0:00:04 > 0:00:08As night creeps across the planet
0:00:08 > 0:00:12and our familiar, daytime world is plunged into darkness,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16strange creatures are beginning to stir.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23This is when most animals are active.
0:00:23 > 0:00:29But the drama of their nocturnal lives is hidden from our eyes.
0:00:31 > 0:00:32These are specialised beasts...
0:00:34 > 0:00:38all adapted for the dark.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47It's is a world we know almost nothing about.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Now a team armed with specialist cameras
0:00:55 > 0:00:58is travelling to the remotest corners
0:00:58 > 0:01:00of Central and South America.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01Unbelievable.
0:01:01 > 0:01:07To uncover the secret lives of animals after dark.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09(Oh, wow.)
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Look at that.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16It is a journey into the unknown.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19This one will kill you.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22- Holy- BLEEP.- What is that?
0:01:22 > 0:01:24I shouldn't really be out here alone.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36South and Central America
0:01:36 > 0:01:39has some of the richest habitats on Earth.
0:01:39 > 0:01:45From tropical jungles in the north to frozen mountains in the south.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52Over six months, a team of biologists and filmmakers
0:01:52 > 0:01:55will find and film nocturnal creatures here.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Why do so many animals come out at night?
0:02:03 > 0:02:05How can they operate in total darkness?
0:02:07 > 0:02:12The expedition will survey the continent from top to bottom.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16But their journey starts here, in Central America.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Dr George McGavin is heading up the team.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30I would imagine very few people have been out after dark
0:02:30 > 0:02:32in this part of the world.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34So I'm not entirely sure what I'll find there.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42They've packed over a ton of specialist equipment
0:02:42 > 0:02:43for filming at night.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Well, that is not quite all of it, actually.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51There's a little bit more to come.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54It's unbelievable how much stuff there is.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56But everything will be used, every bit of it will be used.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00George is a former Oxford University biologist
0:03:00 > 0:03:02and world-renowned insect expert.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06He will investigate how miniature predators hunt at night.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09What I'm particularly interested in is specialist hunters
0:03:09 > 0:03:11who are active after dark,
0:03:11 > 0:03:16who have an amazing range of techniques to catch their prey.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Bryson Voirin is an expert in larger nocturnal creatures.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23He will discover how they function in the pitch black.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Central America is full of big animals and I'm here to see
0:03:26 > 0:03:29which of them are out at night-time and to see what they're up to.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36The jungle here is teeming with animals, most of them nocturnal.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40The team will track them down
0:03:40 > 0:03:44to reveal the secrets of survival in the dark.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Base camp is a remote research station
0:03:49 > 0:03:51in the heart of the rainforest.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- Hammock or tent, Bryson? - Ooh, I might take a hammock.- Really?
0:03:55 > 0:03:58How about you? Yeah, above the ground is better for me.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01- I can't, can't sleep in those things. - Really?- Yeah.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06To work at night the whole team will have to turn their body clocks
0:04:06 > 0:04:09upside down and sleep during the heat of the day.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14I'm a little bit concerned because it's so hot right now,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17I don't know how I could ever fall asleep being covered in sweat.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21I've already drunk two litres of water in just the past 20 minutes.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24So it's going to be challenge trying to get enough sleep.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Before the first nightfall,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30the main expedition tries to rest or prepare equipment.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Another member of the team has headed north to stake out
0:04:34 > 0:04:36a remote stretch of coastline.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44Justine Evans is the world's leading night-time camera specialist.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48She's here to investigate sightings of jaguars.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Park rangers have captured images of a jaguar from remote cameras
0:04:58 > 0:05:01near the beach and have seen their tracks in the sand.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10These elusive big cats are active under the cover of darkness,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14when their keen senses give them the edge over their prey.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Jaguars hardly ever leave the thick jungle.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26This is a rare opportunity to observe their natural behaviour
0:05:26 > 0:05:29and discover why they visit this beach at night.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Justine has built a hide four metres high.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40It'll keep her hidden and her scent off the ground.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44I don't want to get my hopes up too much
0:05:44 > 0:05:46cos we might spend two weeks getting nothing,
0:05:46 > 0:05:50but I'm excited about the idea of actually seeing one standing there.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55That would just, that would be a real dream.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01For now, Justine must settle in and wait.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09As daylight fades over the jungle,
0:06:09 > 0:06:14the rest of the team head out for their first night of exploration.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19There's something up there.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Oh, spider monkeys. Yeah, spider monkeys just up on top there.
0:06:24 > 0:06:31They're just using the last half hour of sunlight
0:06:31 > 0:06:32just to get extra food.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36And then that'll be it and the evening shift takes over.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45We're trying to unlock the secrets of the night
0:06:45 > 0:06:47and find out what things really do
0:06:47 > 0:06:51at the time when we are never up, we're usually asleep.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01The team will use two specialist night vision technologies.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Thermal imaging cameras detect heat,
0:07:09 > 0:07:13making warm-blooded animals easy to spot in the darkness.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20And infrared cameras record a spectrum of light
0:07:20 > 0:07:23invisible to animal eyes.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29The team will be able to follow nocturnal creatures
0:07:29 > 0:07:31without disturbing them.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35And see how they survive in a world
0:07:35 > 0:07:39where, without technology, humans are helpless.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Close to base camp, Bryson and a local boatman are preparing
0:07:49 > 0:07:50to head up a forest river.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54My boat is about as unstable as they get.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57It's basically a canoe packed full of all my equipment
0:07:57 > 0:07:58with an engine on the back.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02So if the slightest thing bumps into us or there's too many waves,
0:08:02 > 0:08:03it'll tip right over, I'll go in the water.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Bryson is searching for large, nocturnal animals.
0:08:15 > 0:08:16Using the river, he can cover more ground
0:08:16 > 0:08:19and explore deep into heart of the forest.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Scanning the banks with a portable thermal imaging camera,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33he soon picks up a massive heat source.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43(Oh, it's back there.)
0:08:48 > 0:08:49(What is that?)
0:08:50 > 0:08:53I can just make out its mouth.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58And I think it's a tapir. It has a long nose.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Tapirs look sort of like a funny-looking elephant.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02See if I can get closer.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Tapirs are the largest forest animal in Central America.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18They're not strictly nocturnal,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21but they prefer to forage for food in the dark, when it's cooler.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Tapirs are actually really well-suited for night-time activity.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29They don't see very well at night-time,
0:09:29 > 0:09:31but they hear really well.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33They've got these big, goofy ears that can move around,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35that can hear really well.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Their hearing helps detect predators.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47And their acute sense of smell helps them identify 100 types of plant.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Now, the reason they eat so many different types of plants is
0:09:54 > 0:09:57because a lot of the leaves in the rainforest are actually toxic
0:09:57 > 0:10:00and so, in order to have a balanced diet,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02they eat a bunch of different things,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06so they don't get too much of one toxin and they can process it.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12Because of their size, tapirs have few natural predators,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14but humans hunt them for their meat.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18They're very, very shy usually.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21There must be absolutely no poaching in this forest
0:10:21 > 0:10:24cos he's not afraid of me at all.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Oh, my God.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36This thing is walking right towards me.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41I've never been as close to such a big animal.
0:10:43 > 0:10:44Woah.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Oh, my God, my heart is beating so fast.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51I've worked in Central America for over ten years.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54I've never seen a tapir, I've always wanted to.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57It's incredible.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Bryson is blind without his camera.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02But the tapir is completely at home in the dark.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05When sight fails, other senses compensate.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Back near base camp, George is looking for miniature predators
0:11:17 > 0:11:19that have evolved to hunt in the dark.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Spiders.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35Just every inch of this forest is covered in spider web.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38If you took all the spider thread in this forest alone,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41it would wrap the Earth up, probably, about five times.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43It's just... There's so much of it.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Spinning a web leaves spiders exposed
0:11:49 > 0:11:51to larger night-time predators.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58So some have evolved to remain hidden and still catch prey.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Now, ideal habitat here
0:12:04 > 0:12:10for a rather specialised nocturnal hunter.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Trouble is, they're very hard to see.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Ooh, there's a whip spider in fact, look at that.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18That's not what I'm after.
0:12:18 > 0:12:25That is a nocturnal hunter, but the one I'm after is rather sneaky.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31George is searching for the ultimate ambush hunter.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Right, here's one. Right.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Now, that is a trapdoor spider.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Now, these spiders are amazing.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51They live permanently inside a silk-lined tube.
0:12:51 > 0:12:56And they just make a little lid out of debris and soil and silk.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59And it fits absolutely perfectly onto that hole.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Hidden behind the trap door,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08the spider detects its prey through ultra sensitive hairs on its legs.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11When it feels vibration,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14it springs the trap.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18So if I get a stick and I just lever it up,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22you can see, yeah, in there. Can you see it?
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Now, he's in there, OK?
0:13:24 > 0:13:29So he's going to wait until an insect crawls past.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33All we've got to now is to sit here and wait.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39These spiders remain safely hidden day and night.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41They only risk emerging for a split second
0:13:41 > 0:13:44under the cover of darkness
0:13:44 > 0:13:45to snatch their victim.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Oh, here's a cricket, look, look. A tree cricket, a very small one.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54It's just beneath the lip.
0:13:59 > 0:14:00It's preening now.
0:14:00 > 0:14:06It's just millimetres from the edge of the lid and it's stopped
0:14:06 > 0:14:08and it's preening its antennae and leg.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Now, the lid's moved, just a fraction,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23so the spider is aware it's there.
0:14:29 > 0:14:30(Oh, it's close.)
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Yes! Got it. Look at that.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Didn't you see that?
0:14:36 > 0:14:38That was so quick.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42This is just one of the ingenious hunting strategies
0:14:42 > 0:14:43spiders have evolved.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48George heads deeper into the forest in search of more.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57On the coast, Justine has found no sign of jaguars.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03But her cameras have detected another animal
0:15:03 > 0:15:05using the cover of darkness to slip onto the beach.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Wow.
0:15:13 > 0:15:14That's an amazing sight.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19There's a turtle coming out of the sea.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21This is peak nesting season now,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23for the next three months.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Female green turtles time their beach landings
0:15:30 > 0:15:32for the darkest nights.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38They lay up to 200 eggs in the sand.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Hidden by the night, the eggs are safe
0:15:45 > 0:15:48from daytime predators, like the black vulture.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54They will incubate in the warm sand for two months.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59Eggs laid by earlier females are already hatching.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05(Oh, some freshly hatched turtles.)
0:16:05 > 0:16:10(Just see these little, white creatures all just bubbling away.)
0:16:10 > 0:16:12It's close to dawn.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Vultures are leaving their roosts and coming onto the beach.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Turtles hatch in the dark to avoid predators.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22This group is cutting it fine.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29The vultures are out and they're passing in front of them,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32but it's dark, the vultures haven't noticed them,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35so it does clearly show the advantage of emerging at night
0:16:35 > 0:16:37versus during the day.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42If they were doing this in daylight, they'd be mincemeat.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Those vultures would be on to them like a shot.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51Fortunately for the turtles, very few birds have good night vision.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59(I have a lot of respect for these little guys.)
0:17:00 > 0:17:02(I think they might make it to the sea.)
0:17:10 > 0:17:13The dawn chorus marks the start of the day shift.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23Animals that have been active all night find a safe place to rest.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Most mammals, reptiles and birds have to sleep.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32Some scientists think it is vital to regenerate muscle
0:17:32 > 0:17:34and tissue in the body and chemicals in the brain.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Humans can go longer without food than they can without sleep.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47Upriver, Bryson is burning the candle at both ends.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50He's setting up motion sensitive cameras.
0:17:52 > 0:17:53I've only got one set of eyes,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56but with these I can have hundreds of eyes, all over the forest.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58The camera traps will reveal
0:17:58 > 0:18:01what other large animals live in this forest
0:18:01 > 0:18:02and how they behave at night.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10After failing to see a jaguar last night,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Justine's searching a few miles further down the beach
0:18:13 > 0:18:15for any signs they might have left.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Look at this.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26This is what I've been looking for.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28This is jaguar tracks, definitely.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Look at the size of them.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Big tracks, bigger than my hand.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Heading straight south, down the middle of the beach.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39This is a mature individual and it's definitely jaguar.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40Without this evidence,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43I didn't know for sure that jaguar were on the beach, but now I know.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53100 metres on, Justine makes a gruesome discovery.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Wow.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57A half-eaten turtle.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02It's all been spread by vultures, most likely, all these bits.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05But what killed it is another thing altogether.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Something's gone through that shell
0:19:07 > 0:19:10and that's something really significant,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13something like a big cat that can bite through.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16And the head has been virtually severed.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19And again, I mean, that takes a lot of effort.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22That's not just a bird pecking away or a crab nibbling,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25this is something big.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28So, I mean, we might have our first jaguar kill here.
0:19:29 > 0:19:30Poor girl, though.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37The carcass is proof that jaguars are visiting this beach at night
0:19:37 > 0:19:38to hunt nesting turtles.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Justine heads back to the tower. She knows she's in the right place.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47Now she has to wait.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Before night falls, Bryson is pushing further upriver,
0:19:57 > 0:20:02towards a swamp where he hopes to find large, nocturnal predators.
0:20:05 > 0:20:06But progress is slow.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10We've been working, basically, all day, just trying to get
0:20:10 > 0:20:13a few miles of river right now and we still have a long way to go.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Fallen trees block the way.
0:20:20 > 0:20:21And it's choked with vegetation.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Well, there's another dead tree in the way.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Oh, something just dove right in front of me.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36SPEAKS IN SPANISH
0:20:38 > 0:20:40There's something diving right in front of me.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47Well, the sound, when I'm hitting the branch with my machete,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49makes a really deep pulsing sound
0:20:49 > 0:20:52that actually attracts crocodiles a lot of times.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55THUMP THUMP
0:20:57 > 0:21:00I'm going to try and get this done.
0:21:13 > 0:21:14Woo.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17It's the hardest boat journey I've ever made.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Few people have made it this far upriver.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27It's a unique opportunity for Bryson to find out
0:21:27 > 0:21:32what emerges in the heart of this jungle after dark.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40700 miles north of base camp is one final member of the team.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52He's aiming to learn more about the jungle canopy.
0:21:53 > 0:21:59By day, primates like the howler monkey gorge on fruits and leaves.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03What animals exploit this rich food source at night?
0:22:03 > 0:22:06How do they function in the dark?
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Gordon has chosen a unique vantage point.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Oh, my word, look at this.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17Gosh.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Now, that is impressive.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24I've seen lots of impressive things in the rainforest,
0:22:24 > 0:22:25but nothing, nothing like this.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32These are the remains of an ancient Mayan city.
0:22:32 > 0:22:38This temple was once a site of worship and human sacrifice.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41These ruins have left openings deep in the forest.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45The best thing about these temple clearings is that the forest is
0:22:45 > 0:22:48so dense that you can't actually see what's right in front of you,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50but here you can actually see
0:22:50 > 0:22:52this whole tree line.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56So you're covering maybe 200-300 metres of forest from one position.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03This site will make it easier to spot secretive canopy dwellers
0:23:03 > 0:23:07and see how they've adapted to move about the trees in the pitch black.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12About 20 minutes from now, the sun's going to disappear
0:23:12 > 0:23:14and that's when things start changing.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Light level drops, the temperature drops
0:23:18 > 0:23:21and it's the start of a different world.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23This is really the start of the dark.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Gordon's first task is to find fruiting trees.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47During the day, monkeys, parrots and these toucans will feast on fruit,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50but, at night, they hide from predators and sleep.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Now is the chance for night-time canopy specialists
0:23:55 > 0:23:56to come in and feed.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04It's not long before Gordon's strategy pays off
0:24:04 > 0:24:06and he spots movement above.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Gordon's infrared camera uses light which is invisible to animal eyes,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15enabling him to take a closer look.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20OK, there is something climbing up this vine.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Right, look.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27That is a possum.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34Now, possums are just one of those peculiar animals,
0:24:34 > 0:24:38quite unlike the kind of animals you expect to bump into during the day.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Possums are nocturnal.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47During the day they sleep in hollow trees or holes in the ground.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54And it is a bit of hotchpotch of different animals really.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Look at those ears.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00It's got the ears of a bat, kind of whiskers of a cat,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03this kind of long snout.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Maybe not the most attractive looking thing,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09but I suppose it doesn't really matter what you look like
0:25:09 > 0:25:11when it's dark.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Possums have evolved a suite of super senses
0:25:16 > 0:25:18that let them function at night.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21They don't rely on their eyesight, which is relatively poor.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24They find food by smell.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28Their long, tactile whiskers help them feel their way in the dark.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Their hearing helps them detect predators.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39That's vital when they leave the safety of the trees
0:25:39 > 0:25:41to forage for insects on the ground.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Ooh, he's got something there, he's found something.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52I can't quite see what it is.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Something small.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57It's a very rich place for a possum. Literally comes down the tree
0:25:57 > 0:25:59and finds something to eat straight away.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Possums will eat just about anything.
0:26:04 > 0:26:09Rodents, fruit and snakes, lizards.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12It's a generalist rather than a specialist.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Possums have a clever trick to avoid being eaten.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24They've got a very interesting, unusual way of deterring predators
0:26:24 > 0:26:28and that is playing possum, pretending that they're dead.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31And they go into this stupefied state.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34They lie on their side with their tongue hanging out,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37their eyes open and they will stay like that for 40 minutes.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42And the belief is they'll give off a smell of rotting meat
0:26:42 > 0:26:44that's going to deter quite a lot of predators.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50The possum is a good start, but there are animals here
0:26:50 > 0:26:52that spend their whole lives in the trees at night.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57To find them, Gordon must move on.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Near base camp, George is still searching
0:27:03 > 0:27:05for his ultimate mini predator.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09He has a particular animal in mind.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11The net-casting spider.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15During the day they hide,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19but at night they use a unique hunting strategy.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Ooh, hang on an minute.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Oh, my God. It's the first time I've seen this.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31What it does, is it spins a framework of silk
0:27:31 > 0:27:33which holds itself in place.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37It then spins with special silk, which is this blue silk
0:27:37 > 0:27:42which isn't the same as the ordinary silk it makes.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44And that blue silk is very stretchy.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48And then, when the prey walks past underneath,
0:27:48 > 0:27:52the huge eyes on the back row of the head see it.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56In a fraction of a second, the front legs, the four front legs
0:27:56 > 0:28:00stretch open the web as wide as it can
0:28:00 > 0:28:02and throw it over the prey.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05And it scoops it up into the web.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08And it happens in such a fast time.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13If you only had your eyesight, you would hardly see anything, a blur.
0:28:13 > 0:28:14It would just be a blur.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19And what would be great is to get this filmed in super slow-mo.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21It would just be amazing.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Like most spiders, net-casters have eight eyes.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26But one pair is huge.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30Biologists think these are particularly sensitive,
0:28:30 > 0:28:32letting the spider target prey in the dark.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37To examine their incredible hunting behaviour for himself,
0:28:37 > 0:28:42George has called in one of the camera crew, Sophie Darlington.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46So where do you think? I'm just trying... I don't want to...
0:28:46 > 0:28:49I can see these scaffoldings are coming down.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51Right, he's going to catch something
0:28:51 > 0:28:54that's going to pass beneath there.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56Sophie sets up a high speed camera
0:28:56 > 0:28:58that will slow down the action 40 times.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02This behaviour has rarely been seen in the wild.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05Filming it may take all night.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09Rather than wait, George heads off into the forest
0:29:09 > 0:29:12in search of more night-time specialists.
0:29:15 > 0:29:16Oh, look. Look, look, look.
0:29:21 > 0:29:22It's a headlight beetle.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29Look at that. Is that not the weirdest thing ever?
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Now, on the back of the thorax,
0:29:31 > 0:29:35there's these two little, green-glowing organs,
0:29:35 > 0:29:37which is produced by an enzyme.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Headlight beetles only come out at night.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Scientists think they use their lights to attract a mate.
0:29:48 > 0:29:53On the underside, they've got an orange light as well,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56which they glow when they fly.
0:30:00 > 0:30:01Orange light.
0:30:02 > 0:30:03And we're good to go.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07Ha! Ha-ha-ha.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10It's fantastic. Ha-ha-ha.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14It's this bright light. Every time. Look. Orange light.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19Prepare for take off. Ha-ha-ha.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22Now, it was said by the early explorers
0:30:22 > 0:30:24that you could actually read a book
0:30:24 > 0:30:27by the glow of these particular insects.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30If we switch off all our headlights and everything,
0:30:30 > 0:30:35and just go to complete darkness, you'll see how eerily green they are.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Just beautiful.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41By generating their own light,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44these beetles have evolved an ingenious way
0:30:44 > 0:30:45to communicate in the dark.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56George returns to Sophie at the net-casting spider stakeout.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58OK.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02For six hours, no insects have walked into its trap.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09This is something I've always wanted to see.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11To have a chance of seeing it first-hand in the jungle
0:31:11 > 0:31:14is just worth everything.
0:31:22 > 0:31:23OK, here we go.
0:31:26 > 0:31:27What is it?
0:31:29 > 0:31:31(A tiny cricket.)
0:31:36 > 0:31:37Ah!
0:31:37 > 0:31:41Oh, that is just fantastic.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44- Sophie, you are a genius, well done, absolutely.- I don't yet.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48- Can I check the shot? - Look at it. Look, oh!
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Only when the footage has been slowed down,
0:31:50 > 0:31:52will they see if Sophie captured the kill.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54So she hasn't now.
0:31:55 > 0:31:56- OK.- You ready?- Yeah.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01Then the antennules, it's just...
0:32:01 > 0:32:02it's just touched that wire. There.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07Orientates.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09Opens the net.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11Oh-ho!
0:32:12 > 0:32:15- Ha-ha-ha.- God, that's fantastic.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21That is absolutely fantastic.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23So it's not just the eyesight,
0:32:23 > 0:32:27the antennae of the cricket touched one of the wires.
0:32:27 > 0:32:28- It was a trigger.- Yeah.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32George can see, for the first time,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35that net-casting spiders are highly sophisticated.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40They use multiple senses to catch prey in the dark.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53But I've never seen it with my own eyes...
0:32:53 > 0:32:54- That was awesome.- ..until now.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57She's a superb creature.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05Bryson has followed the river inland towards a swamp.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10There's still no sign of the large predators he's been looking for.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30There's something swimming right around the boat.
0:33:32 > 0:33:33Woah. Right, coming up.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40Ooh, what's that?
0:33:40 > 0:33:42What is that?
0:33:44 > 0:33:45- Holy- BLEEP.
0:33:46 > 0:33:47Get my camera out.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Now, unfortunately, this camera needs light to work,
0:33:50 > 0:33:52so I've got to use my flashlight to illuminate it.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55And make sure it's on. OK.
0:33:57 > 0:33:58All right.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09Woah. There he is, there he is. Woah.
0:34:09 > 0:34:10Woah, it's huge.
0:34:11 > 0:34:12Wow.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15There's a bull shark. Look at that.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24Bull sharks have evolved to survive in fresh water.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28It lets them hunt in the middle of the forest where prey is abundant.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31Ready? It's coming right in.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36Woah, woah, woah.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38Jeez, you see that?
0:34:40 > 0:34:41That's exactly how bull sharks hunt.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44They come in and right before they're going to go in for the kill,
0:34:44 > 0:34:46they bump whatever it is they want to eat.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48And that helps them see what it is.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52Bull sharks can hunt 24 hours a day.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56They have acute senses tuned to catching prey in murky rivers.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59So hunting at night is no problem.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01It's got a really good sense of smell.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05Sharks can smell blood in one part of a million in the water.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07They can also sense electric charges.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10So if a fish is swimming around, they can sense its electric field.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15And they also have a really cool thing called a lateral line,
0:35:15 > 0:35:19which is basically a really sensitive patch of skin
0:35:19 > 0:35:20up and down their sides,
0:35:20 > 0:35:24and it can detect any sort of motion around them.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28So they can actually feel a fish swimming many feet from them.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30It's kind of like if a big truck drives past you
0:35:30 > 0:35:32and blasts you with some wind.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35That's what sharks can feel when they're swimming around, hunting.
0:35:35 > 0:35:41These bull sharks will feed on fish, baby crocodiles and river turtles.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44They can even take tapirs as they swim the river.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53Wow! That was amazing.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56Seeing sharks in a freshwater river at night-time.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58Ha! That's a first for me!
0:36:01 > 0:36:04As the team searches for nocturnal animals
0:36:04 > 0:36:07they must work right through the night.
0:36:09 > 0:36:14It's an unnatural time for humans to be awake.
0:36:14 > 0:36:20The punishing schedule is starting to take its toll.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29On the beach, Justine is three sleepless nights into her stakeout.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35Everything in my brain is telling my body to sleep.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43To film jaguars in the dark, she must stay awake.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47It's going to be worth it.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49It's going to be worth it.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51I keep telling myself that.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56Something will happen. In the end.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58There'll be a big, bright shape of a jaguar
0:36:58 > 0:37:01right in the middle of the screen.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03And then I'll be awake. That's for sure.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16- SHE WHISPERS - What is that?
0:37:18 > 0:37:20No, that is something.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23That...
0:37:25 > 0:37:26..yes, yes, yes!
0:37:26 > 0:37:28That's a jaguar!
0:37:28 > 0:37:30That is a jaguar!
0:37:30 > 0:37:32I don't believe it!
0:37:37 > 0:37:39Whoa! Coming right out!
0:37:41 > 0:37:43Yes!
0:37:44 > 0:37:46It's coming right out to the beach.
0:37:50 > 0:37:55Seeing a jaguar out in the open is unbelievably rare.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57This is one of the first opportunities
0:37:57 > 0:38:00to observe their behaviour at night.
0:38:00 > 0:38:01Whoa!
0:38:03 > 0:38:07This is the closest I've ever been to a wild jaguar.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18There's a turtle right in front of him.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25Is he going to get it?
0:38:30 > 0:38:33Just walked straight past it!
0:38:35 > 0:38:39Turtles are easy pickings on this beach.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42But this big male is not in hunting mode.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53He is interested in a smell on the sand.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59Scent is an important way to communicate in the dark.
0:38:59 > 0:39:04Jaguars have glands that they rub on the ground and on trees.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06This marks their territories.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20Just starting to see all sorts of bits of behaviour happening
0:39:20 > 0:39:24which I didn't expect to witness.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31Some people said to me, "You'll never film a jaguar.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34"Not unless you use a remote camera."
0:39:34 > 0:39:35But here I am,
0:39:35 > 0:39:40with a jaguar not 20 metres away.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52There's another one!
0:39:53 > 0:39:57There's two! There's two! I don't believe it!
0:39:57 > 0:39:59Two!
0:40:01 > 0:40:04This is magical!
0:40:08 > 0:40:11This is more than I ever imagined would happen!
0:40:20 > 0:40:24It looks like a male and female.
0:40:24 > 0:40:29Seeing them together is almost unheard of.
0:40:29 > 0:40:34Jaguars are normally solitary and highly territorial.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38They only meet up to mate.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40Justine is seeing the intimate moment
0:40:40 > 0:40:42when these two have come together to breed.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53Wonderful experience.
0:40:53 > 0:40:59We're finally able to witness their night-time behaviour
0:40:59 > 0:41:03in a way that's not been possible before.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13At dawn, the night shift draws to a close
0:41:13 > 0:41:16and the beach becomes a more familiar place.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20The last turtle hatchlings make a dash for the sea.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37In the forest, Bryson has returned to check his camera traps.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39They have been out for several nights.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42He's hoping they've captured some of the large animals
0:41:42 > 0:41:45that roam the forest after dark.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47Any animals that walked in front of here will be videoed.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49So hopefully there's some good videos on there.
0:41:53 > 0:41:54A puma!
0:41:54 > 0:41:58Wow! I knew there were pumas out here.
0:41:58 > 0:41:59Pumas are mainly nocturnal.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01During the day, they'll kind of rest because it's so hot,
0:42:01 > 0:42:03but at night-time, they come out and they hunt.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09Oh, my God! That's beautiful! An ocelot!
0:42:09 > 0:42:12Jeez, look at the stripes on it!
0:42:12 > 0:42:14And he's got such big eyes.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16You can tell that he's seeing perfectly clear at night-time.
0:42:16 > 0:42:17Oh!
0:42:20 > 0:42:22The camera traps have caught cats
0:42:22 > 0:42:25returning in the morning after a night's hunt.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28Oh, my gosh!
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Look at that!
0:42:30 > 0:42:33An ocelot with a freshly killed coati in its mouth.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36Coatis are daytime animals.
0:42:36 > 0:42:41It's likely the nocturnal ocelot caught it while it was sleeping.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43Looks like it might be a juvenile.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45He's almost the same size as the coati.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47But because he's such a perfect hunter,
0:42:47 > 0:42:50he's able to take prey up to his own size, or probably bigger.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53That's a big meal for him!
0:42:55 > 0:42:57Oh, wow!
0:42:57 > 0:42:59An early morning puma!
0:42:59 > 0:43:01Look at that! That is huge!
0:43:01 > 0:43:05Pumas are actually one of the biggest predators in this forest.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07They are like the king of the jungle.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11They roam around here, and can eat basically whatever they want to.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14I came out here to see the big animals and, really,
0:43:14 > 0:43:16it doesn't get any bigger than pumas.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18That's awesome!
0:43:25 > 0:43:29George has seen his ultimate night-time predator in action.
0:43:29 > 0:43:33It's time for him to move on to the second phase of the expedition.
0:43:36 > 0:43:41His next location is 1,500 miles away
0:43:41 > 0:43:45in one of the remotest parts of Venezuela.
0:43:45 > 0:43:50He's going to explore a newly discovered cave system.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52A place of perpetual darkness.
0:43:52 > 0:43:57George wants to discover what strange animals have evolved here
0:43:57 > 0:44:00in an isolated world without light.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06This cave has remained unexplored for so long
0:44:06 > 0:44:10because its entrance is hundreds of metres up a sheer mountain.
0:44:10 > 0:44:14George will be the first biologist to set foot in it.
0:44:14 > 0:44:18Inside these enormous lumps of rock are caves
0:44:18 > 0:44:22and caverns which have been etched out, eroded,
0:44:22 > 0:44:24by rain over millennia.
0:44:24 > 0:44:28And inside there are animals which haven't seen the sun, ever.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30Since these caves were formed.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33I can't wait to see what's in here!
0:44:33 > 0:44:37There's only one flat place to set up camp.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41We're just going to be perched on this little rocky out drop.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43I tell you, this is...
0:44:43 > 0:44:46this is EXTREME camping! HE LAUGHS
0:44:52 > 0:44:56George is joining an international team of explorers.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58They discovered the cave in 2009
0:44:58 > 0:45:00and are returning for the first time.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03Go, go, go!
0:45:05 > 0:45:06Well, that's it.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08We really are on our own now.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11I mean, this is about as foreboding a place as I've ever seen.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17Tomorrow, the cave exploration will begin.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19They will travel three miles underground
0:45:19 > 0:45:23to places light has not touched for millions of years.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34As darkness falls on Justine's beach,
0:45:34 > 0:45:37she is hurrying to set up a new hide at ground level,
0:45:37 > 0:45:40where the jaguars entered the forest last night.
0:45:40 > 0:45:44She wants closer shots of the jaguars,
0:45:44 > 0:45:47but it's a risky strategy.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49It's a bold step, coming off the tower,
0:45:49 > 0:45:53where my scent's all up in the air and it's a lot more discreet.
0:45:53 > 0:45:54And then being down here,
0:45:54 > 0:45:57where I'm right bang in the middle of everything.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01That's a big step. And the jaguar might just go, "You know what? No."
0:46:01 > 0:46:05"I'm going to go back in the forest."
0:46:17 > 0:46:21In the Mayan ruins, a strange sound in the trees
0:46:21 > 0:46:22has caught Gordon's attention.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26HOWLING
0:46:26 > 0:46:28Seems counter-intuitive to walk towards an animal
0:46:28 > 0:46:31- that produces this sound, but... - LOUD HOWLING
0:46:31 > 0:46:35It's incredible! Such a spooky noise!
0:46:37 > 0:46:39If I didn't know what that was,
0:46:39 > 0:46:44I would probably run as fast as I could in the opposite direction!
0:46:44 > 0:46:46It's Howler monkeys.
0:46:47 > 0:46:51Howler monkeys are daytime animals.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53They should be asleep.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55Something has disturbed them.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02Such an incredible noise!
0:47:03 > 0:47:05There we go. Got you!
0:47:07 > 0:47:10Howler monkeys are one of the loudest animals on the planet.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13HOWLING CONTINUES
0:47:13 > 0:47:16Now, it would be nice if this one was to call.
0:47:21 > 0:47:22That's typical!
0:47:22 > 0:47:26All this noise, and the one and only Howler monkey
0:47:26 > 0:47:28that I can actually see isn't calling!
0:47:28 > 0:47:34Howler monkeys can't move freely about the trees after dark.
0:47:34 > 0:47:38Their night vision is about as poor as ours.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40So they use their distinctive call
0:47:40 > 0:47:43to scare off nocturnal animals
0:47:43 > 0:47:45that come into their territory, looking for food.
0:47:45 > 0:47:48Something else is out there.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55Where are you? Where are you?
0:47:55 > 0:47:57There we go. Right in the middle.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02Oh, nice! Look at that!
0:48:02 > 0:48:05It's a kinkajou, sometimes called the night stalker.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10The kinkajou is an arboreal specialist,
0:48:10 > 0:48:13and he's also a specialist of the dark.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16- HE LAUGHS QUIETLY - I would go as far as to say
0:48:16 > 0:48:18that kinkajous hate the light.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21They'll go into the deepest, darkest hole in the tree
0:48:21 > 0:48:23that they can find, spend the day there.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26And there's no reason for the kinkajou
0:48:26 > 0:48:29to even think about coming out during the day.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33It finds everything it needs after dark.
0:48:33 > 0:48:36Kinkajous come out at night
0:48:36 > 0:48:39when there is little competition for food.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42Their whole biology is geared towards
0:48:42 > 0:48:44a nocturnal life in the trees.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50Large eyes help them see in low light.
0:48:50 > 0:48:54But their most important sense is smell.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57They use it to navigate in the pitch black.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00He's got scent glands on his face,
0:49:00 > 0:49:02and a big patch on his stomach,
0:49:02 > 0:49:08that he can use to leave a constant trail of scent up there in the tree.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13Their scent trail marks every route they take,
0:49:13 > 0:49:16so they never get lost in the dark.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19Oh, no. Do you know what he's doing?
0:49:19 > 0:49:22It looks like he's licking the moisture from the leaves.
0:49:24 > 0:49:28So this animal has absolutely no reason to come down to the ground.
0:49:28 > 0:49:33For the kinkajou, the ground just signifies danger.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41Look at that, hanging completely upside down.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44And he can only do that by having that big prehensile tail.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47You can see how flexible he is.
0:49:47 > 0:49:49And if you can imagine trying to pick fruit
0:49:49 > 0:49:51up on these little spindly branches,
0:49:51 > 0:49:53you're going to have to be able to
0:49:53 > 0:49:55reach and stretch and twist yourself.
0:49:55 > 0:49:59And the kinkajou can do that so easily.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01He's like a rubber band.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07These are really privileged views, actually.
0:50:07 > 0:50:12What we're looking at is the result of millions of years of evolution.
0:50:12 > 0:50:16The night and the environment shaping an animal
0:50:16 > 0:50:20that has become an expert.
0:50:20 > 0:50:25They've really earned their name of the night stalker.
0:50:42 > 0:50:44In her hide on the beach,
0:50:44 > 0:50:48Justine is spending her first night at ground level.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56She is alone in the dark,
0:50:56 > 0:51:00with the largest cat in the Americas lurking close by.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03Got a bit of a speck...
0:51:05 > 0:51:08Ah, that looks promising.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14Could be a jaguar. Possibly.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17Hard to see, though.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21It's just a bit of a white glow.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24Although it's moving a lot faster than a turtle would.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28Ah! It's hard to see anything through this.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31SHE SIGHS
0:51:34 > 0:51:35Come on.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39Where have you gone?
0:51:43 > 0:51:45I actually feel quite nervous now.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48The thought of actually a jaguar
0:51:48 > 0:51:51appearing on the beach in front of me.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53I'm just sitting in a hide here, made of cotton.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57I haven't really thought about it, up until this moment.
0:52:00 > 0:52:05I mean, what if it decides to come up to me, close?
0:52:05 > 0:52:06What do I do?
0:52:06 > 0:52:09Just sit quietly? Or make a noise?
0:52:13 > 0:52:14I don't know.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35Looks like a...
0:52:37 > 0:52:38..that's a jaguar.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41Definitely. That's a jaguar.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49He's walking down the line of the forest.
0:52:50 > 0:52:52It's that male again.
0:52:56 > 0:52:57Scent marking.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00It's definitely scent marking.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12It's still coming.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18If he keeps along this line, he's going to walk right past my hide.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21Hopefully he's going to head out to the beach in a minute.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36Why don't you head out onto the beach?
0:53:39 > 0:53:42No. No, he's going to keep going down this line.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49It's getting a bit close now.
0:53:54 > 0:53:55Oh, no!
0:53:57 > 0:53:59He's walking straight at me.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03SHE SIGHS
0:54:06 > 0:54:09SHE MOUTHS
0:54:12 > 0:54:13Come on. Come on. Stop.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30No, he's walking straight at me.
0:54:49 > 0:54:54SHE MOUTHS
0:55:12 > 0:55:17- SHE EXHALES - I can't believe it!
0:55:20 > 0:55:23He's gone!
0:55:23 > 0:55:26He's passed. I thought he was...
0:55:26 > 0:55:30I thought he'd stopped outside the hide.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34Went out of...he went out of focus, he was so close,
0:55:34 > 0:55:36he went out of focus.
0:55:36 > 0:55:39I've just caught a glimpse of him further up.
0:55:39 > 0:55:42SHE EXHALES
0:55:42 > 0:55:44SHE LAUGHS QUIETLY
0:55:46 > 0:55:49I don't believe that!
0:55:49 > 0:55:51I thought I was mincemeat.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57I half-expected to see flailing claws ripping through the hide!
0:56:01 > 0:56:04- God! - SHE SIGHS
0:56:07 > 0:56:09I'm going to get hysterical now!
0:56:33 > 0:56:35Well, it's dawn now,
0:56:35 > 0:56:38and I want to go and see just how close
0:56:38 > 0:56:40that jaguar got last night.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44Oh, my God!
0:56:46 > 0:56:50Look at that! There's my hide, and the tracks are literally...
0:56:52 > 0:56:56..there! It went straight past.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59I mean, I could have reached out and stroked his back as he went past.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02Seeing these tracks next to the hide,
0:57:02 > 0:57:05last night is flooding back to me.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07My heart was in my mouth.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10But now, I just feel strangely elated.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12I just feel that I've had such an intimate experience
0:57:12 > 0:57:14with this wild jaguar.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22The team have ventured into the dark
0:57:22 > 0:57:25to uncover the secret lives of highly specialised creatures.
0:57:28 > 0:57:32They have witnessed incredible adaptations,
0:57:32 > 0:57:36ingenious strategies,
0:57:36 > 0:57:38super senses.
0:57:39 > 0:57:43Sophisticated adaptations that allow animals
0:57:43 > 0:57:45to thrive in a world without light.
0:57:48 > 0:57:51And they are just getting started.
0:57:51 > 0:57:56Next time, the team head into the dark heart of South America.
0:57:58 > 0:58:02Gordon is on the trail of a bizarre night-time creature.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04Freaky, freaky!
0:58:04 > 0:58:08In the Amazon, camerawoman Sophie comes eye to eye
0:58:08 > 0:58:10with the world's only nocturnal monkey.
0:58:10 > 0:58:11It's extraordinary!
0:58:13 > 0:58:16Just pouncing through the trees! It's just incredible!
0:58:16 > 0:58:21And a mile underground, George makes the discovery of a lifetime.
0:58:21 > 0:58:24Oh, my God!
0:58:47 > 0:58:50Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd