0:00:02 > 0:00:03This is Madagascar.
0:00:03 > 0:00:06It's a vast island in the Indian Ocean, off the east coast of Africa.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08And it's home to some of the most unique
0:00:08 > 0:00:10and rare creatures on the planet.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20Incredibly, 80% of the wildlife here exists nowhere else on Earth.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25But it's a paradise under threat.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33So I've sent eight ordinary kids from the UK...
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Oh, tenrec!
0:00:37 > 0:00:39..to have the deadly adventure of their lives.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43Oh, that did not just happen!
0:00:45 > 0:00:49They'll face the toughest challenges...
0:00:52 > 0:00:57..and discover for themselves how to save this lost world...
0:00:58 > 0:00:59..before it's too late.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40Last time, our team arrived in Ankarafansika Wildlife Reserve -
0:01:40 > 0:01:43a hot, dry forest in the north of Madagascar.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49Their challenge was to find out how the animals here have come
0:01:49 > 0:01:51so close to extinction,
0:01:51 > 0:01:55and found hope in a captive breeding programme, discovering that
0:01:55 > 0:01:58safe release sites are a way to secure an animal's future.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Back in the reserve, this time they have a new challenge.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09They'll be tracking down Madagascar's most elusive
0:02:09 > 0:02:10creature, the fossa.
0:02:14 > 0:02:20Madagascar is unique. 80% of the animal species ONLY live here,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24they don't exist anywhere else in the world.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28But some of these creatures are facing extinction.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30It's thought they're being pushed out by animals that have only
0:02:30 > 0:02:32recently arrived to Madagascar.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38They're called invaders...
0:02:40 > 0:02:43..and the fossa is on the front line.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46Our group want to find out which invader is threatening the fossa.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Their first challenge is to catch a glimpse of a fossa in the wild.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57And to this end they're going to need help from a top
0:02:57 > 0:02:58carnivore specialist.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Hi, guys. How are you?
0:03:04 > 0:03:07So my name is Luke, and I study fossa,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and so what I hope you guys are going to do today is come with me
0:03:10 > 0:03:14to help put out some camera traps so we can see which individuals
0:03:14 > 0:03:18are here, put out some cage traps so maybe we can trap them.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Are you ready? All right, let's do it.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23The group split into two, and Raina's team go with Luke.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27They don't have to go far.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31In fact, surrounding their campsite is perfect territory for fossa.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35We're just going into the forest
0:03:35 > 0:03:40and we're off to set some fossa traps, and we've got to get to
0:03:40 > 0:03:43some specific places where they know that fossas will be around
0:03:43 > 0:03:48so they have the best possibility to catch one, and I have some
0:03:48 > 0:03:53bait which we're going to use in the traps for the fossa, and it's
0:03:53 > 0:03:57sort of disgusting - it's got ants and things crawling over it.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Luke's been studying fossa for over ten years
0:03:59 > 0:04:02and is passionate about protecting them.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05He only tries to trap them a few times a year,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09so he can collect important data and check on their health.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13All right, so here... so this is our first cage trap.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18All right, so the way these traps work is pretty simple.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22You see the meat here in the back and it's staked down
0:04:22 > 0:04:26so fossa can't just come along and pull it out the side.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28So what happens is, it walks in there, it's trying to get to
0:04:28 > 0:04:33the meat, it steps on this treadle right here and when it does...
0:04:33 > 0:04:36You don't have to worry about it catching their tail, you see
0:04:36 > 0:04:39there's a lot of give here and so it's not going to,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42to cut a tail off. That would make me very sad as well.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47Is it possible that the fossa could go in without touching the plate?
0:04:47 > 0:04:49Absolutely, it's possible.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53We have been defeated by fossa in every way imaginable,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55- getting in and out of these traps.- Taking the meat?
0:04:55 > 0:04:58What are the chances of us catching one?
0:04:58 > 0:05:01I think the chances of us catching one are pretty good
0:05:01 > 0:05:03but this is wildlife,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05so you never know, it's not that...
0:05:05 > 0:05:08it's not like we can call for a fossa delivery.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11So that's how the cage traps work. Let's set up
0:05:11 > 0:05:14a couple of camera traps and see if we can see one going in.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16- Cool?- Cool.- Yeah.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20Fossa are about this high.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23These camera traps are equipped with a motion sensor.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27They'll be triggered and take a picture when anything walks past.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31- About that high?- I think that's good.- Pointing this way and then
0:05:31 > 0:05:33if anything crosses over the path, we'll know.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35- Yeah. D'you think that's good? - It looks great.
0:05:38 > 0:05:43What's the most important thing in setting a camera trap?
0:05:43 > 0:05:44It's facing the right way.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46That's probably second most important.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48- Turning it on?- There you go.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- Yeah, looks pretty good.- Perfect.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56- So that's on.- All right.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- See what we get.- Put up the next one and better our chances.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02And to increase their chances, Raina tempts them
0:06:02 > 0:06:04with just what a fossa likes.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09- Is that enough?- More than enough, that's perfect. Well done.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14On their way back, they get a clear sign that fossa have recently
0:06:14 > 0:06:17been in the area.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21This is tiny little piece of fossa poo,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24and you can see it's kind of grey.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26It's really nice being in the dry forest like this
0:06:26 > 0:06:29because things stay pretty well preserved.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34But here there's good clues. Uh-oh, there's a jaw.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Does anyone see the little biddy teeth in there?
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Fossa are best known for hunting lemurs,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42so this little rodent had no chance.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45And that's how you find out what a fossa eats for a living.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51While Raina's team are yet to see an animal, Jamie's team are at camp...
0:06:55 > 0:06:58..and Yoran has managed to catch a lizard.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Over in a tree over there we just found this lizard.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04It's a spiny-tailed iguana, which is awesome.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Back home, Yoran has a passion for sports.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14He's also known for being mad about animals.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Yeah, I've got a massive obsession with animals.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19I've got at least 50 books.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23There's animals all over my room, from models to pictures.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27I've got these three animals. My leopard gecko called Lucky.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29This American train millipede.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35But his favourite animal would struggle to fit in his room.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38My favourite type of animal is crocodile.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41It's because resembling to like dinosaurs and that
0:07:41 > 0:07:44and they haven't changed in millions of years.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46I love having all these animals and if it was up to me
0:07:46 > 0:07:48I'd fill the whole house with them.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54In camp, Yoran returns the iguana safely to its home.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01Best catch of the trip for me so far, that I'VE caught,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03not like a guide or someone, which is cool.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06- D'you think you're Steve Backshall? - Me and Gwen helped him.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Ah! I think I'm on the road to being Steve Backshall.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13I mean, catching a lizard has got to be...got to get me close.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15D'you know what that sounded so pathetic,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18you were like, "Catching a lizard, got to get me close."
0:08:18 > 0:08:21It's a lizard, and it's an iguana.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22Which is a type of lizard.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25I know. I knew that.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29It's a good find, but it's not the animal they're looking for,
0:08:29 > 0:08:30the fossa.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35This is one that's been filmed at night.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37They're successful nocturnal hunters
0:08:37 > 0:08:40and unfortunately for their prey, they're also good in the daytime.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45The top native predator of the forest, their long tail
0:08:45 > 0:08:49certainly comes in handy when chasing lemurs through the canopy.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53An agile moving creature like this will be tricky to trap or
0:08:53 > 0:08:55film on their remote cameras.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Jamie's team are up early and it's their turn to go into the forest.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05They're checking the fossa traps that Raina's team set yesterday.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11It's really early. We had to be up at half five, well five o'clock.
0:09:12 > 0:09:13Here we go.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14I was born ready.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16I was born to do this.
0:09:17 > 0:09:18And no fossa in that trap,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21but we've got lots more left to check.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25So there's two back here, one after the other, so I'll run,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28check 'em both, but I'll be a little bit longer, OK?
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Luke approaches the traps alone first to make sure
0:09:32 > 0:09:35if anything's caught, it's not stressed out.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38He's going to check the fossa traps, but there's two.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42Hopefully we'll get something, fingers crossed.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45These are empty. There's more to go.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53After 15 empty traps, our team remain hopeful for the final one.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56All right, guys. We're coming up to the last trap on the trap line.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Does everybody have their fingers crossed?
0:10:00 > 0:10:02This is the last one.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04I don't know... We haven't got anything.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08I've just seen him shaking his head, I don't think we've got one.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11- All right guys, last trap's empty. - Ah.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18The team begin to wonder why they haven't seen a fossa.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20To find out if something's scaring them off,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22they set up extra camera traps.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28- Here?- Yeah, let's put it right here, facing back towards that cage trap.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Turning it on.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34- Somebody's learning.- Right there?
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Straight up the trail, maybe just like that.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40What animal would be pushing out the fossa?
0:10:40 > 0:10:44The team want to discover if there's an invader in the forest.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51It's not just animals that are invading Madagascar
0:10:51 > 0:10:55and threatening the wildlife. There are plant invaders too and on the
0:10:55 > 0:10:57way back to camp, Luke's keen to show the team
0:10:57 > 0:10:59one species that's causing
0:10:59 > 0:11:02a big problem for the creatures that live in the local lake.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05It's the water hyacinth.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08If you guys look across through here, all this green that you see
0:11:08 > 0:11:10actually has water beneath it.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13And so this is Lake Ravalobe, which is very important to this area,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16and these water hyacinths are an invasive plant species that
0:11:16 > 0:11:20just arrived here about three years ago and in the meantime, they've
0:11:20 > 0:11:23covered, I reckon, half of the lake and that's really messing up the
0:11:23 > 0:11:26habitat for the fish and the turtles and everything that goes on there.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32Water hyacinths have spread rapidly throughout the lakes of Madagascar.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Originally from South America, they're now widespread after
0:11:35 > 0:11:38humans introduced them into their garden ponds.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45If not controlled, these plants will choke this lake, starving
0:11:45 > 0:11:48the water from oxygen, and killing the fish that live here.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Luke's come up with a great solution, removing
0:11:53 > 0:11:57the hyacinths, drying them and using them as a fuel for cooking.
0:12:01 > 0:12:06But to burn the hyacinths, you need a special rocket stove.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Raina's team has gone to the local village to see how these
0:12:09 > 0:12:11special stoves work.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18The best way to learn is to get stuck in and make one from scratch.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20We're just about to make some stoves
0:12:20 > 0:12:23and the final product's going to look like these,
0:12:23 > 0:12:27and we're using some of the clay in that wheelbarrow to make them.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33So let's go! Going to start.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Move it down.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40So we need to mix up the mud here, to make it into clay
0:12:40 > 0:12:44and then it'll be good to put into the mould.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47I'm rolling my sleeves up. It looks like it's going to be dirty work.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49And watch your hands as well.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52I'm just kneeling down and getting these trousers dirty.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55I'm not doing too well, these kids are much faster than me.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01And Charlie begins to see how useful these stoves might be.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05These stoves are going to be given to the local people,
0:13:05 > 0:13:10and their only way of making fires and cooking is using the wood.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13They're chopping it down, it gets rid of the wildlife,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17the trees - just affects everything. So making these stoves means
0:13:17 > 0:13:21they don't need to use as much wood, cos it funnels
0:13:21 > 0:13:26the heat upwards, which also helps the local people, because that's less
0:13:26 > 0:13:29money they've got to spend on buying the wood, so it helps everyone.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Look. Look at my hand.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Look at my rings.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40- You'll wash it later.- This is going to give me the skin of a tortoise.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43The next stage is to put the mould together.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46We're fixing this onto the base so it doesn't move when we're using it.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48I'm not very good at DIY.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56You haven't tightened these. We've been breaking the clay into bits,
0:13:56 > 0:14:00then throwing it in the mould and I think that's to get all
0:14:00 > 0:14:03the air out, so you can put as much clay in it as possible.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10That was just hard work over there, but this is rewarding.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16It's good for anger management, really.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23This is why we're behind.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Just as our team get the hang of it, their aim seems to be out.
0:14:31 > 0:14:32Oh, you got it in my ear, Oak.
0:14:34 > 0:14:35Sorry.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Well, I think Oak's just bad at it, you know.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43He just can't admit it, cos he can't admit if he's bad.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Mine split mid-air.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52While Raina's team wait for the clay to set,
0:14:52 > 0:14:56over at the lake, Jamie and Yoran meet up with wildlife expert Lance.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00And head out onto the water.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05I've never been on a boat before.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Having learnt that invading hyacinth plants can choke up lakes,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11they want to find out just how important areas of open water
0:15:11 > 0:15:13can be for animals that live there.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19That's called a... That's a purple heron.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Although there's one animal that Jamie's really keen to avoid.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26God, is that a crocodile?
0:15:29 > 0:15:33No, see - I told you I was being paranoid, it's a log.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38It's not that I don't like them it's just that,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41- I dunno, I'm just really scared of 'em.- Yeah.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45But they're like the most successful predator that's ever lived.
0:15:47 > 0:15:53No crocodiles yet, but in the trees there's an incredibly rare bird.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56It's on the top, sitting up on the top, on the right, calling now.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59It's the Madagascan fish eagle.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Because it's such a big bird and it needs nice big lakes,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05it's become quite endangered.
0:16:05 > 0:16:06So you can see when it moves,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09the feathers aren't completely white but the ruffle is, so
0:16:09 > 0:16:13when it moves, the feathers, you get this white flash, and a pale face.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Madagascan fish eagles are one of the most endangered
0:16:18 > 0:16:19birds in the world.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Their closest relatives live on mainland Africa
0:16:24 > 0:16:28and like all fish eagles, are expert fishermen.
0:16:28 > 0:16:29They need to hunt over open water,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32waiting till the last moment to snatch their prey.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38If invading hyacinths were to choke their hunting grounds, then
0:16:38 > 0:16:42it would be difficult for these eagles to find fish,
0:16:42 > 0:16:44and it's this that threatens the fish eagle.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52By removing the invader, Luke's project helps to keep the lake clear
0:16:52 > 0:16:56for the eagle, and the hyacinth provides fuel for rocket stoves.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Raina's clay has finally set. It's time for the finishing touches
0:17:03 > 0:17:05and the final judgement.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10So we are going to set this like this, exactly the same.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13So the firewood would go in there, and then the pot sits up there,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17so that's like the hob on the cooker.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Ta-da!
0:17:19 > 0:17:22So is our stove a bit dodgy, or does it past the test?
0:17:23 > 0:17:26I think it's not too bad.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28It's good, it's really good.
0:17:28 > 0:17:29Ah, for me too! Why not?
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Yeah?
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Back on the lake,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Jamie's getting increasingly nervous about crocodiles.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42I think it's a log, but it looks a lot like a crocodile.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Yeah, every log looks like a crocodile!
0:17:51 > 0:17:53But actually she's right to be on edge.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57On the bank is the one animal that she's really scared of.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01A huge animal, right in there.
0:18:01 > 0:18:02Oh, wow!
0:18:04 > 0:18:05Oh, my God!
0:18:08 > 0:18:10- I don't like it.- That's awesome.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12You don't have to worry, because he's over there.
0:18:14 > 0:18:15Oh, God!
0:18:18 > 0:18:19Jamie doesn't need to worry.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22It would be much more interested in fish than in her.
0:18:25 > 0:18:26I'm scared now.
0:18:27 > 0:18:33While Jamie's struggling, Yoran's excited to see his favourite animal.
0:18:33 > 0:18:34How big can they get?
0:18:34 > 0:18:36A little bit bigger than this one.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39They can get probably another metre on this one.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Jamie starts to relax.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Bye, Mr Crocky!
0:18:50 > 0:18:52If you look in the corner over there
0:18:52 > 0:18:55there's what looks like a log in the water,
0:18:55 > 0:18:59but then next to it to the right, that's the head of a crocodile.
0:18:59 > 0:19:00That's a big one.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08This one's bigger than him on the right.
0:19:13 > 0:19:18A bird came out of the bush and then it did this weird movement.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20I jumped out of my skin.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25There it is. Come back up over here, you guys.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31Really beautiful though, even though they're really scary.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33It's only by keeping the lakes healthy
0:19:33 > 0:19:36and free from invading plants that animals like the crocodile
0:19:36 > 0:19:39and fish eagle will be able to survive in Madagascar.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43As night falls, they head back to shore.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47It was exciting to see the first
0:19:47 > 0:19:50crocodiles of the trip, also to see the Madagascan fish eagle, which are
0:19:50 > 0:19:53really endangered and only found here in Madagascar,
0:19:53 > 0:19:54which is amazing.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57They're my favourite animals in the whole wide world ever.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Crocodiles, they're awesome.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03That first one that we saw, though, that really scared me.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05I just jumped out of my skin
0:20:05 > 0:20:08and when one of 'em moved, like did a kind of roll...
0:20:09 > 0:20:11You jumped so bad.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15I was like, "Argh!" It was such an amazing experience, though.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Yeah, it was really good fun. Just can't wait to go tell the others.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21All right, guys. So we were just like,
0:20:21 > 0:20:26we were just cruising down the river, we saw some herons,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28some herons, nothing...
0:20:28 > 0:20:31- Parrots?- Egrets and herons and then just cruising, we saw
0:20:31 > 0:20:35two Madagascan fish eagles and seven or eight crocodiles.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Is that meant to be a joke? Are you really not interested?
0:20:38 > 0:20:39LAUGHTER
0:20:43 > 0:20:48It's their last night and spirits are high,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52but tomorrow is their final chance to catch a glimpse of the fossa.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Raina, Eilidh, Oak and Charlie
0:20:56 > 0:21:00head out early to check the fossa traps for a second time.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02And this one's open too.
0:21:02 > 0:21:03It's another empty one.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Five empty traps down, but the team are remaining optimistic.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Every one we've been past have been empty.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16You know it only takes one of them to be triggered off
0:21:16 > 0:21:18and then it's all worthwhile so
0:21:18 > 0:21:23although it looks bad now, if we do catch one it'll just be brilliant.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Charlie's positive thinking could be about to pay off.
0:21:26 > 0:21:32All right, so we've caught something but it's not a fossa,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36it's a bird. There are some big ground birds around here.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Why don't you go right in there on the side,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44just wave your hand back here like this,
0:21:44 > 0:21:49so he can... And he's going to come out right on you guys there.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53Just let him run right, there he goes!
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Now that bird is going to have a story to tell his friends!
0:21:56 > 0:22:00It wasn't a fossa. It was a small bird
0:22:00 > 0:22:03and it was, it's a ground bird so it
0:22:03 > 0:22:08went in to eat the bugs off the meat, but it got trapped
0:22:08 > 0:22:11so we just released it, and it was sort of disappointing not to see
0:22:11 > 0:22:18a fossa, but catching something in traps is still a good achievement.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22All right, guys, so this is our last trap of the trap line for the morning
0:22:22 > 0:22:24so today was a bust, maybe check, see
0:22:24 > 0:22:27if we got something on the cameras instead.
0:22:27 > 0:22:28- Yeah.- All right? Cool.
0:22:31 > 0:22:37Well, we all knew that it was a bit of a... you know, it was a
0:22:37 > 0:22:41big chance we were taking, but we all feel disappointed anyway,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45cos we were all hoping that we could turn up to the others, and say
0:22:45 > 0:22:48"Guess what we found! We saw a fossa!"
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Which is one of the most elusive creatures in Madagascar
0:22:51 > 0:22:54but no such luck, the elusive has remained elusive.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Camera traps in hand, they head back to the camp to view
0:23:02 > 0:23:03the footage on their laptop.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- That's a fossa. - That there, no, that's a dog.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15- It's a dog.- That's a dog. A fossa has spots and stripes.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17- Charlie caught a dog. - Yes, got some action.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20So there's a dog.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Yeah, look. The dog's been sabotaging...
0:23:23 > 0:23:25We keep finding the dog.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Don't let it get the meat. Look, he's taken the meat.
0:23:28 > 0:23:29If the fossa was nearby,
0:23:29 > 0:23:33and the dog was there, would it have still gone for the cage trap?
0:23:33 > 0:23:36No. We've been looking at this for a long time and the
0:23:36 > 0:23:39village dogs here will sometimes go in the forest
0:23:39 > 0:23:43and when they go in, they completely displace the fossa from the area
0:23:43 > 0:23:45so this explains why there weren't any in the cage traps
0:23:45 > 0:23:48because if that dog was running around the forest up there,
0:23:48 > 0:23:50you can guarantee, because the dog is actually bigger,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52that no fossa would have been in that area.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55If the dog found the fossa,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58what do you think would happen? Would the fossa run away?
0:23:58 > 0:23:59I don't think they'd fight directly
0:23:59 > 0:24:03but I think the fossa would just run away, because the dog's taller.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07The other thing, often times when you see one dog that's sort of feral,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09you see more than one,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12and if they're social they can scare the fossa out of an area.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14So do you think all the times you've been unsuccessful it's
0:24:14 > 0:24:16- because of a dog, or...?- I do.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20So you think that if you were to reduce the dog population...
0:24:20 > 0:24:23I think if we reduced the dog population, we're going to do
0:24:23 > 0:24:25a big favour for the fossa.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28We've all heard about problems that invasive species present
0:24:28 > 0:24:31for nature. This is a perfect example -
0:24:31 > 0:24:33the dog is an invasive species.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Man's best friend is becoming the greatest threat to the fossa.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44Another example of how invaders can impact on Madagascan wildlife.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Dogs have been introduced by humans
0:24:48 > 0:24:51and are the reason why our team haven't seen a fossa.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Right, guys. So we gave it our best. We didn't get fossa.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59I'm glad you guys came and gave me this opportunity
0:24:59 > 0:25:01to show these things to you, so thank you for coming.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05- Thank you for having us. - And guiding us.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09While our team have been unlucky, they don't go away empty-handed.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Gwen and Yoran head to the zoo and finally get to see a fossa.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22- Mini fossa.- Baby fossa.
0:25:24 > 0:25:25Ah.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31This rescued female has just had a baby.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35It's a rare opportunity and a positive sign for the future.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37I've never seen fossa before in any zoo or anything
0:25:37 > 0:25:41but it's, like, they're much, much smaller than I was expecting.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46It kind of looks like a cross between a cat and a dog
0:25:46 > 0:25:50with like a stretched out body and a lemur tail, basically.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55It's amazing to get this close to such a small,
0:25:55 > 0:26:00like, a baby fossa, it's amazing. I've never seen a baby fossa before.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03You haven't seen any fossa before.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Looks like it's quite comfortable... Oh, there we go!
0:26:05 > 0:26:08FOSSA GROWLS
0:26:08 > 0:26:09Did you hear that?
0:26:11 > 0:26:13- "Baa-aah."- No, that's a sheep.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16I dunno - it's weird, you try.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21Yeah, it actually sounds like a sheep. "Meh!"
0:26:21 > 0:26:24- It sounds like a sheep. - It's like a sheep with a growl.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26The main reason we didn't see a fossa in the wild
0:26:26 > 0:26:29- was cos of the dog.- Definitely, cos now you can see how downsized
0:26:29 > 0:26:31they are compared to the dog,
0:26:31 > 0:26:35cos the dog was about that big off the ground.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37This is like...way smaller.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40If the dog wasn't there maybe we'd have seen something,
0:26:40 > 0:26:42maybe we wouldn't, you never know.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45If we'd caught one in a trap that would have been amazing.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48The camera traps would almost have been as good but to see,
0:26:48 > 0:26:52to have one like in front of us, a wild fossa would be really cool.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57Since we didn't, then this is pretty...
0:26:57 > 0:26:59A privilege to see it.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Join us next time as our Deadly adventurers travel to
0:27:07 > 0:27:09a remote island off the coast of Madagascar.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Here they undertake a challenge on a colossal scale.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21They get beneath the waves to find out how the marine life is
0:27:21 > 0:27:23coping under pressure...
0:27:25 > 0:27:27..and meet the people who live here to find out
0:27:27 > 0:27:29how complex conservation can be.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34With paradise itself at risk, will our group discover the key
0:27:34 > 0:27:37to securing its future?
0:27:37 > 0:27:39- Go!- Ah! Hooray!
0:27:53 > 0:27:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd