0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welcome to my Nightmares Of Nature.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08I'm Naomi Wilkinson...
0:00:08 > 0:00:10SHE SCREAMS Oh, my goodness!
0:00:10 > 0:00:14..and I'm coming face-to-face with the nightmares of the animal world.
0:00:15 > 0:00:16Oh!
0:00:16 > 0:00:18The ones that make your spine tingle...
0:00:18 > 0:00:19SHE WHIMPERS
0:00:19 > 0:00:23..your heart beat faster...
0:00:23 > 0:00:25There it is, there it is!
0:00:25 > 0:00:27..and your blood run cold.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Are they truly terrifying?
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Or is there a twist in the tale?
0:00:34 > 0:00:36SEAL BARKS
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 > 0:00:45And see if you can guess which will be my worst nightmare.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52Kia ora! This time I've travelled further than ever.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55To a land miles and miles from anywhere.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59It's taken me days to get here.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01My body clock's wrecked.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03I've got no idea what time it is.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07And now, I've got to face the nightmares of New Zealand!
0:01:08 > 0:01:10We'll be crisscrossing New Zealand
0:01:10 > 0:01:13and passing through some epic landscapes.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16And after three days on a plane, it's good to get out.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20But we're not here to sightsee. Oh, no!
0:01:20 > 0:01:24We're on a collision course with some serious critters.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26From real-life monsters...
0:01:26 > 0:01:27Ooh!
0:01:27 > 0:01:31..to super-sharp slime shooters.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34- Ah! It just... - It did it really far, didn't it?
0:01:34 > 0:01:38And a jawed beastie of giant proportions.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40Oh, I don't like that!
0:01:42 > 0:01:46First up is something that's a bit of an oddball.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49It's small, it's furry, some even say sweet.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52But...it's not one of these,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56as Stu our cameraman thought when he first read the script!
0:01:56 > 0:02:00It's actually one of New Zealand's most curious of creatures.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02The kiwi.
0:02:02 > 0:02:03Kiwis are small,
0:02:03 > 0:02:07quirky birds that live deep in the forest of New Zealand.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10They're rarely ever seen, and come out at night
0:02:10 > 0:02:11to forage for food.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14But this is New Zealand's national icon.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16How could it possibly be a nightmare?
0:02:21 > 0:02:24To find out more, I've come to Rainbow Springs Nature Park,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26to meet kiwi expert Emma.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32She's got some brand-new babies that have recently hatched.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36To make sure I don't give the kiwis my germs, I have to get kitted up.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42- There we go.- Oh, it's bigger than I thought it would be.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Oh, how cute is that? Look at his massive long beak.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47There we go.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51What a little poppet. It's a complete fluff ball, isn't it?
0:02:51 > 0:02:52He certainly is.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57So, he weighs a nice 326g,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00but what we're going to do is we'll give him a quick health check...
0:03:00 > 0:03:03- Yep.- ..and make sure that everything's all right.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05OK, so we'll just let you crack on.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09'At this age, checking the health of the kiwi is vitally important
0:03:09 > 0:03:10'to ensure it survives.'
0:03:12 > 0:03:16- I just look at the eyes and the ears.- Tiny little eyes, hasn't it?
0:03:16 > 0:03:18'Spending most of the time in the dark,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20'you'd think kiwi would have big eyes.'
0:03:20 > 0:03:22They just have vision like you and I.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25So, it's at a bit of a disadvantage for a nocturnal creature, then.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29Absolutely, but they have extra nerves at the tip of their bill,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31and that's how they find their food.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33It's the most unlike bird I've ever seen, I think.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36EMMA LAUGHS Kind of fluffy, massive feet.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Can't really see very well in the dark considering it's nocturnal.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Yeah. And I'll show you their little wing.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44A little, tiny thing. There it is.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46That's its tiny little wing!
0:03:46 > 0:03:48So, he's not flying anywhere with that, is he?
0:03:48 > 0:03:51'I can see a bit of a pattern, here.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54'They can't see that well, and they can't fly.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57'The kiwi is one unlucky bird.'
0:03:57 > 0:03:59So, if it's not able to fly, does that mean it's quite
0:03:59 > 0:04:02vulnerable cos it can't fly away from predators?
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Absolutely, but of course when
0:04:05 > 0:04:08kiwi were here before humans arrived,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11there were no mammalian predators to bother the kiwi,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- so that's why it evolved to not fly...- Yeah.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16..and unfortunately now...
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Yeah, it's not able to keep up with all the predators
0:04:19 > 0:04:21that we've brought in to New Zealand.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Unfortunately, humans have introduced
0:04:23 > 0:04:27a whole range of animals to New Zealand, such as...
0:04:27 > 0:04:28the rat,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30the ferret,
0:04:30 > 0:04:32and the stoat.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Not to mention the cat...
0:04:35 > 0:04:37and the dog...
0:04:37 > 0:04:40who all hunt the poor kiwi.
0:04:44 > 0:04:45Sleep well.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49But for now, this little kiwi is safe in his bed.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54With the check-up completed, it's now off outside,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58to find some older kiwi in their homes.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Ohh, we've woken you up.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Oh, it's a bigger one!
0:05:02 > 0:05:05'Laura needs to make sure that this kiwi is fit and healthy,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08'so it's off to the weighing station.'
0:05:08 > 0:05:10So, if they weren't in these enclosures,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14what would be their chance of survival out in the wild?
0:05:14 > 0:05:16They'd, unfortunately, only have about
0:05:16 > 0:05:19a 5% survival rate to get to about six months old,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23so the reason why we do what we do
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- is we keep them safe through that vulnerable time.- Yeah.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29So, once they get up to a kilo in weight,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31they're able to defend themselves against their number one
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- predator, which is the stoat. - And you can let them go.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38- Absolutely, yeah. Got to save our national icon.- Yes.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41So, he's a whopping 986g.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43So, that's really exciting.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46So, as soon as he reaches a kilo,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48- he's off into the wild?- Absolutely.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51He'll be back out to where the egg came from.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54'But even with this kick-start to life,
0:05:54 > 0:05:56'it's not going to be easy.'
0:05:59 > 0:06:01'Life is tough being a kiwi.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06They dig in the ground for food,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10but have their nostrils at the end of their beak.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13So their nose gets bunged up with soil.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Achoo!
0:06:15 > 0:06:17They come out at night-time,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19but they can't see that well!
0:06:19 > 0:06:21CRASH!
0:06:23 > 0:06:26And they're birds that can't fly.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Which means they get nailed by dogs, cats, and...
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Well, everything else, it seems.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34DOG BARKS
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Poor, unlucky kiwi.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39I almost daren't ask, Emma.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Is there anything else the kiwi has to handle?
0:06:42 > 0:06:44There is one more nightmarishly
0:06:44 > 0:06:47different thing that kiwi do. Let me show you something.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50It doesn't surprise me you say there is something else.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52What is it?
0:06:52 > 0:06:55So, here we have an X-ray of a kiwi.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59So, you can see, this is the long beak, the backbone,
0:06:59 > 0:07:01and a huge...
0:07:01 > 0:07:03eye-wateringly large egg.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06That's almost the size of its body!
0:07:06 > 0:07:07Absolutely.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10And when she lays that, a couple of weeks later,
0:07:10 > 0:07:11she has to lay another one.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13- Ooh!- I don't fancy it.- Ow!
0:07:13 > 0:07:15EMMA LAUGHS
0:07:24 > 0:07:26The kiwi!
0:07:26 > 0:07:28No, not the fruit!
0:07:28 > 0:07:31One of New Zealand's most captivating creatures,
0:07:31 > 0:07:32but they're so, so unlucky.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35They can't see well in the dark, they don't fly,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39they lay an egg that is eye-wateringly ginormous,
0:07:39 > 0:07:43and now I could be calling it my worst nightmare, too!
0:07:43 > 0:07:44I'm sorry.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49From freak to unique.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Something sinister is lurking in the undergrowth.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57When you think of worms, you probably think of slimy,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00but pretty much harmless wriggly things
0:08:00 > 0:08:01that live in your garden.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06Well, there's a worm that lives here in New Zealand, that's a bit weird.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08It's got legs, it's got teeth,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10and it likes to hunt.
0:08:13 > 0:08:14The velvet worm.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Tiny, squishy, perhaps even cute.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22But don't be fooled, as there's more to this critter than meets the eye.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24A voracious predator,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27lurking in the depths of the forest.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29It has some truly sinister tricks up
0:08:29 > 0:08:32its velvety sleeve.
0:08:32 > 0:08:33I'm going to try and find one.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37And I've got biologist supremo, Steve, to help me.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Right, why have you brought me to a big old log?
0:08:46 > 0:08:48- That's lovely, isn't it? - NAOMI LAUGHS
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- This might be a place we'd find velvet worms.- OK.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53- Where would we look?- We'd have to look right down
0:08:53 > 0:08:57- in the guts of the business, down here, perhaps.- OK...
0:08:57 > 0:08:58So, you break bits off.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00So, the only way we can do this
0:09:00 > 0:09:03is to gently pull away
0:09:03 > 0:09:04bits of the rotting log.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07When you open it up, there's all these cavities,
0:09:07 > 0:09:08- these little tunnels.- Ah.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11- It's dark, it's like a mysterious world.- Amazing.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15'Whilst this is the perfect hiding spot for the velvet worm,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17'unfortunately, no-one seems to be at home.'
0:09:19 > 0:09:21OK. Nothing there. Let's keep looking.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26We may have struck out on our first attempt,
0:09:26 > 0:09:30but Steve assures me we'll have better luck deeper into the forest.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33- Heading into the bush! - Here we are, this is THE bush.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36This worm had better be worth it. STEVE LAUGHS
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Actually, it's quite a climb!
0:09:38 > 0:09:40THEY LAUGH
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Ooh!
0:09:43 > 0:09:45- Well, this is... This looks like a...- This bit is a good one?
0:09:45 > 0:09:48- What we could do, we could actually go the other side.- Yeah.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Oop! Oh, dear.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53OK, so are we thinking in here? Is there a worm in there?
0:09:53 > 0:09:55- There are bits we can lift off. - Ooh, what's that?
0:09:55 > 0:09:58- There's another one of your millipedes.- Oh.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10It's funny, because I don't actually know what I'm looking for.
0:10:10 > 0:10:11A worm with legs and teeth.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13THEY LAUGH
0:10:20 > 0:10:21- SHOUTS:- I've got something!
0:10:21 > 0:10:23- Have you got one?- I'm up here!- Ah!
0:10:23 > 0:10:25- Have we got one?- Yeah!
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Take care. Walk slowly, everybody.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30We're coming, we're coming.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34OK, well, cos I've seen these things lots of times,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37even though I can only catch a glimmer of a few feet,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39I know there's one in there.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- And you think this is an adult?- And let's just lift off this bit of...
0:10:42 > 0:10:44It's still stuck on.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47- Oh, and, actually, that is a monster.- Oh!
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Wow! Gosh, it's really blue.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52That's about as big as they get for these North Island ones.
0:10:52 > 0:10:53Look at her funny, stubby legs.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56What they call lobopods, and they're specialised legs,
0:10:56 > 0:10:57and they're just filled with fluid.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00And, I tell you what, we'll just give it a bit of stimulus.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02I'm just going to gently touch its antennae.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- Oh!- Ah! It just...- You see it...? Really far, didn't it?
0:11:05 > 0:11:06HE LAUGHS
0:11:06 > 0:11:09- What's it doing?- It's on my finger. It's fired its glue guns.
0:11:09 > 0:11:10You don't know about that, do you?
0:11:10 > 0:11:14That's the secret, the dark secret of the velvet worm.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16- But catch a look at that. Can you see?- It shoots slime?
0:11:16 > 0:11:18- It shoots slime. - Why does it do that?
0:11:18 > 0:11:20- What it has those for is to hunt, to catch its prey.- Oh.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Cos it's just a soft-bodied animal, but it hunts animals,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26it hunts other little animals.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Yep, the velvet worm shoots slime.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33On each side of its head are slime-firing pistols.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Like a super-sharp shooter,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38it launches lassoes of goo at its target.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Splat!
0:11:40 > 0:11:42The sticky substance traps its victim,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44so it can't get away.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51- So, once it's caught its prey, then what would happen?- Ah.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54- Cos it's quite slow moving, isn't it?- Yeah. Well, that's the thing.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Did you see how quick that was?
0:11:59 > 0:12:00That was the fast bit.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03And then it does the next exciting thing,
0:12:03 > 0:12:05which is it gets out its fangs.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08It's got these great big fangs that come out of its mouth,
0:12:08 > 0:12:09and it slashes a hole.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Then it kind of vomits into it, it sicks up inside the food,
0:12:13 > 0:12:17and it digests the animal kind of in its own body...
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- Yeah?- And then it...sluurrp! Drinks out the...
0:12:20 > 0:12:22- That's like a nice soup.- Yeah, like a smoothie.- Mm, nice(!)
0:12:22 > 0:12:25It sucks out all that goodness and just leaves the hard bits behind.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29What we'll do, though, is we'll see if she'll come and walk on you.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33- As long as it doesn't do that slime thing again.- OK.- Right.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36So, we'll just gently roll her out onto you hand.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38- OK, I mean you no harm.- Now you can see...- Oh, look at those legs!
0:12:38 > 0:12:41- You see a belly, and all her legs. - Oh, the legs.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43And you wouldn't think that something so small and
0:12:43 > 0:12:45delicate would be packed with such sort of
0:12:45 > 0:12:47mean...sinister weapons.
0:12:47 > 0:12:48Yeah. Yes, that's right.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Very sinister weapons, and it's a real hunter,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54and it is unlike any other kind of animal.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03The velvet worm.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05It may look soft and squidgy,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08but this is a worm with weapons.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Rampaging through the undergrowth,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14firing slime at its victims. Pew!
0:13:14 > 0:13:17And that is a very real nightmare.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19'I'll tell you what, though,
0:13:19 > 0:13:23'being able to shoot slime would be pretty useful.'
0:13:29 > 0:13:31HER STOMACH RUMBLES
0:13:46 > 0:13:48NAOMI LAUGHS
0:14:00 > 0:14:03When the crew first told me I was coming to New Zealand, I thought,
0:14:03 > 0:14:08"Great, there is absolutely nothing that lives there that's scary."
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Well, now that I'm actually here,
0:14:10 > 0:14:11I've been told a story of a
0:14:11 > 0:14:14giant snake-like creature
0:14:14 > 0:14:16so ferocious it's rumoured to have
0:14:16 > 0:14:19devoured dogs and even people.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23And apparently, this river is where they live.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28But this is no snake.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Incredibly, no snakes are found in New Zealand.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35This mysterious creature starts life in the sea,
0:14:35 > 0:14:39and then moves up rivers, where it hunts for its prey.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42A super-sized giant,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45some say growing to monstrous sizes.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48But do these meat-eaters deserve
0:14:48 > 0:14:50their menacing reputations?
0:14:50 > 0:14:54Let me introduce you to the longfin eel.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01To help me on my quest, I've met up with eel enthusiast Laura.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Well, Laura, I am absolutely loving
0:15:08 > 0:15:11the idea of coming face-to-face with a two-metre eel.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Yes, I am. I'm not lying...
0:15:14 > 0:15:16How ferocious are they?
0:15:16 > 0:15:19There's definitely myths and legends that say they can be pretty
0:15:19 > 0:15:22- ferocious.- So is it true that they do bite people?
0:15:22 > 0:15:26There has been stories of them biting people. They do have teeth.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Their teeth actually go the wrong way, so if they bite onto something
0:15:30 > 0:15:35- they use a corkscrew, a little bit like a crocodile, to pull.- Oh, no!
0:15:35 > 0:15:37And you think there might be some just a little bit further ahead?
0:15:37 > 0:15:41I think we might meet a few if we go this way.
0:15:41 > 0:15:42But what if...?
0:15:44 > 0:15:45Oh.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50'It was time to step into a lair of giants.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52'First, we have to find them.'
0:15:53 > 0:15:54So, apparently,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57up round here is where they might normally be hanging out.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02What's that? Ooh, is that a head moving? There.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04I saw something moving in there.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07'But just when our backs are turned...'
0:16:07 > 0:16:09- Behind you!- Where? Where?
0:16:09 > 0:16:12NAOMI GASPS Oh! Look at the size of him!
0:16:12 > 0:16:14- That's just a little one! - That's...That's a little one?
0:16:14 > 0:16:17- That's just a little one. - It's coming straight for your legs.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19- It's coming right towards me. - Do we need to worry?
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Well, one thing they like to do...
0:16:22 > 0:16:24You know how babies pop things in their mouth to figure out
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- what they are?- Yeah... - That's what these guys do.
0:16:30 > 0:16:31Can I get out now?
0:16:32 > 0:16:35- Can they see us from under the water?- They don't see very well.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38They've got these beautiful blue eyes,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41but unfortunately they're just about blind.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44That's why they're using all their other senses to figure out
0:16:44 > 0:16:48what's going on, things like those protruding nostrils.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52That helps them smell things from around 100 metres away.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55'And it seems they can smell us in the water,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59'as other dark shapes start to appear from the shadows.'
0:17:00 > 0:17:04- Oh, there's two now! - Here's another one, there.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06So, what do they eat to grow to be that big?
0:17:06 > 0:17:11They'll eat tadpoles, small fish, baby ducklings,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14livestock if it drowned in the river, if the river's swelled.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18- They'd eat a sheep? Something that big?- They would. Yep, they would.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21You often hear stories from farmers that say if the river's flooded
0:17:21 > 0:17:25and livestock drowns, that the eels have come and cleaned it up.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29- Ooh! And you just get left with their bones?- Pretty much.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Ah! I guess our work here's done now, isn't it?
0:17:37 > 0:17:39It's been good to see them, but it's getting a bit cold.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Can we get out yet?
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Actually, I've got one more job for you to do, so come with me.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48"Job"?
0:17:48 > 0:17:50A job... Oh...
0:17:52 > 0:17:58Whoa! There are so many of them, and they're so big. What's the plan?
0:17:58 > 0:18:03So, I've got some pretty stinky chicken skin and hen skin here
0:18:03 > 0:18:06- which we're going to feed them.- OK. - This'll be a real treat for them.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08So, I'm going to get you to help me.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11But I need you to be careful of your fingers, though,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14because they do have teeth, so just be a little bit careful
0:18:14 > 0:18:17- about where your fingers are and how close they are to you.- OK.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- A big piece like that? - A big piece like that'll do.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22What's going to happen? Are they going to jump up?
0:18:22 > 0:18:24They're going to lift their heads up,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27because they're using that amazing sense of smell to find it.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Oh, dear... NAOMI SIGHS
0:18:31 > 0:18:36- Yep!- Do I let it go?- Yeah, they'll grab it out of your hands.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40- Got it.- There he goes!
0:18:42 > 0:18:43What's happening there?
0:18:43 > 0:18:46So, what they do, the ones that bite onto something,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50- they'll twist to pull it apart. - Tear off a piece. Whoa!
0:18:50 > 0:18:55'These are big animals, and they aren't afraid of coming close.'
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Whoo...
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Whoa!
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- They're strong! They're really strong.- They're very strong.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05I tried to hold on to that. Cor!
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Are they slimy to touch?
0:19:10 > 0:19:11Some people say they're slimy.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14What they do is when they're feeling a little bit threatened,
0:19:14 > 0:19:16so maybe if they're not in water -
0:19:16 > 0:19:21because they can be out of water, actually - they might secrete
0:19:21 > 0:19:24- a slime, and that would make them difficult to catch.- Yeah.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25So it's like a defence mechanism.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28But they're not always in the water? They can live out of water?
0:19:28 > 0:19:32They can, for about 48 hours or so. As long as they have a little bit of
0:19:32 > 0:19:37moisture around them, they can take themselves over land.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40So in that dewy, long morning grass in New Zealand,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43they might be taking themselves from one water source to another.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46- They can literally walk on the land? - They move like a snake.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49That's cool.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Ooh! Well, what can I say?
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Nature has a way of surprising you every single time.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59I never thought I would find myself coming face-to-face with
0:19:59 > 0:20:04a swarm of giant river eels. They are mahoosive! They're hungry.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07And they've got a seriously scary set of gnashers on them.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11But is it enough to make these slippery characters slide into that
0:20:11 > 0:20:12nightmare top spot?
0:20:16 > 0:20:21'So far, so good, but giant eels aren't the only things here
0:20:21 > 0:20:23'that grow to monster sizes.'
0:20:23 > 0:20:25OK, a bit of history for you.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28New Zealand was cut off from the rest of the world for
0:20:28 > 0:20:30millions of years.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Now, that means there are creatures that live here that can only
0:20:33 > 0:20:35be found here, nowhere else.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39And when some of these creatures are left to evolve on their own,
0:20:39 > 0:20:44isolated from everywhere else, sometimes they can grow big.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Now, wouldn't it be lovely if these were giant bunnies?
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Or giant fluffy penguins?
0:20:52 > 0:20:55But no, they have to be giant insects, don't they?
0:20:55 > 0:20:57Nice one...!
0:20:59 > 0:21:03'Luckily for me, I'm not going to be on my own for this one,
0:21:03 > 0:21:07'as I'm back with Steve to hide behind. Ahem. I mean accompany me.'
0:21:09 > 0:21:12- Right, what's the plan? - We're going to find a tree weta.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17- And what are weta?- Weta are just lovely, big, shiny insects.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19And they're only found in New Zealand?
0:21:19 > 0:21:22They only live in New Zealand. The giant crickets of New Zealand.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24So, how are we supposed to find them?
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Well, it would be hard, normally, because they're nocturnal,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28so they only come out at night naturally,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32and they hide away during the day inside holes in trees.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35But we've got some special boxes where we know the weta are in there,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39and we can open those boxes during the day and find the little beasts.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41- So we're going to go and check out those boxes now.- We are.- OK!
0:21:41 > 0:21:46'I'm used to boxes for birds, not insects.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48'How big are they going to be?!
0:21:49 > 0:21:52'Steve's insect boxes are located deep in the bush,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55'and it's proving to be a bit of a struggle.'
0:21:55 > 0:21:57- All right?- Thank you!
0:21:57 > 0:21:58SHE LAUGHS
0:21:58 > 0:22:04- So, just here we've got one of those weta roosts.- Ah! Let's have a look.
0:22:04 > 0:22:05Do you want to open it up?
0:22:05 > 0:22:08I'd like you to open it up, if you don't mind!
0:22:08 > 0:22:09Ooh...
0:22:09 > 0:22:13Oh, my word! SHE SHIVERS
0:22:13 > 0:22:17- This is a female tree weta.- Whoa!
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Strangely enough, even though they look big and fearsome,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22their main food is leaves.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26- Right.- So they go out and they chomp through leaves.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31But her jaws are small compared to the jaws of the big males,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34- the adult male.- So, do you think there's a male in that box?
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Let's see if we can find some males.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41- So...- They're a bit sort of cockroach-y, aren't they?
0:22:41 > 0:22:45Yeah, well done, a big one. Oh, that's a male, that's a male!
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Look at its jaws! SHE SHRIEKS
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Oh, I don't like that! It's got a totally different face.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55- His body is smaller than hers, but his head is much, much bigger.- Yeah!
0:22:57 > 0:22:59- Did it bite you? Are you OK? - No, it didn't.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02When he bites, he'll hang on.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06'And those super-sized jaws can draw blood, if I'm not careful.'
0:23:06 > 0:23:11- Ugh, its face is like an alien. - But a very beautiful alien.- Hmm...
0:23:12 > 0:23:15What are those enormous jaws for?
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Well, they're not for attacking mad biologists,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20although they will use them for that.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22They've got to feed, still, so they're still using their jaws
0:23:22 > 0:23:27to feed, but mostly they're being used to fight with other males.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30'Male weta can be fierce.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32'They live with groups of females,
0:23:32 > 0:23:37'and if another male comes along, he'll defend his prized mates.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42'And the battles between wrestling weta can be brutal.
0:23:42 > 0:23:43'But it's not just other weta
0:23:43 > 0:23:47'that should be wary of these feisty critters.'
0:23:47 > 0:23:51They do also react to predators, to things trying to eat them,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54and they'll wave their legs in the air, open their jaws.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56They'll make themselves look big.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58And certainly, when small birds try and attack a weta,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02- they will often give up. "I'll go and find something easier."- Really?!
0:24:02 > 0:24:04They can scare off birds?
0:24:04 > 0:24:10'Now that I've met these monster mouths, I've got a job to do.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13'Before I arrived, Steve had requested I bring something
0:24:13 > 0:24:16'with me to help with his research.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20'Gloves or a net to catch them, perhaps?
0:24:20 > 0:24:21'No. None of these.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23'Nail polish.'
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Well, I've brought some very funky colours with me,
0:24:25 > 0:24:27but we're not painting the weta's nails, are we?
0:24:27 > 0:24:29We're not going to paint their nails, no.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33The purpose is so that we know who is who, which weta is which weta.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36- Ah!- We don't need to beautify them, because they're already beautiful.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39The colour's there so that we can tell the difference between
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- each individual.- So you can see if it moves to a new box.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44- We know who they're pairing up with.- Mm-hm.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46So, how do we go about doing this?
0:24:46 > 0:24:48- I don't want to get bitten. - You don't want to get bitten.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51The first thing we're going to do is just open this box.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55It's just got one, and she's hidden behind the plastic there.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Whereabouts are we going to put a blob of this?
0:24:57 > 0:25:01We're going to put it on a flat area behind the head.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08- Can you see? So, you don't want too much on your brush.- Like that?
0:25:08 > 0:25:12- Is now a good time?- Yeah. - So, between its antennae in there?
0:25:12 > 0:25:14NAOMI SQUEALS
0:25:14 > 0:25:16NAOMI SHRIEKS
0:25:16 > 0:25:19She got wise. She got wise to me, didn't she?
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Put a pink blob on the dark square.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Sorry, mate.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29- Enough?- She's fine.- How's that? - Perfect.- Is that all right? Good!
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Success!
0:25:31 > 0:25:34- Naomi's weta there.- There you go, pinky. Is that better, weta?
0:25:34 > 0:25:39- It's a fantastic colour. - Yeah. Much better, weta!
0:25:39 > 0:25:40A better weta!
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Lovely.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45'One box down, just one more to go,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48'and a new weta calls for a new colour.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54'It's a big, angry male! And Steve has something special in mind.'
0:25:54 > 0:25:56So, you've got a challenge.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58You're going to write your name on the back of a weta.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01- My name?- No, maybe just an N.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06- Does it help if I hold this? - Can it spin round and bite me?
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Absolutely not.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13- Right...- That never happens. - Oh, mate.- Oh, look at that!
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Look at that!
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Oh, yeah.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23- He didn't even move! Oh!- Brilliant. Fully qualified biologist.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26You know how to tag weta.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29'With the weta successfully marked, job's a good 'un.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32'And I didn't get bitten. Nice!'
0:26:33 > 0:26:38A giant insect with big ol' jaws, always up for a fight,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41a dead cert for my ultimate nightmare.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Having said that, I quite like how fearless and gutsy they are,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47so for now I think it's all still to play for.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Well, that's just about it for this New Zealand adventure.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03Just got to decide which was my worst nightmare.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05'Monster eels? Nah.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08'Weta? Don't think so.'
0:27:08 > 0:27:11What do you think, guys? EVERYONE TALKS AT ONCE
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Actually, don't bother. Don't trust you lot.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18They may be tiny, but the weaponised velvet worm with its slime-shooting
0:27:18 > 0:27:23pistols has shot to glory to become my worst nightmare here.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28I reckon it was the weta, Stu.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Yeah, she doesn't know what she's talking about.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32I can hear you, you know.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Cheese!
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Thanks very much!
0:27:41 > 0:27:44You're welcome. Nice to meet you all.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Most photos I've ever had taken, ever.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48Looking like this! Yes!