0:00:02 > 0:00:04# It's a brand-new dance, dance... #
0:00:04 > 0:00:08This programme contains scenes which some viewers may find upsetting.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Billionaires now control more of the world's wealth than ever before.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14This is £3,000.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18And they are scouring the globe for the latest must-have luxury goods...
0:00:18 > 0:00:22You've got a stingray, you've got lizard on the tongue,
0:00:22 > 0:00:26- you've got elephant on the side. - ..and top of the list are animals.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28The Russian sable.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32High-quality, expensive and beautiful.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Crocodile skins are just like diamonds
0:00:34 > 0:00:36and they're extremely precious.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Brands are literally going to the ends of the earth to find them.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46I can see the trail where she's been. Look at that! What am I doing?
0:00:46 > 0:00:50But how much do we really know about where this stuff comes from?
0:00:50 > 0:00:51REGGIE GASPS
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Just caught it with his bare hands. Look at that.
0:00:54 > 0:00:55Why do you have a lynx here?
0:00:55 > 0:00:58And what's the real cost of luxury fashion?
0:00:58 > 0:01:03The scale of this is just jaw-dropping.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04# Fashion... #
0:01:04 > 0:01:07I have literally come to the other side of the planet
0:01:07 > 0:01:11to find out the truth behind fashion and the animal trade.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13# Fashion...
0:01:14 > 0:01:16# Fashion! #
0:01:21 > 0:01:25MUSIC: Vogue by Madonna
0:01:25 > 0:01:28The international fashion industry is huge
0:01:28 > 0:01:30and worth £26 billion to UK PLC alone.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34# Strike the pose... #
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Trends and styles come and go, and this year
0:01:37 > 0:01:38it's all about fur.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41# Vogue, vogue... #
0:01:41 > 0:01:44But fur is still controversial
0:01:44 > 0:01:47and this is what the anti-fur protest looks like
0:01:47 > 0:01:49at London Fashion Week.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54It is a symbol of wealth, to be sure.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57You've always had that nouveau-riche customer who just doesn't care
0:01:57 > 0:01:59what it is, as long as it's expensive.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03- When I was growing up, fur was seen as taboo.- Yes.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05It was something that people were throwing red paint on.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09After the crash of 2007, there's been a whole new
0:02:09 > 0:02:13generation of super-rich. You know, what we talk about is the 1%,
0:02:13 > 0:02:15and they have never had
0:02:15 > 0:02:21this indoctrination against wearing fur, and they have money to buy it.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27And if there's one group that bought fur back into fashion,
0:02:27 > 0:02:29it's these guys.
0:02:29 > 0:02:30Some rappers have included fur
0:02:30 > 0:02:34in their own exclusive fashion lines.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Kanye West even had a fur backpack at a cool 6,000.
0:02:39 > 0:02:44And then you have the Chinese, and the Chinese are an enormous market.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46All of this is about China.
0:02:46 > 0:02:5080% of fashion purchases today are by Chinese.
0:02:50 > 0:02:51That's incredible.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55It's a completely virgin market for everything in luxury,
0:02:55 > 0:02:56including fur.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02The fur market is now worth 40 billion worldwide.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06That's an increase of 70% in the last ten years.
0:03:06 > 0:03:11Lots of people think it's OK to wear fur again.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14But how much do we really know about where it comes from?
0:03:19 > 0:03:23'I've come to Russia, home to some of the world's most expensive fur.'
0:03:28 > 0:03:29What about this?
0:03:29 > 0:03:31'It's never really gone out of fashion here.'
0:03:33 > 0:03:34What is this? INDISTINCT
0:03:36 > 0:03:38I'm here to meet a man who's described as a legend
0:03:38 > 0:03:39in the industry...
0:03:43 > 0:03:44Well, that ain't warm.
0:03:45 > 0:03:46..Igor Gulyaev.
0:03:49 > 0:03:50Hello.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54- Igor.- Nice to meet you. - Reggie, nice to meet you, yeah.
0:03:55 > 0:03:56Igor has designed luxury coats
0:03:56 > 0:04:00for some of the world's most famous faces.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03I've never been to a fur boutique before,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05so what sort of furs do we have?
0:04:05 > 0:04:07For instance, what's this?
0:04:07 > 0:04:10- Lynx.- Lynx.
0:04:10 > 0:04:11Wow, OK.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- Look at this. Boom!- It's racoon.
0:04:16 > 0:04:17It, er, coyote.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20- OK.- What is it? It's raccoon?
0:04:20 > 0:04:22REGGIE LAUGHS
0:04:22 > 0:04:24- Is this mink?- Mink.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27OK, what...? Oh, my goodness.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Wow. Wow.
0:04:29 > 0:04:30It's soft, isn't it?
0:04:30 > 0:04:31THEY LAUGH
0:04:31 > 0:04:33- You have to go to...Oscar. - Look at this.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37I feel regal. IGOR LAUGHS
0:04:37 > 0:04:40It's funny, isn't it? I don't actually own any fur,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43but the minute you get it on, you suddenly feel expensive.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Da.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46- Oh, man, look at this.- Ah?
0:04:46 > 0:04:49What is this? What am I wearing?
0:04:49 > 0:04:50Fox.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52- This is fox.- Yes, it's dead fox.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55And how many animals have gone into making this particular coat?
0:04:58 > 0:05:00- Ten.- About ten?
0:05:04 > 0:05:05THEY LAUGH
0:05:06 > 0:05:09I guess that's what it comes down to, right?
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Do you think most people don't consider the animal
0:05:12 > 0:05:13- when they buy a fur?- No.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16- They're just thinking about the beauty of the feeling?- Yes.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17Why is that?
0:05:22 > 0:05:23- Not really, no.- Ah?
0:05:23 > 0:05:26When you buy meat, when you buy...
0:05:26 > 0:05:28kolbasa?
0:05:28 > 0:05:29Sausages.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33- When you buy sausages, do you think about the animal?- No.- It is here.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37I thought mink was the most expensive fur,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39but for the global super-rich
0:05:39 > 0:05:41there's something even more exclusive.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46- What fur is this?- The Russian sable. - This is Russian sable.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Last year, a fur coat by Fendi,
0:05:48 > 0:05:52made from wild caught sable, sold for over one million Euros.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57This is the stuff that sends the super-rich crazy.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00Why's it so expensive?
0:06:02 > 0:06:03IGOR LAUGHS
0:06:03 > 0:06:05What is so special about Russian sable, then?
0:06:10 > 0:06:12So this is the diamond of your store?
0:06:12 > 0:06:16- It is not only my store. In Russia. - Right.- The world.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19High-quality, expensive, and beautiful.
0:06:21 > 0:06:22WIND WHISTLES
0:06:25 > 0:06:27Siberia.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30More than 60 times the size of Britain.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32This place is big.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36It can drop to -40 here in the winter.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39So I can see why they might want to wear fur.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Siberia is home of the legendary Russian sable.
0:06:47 > 0:06:48DOG BARKS
0:06:51 > 0:06:54'But before I find the sable, I need to find the hunter.'
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Of course he drives a Lada.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59REGGIE LAUGHS
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Hello, are you Vadim? SHE SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN
0:07:02 > 0:07:04They'll show you.
0:07:04 > 0:07:05Hello, Vadim?
0:07:05 > 0:07:07HE SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN
0:07:07 > 0:07:08Wrong house.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14I'm pretty sure the last person he expected to open the door to was a black guy and a camera crew.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17REGGIE LAUGHS
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Vadim? Reggie, nice to meet you.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21How are you doing?
0:07:21 > 0:07:23You're actually wearing sandals in the snow?
0:07:23 > 0:07:24HE SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN
0:07:24 > 0:07:27It's perfect. He's already way more of a man than I am.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Two days ago, Vadim set his traps.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Now we're heading out to check them for sable.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38It looks like my transport's sorted.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39In the back of that.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41RUSSIAN FOLK MUSIC
0:07:49 > 0:07:53'The journey takes us across a massive frozen lake.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54'Lake Baikal.'
0:07:56 > 0:07:57This is a first.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00This is the deepest lake in the world,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03containing a fifth of all of the planet's fresh water.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10We've just stopped because the drivers are having, um,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12a cup or two of vodka...
0:08:12 > 0:08:16and, um, this is unlike anything I've ever seen before.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19This is solid ice, and if you look through it,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21it's perfectly clear,
0:08:21 > 0:08:23you can see the bed, right there, and all the rocks.
0:08:25 > 0:08:26It's incredible!
0:08:28 > 0:08:31'It's a gruelling two-hour journey to the first trap.'
0:08:36 > 0:08:40This looks a lot more fun than it feels! Ah!
0:08:44 > 0:08:45Oi!
0:08:48 > 0:08:52This is the moment when we venture out into the, er,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54into the unknown to try and check those traps
0:08:54 > 0:08:55and see what we can find.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02'It's a tough life being a fur trapper.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05'If Vadim doesn't catch a sable, then his family doesn't eat.'
0:09:05 > 0:09:07HE SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Vadim uses spring-loaded traps,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17especially designed not to damage the fur.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22You can't even see the trap itself,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24he's put on a piece of paper over it and, um,
0:09:24 > 0:09:26re-covered the whole area with snow
0:09:26 > 0:09:28so there's no way of knowing there's anything in there,
0:09:28 > 0:09:32so in theory this is the perfect set-up to get a sable.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35All right, so the trap's empty.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38I take it we're going to go on and see if we can find any others,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41but why exactly do you have a gun on your back?
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Good! Do you want to lead the way, Mr Gunman?
0:09:55 > 0:09:56All right.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01This just gets better and better, doesn't it?
0:10:03 > 0:10:04There it is.
0:10:04 > 0:10:05What do we think, Vadim?
0:10:11 > 0:10:14You're making me jump! THEY LAUGH
0:10:17 > 0:10:20So this is what everybody's searching for?
0:10:20 > 0:10:24The sable is a small carnivore related to the ferret.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Once trapped, it freezes to death in a couple of hours.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33I'm wearing gloves, but I can feel just how beautiful this fur is.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36It's quite hard to get my head around, that this is worth so much
0:10:36 > 0:10:40and as well as that, this will become something that will be,
0:10:40 > 0:10:44that will be coveted and loved somewhere halfway around the world.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Vadim's definitely pleased,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50he's having a celebratory cigarette over there, he's enjoying himself!
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Vadim, what quality is this skin? Just how valuable is this?
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Less than 100 doesn't really seem like a lot of money
0:11:14 > 0:11:18when you think how much a sable coat will eventually sell for.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Is your wife going to be happy that we're returning home with something?
0:11:26 > 0:11:28With just an hour of light left,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30it's definitely time to get out of the cold.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33It's not looking too great. The, um...
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Ski-Doo in front of me has just crashed.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I think it smashed its lights as well.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42"Come to Siberia," they said.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44"There'll be adventure," they said.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45Work-out, more like.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54'After a long day, we finally reach Vadim's hunting cabin.'
0:11:54 > 0:11:56This is where we sleep.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58It's one of those moments where you realise
0:11:58 > 0:12:01how much of a man you aren't.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06I'd love to help, but, um, probably only going to slow 'em down.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Maybe I could do some carrying, that would be good. Shall I help carry?
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Shall we take some inside? Yeah?
0:12:21 > 0:12:24The sable is left to gently thaw overnight.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39OK, so what's the, what's the nail in the string for?
0:12:52 > 0:12:57I've actually owned one coat with a fur collar before.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59I at no point
0:12:59 > 0:13:01really sort of considered
0:13:01 > 0:13:04where that little bit of fur had come from.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11A lot of people in the West will probably be shocked
0:13:11 > 0:13:14by watching this footage and watching this process.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Do you think it's ridiculous that people are surprised or,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20or shocked by what it is you're doing?
0:13:36 > 0:13:39That's the last bit now, that's the head just coming off.
0:13:45 > 0:13:46Rrr!
0:13:56 > 0:13:58So, this is it. This is the world-famous sable skin,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01this is what people all over the world are paying top dollar for now.
0:14:01 > 0:14:07When you just sort of focus on this, the fur, it's pretty spectacular.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09But the minute you pull out
0:14:09 > 0:14:12and sort of take into account the process
0:14:12 > 0:14:14and what Vadim's just thrown out the door,
0:14:14 > 0:14:16which is actually the carcass,
0:14:16 > 0:14:22this is a very surreal 25 minutes of my life.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36One and two.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Lot seven, er...
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Er, 60, 60. Yes, 60...
0:14:40 > 0:14:44So how does a fur pelt that Vadim sells for 80
0:14:44 > 0:14:47end up as part of a coat costing one million Euros?
0:14:49 > 0:14:53I'm back in St Petersburg with fur fashion designer Igor.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57He's bought me to the annual fur auction.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59This is where people start making big money.
0:14:59 > 0:15:0256, I'm in. 56...
0:15:02 > 0:15:04And is it always this international?
0:15:04 > 0:15:07- Because there's people from the UK, people from China.- China...
0:15:07 > 0:15:10- There's Russians... - Italian and Greek.
0:15:10 > 0:15:11Ah, ah!
0:15:11 > 0:15:14- I've been coming here since I'm 18.- Right.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15Born and bred in Brixton.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17What is so special about Russian sable, then?
0:15:17 > 0:15:19- It's a very, very special article.- Yeah?
0:15:19 > 0:15:21- It's just wonderful.- Yeah? - It's wonderful.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26They've got an offering here of 260,000 skins
0:15:26 > 0:15:28and they're 100% sold.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Er, lot 44, 44...
0:15:31 > 0:15:36'Nearly 20 million will be spent on sable at this auction alone.'
0:15:37 > 0:15:40It seems some of the biggest brands are literally fighting each other
0:15:40 > 0:15:42to get the best furs.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44And it's getting quite rowdy.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47- Up!- Up!- Up now!
0:15:47 > 0:15:48Up!
0:15:48 > 0:15:50- Up!- Up!
0:15:50 > 0:15:52Up!
0:15:52 > 0:15:5576. 76, 78...
0:15:55 > 0:15:59This is the only auction in the world where you can buy wild sable.
0:15:59 > 0:16:0182 upstairs, 82.
0:16:01 > 0:16:02No!
0:16:02 > 0:16:05He dropped!
0:16:05 > 0:16:07- He dropped.- He didn't drop...
0:16:07 > 0:16:09'With the argument raging,
0:16:09 > 0:16:13'I decide to go backstage and see what all the fuss is about.'
0:16:13 > 0:16:17The scale of this is just jaw-dropping.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19I've never seen anything like this before.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23It just sort of brings it home, the size of this industry.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27People are buying a lot of these animals because it takes 40,
0:16:27 > 0:16:2940 of these to make one coat.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31But that room over there,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34with around a quarter of a million of them,
0:16:34 > 0:16:35it is just unbelievable.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46The sable at the auction are mostly trapped in the wild.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51But there's another side to the Russian fur industry.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57This is a fur farm on the outskirts of Siberia's
0:16:57 > 0:17:00second-biggest city, Irkutsk.
0:17:00 > 0:17:01Morning.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03- Reggie, nice to meet you. Are you Victor?- Victor.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09'The farm's manager and his outstanding sable hat
0:17:09 > 0:17:11'have agreed to show me around.'
0:17:11 > 0:17:15What am I walking into here? This is, this is huge.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Over 80% of the world's fur is produced in farms.
0:17:30 > 0:17:31Wow.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35There's so many of them. They're jumping all over the place.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38They're cartwheeling, they're flipping,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40they're bouncing about the cages.
0:17:40 > 0:17:41Um...
0:17:41 > 0:17:43They don't look that happy to me.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49These animals seem desperate to escape.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Is there a reason for them to behave like this?
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Are these cages big enough for that?
0:18:24 > 0:18:26SABLE GROWLS
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Unlike some other animals, captive breeding of sable is difficult,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35but the possible rewards mean Victor is persevering.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41This is huge...
0:18:51 > 0:18:55Sable is just one part of this huge operation.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58So what do we have in these cages outside?
0:18:58 > 0:19:00HE SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Now these guys are almost three times the size of the sable,
0:19:06 > 0:19:07but the cages are the same size.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Is there a reason for that?
0:19:16 > 0:19:21And they seem to be moving the same way as the sable. Why is that?
0:19:30 > 0:19:33These animals are clearly in a state of distress.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36In your opinion, do you think the consumer
0:19:36 > 0:19:38cares where the fur comes from?
0:19:49 > 0:19:52The main fur being produced here is mink.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55They're related to sable, but they're much easier to breed
0:19:55 > 0:19:58and they've been farmed for generations around the world.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Is this mink? That one?
0:20:04 > 0:20:08So this shed and all of the sheds before it
0:20:08 > 0:20:10are absolutely huge - they go on forever.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15The farm produces around 70,000 pelts a year.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17They'll get 15 euros for each one.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20There are around 70 fur farms in Russia.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25And this isn't even one of the biggest.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Two million.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52But Victor has one more surprise for me.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57THEY CONVERSE IN RUSSIAN
0:20:58 > 0:20:59What is this?
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Why...why do you have a lynx here?
0:21:16 > 0:21:20I remembered seeing a lynx coat back in Igor's boutique.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22He told me not to think about the animal,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24just the beauty of the fur.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27To see one in those conditions is...
0:21:27 > 0:21:29It's heartbreaking.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31It's in a tiny cage, no bigger than this,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34and it is just going up and down with crazy eyes,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36and it is trampling over its own waste.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41It just really doesn't sit well with me at all.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52My understanding of fur has always been one thing,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54and that is, you know, you see a fur coat,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57you imagine that it's come from some hunter in the wild,
0:21:57 > 0:21:59you know, a pack of guys going out with guns
0:21:59 > 0:22:02and returning with animals over their shoulder.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05That's the way I've always understood the process to work.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12But we are talking millions of furs coming from farms.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15That means that millions of animals are in cages.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17That means that millions of animals are being raised
0:22:17 > 0:22:20to be skinned to make a coat.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23I don't know. It's just really unsettling
0:22:23 > 0:22:26that these animals are being kept in conditions
0:22:26 > 0:22:28where they are quite clearly distressed
0:22:28 > 0:22:29for their entire life.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32MINK BARKS AND GROWLS
0:22:33 > 0:22:36I'm not saying I'm going to go and join animal rights
0:22:36 > 0:22:38when I leave here, but I definitely am feeling
0:22:38 > 0:22:41a shift in my attitude towards fur, definitely.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46The sheer scale of fur farming makes me think
0:22:46 > 0:22:49that the demand for fur has gone way beyond the super-rich.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Back in London, I am starting to see fur everywhere.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59It's...quite hard to ignore the fact
0:22:59 > 0:23:01that so many people have some sort of fur,
0:23:01 > 0:23:05on their coat or on their person some way,
0:23:05 > 0:23:07be that real or faux.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09It's everywhere. I just watch people walking by
0:23:09 > 0:23:12and they have fur trim on their hoods, their gloves...
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Even after all the animal rights activists,
0:23:14 > 0:23:16it's still seen as appealing.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18- Yeah.- And pretty.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20So, how do the tastes of the super-rich
0:23:20 > 0:23:22spread to us mere mortals?
0:23:22 > 0:23:25You have the high-end, the luxury fashion,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27that sets the trends and it trickles down
0:23:27 > 0:23:30to fast fashion, high-street shops.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Fendi and other companies have put out these little pom-poms,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36just clip them onto your coat or your bag or whatever.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38- It is an entry-level product. - Right.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42# I-I-I-I-I I like you very much... #
0:23:42 > 0:23:44But even these entry-level products
0:23:44 > 0:23:47go for around £300.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51The real trick has been getting younger people to want to buy fur.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59Younger consumers are definitely less stigmatised or wary
0:23:59 > 0:24:01of buying and wearing fur.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06The fur companies are sponsoring competitions in schools
0:24:06 > 0:24:09and providing the fur to teach students how to use it.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Ten years ago, 50 or 60 designers used fur in their collections.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Today, it is about 400 to 500.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17- Is that faux or is it real? - It's faux fur.
0:24:17 > 0:24:18Would you ever wear real fur?
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Yeah, no, I have no problem with wearing real fur.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?
0:24:23 > 0:24:24I'm 23.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26I think that you get to a stage where people are like,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29- "Oh, well, going to start wearing it again."- Yeah.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30They just want to be fashionable
0:24:30 > 0:24:32and if that is the look of the moment,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35that's what it is, and that's why these designers
0:24:35 > 0:24:36have such great power,
0:24:36 > 0:24:40because that look permeates our entire culture.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44This high-street revival means that the industry has to source
0:24:44 > 0:24:48more and more fur at rock-bottom prices.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50A lot of it is produced in even worse conditions
0:24:50 > 0:24:52than what I saw in Russia.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57China is the world's biggest supplier of cheap fur.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01It is often so cheap, it costs less than the fake stuff.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10But fur is only part of the story.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14London is now at the heart of the global network of designers
0:25:14 > 0:25:15who see animal products as the key
0:25:15 > 0:25:19to unlocking the super-rich's wallet.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22And there is one man who knows better than most how to do it.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28- Ethan.- Hi, good afternoon. - Reg.- How are you?
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Yeah, really good, really good. Thank you for having me.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37I am entering the magical world of Ethan Koh,
0:25:37 > 0:25:42a Singaporean designer of bespoke, handcrafted, luxury handbags.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Crocodile skins are just like diamonds
0:25:47 > 0:25:49and they are extremely precious.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52The attention to detail is paramount.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54You know, every bag has a special feature,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56so this is an interesting trap door.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59We recently had a customer who recently did a count of my pieces
0:25:59 > 0:26:01and she came up with 62.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04- OK.- This is £3,000.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07And, obviously, range up to £25,000.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14The Australian saltwater crocodile is one of the most expensive -
0:26:14 > 0:26:16like this one here -
0:26:16 > 0:26:20because the scales on the side are very small and round,
0:26:20 > 0:26:21just like diamonds,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23and especially for a woman's handbag,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27to use a skin like this, it makes the bag shinier and better
0:26:27 > 0:26:29and the effect is beautiful.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33Ethan's bags are sold in some of the most exclusive stores in the world,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37but a select few customers get a bag designed personally for them.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40So, what is it that qualifies a client to sit with you
0:26:40 > 0:26:43and design a bag, face to face?
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Of course, we never recommend the bespoke service
0:26:46 > 0:26:49to someone that has never appreciated or acquired
0:26:49 > 0:26:51any of our basic pieces in the collection.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Well, if that is the case, be honest -
0:26:53 > 0:26:56how many bags have I got to buy to get here with you?
0:26:56 > 0:27:00I really feel that you should have around three of these bags...
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Three...? You've got to buy three bags before you get in?
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Yeah, and I think maybe you should get, like,
0:27:05 > 0:27:06two colours of each, right?
0:27:06 > 0:27:09- Then you know our service better. - LAUGHING: Yeah.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12My bank would definitely know more about the brand, that's for sure.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14And then, we will have a bag maybe named after you.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16REGGIE LAUGHS
0:27:25 > 0:27:29The saltwater crocodile is one of the world's greatest predators.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37I have come to its home in northern Australia
0:27:37 > 0:27:40and this is the farm where they are bred.
0:27:41 > 0:27:46Here, they raise, kill and skin thousands of crocs every year.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51'Charlie is one of the croc handlers.'
0:27:51 > 0:27:53OK, Reggie...
0:27:53 > 0:27:56- Now, our male is in that back pond. - Yeah.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59So the best place for us...
0:27:59 > 0:28:00REGGIE LAUGHS NERVOUSLY
0:28:00 > 0:28:01- ..is inside?- After you.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04- CHARLIE LAUGHS - No, I'll go first.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07- You are seriously going in there? - I'm seriously going in there.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09'Today, Charlie and his team are trying to catch
0:28:09 > 0:28:12'one of their big males, called Eric.'
0:28:12 > 0:28:15And then our challenge is to get that rope over his top jaw.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17So, when you are ready, boys.
0:28:23 > 0:28:24Oh, oh, oh...
0:28:26 > 0:28:28And, of course, the death roll.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34- And as long as...- I was about to sprint there, Charlie.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37As long as Ken doesn't let go of the rope, we are fine.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39Don't let go of the rope!
0:28:39 > 0:28:41So, if I came into contact with this guy in the wild,
0:28:41 > 0:28:43what do you think would happen to me?
0:28:43 > 0:28:46If you're swimming in any river or billabong in the top end,
0:28:46 > 0:28:49and you came across him, and he grabbed you,
0:28:49 > 0:28:52you would have a 0% chance of survival.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Today is a big day for Eric - as a prize breeder,
0:28:59 > 0:29:02he is about to be introduced to a new female.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04One, two, three...
0:29:07 > 0:29:09But before he is introduced to his new mate,
0:29:09 > 0:29:13his jaws have been taped up so he doesn't eat her.
0:29:13 > 0:29:14It's the croc version of safe sex.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16Just use your pole.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18He's poking it with a stick.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21What is...? What is going on?
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Go.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25Ready? Go.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27Eric was born in the wild.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31He was brought here after being suspected of killing two people.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35The only thing that is stopping it from running at me,
0:29:35 > 0:29:36and everyone else,
0:29:36 > 0:29:40is a bit of old sack covering its eyes.
0:29:40 > 0:29:45Eric is too old and too scarred for his skin to be used as a handbag,
0:29:45 > 0:29:46but he is great for breeding.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50But they do need to tape his mouth up,
0:29:50 > 0:29:54to stop them from killing the female that will be put in the enclosure.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02So he can't actually bite her head off. Literally.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04God help that female.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07They're going to be living together for the next few weeks.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19But most baby crocs still come from eggs collected in the wild
0:30:19 > 0:30:21and Charlie is taking me with him.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23This is what's going to protect me!
0:30:23 > 0:30:24Just in case a croc attacks.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28Whatever happened to something sharp?
0:30:34 > 0:30:37This is it. We're off to go and get some crocodile eggs.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Fingers crossed I don't run into Momma Crocodile.
0:30:41 > 0:30:4440 years ago, crocs were hunted in the wild for their skins,
0:30:44 > 0:30:48so much so they nearly became extinct.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50This is unreal.
0:30:50 > 0:30:51Look at it!
0:30:53 > 0:30:56Since then, strict controls on hunting have meant that croc farms
0:30:56 > 0:31:00have taken over supplying skins to the fashion industry.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03The wild population is now back to full strength.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09We're just going to have a quick look out here at this new area.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11Landowners protect the crocs' habitat
0:31:11 > 0:31:15because they make money from each egg that is collected.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17There are nests everywhere.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20OK, here's one. A new one.
0:31:20 > 0:31:21What am I looking for?
0:31:21 > 0:31:24They're like a mound of vegetation.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27The female rakes up this vegetation into a mound
0:31:27 > 0:31:29and then she lays the eggs inside it.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32What we want to do is I'm going to drop some tape on this
0:31:32 > 0:31:36so that when we're on the ground, we can actually locate it.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39Charlie and the farmer are protecting the world croc population
0:31:39 > 0:31:42by finding and buying the eggs.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45So what's the plan when we finally touch down?
0:31:45 > 0:31:48We're going to be very, very careful.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Strike while the iron is hot, Reggie.
0:31:51 > 0:31:52Here goes nothing.
0:31:56 > 0:31:57Maybe not the best start.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09And suddenly we're alone.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11Let me get this straight, the helicopter's gone
0:32:11 > 0:32:14and it's just you, me, these paddles,
0:32:14 > 0:32:16a nest with about 50-odd eggs in it
0:32:16 > 0:32:19and the mother of those eggs somewhere near here.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21Yes.
0:32:21 > 0:32:22In a word, yes.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24She's here somewhere.
0:32:24 > 0:32:29She'll always stay near her nest, either at it or in the vicinity,
0:32:29 > 0:32:32and I think you might have seen a little trail that goes
0:32:32 > 0:32:34- into that nest that we just tagged. - Yeah.
0:32:34 > 0:32:35And that's her.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38I can see the trail where she's been. Look at that!
0:32:38 > 0:32:40Can you see it? Right there!
0:32:40 > 0:32:41We're going to avoid that little...
0:32:41 > 0:32:43Yes, we are.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45We're definitely going to avoid that trail.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48Look, a four and five-metre-size crocodile can hide
0:32:48 > 0:32:50in about half a metre of water,
0:32:50 > 0:32:53so we've just got to be careful.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55You don't find this in England.
0:32:55 > 0:32:56No.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00This is all I've got to defend myself.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02What am I doing?
0:33:02 > 0:33:04What am I doing? What am I doing? What am I doing?
0:33:04 > 0:33:07What am I doing? What am I doing here?
0:33:07 > 0:33:09What am I doing?
0:33:09 > 0:33:10What am I doing?
0:33:12 > 0:33:14The other members of the crew arrive
0:33:14 > 0:33:17and I'm beginning to feel slightly more reassured.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20One of the team is Giovanna,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23a croc scientist who's also co-owner of the farm.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26So, a couple of months ago,
0:33:26 > 0:33:30I was asked to get involved with a programme about fashion.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32This is true fashion, darling.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39Do you really believe that?
0:33:39 > 0:33:41Yeah?
0:33:41 > 0:33:44Do you see yourself intrinsically connected to fashion, then?
0:33:53 > 0:33:58It's a real sort of strange place to have a realisation,
0:33:58 > 0:34:03but it appears that, if people don't buy the handbags,
0:34:03 > 0:34:05technically the crocs die out.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09The challenge is - how do we make sure that trade is good,
0:34:09 > 0:34:11that it's managed, sustainable
0:34:11 > 0:34:13and doesn't lead to the decline of the species?
0:34:13 > 0:34:17That's the challenge for us as researchers and managers
0:34:17 > 0:34:21and I think we've done it here in Australia, certainly,
0:34:21 > 0:34:23because we've got more than enough crocodiles.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27There's a track leading up to the nest as well.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29We need to be careful
0:34:29 > 0:34:32because that means that Momma Croc has been here recently.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34We can see where she's been laying,
0:34:34 > 0:34:36so you get that groove across the top.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39The tail, where she's laid across the nest.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43What we've got to watch out for is for the water over here.
0:34:43 > 0:34:44We want to keep an eye on that
0:34:44 > 0:34:47just in case she's around and she decide she's going to come up.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50- Here, you see? Could be just here. - She's just trying to freak me out.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Why are you poking it? If she's there, what are you doing?
0:34:53 > 0:34:55Stop poking it, you crazy person!
0:34:55 > 0:34:57You're on guard. Ah-ha!
0:34:57 > 0:34:59- We've got eggs?- We have eggs.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03Here we go. Beautiful!
0:35:03 > 0:35:05Look at that, it's full of eggs. Look at it!
0:35:05 > 0:35:09Every time I come to the swamp and I find a new nest,
0:35:09 > 0:35:13it's like giving birth over and over again.
0:35:13 > 0:35:14- 50 times in one!- That's it.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18This is the highlight of my job. Really.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20I can't help but notice the amount of eggs
0:35:20 > 0:35:22that are actually coming out of the nest.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24By taking that many eggs from the wild,
0:35:24 > 0:35:25does it deplete the population?
0:35:25 > 0:35:27Not in the slightest.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31In fact, because our crocodile populations are now so big -
0:35:31 > 0:35:34they're back to pristine levels -
0:35:34 > 0:35:37even if we allowed all these to hatch, they would die,
0:35:37 > 0:35:40because the bigger crocodiles are going to kill them.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44This is really what's driving conservation now,
0:35:44 > 0:35:46is the ability to have these eggs, sell them.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48Yeah, they're dangerous animals
0:35:48 > 0:35:51and the best way to really conserve
0:35:51 > 0:35:54a big, dangerous predator like saltwater crocodiles
0:35:54 > 0:35:57is to make them economically valuable in some way.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02With Momma Crocodile due back any minute,
0:36:02 > 0:36:05I think we've overstayed our welcome.
0:36:05 > 0:36:06OK, that's our chopper.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08Time to go?
0:36:17 > 0:36:19This is incredible.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29Back at the farm, the eggs will be put into incubators.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31They're kept at a specific temperature
0:36:31 > 0:36:33so they'll develop into males.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40It's feeding time.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45These little guys will one day end up as bags.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58Will some of these big brands not take the skin
0:36:58 > 0:36:59if it's got a scratch on it?
0:37:09 > 0:37:13They only breed males because they grow much faster.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15They're killed when they're four years old.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17That's when their belly skin is wide enough.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20It takes two animals to make one handbag.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25The farm gets about 1,000 per croc.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30Many crocodile farmers around the world
0:37:30 > 0:37:33have poor animal welfare standards
0:37:33 > 0:37:37and an unsustainable approach to how many they take from the wild.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42But from what I've seen in Australia,
0:37:42 > 0:37:44farming allows large numbers of crocs
0:37:44 > 0:37:48to live out their lives in their natural habitat.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50- OK, so we're heading into the incubator.- OK.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54- We have about 1,100 eggs at the moment.- 1,100.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58We're just in time for the first hatchlings of the season.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00So typically what are the crocs like
0:38:00 > 0:38:03- the minute they get out of those eggs? Are they...- You will find out.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Right, well, they're definitely inquisitive.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08- Are they aggressive at all? - Yeah. Yes.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12As soon as they hatch, straight away they latch to your finger.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15- They have very sharp little teeth. - Right.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18So we're going just to help him just to come out.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20This is very much like a scene in Jurassic Park.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Absolutely.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25I'm shaking, I'm so scared I'm going to hurt the thing.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28- Oh!- It's all right! It's all right!
0:38:28 > 0:38:30It's OK!
0:38:30 > 0:38:32It's OK. It's all right.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35It got me! Look! It properly bit me!
0:38:35 > 0:38:36Sorry, mate.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39- Welcome to the world! It's cool out here.- That's right.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42Fresh out of the shell, they are cute but they do bite,
0:38:42 > 0:38:46and I can tell you that first-hand.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Giovanna and her team are doing everything they can
0:38:49 > 0:38:51to save these once-endangered animals.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53This is the happy time. Happy time for us.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55This is gorgeous.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58Giovanna and Charlie are essentially conservationists
0:38:58 > 0:39:03and they are doing whatever it takes to ensure that crocodiles survive
0:39:03 > 0:39:06and that they stay a part of this ecosystem.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Look at that! Boom!
0:39:09 > 0:39:11I've seen it first-hand.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14Crocodiles are still here in this part of Australia
0:39:14 > 0:39:17because of businesses like this.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25With such an insatiable appetite for croc skin,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28it's driven a fashion boom for all things exotic.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34Jay, how you doing, man? You all right?
0:39:34 > 0:39:37I'm meeting with an old friend of mine, Jay,
0:39:37 > 0:39:39who owns a huge sneaker accessory brand
0:39:39 > 0:39:40and has borrowed a pair of trainers
0:39:40 > 0:39:44that you certainly couldn't get on the high street.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48These are the Nike Air Jordan 1s, dubbed the Brooklyn Zoos.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52The trainers are not made by Nike
0:39:52 > 0:39:56but have been specially customised for the luxury market.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59Literally, on the inside, you've got "pair seven of ten."
0:39:59 > 0:40:01There literally are only ten pairs of these.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03How much are these selling for?
0:40:03 > 0:40:07At the moment, you can get them from anywhere between 10 and 20 grand.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09There's nine different skins.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12- Nine different animals? - Nine different animals on this shoe.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14But what is it about animal skin specifically
0:40:14 > 0:40:17- that people love so much? - It's the luxury element of it.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20It's the exclusiveness of it, do you get what I'm saying?
0:40:20 > 0:40:23It's like, "You can't have these," or, "You'd better be prepared
0:40:23 > 0:40:25"to part with some serious money to be able to get these."
0:40:25 > 0:40:27It's that bragging right, you know?
0:40:27 > 0:40:29What is it that made the shoes so famous?
0:40:29 > 0:40:31When Jay Z wore them at the Nets game.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35If you've got a pair of these you're in a very special club, you know?
0:40:35 > 0:40:37And is that club the epitome of luxury, then?
0:40:37 > 0:40:39Yeah. I would say so.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41You have a stingray.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43You've got lizard on the tongue.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46- You've got elephant on the side. - What? Hang on.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48- Elephant skin is something you don't hear...- This is it.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51I've never seen that before with a shoe, either.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53You've got boa on there, you've got crocodile.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57You have ostrich on the side here. Python.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Much of the world's python skin comes from Indonesia.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08Indonesia makes up 2% of the Earth's land
0:41:08 > 0:41:11but its rich jungles provide the fashion industry
0:41:11 > 0:41:14with over 14% of its exotic skins.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Many of them come from the island of Java.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27- Dian?- Reggie?- Reggie. Nice to meet you.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30Thank you for having me. Shall we make a move?
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Dian is a local wildlife photographer
0:41:32 > 0:41:34who's going to take me to a python hunter.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Look at the state of this face. Look.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48That's the face of someone who isn't looking forward to meeting pythons.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51Look at this. Everyone's out. Hello.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53Our snake catcher is called Ahmed.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55This is our guy. Hello.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57Hello!
0:41:58 > 0:42:02He provides for his family by catching pythons in the wild
0:42:02 > 0:42:04and selling them.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07Are you the only person in your family that catches snakes?
0:42:12 > 0:42:15- This is Dad, right?- Yes.- OK.
0:42:15 > 0:42:16Have you ever been bitten?
0:42:18 > 0:42:20Oh, let's see.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24- Cobra.- A cobra? Wow.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37With that in mind, it's time to go hunting.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42And we're not the only hunters on the way to Snake Central.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45So, is this what they're actually going to put the snakes in?
0:42:48 > 0:42:50How are you supposed to get that around the snake?
0:42:52 > 0:42:54Ah! Sneaky!
0:42:57 > 0:42:59And we're off.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02Doesn't look like the bus driver's waiting around.
0:43:02 > 0:43:04We've got to literally scarper to get on.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11This is a bit tight, isn't it?
0:43:11 > 0:43:15And there's a whole bunch of snake catchers everywhere.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17One hour later, the hunt begins.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22They're already looking in the bushes now.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25The snake we're looking for is called a reticulated python.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28It can grow up to eight metres long.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33It kills by squeezing things to death.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36It's immensely strong.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39And the only bit of self-defence I've got is a torch.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46So they're following the river bank.
0:43:46 > 0:43:50If they find a hole, it's a snake's house.
0:43:50 > 0:43:51OK.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55He's taken his shoes off.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57Surely that can't be the smartest idea.
0:44:02 > 0:44:03Should be telling Dian.
0:44:09 > 0:44:10Watch your step.
0:44:20 > 0:44:21REGGIE GASPS
0:44:25 > 0:44:27He just caught it with his bare hands.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29Look at that!
0:44:29 > 0:44:32You just caught it with your hands! Why are you laughing?
0:44:32 > 0:44:34This is insane! How long is this?
0:44:39 > 0:44:41Oh, man, it's wrapping around me, look!
0:44:41 > 0:44:43It's got me!
0:44:43 > 0:44:46Oh, my God!
0:44:46 > 0:44:49This is mad. Look at that!
0:44:50 > 0:44:53- So, is this a good one, then?- Yes.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56How much do you think this is going to be worth?
0:44:56 > 0:44:5825.
0:45:03 > 0:45:04Whoa!
0:45:16 > 0:45:19'And it's not just snakes they're hunting.'
0:45:21 > 0:45:23And how many of those would you catch in a night?
0:45:25 > 0:45:27Well, you guys are just...
0:45:27 > 0:45:29You're catching everything here.
0:45:29 > 0:45:31'If these guys are doing this every night,
0:45:31 > 0:45:34'I'm surprised there's anything left.'
0:45:34 > 0:45:36They might have found another snake.
0:45:36 > 0:45:37Yeah, there we go.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57What sort of snake is this? Is it another python?
0:45:58 > 0:46:00Wow, it's absolutely gorgeous.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02So this is the skin that they're all paying the money for, right?
0:46:02 > 0:46:04Look at that, it's beautiful.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14No, let's just get it in the barrel.
0:46:14 > 0:46:15Get it in the barrel.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22Head-first? God, I forget there's another one in there already.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29You know, when you look at the skin and you look at the colour of it,
0:46:29 > 0:46:31and you look at how beautiful it is, and how individual
0:46:31 > 0:46:34each section of this is, you can understand why people want it.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37You can understand why people are catching them,
0:46:37 > 0:46:40and why these designer labels are putting them all over their bags.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45But...it's a living creature.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48You know, this is...
0:46:48 > 0:46:51This is a creature that was minding its own business ten minutes ago,
0:46:51 > 0:46:54and now, suddenly, the beginning of its journey to becoming
0:46:54 > 0:46:57somebody's purse begins right here.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03'And it's just a tiny part of a billion-dollar trade.'
0:47:09 > 0:47:12The next morning, we arranged to meet Ahmed.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15The locals call this place Snake Village.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17- HORN BEEPS - Hey.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19'He's brought in last night's catch.'
0:47:19 > 0:47:21I know that face, hello.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24How you doing? All of you fit on this one little bike?
0:47:24 > 0:47:25It's unbelievable.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27And what's in there?
0:47:28 > 0:47:30So, how many of these pythons are actually still alive?
0:47:32 > 0:47:33You've got three in there?
0:47:35 > 0:47:39'All of the animals taken from the nearby jungle are brought here.'
0:47:40 > 0:47:41Oh, man.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43Looks like the work's all happening in here.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45Is that frogs? I didn't even realise!
0:47:45 > 0:47:49There's tons of them getting stripped.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53Cut into pieces and what looks like being cleaned for cooking, I guess.
0:47:55 > 0:47:57That's a lot of frogs.
0:47:57 > 0:47:58- Is that snake skins?- Yes.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00It is? So many of them.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02Oh, my goodness, look at this...
0:48:02 > 0:48:04'The owner of this factory is Jamari.'
0:48:04 > 0:48:07Hey. Hello, Reggie. Nice to meet you.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09Wow, what are these? Are these python skins?
0:48:09 > 0:48:11And how long ago were these brought to you?
0:48:18 > 0:48:20And how many days has this been out in the sun?
0:48:22 > 0:48:24Just five hours? Right.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27It's really strange seeing the skins at this stage of the process
0:48:27 > 0:48:30because right now, they just feel a million miles away
0:48:30 > 0:48:32from the animals that we caught last night.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34This just feels like bits of paper.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36And look at that, he's just folding up a huge python.
0:48:36 > 0:48:41That's like...three or four pythons in an elastic band.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46'Ahmed will get paid per metre for his three pythons.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49'So Jamari needs to measure up.'
0:48:49 > 0:48:51I've never seen anything like this before in my life.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54I mean, he's literally just grabbing the snake by its neck
0:48:54 > 0:48:57so he can stretch it out to measure it.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59Three metres precisely.
0:49:01 > 0:49:05'Any mark on the skin decreases how much the big brands will pay.'
0:49:05 > 0:49:08He's got a live python in his hand, and he's not even thinking about it.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11This, I guess, is really normal for him.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13Whoa.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16Look at the colour on this.
0:49:18 > 0:49:19Whoa!
0:49:19 > 0:49:20THEY LAUGH
0:49:20 > 0:49:21This one's a tricky one.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24- Did he just nearly bite you?- Yes.
0:49:29 > 0:49:313.5 metres.
0:49:31 > 0:49:32It's big.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37Ahmed will get around 80 for last night's catch.
0:49:37 > 0:49:39This gets shared with the other hunters.
0:49:41 > 0:49:45But once skins are turned into even the smallest luxury items,
0:49:45 > 0:49:47their value can increase massively.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53'For Ahmed, it's the end of his involvement.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57'But there are thousands of hunters like him all over Indonesia.'
0:49:57 > 0:49:59- It looks like there's another seller here now.- Oh, yeah.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02Look at how many he's got!
0:50:02 > 0:50:03Wow.
0:50:03 > 0:50:07'The amount of animals that are being brought in is staggering.'
0:50:07 > 0:50:09And there's more. No way!
0:50:10 > 0:50:13So we've got two pythons,
0:50:13 > 0:50:15and then lots of smaller snakes.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19In any other circumstance, I'd help you carry them in.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32Why is he so confident that the cobra's not going to bite him,
0:50:32 > 0:50:33even though he's smacking it?
0:50:40 > 0:50:42'Moving on from the sideshow,
0:50:42 > 0:50:45'I ask if they've noticed a drop in numbers in the jungle.'
0:50:56 > 0:50:58Is there actually a cap for the amount of snakes
0:50:58 > 0:51:00that can come through his business per month, or per year?
0:51:04 > 0:51:06And once you've got a licence,
0:51:06 > 0:51:08you can take as many animals as you want?
0:51:09 > 0:51:13'Smaller snakes and other reptiles aren't skinned for their skin,
0:51:13 > 0:51:17'but for their meat, which demands high prices once it reaches China.'
0:51:18 > 0:51:20Oh, my goodness...
0:51:20 > 0:51:24It's another thing to add to my "I've never seen before" list.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27There's buckets full of snake meat,
0:51:27 > 0:51:31and what looks like smashed-up frog meat all in one big bucket.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34And then there are vats of snakes being cooked.
0:51:40 > 0:51:44'Now the time has come to slaughter last night's snakes.'
0:51:44 > 0:51:46I don't really want to walk through the door,
0:51:46 > 0:51:49because on the other side of the door is a bit of the process
0:51:49 > 0:51:51that I'm yet to see. And it's happening now.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53So, erm...
0:51:53 > 0:51:55Do you know what? I'm not going to lie to you guys.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58Everybody behind the camera right now is going, "Go in, go in!"
0:51:58 > 0:52:02But everything inside me is saying, "Stay right here!"
0:52:04 > 0:52:06Come on, then. Come on.
0:52:07 > 0:52:09Oh, my God...
0:52:13 > 0:52:16All right, so, the snake is fighting for its life, literally,
0:52:16 > 0:52:20right now, while the killer just grabs it, holds it still and...
0:52:20 > 0:52:22AIR HISSES
0:52:23 > 0:52:26..gives it a poke up the nose, and that's it.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29It's like there's this weird popping noise
0:52:29 > 0:52:33when it finally gets all the way in and...
0:52:33 > 0:52:35The minute you hear it, it just stops fighting.
0:52:35 > 0:52:40That, to me, really, really isn't humane at all.
0:52:40 > 0:52:41Oh.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43It's awful.
0:52:44 > 0:52:46So he's just pulled this hose out.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49I thought he was washing the snake down, but he's just put the hose in the snake's mouth.
0:52:49 > 0:52:53So the snake that's just been killed is now being filled with water. Why is that?
0:53:00 > 0:53:02Look, it's still moving. Why is that?
0:53:02 > 0:53:06It's not alive, but the nerve system is still working.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08Look at that. Look how much it's moving.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12'The snake's slow metabolism means that nerves may react
0:53:12 > 0:53:13'long past slaughter.'
0:53:14 > 0:53:19'It's hard to say 100% that the snake doesn't feel any pain.'
0:53:19 > 0:53:23Seeing a snake be killed by a long piece of metal through its nose...
0:53:23 > 0:53:26If it doesn't put you off, there's something wrong with you.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31'The pythons are now left full of water for a couple of hours,
0:53:31 > 0:53:34'and then skinned.'
0:53:34 > 0:53:37This has to be one of the most shocking things
0:53:37 > 0:53:38I think I've ever seen.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42It's time to leave Snake Village.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44It's been an eye-opening few hours.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50The way the snakes are killed is brutal.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54But I was also struck by how many were being taken from the wild.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57And there must be hundreds of other villages
0:53:57 > 0:53:59just like this all over the country.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03Whoa.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05Oh, my God.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08'There is now a fierce argument between wildlife experts
0:54:08 > 0:54:11'over whether there are enough wild pythons
0:54:11 > 0:54:14'to sustain the huge amount being caught, killed,
0:54:14 > 0:54:16'skinned and exported.'
0:54:21 > 0:54:23'To find out for myself,
0:54:23 > 0:54:26'I've come to the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta,
0:54:26 > 0:54:30'to meet wildlife expert Kintan in the city's pet markets.'
0:54:30 > 0:54:32Look at the size of this place.
0:54:32 > 0:54:33It just goes and goes, doesn't it?
0:54:33 > 0:54:37Yep, the Jatinegara Market is one of the biggest
0:54:37 > 0:54:41and also one of the most notorious markets in Jakarta.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44- There's primates down there, there's monkeys.- Yes.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47They know it's not supposed to be for sale.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49Do the police actually ever get involved?
0:54:49 > 0:54:53Unfortunately, that's not something that they regularly do.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55In your opinion, then,
0:54:55 > 0:54:58where would you say the majority of these animals are being taken from?
0:54:58 > 0:55:0295% of the animals being traded are caught from the wild.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05Kintan is particularly concerned
0:55:05 > 0:55:07over how Indonesia's python population
0:55:07 > 0:55:09is currently being threatened.
0:55:09 > 0:55:17Indonesia has a quota of 175,000 for hunted pythons.
0:55:17 > 0:55:19It's regulated under the Convention
0:55:19 > 0:55:22on International Trade In Endangered Species, or CITIES.
0:55:22 > 0:55:26But we don't have the mechanism to kind of trace that regulation
0:55:26 > 0:55:28and enforce it.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30So they have a quota,
0:55:30 > 0:55:33but there are concerns over how adequate the policing really is.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37In certain places, you cannot find these any more in the wild.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39They used to be there in abundance.
0:55:39 > 0:55:42- No way?- Yeah.- So, that many have been taken you can't just...
0:55:42 > 0:55:43You literally can't find them?
0:55:43 > 0:55:45They're essentially extinct in that area?
0:55:45 > 0:55:48The problem is the illegal trade is so rampant there's probably
0:55:48 > 0:55:52as much illegal pythons being caught as there are legal,
0:55:52 > 0:55:54or under the quota.
0:55:54 > 0:55:56There's just this massive grey area and there's no way
0:55:56 > 0:55:59of knowing for sure where these animals are coming from.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02Therefore, it's really hard to claim complete sustainability on a product
0:56:02 > 0:56:05made from snakeskin.
0:56:05 > 0:56:07It's a very bleak picture for Indonesian wildlife.
0:56:07 > 0:56:08Yeah.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10That's really sad.
0:56:10 > 0:56:12Really sad.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17It really feels as though there are no rules here.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21You know, this is the Wild West of animal sale.
0:56:21 > 0:56:24Because these animals predominantly aren't coming from farms.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27They're being caught in the wild and sold on for a profit.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29Not a great profit, at that.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33Education needs to be put in place because it's not a bottomless pit.
0:56:33 > 0:56:37These animals won't be here forever if there isn't regulation.
0:56:37 > 0:56:41If we don't know how many animals are being taken and regulate that,
0:56:41 > 0:56:43things are only going to go downhill.
0:56:46 > 0:56:47Back in the UK,
0:56:47 > 0:56:50I've had some time to think about what I've seen.
0:56:52 > 0:56:56Once upon a time, fur and exotic skins were just for the rich.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59But it seems now everyone's at it.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02You walk down a high street here in London
0:57:02 > 0:57:06and every window has something that resembles, or is a cheap,
0:57:06 > 0:57:11knock-off version of a snakeskin, a python skin, or a bit of fur.
0:57:12 > 0:57:17We spend billions on faux fur and other fake animal items.
0:57:17 > 0:57:18But some of these cheap copies
0:57:18 > 0:57:23are actually made out of low-grade real fur, and real skins.
0:57:24 > 0:57:26So the message is really simple.
0:57:28 > 0:57:30I'm not judging you, but do the research.
0:57:30 > 0:57:32And I am saying that to myself as well,
0:57:32 > 0:57:36because from this point forward I'm not going to do that any more.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39And what about those with a bit more money to spend on the real thing?
0:57:39 > 0:57:42I think we should all be asking ourselves,
0:57:42 > 0:57:45this fur and these skins that we buy, are they sustainable?
0:57:45 > 0:57:50Because if they're not and you're still spending your money on it,
0:57:50 > 0:57:51that's irresponsible.