0:00:02 > 0:00:03This is Madagascar.
0:00:03 > 0:00:07It's a vast island in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09And it's home to some of the most unique
0:00:09 > 0:00:11and rare creatures on the planet.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15Incredibly, 80% of the wildlife here exists nowhere else on Earth.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18HOWLING
0:00:18 > 0:00:21But it's a paradise under threat.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31So I've sent eight ordinary kids from the UK to have the
0:00:31 > 0:00:34deadly adventure of their lives.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36They'll face the toughest challenges
0:00:36 > 0:00:40and discover for themselves how to save this lost world...
0:00:42 > 0:00:44..before it's too late.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27Over the past few days, the guys have had an unforgettable time.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Yes, have it! Woo!
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Seeing the wonderful wildlife that lives in the National Park
0:01:34 > 0:01:36of Ranomafana.
0:01:36 > 0:01:37Ah...
0:01:37 > 0:01:39They've discovered that, once protected,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42even damaged forests can burst back into life.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48But now they have a new challenge.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54This protected forest clearly benefits the wildlife.
0:01:54 > 0:01:55But what about the people?
0:01:57 > 0:02:01How are they affected by the national park?
0:02:01 > 0:02:04The gang are going to have to find out.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Ranomafana is the jewel in the crown of Madagascar's national parks,
0:02:15 > 0:02:17a real magnet for wildlife lovers.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23About 30,000 tourists come here each year
0:02:23 > 0:02:25from all around the world.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34During their bio blitz,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37the guys were amazed by the number of tourists they encountered.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41We've come to the spot with red-bellied lemurs
0:02:41 > 0:02:45and there's, like, so many tourists around us, it's absolutely packed.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50The park's great for tourists and animals.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53But on the flip side, now that the forest is protected,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56the local people can't use it for resources such as wood
0:02:56 > 0:02:58and food, as they once did.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04So this challenge is going to be tough.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09They need to find out
0:03:09 > 0:03:12how the national park helps the local communities.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19The best way for the gang to find an answer to that
0:03:19 > 0:03:20is to start at the top.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27Charlie, Raina, Okechukwu and Gwen are granted an interview
0:03:27 > 0:03:30with one of Ranomafana's National Park Officers, Donal.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34He's keen to explain to the guys how the park
0:03:34 > 0:03:36benefits the local people.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Half of the tourists' entrance fee go to the park.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54The other half to the surrounding villages -
0:03:54 > 0:03:59a compensation for not being able to use the forest as they once did.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01It's sort of a win-win situation,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05because the people around and all the tourists, they're paying to see
0:04:05 > 0:04:08the amazing things in the parks which goes to good use afterwards.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12It's like people that work in the parks also get paid to look after.
0:04:15 > 0:04:16As well as entrance money,
0:04:16 > 0:04:20the second way that the park helps people is providing jobs.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25With all these tourists, someone needs to show them around.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27And the people that know the rainforest best are those
0:04:27 > 0:04:29that live on its doorstep.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Guides like Emile and Loret now share their knowledge of the forest'
0:04:35 > 0:04:36to paying visitors.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41And there's a third benefit, as well.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Okechukwu and Jamie Rose are going to find out what that might be.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50But while they wait for their ride,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54they spot a tiny example of why tourists love the area.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58There's loads of moths everywhere and I've just found a yellow,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00orangey-pink one, it's beautiful.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02SHE LAUGHS
0:05:05 > 0:05:08This one seems really heavy-footed, though, and it's got quite
0:05:08 > 0:05:11a fat body, so I'm a little bit cautious about this one.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24The pair have arrived at a small community project that's
0:05:24 > 0:05:28found another way of generating income from all these tourists.
0:05:31 > 0:05:32Salama.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Well, we've just come into this place where these women are weaving,
0:05:37 > 0:05:44and even the children are weaving, on these kind of wooden machines.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46But they're doing it all by hand, it's amazing.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Weaving is famous in Madagascar and these women make a living
0:05:50 > 0:05:55from selling their beautiful handmade scarves to visitors.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58How long does it take you to make one scarf?
0:06:02 > 0:06:05One week? Whoa.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09The women make it look effortless.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Can Okechukwu and Jamie Rose do the same?
0:06:17 > 0:06:19It's so difficult.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Okechukwu is a fast learner...
0:06:27 > 0:06:29..and good at managing the distractions.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43For Okechukwu, being creative is exactly what he loves.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49I think it's good to have a wide range of different things
0:06:49 > 0:06:52to make and cook. I have a big appetite.
0:06:52 > 0:06:53Finished.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58But perhaps what compels Okechukwu more than anything
0:06:58 > 0:07:01is his appetite for language and culture.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04English is one of my favourite subjects.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07It's a strong way to just let out your emotions.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11I'm really interested in people and cultures and different countries.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14You need to be able to speak to someone in a way that they
0:07:14 > 0:07:18can either feel welcomed, and feel safe, and you can make them
0:07:18 > 0:07:22feel like they have someone to talk to, and just feel warm inside.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29His compassion for others will be a great asset out here in Madagascar.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Jamie, how's yours going?
0:07:31 > 0:07:33I don't want to ruin anything, in case, like,
0:07:33 > 0:07:37this lady spends ages doing this, so I don't want to ruin anything.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44But as our team are finding, making a living out here is hard work.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47It's so delicate, you have to do everything just, like, perfectly,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49or it just goes all wrong.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52The maths is pretty simple, though.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Each scarf sells for up to £10,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58and the guys have found out that the ladies weave one scarf a week,
0:07:58 > 0:08:02so the daily wage for each woman is around £1.50...
0:08:04 > 0:08:06..which is more than double the national average
0:08:06 > 0:08:08of people in Madagascar. So it is worth it.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Okechukwu has found a deep respect for what they do.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Less than half an hour at the loom has got too much for him.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21You have to be really patient because your back starts to hurt
0:08:21 > 0:08:23quite a lot, and your legs as well,
0:08:23 > 0:08:25here at the backs.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Really, really good.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Appreciating all the hard work that's gone into these scarves,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34the guys turn into tourists for a few minutes.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37I think it's out of these three.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39At first, I didn't get the hang of weaving,
0:08:39 > 0:08:43but at the end, I had a little like rhythm going and I bought my mum
0:08:43 > 0:08:47a scarf. And to see their faces glow when I bought it made my day.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Thank you.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Misaotra. Thank you.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54They don't complain because that's how they get their money.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58So I think that it's a good thing that they're trying their best.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01I'm really surprised that they do that for seven days a week,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04all by themselves. It's really hard.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14So this investigation by the team has had great results.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17People and wildlife can both benefit
0:09:17 > 0:09:20from a protected forest open to tourists.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23It pays for everyone to protect it.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30But their challenge is not over yet.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37There's another way that the wildlife here is benefiting people.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Something so important, it could change the lives
0:09:40 > 0:09:44of not just the locals, but everybody across the planet.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55ValBio is a high-tech research centre in the heart of the park.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59It enables scientists to study the forest
0:09:59 > 0:10:01and the animals that live within it.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05It's a wonderful wild and living laboratory.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08And there's one creature that
0:10:08 > 0:10:11lives in the forests of Ranomafana that is at the heart of one
0:10:11 > 0:10:14of the most important research projects on the planet...
0:10:16 > 0:10:17..the mouse lemur.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Scientists here are hoping that they can work with wild mouse lemurs
0:10:22 > 0:10:25to find cures to some of the worst diseases
0:10:25 > 0:10:27that affect people across the globe.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Oak, Eilidh, Jamie and Yoran are going to become research scientists
0:10:37 > 0:10:41for the night and join in with this ground-breaking project.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Their first job is to safely collect some mouse lemurs.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49To do this, they'll set some traps baited with
0:10:49 > 0:10:52a mouse lemur's favourite snack - banana.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55I'm going to turn into a banana if I keep eating them. That's all...
0:10:55 > 0:10:57You are what you eat.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59These traps are simple.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Mouse lemurs, driven by their craving for bananas,
0:11:01 > 0:11:06push open the door to get in, but can't open the door to get out.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Instead, they sit there eating banana
0:11:08 > 0:11:10and waiting for a scientist to come and let them out.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13They must be really small because, I mean,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16the great bamboo lemurs, which I held, they were quite small
0:11:16 > 0:11:19for lemurs and they were about this long,
0:11:19 > 0:11:242.7kg. And that trap is tiny.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27But I reckon they'll just be like miniature normal lemurs.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32And miniature is what mouse lemurs do best.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37They are in fact the smallest primates in the world,
0:11:37 > 0:11:41and so there's plenty of room for them inside those little boxes.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Everything about them is tiny.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45The smallest species could sit in a spoon
0:11:45 > 0:11:48and weigh no more than a packet of crisps.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53But they're hard to find as they only come out at night,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55hunting for food in the trees.
0:11:59 > 0:12:00They will feed on insects...
0:12:02 > 0:12:06..but especially love the sweet taste of banana.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08The guys spread out and set their traps.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10See, if you just hold that.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Oak and Jamie Rose get to grips with the process,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16but not everyone's finding it as straightforward.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18JAMIE ROSE LAUGHS
0:12:21 > 0:12:23I'm quite proud of myself.
0:12:25 > 0:12:26No.
0:12:29 > 0:12:30If we tie it round.
0:12:36 > 0:12:37Perfect.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Job done! They'll be back later when it's dark
0:12:40 > 0:12:44to see if they can have their first encounter with a mouse lemur.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51While the mouse lemur team have been setting their traps,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Okechukwu and his team have been scrambling to get ready
0:12:54 > 0:12:56to go back to their first location.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04A call has alerted them to a chance of a lifetime.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06The team at Kianjavato have located the nest
0:13:06 > 0:13:09of the strangest living animal in the world,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12and no trip to Madagascar is complete without seeing it.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19Plus, it gives them a chance to hook up with some of their old friends...
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Susie, the local research team, plus Fabrice
0:13:22 > 0:13:27and his buddies, all preparing for another jungle hike.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32The locals are essential to locate any wildlife out here,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35especially our curious, elusive beast.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Almost immediately, they're reminded what makes this place so special.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44You know what that is? It's a sanzinia.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- Sanzinia.- Sanzinia.- Yes.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51Sanzinia are otherwise known as Malagasy tree boas.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56They're constricting snakes that squeeze and eat birds,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59reptiles, even small mammals like mouse lemurs.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07Yes, let's keep on going. Well done, guys, well spotted. Thank you.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13We've only been going for like five minutes, but still,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15because we've had, like, days of this.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19My thighs are burning so bad,
0:14:19 > 0:14:23and the heat is just making it ten times harder, and like half
0:14:23 > 0:14:27of these trees are all spiky so you can't even grab onto them.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29SHE SIGHS
0:14:29 > 0:14:32The guys that live here, however, are way ahead.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34It's no sweat for them...
0:14:35 > 0:14:37How can I be sweating while I'm sitting down?
0:14:37 > 0:14:39..unlike our Brits.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40- You can even see it.- I know.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43It looks like we've just poured oil over ourselves to make us look...
0:14:45 > 0:14:49It's not just the gang struggling to keep up with the Malagasies,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52the crew are soon left way behind, as well.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Ha-ha. Ah, good.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Back with Team Mouse Lemur in Ranomafana,
0:15:03 > 0:15:07night's fallen so the crew have switched to night-vision cameras.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11Yoran, Eilidh, Oak and Jamie Rose head out with the researchers
0:15:11 > 0:15:13to see if they have any mouse lemurs.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30There we go.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Oh, it's a lemur. It's a lemur.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43(This is so exciting, we've just got three lemurs now.)
0:15:45 > 0:15:49After checking all the traps, that number goes up to four.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Four safe and sound mouse lemurs stuffed with banana
0:15:54 > 0:15:56that will join the scientists back in the lab.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Over in Kianjavato, Susie has halted the team's
0:16:04 > 0:16:08gruelling trek to find their mysterious creature.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11The Madagascan kids here aren't even breaking a sweat
0:16:11 > 0:16:14and we are, like, proper caked in it.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19They're now two hours deep into the forests
0:16:19 > 0:16:23but it should be worth it, there's something truly special here.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26OK. So we've just gotten here, you guys,
0:16:26 > 0:16:31and we are right under the nest of the rare and elusive aye-aye.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35- Cool.- Cool. Wicked.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Aye-ayes are Madagascar's strangest-looking animal.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45But their strange looks have got them into trouble.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Many people across Madagascar believe that aye-ayes are evil
0:16:52 > 0:16:53and a symbol of death.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01And this is one of the reasons why aye-ayes are now very rare.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Susie's hoping that by getting the local kids to see
0:17:05 > 0:17:08really how amazing these creatures are, Conservation Fusion
0:17:08 > 0:17:12can change people's opinions of the aye-aye before it's too late.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Whilst they sit and wait for any sign of the aye-aye
0:17:18 > 0:17:19coming out of its nest,
0:17:19 > 0:17:23some fun wildlife-spotting tools get handed around.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27And the crew unearth some fancy kit of their own.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31This thermal camera will hopefully give everyone a chance
0:17:31 > 0:17:33to see an aye-aye in the wild.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36They used to use it with the military, so it's mega-posh.
0:17:36 > 0:17:37And then you can swap.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39The sound man is their first test subject.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42- You're hot, man.- He went really hot.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44- Really?- You're 28 degrees.- Wow.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46- Oh, you go.- Yeah.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Fabrice and his gang have lived alongside the forest
0:17:49 > 0:17:51all their lives.
0:17:51 > 0:17:52Oh, man.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56They know it well and they're really good at spotting animals.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58You guys, Fabrice is the one that found it.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01- Nice one, Fabrice. - It's really tickly.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06It's the team's first Madagascan millipede, and it's a beauty.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09They might be common here, but that doesn't mean they're easy to find
0:18:09 > 0:18:11in amongst all the leaf litter.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16The animals they find just keep on coming.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18- Gwen, come and see a spider.- OK, OK.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22ALL: Chameleon!
0:18:22 > 0:18:23Back turn, go.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26With all this wildlife and such enthusiastic guides,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30it's amazing to think that this forest in Kianjavato is not
0:18:30 > 0:18:32a national park like Ranomafana.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34I don't know how these guys spotted it.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38These are all welcome distractions, but Charlie
0:18:38 > 0:18:41and Gwen turn their attention back to the thermal camera.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Go down, go down, go down a bit. Keep on going.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49- Right there.- Now down.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51What's that?
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Oh, yeah. Found something big.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56It's something red.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00- Oh, I see it!- Where is it?
0:19:00 > 0:19:03It's right up there, like, I can see...
0:19:03 > 0:19:06If what we're seeing on here is an aye-aye, that'd be wicked.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Back in Ranomafana in the high-tech lab with scientist, John,
0:19:16 > 0:19:21Jamie Rose and Oak are about to get their first look at a mouse lemur.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25So we have our four lemurs that we trapped tonight.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31So you'll get your first close-up view of a mouse lemur.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34- You can get in close there. - Oh, my gosh, it's tiny.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38So what do you notice about it?
0:19:38 > 0:19:40They've got, definitely got very large eyes.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Yes, so its large eyes.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Quite a thick tail.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47It's got a thick tail, that's right.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49If he has a fat tail, that means food's out there,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53he's getting a lot of food. So he's a healthy animal.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58And it looks a lot like a mouse, except this is a primate.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03So just think about that, we're primates, chimpanzees,
0:20:03 > 0:20:08gorillas are primates, monkeys, and this is a primate,
0:20:08 > 0:20:10so this is one of our cousins.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15And because it's one of our cousins, what we understand about this animal
0:20:15 > 0:20:19can help us also understand something about ourselves.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26Mouse lemurs and humans are so alike that we can get similar diseases.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33These lemurs have been studied for many years and scientists know
0:20:33 > 0:20:35when one of them is sick.
0:20:36 > 0:20:37To understand these illnesses,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40researchers take samples of their cells and blood.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43But it doesn't hurt the wild mouse lemurs.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Any test results will be similar to what happens in our cells
0:20:48 > 0:20:50when we get the same diseases.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00Knowing that could lead to cures for Alzheimer's, HIV, malaria,
0:21:00 > 0:21:02and even, hopefully one day, cancer...
0:21:04 > 0:21:08..which could save millions of people's lives all across the globe.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Yoran and Eilidh are itching for their chance to see
0:21:14 > 0:21:16these special creatures.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20Take a look at what they're doing. So how does that look?
0:21:20 > 0:21:22- Oh, it's so cute!- Yeah.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26- It's amazing.- Isn't that cool?
0:21:35 > 0:21:39At one point, it just sort of sat up and went... And looked at me
0:21:39 > 0:21:42straight in the eye and it was the strangest feeling,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45as if you were looking at your long-lost cousin.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54It's amazing because this research lab is in the middle of nowhere
0:21:54 > 0:21:58and it could hold the secret to unlocking human genetics.
0:21:58 > 0:21:59It's amazing.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06It's late, their challenge is almost complete, but before they can
0:22:06 > 0:22:10head off to bed, there's one final task that needs to be done.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12We're just heading back to camp and, on our way there,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16we're releasing the lemurs that we just caught.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23The lemurs are released in exactly the same place as they were trapped.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26THEY LAUGH
0:22:26 > 0:22:29They need to live wild and free for this project to work.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Wow, that jumped far.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33So keeping these mouse lemurs
0:22:33 > 0:22:37and their forests protected is essential for everyone.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39Ta-ta, mouse lemur.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Be free, little lemur.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Stay healthy in your environment.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46In your natural habitat.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Wow. Amazing creatures.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55This vital work proves that saving the wildlife of Madagascar benefits
0:22:55 > 0:22:59not just the local people, but also people all around the world.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08The team searching for the mysterious aye-aye have
0:23:08 > 0:23:11definitely seen something, but what?
0:23:11 > 0:23:14They flick to their special night-vision camera
0:23:14 > 0:23:16to get a clearer shot.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Okechukwu.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36It's an aye-aye out hunting for something to eat.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39I can see it, I can see its face.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02I can see its finger. Oh, wow.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05It's tapping. It's tapping, it's tapping.
0:24:07 > 0:24:08Wow.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15The aye-aye's long, pointy finger, large ears
0:24:15 > 0:24:18and sharp teeth are all shaped by their love of grubs.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24They tap on trees to find larvae inside.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27TAPPING
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Once they hear where the grub is, they gnaw a hole in the wood...
0:24:34 > 0:24:37..and use their thin middle finger to wiggle them out.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44This way, they can reach prey that no other mammal here can reach.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56If Fabrice and his friends see the aye-aye as exciting,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59not evil, it bodes well for the future of these animals.
0:24:59 > 0:25:04I'm just going to show Fabrice what we're doing and explain the gear.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11Fabrice, this camera picks up heat that the aye-aye's going to put off.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14So we think that bit might be the aye-aye because it's red and hot.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16What do you reckon?
0:25:17 > 0:25:18Yeah?
0:25:21 > 0:25:23But that's not all.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26There's something else moving up in the tree.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30The aye-aye does not seem to be alone.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33We think we've just seen the baby one waking up.
0:25:33 > 0:25:34It's really exciting to see it.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Someone put the big torch on.
0:25:37 > 0:25:38The aye-aye has a baby with her.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43He's eight months old and forages for food alongside his mum.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52These local researchers check on the aye-aye regularly.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Without monitoring these remarkable animals,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56nothing would be known about them.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00And if the aye-ayes are allowed to disappear,
0:26:00 > 0:26:04we'll never know what secrets they might hold.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07And it's animals such as this that could attract tourists
0:26:07 > 0:26:11to Kianjavato and bring more money to the forests and to locals.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16But right now, it's time for a celebration.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Their aye-aye challenge has been a success!
0:26:31 > 0:26:32Wow.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35Are you excited?
0:26:35 > 0:26:39It's their last night in the jungle, and it's ended on a high.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46They've had an incredible few days, seeing some of the craziest
0:26:46 > 0:26:49and rarest creatures in Madagascar,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52and experienced first hand how important the wildlife
0:26:52 > 0:26:54and the forest is for people.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00The protected forests of Ranomafana bring in much-needed cash
0:27:00 > 0:27:02to the locals...
0:27:04 > 0:27:07..and also provide a home to the mouse lemur, a creature that could
0:27:07 > 0:27:11hold the key to curing some of the world's most widespread diseases.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Who knows what else the scientists could discover out here?
0:27:17 > 0:27:20It's more proof that protecting the wildlife
0:27:20 > 0:27:23and the forests of Madagascar is a truly global issue.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31The guys get ready to move on to their next location
0:27:31 > 0:27:34and a new set of challenges...
0:27:34 > 0:27:37It's starting to get a bit creepy.
0:27:37 > 0:27:38Wow!
0:27:38 > 0:27:42..where they'll be encountering animals on the verge of extinction,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45and working directly with the scientists on the front line...
0:27:45 > 0:27:47What is that?
0:27:47 > 0:27:49..trying their best to stop this from happening.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51SHE GASPS
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd