of my nightmares.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57But having been given an insight into the power of those legs
0:08:57 > 0:09:01and those brutal battles fought by these towering terrors,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04I'm going to stick my neck on the line
0:09:04 > 0:09:08and say that they could be in with a chance of being my worst nightmare!
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Although, it's a bit of a tall order!
0:09:13 > 0:09:17From the wilds of Africa to the Alaskan wilderness,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20which equally delivered on its nightmare candidates.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24From the mammoth moose... Look at the size of him.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27..to the beautiful bald eagle.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30And, of course, the chilling cold weather,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34which took the top spot of my worst Alaskan nightmare.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38But there is one animal that resides in this winter wonderland,
0:09:38 > 0:09:39that I really didn't want to miss!
0:09:41 > 0:09:46When it comes to predators, brown bears or grizzlies are definitely
0:09:46 > 0:09:51in the big league, weighing up to a colossal half a tonne!
0:09:51 > 0:09:56Standing up to three metres tall and with a power-packed body,
0:09:56 > 0:10:01they can unleash killer blows with one swipe of their giant claws,
0:10:01 > 0:10:06making them a must-see contender and surely, a nightmare of nature?
0:10:13 > 0:10:17I'm heading out at the beginning of winter and this is the time
0:10:17 > 0:10:20the bears start to go into hibernation.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23So, I'm teaming up with wildlife guide, Joe,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26to see if there are any last-minute diners.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Am I right in thinking that any self-respecting bears will be
0:10:31 > 0:10:36tucked away in a nice warm cave by now and hibernating until spring?
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Well, you don't really hear reports of bears coming out
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- till about April.- They'll be in hibernation until April,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- and they won't eat anything during that time?- Nope.
0:10:45 > 0:10:46- Nothing at all?- Nope.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50But there might still be a few bears wandering around just topping
0:10:50 > 0:10:54- up their fat reserves... - Exactly right.- ..if we're lucky.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Here's some bear droppings right here. So, pull over here.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01- Oh, are we safe to get out of the car and have a look?- I think so.- OK.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06This looks pretty fresh to me,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08not that I know a lot about bear droppings...!
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Well, I would say they're still here,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13and, obviously, just within the last few days.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Can we tell what it's been eating by looking at its poo?
0:11:16 > 0:11:19It really changes. Early in the year when they eat grass,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21that's mainly what they're eating.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- People don't think of bears grazing like cows.- They eat grass?
0:11:24 > 0:11:29In spring, when grass first comes up, it's very high in protein.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Despite their frightening size, a large part of the grizzlies'
0:11:32 > 0:11:35diet is made up of grass, berries and fish.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38They need a lot of energy to last through their winter
0:11:38 > 0:11:41hibernation so they build up their bulk,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44feasting on anything they can lay their paws on.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47So, right here, we've got a very clear sign that bears
0:11:47 > 0:11:49- are still knocking around. - That's right.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51- We have a chance of finding one.- That's right.
0:11:51 > 0:11:52- Let's keep looking.- Let's go.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55And Joe tells me the best place to look for a hungry bear
0:11:55 > 0:11:58who's stocking up for the winter, is down by the river,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02where there are plenty of succulent salmon.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04The only problem is, we're on foot.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08I do feel a little more vulnerable out of the car,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11knowing there could be a three-metre-tall bear in the woods.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Just how big are they?
0:12:15 > 0:12:18- Imagine twice as tall, as you. - As me?
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Yeah, up to twice as tall, can you imagine?
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Bent over and standing up, rearing up!
0:12:24 > 0:12:28Claws coming out like that. It's always important in nature to be...
0:12:28 > 0:12:30have your wits about you, pay attention,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33because there could be one feeding right up in there
0:12:33 > 0:12:35and you're just walking along not thinking...
0:12:35 > 0:12:37And never a truer word was spoken,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40as just moments later, we found clear signs
0:12:40 > 0:12:42there were bears in the area.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- Look at these.- Oh, yeah. - These are so clear.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49You can see where each of the claws has been.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53So, how big would its whole foot be?
0:12:53 > 0:12:57Well, this would be the top, so, there'd be another part about here.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01- So, it would be two times the size of my hand?- Yeah.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04You're talking about a big, big creature.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07That could just bat you out the way, couldn't it?
0:13:07 > 0:13:12- So, he's going in this direction? - Yeah, we're getting closer.
0:13:12 > 0:13:13We're getting close.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18But this was as close as we were going to get today,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22out in the wild, at least.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Luckily, my crew have arranged for me to meet an orphaned female bear
0:13:28 > 0:13:30who wouldn't have survived alone in the wild.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37And owner, Steve, has a very unusual way of calling her out.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39HE CALLS OUT
0:13:51 > 0:13:55And there she is. A grizzly bear.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Alongside the polar bear, that is the world's largest
0:13:58 > 0:14:00land-based predator.
0:14:04 > 0:14:10Look how she moves, really slow, and you can see all the muscles
0:14:10 > 0:14:12and fat kind of moving after her.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Here she come, she's coming down the hill.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21You can hear the ground rumble as she moves.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23She's running right towards us.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28It's been recommended that we don't look her
0:14:28 > 0:14:32straight in the eye because that could be seen as a challenge
0:14:32 > 0:14:36and if anything, I do not want to challenge a grizzly bear.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40My heart is thumping.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44I'd be amazed if you can't hear it on the microphone.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49Isn't it incredible to think that this mammoth mammal,
0:14:49 > 0:14:53a large part of their diet is berries and vegetation.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56She's just checking us out.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59What a beautiful creature, but I don't mind saying that
0:14:59 > 0:15:03even with this fence here, it's easy to feel very nervous
0:15:03 > 0:15:05and intimidated.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12And for very good reason, as this bear was about to show off her
0:15:12 > 0:15:13incredible power.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Oh, look, look, look.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20It would probably take three or four people
0:15:20 > 0:15:23to move this tree trunk,
0:15:23 > 0:15:28but to this bear, it seems nothing more than a rolling pin.
0:15:28 > 0:15:29It's like a little toy, isn't it?
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Like she's playing with a football or something?
0:15:32 > 0:15:35But really, all she was interested in, were our cameras.
0:15:39 > 0:15:40She's got our camera in her teeth.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47We might have some good pictures of her tongue.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Although I think the whole camera might be in pieces
0:15:55 > 0:15:56when we get it back.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Oh, dear!
0:16:13 > 0:16:16That's such a lovely sight.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21Oh, doesn't she look lovely scratching her back?
0:16:21 > 0:16:23So soft and cuddly.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Bagsy not going to give her a cuddle.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31It's hard to think of any animal doing this as a nightmare of nature.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Of course, you should always be wary of a bear.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Yes, they will take larger prey when they can, but on the whole,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45they'll avoid contact with humans.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46They don't see us as prey.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50So, whilst it might be going a bit far to label them as gentle giants,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53is it fair to call the grass grazing, berry-munching
0:16:53 > 0:16:55grizzly bear a nightmare of nature?
0:16:57 > 0:17:01For my next nightmare encounter, we're travelling from a chilly
0:17:01 > 0:17:05Alaska, to the blistering heat of the jungle.
0:17:05 > 0:17:11It was here in Belize that I chased down a super-speedy cockroach...
0:17:11 > 0:17:15confronted my fears by submerging myself into the watery world
0:17:15 > 0:17:18of sharks and stingrays...
0:17:18 > 0:17:22and listened to the haunting hollers of the howler monkey.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25But that wasn't all.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29There is an animal at large in the jungles of Central America
0:17:29 > 0:17:32that has some impressive nightmare qualities.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35They have the killer instinct of a born hunter,
0:17:35 > 0:17:39they're armed with giant sharpened teeth and massive claws.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Even its name translates, as roughly "The beast that kills its prey
0:17:43 > 0:17:46"with one bound." Sounds terrifying!
0:17:46 > 0:17:48And, for some reason, I'm off to meet one.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54The jaguar is one of the most famous of all rainforest residents.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57They're the biggest cats in the Americas,
0:17:57 > 0:18:01with adult males sometimes growing as large as lions or tigers.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05But despite their size, few people have ever laid eyes on these
0:18:05 > 0:18:10giant felines, because these cats are supremely stealthy.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13In fact, it's said that, in the rainforest, you can pass
0:18:13 > 0:18:16within a few metres of this huge, powerful animal
0:18:16 > 0:18:19and never even though it was there!
0:18:19 > 0:18:21So, should we be afraid of the jungle jaguar?
0:18:31 > 0:18:34I've almost no chance of finding a jaguar in the wild,
0:18:34 > 0:18:39but luckily, at Belize Zoo, there's a unique opportunity to get
0:18:39 > 0:18:41really close to one of these carnivorous cats.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Zoo director, Sharon, is going to make the introductions.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53The two rules are simple. Don't put your fingers in its mouth.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58- Rule number one, OK?- I won't do that. - OK, now rule number two.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02When I say, "Stand up," stand up slowly.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06He doesn't like fast movements.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08And I want to assure you that this cage,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10the integrity is checked every morning,
0:19:10 > 0:19:15it's part of our routine here, so it's as secure as a shark cage.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17- He's coming, he's coming. - Junior.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19- Don't be to near the edge, will you? - Here he comes.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23- He's absolutely gorgeous, isn't he?- There you go. Here, sweetheart.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28Wow! It's a really wide head isn't it? Really broad.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31- Well, there's a big brain in there. - And a big jaw, too!
0:19:33 > 0:19:38- Aren't you glad we're on this side of the fence?- Yep.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41- Look at those teeth.- Look at this. - Look at those teeth!
0:19:41 > 0:19:45900lbs of force for one inch of tooth.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49It's the only cat that will kill its prey by crushing
0:19:49 > 0:19:53the skull of a prey and think how hard a brain case is.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55- Yeah.- Do you want to give him a treat?
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Er, what do you want me to do?
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Hold it and just gently put it in his mouth.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04- He won't hurt you.- Are you serious? - He will not hurt you.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05There you go.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11That's quite an intimidating jaw.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15Please don't take my fingers with it. Got it? Yes!
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Good boy, Junior.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20His head is so broad, isn't it?
0:20:20 > 0:20:24- That's got a massive jaw, giant paws.- Yes.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26A jaguar must be a formidable hunter.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Oh, yeah, they're the top predators, as you can see.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32He's preying upon this camera.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37And after destroying one camera, he quickly moved on to another.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39It seemed Junior didn't particularly want to be on TV.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46He's absolutely beautiful, isn't he?
0:20:46 > 0:20:49What's the purpose of those patterns on his coat?
0:20:49 > 0:20:53Well, you know, it's called distractive camouflage.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56You really wouldn't see this animal in the forest, just
0:20:56 > 0:20:59because it just blends in.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02They are beautifully made for jungle life.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07A dappled lighting like this, you cannot see a jaguar coming and
0:21:07 > 0:21:12they have these hugely padded paws, which means they can tread silently.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20So, what would they eat?
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Well, they eat deer, they certainly will eat turtles, they eat fish.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31Jaguars are excellent swimmers. Basically, any small mammal,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33but they'll also climb trees,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35they're good tree climbers and go after birds.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38I'm sorry, I'm so distracted cos listen to the crunching
0:21:38 > 0:21:41that's happening right now with our camera.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44So, that jaw has a really strong bite.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48900lbs of force
0:21:48 > 0:21:53for one inch of tooth.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Proving the fact beautifully for us.
0:21:57 > 0:22:02Oh, he's ripping off the other one now. What about humans, Sharon?
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Oh, they do not stalk people, they don't hunt people,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07they stay away from people.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09They prefer to be solitary on their own?
0:22:09 > 0:22:12They definitely are solitary animals.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Although these cats tend to stay away from humans in the wild,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Junior seemed to have a taste for our cameraman.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27- Oh, Junior, you lucky guy. - He's licking our cameraman's head.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31- Steve, how does that feel? - Fantastic, it's the best body scrub.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Quite exfoliating.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38I want to explain that the tongue is rough like that
0:22:38 > 0:22:42because it pulls the meat off bones very quickly.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Even protected inside this cage, it's very,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49very intimidating being this close to such a large predatory carnivore
0:22:49 > 0:22:52capable of taking down prey my size with a single bite to the head!
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Fortunately, it does sound like the jaguar would prefer to stay
0:22:56 > 0:22:58hidden in the jungle well away from humans.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Nevertheless, in this race for the nightmare prize, is the predatory
0:23:02 > 0:23:06pounce of the jungle jaguar enough to see it leap into the lead?
0:23:12 > 0:23:15South Africa certainly delivered on its nightmares of nature.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20And it was here that I crowned the humungous hippo my worst
0:23:20 > 0:23:24nightmare of nature for being one of the most dangerous
0:23:24 > 0:23:27animals in Africa.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30And having met a pod of hippos in the wild,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34as well as coming face to face with Jessica, a wild, rescued hippo,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37I was certainly convinced it had earned its place.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44But Jessica was no ordinary hippo, as her rescuer, Tonie showed me,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46while I was there.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Does she spend most of her time in the water?
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Jessica spends about 50% of her time in the water.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Where does she spend the rest of the time?
0:23:56 > 0:24:00The rest of the time, she comes up into the garden.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02She comes up into your garden?
0:24:02 > 0:24:06Yes, as a matter of fact, when we get up here and walk that way,
0:24:06 > 0:24:11- she'll follow us.- Let's try it. - Let's go and try it.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27She's coming, oh, here she comes!
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Just very conscious I've got a hippo following me.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Past the car.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56And it wasn't just the garden that Jessica liked to explore.
0:25:00 > 0:25:01She can open the door?
0:25:08 > 0:25:10Well, this is the weirdest sight I've ever seen.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Follow me, here we are.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17- We're going to feed her something in the kitchen now.- Are we?- Yes.
0:25:17 > 0:25:18Between the two teeth.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28This has got to be one of the most surreal things I have ever done.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Feeding a hippo in somebody's kitchen.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35It's bonkers. Yes, I know you're hungry.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38I've got lots, there you go.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41She must eat you out of house and home.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45She does eat us out of house and home. But what a pleasure!
0:25:45 > 0:25:49You must have some real damage that she's caused in your house.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Since we've had her, she's broken five double beds.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55And what's the future for Jessica?
0:25:55 > 0:25:59Jessica's got a great future lying ahead for her
0:25:59 > 0:26:01because she's not in captivity, she's free and she goes to the
0:26:01 > 0:26:06wild hippos and the wild hippos come to her, she interacts with them.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10So, she lives like a normal wild hippo, but what makes her special
0:26:10 > 0:26:15is that she keeps on interacting with us with humans, as well.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19You and me, we're friends now, Jessica.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Well, it has been an incredible experience to meet Jessica
0:26:22 > 0:26:26and to be allowed to get this close to perhaps the most dangerous
0:26:26 > 0:26:28animal in Africa.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32What a privilege, but, um, I'm under no illusions,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35I know that hippos are just that, dangerous wild animals and I think
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Jessica here is the only exception to that rule.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39So, for that reason,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42I'm going to say that hippos could be my worst nightmare.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Sorry, Jessica.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51So, that rounds up all of our unseen encounters
0:26:51 > 0:26:54and all that's left for me to do, is choose my worst.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Will it be the giant grizzly with its sheer size
0:26:59 > 0:27:01and strength... He's thumping.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06Jessica Hippo with her rather random routine...
0:27:06 > 0:27:10..or, the towering terrors that are the not-so-gentle giraffes?
0:27:10 > 0:27:14They all have some serious nightmare potential,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17but the one that has stolen the show for me,
0:27:17 > 0:27:21is the elusive and silent stalker, with its giant jaws
0:27:21 > 0:27:22and deadly bite.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26My worst unseen nightmare is the jungle jaguar.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Some animals are scarier than others.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38Snapping crocs or giant spiders always have plenty of fear-factor.