Browse content similar to Kalahari Safari. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
Line | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|
Welcome to my Nightmares Of Nature! | 0:00:02 | 0:00:04 | |
I'm Naomi Wilkinson! | 0:00:06 | 0:00:08 | |
Oh, my goodness! | 0:00:08 | 0:00:10 | |
I'm coming face-to-face with the nightmares of the animal world. | 0:00:10 | 0:00:14 | |
SHE YELPS | 0:00:14 | 0:00:16 | |
The ones that make your spine tingle... | 0:00:16 | 0:00:19 | |
your heart beat faster... | 0:00:19 | 0:00:21 | |
There it is! There it is! | 0:00:22 | 0:00:24 | |
..and your blood run cold. | 0:00:24 | 0:00:26 | |
Are they truly terrifying? | 0:00:28 | 0:00:30 | |
Or is there a twist in the tale? | 0:00:31 | 0:00:33 | |
Come with me as I shine a light on wildlife's deepest, darkest secrets | 0:00:35 | 0:00:41 | |
and see if you can guess which will be my worst nightmare. | 0:00:41 | 0:00:45 | |
And here the adventure begins. | 0:00:51 | 0:00:53 | |
A desert three times the size of the UK. | 0:00:53 | 0:00:56 | |
We are going to be tracking down the fastest... | 0:00:56 | 0:00:59 | |
Oh, oh, oh, oh! | 0:00:59 | 0:01:00 | |
..the freakiest... | 0:01:00 | 0:01:02 | |
Oooh... | 0:01:03 | 0:01:04 | |
..and the most downright frightening of nightmares... | 0:01:04 | 0:01:07 | |
..that this place has to offer. | 0:01:08 | 0:01:10 | |
So come with me for a Kalahari safari. | 0:01:10 | 0:01:14 | |
I've come to the southern tip of the Kalahari. | 0:01:16 | 0:01:20 | |
This is prime nightmare hunting habitat. | 0:01:20 | 0:01:23 | |
And up first, one of the most feared predators on the planet. | 0:01:24 | 0:01:29 | |
I'm off for a night out with the king of beasts. | 0:01:29 | 0:01:33 | |
LOUD YAWN | 0:01:33 | 0:01:34 | |
I'm here, just a few metres from Africa's top predator. | 0:01:37 | 0:01:43 | |
One of the most feared animals on the planet. | 0:01:43 | 0:01:47 | |
And they look... | 0:01:47 | 0:01:48 | |
And they look... | 0:01:49 | 0:01:50 | |
Well, they look like giant, lazy pussycats, to be honest. | 0:01:53 | 0:01:56 | |
Not very scary. | 0:01:56 | 0:01:58 | |
Not much of a nightmare. | 0:01:58 | 0:02:00 | |
LION CUB MEOWS | 0:02:00 | 0:02:02 | |
So, is the lion really the fearsome feline we've been led to believe? | 0:02:06 | 0:02:11 | |
I'm joining wildlife guide and lion enthusiast Dylan | 0:02:12 | 0:02:17 | |
for the lowdown on Africa's top predator. | 0:02:17 | 0:02:20 | |
So this is just how they spend most of their days, | 0:02:20 | 0:02:23 | |
lounging around sleeping? | 0:02:23 | 0:02:24 | |
Yeah. Dosing, sleeping, just lying awake watching. | 0:02:24 | 0:02:28 | |
But certainly, just resting 18 hours a day very comfortably. | 0:02:28 | 0:02:30 | |
I don't mind them when they're like this! | 0:02:30 | 0:02:33 | |
-They're cool like this. -They can stay like this. This is fine. | 0:02:33 | 0:02:36 | |
But as we all know, these sleepy kitties | 0:02:38 | 0:02:40 | |
aren't always this laid-back. | 0:02:40 | 0:02:43 | |
So when do we see their nightmare side? | 0:02:44 | 0:02:46 | |
That should be happening fairly soon, yeah. | 0:02:48 | 0:02:50 | |
Their nightmare side, as the temperature starts dropping, | 0:02:50 | 0:02:53 | |
darkness starts falling, they're going to be getting up. | 0:02:53 | 0:02:55 | |
And then they'll move off hunting. | 0:02:55 | 0:02:58 | |
In fact, this particular pride | 0:02:58 | 0:02:59 | |
hasn't caught something for the past four days, | 0:02:59 | 0:03:02 | |
-so they are going to be quite peckish. -Hungry, yeah. | 0:03:02 | 0:03:05 | |
It's the transformation from sleepy cats to nightmare hunters | 0:03:05 | 0:03:09 | |
that we're hoping to see. | 0:03:09 | 0:03:11 | |
So we need to sit tight and wait. | 0:03:11 | 0:03:14 | |
And there's something about watching hot, lazy lions | 0:03:15 | 0:03:18 | |
that makes us all... | 0:03:18 | 0:03:20 | |
SHE YAWNS | 0:03:20 | 0:03:21 | |
..a bit sleepy. | 0:03:21 | 0:03:22 | |
SNORING | 0:03:22 | 0:03:23 | |
-Darren! -You're snoring! -Darren! | 0:03:23 | 0:03:26 | |
SNORING CONTINUES | 0:03:26 | 0:03:28 | |
The lions are getting much more active. | 0:03:28 | 0:03:31 | |
Things are starting to change. | 0:03:31 | 0:03:34 | |
Literally, as the sun's disappearing, they're waking up. | 0:03:39 | 0:03:42 | |
That's it. Just a big drop in temperature now. | 0:03:42 | 0:03:45 | |
Wow. | 0:03:45 | 0:03:46 | |
There's definitely more life in them | 0:03:46 | 0:03:49 | |
-than there was half an hour ago. -Yeah. | 0:03:49 | 0:03:51 | |
Huge teeth, hey? Teeth are what they use for killing. | 0:03:53 | 0:03:55 | |
Typically, either suffocation around the muzzle, or on the throat. | 0:03:55 | 0:03:59 | |
So they just bite down really hard | 0:03:59 | 0:04:01 | |
-until the animal can't breathe any more? -That's it, that's it. | 0:04:01 | 0:04:03 | |
Lions are undoubtedly strong, efficient killers. | 0:04:05 | 0:04:09 | |
But they also have a secret weapon... | 0:04:09 | 0:04:11 | |
They can see in the dark. | 0:04:13 | 0:04:15 | |
Their eyesight is six times better than ours at night, | 0:04:16 | 0:04:20 | |
and using just the light of the stars and moon, | 0:04:20 | 0:04:24 | |
they can bring down prey as large as an elephant. | 0:04:24 | 0:04:27 | |
To keep track of these petrifying predators, | 0:04:28 | 0:04:32 | |
we have to use some special kit. | 0:04:32 | 0:04:34 | |
This is what I can actually see... | 0:04:35 | 0:04:38 | |
A big, fat nothing. | 0:04:38 | 0:04:41 | |
But...we're switching our cameras to infrared. | 0:04:42 | 0:04:44 | |
And we've put some red filters on our lights | 0:04:44 | 0:04:48 | |
so that we won't disturb the lions. | 0:04:48 | 0:04:50 | |
And then, hopefully, this will all give us | 0:04:50 | 0:04:52 | |
a secret view into their night-time antics. | 0:04:52 | 0:04:55 | |
Makes me look all ghoulish, doesn't it? | 0:04:55 | 0:04:58 | |
CAMERAMAN LAUGHS | 0:04:58 | 0:05:00 | |
I literally cannot see the lions now, can you? | 0:05:02 | 0:05:06 | |
-No. -But I know we're surrounded by a pride of deadly predators. | 0:05:06 | 0:05:11 | |
And they're hungry. | 0:05:11 | 0:05:12 | |
What you can't see, can't hurt you. | 0:05:13 | 0:05:15 | |
Er, that's not true. | 0:05:17 | 0:05:19 | |
Yeah, until it's on top of you. | 0:05:19 | 0:05:20 | |
-See those eyes shining? -Oh, my gosh, this is terrifying. | 0:05:27 | 0:05:30 | |
They'll definitely move tonight, 100%. | 0:05:31 | 0:05:34 | |
The lions' hunger is making them more active, | 0:05:34 | 0:05:37 | |
and they're coming closer and closer to our vehicle. | 0:05:37 | 0:05:41 | |
The cats are now holding all the cards. | 0:05:42 | 0:05:44 | |
Makes you feel part of the food chain. | 0:05:44 | 0:05:47 | |
I don't want to feel part of the food chain tonight. | 0:05:49 | 0:05:52 | |
Oh, my gosh, that made me jump! | 0:05:56 | 0:05:58 | |
They look like very different creatures now, don't they? | 0:05:58 | 0:06:01 | |
-Absolutely. -Now they're looking around. | 0:06:01 | 0:06:03 | |
-Exactly. -You can see that top predator instinct. | 0:06:03 | 0:06:05 | |
That's it kicking in, hey? | 0:06:05 | 0:06:07 | |
These cats could easily kill a human, | 0:06:07 | 0:06:10 | |
and I'm starting to feel like they're eyeing us as potential prey. | 0:06:10 | 0:06:15 | |
Oh, goodness, I feel...sick! | 0:06:15 | 0:06:17 | |
Oh, it's come towards us! | 0:06:20 | 0:06:22 | |
Oh, my word, I wouldn't want to go near that mouth. | 0:06:22 | 0:06:25 | |
My gosh...! | 0:06:27 | 0:06:28 | |
Oh, she's coming straight towards us. | 0:06:38 | 0:06:40 | |
-Shall we go? -No. | 0:06:40 | 0:06:42 | |
Are you sure we shouldn't move away? | 0:06:42 | 0:06:44 | |
-No. -She saw me move then. | 0:06:44 | 0:06:46 | |
-I'm terrified. I'm really scared. -OK. | 0:06:48 | 0:06:50 | |
-Oh, she's going to come and bite me! -It's OK, just sit still. | 0:06:52 | 0:06:55 | |
She won't do anything. It's absolutely fine. | 0:06:55 | 0:06:57 | |
Absolutely fine. | 0:06:57 | 0:07:00 | |
No, you're doing well. Doing well. | 0:07:00 | 0:07:02 | |
You can see she's not interested at all. | 0:07:02 | 0:07:05 | |
She is! | 0:07:07 | 0:07:09 | |
Lions rarely make a kill alone. | 0:07:09 | 0:07:11 | |
I hope this one's just curious. | 0:07:11 | 0:07:13 | |
LION GRUNTS GENTLY | 0:07:13 | 0:07:15 | |
That's a contact call. | 0:07:15 | 0:07:17 | |
She's now calling for those others. | 0:07:17 | 0:07:19 | |
She wants to go hunting. | 0:07:19 | 0:07:20 | |
But not for us. | 0:07:21 | 0:07:22 | |
And drawn in by her calls, the rest of the pride come running. | 0:07:25 | 0:07:29 | |
Beautiful. Look, look, look. | 0:07:30 | 0:07:32 | |
Check out... Check this side. | 0:07:32 | 0:07:34 | |
Wow. | 0:07:36 | 0:07:37 | |
A deadly team of hunters is assembled. | 0:07:40 | 0:07:43 | |
And there's nothing between me and them. | 0:07:43 | 0:07:46 | |
One leap and they could be inside our vehicle. | 0:07:47 | 0:07:50 | |
Are you sure we shouldn't...? | 0:07:50 | 0:07:52 | |
No, don't worry. | 0:07:52 | 0:07:53 | |
We start the engine. | 0:07:55 | 0:07:56 | |
ENGINE FIRES UP | 0:07:56 | 0:07:58 | |
The lions turn and melt into the darkness. | 0:07:58 | 0:08:03 | |
What an experience! | 0:08:07 | 0:08:09 | |
I was sweating so much. | 0:08:09 | 0:08:10 | |
Shaking like a leaf. That's going to take me about a week to get over! | 0:08:11 | 0:08:15 | |
The feeling of that... | 0:08:15 | 0:08:17 | |
I don't think I've ever been that frightened. | 0:08:17 | 0:08:19 | |
Ever. | 0:08:21 | 0:08:22 | |
No, you did well. You did very well. | 0:08:22 | 0:08:24 | |
Oooph...! | 0:08:24 | 0:08:25 | |
These night-time hunters are a long way away | 0:08:26 | 0:08:31 | |
from those sleeping kitties we saw just a few hours ago. | 0:08:31 | 0:08:34 | |
With their strength, their weaponry, | 0:08:35 | 0:08:38 | |
those super senses and terrifying teamwork, | 0:08:38 | 0:08:42 | |
they really do deserve that title, king of the beasts, | 0:08:42 | 0:08:46 | |
and quite possibly could take my worst nightmare crown, too. | 0:08:46 | 0:08:49 | |
There are plenty of nightmare contenders | 0:08:53 | 0:08:56 | |
to choose from in the Kalahari. | 0:08:56 | 0:08:58 | |
Leopard... | 0:08:58 | 0:09:00 | |
Rhino... | 0:09:00 | 0:09:02 | |
Buffalo... | 0:09:02 | 0:09:04 | |
To name just a few. | 0:09:04 | 0:09:05 | |
But my next animal is none of those. | 0:09:05 | 0:09:07 | |
It's a meerkat! | 0:09:08 | 0:09:09 | |
Meerkats live in an extended family groups of up to 50, | 0:09:14 | 0:09:19 | |
making their homes in underground burrows, | 0:09:19 | 0:09:22 | |
where they raise their desperately cute little babies. | 0:09:22 | 0:09:25 | |
Oh, come on! | 0:09:27 | 0:09:29 | |
This time, someone must have made some sort of mistake! | 0:09:29 | 0:09:32 | |
Meerkats...a nightmare? | 0:09:32 | 0:09:34 | |
Never! | 0:09:34 | 0:09:35 | |
I'm joining meerkat researcher Kirsten | 0:09:37 | 0:09:39 | |
to get to the bottom of these | 0:09:39 | 0:09:41 | |
nightmarish accusations. | 0:09:41 | 0:09:43 | |
So this is their burrow, this whole section here? | 0:09:43 | 0:09:46 | |
Here's the meerkat burrow. | 0:09:46 | 0:09:47 | |
-They've got quite a few. I call it door entrances. -Yeah. | 0:09:47 | 0:09:50 | |
And they all interconnect. | 0:09:50 | 0:09:52 | |
And it'll all go down to one big hole | 0:09:52 | 0:09:54 | |
and they'll all cuddle down there and keep warm. | 0:09:54 | 0:09:56 | |
-There, there, there, there! -There's one there. | 0:09:57 | 0:10:00 | |
Hello! | 0:10:00 | 0:10:01 | |
Good morning. | 0:10:01 | 0:10:03 | |
Our first meerkat. | 0:10:03 | 0:10:04 | |
Too cute! | 0:10:04 | 0:10:05 | |
So sweet. | 0:10:06 | 0:10:08 | |
Is there one round there? | 0:10:08 | 0:10:10 | |
Oh, they're absolutely adorable. | 0:10:11 | 0:10:14 | |
-They look like they're smiling, don't they? -Yes. | 0:10:14 | 0:10:17 | |
-So look at those long claws. -So the long claws are for digging. | 0:10:17 | 0:10:20 | |
-It's doing the housework. -Yes, it's doing the housework. | 0:10:20 | 0:10:23 | |
So it's housekeeping, because they hate mess. | 0:10:23 | 0:10:25 | |
-Did they create this from scratch? -So actually, believe it or not, | 0:10:25 | 0:10:29 | |
ground squirrels build the meerkat burrows. | 0:10:29 | 0:10:31 | |
-Oh, OK. -And then the meerkats just kind of move in. | 0:10:31 | 0:10:34 | |
-They're very lazy. -So, effectively, they're like squatters? | 0:10:34 | 0:10:37 | |
They are squatters. | 0:10:37 | 0:10:38 | |
-Borrow someone else's home for a bit! -Just move in! | 0:10:40 | 0:10:43 | |
Meerkats use their strength in numbers to muscle their way in. | 0:10:44 | 0:10:49 | |
Charming! | 0:10:49 | 0:10:50 | |
Do they also work together to defend themselves? | 0:10:51 | 0:10:53 | |
Yes. So when they go out for the day foraging, | 0:10:53 | 0:10:56 | |
if they see another group of meerkats coming towards them, | 0:10:56 | 0:10:59 | |
they'll all get together and they actually start mobbing it. | 0:10:59 | 0:11:02 | |
And it can get quite vicious. | 0:11:02 | 0:11:03 | |
They can attack each other, bite each other. | 0:11:03 | 0:11:06 | |
-So they're like gangs, really? -Gangs, yeah. | 0:11:06 | 0:11:08 | |
If meerkat groups meet, they start to dance. | 0:11:09 | 0:11:12 | |
Sounds fun, but... | 0:11:12 | 0:11:14 | |
this is a war dance. | 0:11:14 | 0:11:16 | |
Leaping into the air together, | 0:11:17 | 0:11:19 | |
they aim to intimidate neighbouring animals. | 0:11:19 | 0:11:22 | |
And if this doesn't work, they'll attack. | 0:11:22 | 0:11:25 | |
Their super cute reputation is starting to look a little bit shaky. | 0:11:26 | 0:11:31 | |
They're quite scary little things at times. | 0:11:31 | 0:11:34 | |
Actually bullies. | 0:11:34 | 0:11:36 | |
-He looks like a bully. -Yeah, he definitely... | 0:11:36 | 0:11:38 | |
Grumpy, looks like a bully. | 0:11:38 | 0:11:39 | |
"Keep off my patch!" | 0:11:39 | 0:11:40 | |
Most of the group have now left the burrow | 0:11:42 | 0:11:44 | |
and are heading out to look for food. | 0:11:44 | 0:11:47 | |
Cool, let's go and follow them, shall we? | 0:11:47 | 0:11:49 | |
Bye, Grumpy! | 0:11:51 | 0:11:52 | |
Wait for us...! | 0:11:54 | 0:11:55 | |
Under the watchful eye of their lock-out, | 0:11:57 | 0:11:59 | |
the meerkats have spread out | 0:11:59 | 0:12:01 | |
and are searching for their favourite food. | 0:12:01 | 0:12:04 | |
Scorpion! Got a scorpion! | 0:12:05 | 0:12:07 | |
Go, girl! | 0:12:07 | 0:12:09 | |
I saw one eat a scorpion! | 0:12:10 | 0:12:12 | |
Nice and crunchy. | 0:12:12 | 0:12:14 | |
So scorpions are their favourite food? | 0:12:14 | 0:12:16 | |
Scorpions is their favourite. It's the number one on the list. | 0:12:16 | 0:12:19 | |
The sting of a scorpion has little or no effect on a meerkat. | 0:12:19 | 0:12:25 | |
Even the pups munch them like popcorn. | 0:12:25 | 0:12:27 | |
CRUNCHING | 0:12:27 | 0:12:30 | |
And their attraction to dangerous animals doesn't end there. | 0:12:30 | 0:12:33 | |
They'll attack and scare off venomous snakes | 0:12:33 | 0:12:37 | |
capable of killing an animal ten times their size. | 0:12:37 | 0:12:41 | |
So meerkats are hard as nails and highly aggressive. | 0:12:42 | 0:12:46 | |
Not what I would have expected. | 0:12:46 | 0:12:49 | |
While the meerkats are feeding, | 0:12:50 | 0:12:52 | |
Kirsten shows me the head of the family, | 0:12:52 | 0:12:55 | |
alpha female. | 0:12:55 | 0:12:57 | |
So is she the only one that breeds? | 0:12:57 | 0:12:58 | |
So, she's the only one that's allowed to breed in the group. | 0:12:58 | 0:13:01 | |
She's got a beta female, so that's her daughter. | 0:13:01 | 0:13:03 | |
So it's quite a nasty thing with the alpha female. | 0:13:03 | 0:13:06 | |
If her daughter falls pregnant, she will kill the pups off. | 0:13:06 | 0:13:10 | |
She does what?! | 0:13:10 | 0:13:11 | |
-That's horrendous! -Very, yeah! | 0:13:13 | 0:13:14 | |
Why would she do that, though? | 0:13:14 | 0:13:16 | |
Sometimes, she actually wants beta female | 0:13:16 | 0:13:18 | |
to fall pregnant while she's pregnant, | 0:13:18 | 0:13:21 | |
kill off the pups so beta female can feed the alpha female's pups. | 0:13:21 | 0:13:25 | |
She'll kill them instantly, not even look at them, stare at them, | 0:13:25 | 0:13:28 | |
think they're cute - she'll kill them straightaway. | 0:13:28 | 0:13:31 | |
It's a nasty, nasty process with meerkats. | 0:13:31 | 0:13:34 | |
-And do they eat them? -She eats them. | 0:13:34 | 0:13:36 | |
It's like when cats, actually, when their kittens die, | 0:13:36 | 0:13:39 | |
-they eat the whole thing. -Urgh! -It's the same with meerkats, | 0:13:39 | 0:13:41 | |
they do the exact same thing. | 0:13:41 | 0:13:42 | |
It's nasty, nasty. | 0:13:42 | 0:13:44 | |
Well, after hearing that, | 0:13:45 | 0:13:46 | |
I'm now convinced you are a worthy nightmare contender. | 0:13:46 | 0:13:50 | |
Who'd have thought it? | 0:13:50 | 0:13:51 | |
My attitude towards the lovable meerkat has completely changed. | 0:13:52 | 0:13:57 | |
So, while meerkats are super cute, | 0:13:57 | 0:14:00 | |
great team players... | 0:14:00 | 0:14:01 | |
And did I mention super cute? | 0:14:01 | 0:14:03 | |
..turns out they have got a very dark side indeed. | 0:14:03 | 0:14:06 | |
Fighting snakes, war dances, rival gangs | 0:14:06 | 0:14:10 | |
and killing each other's babies! | 0:14:10 | 0:14:12 | |
Huh! That's why the meerkat could stand up and be counted | 0:14:12 | 0:14:16 | |
as my worst nightmare. | 0:14:16 | 0:14:18 | |
As night falls, it looks like we're all in for a good old soaking. | 0:14:21 | 0:14:26 | |
But...it takes more than a little bit of rain | 0:14:27 | 0:14:30 | |
to deter us nightmare hunters. | 0:14:30 | 0:14:32 | |
Good grief, that lightning! | 0:14:33 | 0:14:35 | |
Oh, my gosh, this is so grim! | 0:14:35 | 0:14:37 | |
My next nightmare animal is a relative of wolves and hyena. | 0:14:39 | 0:14:44 | |
They are covered in armour, they emerge at night | 0:14:44 | 0:14:48 | |
and they can squirt acid from their bottoms. | 0:14:48 | 0:14:51 | |
-Urgh! -I know! | 0:14:51 | 0:14:53 | |
This nightmare of nature is an animal few people have heard of | 0:14:53 | 0:14:56 | |
and even fewer people have ever seen... | 0:14:56 | 0:14:59 | |
The pangolin. | 0:14:59 | 0:15:01 | |
Our guide to this nocturnal adventure | 0:15:05 | 0:15:07 | |
is pangolin researcher and expert tracker Wendy. | 0:15:07 | 0:15:11 | |
Her equipment is receiving a signal from a special unit | 0:15:12 | 0:15:15 | |
on the back of the pangolin. | 0:15:15 | 0:15:18 | |
-So we think it's in this direction? -Yeah, yeah. | 0:15:18 | 0:15:21 | |
-And how far off, do you think? -Erm... | 0:15:21 | 0:15:23 | |
It's really difficult to tell. | 0:15:24 | 0:15:26 | |
But it is a fairly strong signal, so I'd say within 100 or 200 metres. | 0:15:28 | 0:15:31 | |
Oooh! | 0:15:31 | 0:15:33 | |
-Yeah, really exciting. -So they're out at night. | 0:15:33 | 0:15:35 | |
Where do they go during the day? | 0:15:35 | 0:15:37 | |
They hide out in their burrows during the day | 0:15:37 | 0:15:39 | |
to avoid things like heat or cold in the winter. | 0:15:39 | 0:15:42 | |
And as we get closer, the storm worsens. | 0:15:42 | 0:15:46 | |
-This is lovely! -It's incredible. | 0:15:47 | 0:15:49 | |
the weather's always on our side. | 0:15:49 | 0:15:51 | |
This is not easy. | 0:15:51 | 0:15:53 | |
And then try and find a pangolin! | 0:15:53 | 0:15:55 | |
Signal's getting stronger! | 0:15:57 | 0:15:59 | |
Finally, it looks like we're just a few metres away | 0:16:00 | 0:16:03 | |
from the elusive pangolin | 0:16:03 | 0:16:05 | |
and Wendy goes on ahead to find its exact location. | 0:16:05 | 0:16:08 | |
But while we're waiting, | 0:16:11 | 0:16:12 | |
we notice that the electrical storm has had an unexpected effect. | 0:16:12 | 0:16:16 | |
-Does it look an absolute mess? -Static! -Is it? | 0:16:17 | 0:16:20 | |
Is it just standing straight up? | 0:16:20 | 0:16:22 | |
It does look glamorous on you. | 0:16:22 | 0:16:23 | |
How's yours, Rich?(!) | 0:16:23 | 0:16:25 | |
Oh, please, don't tell me I wasn't looking lovely! | 0:16:26 | 0:16:29 | |
Luckily, our hysterics are interrupted by Wendy's return. | 0:16:29 | 0:16:34 | |
Wendy, you're back. What's the news? | 0:16:35 | 0:16:37 | |
Bad news, unfortunately. | 0:16:37 | 0:16:39 | |
The pangolin has gone down another burrow. | 0:16:39 | 0:16:42 | |
And will it be there now for the night, do you think? | 0:16:42 | 0:16:44 | |
I think it would be there until the rain stops | 0:16:44 | 0:16:46 | |
And we don't know when that's going to stop, so... | 0:16:46 | 0:16:48 | |
-It doesn't look like it'll be any time soon. -No, I don't think so. | 0:16:48 | 0:16:51 | |
Argh...! | 0:16:51 | 0:16:52 | |
But it takes more than a mystery creature | 0:16:54 | 0:16:56 | |
hiding down a hole in a thunderstorm | 0:16:56 | 0:17:00 | |
to put off this nightmare team. | 0:17:00 | 0:17:02 | |
Oh, yes! | 0:17:02 | 0:17:03 | |
And so, the following night... | 0:17:04 | 0:17:07 | |
Never to be deterred, the nightmares team are back out again, | 0:17:07 | 0:17:10 | |
our second attempt to find this elusive pangolin. | 0:17:10 | 0:17:13 | |
And Wendy's found it! | 0:17:13 | 0:17:15 | |
It's over in this bush. We're going to go and see | 0:17:15 | 0:17:17 | |
if we can catch a glimpse. | 0:17:17 | 0:17:18 | |
And it's not raining! | 0:17:18 | 0:17:20 | |
Over 80 million years of evolution | 0:17:21 | 0:17:24 | |
have made one of the most peculiar animals on the planet. | 0:17:24 | 0:17:28 | |
And we're about to meet it face to face. | 0:17:29 | 0:17:31 | |
And there it is! | 0:17:32 | 0:17:34 | |
That's like a cross between an ant eater and a pine cone. | 0:17:37 | 0:17:42 | |
Wendy's study of these night-time wanderers | 0:17:44 | 0:17:47 | |
would be impossible without the transmitter | 0:17:47 | 0:17:49 | |
on the pangolin's back. | 0:17:49 | 0:17:51 | |
Why do they have all those scales? | 0:17:53 | 0:17:55 | |
They are there for protection against predators. | 0:17:55 | 0:17:59 | |
Predators such as lions. | 0:17:59 | 0:18:00 | |
So the pangolin will roll into a ball | 0:18:00 | 0:18:02 | |
and protect its underbelly, which is not covered by scales. | 0:18:02 | 0:18:06 | |
And, yeah, lions just struggle, can't get through. | 0:18:06 | 0:18:08 | |
Struggle with this football made of armour. | 0:18:08 | 0:18:11 | |
Pangolin only eat ants and termites. | 0:18:15 | 0:18:18 | |
They use their hook-like claws to dig into the hard earth | 0:18:19 | 0:18:23 | |
and their super-sized sticky tongue to extract their prize. | 0:18:23 | 0:18:27 | |
SLURPING | 0:18:27 | 0:18:29 | |
So what is all this talk I hear about them | 0:18:30 | 0:18:33 | |
squirting acid from their bottoms? | 0:18:33 | 0:18:36 | |
It either smells or tastes really bad. | 0:18:36 | 0:18:39 | |
Either way, it sends the predator off. | 0:18:39 | 0:18:41 | |
Well, I imagine if you're a lion | 0:18:41 | 0:18:42 | |
and you suddenly got a face full of bottom acid, | 0:18:42 | 0:18:44 | |
-you'd back off pretty quickly! -Absolutely. | 0:18:44 | 0:18:46 | |
Be gone! | 0:18:46 | 0:18:48 | |
Oh, it's walking on its hind legs. | 0:18:48 | 0:18:50 | |
Yep, two legs. | 0:18:50 | 0:18:51 | |
And if you look at it, it looks like an old granny | 0:18:51 | 0:18:53 | |
carrying her shopping bags. | 0:18:53 | 0:18:56 | |
Yeah, it does! | 0:18:56 | 0:18:58 | |
It does! | 0:18:58 | 0:18:59 | |
Aww... | 0:18:59 | 0:19:01 | |
Look, she's coming right by us. | 0:19:01 | 0:19:04 | |
So is the pangolin endangered? | 0:19:05 | 0:19:07 | |
Yeah, it is. | 0:19:07 | 0:19:09 | |
And it's currently the most trafficked | 0:19:09 | 0:19:11 | |
and traded mammal in the world. | 0:19:11 | 0:19:12 | |
Pangolin worldwide are illegally caught and killed | 0:19:12 | 0:19:16 | |
for their meat and scales. | 0:19:16 | 0:19:18 | |
Why do people want it? | 0:19:18 | 0:19:20 | |
Mainly for traditional medicinal reasons. | 0:19:21 | 0:19:24 | |
Dried scales are thought to restore good health | 0:19:24 | 0:19:28 | |
and a single dead pangolin can fetch 1,000. | 0:19:28 | 0:19:32 | |
Do we know how many are left in the world? | 0:19:33 | 0:19:35 | |
No, because of their elusive nature | 0:19:35 | 0:19:38 | |
and they're so secretive and nocturnal, | 0:19:38 | 0:19:40 | |
we don't know how many there are. | 0:19:40 | 0:19:42 | |
So all your work is really vital for the pangolin? | 0:19:42 | 0:19:45 | |
Yeah, incredibly, incredibly vital. | 0:19:45 | 0:19:47 | |
I mean, the more we understand about this creature, | 0:19:47 | 0:19:49 | |
maybe the more we can try and put our efforts into conserving them. | 0:19:49 | 0:19:54 | |
I mean, wouldn't it be a tragedy | 0:19:54 | 0:19:56 | |
if we didn't have an animal like the pangolin in our world? | 0:19:56 | 0:19:58 | |
Absolutely, absolutely. They're so unique, so beautiful. | 0:19:58 | 0:20:02 | |
Having met this awesome animal and heard all about its plight, | 0:20:06 | 0:20:09 | |
I have to say, I've rather fallen for this ant-eating, | 0:20:09 | 0:20:13 | |
acid-squirting, armour-plated creature of the night. | 0:20:13 | 0:20:16 | |
So, pangolin my worst nightmare? | 0:20:16 | 0:20:19 | |
I don't think so. | 0:20:19 | 0:20:20 | |
Bye! | 0:20:22 | 0:20:23 | |
I'm off to meet one of the world's top predators. | 0:20:26 | 0:20:29 | |
It has a mouth full of ferocious teeth, | 0:20:29 | 0:20:31 | |
dagger-like claws and a taste for blood - | 0:20:31 | 0:20:34 | |
and to cap it off, it is the fastest land animal on planet. | 0:20:34 | 0:20:39 | |
I'm on my way to meet a cheetah. | 0:20:39 | 0:20:42 | |
Cheetahs are the race cars of the animal world. | 0:20:48 | 0:20:52 | |
Their bodies are designed for speed. | 0:20:52 | 0:20:55 | |
Long legs and a super flexible spine make their stride immense. | 0:20:55 | 0:21:00 | |
And their huge tail helps them balance when cornering. | 0:21:00 | 0:21:04 | |
To see this supersonic sprinter in action, | 0:21:05 | 0:21:09 | |
I've come to the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre, | 0:21:09 | 0:21:11 | |
where they've bred and released over 200 animals. | 0:21:11 | 0:21:15 | |
I'm joining education officer Richard, | 0:21:17 | 0:21:19 | |
and local schoolchildren Kamogleo, Advocate, | 0:21:19 | 0:21:23 | |
Motheo, and Dimakatso... | 0:21:23 | 0:21:25 | |
..for a hands-on encounter with a cheetah. | 0:21:26 | 0:21:29 | |
They're coming towards us! They're coming towards us! | 0:21:29 | 0:21:32 | |
Everybody, stay in the vehicle. | 0:21:32 | 0:21:34 | |
And it's feeding time. | 0:21:36 | 0:21:38 | |
I feel like they're going to jump in. | 0:21:39 | 0:21:41 | |
I know, I feel like they're going to jump in, too! | 0:21:41 | 0:21:44 | |
Oh, my goodness...! | 0:21:45 | 0:21:47 | |
GENTLE GROWLING | 0:21:47 | 0:21:48 | |
What does that sound mean? | 0:21:49 | 0:21:51 | |
Let's go, let's not push our luck. | 0:21:51 | 0:21:53 | |
The cheetahs are fiercely defensive of their food | 0:21:53 | 0:21:56 | |
and these first impressions leave me pretty nervous | 0:21:56 | 0:22:00 | |
about the encounter to come. | 0:22:00 | 0:22:01 | |
Hm. The idea of meeting one face to face | 0:22:02 | 0:22:04 | |
doesn't seem like such a good idea now. | 0:22:04 | 0:22:07 | |
Richard is going to introduce us to a very special cheetah called Yeats. | 0:22:08 | 0:22:13 | |
OK, guys. Well, welcome here to our interaction camp. | 0:22:15 | 0:22:18 | |
-How are you feeling about this? -Excited. | 0:22:18 | 0:22:20 | |
-Yeah, you're looking forward to it? -Yes. -Bit nervous. -A bit nervous. | 0:22:20 | 0:22:23 | |
I'm a bit nervous, too. But it's going to be fine. | 0:22:23 | 0:22:25 | |
-We're all going to be safe, aren't we? -Absolutely. | 0:22:25 | 0:22:27 | |
Here it is! Here it is! | 0:22:28 | 0:22:30 | |
Yeats is an ambassador cheetah | 0:22:30 | 0:22:32 | |
and quite used to meeting schoolchildren. | 0:22:32 | 0:22:35 | |
Big, isn't he? | 0:22:37 | 0:22:39 | |
OK, Naomi, you're welcome to come up and say hello to Yeats. | 0:22:41 | 0:22:45 | |
Hi, Yeats. | 0:22:47 | 0:22:49 | |
And I'm pleased to hear Yeats is making a familiar sound. | 0:22:49 | 0:22:52 | |
YEATS PURRS | 0:22:52 | 0:22:54 | |
It's really vibrating, isn't it? So this is a happy sound? | 0:22:54 | 0:22:57 | |
-This is a good sound? -This is Yeats being very content and very calm. | 0:22:57 | 0:23:01 | |
-He's very, very happy. -He's calmer than I am, that's for sure! | 0:23:02 | 0:23:05 | |
Do you guys want to come up and say hello? | 0:23:07 | 0:23:09 | |
Motheo, if you come and stand next to me. | 0:23:09 | 0:23:11 | |
And Kamogleo, you come in here. There we go. | 0:23:11 | 0:23:15 | |
So is it all right for them to...? Do you want to stroke it? | 0:23:17 | 0:23:19 | |
-Just put your hand softly on him. -Shall we do it together? | 0:23:21 | 0:23:24 | |
YEATS PURRS | 0:23:24 | 0:23:26 | |
How does that feel? | 0:23:28 | 0:23:29 | |
Have a go, Kamogleo. | 0:23:30 | 0:23:32 | |
These children live alongside wild cheetah | 0:23:32 | 0:23:35 | |
and have grown up fearing them. | 0:23:35 | 0:23:37 | |
-Happy? -Yes. | 0:23:40 | 0:23:42 | |
Would you two like a go? | 0:23:42 | 0:23:43 | |
Getting close to a predator of this size takes guts. | 0:23:43 | 0:23:47 | |
-Come with me, I'll walk with you. -Do you want a stroke? | 0:23:48 | 0:23:51 | |
Say hi to Yeats. | 0:23:51 | 0:23:52 | |
Don't be scared. | 0:23:54 | 0:23:56 | |
Just touch him over here. | 0:23:57 | 0:23:58 | |
You're perfectly safe. You're with Naomi. | 0:23:59 | 0:24:01 | |
We're safe. | 0:24:01 | 0:24:02 | |
You're so brave, well done! | 0:24:04 | 0:24:05 | |
Richard hopes that, | 0:24:09 | 0:24:10 | |
by giving local children the chance to meet a cheetah, | 0:24:10 | 0:24:13 | |
they'll understand the importance of conserving them | 0:24:13 | 0:24:16 | |
and take that message home. | 0:24:16 | 0:24:18 | |
How does it feel? | 0:24:19 | 0:24:21 | |
Wonderful. | 0:24:21 | 0:24:22 | |
Can you feel it purring under your hand? | 0:24:24 | 0:24:26 | |
It's vibrating. | 0:24:28 | 0:24:30 | |
It's a happy cheetah. It's enjoying you stroking it. | 0:24:30 | 0:24:33 | |
We touched a cheetah! Can you believe it? | 0:24:35 | 0:24:38 | |
Standing here with Yeats all relaxed like this, | 0:24:39 | 0:24:41 | |
it's hard to remember that he is one of Africa's top predators. | 0:24:41 | 0:24:44 | |
But obviously, that secret weapon is the speed. | 0:24:44 | 0:24:48 | |
But how fast are they really? | 0:24:49 | 0:24:52 | |
We're taking on the ultimate running race. | 0:24:52 | 0:24:56 | |
Bring it on! | 0:24:56 | 0:24:57 | |
Us against the cheetah. | 0:24:59 | 0:25:02 | |
I'm watching you, cheetah! | 0:25:02 | 0:25:04 | |
Richard's measuring how quickly we can run the track | 0:25:04 | 0:25:08 | |
before letting the cheetah have their go. | 0:25:08 | 0:25:11 | |
-Go! -Go on, go on! | 0:25:15 | 0:25:17 | |
Go! | 0:25:17 | 0:25:19 | |
Channel your inner cheetah! | 0:25:19 | 0:25:20 | |
You can do it! | 0:25:20 | 0:25:21 | |
Yes! | 0:25:21 | 0:25:23 | |
And the leaderboard is starting to look pretty impressive. | 0:25:23 | 0:25:27 | |
It's time to bring out the cheetah. | 0:25:36 | 0:25:39 | |
Good luck being faster than us, though, because we were well fast! | 0:25:39 | 0:25:43 | |
Here we go. Here we go. | 0:25:44 | 0:25:46 | |
Wow, that was fast! | 0:25:49 | 0:25:50 | |
It's coming back, it's coming back! | 0:25:50 | 0:25:52 | |
Wow, just look at that! | 0:25:52 | 0:25:54 | |
Wow, that was brilliant! | 0:25:54 | 0:25:56 | |
-Wow, wow, wow! -See, that is nearly as fast as me. | 0:25:56 | 0:25:59 | |
Amazing. | 0:25:59 | 0:26:00 | |
-Have you ever seen anything go that fast? -Not in my lifetime, no. | 0:26:00 | 0:26:04 | |
And from that performance, | 0:26:04 | 0:26:06 | |
I think we all know who are the real winners. | 0:26:06 | 0:26:09 | |
-We should head to the gym, maybe. -Yes. | 0:26:09 | 0:26:11 | |
Practice a bit more. | 0:26:11 | 0:26:13 | |
-Practice makes perfect. -There you go! | 0:26:13 | 0:26:15 | |
OK, so, shall we put the cheetah's score up? | 0:26:15 | 0:26:20 | |
There we go. | 0:26:20 | 0:26:21 | |
I think we can say, without doubt, the cheetah is the winner. | 0:26:22 | 0:26:26 | |
Oh, dear. | 0:26:28 | 0:26:29 | |
Oh, wow, yeah, that cheetah was so fast. | 0:26:29 | 0:26:31 | |
Yeah, a bit faster than us. | 0:26:31 | 0:26:33 | |
-Just look at the score. -We shouldn't be too embarrassed, | 0:26:33 | 0:26:35 | |
that's not too bad. | 0:26:35 | 0:26:36 | |
But, yeah, 34 is very impressive. | 0:26:36 | 0:26:38 | |
And that is just a fraction of the speed the cheetah can run at. | 0:26:38 | 0:26:42 | |
-They can reach a top speed of 75 miles an hour. -Wow! | 0:26:42 | 0:26:45 | |
So they can go more than double what we saw them do today. | 0:26:45 | 0:26:48 | |
So I think the cheetah has well and truly put us in our place | 0:26:48 | 0:26:50 | |
when it comes to speed. | 0:26:50 | 0:26:51 | |
Nothing can outrun this fearsome predator. | 0:26:51 | 0:26:53 | |
That is why it is not just taking gold medal today, | 0:26:53 | 0:26:56 | |
it could also sprint into pole position | 0:26:56 | 0:26:59 | |
on my ultimate nightmare leaderboard. | 0:26:59 | 0:27:02 | |
Second place! | 0:27:02 | 0:27:04 | |
We got it! | 0:27:04 | 0:27:05 | |
No shame in losing to a cheetah, no. | 0:27:05 | 0:27:09 | |
Yeah, second place! | 0:27:09 | 0:27:11 | |
Our time on this Kalahari safari is at an end. | 0:27:16 | 0:27:20 | |
We have been spoilt rotten with nightmare contenders, | 0:27:20 | 0:27:23 | |
from the murderous meerkats to the speediest sprinter. | 0:27:23 | 0:27:28 | |
But this time, the creature that's going to top my list | 0:27:29 | 0:27:32 | |
is that two-faced feline, | 0:27:32 | 0:27:34 | |
the huge, sharp-toothed and downright terrifying African lion. | 0:27:34 | 0:27:40 | |
Oh, my gosh! | 0:27:40 | 0:27:42 | |
I never would have guessed | 0:27:45 | 0:27:47 | |
that meerkats would be so terrifying, would you? | 0:27:47 | 0:27:49 | |
SHE SCREAMS | 0:27:51 | 0:27:54 | |
Argh! Naomi's a friend, not food! | 0:27:54 | 0:27:57 | |
Leave me alone! Go back to your burrow! | 0:27:57 | 0:27:59 |