0:00:03 > 0:00:06'We love to keep pets, forming close bonds with them
0:00:06 > 0:00:09'and making them part of our lives.'
0:00:09 > 0:00:12OK, that's it, I'm in love. That's it, it's official.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17'But around the world, some people have sought out unusual, and even
0:00:17 > 0:00:19'potentially dangerous relationships,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22'with some very surprising animals.'
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Every morning I'd get up and he would attack.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30For a human to want to befriend a lion is one thing,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33but it takes two to form a partnership.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37If you get a bird to be your friend, you have a friend for life.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40When she's in a good mood, it's a phenomenal feeling.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44And recently science has begun to unearth why other animals
0:00:44 > 0:00:47might be willing to form lasting bonds with us.
0:00:48 > 0:00:53'I'm Liz Bonnin and I'm going on a worldwide journey of discovery...'
0:00:53 > 0:00:54Whoa!
0:00:54 > 0:00:56'..to uncover the reasons behind
0:00:56 > 0:01:00'some of the most unexpected animal/human friendships.'
0:01:00 > 0:01:03The dolphins are telling the fishermen how to fish.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07'How a hippo could become part of a family.'
0:01:08 > 0:01:09I'm feeding a hippo.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13'Why a polar bear would let a man give it a hug.'
0:01:13 > 0:01:15It's just a really special bond.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17'And how a human could ever join
0:01:17 > 0:01:20'a pack of hyenas without being harmed.'
0:01:20 > 0:01:21There's probably a reason why
0:01:21 > 0:01:24a lot of people don't work with these guys.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28'I'm going to meet some of the most profound and extreme pairings'
0:01:28 > 0:01:30to find out what lies at the heart
0:01:30 > 0:01:33of these surprising human/animal relationships.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48SHE TALKS QUIETLY
0:01:56 > 0:02:00Millions of us have close bonds with animals
0:02:00 > 0:02:02and, for most people, that means our pets,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05like cats or dogs, like Ernie here.
0:02:05 > 0:02:06Ain't that right?
0:02:06 > 0:02:08But some people have made friends
0:02:08 > 0:02:11with animals that you'd normally avoid.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13So how have they done this?
0:02:13 > 0:02:16I'm going to try and find out how these relationships have formed,
0:02:16 > 0:02:21why they work, and what's in it for both the humans and the animals.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Go on!
0:02:23 > 0:02:25- LAUGHING:- Oh, I forgot he was tied!
0:02:32 > 0:02:36I'm starting by tracking down three remarkable relationships
0:02:36 > 0:02:38that seem to defy logic,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41to try and discover how these bonds form.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49And I'm beginning my extraordinary journey in Canada,
0:02:49 > 0:02:53just outside Vancouver, near the small town of Abbotsford.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00I've come here to meet Mark Dumas.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04More than 16 million people have watched a clip of him
0:03:04 > 0:03:07swimming with a rather unexpected female companion.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Her name is Agee, she's 18 years of age,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16and she weighs around 60st or so.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24Agee is a polar bear and Mark has been her guardian,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27provider and playmate since she was 8 weeks old.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Mark is the only person in the world who has this kind of bond
0:03:33 > 0:03:36with a fully grown polar bear.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40And apparently, with anyone other than Mark or his wife Dawn,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Agee can get a bit cranky.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44What do I need to know, Dawn?
0:03:44 > 0:03:46She's jealous of other women.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48- LIZ LAUGHS - Seriously?- Seriously.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50When someone starts talking to me
0:03:50 > 0:03:54and takes my attention away from her, she gets upset about it.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58Dawn can take my attention as much as she wants
0:03:58 > 0:03:59because Agee doesn't mind Dawn.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01She's used to me talking all the time.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04She's super protective of you, do you think?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Is that what this behaviour's about, or what?
0:04:06 > 0:04:07I think she's just possessive.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Possessive! I need to see this with my own eyes.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14'Getting close to a jealous and potentially dangerous polar bear
0:04:14 > 0:04:17'is a little disconcerting, but Dawn tells me
0:04:17 > 0:04:22'I'll be fine as long as I let Agee have all of Mark's attention.'
0:04:22 > 0:04:24I give him a little bit of time to get through the gate.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27She's already very curious, isn't she?
0:04:27 > 0:04:30- Hi, honey.- And then we stay about three feet away.
0:04:30 > 0:04:31Um...
0:04:31 > 0:04:33So the gate's open...?
0:04:33 > 0:04:35The gate's open so we can travel.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Oh, right, so we're actually not behind a closed fence...
0:04:41 > 0:04:42Yeah. Come on in!
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- Are you sure? - I'm positive. Come on in.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47The things I do for a day job.
0:04:47 > 0:04:48She's right behind you, Dawn.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53Hi, honey, hi. That's her fence, she knows that's her fence.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Hi, sweetheart.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Just taking stock of what exactly is going on because I didn't realise
0:05:00 > 0:05:02we weren't going to be behind a closed fence.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06And I'm staring at a polar bear... who is smelling the air,
0:05:06 > 0:05:07figuring out who we are.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12And you are utterly confident that you can predict her behaviour?
0:05:12 > 0:05:17Absolutely, we've known her since she was a baby, and we also
0:05:17 > 0:05:21know they do not view electricity the way we do,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24they don't logically think, "Oh, I can step over it or get under it,"
0:05:24 > 0:05:26they view it as a wall.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28LOW REPETITIVE RUMBLING
0:05:28 > 0:05:30- Can you hear it?- What's that?
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Her noo-noo. If you're quiet, you can hear it.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35LOW REPETITIVE RUMBLING
0:05:35 > 0:05:39- Do you hear that low rumble? - Yes. What is that?
0:05:39 > 0:05:42That's her, it's almost like a purring noise for a cat
0:05:42 > 0:05:44- but it's her... - DAWN MIMICS THE NOISE
0:05:44 > 0:05:47..that she makes because she's super content
0:05:47 > 0:05:49and she's sucking on her tongue right now.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51I thought it was an engine or something.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54- That is actually coming from the polar bear!- That is coming from her.
0:05:54 > 0:05:55LOW RUMBLING CONTINUES
0:05:58 > 0:06:01She's clearly really close to Mark.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03How do you think Agee sees him?
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Agee sees him as her mother and father together really,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09and companion.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12So this is all about Agee thinking of him as kin
0:06:12 > 0:06:14since 8 weeks of age.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Right, which would be as long as she can remember.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19- LOW RUMBLING CONTINUES - Listen to that.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Is that your daddy, are you happy? Ahh, happy girl.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27'Mark trains animals for the movie industry
0:06:27 > 0:06:32'and 18 years ago he was asked to find a polar bear for a film.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34'He'd heard about a cub that was being hand-reared
0:06:34 > 0:06:38'by staff at a zoo as her mother was getting too old.'
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Agee was the 11th baby born with this mother,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45so this mother couldn't properly care for her.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48So Mark took her on and trained her for the film,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50but he didn't expect their relationship
0:06:50 > 0:06:52to develop in the way it did.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55It's my job and it's what I had to do
0:06:55 > 0:06:59and as I'm doing it, I became very, very attached to her.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03So tell me what you feel about your relationship with Agee?
0:07:03 > 0:07:08It's just a really special bond. I love her a lot.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13I can't say she loves me. She really is bonded to me...
0:07:13 > 0:07:19- She loves him. She loves him. - There you go.- There's no doubt.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21We have a really wonderful relationship
0:07:21 > 0:07:23and I would never change that for anything.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26We knew when we got her
0:07:26 > 0:07:29that it was a commitment we make for the rest of her life.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34'Mark became a parental figure for Agee from a very early age.'
0:07:34 > 0:07:36When she was two months old, she was barely walking.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40And I became the... Middle of the night, wake up
0:07:40 > 0:07:42cos she's yelling and I'd go down
0:07:42 > 0:07:44and I fed her and spent time with her
0:07:44 > 0:07:47and then she'd go back to sleep and then I'd go back to sleep,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49and then I'd wake up again early in the morning,
0:07:49 > 0:07:53do the same thing over again. So I spent a lot of time with her.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57And do you think that was the key to having her bond with you?
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Oh, absolutely, the more time you spend with them,
0:08:00 > 0:08:01the closer their bond is.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04What would you say, cos I've got to ask you,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06does she not belong in the wild?
0:08:06 > 0:08:08She couldn't be in the wild if she wanted to.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11She was born in captivity. You can't take...
0:08:11 > 0:08:14It's very difficult to take an animal in captivity
0:08:14 > 0:08:17and then turn it loose in the wild. It doesn't seem to work very well.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Whatever you think of this situation,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Mark has an incredibly close bond with Agee,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29and even though she is a fully-grown polar bear
0:08:29 > 0:08:31with the strength to kill with one blow,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33he has never felt in danger around her.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39And it seems this has all been made possible
0:08:39 > 0:08:42because he hand-reared her from a very young age.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47To find out how this works,
0:08:47 > 0:08:52I'm meeting Jason Goldman from the University of Southern California.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53Certainly for a mammal like a bear,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56you know, we're not necessarily born with
0:08:56 > 0:08:58an expectation of what Mum is supposed to look like,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02or what other members of our species are supposed to look like.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Or, even if we are, it's probably very easily over-ridden.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09So if this young polar bear, for example, only had experience
0:09:09 > 0:09:12with other humans, particularly with this one human,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16then it stands to reason that they would develop this kind of relationship,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19that it would look to this human as a parental figure.
0:09:19 > 0:09:20But if you took a mature polar bear
0:09:20 > 0:09:23who perhaps had never had any experience with humans,
0:09:23 > 0:09:26then you'd probably get a different kind of pattern.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- Probably? I'd say definitely! - Definitely!
0:09:28 > 0:09:32So hand-rearing and training a dangerous animal
0:09:32 > 0:09:35from a young age can result in a close bond
0:09:35 > 0:09:38and it's likely Agee's temperament plays a part.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42But occasionally this kind of connection can happen
0:09:42 > 0:09:44entirely by accident.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48To meet my next odd couple, I've travelled to South Africa
0:09:48 > 0:09:50and a small farm near Hoedspruit
0:09:50 > 0:09:52on the edge of the Kruger National Park.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Here at her home on the banks of the Blyde River,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Shirley Joubert is making tea for Jessica,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07who she looks after like a daughter.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Shirley, what kind of tea are you making her?
0:10:09 > 0:10:15I'm making her rooibos tea with lukewarm water and some brown sugar.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18So why rooibos tea with sugar?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Rooibos tea is very healthy for her,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23so she has 20 litres of this a day.
0:10:23 > 0:10:2720 litres of the stuff every day! You're kept busy, aren't you?
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Yes, yes, but it's like doing it for a baby, you know.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34And in my eyes Jessica has never grown up.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Because she's 13, is that right?
0:10:36 > 0:10:39She's 13, but she's still the baby girl.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Something tells me you love it, though.
0:10:41 > 0:10:42Oh, it's my life!
0:10:42 > 0:10:47The bond there is just so strong and I haven't got kids of my own,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49so the bond between us is so strong.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53Can I keep you company while you feed her the rooibos tea?
0:10:53 > 0:10:54Yes.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56- Let's go.- Brilliant!
0:10:56 > 0:10:58And you see, there's Jessica.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01- Yeah. She's an absolute beauty, isn't she?- She's adorable, eh?
0:11:01 > 0:11:04She's rather good looking.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Look at her!
0:11:06 > 0:11:09- So this is Jess. - This is Jess.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11'Yes, Jessica is a hippopotamus.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15'Shirley and her husband Tonie took her in
0:11:15 > 0:11:18'when she was separated from her mother as a newborn.'
0:11:18 > 0:11:22SHIRLEY COOS IN AFRIKAANS
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Aw, you're so thirsty, Jess.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28She's 13 and she's drinking from a bottle!
0:11:28 > 0:11:29Look at those teeth.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33She definitely likes rooibos tea, eh?
0:11:33 > 0:11:36- Oh, she loves it. - That's it, do you want me to do it?
0:11:36 > 0:11:39- Yes, please. - Oh, good lord. OK, here you go.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Now, do I squeeze it or does she just go for it?
0:11:41 > 0:11:43No, she just sucks on it.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Wow-weezers!
0:11:45 > 0:11:49'The relationship that Tonie and Shirley have with Jessica is unique.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51'This is the only place in the world
0:11:51 > 0:11:53'I could ever get this close to a hippo.'
0:11:53 > 0:11:58The hairs on her snout are ridiculous! Look at that!
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Can you feel you're actually relaxing?
0:12:00 > 0:12:03I've never experienced anything like this.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05I'm just a little bit cautious, I guess.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08'Hippos can be extremely dangerous
0:12:08 > 0:12:11'and they kill more people than any other mammal in Africa.'
0:12:11 > 0:12:14- She sucks on it afterwards. - Yeah.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19So tell me about how you came to have Jessica in the first place.
0:12:19 > 0:12:20How did it happen?
0:12:20 > 0:12:24Well, we found her in the year 2000 with the floods
0:12:24 > 0:12:27- and she was washed away from her mother.- Right.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31And, well, she washed out just in front of our house.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34So I ran down and I touched her.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35How small was she?
0:12:35 > 0:12:40She was premature and she still had on her umbilical cord.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Oh, good grief, so she literally had been born,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46the floods happened and she got washed up. What happened then?
0:12:46 > 0:12:47We took her into the house
0:12:47 > 0:12:51and Tonie, with his game-ranging experience,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55he actually knew the formula to make it like her mother's milk.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58And that was the first thing that we actually gave to her.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01So you didn't have a chance to reunite her with her mother,
0:13:01 > 0:13:03obviously, she was washed up, you couldn't...?
0:13:03 > 0:13:06No, no, she never was reunited with her mum.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09'What probably makes this relationship work is
0:13:09 > 0:13:12'a process called imprinting, where an animal
0:13:12 > 0:13:16'forms a very strong bond with the first living thing it sees.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20'As Jessica was washed away from her mother as soon as she was born,
0:13:20 > 0:13:24'it's likely that Tonie and Shirley were the first things she saw.'
0:13:24 > 0:13:27So do you think she has imprinted on you or on Tonie?
0:13:27 > 0:13:31- I think that it's 50/50.- Right.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35- Definitely. She sees us as her parents.- Yeah.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Your bond is stronger than I expected it to be.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40You know, I don't see Jessica as a hippo,
0:13:40 > 0:13:44I've actually got a psychological problem with that.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Ahh, you're so in love with her, is it?
0:13:47 > 0:13:49I can't see her as that.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51I mean, when I want to hug her, I just hug her.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Wherever I go, she'll be following me
0:13:57 > 0:13:59and wherever she goes, I'll be following her.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06Jessica also regularly wanders off back into the wild.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08She's not in captivity at all.
0:14:08 > 0:14:14If Jessica wanted to leave, she could be in Mozambique now.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18But she always comes home and she always comes back.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Sometimes she sleeps on the porch with the dog.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34And Tonie and Shirley will even give her a massage.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47But at dinner time, she pops into the kitchen to eat with the family.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51SHIRLEY SPEAKS AFRIKAANS
0:14:54 > 0:14:58Oh, good grief, this is unbelievable.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02- LIZ GASPS - Wow!
0:15:02 > 0:15:04'On the menu tonight, it's green beans.'
0:15:06 > 0:15:08So you've got the knack, huh?
0:15:08 > 0:15:10LIZ SPEAKS AFRIKAANS
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Ahh!
0:15:14 > 0:15:17- I'm feeding a hippo... Uh! - There you are.
0:15:17 > 0:15:18This is hilarious.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21LIZ SPEAKS AFRIKAANS
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Hi, hon. Oh, my gosh, she's so pretty.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28TONIE SPEAKS AFRIKAANS
0:15:30 > 0:15:31She wants to go out now.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35'When she's finished eating, she goes on her way.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43'Tonie, an ex-game ranger, has enough experience
0:15:43 > 0:15:45'to know not to try and stop her.'
0:15:45 > 0:15:47You read the signs, didn't you, Tonie?
0:15:47 > 0:15:49You were like, "Right, she wants to go out,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51- "there's no keeping her in."- Yes.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Cos at the end of the day, you do see her as a wild animal still?
0:15:54 > 0:15:57I see Jessica as a wild animal, I don't keep her in.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59I do whatever she wants to do.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Can we be out with her here? Or do we let her be?
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Er, not at the moment, let her just sort her thing out there.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Although Jessica is happy to let me feed her from behind the counter,
0:16:08 > 0:16:12she's still capable of charging if I get too close.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17She lives a normal hippo life but she has a life with us as well.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19She goes to them, they come to her.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21She lives a normal life.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24So she still goes out with the wild hippos further down the river?
0:16:24 > 0:16:26That's correct, and upstream as well.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31So do you think this beauty is going to be able to
0:16:31 > 0:16:34mate with wild male hippos and have a calf of her own?
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Do you think that's possible?
0:16:36 > 0:16:39I don't think it's possible, Jessica WILL mate.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- You know it's possible! - It WILL happen.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Within two years, Jessica will have a calf of her own
0:16:44 > 0:16:47and I will contact you and invite you to come down again
0:16:47 > 0:16:49and you'll see her with a little calf here.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53- You'd better.- I'm confident of that. - I need to see this young lady with a calf.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56- JESSICA SNORTS - I think she agrees!
0:16:56 > 0:16:58Jess!
0:16:59 > 0:17:03It seems that Jessica imprinted on Tonie and Shirley
0:17:03 > 0:17:06when she appeared on their river bank just after she was born
0:17:06 > 0:17:09and that's why she's still so attached to them,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12even as a 13-year-old adult hippo.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Our next story is of a human/animal bond that seems to be
0:17:22 > 0:17:25something completely different, as they were both fully grown
0:17:25 > 0:17:27when they met in Los Angeles, California.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33'I've come here to meet Dominic Erhler.
0:17:33 > 0:17:38'Three years ago he was befriended by a goose named Maria.'
0:17:40 > 0:17:41Hello.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45LIZ CHUCKLES
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Did you get a good night's sleep? OK.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52'Maria always seems pleased to see him...'
0:17:52 > 0:17:54How are you? You going to take a walk?
0:17:54 > 0:17:56They're going to have a little moment by themselves.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Ba-ba-ba. Want to meet my friends?
0:18:00 > 0:18:01Hi.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03'..but is a little less enamoured of strangers.'
0:18:03 > 0:18:05- Hello. - Maria's going to check you out.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08That's fine, you can check me out all you like.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12The secret is just to stand there until Maria gets a sense of you.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19What a cutie. The crew need checking out too, you know.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Kaa-kaa. Come on.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28She definitely listens to you, doesn't she?
0:18:28 > 0:18:31'Maria didn't always live here in the zoo.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35'Up until two years ago, Maria's home was a park in central LA
0:18:35 > 0:18:38'where Dominic used to go for his regular morning walk.'
0:18:38 > 0:18:40So how did you first meet?
0:18:40 > 0:18:45I'm walking around Echo Park lake, I'm just about finished
0:18:45 > 0:18:46and coming in to leave
0:18:46 > 0:18:48and one of the park employees by the office
0:18:48 > 0:18:51taps me on the shoulder and says, "Hey, Dominic,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54"you know you're being stalked when you're walking around the lake?"
0:18:54 > 0:18:57And I said, "Like, what are you talking about?"
0:18:57 > 0:18:58cos this is a big city park,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00there's gangs and stuff hanging around.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03So he points to this goose about 50 feet away
0:19:03 > 0:19:05and he just says, "Her name's Maria."
0:19:05 > 0:19:08He laughed, he thought it was funny, but I looked at Maria
0:19:08 > 0:19:11and Maria was just glaring at me, just glaring at me,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15and I just waved and said, "Hi, Maria. How you doing, Maria?"
0:19:15 > 0:19:18And I thought it was kind of cute. I left.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21I came back the next morning and Maria came right to me,
0:19:21 > 0:19:22right in front of me
0:19:22 > 0:19:27and just looked up so innocently and I just fell in love just like that.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31You were my friend and within a matter of just a few days from her
0:19:31 > 0:19:34circling around me as I go, she took the lead position,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37so Maria would always walk in front, leading the way.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41The pair quickly became inseparable.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47When you fall in love with a goose,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50you've got to be aware of what you're getting involved with.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Their loyalty is phenomenal. Remember they bond for life.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58So I basically feel like I have a certain sense of responsibility.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09For the local residents, they became something of a celebrity couple.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12'One time we had 100 people marching behind us
0:20:12 > 0:20:13'as we were walking around the lake'
0:20:13 > 0:20:17and we're singing Maria songs and it became such a festive thing,
0:20:17 > 0:20:18it was really remarkable.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Maria was like the Michael Jackson of the goose world.
0:20:26 > 0:20:31In 2011, the park authorities decided to drain Echo Park lake,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34part of a two-year renovation programme.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39For her safety and survival, Maria was moved to the zoo...
0:20:41 > 0:20:45..where staff soon discovered that she may have been misnamed.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49We did a little Valentine's thing on one of the local TV channels
0:20:49 > 0:20:51or something, it was a perfect relationship,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55an unusual relationship, a man and a goose, Dominic and Maria.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58And I think like a week or two after that, the head vet here
0:20:58 > 0:20:59calls me up and humorously says,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02"Hey, Dominic, you've got a problem," and I said, "What's that?"
0:21:02 > 0:21:04He says, "Well, your girlfriend's a boy."
0:21:07 > 0:21:10'So Maria became Mario.'
0:21:10 > 0:21:11Oh, Mario!
0:21:11 > 0:21:13- Is he showing off? - He's showing off.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16'But the bond is as strong as ever.'
0:21:16 > 0:21:19You visit him every day, is that right?
0:21:19 > 0:21:21Every day. It's part of my daily schedule.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23I love coming up here and hearing him, you know.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28It's nice to have an animal wag its tail and go ka-ka-ka, it's great.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30That's the great thing about animals,
0:21:30 > 0:21:32they want to be our friends. Right, Mario?
0:21:35 > 0:21:38But why did Mario want to be Dominic's friend?
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Geese are well known for being a species that imprints.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47In fact, they were the first animals scientists studied
0:21:47 > 0:21:50when they were trying to understand the phenomenon.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54But Dominic definitely wasn't
0:21:54 > 0:21:56the first thing Mario saw when he hatched.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Dominic suspects that Mario was a domestic goose that had been
0:22:03 > 0:22:07abandoned at the lake, and so was looking for a new companion.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10And he found me.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13And he determined I'm always safe to be with.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16When he's with me, he feels safe.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18He knows I'm one of him.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23Jason believes that even though Mario didn't imprint on Dominic,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25those crucial few hours for the goose
0:22:25 > 0:22:27after it hatched were significant.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33Imprinting has what's called a sensitive period,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36so many hours, 13-16 hours or so after birth,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38and then it gets locked in.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40So that sort of representation
0:22:40 > 0:22:43of what Mum is supposed to look like doesn't change.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46So you imprint and that's your representation for the rest of your life.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48For the rest of your life, you know what Mum looks like.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52OK, but Mario met Dominic when it was already an adult goose,
0:22:52 > 0:22:54so what does that suggest?
0:22:54 > 0:22:57So it's possible... If this is a case of imprinting, it's possible
0:22:57 > 0:23:01that Mario imprinted onto someone who looked a lot like Dominic
0:23:01 > 0:23:03when he was very young
0:23:03 > 0:23:06and Dominic may have certain facial characteristics,
0:23:06 > 0:23:10or colour of his hair, or the shape of his facial hair, whatever,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13something that Mario recognises as familiar.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19Mario has found in Dominic a companion he can rely on.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22And like all geese, he's protective of what he's got.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25His little nips are getting a little stronger every time!
0:23:25 > 0:23:28That's OK. When he attacks someone,
0:23:28 > 0:23:33it's not so much that he's trying to attack them to defend me,
0:23:33 > 0:23:37but really he's trying to keep me. In other words, I'm his property.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- Ow!- So if you would see his behaviour,
0:23:40 > 0:23:44he was basically showing all the other geese,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46"Keep your distance, this is mine."
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Any goose that would get near, there'd be feathers flying.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51That's where he would show the most aggressiveness.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!
0:23:57 > 0:24:00We're never going to find out exactly what happened
0:24:00 > 0:24:02in the early stages of Mario's life,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04but my money's on the fact that
0:24:04 > 0:24:07he probably did imprint on an elderly gentlemen
0:24:07 > 0:24:10that looks suspiciously like Dominic over there.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13It just goes to show how strong an influence
0:24:13 > 0:24:15your early life experiences will have
0:24:15 > 0:24:17on how you behave as an adult.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24So the early life of an animal plays a huge role
0:24:24 > 0:24:27in how it might bond with us.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30That first human it sees or lives with
0:24:30 > 0:24:33will impact on how it behaves in later life.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38But in the next stage of my journey, I'm going to meet three people
0:24:38 > 0:24:41who have managed to form lasting relationships with
0:24:41 > 0:24:44the most unpredictable animals by becoming part of the pack.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Here at this privately-owned wildlife park
0:24:52 > 0:24:56in South Africa, the staff are using a unique method
0:24:56 > 0:24:59to try and inspire the public to care more about animals.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Or Lazmi has managed to integrate herself
0:25:05 > 0:25:08with not one, but four lions.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15She's known these animals since they were cubs
0:25:15 > 0:25:19and she's so confident they'll be well behaved, that at this park
0:25:19 > 0:25:22they'll even allow people into the enclosure with them.
0:25:25 > 0:25:26(This is bonkers.)
0:25:30 > 0:25:33'It's a controversial set-up, even though
0:25:33 > 0:25:36'there's always other members of her team keeping watch.'
0:25:36 > 0:25:37Hi.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46'But I'm intrigued to know how this relationship works
0:25:46 > 0:25:48'and what she does to keep her lions in check.'
0:25:50 > 0:25:53I've got to say, I never thought I'd get this close
0:25:53 > 0:25:55to male lions in my life...
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Do I say hello or do I just stand here?
0:26:03 > 0:26:06I can't see his eyes...
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Nah, you can say hello, he's being good.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10- Do I let him smell my hand or...?- Yes.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13'The fact that she needs to see their eyes
0:26:13 > 0:26:16'points to just how unpredictable these animals can be.'
0:26:18 > 0:26:20I like feeling your breath on my hand, that's nice.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22You can touch him now, that's fine.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Hi, Joseph. So three males.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- And one female. - One female over there.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31- You know them very well, I take it...from this behaviour!- Yeah.
0:26:31 > 0:26:36What does he want to do with his paw there, to kind of hold on to my arm?
0:26:36 > 0:26:39He's looking to play. He's a bit too big for that, though.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42You want to play? Yeah, you're a little bit bigger than me, dude.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46These lions are just 17 months old,
0:26:46 > 0:26:50but they are big enough to do some serious damage if they choose to.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Obviously, if I was in here without you...?
0:26:52 > 0:26:55That would be a totally different story.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58That's why it is important to us to remember they are wild animals
0:26:58 > 0:27:00so their instincts can stay there.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03When they are younger, we take them on walks around the park and...
0:27:03 > 0:27:06CLATTERING OVERHEAD
0:27:06 > 0:27:07That's Judith.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12We have a very strong bond with this group.
0:27:12 > 0:27:18How is it possible that you can have such a close relationship
0:27:18 > 0:27:21with essentially wild animals?
0:27:21 > 0:27:25We respect them as wild animals to start off with,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28I think that's one of the key points.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32We don't train them, we don't do anything like that,
0:27:32 > 0:27:36so we basically need to earn their trust and respect.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39They've known me as a constant dominant figure in their lives
0:27:39 > 0:27:41since they were babies
0:27:41 > 0:27:44and that's why I'm able to go so up close to them now.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46So you're mentioning a dominant figure,
0:27:46 > 0:27:50- which means that hierarchy is at play here?- Of course.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53- Understanding how these animals normally behave in the wild?- Yes.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56So where are you in the pecking order
0:27:56 > 0:28:01and how do you establish that with lions, albeit in captivity?
0:28:01 > 0:28:05I think it's just because we've been there since they were babies
0:28:05 > 0:28:07and I've always been the grown-up,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10so I'm stronger in their eyes, I think.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13And obviously they needed to have a figure that will put them
0:28:13 > 0:28:16back in place and they are put back in place when they misbehave.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18How do you learn how to do that? How did you...?
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Just from interacting with them.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Over time, you learn their behaviour,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25you learn to read their looks and mood swings
0:28:25 > 0:28:27and their different personalities.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29And then, as a human, you need to understand those
0:28:29 > 0:28:31in order not to get a swipe taken out of you?
0:28:31 > 0:28:34- He got me...- Did he, what happened? - ..not too long ago.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39It was a really hot day and he picked up on me feeling weaker
0:28:39 > 0:28:42and he grabbed me for a second,
0:28:42 > 0:28:44nothing serious but I have a nice little scratch.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47- And a few minutes later, I fainted. - Whoa!
0:28:47 > 0:28:50So he was obviously able to pick up on it before it happened.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53So I should not be feeling a little bit weak right now
0:28:53 > 0:28:55- or a little bit scared. - Preferably not.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58- I need to let them know I'm not feeling threatened...- Of course.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00- ..because instinctively then they could react on that?- Yes.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Jeepers, I wish I'd been told that before,
0:29:03 > 0:29:05but hopefully I'm good to go.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08After you telling me that anecdote about you feeling weak,
0:29:08 > 0:29:10I'm feeling a little bit more, "Oh! So..."
0:29:10 > 0:29:13He knows what he's allowed and not allowed to do.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15And he's definitely trying now.
0:29:15 > 0:29:16He's not lying down now cos he's tired.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18He's trying to get closer to you.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22No, I'm aware of this. I'm aware of this. Try to just breathe.
0:29:22 > 0:29:23THEY LAUGH
0:29:23 > 0:29:26What do you get out of this relationship,
0:29:26 > 0:29:29out of being so close with these lions?
0:29:29 > 0:29:33I just feel privileged, every single day you don't get used to it.
0:29:33 > 0:29:38Big ones or small ones, it's just an animal you need to appreciate
0:29:38 > 0:29:40and we definitely do.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50Or has clearly grown attached to these lions,
0:29:50 > 0:29:52but if things go according to plan,
0:29:52 > 0:29:56she won't have this relationship with them for ever.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00The staff at the park are planning a very ambitious
0:30:00 > 0:30:04and untested project, to do something that most people
0:30:04 > 0:30:07would consider impossible.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10They want to release these hand-reared lions into the wild
0:30:10 > 0:30:12when they're older.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17I was under the impression that if any individuals are for release,
0:30:17 > 0:30:19that you must have absolutely no contact with them.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23That's what we're hoping to prove wrong because you have right now
0:30:23 > 0:30:27in South Africa, more lions in captivity then in the wild,
0:30:27 > 0:30:31so if we can take the animals from this situation and prove that you
0:30:31 > 0:30:35can turn them wild again, then we can be saving quite a few of them.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40We believe it's possible and we believe our intimate
0:30:40 > 0:30:43knowledge of these ones will help us achieve that goal.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46And hopefully they'll be our first ambassadors.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48They're amazing animals, they really are.
0:30:48 > 0:30:49They're perfect.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54By behaving in a dominant manner, Or has found a way to sit
0:30:54 > 0:30:58amongst lions, but as we're only just beginning to understand
0:30:58 > 0:31:02these unpredictable animals, I'd rather not repeat my experience
0:31:02 > 0:31:04any time soon.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14The next person I'm meeting has had to find even more unusual
0:31:14 > 0:31:17methods to make sure his companion knows who's boss.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24This odd couple live in the heart of Texas, near the town of Quinlan.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32And they consist of a tonne of buffalo named Wildthing...
0:31:35 > 0:31:39..and his owner, a retired rodeo cowboy called RC Bridges.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Ten years ago, RC lost his sight in one eye,
0:31:51 > 0:31:54forcing him to give up running his buffalo ranch.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59He sold his herd but decided to keep one of the calves,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02whose mother had struggled to suckle him.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06And it wasn't long before the young calf's behaviour
0:32:06 > 0:32:08led to RC calling him Wildthing.
0:32:20 > 0:32:21Are you seriously...?
0:32:30 > 0:32:34Luckily, RC knows how to calm Wildthing down.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41Do you ever get a little bit nervous going in with him?
0:32:41 > 0:32:43- Not at all. - No? You're totally used to it now?
0:32:43 > 0:32:47I don't think he'd hurt me, if he does hurt me, it'd be an accident.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51Really, you're that sure of your relationship with him.
0:32:51 > 0:32:52I'm positive.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56How on earth is it possible for you to even be in here with this
0:32:56 > 0:32:57huge animal?
0:32:58 > 0:33:01Lots of training. Lot of hours.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04- If I was to come in with you what would happen?- He'd attack you.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07Oh, good lord. What do I do with my hands right now?
0:33:07 > 0:33:08Just don't put them in here.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13That's a good rule. He likes to be brushed?
0:33:13 > 0:33:14Oh, he loves brushing
0:33:14 > 0:33:17and the rougher you get, the better he likes it.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Now, RC, it is a domesticated buffalo.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23- You'll never domesticate a buffalo. - Really?
0:33:23 > 0:33:25No, they're a wild animal.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28This one is probably a little more dangerous for you than a wild one,
0:33:28 > 0:33:31- because he would probably go out of his way to get you.- Why?
0:33:31 > 0:33:33On my property.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35Now, if we're on somebody else's property,
0:33:35 > 0:33:36he probably won't bother you.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43Buffalo live in large herds and will aggressively defend themselves
0:33:43 > 0:33:46and members of their group when threatened.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51But they also battle within the herd for status, with a strict
0:33:51 > 0:33:55hierarchy at play and only the top males getting a chance to mate.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00As RC found out, this jostling for position starts
0:34:00 > 0:34:02when they are very young.
0:34:03 > 0:34:08When he was a baby, every morning, I'd get up and he would attack me.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12So I told my wife, I've tried all my cattle tricks,
0:34:12 > 0:34:14I've tried all my horse tricks and nothing's working.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16I said I'm going to get up in the morning,
0:34:16 > 0:34:19I don't care how much he kicks me and how much he horns me,
0:34:19 > 0:34:21I'm going to act like nothing's happening.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24I was bruised up from the one end to the other,
0:34:24 > 0:34:27but by the end of the day, and it took me the whole day, by the
0:34:27 > 0:34:32end of the day, he was bored, then he wanted to get everybody but me.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35OK, so it was almost sort of like, eventually
0:34:35 > 0:34:38he just gave up on beating you around the place, but also you know
0:34:38 > 0:34:42they do live in very strict linear hierarchies, so does that mean he
0:34:42 > 0:34:45eventually saw you as the dominant male and that's why he gave up?
0:34:45 > 0:34:47Oh, I'm the dominant male, yeah.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51How do you establish dominance over buffalo? How do you maintain that?
0:34:51 > 0:34:56Er, by not having fear, you can't have any fear in you.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58I don't have a choice about being the dominant one.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00If I'm not the dominant one, I'm in trouble.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03So, you've established dominance so we know that in herds,
0:35:03 > 0:35:06linear hierarchies...
0:35:06 > 0:35:09Don't do that, you understand me?
0:35:11 > 0:35:12Go ahead.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15He scared the bejeezus out of me just now.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22Maintaining dominance over a calf was hard enough, but now that
0:35:22 > 0:35:27Wildthing weighs over a tonne, RC wouldn't survive a beating,
0:35:27 > 0:35:31so he's had to find new ways to remind Wildthing who's the boss.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34If Wildthing's out here tearing up the gate
0:35:34 > 0:35:36and trying to get through it,
0:35:36 > 0:35:38he can't get out most of the time.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42I can go over there and open it with one hand. I unlock it,
0:35:42 > 0:35:45and he thinks I'm really strong.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48Because he might have been there an hour or two trying to get through
0:35:48 > 0:35:52that gate but I go over there and I just do it like there's nothing
0:35:52 > 0:35:55to it, and he really believes, he'll look at me and he'll go, wow!
0:35:57 > 0:36:01I can grab him by the horns and he thinks I got him.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04You know I don't have him but he thinks I have him.
0:36:04 > 0:36:05Oh, good lord.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07This is where I'm dominant right here,
0:36:07 > 0:36:09they don't like their horns messed with.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13It is amazing that you can achieve that and even touch him
0:36:13 > 0:36:20the way that you just did, without him retaliating.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23I can't help but think that every time he rams the gate,
0:36:23 > 0:36:28it's like you are hogging too much of my time with RC, back off.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30He has a lot of love.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34I would never have thought this type of animal could feel love,
0:36:34 > 0:36:36but he feels love.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38He's a spectacular animal, there's no question.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41And like if he's in the house and he needs to go to the bathroom,
0:36:41 > 0:36:42he'll go to the door.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45- If he's in the what?! - If he's in the house.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47He goes into your house?!
0:36:47 > 0:36:49Yeah, if he's in the house and needs to go to the bathroom,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52he won't use the bathroom in the house.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54I need to see this.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02- Go for it, open the gate. - If you have to, shut the door.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09This is definitely the most stupid thing I've ever done. Ever.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13This is insane.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20He's definitely coming in the house!
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Oh, my gosh.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26Oh, my gosh. Mind yourself.
0:37:31 > 0:37:32That is hilarious.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36He could still reach up to me and sniff me, you know.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40Oh! I'm a little bit scared.
0:37:49 > 0:37:54Wow! He's got really beautiful eyes.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58I can't get over how gentle he is with everything, RC.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02Well, that's what amazes me about him, because I didn't teach him
0:38:02 > 0:38:06to be gentle, he just happens to be real gentle in the house
0:38:06 > 0:38:10and very aggressive and very mean on the outside of the house.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Does this all boil down to territory?
0:38:12 > 0:38:15The paddock is his territory and he knows that you,
0:38:15 > 0:38:18this is your territory, and you're the dominant male
0:38:18 > 0:38:19so he needs to be respectful of that?
0:38:19 > 0:38:22- Is that how it works with buffalo? - I think that's what it is.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24I think when he's in the house
0:38:24 > 0:38:28he knows this is my area and he needs to respect my area.
0:38:28 > 0:38:29CLATTERING OUTSIDE
0:38:29 > 0:38:32I heard something get knocked over, you see,
0:38:32 > 0:38:36so the minute he went outside again, he was trashing the place!
0:38:36 > 0:38:38Can I follow you, or is that too dangerous?
0:38:38 > 0:38:41You can follow me as long as I can be between you.
0:38:41 > 0:38:42- Are you sure?- Mm-hm.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44You never taught him
0:38:44 > 0:38:47to be potty-trained, for want of a better expression?
0:38:47 > 0:38:52I have no clue how you would potty train a buffalo!
0:38:52 > 0:38:54But, see, you got to realise
0:38:54 > 0:38:57he knows that everything I do is for him.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00I'd never do anything that's against him.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03It's always for his protection or for his happiness.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06He's an exceptional buffalo.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Then he's going to come in here and eat with me. Come on.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10OK, he's following him with the food.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Oh, you got to have a look at this.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25I never would have thought that I would see such a huge,
0:39:25 > 0:39:29powerful, unpredictable animal
0:39:29 > 0:39:31behave so gingerly in a home.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36All the ornaments around, he sniffs gently.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39He's literally tiptoeing around RC's home.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43It's just completely surreal to watch.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48RC manages to maintain
0:39:48 > 0:39:51a bizarre appearance of domestic bliss with Wildthing.
0:39:53 > 0:39:54Spending time watching TV.
0:39:57 > 0:39:58Mowing the lawn.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04And even going for a swim with him.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11And because Wildthing thinks RC is the dominant male
0:40:11 > 0:40:13in his little herd,
0:40:13 > 0:40:16it certainly looks like he'll always tread softly around him.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Strong leadership can enable you
0:40:21 > 0:40:24to maintain a close bond with some unpredictable animals.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31But I've come to South Africa to meet a man who's worked his way
0:40:31 > 0:40:34into an incredibly sophisticated animal hierarchy
0:40:34 > 0:40:37by doing it the animal's way.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41I want to find out what he's learnt about animal behaviour from
0:40:41 > 0:40:45his close interactions with some of the most intimidating animals yet.
0:40:47 > 0:40:48Hyenas.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53Renowned for their brutal, scavenging ways,
0:40:53 > 0:40:57hyenas can weigh twice as much as an adult wolf.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04So I'm quite relieved to have a cage between me
0:41:04 > 0:41:07and this clan of spotted hyenas.
0:41:08 > 0:41:13There's a whole load of stuff going on right here. Jeepers!
0:41:13 > 0:41:14Wow!
0:41:16 > 0:41:18HYENA GROWLS LOUDLY
0:41:20 > 0:41:21Hi!
0:41:21 > 0:41:24Oh! You know what?
0:41:24 > 0:41:29It is easy to see how hyenas can be a little bit unnerving.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31I mean, they're built for power
0:41:31 > 0:41:35with their strange top-heavy postures,
0:41:35 > 0:41:39and when you think about their high-pitched screeches and laughs
0:41:39 > 0:41:41and the way they scavenge aggressively,
0:41:41 > 0:41:45they can seem quite sly and cunning,
0:41:45 > 0:41:49but actually, all of these traits
0:41:49 > 0:41:52point to a highly intelligent animal.
0:41:52 > 0:41:53SHE LAUGHS
0:41:58 > 0:42:03And that's why what Kevin Richardson does is all the more surprising.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07Kevin has worked with large predators
0:42:07 > 0:42:09for most of his adult life,
0:42:09 > 0:42:12but a few years ago, he set up his own private reserve
0:42:12 > 0:42:16so that he could fully integrate himself into this clan of hyenas.
0:42:18 > 0:42:19He did this to study their behaviour
0:42:19 > 0:42:23and change people's perceptions of what is a much feared animal.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28The hyenas live in a large enclosure,
0:42:28 > 0:42:29but they're far from tame.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35These animals have a very complex and fluid social structure,
0:42:35 > 0:42:37all governed by dominance
0:42:37 > 0:42:40and how each one finds its place in the pecking order.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45If Kevin isn't careful, there's always an individual
0:42:45 > 0:42:47that'll try and get one over on him.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50How on earth did this come about,
0:42:50 > 0:42:53this relationship that you clearly have with these hyenas?
0:42:53 > 0:42:56My career actually started with hyenas quite a long time ago.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00You know, they became my passion, and pretty much, yeah,
0:43:00 > 0:43:02I wanted to know everything about them.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Let's just let them get over their whole thing.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07Is this important for you to keep an eye on this?
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Yes, very important, cos they are dominating this individual.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14They're trying to get him away.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17And he's... His posture is submissive there?
0:43:17 > 0:43:20Yeah, he's submissive, which is good. He's fine.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23I didn't notice anything different and immediately you're chatting away
0:43:23 > 0:43:25and you stop. OK, something has changed.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28- Did you learn from your mistakes? - I've learnt the hard way.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31- Did you?- Yes. With hyenas, it's always the hard way.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34They react, they bite you, and then they ask questions later.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37Let's put it into perspective for you.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40I've been working with large carnivores for 15 years.
0:43:40 > 0:43:45I've been hospitalised five times by hyena, and none by lion.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49I got bitten very badly about six weeks ago.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53The one hyena thought it was a good opportunity to try and jostle
0:43:53 > 0:43:58for status in this clan, so he went for me in a very aggressive way.
0:43:58 > 0:44:02Bit me on my arm and my leg and that triggered the rest of the clan
0:44:02 > 0:44:06to want to participate in the whole thing.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08There's probably a reason why
0:44:08 > 0:44:11a lot of people around the world don't work with these guys!
0:44:11 > 0:44:12HE LAUGHS
0:44:12 > 0:44:16I wanted to ask you about where they see you in their clan.
0:44:16 > 0:44:17Are you a hyena in their eyes?
0:44:17 > 0:44:20Their behaviour with me as treating me as an individual
0:44:20 > 0:44:24in their clan, is exactly how they treat one another.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27And that's why I get my fair share of bites,
0:44:27 > 0:44:29because they don't hold back.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31So why on earth would you want to do this
0:44:31 > 0:44:33when you are aware that it can be dangerous?
0:44:33 > 0:44:36What I feel is, the risk has actually been mitigated
0:44:36 > 0:44:38over the years by knowing the individuals
0:44:38 > 0:44:41and by no means do I just say, "Hey, I'm the Hyena Whisperer,
0:44:41 > 0:44:44"I can go in with any hyena group and do what I do with these guys."
0:44:44 > 0:44:47This is a relationship that's been developing
0:44:47 > 0:44:48with some individuals over 14 years.
0:44:48 > 0:44:52- Uh-huh.- Where you going? No, you're not going there.
0:44:52 > 0:44:54Don't leave him yet. Stay for the cameras!
0:44:54 > 0:44:57See, now, that's just ridiculous.
0:44:57 > 0:44:58Look at that teddy bear.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00I mean, come on, it's like you are behaving with him
0:45:00 > 0:45:02like he's a dog, you know?
0:45:02 > 0:45:04Well, once all the energy dissipates,
0:45:04 > 0:45:08and once they're OK with you guys, and they've smelt you out,
0:45:08 > 0:45:11they see that you're not a threat and they've calmed down,
0:45:11 > 0:45:12these animals are just...
0:45:12 > 0:45:16It's incredible what you can do with them. This guy...
0:45:16 > 0:45:19He desperately wants his chin scratched, I can see that.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25Kevin has worked very hard to earn the hyenas' trust
0:45:25 > 0:45:27and it allows him to play with them in a way
0:45:27 > 0:45:29I never thought was possible.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32But even this time spent playing together
0:45:32 > 0:45:36gives him a chance to learn about their social structure,
0:45:36 > 0:45:39and how he can maintain his position within it.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43OK, so all this kind of thing that I'm doing here
0:45:43 > 0:45:45is asserting my dominance.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48It does look like play,
0:45:48 > 0:45:53but he's also feeling that I'm not submitting to something HE does.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56I'm actually playing with him in a dominant way.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00So, I'm doing things to him that he wouldn't normally allow
0:46:00 > 0:46:07other individuals do to him who he was more dominant of.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09So, it is interesting.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11I'm using affection,
0:46:11 > 0:46:14cos he's coming to me for love, and a tickle, and a chin scratch,
0:46:14 > 0:46:17and all of the above, but...
0:46:17 > 0:46:18I'm dominating him.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20And I'm not hitting him.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24I don't have to. It's a bit of a psychological game.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26What do you get out of it, then?
0:46:26 > 0:46:29Why were you driven to do this with these hyenas?
0:46:29 > 0:46:31Well, I'll tell you what,
0:46:31 > 0:46:33this is enriching for me, as it is for them.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36I mean, the fact that I'm tickling this hyena on his chin,
0:46:36 > 0:46:38- and I'm using him as a resting post...- It's bonkers, Kevin!
0:46:38 > 0:46:40Yeah, it's awesome.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43And don't get me wrong, I still get a kick out of seeing my buddies,
0:46:43 > 0:46:47however, the other thing that I really hope it does,
0:46:47 > 0:46:50is it shows people a different side of them,
0:46:50 > 0:46:52and hopefully people watching a programme like this
0:46:52 > 0:46:55would go away and say, "You know what?
0:46:55 > 0:46:58"I never knew hyenas were like that. I actually like them.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01"They're actually very similar to my dog, in a way."
0:47:01 > 0:47:04It's fascinating watching you interacting with
0:47:04 > 0:47:06these kinds of animals that, as you said,
0:47:06 > 0:47:08do have such a creepy reputation, a fearsome reputation,
0:47:08 > 0:47:12and they are absolutely docile with you, and so affectionate,
0:47:12 > 0:47:16and they don't seem to mind at all. It's quite surreal to watch that.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18Yeah, come, boy! He's fine.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21You just let me know when at any point something like this is
0:47:21 > 0:47:23just... I cannot believe I'm that close to a hyena.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25No, that's fine, he's completely fine.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27I know you're a captive hyena, but this is ridiculous.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31It's thrilling for me. I can't believe I am so close to one.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33And they are so gentle.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35Hello, can I touch noses with you?
0:47:37 > 0:47:38Hello.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40Ah, come on.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45- You're seeing the good side. - Oh, I really am.
0:47:45 > 0:47:47I don't want to be lulled into a false sense of security,
0:47:47 > 0:47:49but you are just adorable right now.
0:47:53 > 0:47:57Kevin has an extraordinary relationship with these hyenas.
0:47:57 > 0:48:01By combining his knowledge of each individual and their position
0:48:01 > 0:48:04in the hierarchy, and with his ability to assert his dominance
0:48:04 > 0:48:09where needed, it seems that Kevin has truly become one of the gang.
0:48:09 > 0:48:13And in doing so, he's proving that hyenas are not as intimidating
0:48:13 > 0:48:16as many people would have you believe.
0:48:17 > 0:48:22There is definitely another side to these animals.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25They are incredibly gentle.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30I get a real feeling of affection from this particular one,
0:48:30 > 0:48:34who is liking a good back of the ear scratch right now,
0:48:34 > 0:48:37but they are also quite timid, they are quite shy.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39Some of them, when they approach the cage,
0:48:39 > 0:48:43their eyes are really wide and they approach very cautiously.
0:48:43 > 0:48:47But, every now and then, they will bear their canines again.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50I guess that's another instinctual behaviour to remind me,
0:48:50 > 0:48:55"Hey, I'm quite fearsome, too, you know. I'm quite tough."
0:48:55 > 0:48:57But they are fantastic animals,
0:48:57 > 0:49:02and you really get a sense of their individual personalities.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05This is just thrilling.
0:49:05 > 0:49:06It really is.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16The nature of the human/animal couples I've met so far
0:49:16 > 0:49:20is complex, but the people involved are attempting to fulfil
0:49:20 > 0:49:24a very human instinct to care for others, find companions,
0:49:24 > 0:49:27and better understand the world around us.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32But to find out what we can learn from looking
0:49:32 > 0:49:36at all these odd couples, I'm speaking to Professor Hal Herzog,
0:49:36 > 0:49:38who has studied human/animal relationships
0:49:38 > 0:49:40for more than two decades.
0:49:41 > 0:49:45What do you think we can learn about cross species
0:49:45 > 0:49:47relationships in all their shapes and sizes?
0:49:47 > 0:49:52I think what they tell us is the commonality that we have
0:49:52 > 0:49:54with other species, that, at a deep level,
0:49:54 > 0:49:59animals have the same sorts of abilities to form relationships,
0:49:59 > 0:50:02to form attachments, to play,
0:50:02 > 0:50:04and they have the same abilities that we have.
0:50:04 > 0:50:06The bottom line for me is this...
0:50:06 > 0:50:11I think, in our relationships with other species,
0:50:11 > 0:50:15what we see is a reflection of human nature -
0:50:15 > 0:50:18in some ways, its purest form.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21And the best of human nature and the worst of human nature.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24That, to me, is the thing that is really fascinating
0:50:24 > 0:50:26about this whole area of study.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32There is one last partnership I want to investigate,
0:50:32 > 0:50:35because, for me, it truly reflects the best
0:50:35 > 0:50:38of what the human/animal bond can be like.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40Not only do both sides benefit,
0:50:40 > 0:50:45but here, wild animals have chosen to instigate a relationship with us.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49I've travelled all the way to the south of Brazil,
0:50:49 > 0:50:52and the coastal town of Laguna,
0:50:52 > 0:50:54to see it for myself.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59Here in this inlet on the Atlantic coast,
0:50:59 > 0:51:03the locals have formed a relationship, over many generations,
0:51:03 > 0:51:06with one specific group of wild dolphins.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11'The dolphins help the fishermen catch their fish.
0:51:11 > 0:51:16'In fact, the fishermen in this bay don't even throw their nets
0:51:16 > 0:51:18'unless the dolphins are present.'
0:51:18 > 0:51:21It just looks so odd. A whole bunch of men,
0:51:21 > 0:51:25standing in their waders, doing absolutely nothing,
0:51:25 > 0:51:27just standing there.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29There's a dolphin.
0:51:33 > 0:51:34SHE GASPS
0:51:34 > 0:51:39So, there's two dolphins there, definitely surfacing,
0:51:39 > 0:51:43but they are just standing there doing nothing, still.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45This is extremely peculiar.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51- LAUGHING:- What is going on?!
0:51:51 > 0:51:55It makes me think that something's going to happen over here.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06Oh!
0:52:06 > 0:52:07Woosh!
0:52:09 > 0:52:11That's amazing!
0:52:16 > 0:52:19OK, OK, I'm beginning to get what's going on.
0:52:19 > 0:52:24For one month of the year, schools of mullet migrate up the coast.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28The dolphins herd the schools into the shoreline,
0:52:28 > 0:52:31exactly where the fishermen are.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35Then, at the right moment, the dolphins make a signal -
0:52:35 > 0:52:37usually a distinctive dive -
0:52:37 > 0:52:41and the fishermen throw their nets to catch the fish beneath.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46It's absolutely clear that the dolphins are calling
0:52:46 > 0:52:50the shots here, these lads are doing absolutely nothing,
0:52:50 > 0:52:52they just stand there with their nets,
0:52:52 > 0:52:55and it's only when the dolphin makes a very clear signal,
0:52:55 > 0:52:57that they deploy them.
0:52:57 > 0:53:03So, the dolphins are telling the fishermen how to fish.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05That's novel.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08And completely crazy. I've never seen anything like this.
0:53:08 > 0:53:13This is the most intricate type of interaction
0:53:13 > 0:53:18between two completely different species I have ever seen,
0:53:18 > 0:53:23and it's just wonderful to watch, because the fishermen
0:53:23 > 0:53:29are absolutely focused on getting their cue from a dolphin.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32FISHERMEN CHEER
0:53:33 > 0:53:36And they have fun while they're at it, don't they?
0:53:36 > 0:53:38There's a fabulous energy on this beach.
0:53:38 > 0:53:42They really enjoy working with the dolphin.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44- Go! - SHE GIGGLES
0:53:46 > 0:53:50With the help of the dolphins, these fishermen are extremely successful.
0:53:50 > 0:53:55Just a few miles down the coast, the same mullet schools migrate,
0:53:55 > 0:53:59but because no dolphins help the fishermen there,
0:53:59 > 0:54:01they hardly catch any fish.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05Here, the dolphins have developed a relationship
0:54:05 > 0:54:10over generations that has resulted in a thriving local industry.
0:54:12 > 0:54:16I meet up with local scientist Fabio Daura Jorge from the
0:54:16 > 0:54:21University of Santa Catarina to find out exactly what's going on.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23- This is such a surreal scene.- Yes.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26There's a real energy to this, isn't there?
0:54:26 > 0:54:28There's a dolphin.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30That's Caroba.
0:54:30 > 0:54:32Caroba. Is he a well known individual?
0:54:32 > 0:54:36Yes, the most famous dolphin we have here.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40Fabio, watching this from the shore, it is absolutely mind-boggling.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43- Yeah, it's fascinating. - What exactly is going on here?
0:54:43 > 0:54:46Yeah, actually, the dolphin are bringing the mullets
0:54:46 > 0:54:50- close to the fishermen, so... - Is that what he's doing now?
0:54:50 > 0:54:53Exactly, he's in the middle of the channel
0:54:53 > 0:54:54and, probably, the mullet is here.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57And when then the dolphin makes a specific signal,
0:54:57 > 0:55:00the fishermen know that it's the right moment to throw the nets.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11The fishermen are benefitting...
0:55:11 > 0:55:13why on earth are the dolphins doing this?
0:55:13 > 0:55:16We suspect that, when the fishermen throw the nets in the water,
0:55:16 > 0:55:20he's also pushing the mullet to the dolphins.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22Much easier for the dolphins to get the mullet.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25When the net's descending, some mullet are inevitably escaping,
0:55:25 > 0:55:29- and that's the bounty that the dolphin can enjoy.- Exactly.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32So, it's a mutual, symbiotic relationship going on,
0:55:32 > 0:55:34but dictated by the dolphin, right?
0:55:34 > 0:55:37- I mean, they call the shots? - Exactly, exactly.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43Yeah, come on, I want a go. I mean, how hard could it really be?
0:55:47 > 0:55:49It's a bit slippy.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51Put in your teeth.
0:55:51 > 0:55:53- In my mouth?- Yeah.- What?
0:55:53 > 0:55:55Dolphin!
0:55:57 > 0:55:59Oh, I'm scared.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01Go, go, go!
0:56:02 > 0:56:04LAUGHTER
0:56:04 > 0:56:05CHEERING
0:56:05 > 0:56:07Thank you, thank you!
0:56:07 > 0:56:09Autographs later.
0:56:09 > 0:56:12I can't believe they cheered at that. That was utter rubbish.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15- It was great. Good job. - Did I catch a mullet?
0:56:19 > 0:56:24There is something so incredibly special going on here.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28I mean, we've known for a long time that dolphins are intelligent,
0:56:28 > 0:56:31and we have so many accounts of dolphin/human interactions
0:56:31 > 0:56:34of all sorts, but this...
0:56:34 > 0:56:39This dolphin/human interaction is very real and it's very genuine,
0:56:39 > 0:56:42and it's incredibly complex on both sides.
0:56:42 > 0:56:47There's a whole series of intricate behavioural cues going on,
0:56:47 > 0:56:49and these are wild dolphins.
0:56:49 > 0:56:55They've chosen to come here and form a relationship with these fishermen.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57That's mind-blowing.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08I've been on a remarkable journey in these two programmes
0:57:08 > 0:57:12and I've encountered relationships between different species
0:57:12 > 0:57:14that have truly amazed me.
0:57:16 > 0:57:20Many of them have been formed as a result of powerful, natural
0:57:20 > 0:57:23instincts that seem to endure no matter what the circumstances.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28Or they've come about through a growing understanding
0:57:28 > 0:57:31some people have of the animal kingdom.
0:57:34 > 0:57:38And what's clear is that animals relate to one another - and to us -
0:57:38 > 0:57:43in a far more complex way than was previously thought possible.
0:57:43 > 0:57:48But it's also been an extraordinary reminder of how compelled
0:57:48 > 0:57:51we humans are to have animals in our lives.
0:57:51 > 0:57:55I think the reason why we are so fascinated by other animals
0:57:55 > 0:57:57could be down to the fact that,
0:57:57 > 0:57:59in all these unfamiliar shapes and sizes,
0:57:59 > 0:58:03in all these different species, we recognise familiar traits
0:58:03 > 0:58:06and behaviours, and I think that's what feeds our fascination
0:58:06 > 0:58:09and compels us to want to know more.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12So, if we are lucky enough to share
0:58:12 > 0:58:16a mutualistic bond with another species...
0:58:16 > 0:58:19So, two animals that took billions of years to evolve,
0:58:19 > 0:58:21finding a common ground,
0:58:21 > 0:58:24respectful of each other, even communicating with each other...
0:58:24 > 0:58:27Well, that's pretty remarkable, isn't it?
0:58:30 > 0:58:33Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd