Unseen Naomi's Nightmares of Nature

Welcome to my nightmares of nature.

I'm Naomi Wilkinson

and I'm coming face to face with the nightmares of the animal world.

The ones that make your spine tingle,

your heart beat faster...

..and your blood run cold.

Are they truly terrifying?

Or is there a twist in the tale?

Come with me as I shine a light on wildlife's

deepest, darkest secrets.

See if you can guess which will be my worst nightmare.

The crew and I have been travelling all over the world for this

series, and we've had some close encounters with some real

nightmare contenders.

I've been surprised...

Scared...

Shocked...

Goodness me!

..and shaken.

Oh, my goodness!

But the adventure isn't over yet!

There's a whole host of animals we just couldn't cram in,

so this programme is packed with our unseen nightmare encounters.

This global adventure will take us from Alaska to Africa

and through Central America where I'll be meeting

a towering three-metre, man-eating, Alaskan predator...

She's running right towards us.

..a jungle dweller with a bit of bite...

And a hungry, hungry hippo.

But to kick off our unseen encounters,

I'm in Africa, which certainly delivered

with its nightmare nominees.

We experienced a seriously snappy Nile Crocodile...

Get us out of here!

..a sea of smelly seals...

Oof! Smelling a little bit ripe.

..and got more than we bargained for with a pack of wily wild dogs.

-They've got it.

-Have they? They've got it.

-They've taken it down.

Yes, there it is over there.

But, there was one animal I met while I was out there,

that was head and shoulders above the rest!

Standing at an incredible six metres tall,

giraffes are the tallest animals in the world,

towering over the savanna.

Their long legs and elongated necks allow them exclusive access

to the tastiest leaves at the very top of their favourite trees.

But, rumour has it, these tall, gentle vegetarians,

have a terrifying trait!

Can that really be true?

But before I come face to face with one in the wild, though,

I want to learn a little bit more about them.

-Naomi.

-I'm Derek.

So, I've come to meet Derek,

who's a vet here in Africa and right now, he has a rather gorgeous guest.

-Oh.

-Hello, Adelaide.

-We can come in with her?

Yes, come with me, come with me, please! Come with me.

Isn't she just beautiful.

-Oh, yes, do you want to touch her?

-And I can stroke her, as well?

-Yes.

Hello, Adelaide.

Oh, wow!

Oh, she's coming to say hello to you, Graham, our cameraman.

So, how old is she?

She's about 15, maybe even 18 months old, we're not exactly sure.

-So, just over a year? She's not that old.

-She's not old at all.

But she's already so tall!

Well, when they get born they're close to two metres already.

-At birth, they'd be taller than me?

-Yes, that's correct.

That's crazy. How does that work? Their poor mums.

Well, the poor baby, can you imagine the drop when they get born?

What, they deliver standing up, so they just fall on the floor?

What a traumatic beginning to life for a baby giraffe!

But that's very important.

That's necessary for the baby to drop and get a fright

and take its first breath into the real world.

-That's cool nature at work.

-It's fantastic.

Yeah, but you would have thought that would be a bit of a traumatic

start to life, just landing in a heap with big long legs like that?

Well, being born as a herbivore in the African wildlife is

a scary scenario if you think of all the predators

and the nasty things running around down there.

-There's plenty after you, isn't there?

-Yes, yes.

Their tongue is super long, isn't it?

It's super long so they can get it around these soft leaves, avoid the

thorns and, obviously, it also extends their reach

for the higher ones so they can get those very, very high soft ones.

-How long can they get?

-They can get up to 50cm.

Wow! That's half a metre of tongue!

-They could pick their own noses with that.

-In fact, they do!

That's disgusting.

She's so gentle, isn't she?

She seems a really gentle creature.

-They are very gentle creatures. They are the gentle giants.

-Yeah.

I'm finding it really hard to believe that an animal this

beautiful could possibly be a nightmare of nature!

Hello. But that is the nature of my mission, so I'm going to head

out into the wild to see if I can try and discover their darker side!

You haven't got one, have you?

I'm teaming up with Natasha, a wildlife researcher here at the

Erindi Game Reserve in Namibia,

who can get me close to some wild adults.

-Are there any clues we can look out for to see them?

-Absolutely.

The giraffes are all bigger than the row of trees that we can

-see around us.

-Is that what we're looking for?

Their heads peeping out over the tops of the trees?

That's one of the best ways of spotting them, also because

we've just had rain, we might see tracks,

so if we do see tracks on the road it'll be fresh.

Literally, in the last ten minutes.

I keep seeing the very tall orange ant hills

and thinking it's a giraffe.

They do a good giraffe impression.

Oh, there, there, there, there,

two, yes, no, three!

They've got such long legs, haven't they?

Like super models or something.

Do they do any damage to each other with those?

Generally, they don't, or they don't do it on purpose,

but they'll use those long legs as a defence mechanism,

so they'll kick with the front and with the hind legs

if they're attacked by predators, like a lion.

And the power in those legs, because they're so long.

it must inflict quite a lot of force.

They can easily kill a big predator like a lion.

Giraffes have a huge amount of power in their legs

and can use these lethal weapons when under threat from predators

like lions.

One kick is enough to decapitate a big cat

and a mother will protects her calf fiercely.

-What are those two young ones doing?

-It looks like they're necking.

You know that's another form of aggression.

They swing those necks to hit each other

and they hit each other unbelievably hard.

Male giraffes like to rule their stretch of the savanna

and if there's any doubt who's in charge,

those long, elegant necks also turn into lethal weapons.

This ritualised fighting is known as "necking".

Deadly blows delivered to vulnerable areas of the body,

until the weaker male is defeated, injured or even killed!

But these battles rarely end in a neck-and-neck draw!

Well, I never thought I'd be considering making the most

elegant and graceful animal on the savanna one of my nightmares.

But having been given an insight into the power of those legs

and those brutal battles fought by these towering terrors,

I'm going to stick my neck on the line

and say that they could be in with a chance of being my worst nightmare!

Although, it's a bit of a tall order!

From the wilds of Africa to the Alaskan wilderness,

which equally delivered on its nightmare candidates.

From the mammoth moose... Look at the size of him.

..to the beautiful bald eagle.

And, of course, the chilling cold weather,

which took the top spot of my worst Alaskan nightmare.

But there is one animal that resides in this winter wonderland,

that I really didn't want to miss!

When it comes to predators, brown bears or grizzlies are definitely

in the big league, weighing up to a colossal half a tonne!

Standing up to three metres tall and with a power-packed body,

they can unleash killer blows with one swipe of their giant claws,

making them a must-see contender and surely, a nightmare of nature?

I'm heading out at the beginning of winter and this is the time

the bears start to go into hibernation.

So, I'm teaming up with wildlife guide, Joe,

to see if there are any last-minute diners.

Am I right in thinking that any self-respecting bears will be

tucked away in a nice warm cave by now and hibernating until spring?

Well, you don't really hear reports of bears coming out

-till about April.

-They'll be in hibernation until April,

-and they won't eat anything during that time?

-Nope.

-Nothing at all?

-Nope.

But there might still be a few bears wandering around just topping

-up their fat reserves...

-Exactly right.

-..if we're lucky.

Here's some bear droppings right here. So, pull over here.

-Oh, are we safe to get out of the car and have a look?

-I think so.

-OK.

This looks pretty fresh to me,

not that I know a lot about bear droppings...!

Well, I would say they're still here,

and, obviously, just within the last few days.

Can we tell what it's been eating by looking at its poo?

It really changes. Early in the year when they eat grass,

that's mainly what they're eating.

-People don't think of bears grazing like cows.

-They eat grass?

In spring, when grass first comes up, it's very high in protein.

Despite their frightening size, a large part of the grizzlies'

diet is made up of grass, berries and fish.

They need a lot of energy to last through their winter

hibernation so they build up their bulk,

feasting on anything they can lay their paws on.

So, right here, we've got a very clear sign that bears

-are still knocking around.

-That's right.

-We have a chance of finding one.

-That's right.

-Let's keep looking.

-Let's go.

And Joe tells me the best place to look for a hungry bear

who's stocking up for the winter, is down by the river,

where there are plenty of succulent salmon.

The only problem is, we're on foot.

I do feel a little more vulnerable out of the car,

knowing there could be a three-metre-tall bear in the woods.

Just how big are they?

-Imagine twice as tall, as you.

-As me?

Yeah, up to twice as tall, can you imagine?

Bent over and standing up, rearing up!

Claws coming out like that. It's always important in nature to be...

have your wits about you, pay attention,

because there could be one feeding right up in there

and you're just walking along not thinking...

And never a truer word was spoken,

as just moments later, we found clear signs

there were bears in the area.

-Look at these.

-Oh, yeah.

-These are so clear.

You can see where each of the claws has been.

So, how big would its whole foot be?

Well, this would be the top, so, there'd be another part about here.

-So, it would be two times the size of my hand?

-Yeah.

You're talking about a big, big creature.

That could just bat you out the way, couldn't it?

-So, he's going in this direction?

-Yeah, we're getting closer.

We're getting close.

But this was as close as we were going to get today,

out in the wild, at least.

Luckily, my crew have arranged for me to meet an orphaned female bear

who wouldn't have survived alone in the wild.

And owner, Steve, has a very unusual way of calling her out.

HE CALLS OUT

And there she is. A grizzly bear.

Alongside the polar bear, that is the world's largest

land-based predator.

Look how she moves, really slow, and you can see all the muscles

and fat kind of moving after her.

Here she come, she's coming down the hill.

You can hear the ground rumble as she moves.

She's running right towards us.

It's been recommended that we don't look her

straight in the eye because that could be seen as a challenge

and if anything, I do not want to challenge a grizzly bear.

My heart is thumping.

I'd be amazed if you can't hear it on the microphone.

Isn't it incredible to think that this mammoth mammal,

a large part of their diet is berries and vegetation.

She's just checking us out.

What a beautiful creature, but I don't mind saying that

even with this fence here, it's easy to feel very nervous

and intimidated.

And for very good reason, as this bear was about to show off her

incredible power.

Oh, look, look, look.

It would probably take three or four people

to move this tree trunk,

but to this bear, it seems nothing more than a rolling pin.

It's like a little toy, isn't it?

Like she's playing with a football or something?

But really, all she was interested in, were our cameras.

She's got our camera in her teeth.

We might have some good pictures of her tongue.

Although I think the whole camera might be in pieces

when we get it back.

Oh, dear!

That's such a lovely sight.

Oh, doesn't she look lovely scratching her back?

So soft and cuddly.

Bagsy not going to give her a cuddle.

It's hard to think of any animal doing this as a nightmare of nature.

Of course, you should always be wary of a bear.

Yes, they will take larger prey when they can, but on the whole,

they'll avoid contact with humans.

They don't see us as prey.

So, whilst it might be going a bit far to label them as gentle giants,

is it fair to call the grass grazing, berry-munching

grizzly bear a nightmare of nature?

For my next nightmare encounter, we're travelling from a chilly

Alaska, to the blistering heat of the jungle.

It was here in Belize that I chased down a super-speedy cockroach...

confronted my fears by submerging myself into the watery world

of sharks and stingrays...

and listened to the haunting hollers of the howler monkey.

But that wasn't all.

There is an animal at large in the jungles of Central America

that has some impressive nightmare qualities.

They have the killer instinct of a born hunter,

they're armed with giant sharpened teeth and massive claws.

Even its name translates, as roughly "The beast that kills its prey

"with one bound." Sounds terrifying!

And, for some reason, I'm off to meet one.

The jaguar is one of the most famous of all rainforest residents.

They're the biggest cats in the Americas,

with adult males sometimes growing as large as lions or tigers.

But despite their size, few people have ever laid eyes on these

giant felines, because these cats are supremely stealthy.

In fact, it's said that, in the rainforest, you can pass

within a few metres of this huge, powerful animal

and never even though it was there!

So, should we be afraid of the jungle jaguar?

I've almost no chance of finding a jaguar in the wild,

but luckily, at Belize Zoo, there's a unique opportunity to get

really close to one of these carnivorous cats.

Zoo director, Sharon, is going to make the introductions.

The two rules are simple. Don't put your fingers in its mouth.

-Rule number one, OK?

-I won't do that.

-OK, now rule number two.

When I say, "Stand up," stand up slowly.

He doesn't like fast movements.

And I want to assure you that this cage,

the integrity is checked every morning,

it's part of our routine here, so it's as secure as a shark cage.

-He's coming, he's coming.

-Junior.

-Don't be to near the edge, will you?

-Here he comes.

-He's absolutely gorgeous, isn't he?

-There you go. Here, sweetheart.

Wow! It's a really wide head isn't it? Really broad.

-Well, there's a big brain in there.

-And a big jaw, too!

-Aren't you glad we're on this side of the fence?

-Yep.

-Look at those teeth.

-Look at this.

-Look at those teeth!

900lbs of force for one inch of tooth.

It's the only cat that will kill its prey by crushing

the skull of a prey and think how hard a brain case is.

-Yeah.

-Do you want to give him a treat?

Er, what do you want me to do?

Hold it and just gently put it in his mouth.

-He won't hurt you.

-Are you serious?

-He will not hurt you.

There you go.

That's quite an intimidating jaw.

Please don't take my fingers with it. Got it? Yes!

Good boy, Junior.

His head is so broad, isn't it?

-That's got a massive jaw, giant paws.

-Yes.

A jaguar must be a formidable hunter.

Oh, yeah, they're the top predators, as you can see.

He's preying upon this camera.

And after destroying one camera, he quickly moved on to another.

It seemed Junior didn't particularly want to be on TV.

He's absolutely beautiful, isn't he?

What's the purpose of those patterns on his coat?

Well, you know, it's called distractive camouflage.

You really wouldn't see this animal in the forest, just

because it just blends in.

They are beautifully made for jungle life.

A dappled lighting like this, you cannot see a jaguar coming and

they have these hugely padded paws, which means they can tread silently.

So, what would they eat?

Well, they eat deer, they certainly will eat turtles, they eat fish.

Jaguars are excellent swimmers. Basically, any small mammal,

but they'll also climb trees,

they're good tree climbers and go after birds.

I'm sorry, I'm so distracted cos listen to the crunching

that's happening right now with our camera.

So, that jaw has a really strong bite.

900lbs of force

for one inch of tooth.

Proving the fact beautifully for us.

Oh, he's ripping off the other one now. What about humans, Sharon?

Oh, they do not stalk people, they don't hunt people,

they stay away from people.

They prefer to be solitary on their own?

They definitely are solitary animals.

Although these cats tend to stay away from humans in the wild,

Junior seemed to have a taste for our cameraman.

-Oh, Junior, you lucky guy.

-He's licking our cameraman's head.

-Steve, how does that feel?

-Fantastic, it's the best body scrub.

Quite exfoliating.

I want to explain that the tongue is rough like that

because it pulls the meat off bones very quickly.

Even protected inside this cage, it's very,

very intimidating being this close to such a large predatory carnivore

capable of taking down prey my size with a single bite to the head!

Fortunately, it does sound like the jaguar would prefer to stay

hidden in the jungle well away from humans.

Nevertheless, in this race for the nightmare prize, is the predatory

pounce of the jungle jaguar enough to see it leap into the lead?

South Africa certainly delivered on its nightmares of nature.

And it was here that I crowned the humungous hippo my worst

nightmare of nature for being one of the most dangerous

animals in Africa.

And having met a pod of hippos in the wild,

as well as coming face to face with Jessica, a wild, rescued hippo,

I was certainly convinced it had earned its place.

But Jessica was no ordinary hippo, as her rescuer, Tonie showed me,

while I was there.

Does she spend most of her time in the water?

Jessica spends about 50% of her time in the water.

Where does she spend the rest of the time?

The rest of the time, she comes up into the garden.

She comes up into your garden?

Yes, as a matter of fact, when we get up here and walk that way,

-she'll follow us.

-Let's try it.

-Let's go and try it.

She's coming, oh, here she comes!

Just very conscious I've got a hippo following me.

Past the car.

And it wasn't just the garden that Jessica liked to explore.

She can open the door?

Well, this is the weirdest sight I've ever seen.

Follow me, here we are.

-We're going to feed her something in the kitchen now.

-Are we?

-Yes.

Between the two teeth.

This has got to be one of the most surreal things I have ever done.

Feeding a hippo in somebody's kitchen.

It's bonkers. Yes, I know you're hungry.

I've got lots, there you go.

She must eat you out of house and home.

She does eat us out of house and home. But what a pleasure!

You must have some real damage that she's caused in your house.

Since we've had her, she's broken five double beds.

And what's the future for Jessica?

Jessica's got a great future lying ahead for her

because she's not in captivity, she's free and she goes to the

wild hippos and the wild hippos come to her, she interacts with them.

So, she lives like a normal wild hippo, but what makes her special

is that she keeps on interacting with us with humans, as well.

You and me, we're friends now, Jessica.

Well, it has been an incredible experience to meet Jessica

and to be allowed to get this close to perhaps the most dangerous

animal in Africa.

What a privilege, but, um, I'm under no illusions,

I know that hippos are just that, dangerous wild animals and I think

Jessica here is the only exception to that rule.

So, for that reason,

I'm going to say that hippos could be my worst nightmare.

Sorry, Jessica.

So, that rounds up all of our unseen encounters

and all that's left for me to do, is choose my worst.

Will it be the giant grizzly with its sheer size

and strength... He's thumping.

Jessica Hippo with her rather random routine...

..or, the towering terrors that are the not-so-gentle giraffes?

They all have some serious nightmare potential,

but the one that has stolen the show for me,

is the elusive and silent stalker, with its giant jaws

and deadly bite.

My worst unseen nightmare is the jungle jaguar.

Some animals are scarier than others.

Snapping crocs or giant spiders always have plenty of fear-factor.