0:00:02 > 0:00:04My name's Steve Backshall.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10And I'm on a mission searching for...
0:00:10 > 0:00:12..deadly places,
0:00:12 > 0:00:14deadly adventures
0:00:14 > 0:00:16and deadly animals.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21And you're coming with me every step of the way!
0:00:31 > 0:00:34I'm continuing my search for all things deadly
0:00:34 > 0:00:38as my journey reaches South America
0:00:38 > 0:00:42A continent of extremes, with the world's largest river
0:00:42 > 0:00:46the longest mountain range, the Andes
0:00:46 > 0:00:50and the largest rainforest, the mighty Amazon.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54This is Guyana. Just north of the equator, it is to my mind
0:00:54 > 0:00:59the best nation on Earth for unspoilt tropical rainforest.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04There is no excitement that quite beats flying over Guyana,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07knowing that below you there are hundreds of miles
0:01:07 > 0:01:10of rainforest where no human being has ever been.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Knowing that there are thousands, possibly tens of thousands,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16of species of animals that are completely unknown to science.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19For explorers it's a true paradise.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26Were in search of Guyana's jungle giants.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28I'm a little bit scared about handling this one.
0:01:30 > 0:01:31We'll camp out in the canopy
0:01:31 > 0:01:33to film the world's most powerful eagle.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35(I can see him.)
0:01:36 > 0:01:39And attempt to dive with a super-charged shocker.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43That is one of the most ghoulish sights I have ever seen!
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Ah. Here we are.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Big, big adventures ahead.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58Our search begins in the #pristine jungles.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01It's an endlessly exciting place to search for wildlife.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05As you never quite know what you're going to get.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Although you can guarantee getting wet.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10THUNDER RUMBLES
0:02:10 > 0:02:13These jungles are pretty much defined by rain.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19Sometimes it seems like the heavens just open.
0:02:21 > 0:02:22It's like standing under a shower.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29But through the rain we spot a disappearing serpent shape.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Oh, yeah, I see it. Oh, cribo, cribo, cribo! Amazing.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Now that is an incredibly impressive snake.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55I have to be really careful, because it's not especially venomous
0:02:55 > 0:02:59but it has one of the strongest bites of any snake,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01if not THE strongest bite.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04What a find.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09This is a yellow-tailed cribo.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Although it's not a great danger to human beings,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18it would have a call to being one of the most deadly snakes
0:03:18 > 0:03:21in this part of the world.
0:03:21 > 0:03:22OK.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24That is because it hunts and eats other snakes,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27including the most venomous snakes in South America.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34The way it catches them and kills them
0:03:34 > 0:03:36is not through constriction, it's not through venom.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39It's through an incredibly powerful bite.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41The jaw muscles are said to be
0:03:41 > 0:03:44one of the strongest of any snake on Earth,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47and once it's got a hold of its snake prey,
0:03:47 > 0:03:52it'll thrash around, smashing it on nearby tree trunks and roots
0:03:52 > 0:03:54until it simply knocks it senseless.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58What an unbelievable animal.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00It's well over two metres in length
0:04:00 > 0:04:03and as thick around as my wrist.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07With the cribo out hunting the forest floor,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09no other snake is safe.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Right there, is why I love the rainforest.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Our search is taking us away from the damp earth
0:04:22 > 0:04:25and ascending into the heavens.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34High above our heads is a silent bird of prey of legendary power
0:04:34 > 0:04:36whose victims never heard them coming.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39the majestic harpy eagle.
0:04:41 > 0:04:42With comparatively short wings
0:04:42 > 0:04:46they manoeuvre at speed through the treetops
0:04:46 > 0:04:48in search of warm-blooded prey.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Sloths and monkeys are run through with stout talons,
0:04:51 > 0:04:55adapted for punching through mammal fur and skin.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58They are the ghosts of the rainforests.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06It is an extraordinarily challenging animal to find and film.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Some people will spend their entire lives in these jungles
0:05:08 > 0:05:10and never catch sight of them.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14This is going to be one of our greatest ever Deadly challenges.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25Local trackers know of a tree where a pair of harpies have their nest.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27They've been spotted coming and going,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30bringing in monkeys for their chick to fatten up on.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37Away up in the top of that is the nest of our harpy eagle.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40The only way we'll be able to film this
0:05:40 > 0:05:43is by getting up above the canopy ourselves.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45So we're going to have to climb one of these trees -
0:05:45 > 0:05:48To do that...
0:05:49 > 0:05:52You need the world's best catapult.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55First I fire a thin line over a branch
0:05:55 > 0:05:57that looks strong enough to hold my weight.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Pretty good!
0:05:59 > 0:06:03And then attach the climbing ropes and haul them up.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13The only tree that's suitable is closer than I'd chose to the nest,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15which means we'll need constant caution.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Adult harpy eagles will defend their nest from intruders.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29A few years ago, this BBC wildlife team was chased off
0:06:29 > 0:06:31by a protective parent.
0:06:38 > 0:06:44We'll have to ascend as quickly and quietly as possible, then do all we can to blend in to the background.
0:06:45 > 0:06:5035 meters up and I finally get my first look into the nest.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53'But it's empty.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56'The chick has already fledged and flown away.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00'But there is still a chance.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02'Harpy eagle chicks rely on their parents
0:07:02 > 0:07:05'to hunt and bring food back to the nest for well over a year,
0:07:05 > 0:07:07'but it can be many days between visits.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09'I'll have to dig in for a long stakeout.'
0:07:12 > 0:07:14If the chick does come back,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16it's going to be within a stone's throw of me,
0:07:16 > 0:07:18we should have a fantastic shot from here.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23It is an incredible experience to be up here in the harpy eagle's world.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25But it's going to be a very uncomfortable place
0:07:25 > 0:07:27to spend a few days.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29'All I have is a tiny plank to sit on,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32'with nothing but thin air to the forest floor.
0:07:32 > 0:07:33'It's a precarious perch...
0:07:35 > 0:07:37'..cramped and sweltering hot.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49'After six hours, there's no sign of the harpy eagle.
0:07:49 > 0:07:50Oh, I so hope this happens.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55'But, for today at least, it looks like we've run out of luck.'
0:07:58 > 0:07:59The sun's just about to drop
0:07:59 > 0:08:02and the light's pretty much gone, it's almost dark.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06so our only plan of action now is to head down
0:08:06 > 0:08:09and come back in the morning.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19At first light, I'm back in position.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23It's 7:30 in the morning, we've been up for three and a half hours
0:08:23 > 0:08:25and still no sign of a harpy eagle.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28But I do have a trick up my sleeve.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33This little machine here has on it a harpy eagle call.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35So I'm going to play it
0:08:35 > 0:08:39and, hopefully, we'll get some kind of reaction from the bird.
0:08:39 > 0:08:40EAGLE CALL PLAYS
0:08:42 > 0:08:44'The harpy eagle's piercing call
0:08:44 > 0:08:46'will travel right out across the canopy.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48'If the chick or adult are in earshot,
0:08:48 > 0:08:50'they may come in to investigate.'
0:08:50 > 0:08:53EAGLE CALL CONTINUES
0:08:55 > 0:08:58But I get no response.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Another day passes, I'm about to head back down when
0:09:04 > 0:09:07suddenly, I spot movement in the nest tree.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13A pale shape with a feathered crest.
0:09:13 > 0:09:19He's there, I see him! I can see the chick!
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Really difficult to get a shot.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26It is a stunning, stunning bird.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30It's somewhat lighter than the adults,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34has this incredible shock of white feathers over the top of the head.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40I'm pretty sure it knows I'm here.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42It's continually moving the head around
0:09:42 > 0:09:45from side to side and up and down.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50We human beings have one focal point in the back our eyes,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52but eagles have two,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54so they're continually moving the eyes around
0:09:54 > 0:09:57to engage first one focal point and then the other.
0:09:57 > 0:10:02It gives them greatly improved depth perception.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06'They helps harpies target and home in on their prey
0:10:06 > 0:10:08'while dodging between trees.'
0:10:08 > 0:10:13The biggest harpy eagle ever measured was nine kilos in weight -
0:10:13 > 0:10:16that's almost as much as a sack of potatoes.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Imagine something that big, that heavy, on the wing
0:10:20 > 0:10:23and you can get a sense of how powerful this bird is.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29What a beautiful bird.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32And sitting here, right up in his world -
0:10:32 > 0:10:36a place where very, very few people ever get to go -
0:10:36 > 0:10:38what an experience!
0:10:42 > 0:10:45He just ruffled or roused his feathers,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48and had a poo, went to the toilet, lightened the load -
0:10:48 > 0:10:50that's a sign that he could be about to fly.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Well, he's off now and I don't know if or when he'll be back.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09I've sat up in this tree top for two days,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13and it's been thoroughly uncomfortable, eaten alive by bugs,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16but worth every single second.
0:11:16 > 0:11:17Harpy eagles.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Deadly!
0:11:23 > 0:11:26For the next stage of the expedition we're striking south by mud road.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Then, where the road stops, we're continuing by boat.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Pushing deep into the remote reaches of Guyana's forests.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37It is a day's journey up the Rupununi River
0:11:37 > 0:11:41which offers a watery high road into the wild heart of Guyana.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45The entire team is heading upriver for about four or five hours
0:11:45 > 0:11:48way into the jungle. What we find there, we have no idea.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51But trust me, it's gonna be deadly!
0:11:53 > 0:11:54Rivers are the arteries of the jungle.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Giving life and an easy way of getting around
0:11:57 > 0:11:59both for us and for the wildlife.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05This remote camp will be our home
0:12:05 > 0:12:08as we continue our quest to find all things deadly.
0:12:09 > 0:12:10This looks...
0:12:10 > 0:12:13like it doesn't get any better, this is perfect.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20And much of the wildlife will probably be living right amongst us.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25This is the bathroom.
0:12:27 > 0:12:28We call it a longdrop.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32So essentially it's just a big pit and then you park yourself on there
0:12:32 > 0:12:35and hope to goodness that the logs don't break
0:12:35 > 0:12:37and pitch you down inside.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41But that's far from the worst hazard in our bathroom.
0:12:41 > 0:12:42Just here...
0:12:44 > 0:12:45at the base of this tree...
0:12:45 > 0:12:47is a little hole.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49It's a nest of bullet ants,
0:12:49 > 0:12:53known as the insect with the planet's most painful sting.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Local people call these "24-hour ants"
0:12:59 > 0:13:01because if you get stung by one
0:13:01 > 0:13:03then you can't think about anything else but the pain
0:13:03 > 0:13:05for 24 hours.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08This is the largest species of ant on the planet.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11And it's the main reason why
0:13:11 > 0:13:14both animals and people in this part of the world
0:13:14 > 0:13:20fear ants more than spiders, scorpions, snakes or anything else.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Though they have this formidable weapon in the form of their sting
0:13:30 > 0:13:35when they are hunting they much more often use those massive mandibles.
0:13:35 > 0:13:40The sting is really kept for defence.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42And it's a very, very effective one.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44They are absolutely fascinating.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47But treat them with immense respect.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57As the sun sets on our first day at base camp
0:13:57 > 0:14:00we are heading out to explore the forest close by.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05Under the cover of darkness,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08a whole new set of animals come out to hunt.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15These forests are home to many giants.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18One in particular is the very largest of its kind
0:14:18 > 0:14:21and for many people, it would be their worst nightmare.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27It's another of Guyana's wild record-breakers.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31There's a burrow just down underneath this tree root
0:14:31 > 0:14:34and I think I can see her just inside it.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40This innocuous-looking hole is home to an ambush assassin.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43The vibrations made by tapping my twig at the entrance
0:14:43 > 0:14:46are similar to those made by an insect walking past
0:14:46 > 0:14:50and, with luck, the predator inside will pounce.
0:14:54 > 0:14:55Whoa!
0:14:56 > 0:15:03That...would be one very dead cricket or cockroach.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07It's a Goliath bird-eating spider,
0:15:07 > 0:15:09the largest spider in the world.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14It's coming up my lure. Look at this. This is amazing.
0:15:15 > 0:15:21Oh, my goodness. I have never seen fangs that size before.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Her method of retreat is to go back into her burrow,
0:15:25 > 0:15:31so if I simply blank that off with my machete,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34she'll have to stay out in the open, for now at least.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Just got in there in time.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Her fangs are absolutely vast.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Ooh!
0:16:03 > 0:16:04Come on, man up, Backshall.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09No.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18There she is.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25The Goliath bird-eating spider - what an absolute beauty.
0:16:27 > 0:16:33Arachnophobia is the most common fear on Earth, the fear of spiders.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37For me, that is utterly unjustified,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40and this animal sums up why.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44It is an absolute miracle of nature.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50This big, carefully moving, docile spider,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53everything I've done, she hasn't tried to bite me even once.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Early explorers to this part of the world
0:16:56 > 0:17:00told of giant spiders the size of dinner plates
0:17:00 > 0:17:03that catch, kill and eat birds.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07Now, these animals are certainly capable of killing birds,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and on occasion it has happened,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12but it's not a major part of their diet.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Most of what they feed on are lizards, frogs,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17things like crickets and cockroaches.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21They've even been seen feeding on some of the most venomous snakes
0:17:21 > 0:17:22found in this part of the world.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26And the way they do it is with their fangs.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Despite their fearsome appearance, they can be quite fragile,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31so need to be handled with care.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Look at those. Those fangs are as long,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39sharp and curved as a cat's claw
0:17:39 > 0:17:42and though the venom might not be that toxic,
0:17:42 > 0:17:43certainly to us as human beings,
0:17:43 > 0:17:47the force of that bite would be extraordinarily painful.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51The Goliath bird-eating spider,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54the largest and heaviest spider found on Earth,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56with THE longest fangs.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58They're of no danger to human beings,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00but to pretty much anything else that wanders around
0:18:00 > 0:18:02on the forest floor,
0:18:02 > 0:18:06they are an eight-legged nightmare, and for that reason they're deadly.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14We wake to the sounds of the river running cool and clear below us,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18and the location of our next target.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21The rivers that thread their way through these trees
0:18:21 > 0:18:23are the lifeblood of the forest,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26and they are absolutely bursting with life.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31Some of it is bizarre, beautiful and utterly fearsome.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34So to find it, we're going fishing.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39A fish that lives here is notorious in these parts.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Locals tell tales of them attacking dogs, and even people.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49But catching one won't be easy,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52because I am not much of a fisherman.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56Luckily, my friend Kevin has spent his whole life on these rivers.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59For him, fishing is as natural as breathing.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01If that's what it's feeding on,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04what we're going to catch is going to be enormous.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Well, that doesn't look too hard!
0:19:09 > 0:19:10Let's have a go.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Er...
0:19:17 > 0:19:18'Let's try again.'
0:19:20 > 0:19:22STEVE LAUGHS LOUDLY
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Oh, dear!
0:19:24 > 0:19:27It's just as well I'm not trying to feed a family of 10, isn't it?
0:19:27 > 0:19:29'And again...'
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Oh, no!
0:19:33 > 0:19:35Now I'm stuck on a rock.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37'..and again.'
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Oh, hang on! I've got something.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Yeah, I've got one! I've got one.
0:19:49 > 0:19:50You take that, Kevin.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53'And it's exactly what we wanted.'
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Yes! Got it, got it, got it, got it.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Wow! Look at that!
0:20:06 > 0:20:09It's the predatory wolf fish.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13So you call this a wolf fish as well, Kevin, yeah?
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Aargh! No, no, no!
0:20:19 > 0:20:21I don't believe it!
0:20:24 > 0:20:28That was my fault. That was totally my fault. I did that.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36'Perhaps best to leave it to Kevin.'
0:20:36 > 0:20:37Nice throw.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43'But even with his expertise, we're in for a long wait.'
0:20:52 > 0:20:55'Four hours later, everyone is silently cursing me.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58'But then...'
0:20:58 > 0:20:59I don't believe it!
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Yes, we have one!
0:21:03 > 0:21:04No way!
0:21:09 > 0:21:10Right.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Now, this time,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17I'm going to keep it above the net...
0:21:18 > 0:21:22..because as you can see, they are real fighters.
0:21:28 > 0:21:33So, this is the wolf fish,
0:21:33 > 0:21:37also known in these waters as the aimara.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41It is a wonderful-looking beast.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43The mouth's laden with needle-like teeth
0:21:43 > 0:21:47which point back towards the gullet, so they work like fish-hooks.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50It does look like the faceful of teeth
0:21:50 > 0:21:52you'd expect to see in a wolf's mouth.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57This is one of the most dynamic predators of these rivers.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59They are ambush attackers,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02so they'll lie in wait, using this dark coloration
0:22:02 > 0:22:04to blend in with the murky waters
0:22:04 > 0:22:08in those slow-moving ponds and pools at the side of the river.
0:22:08 > 0:22:09It's...
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Argh!
0:22:12 > 0:22:15It's built for explosive speed over short distances,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19and you wouldn't want to be a small fish in these streams,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23because that mouth would be the most frightening thing out there.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26The fish-feeding predatory wolf fish,
0:22:26 > 0:22:28a good find,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31but just a taster of the terrors in these waters.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35My next target is a high-powered shock-fest.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40And to film one, I'm going to immerse myself in its world.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42OK...here goes nothing.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45The crocs and piranhas that haunt these streams
0:22:45 > 0:22:49have nothing on a beast that can stop a human heart dead.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54These pools are the domain of the electric eel.
0:22:57 > 0:22:58A true wonder of evolution,
0:22:58 > 0:23:04the electric eel can make, store and discharge electricity -
0:23:04 > 0:23:07over 600 volts in a single shock.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10A big blast could bring down a horse.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14It's a creature I've encountered many times before,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17and have developed immense respect for.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19In Venezuela, I got a minor shock,
0:23:19 > 0:23:23even though wearing protective rubber gloves.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26It was a bit like grabbing an electrified cow fence.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32So, getting into conductive water may seem like a death wish.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35But I'm counting on the fact
0:23:35 > 0:23:38that they only use these high-voltage jolts
0:23:38 > 0:23:40to attack or defend themselves.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46If I keep my distance and my cool, they'll have no cause to shock me.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50But I do need to be careful.
0:23:51 > 0:23:52They could be anywhere.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10- MUFFLED:- Oh, my goodness!
0:24:10 > 0:24:13No way! No way!
0:24:14 > 0:24:17I got one! And it's big, as well.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20It's probably as thick around as my lower leg.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Maybe a metre and a half long.
0:24:25 > 0:24:31Just inches away from the glass. I can see it even above the water.
0:24:31 > 0:24:32Right.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35I have to go very, very easy here.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Last thing I want to do is to make it feel cornered
0:24:38 > 0:24:40and make it give off a shock.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44This is kind of exactly what I didn't want.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47It's a really big electric eel.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52The bigger the eel, the bigger the potential shock.
0:24:52 > 0:24:57This one here could without doubt stun an animal as large as me.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02It's possible here that my presence could be blocking the eel in,
0:25:02 > 0:25:04making it feel threatened.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Far better to back off and move on.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Downriver, there are some deeper pools
0:25:15 > 0:25:17where they might be swimming out in the open.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20To get there, there's just the small matter of some rapids.
0:25:24 > 0:25:25Aargh!
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Almost immediately,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44I spy the undulating form of a swimming eel.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49He's sensed me, and is coming in.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06He won't be able to see much through this gloom.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Instead, he's sensing me and his environment
0:26:09 > 0:26:13by sending out tiny electric pulses, like an eel radar.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Holy moly!
0:26:19 > 0:26:20Holy moly!
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Oh, my goodness.
0:26:23 > 0:26:29I've just had an electric eel swimming alongside me.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34But no sooner have I found one...
0:26:39 > 0:26:42..than other eel shapes start to emerge.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51These rivers support a phenomenal amount of predators...
0:26:54 > 0:26:59..including these electrifying, awe-inspiring miracles of nature.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06Swimming alongside the most powerful electrical animal on the planet
0:27:06 > 0:27:09in their natural habitat, like I've never seen them before.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21That was so beautiful!
0:27:21 > 0:27:23It came right up and investigated me.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25It came right up into the lens.
0:27:27 > 0:27:28Wow!
0:27:28 > 0:27:32What an experience. It is one of the most
0:27:32 > 0:27:34ghoulish-looking animals you'll ever see.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Even if it didn't have that phenomenal electrical power,
0:27:39 > 0:27:40it would still be special.
0:27:40 > 0:27:45With it, it is one of the wonders in the natural world.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48The electric eel. Shocking and deadly.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53'My expedition into Guyana's jungle heart
0:27:53 > 0:27:56'has taken me from the bottom of the rivers...'
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Wow! Look at that!
0:28:00 > 0:28:01'..to the tops of the trees...'
0:28:01 > 0:28:03(I can see him!)
0:28:03 > 0:28:06'..and delivered deadly every step of the way.'
0:28:06 > 0:28:09I'm a little bit scared about handling this one!
0:28:09 > 0:28:13'Join me next time as I cross the border into Brazil...'
0:28:14 > 0:28:18My heart is just going bam-bam-bam-bam-bam!
0:28:18 > 0:28:22'..and continue my mission south to the coast of Patagonia.'
0:28:24 > 0:28:26Oh, that was so close!