USA Deadly on a Mission: Pole to Pole

My name's Steve Backshall.

Whoa!

And I'm on a mission searching for...

Deadly places.

Deadly adventures.

And deadly animals.

And you're coming with me, every step of the way!

Arghhhh!

This time on Deadly,

we head to a place where even the air is poisonous.

Look at that! We meet a grumpy giant.

Be careful, Steve.

Search for a wild weirdo that's straight from hell.

Whoa! And dangle amongst several million hot-blooded hunters.

-Ah!

-HE LAUGHS

Last time, our journey ended in British Columbia.

But now we've travelled 1,000 miles south to Yellowstone National Park.

Spanning three North American states,

it's the size of a small country and the world's first national park.

It's home to many of the continent's most dramatic wild spectacles.

My main mission here is to go looking for the top dog

in North America, and my favourite animal in the world, the grey wolf.

These are intelligent, complicated, cooperative hunters,

with territories spanning hundreds of miles.

Despite their ferocity, they're surprisingly shy and mostly

nocturnal, which makes them one of the greatest filming challenges.

Our base camp is right in the chilly heart of Yellowstone.

To find wolves, we'll need to cover huge distances in thick snow.

This vehicle is absolutely brilliant.

Essentially, someone's just taken an old van,

pulled the wheels off and welded a tank to the bottom of it.

We've pulled up because it appears that something quite dramatic

has happened alongside the road here.

Loads of fur at the verge...

and what looks like a chunk of pelt right here.

Look at that. Wow.

That is a fairly complete chunk of skin from an elk.

Drag marks lead away from the road.

That looks like it was the epicentre...of the kill.

Yeah, oh, my goodness, there is blood everywhere, look at that!

That's really kind of gory,

and instantly to me this just says "wolf kill".

You might have five or six animals all competing for food, they'll get

their teeth stuck into it, they'll wedge down with their big paws

on straight legs and just shake,

using all of the muscularity in their neck,

and it ends up kind of looking like a butcher's shop floor.

They were here within the last couple of days.

WOLVES HOWL

The wolf pack is more than just a family unit, it's an organised team

working together, to bring down prey

far larger than any single wolf could handle.

When prey is spotted, the lightest

and fastest wolves take the lead...

..while others circle around the quarry.

Once they have their target alone and vulnerable,

the whole pack charge in.

It's a gruesome end for this elk, as it falls to one of the world's

most remorseless and resourceful predators.

Though this kill is only days old, the wolves are long gone.

But we've had a tip off that another pack

has been spotted 70 miles to the north.

Our plan now is just to drive this road, keeping our eyes peeled

for any sign of a wolf.

Really it's all now down to my team keeping their eyes on the prize.

We've tried to film wolves on Deadly before,

and it's always one of our toughest challenges.

But after a day and a half of endless driving...

Go, go, go!

Don't worry, just bring it round to the front with you, Stevo.

There's two wolves!

We've just seen a couple of wolves walking towards the road.

At the moment, they're about a mile away,

but it's possible they could come close enough that we can get

a shot of them on the camera.

The wolf's been my favourite animal for many years,

but in the wild, I've only caught fleeting glimpses of them.

They're so, so hard to film.

I mean, it's not an endangered animal, there are still thousands

of them here in North America, but no-one ever sees them.

They are very, very shy, very elusive animals,

and the chance of seeing one relatively close,

in the middle of the day, is incredibly exciting.

Let's just get off the road.

This is great, yeah, this is great.

Oh, wow!

They're trotting on so quick cos...

-(BREATHLESSLY)

-Yeah, that's...fantastic,

two wolves out in the open.

And...really closer than I expected to get.

So what we've got is a male and a female wolf.

At least one of them is wearing a radio collar -

that's put on by biologists so that they can track

the movements of these animals and make sure they keep them safe.

Phew. Oh, they're so beautiful.

'I can't tell you how rare this is.

'Some people live their whole lives in this region

'without seeing a wolf.

'Seeing them run free here in broad daylight is even more special,

'because 30 years ago, they'd been wiped out

'from most of the United States.

'Now this top predator is making a comeback.'

My heart's going crazy.

Here he comes, coming almost at a trot.

That's one of their big advantages when they're hunting,

is their endurance. Heading towards the road,

it looks like it might cross right in front of that car up there.

Oh, look at that!

The most incredible view of a wild wolf.

Well, it was chaotic, but it was very, very exciting

and a sight that most wildlife watchers

would give their right arm for.

You have to say, wolves in the winter wonderland -

massive success and definitely Deadly.

So the wolf may be the top of the line predator

here in the Yellowstone snow,

but it is nothing like the biggest or most powerful animal here.

That creature has a skull...

..that looks like this.

This belongs to the largest land mammal

found on the whole continent - the bison.

Weighing as much as a tonne, these are true raging bulls.

Where once they dominated a continent,

they were ruthlessly hunted.

Till now they only remain in protected places like this.

In order to get close enough to film them,

we'll need to stalk them on foot.

Through the trees here,

the snow's going to be very, very deep,

possibly waist, even chest-deep, so we've got snowshoes on

to try and keep us up above it as much as possible.

'But even with snow shoes, we're struggling.'

HE LAUGHS

-Having trouble there, Aaron?

-Uh?

-Are you having trouble there?

-No, it's fine.

We're heading for a meadow where we hope the bison

will be scraping away the snow to feed.

Now, this is what I've been really hoping to find.

It's a bison track, AND...look at that!

It's... Oh, it's very fresh, it's fresher than I expected!

That is bison poo!

-Oh.

-HE SNIFFS

Really, really fresh, laid within the last hour or so.

In fact, it's still warm inside -

you could put your hands into it and use it as a glove.

We must be close.

'And then, through the trees, we get our first glimpse.'

So, ahead of us is exactly what we'd hoped for.

But once we start getting closer,

we're going to have to be really quite careful.

BISON GROWL AND SNORT

Bison are bovids,

or bovine animals, which means they're in the cow family.

If your idea of a cow is a big friendly Friesian

chewing the cud, then you couldn't be more wrong.

These are creatures that are deceptively fast,

very strong and powerful,

and can be very grumpy and unpredictable.

There's a huge hump which is just muscle, used to hold up that

huge bony skull. These animals will use those in battles

with each other, but also in fighting off their mortal enemy -

the wolf.

The battles between bison and wolves

have a brutality that makes for difficult viewing.

Both wolves and bison have strength in numbers.

When bison stampede, the very earth shakes.

The largest animals gather round in formation

protecting the young and the weak.

Often the wolves will realise they're outnumbered and outgunned,

and will back down.

But if they're desperate or believe they can target a weaker individual,

they'll continue the attack.

The wolves have guile and cooperation.

The bison have horns that could pierce through a car door

and kicks that can shatter bone.

WOLF WHINES AND BISON GRUNTS

These interactions help keep both species strong

but are a reminder of quite how cruel life can be in this icy land.

Oh, he's coming.

As we return to the vehicle, we're taken by surprise

as a mature bull steps out in front of us.

-Everyone, come, come this way.

-Be careful, Steve.

We need to get right back to the car, guys.

You need to back up a bit. Guys, back,

Johnny, back.

Maybe behind the car. Johnny.

Bison are the most dangerous animal to people here.

It's important not to make any sudden movements.

And certainly, if he crashed into the side of our van,

he'd put an almighty dent in it.

They may not be a predator,

but with that bulk, a top speed of 30mph

and a reputation for grumpiness,

they certainly qualify as a deadly defender.

Yellowstone is a naturalist's dream.

As you journey through the park,

a thousand stories are left behind in the snow...

..from the animals that have wandered there unseen.

These trails are the tantalising proof of their presence.

There's a really interesting trail of tracks

running over this flat slope in front of us.

It's going round in big circles.

Are all very, very fresh. Certainly still in the area.

And sure enough...

Wow!

..just 50 metres away, it's a red fox.

Look at that, isn't he pretty?

He's definitely on the hunt.

Nose down, close to the snow.

Listening, smelling, all of his senses on high alert.

Red foxes are what's known as a cosmopolitan species,

succeeding in many diverse environments.

They are great opportunists and can find a meal almost anywhere -

forests, deserts, even cities.

But I've never seen them looking more majestic than here.

That's so beautiful.

Wow!

The small rodents that red foxes like to snack on

very rarely come out into the open,

even at night at this time of year.

Instead, they are scuttling around in tunnels underneath the snow.

And the red fox can hear them moving.

Even as much as my height in depth beneath the snow,

it'll still hear their movements. The ears are that sensitive.

Pinpointing their prey is just the start.

Next, they have to catch it.

Its hunting strategy is, well, as cunning as a fox.

Punching down into the snow, it hits the jackpot.

And an unsuspecting vole becomes lunch.

Red foxes may have a reputation for scavenging from our backyard bins.

Here, we see them at their most impressive, predatory best.

Our Pole to Pole journey rolls on, heading south and east,

to the state of North Carolina.

It may not be cloaked in snow, but it's still plenty cold.

We are making our way

into the oldest mountain range on the continent...

..in search of a surprising creature that is itself of ancient origins.

Our next mission is taking us

up into the Appalachian Mountains to a secret location

where we're going in search

of a monster that is straight out of hell.

This rather beautiful river seems like an unlikely location

for a slimy, nightmare monster.

But the early settlers here clearly thought this animal was

some kind of demon from the names they give to it.

They called it the mud puppy, the Allegheny alligator,

the mud devil, the snot otter.

I think it's modern name, though, is even better.

Nowadays it's known as the hellbender.

The only way to find a hellbender

is to get right into the river where they live.

And right now, that's going to be a little bit like hell.

This river behind us is fed not only by rain but also by a snowmelt.

It's going to be impossibly cold,

which is why we have a nice, thick undersuit and a dry suit.

But I don't think even this will stop the fact

that today is going to be pretty miserable.

Oh, dear.

This is going to be cold.

Hellbenders have really suffered over the last few decades,

with pollution, habitat loss

and people collecting them for the pet trade.

So they are now a protected species.

You're not allowed to do this unless you have special permission.

We are the working with a local hellbender survey.

And looking under rocks like this is the perfect way to start.

Except that this rock... is too heavy for me.

HE LAUGHS

Luckily, we're working with some hench local biologists

who have the heft to give me a hand.

I don't think we have anything under there.

It's an intense shock, the first time you put your head under.

There's still air in my suit, which is making me buoyant,

and it's a real struggle to get under without a helping foot.

-There's one here.

-There's one here. Get a net.

-It's coming out.

-Straight down, straight down. Did you get it?

-Lost it.

I had a bit of a jelly fingers moment.

Just grabbed one for a second and then...off it went.

After four hours submerged in these freezing waters,

I'm starting to regret suggesting this.

I can't feel my face at all.

And my fingers feel like someone is stabbing knitting needles into them.

And the slippery slabs of rock are certainly not making it easy.

OK, good, good.

I've got one.

I've got one. And it's a biggie. Yes!

Fantastic!

Now, that...

is what all of the effort has been about - an adult hellbender.

And it's a really good-sized tunnel.

One of the largest species of salamander in the whole world.

And you can kind of see where the alternative common name,

the snot otter, comes from.

Because...it doesn't have any scales,

but it has a really slimy skin,

covered with sticky mucus, which does kind of look a bit like snot.

It's thought possible that that secretion has something in it

which doesn't taste very good, so it's a good way of

deterring predators, because they'll get a mouthful of that and decide

that actually the hellbender is not a good meal.

These animals are predators.

Look at the size of that head, it's enormous.

It's got this great, big, wide, smiling, gaping mouth.

The way they catch their prey is by waiting till they get close by,

then opening that mouth good and wide

and sucking in, creating a vacuum

which drags the crayfish into their mouth where it will be munched down.

These freakishly named hellbenders can grow up to 75 centimetres long.

Their flattened body shape means they can lurk under rocks

ready to snatch up any passing prey.

This wondrous creature has several other superpowers.

One of those is the ability to regenerate parts of its body,

to regenerate limbs, to regenerate the tail,

so if they're snapped off by a predator,

it can actually start to grow them back after as little as a few weeks.

I think that is just exquisite.

And well worth the journey, well worth the cold

and well worth the search.

The hellbender, the largest salamander on the continent.

It has the ability to regenerate its limbs.

It's covered in slimy snot, and I think it's definitely deadly.

As I thaw out my face, we continue south, leaving the icy rivers

and snowy mountains behind.

So far, our Pole to Pole journey has been dominated by chill.

But things are finally hotting up... in Texas.

This is big country.

In fact, the Lone Star State is the second largest in America.

If you dropped France in the middle, it wouldn't even touch the sides.

Big country and home to big wildlife wonders.

Rope below.

For at least six months of every year, Texas is home to a higher

concentration of hot-blooded killers than any other place on the planet.

In the dark caverns beneath our feet right now,

there are literally millions of predators just waiting for a feed.

It's one of the great spectacles in the natural world.

So next step has to be into the abyss.

By day, the cave entrance is patrolled by cave swallows

that nest here.

But we're heading beyond the reach of daylight

and into the dank, dark depths.

Into an underworld filled with a regular creepshow of killers.

This may sound melodramatic,

but the area in the cave is incredibly toxic.

The diseases that dwell here have killed before.

So, we have to cover ourselves up with these suits

and wear gas masks. It's going to be hot, it's going to be sweaty.

But at least we'll still be alive.

The inside of the cave is actually hotter than the world outside.

Warmed by the body heat of the animals we've come here to find.

The floor is literally moving beneath our feet.

So as not to disturb the inhabitants of the cave,

we have to turn off our torches and switch to night vision.

As if it wasn't creepy enough!

Look at that!

Absolutely phenomenal!

It's the largest congregation of creatures ever seen on Deadly.

That is one of the most overwhelming sights you'll ever see in nature.

These are Mexican free-tailed bats. There are simply millions of them.

It looks almost more like a hive of bees

than it does a group of mammals.

Mexicans free-tailed bats come here every year to breed.

And Texas holds the largest colonies on earth.

The best way to show you the intense conditions

created by this building swarm is to use this heat-sensitive camera.

Here in this cave, you can see that black is just the normal cave walls.

And then you can see all of these tiny,

little glowing embers flying through the shot.

Those are the bats on the wing.

But the most extraordinary thing is, if I move around,

I get this incredible, massive, glowing flame in the centre of shot.

And that is hundreds of thousands, millions of bats,

crawling all over each other.

And they have created so much body heat there

that it's almost like one big, living radiator.

But these bats absolutely love it.

It creates the absolute perfect conditions

for them to raise their young.

Look at that!

These bats and their young thrive down here

in this hot, toxic environment.

But not me. I've had enough.

Oh!

I have never, ever been so relieved to get out of a place.

But if that was a vile vision of the underworld,

what happens next is one of the greatest shows on earth.

As night approaches, the bats rouse themselves...

emerging to feed in a procession of millions.

And my ropes are hanging right in the middle of it.

Wow! The bats are just coming hurtling down the line at me.

Ah! They're flying into my helmet!

I have never felt quite so in the line of fire as I am right now.

There are just squadrons of bats hurtling past me

and clouting into me and clouting into the ropes as well.

This is... Agh!

HE LAUGHS

This is the largest aggregation of mammal predators

found anywhere on the planet.

There could be 10 million, possibly even 12 million

of these wonderful furry hunters heading out on the wing.

And the amount of insects they will consume in one night

is simply unfathomable.

Each bat can eat up to their own bodyweight every night.

It's thought that all the bats from this one cave

may eat as much as 120 tonnes of insects in one night.

Using echolocation, they'll spend the night scooping up any moth,

midge or mosquito that gets in their path.

So many bats. Tens of millions of them.

All the bugs around here simply do not stand a chance.

There is no doubt that Mexican free-tailed bats,

emerging in their millions,

are one of the finest predatory forces on the planet.

And undeniably deadly.

We've only had a tiny taste of what this huge continent has to offer.

There's more in store.

Next time, we'll turn up the heat.

As we battle against tornado-force winds.

Then cross the border into a cold-blooded Mexican fiesta.

Oh, ya-ya-ya!