0:00:02 > 0:00:04WOMAN: Oh, my goodness!
0:00:04 > 0:00:07Where in the heck did the moose come from?
0:00:08 > 0:00:09All over the world,
0:00:09 > 0:00:14animals are turning up in strange and unexpected places.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21It's happening more and more,
0:00:21 > 0:00:25and millions of us are now sharing videos like these.
0:00:27 > 0:00:28I'm Lucy Cooke,
0:00:28 > 0:00:33and as a zoologist I want to understand what's going on.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Oooh, not too close now...
0:00:35 > 0:00:38So, I'm turning detective.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42I literally wouldn't have believed it unless I saw it with my own eyes.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45I'll be tracking down animals
0:00:45 > 0:00:48who are showing up thousands of miles
0:00:48 > 0:00:49from their natural homes.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53- Hold the tail?- Hold the tail. - Hold him, as hard as you can
0:00:53 > 0:00:55- Seriously?- Yeah.- Oh, my God!
0:00:56 > 0:00:59And other animals, who are showing up right on our doorsteps.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03And I'll reveal new science
0:01:03 > 0:01:06that uncovers how, as we change the world,
0:01:06 > 0:01:10animals are starting to do the strangest things.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13So, just what is it about these animal opportunists
0:01:13 > 0:01:18that allows them to thrive in such unexpected places?
0:01:24 > 0:01:27I'm going to start by investigating a bunch of animals
0:01:27 > 0:01:30that have been moved around the planet by us,
0:01:30 > 0:01:34but have somehow got loose where they don't belong.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Meet the escape artists.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44First, I'm heading to Colombia,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47200 miles from the capital, Bogota,
0:01:47 > 0:01:52where I've heard about an escape so strange, I could barely believe it.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57This remote, rural area is way off the beaten track.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Luckily, no expense has been spared on my transportation!
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Bizarrely, I've come to South America
0:02:14 > 0:02:17to find an iconic African animal.
0:02:22 > 0:02:23Oh!
0:02:38 > 0:02:43I can't believe it's a wild hippopotamus in Colombia,
0:02:43 > 0:02:4510,000km from home!
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Hippos are one of those iconic African animals,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54like lions and wildebeest.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57If you see them, then you know you must be in Africa.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03But we're not in Africa.
0:03:03 > 0:03:04We're in Colombia.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16Hippos are supposed to be found throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21They can weigh up to three tonnes and are highly territorial.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Their aggressive nature and massive bulk
0:03:25 > 0:03:30have led to a fearsome reputation as Africa's most dangerous mammal.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35So, what on earth are they doing in South America?
0:03:38 > 0:03:42Well, it's an unlikely story
0:03:42 > 0:03:46involving one of the world's most infamous drug barons.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Pablo Escobar.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53In the 1980s, it's said he controlled
0:03:53 > 0:03:5680% of the world's cocaine trade
0:03:56 > 0:04:00from this ranch, known as Hacienda Napoles.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03This was his private playground.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09It's now been turned into a most unconventional theme park
0:04:09 > 0:04:13and ramshackle museum dedicated to his life.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16This is totally surreal.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Escobar created a dinosaur park for his son,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25with life-sized dinosaurs.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31And he even built his very own private zoo,
0:04:31 > 0:04:35in a way only a billionaire drug baron could.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39So, legend has it that Pablo Escobar got his hands
0:04:39 > 0:04:42on a massive Russian cargo plane,
0:04:42 > 0:04:47which he then flew to Africa, filled with illegal wildlife.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52He then had to get the plane and its contents back to Colombia
0:04:52 > 0:04:54before they woke up,
0:04:54 > 0:04:56and he landed it here at the Hacienda
0:04:56 > 0:04:58and even had to extend the runway,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01because the plane was so big it couldn't land.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07Amongst his menagerie, Escobar imported four hippopotamus.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12Three females and one very excitable male.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Nature took its course.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Soon, there were hippo babies.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23One of them still lives in the Hacienda zoo.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28I've been granted an audience with Vanessa,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31who's one of the offspring of Pablo's original hippos.
0:05:32 > 0:05:38She likes carrots and, apparently, she even responds to her own name,
0:05:38 > 0:05:40she's that tame.
0:05:41 > 0:05:42Vanessa!
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Carrots!
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Whilst Pablo Escobar was alive,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51all the hippos were fenced into the grounds of his ranch.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55But in the early 1990s, he was killed.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05When Pablo was shot, all the animals in his menagerie were rehoused
0:06:05 > 0:06:07to zoos around South America,
0:06:07 > 0:06:08apart from the hippos,
0:06:08 > 0:06:13because nobody really knew how to transport an animal
0:06:13 > 0:06:16that weighs the same as a family car.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18So, they stayed here.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22With Escobar dead and the ranch abandoned,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24many of the hippos broke loose.
0:06:29 > 0:06:35And now these giant African mammals are running riot in rural Colombia.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42Local cowboys tell me the hippos have trampled cows to death
0:06:42 > 0:06:45and people have had to run for their lives.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Luckily, no-one's been injured.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53But as these amateur videos from Africa show,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56hippos are fast and dangerous.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00If threatened, they can charge at 20mph.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07So, the Colombian authorities are rightly worried
0:07:07 > 0:07:11about their three-ton escape artists.
0:07:11 > 0:07:12Wow, you can hear them.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Biologist David Lopez is taking me to see one
0:07:15 > 0:07:18of the largest groups or pods.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22- Look at them. - There's so many of them!
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Is this safe? Can we get this close?
0:07:26 > 0:07:29See, until here, it's safe.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32- Right, OK. Are you sure about that? - Look at them.
0:07:35 > 0:07:36Yes.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39This is a female with a baby.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42She's looking at us. Oh, she's looking at us.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I feel like I'm being eyeballed by a dozen hippos.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52No-one's sure exactly how many hippos there are now in Colombia.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54There could be up to 60.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59This lush corner of South America is a far cry from their natural home.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09In Africa, a hippo's life is tough.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12They have to survive extreme droughts,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15where water and food are really scarce.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18There's fierce competition...
0:08:20 > 0:08:22..and predators.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30But for Colombian hippos, life's easier.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34The climate here means there's year-round water
0:08:34 > 0:08:37and all the vegetation they could possibly eat.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41They must really like it here.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46They don't have competitors. They don't have predators.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49They don't have stress.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53They've adapted well to new conditions
0:08:53 > 0:08:56and now even changed their behaviour.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59They've become very...
0:09:00 > 0:09:02..randy.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07In Africa, female hippos don't start breeding
0:09:07 > 0:09:10until they're around ten years old.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13But here, they're starting as young as three
0:09:13 > 0:09:17and having babies much more frequently.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22Now the population is growing fast, and spreading.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28Hippos have been spotted 150 miles from the Hacienda.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Hippos are one of the most famous African animals,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36but I reckon they might actually prefer this corner of South America.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41Colombia, as unlikely as it is seems, is a hippo paradise.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47And if these hefty escape artists continue to breed successfully,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51they may, over time, change and become a distinct sub-species.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56A seriously unexpected legacy for an infamous drug baron.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13And as us humans move stuff around the planet more and more,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17stories of escaped animals setting up home in foreign lands
0:10:17 > 0:10:20are happening with increasing regularity.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23In the UK alone,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26ten new species arrive each year from around the world.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31There are now Australian wallabies living on the Isle of Man,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34after they bounced free from a local zoo.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40And these wild scorpions live in southern England,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43stowaways that arrived on a ship from the Mediterranean
0:10:43 > 0:10:46over 100 years ago.
0:10:47 > 0:10:52And we now have ring-necked parakeets from Asia and Africa.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56One legend has it a pair originally escaped from a film set near London
0:10:56 > 0:11:00and now there are more than 30,000,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03and they're probably the UK's fastest-growing bird population.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08These escape artists have brought a touch of the exotic
0:11:08 > 0:11:10to British wildlife.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14But in mainland Europe, another wild escapee
0:11:14 > 0:11:17has recently sneaked into one of the busiest cities.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23I'm travelling to Germany to investigate stories
0:11:23 > 0:11:25of a curious-sounding creature
0:11:25 > 0:11:28that's apparently living in Berlin in large numbers.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39They're known locally as Waschbaren,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41or wash bears.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48There have been reports of these wash bears all over central Berlin,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51including here at the Brandenburg Gate,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54and they've even been spotted riding the subway.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10I've never heard of a creature called a wash bear,
0:12:10 > 0:12:13so I'm travelling to a nearby gardening college
0:12:13 > 0:12:15in the district of Wedding,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17where they've recently been spotted.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22Teacher Helmut Kruger-Danielson has had a close encounter.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28Then there was a hole in the ceiling
0:12:28 > 0:12:33and some day there was a face and this...
0:12:35 > 0:12:36..he or she, I don't know,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39looked there and was like,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41"Hello, Helmut. How are you?"
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Helmut had come face-to-face with a wash bear.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53So, I'm on the trail of these elusive escape artists.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56I'm setting up a series of surveillance cameras
0:12:56 > 0:13:01around the garden that I'm leaving to run overnight...
0:13:05 > 0:13:09..and returning the following morning to check the cameras
0:13:09 > 0:13:11with biologist Dr Frank Drygalla.
0:13:12 > 0:13:13Here we go.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15OK, let's have a look at this clip here...
0:13:16 > 0:13:17- Oh!- Oh, good.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24We got something, but it was a badger.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Normally, I'd be really excited to see a badger, actually,
0:13:28 > 0:13:29but not on this occasion.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30- Yeah, I also.- Oh!
0:13:30 > 0:13:32That's a raccoon!
0:13:33 > 0:13:36So, that's what a wash bear is.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42I literally wouldn't have believed it unless I saw it with my own eyes.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44- That's a nice shot. - That's fantastic!
0:13:44 > 0:13:46There really are raccoons in Berlin.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49This is truly unexpected,
0:13:49 > 0:13:54because these animals are at least 4,000 miles from home.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56They should be in North America.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Raccoons are nocturnal mammals,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07normally found in the forests across the United States.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13Their bandit-like masks are believed to give them better night vision.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17As our cameras show,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20they certainly seem to be seeing their way around Helmut's garden
0:14:20 > 0:14:22without any difficulty.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27So, this is the camera trap that's down by the compost heap
0:14:27 > 0:14:30- and there's a veritable raccoon party going on.- Yeah.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32There's...
0:14:32 > 0:14:33There's three raccoons!
0:14:36 > 0:14:40If there are eight or so raccoons just in this area,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42how many do you think there are in Berlin?
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Nobody count them, but if you think about records in the last years,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49I guess, rough estimation, 600 to 1,000 in Berlin.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Wow!
0:14:54 > 0:14:57But how did they come to be in Germany in the first place?
0:14:58 > 0:15:00They certainly couldn't have swum the Atlantic.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Well, just before the Second World War,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09a handful of raccoons were imported to Germany
0:15:09 > 0:15:11to be farmed for their fur.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Then this happened...
0:15:18 > 0:15:21A Russian airstrike damaged the farm,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24allowing the raccoons to break free
0:15:24 > 0:15:27and make their very own great escape.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31With the escaped raccoons on the run,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34they needed to adapt quickly to this new and foreign land.
0:15:36 > 0:15:37Raccoons are opportunists.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41They'll eat almost anything they can get their paws on,
0:15:41 > 0:15:42from eggs to insects.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Their excellent memories
0:15:46 > 0:15:49allow them to map out where and when food is available.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53And because they feed at night,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56they rely on their deft and sensitive paws
0:15:56 > 0:15:59to find food in pitch darkness.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04So, memory and dexterity have given them an edge in their new home.
0:16:06 > 0:16:12To show you what I mean, I'm meeting a tame raccoon with a fitting name.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23So, this is Rascal the raccoon
0:16:23 > 0:16:26and I've got a little test for Rascal
0:16:26 > 0:16:33that's going to demonstrate how amazing she is at using her paws,
0:16:33 > 0:16:35which are a bit like human hands,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38in that they're very sensitive and very dextrous.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41And that's the secret to their success.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44So, I've got a test for you, Rascal. Are you up for a test?
0:16:51 > 0:16:54This tunnel has three separate compartments,
0:16:54 > 0:16:56each with a different type of lock
0:16:56 > 0:16:59that Rascal must use her paws to open.
0:17:00 > 0:17:01Each time she gets through,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04there's a small vegetable-based treat for her.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07This last gate is going to be Rascal's biggest challenge,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10because she's going to have to stick her arm through the door
0:17:10 > 0:17:14and unlock it, using only a sense of touch.
0:17:15 > 0:17:16So, let's see how Rascal gets on.
0:17:21 > 0:17:22Come on, Rascal, you can do it!
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Ah, with ease.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Well done, Rascal. Through number two.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Now number three. Now, this one's tricky.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49Problem-solving like this requires real brainpower.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53But then, raccoons are as smart as some monkeys
0:17:53 > 0:17:56and research has shown they can even remember
0:17:56 > 0:17:59how to open different locks after more than a year.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04But has this lock foxed Rascal?
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Come on, Rascal, you can do it.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Gosh, it's amazing how they use those hands.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Yay!
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Now, this final one, of course, she can't actually see.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22So, she's relying purely on her sense of touch.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Raccoons' paws are packed full of sensory receptors
0:18:27 > 0:18:31and the part of their brain that processes this information
0:18:31 > 0:18:34is much larger than in most mammals.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36Wow!
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Rascal, take a bow!
0:18:42 > 0:18:44That's seriously impressive.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51It's this winning mix of dexterity and intelligence
0:18:51 > 0:18:54that's enabled raccoons to find plenty of food,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57even in a completely foreign land.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00They can open bins, feed on rubbish
0:19:00 > 0:19:02even break into our homes.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05But one mystery remains.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Why do the Germans call raccoons wash bears?
0:19:10 > 0:19:13This amateur footage reveals the answer.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16These nimble-fingered mammals
0:19:16 > 0:19:19are often seen washing their food in water.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24This behaviour gave rise to the name wash bear.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31And now raccoons and their fastidious habits
0:19:31 > 0:19:32are spreading fast.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35There could be up to a million in Germany,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39with other populations springing up across the continent,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41from France to Russia.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45These sneaky north American mammals
0:19:45 > 0:19:48are certainly taking Europe by storm.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57Animal escape artists show that, as we move species around the world,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59they can adapt and change.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05But it's not just foreign creatures turning up in unexpected places.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12Across the world, our towns and cities are ever-expanding,
0:20:12 > 0:20:14encroaching into the wilderness.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17That means many native animals
0:20:17 > 0:20:20are starting to turn up on our doorsteps.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Meet the doorsteppers.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34Home videos of wild animals in towns and gardens
0:20:34 > 0:20:38are turning up more and more on the internet.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Oh, my goodness!
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Fancy sharing a pool...
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Oh, my goodness...!
0:20:44 > 0:20:46..with a half-ton adult moose?
0:20:47 > 0:20:50There are some wild animals that we've now accepted
0:20:50 > 0:20:53as part of our new urban ecology,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55like squirrels and foxes.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59But in America, people are getting used to living alongside
0:20:59 > 0:21:03a much bigger and potentially more dangerous doorstepper.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06The black bear.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09They'll stop at nothing to get their paws on food.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13# Look for the bare necessities
0:21:13 > 0:21:16# The simple bare necessities
0:21:16 > 0:21:20# Forget about your worries and your strife
0:21:21 > 0:21:24# I mean the bare necessities
0:21:24 > 0:21:27# Old Mother Nature's recipes
0:21:27 > 0:21:30# That bring the bare necessities of life. #
0:21:31 > 0:21:36And once full up, they seem happy to just chill out.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40They seem almost human.
0:21:40 > 0:21:45But what's most amazing is how the new suburban lifestyle
0:21:45 > 0:21:48is changing the black bear to be more like us.
0:21:53 > 0:21:59In the wild, they can feed for up to 20 hours a day on berries and shoots
0:21:59 > 0:22:01to get the calories they need.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06But our food scraps offer them
0:22:06 > 0:22:09a high-calorie, fast-food alternative.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12That means, just like us,
0:22:12 > 0:22:14black bears are getting fat.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Bears in towns are up to 30% heavier
0:22:22 > 0:22:23than those in the wild.
0:22:28 > 0:22:29And as we know,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33young cubs learn urban survival skills from their mums.
0:22:33 > 0:22:39Over time, these black bears will become increasingly street smart.
0:22:41 > 0:22:46But our towns and cities aren't just home to sneaky scavengers.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Incredibly, top predators
0:22:53 > 0:22:56have recently been spotted hunting our streets.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06Opportunistic leopards are drawn to cities to hunt goats and stray dogs.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13But it's bringing them into conflict with people.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24In America, a mountain lion has been spotted in LA!
0:23:24 > 0:23:29This incredible photo looks like a scene from a Hollywood movie,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32but it was recently taken by a remote camera.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37But now I'm heading to New York City
0:23:37 > 0:23:40in search of a more mysterious top predator.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Wolf-like creatures have been spotted on the streets of Manhattan,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51sparking a major police chase.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59Howls are haunting the night of one of the busiest cities on earth.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03WOLF-LIKE HOWLING
0:24:07 > 0:24:11So, what are these large predators that have found a place
0:24:11 > 0:24:14amongst the eight million people in New York?
0:24:16 > 0:24:21When you look at the footage, it's clear it's too small to be a wolf,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24yet it's too big to be a fox or a coyote.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29What it is, in fact, is a coywolf.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34Which is a hybrid, a part-coyote, part-wolf.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37HOWLING
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Wolves are top predators.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43They hunt in packs.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Long legs mean they run fast
0:24:46 > 0:24:49and powerful jaws can crunch through bone.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59Western coyotes are smaller and wilier opportunists,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02scavenging everything from carcasses to fruit.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06So, how did the hybrid coywolf come about?
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Well, bizarrely, it's actually a species we humans helped to create.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Because, as we hunted grey wolves through much of the United States,
0:25:16 > 0:25:21the smaller western coyote was able to venture north.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25When they arrived in Canada in the 1930s,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28they encountered another species of wolf,
0:25:28 > 0:25:29and they bred.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33This was the birth of the coywolf,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36also known as the eastern coyote,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39as they're found across the eastern United States.
0:25:44 > 0:25:45Ah, it's fascinating.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49She's a lot more wolfish than a regular coyote.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51She's bigger and that face...
0:25:53 > 0:25:55..that face is a lot broader.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57And she's taller.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Generally, taller and a bit more imposing than a regular coyote.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07It makes me wonder how much of an advantage this mixture gives them,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09trying to survive in a place like New York.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13HOWLING
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Dr Mark Weckel has been tracking the coywolves' journey
0:26:18 > 0:26:21and their recent arrival in the Big Apple,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23doorstepping us in the heart of the city.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Latest reports are from the Bronx.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31I mean, the Bronx is blessed with really big, beautiful parks.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33But as soon as you step beyond that,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36you're talking about huge apartment buildings, really dense streets,
0:26:36 > 0:26:38a lot of people.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40This is as urban as it gets.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42It's those parks that have been crucial,
0:26:42 > 0:26:46small patches of woodland amongst the urban sprawl.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49And this is where the coywolves hide away.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Mark's cameras have captured rare footage of them.
0:26:53 > 0:26:54This is from the Bronx?
0:26:54 > 0:26:56This is all from the Bronx.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Wow!
0:26:59 > 0:27:04So, what could a pack of coywolves be feeding on in this urban jungle?
0:27:05 > 0:27:09A heat-sensing camera reveals a plentiful food source.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Well, there's what the coywolves are here for.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17There's just loads of rats!
0:27:19 > 0:27:20They say you're never more than
0:27:20 > 0:27:23three feet away from a rat in New York.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26And I'm only about three feet away from about 20 of them,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28by the looks of things.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30It's just alive with them!
0:27:32 > 0:27:36New York's coywolves are also known to eat mice, squirrels and rabbits.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41The wooded parks provide shelter during the day,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44when New York is at its busiest.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47It's after dark that coywolves usually hit the streets.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51To do that, they have to be smart and opportunistic.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Intelligence is learning to live with us and avoid us at the same time.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59These are the ones active at night.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03These are the ones that, if they have to go out beyond the park,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06are doing so when they know the streets are deserted.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11- These ones in the Bronx here that we don't see...- Right.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14- ..they're the successful ones. - Exactly.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21New York's coywolves show how even top predators
0:28:21 > 0:28:24are adapting to live successfully alongside us.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27It's another extraordinary example
0:28:27 > 0:28:29of how city life is changing animals.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33We've seen how bears are getting fatter,
0:28:33 > 0:28:35and new evidence suggests some rodents
0:28:35 > 0:28:40are evolving bigger brains to cope with this hectic new world.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47Our fast-expanding cities seem to be driving rapid evolution
0:28:47 > 0:28:50in those species that are able to thrive in them.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57It is incredible to think that there are wild coywolves
0:28:57 > 0:29:00living here in the heart of New York City
0:29:00 > 0:29:05because, generally, humans and top predators do not get along.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09But maybe it's this mixture of wolf and coyote
0:29:09 > 0:29:11that have helped it survive.
0:29:11 > 0:29:16And let's face it, if it can make it here, it can make it anywhere.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19# It's up to you
0:29:19 > 0:29:21# New York
0:29:22 > 0:29:27# New York... #
0:29:27 > 0:29:28HOWLING
0:29:28 > 0:29:35# New York. #
0:29:39 > 0:29:42But it's not just opportunistic doorsteppers
0:29:42 > 0:29:44adapting to modern human landscapes.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48Other super-specialist animals
0:29:48 > 0:29:52are now using us for much more specific purposes.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56To do this, they're taking over our buildings
0:29:56 > 0:29:59in truly unexpected ways.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03Meet the animal squatters.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12The first animal squatter
0:30:12 > 0:30:15is found deep in the mountains of northern Italy.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19The location is so remote, I need a helicopter to get there.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23But it sounds so bizarre,
0:30:23 > 0:30:25I have to see it for myself.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30This is the biggest wilderness area in the whole of the Alps,
0:30:30 > 0:30:33but strangely, there is still a big man-made structure
0:30:33 > 0:30:36hidden amongst all of this wild beauty.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40And it's a truly unexpected place to find wild animals.
0:30:40 > 0:30:41Whoo-hoo!
0:30:46 > 0:30:50Cingino Dam. A vast hydroelectric power plant.
0:30:52 > 0:30:53Wow! Ha-ha!
0:30:55 > 0:30:57At more than 40 metres,
0:30:57 > 0:31:00it's taller than a 12-storey building.
0:31:05 > 0:31:10Its wall is near vertical, around 85 degrees at the top.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14Surely nothing can scale this!
0:31:20 > 0:31:23Wow! That's a mountain ibex...
0:31:26 > 0:31:31..sort of stuck like a fly on fly paper to this dam. That's insane.
0:31:34 > 0:31:41It's a mother and her four-month-old kid casually scaling the near-vertical wall.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45They're famous for being really good climbers,
0:31:45 > 0:31:48but that's something else.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50That is really extraordinary.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06These two aren't just lone daredevils.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10There can be up to 20 alpine ibex plastered to the dam wall
0:32:10 > 0:32:12at any one time.
0:32:12 > 0:32:17But curiously, it's only ever mothers and their young.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21For some reason, larger males don't make the climb.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24So why are they doing it?
0:32:24 > 0:32:28And why don't the males join them?
0:32:28 > 0:32:31It can't be for food, because the wall is bare,
0:32:31 > 0:32:34apart from a few sprigs of vegetation.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38But there's a clue in their behaviour.
0:32:38 > 0:32:45As bizarre as this might seem, it looks like they're licking the dam.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52But why? Well, there's only one way to find out.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57SHE SPLUTTERS
0:32:57 > 0:32:59It's salty.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02SHE LAUGHS AND SPLUTTERS
0:33:02 > 0:33:07That's what they've come here for - they've come for the salt.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10So the concrete used to make this giant dam strong enough
0:33:10 > 0:33:14happens to have lots of salt in it.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18And because the ibex's vegetarian diet is very low in salt,
0:33:18 > 0:33:24they make these death-defying climbs to get their mineral-fix.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28Well, that makes total sense, because all animals crave salt.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31Without it, your nerves and muscles don't function properly and
0:33:31 > 0:33:36it's especially important for mums when they're feeding their young,
0:33:36 > 0:33:41so maybe that's why you only see females and their kids on this dam.
0:33:46 > 0:33:51Other animals get their minerals from natural sources
0:33:51 > 0:33:52known as saltlicks.
0:33:52 > 0:33:58In Kenya, elephants travel deep into caves in pitch darkness
0:33:58 > 0:34:00to excavate salt from the walls.
0:34:05 > 0:34:10And in Peru, Scarlet macaws dig special minerals for indigestion relief.
0:34:17 > 0:34:22But Italy's alpine ibex are scaling new heights.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24And that's no mean feat.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32There's just nothing, nothing to put your feet on.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38SHE LAUGHS
0:34:38 > 0:34:42But that's no problem for alpine ibex or other climbing goats...
0:34:45 > 0:34:50..because they have evolved built-in climbing shoes.
0:34:50 > 0:34:55Their split hooves act like pincers, enabling them grip on the narrowest of ledges.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03Alpine ibex are so sure-footed,
0:35:03 > 0:35:07no-one has ever seen one fall off the dam.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09Their amazing hooves have allowed them access
0:35:09 > 0:35:12to a completely unique source of salt.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16This dam was built to provide power for the local people,
0:35:16 > 0:35:20but it's also inadvertently provided the resident ibex with
0:35:20 > 0:35:24the world's biggest man-made salt lick.
0:35:37 > 0:35:43Strangely, ibex aren't the only animal squatters taking advantage
0:35:43 > 0:35:45of our giant power facilities.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49Way out in the oceans, oilrigs offer a welcome
0:35:49 > 0:35:53stop-over for more than 200 species of migrating birds,
0:35:53 > 0:35:57including short-eared owls travelling between Scandinavia and the UK.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04And I've heard about a place in Florida where another giant
0:36:04 > 0:36:11man-made building is helping to actually save a rare species.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14This is a manatee -
0:36:14 > 0:36:18a shy and endangered sea mammal, solitary for much of the year.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21So why are hundreds of them
0:36:21 > 0:36:26gathering around this power station near Miami?
0:36:26 > 0:36:30This is just one of ten different coal-fuelled stations
0:36:30 > 0:36:35that manatees visit around the Florida coastline.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39West Indian manatees are mainly found in the tropics.
0:36:39 > 0:36:44In winter their northerly limit is Florida.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48They've been around for more than 45 million years
0:36:48 > 0:36:52but loss of their natural habitat has now made them endangered in Florida.
0:36:56 > 0:37:01I want to find out why these ancient creatures are flocking to power stations.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06To do that, I need to see them close up
0:37:06 > 0:37:09in more natural conditions.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15So it's about six o'clock in the morning
0:37:15 > 0:37:21and I'm looking for manatees - which is a lifetime ambition.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25I love these animals so I am super-excited.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Oh! Look!
0:37:31 > 0:37:33It's a mother and a calf!
0:37:39 > 0:37:42At these springs, the manatees are used to humans
0:37:42 > 0:37:46and I'm allowed to swim amongst them.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52The first thing I notice is their vast size.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56These are gentle giants.
0:37:56 > 0:38:01But their massive bulk isn't because they're fat.
0:38:01 > 0:38:06Manatees have an enormous gut that produces an excess of gas.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11They use it to regulate their buoyancy
0:38:11 > 0:38:14along with huge elongated lungs.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18So unlike other large marine mammals,
0:38:18 > 0:38:23manatees only have a very thin layer of insulating fat.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26This means they really feel the cold.
0:38:27 > 0:38:34It's so critical, if the water temperature drops below 17C,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37they can die of hypothermia.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42That was amazing.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47They're like inflated seals.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50They're just these massive buoyant blimps...
0:38:50 > 0:38:52SHE LAUGHS
0:38:52 > 0:38:56..that are incredibly serene.
0:38:56 > 0:39:01So these chilly manatees have to find warm water in winter.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08Historically, they'd all gather around natural hot springs
0:39:08 > 0:39:11like these on the Crystal River.
0:39:11 > 0:39:16The trouble is, as Florida's human population has expanded,
0:39:16 > 0:39:21we've built over many of their old winter refuges.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23They share this space with humans.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25I kind of expected them to be living in the wilderness
0:39:25 > 0:39:28in their natural home - but no,
0:39:28 > 0:39:32there's loads of houses about.
0:39:32 > 0:39:38So ironically, as our buildings have pushed manatees out of their natural homes,
0:39:38 > 0:39:41they've found refuge in one of the most unnatural places on Earth.
0:39:45 > 0:39:46Power stations.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52The warm-water outflow from the cooling towers
0:39:52 > 0:39:57keeps the temperature in this lagoon at a bath-like 24 degrees Celsius.
0:40:01 > 0:40:09These great polluting carbuncles have thrown a lifeline to these endangered sea mammals.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12Astonishingly, 80% of Florida's manatees now visit
0:40:12 > 0:40:14power stations during the winter.
0:40:17 > 0:40:23When they're eventually closed down, it's feared many manatees will die.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27But for now power plants are a vital refuge.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31So much so, rehabilitated manatees are even released here.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40So this manatee was rescued a few months ago,
0:40:40 > 0:40:44and after a lot of rehab, is now ready to be released again.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50Her name is Corus,
0:40:50 > 0:40:53and they're just doing some final checks before
0:40:53 > 0:40:55she can go back into the water.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02Corus was rescued because she'd lost lots of weight,
0:41:02 > 0:41:06a result of cold water weakening her immune system and making her sick.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10Now she's healthy and REALLY heavy.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14So she's being released in the warm waters of the power station.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Keep going, keep going.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30I feel quite emotional.
0:41:34 > 0:41:40It's a very strange place to be releasing a wild animal.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42Your brain is going,
0:41:42 > 0:41:46"No, surely this isn't going to be good for the animal. Don't let it go there!"
0:41:46 > 0:41:48But that is where they're going to be safest.
0:41:48 > 0:41:54It is extraordinary. It's a completely unique situation.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59These unlikely squatters show how animals
0:41:59 > 0:42:03find benefits from structures we've built.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05But they're only there in small numbers.
0:42:05 > 0:42:11Sometimes creatures are introduced to unexpected places en masse
0:42:11 > 0:42:14and turn out to be a serious problem.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17These are alien invaders.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26I'm travelling south, just a few hours' drive from the manatees,
0:42:26 > 0:42:28into the Florida Everglades,
0:42:28 > 0:42:32to investigate a story that sounds like it's straight from a horror movie.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38In the last few years,
0:42:38 > 0:42:42hundreds of giant snakes have suddenly appeared
0:42:42 > 0:42:44in Florida's swamps.
0:42:44 > 0:42:49In 2007 alone, 250 pythons were caught,
0:42:49 > 0:42:53some more than 18 feet long.
0:42:53 > 0:42:58One's even been photographed trying to eat a fully-grown alligator.
0:43:00 > 0:43:07What's even more bizarre is these snakes are at least 9,000 miles from their natural home.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13These are Burmese pythons, and they should be in Southeast Asia.
0:43:16 > 0:43:22And yet, there could now be 100,000 of them in the Florida Everglades.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26I want to find out how they got here.
0:43:26 > 0:43:31Many people think it's down to exotic pet snakes that have escaped.
0:43:31 > 0:43:37Burmese pythons have always been popular as pets, but the explosion
0:43:37 > 0:43:43in numbers here can't be explained by a few escapees, so it's got to be
0:43:43 > 0:43:48something more than that, and Miami has always been a major hub for
0:43:48 > 0:43:50the exotic pet trade.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54Snakes aren't just sold here - they're bred here.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57I'm off to investigate.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00I've been given access to a secret
0:44:00 > 0:44:06and secure location where hundreds of snakes are housed under one roof.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08Oh, it's like Fort Knox.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11Well, we keep everything locked up tight in here.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13We don't want anybody to get hurt.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16'Greg Graziani breeds snakes for the pet trade.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19'In this secure facility, he has ball pythons,
0:44:19 > 0:44:23'a smaller relative of the Burmese species.
0:44:23 > 0:44:29'This is just one of around 500 large reptile breeding centres in Florida.'
0:44:29 > 0:44:33There seems to be an awful lot of snakes in here.
0:44:33 > 0:44:34How many snakes have you got?
0:44:34 > 0:44:37Er, right now we're probably between 700 and 800.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40We just finished our hatching season. These are all the hatchlings.
0:44:40 > 0:44:44- One of these racks right here holds 108 babies.- Wow.
0:44:44 > 0:44:48'Greg believes Florida's giant python problem all hails from one
0:44:48 > 0:44:54'much more ramshackle breeding unit more than two decades ago.'
0:44:54 > 0:44:58Back in 1992, there was a facility that was simply just a greenhouse
0:44:58 > 0:45:00with shade cloth over it
0:45:00 > 0:45:05and they had these pythons in these containers just like this, um, stacked up.
0:45:07 > 0:45:12And there was about 900 baby pythons in that facility.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15'At the same time, this happened.'
0:45:17 > 0:45:20Hurricane Andrew -
0:45:20 > 0:45:27one of the most devastating storms ever to hit the United States.
0:45:27 > 0:45:35Winds of up to 175mph wiped out much of Southern Florida,
0:45:35 > 0:45:38including the python-breeding unit.
0:45:40 > 0:45:45When the hurricane went through, the facility itself was gone -
0:45:45 > 0:45:47they couldn't find a single snake.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51And the thought process at the time was fish and wildlife - well, they died in the hurricane,
0:45:51 > 0:45:56but nobody realised what a perfect little protective container this is.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59In a wind storm, it's basically a Frisbee.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03This could go anywhere from a couple of miles to 100 miles in the wind.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07If you wanted to disperse thousands of snakes into the environment,
0:46:07 > 0:46:12- you know, a massive, big storm and then a container like this would be...- It would be perfect.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15- ..would be ideal- you couldn't have designed it better, could you?- No.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18Snakes escape. Have people let them loose? Of course,
0:46:18 > 0:46:24but when I weigh the actual data of 900 snakes on one day being
0:46:24 > 0:46:29injected into the Florida Everglades, versus years and years
0:46:29 > 0:46:32of just a pet release here or there making it to the glades,
0:46:32 > 0:46:35I mean, I don't see how it could be anything else.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42An alien invasion that happened almost overnight,
0:46:42 > 0:46:47and it even involved flying saucers!
0:46:47 > 0:46:51It turns out the subtropical conditions in Florida
0:46:51 > 0:46:54are perfect for pythons.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57Burmese pythons are ambush predators.
0:46:57 > 0:47:02They grab prey with their sharp teeth and then crush them.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05Their sudden arrival in the Everglades
0:47:05 > 0:47:07has caught the local wildlife off-guard.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13A few endangered species are even being pushed
0:47:13 > 0:47:15to the brink of extinction.
0:47:18 > 0:47:23But why are such giant snakes proving so difficult to stop?
0:47:24 > 0:47:26Well, apparently, these stealthy hunters
0:47:26 > 0:47:30are masters of staying hidden.
0:47:30 > 0:47:34I want to see just how difficult it is to find them...
0:47:35 > 0:47:37..so a 13ft wild-caught python
0:47:37 > 0:47:42has been released in a secure five-acre site.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46And I've got to track it down.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48But I have some assistance.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55Ruben Ramirez, a champion python hunter.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59He's caught over 100 wild pythons.
0:47:59 > 0:48:01Can you teach anybody, can anybody learn?
0:48:01 > 0:48:03- Yes, absolutely, anybody can learn. - Really?- Yeah.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06There's no special skills required? I find that hard to believe.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08You got to focus.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14I try to become an actual python or snake itself.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20Where would it hide, where would it be?
0:48:23 > 0:48:25I get into, like, a zone.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34I reckon if anybody can teach me, Ruben, you can.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37Just make sure I come back with all my fingers, please, yeah.
0:48:41 > 0:48:46The reason these snakes are so hard to find, even in this small area,
0:48:46 > 0:48:49is down to their brilliant camouflage.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54- It could be anywhere, couldn't it? - Exactly, it could be anywhere.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04You see, this is perfect for them to be in, right here.
0:49:05 > 0:49:07- Look, there it is.- Oh!
0:49:07 > 0:49:08- Come here, come here.- No way!
0:49:11 > 0:49:13Look at his head right here.
0:49:16 > 0:49:17Oh, my goodness!
0:49:19 > 0:49:21Come.
0:49:23 > 0:49:24- You hold the tail.- Hold the tail?!
0:49:24 > 0:49:26- Hold the tail, hold him as hard as you can.- Seriously?
0:49:26 > 0:49:28- Oh, my God!- Hold it.
0:49:28 > 0:49:29Oh, my word.
0:49:31 > 0:49:32Just hold.
0:49:36 > 0:49:37Yeah.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41High five.
0:49:41 > 0:49:42- Oh, my God!- And this...
0:49:42 > 0:49:46This must weigh, how much? Same as me, I'm thinking.
0:49:46 > 0:49:48This one... HE GROANS
0:49:48 > 0:49:50- Grab it.- Yep.- Let's go.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52- Oh, my God! - Can you feel the weight?
0:49:52 > 0:49:55- You tell me.- This is really heavy!
0:49:55 > 0:49:56Oh!
0:49:56 > 0:49:59Other than you, they don't have a natural predator.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01You are the predator. They've arrived on the scene
0:50:01 > 0:50:03and there's nothing that eats them.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05At this size, there's no natural predator for them.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07- Yep, other than you. - Other than me, right.- Yeah.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13- Look, I'm actually being constricted!- Yeah.
0:50:13 > 0:50:14It's trying to.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17- That's a unique experience. - You feel the strength?
0:50:17 > 0:50:20- Can you feel it?- Yeah, I can really feel the strength on that.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23Wow, anyway, thank God that's just my wrist and not my neck.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25That's all I can say.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32The python's crushing coils and camouflage
0:50:32 > 0:50:36have allowed this alien invader to conquer the Everglades.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42The final twist in this serpent's tale
0:50:42 > 0:50:45is that in their native South East Asia,
0:50:45 > 0:50:49Burmese pythons are increasingly endangered,
0:50:49 > 0:50:52whilst here in Florida,
0:50:52 > 0:50:54they're thriving.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00Across the world, we're transporting animals to new lands
0:51:00 > 0:51:04and many are wreaking havoc.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10Huge and toxic cane toads are marching their way across Australia,
0:51:10 > 0:51:12poisoning native animals en route.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17And feral goats have been munching their way
0:51:17 > 0:51:19through the Galapagos Islands,
0:51:19 > 0:51:24leaving the endangered giant tortoises without shade and water.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30Finally, I'm heading closer to home, to southern France,
0:51:30 > 0:51:32on the trail of one of the smallest,
0:51:32 > 0:51:35but actually the scariest invaders of all.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43Asian hornets - large, highly aggressive wasps
0:51:43 > 0:51:46that swarm together to defend their nests.
0:51:47 > 0:51:51They've killed six people in France in recent years.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56So unlike France's native hornet,
0:51:56 > 0:51:58Asian hornet nests have to be destroyed.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03I'm joining Manu Martinez,
0:52:03 > 0:52:07a pest controller who is about to stir up a hornet's nest.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10They're famously aggressive.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16Yeah, I've got on a really fully protective suit,
0:52:16 > 0:52:19but I'm still a bit nervous.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23A nest can grow as large as a rubbish bin
0:52:23 > 0:52:26and hold more than 1,000 hornets.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28- OK, bon chance, Manu.- Merci!
0:52:30 > 0:52:33When disturbed, they vigorously defend their nest.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43They're attacking his hands right now.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46LOUD BUZZING
0:52:47 > 0:52:49Too stressful, even down here.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53So stressful, in fact, I've steamed up my suit.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56They're spitting venom in his eyes.
0:52:59 > 0:53:02My God, this is just terrifying, this is the nest coming down,
0:53:02 > 0:53:04and I've been told it's still very active.
0:53:05 > 0:53:11I'm holding in my hand thousands of angry hornets in their nest.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13Oh!
0:53:14 > 0:53:17Oh, my God!
0:53:17 > 0:53:21I'll be happy never to have to handle another Asian hornets' nest
0:53:21 > 0:53:22in my life.
0:53:22 > 0:53:26But for Manu, there are now so many of these foreign hornets
0:53:26 > 0:53:31in this part of France, he's busy risking his life most nights.
0:53:33 > 0:53:37So how did Asian hornets come to be in France?
0:53:41 > 0:53:45They arrived accidentally, in a consignment of plant pots from China
0:53:45 > 0:53:50ten years ago and have spread across Europe at an alarming pace.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56But the real threat from these hornets isn't just to us.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59Asian hornets hunt one of our most vital
0:53:59 > 0:54:01and commercially important insects...
0:54:03 > 0:54:05..honeybees.
0:54:05 > 0:54:09And they do it in a gruesomely efficient way.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20The hornets hover outside the hive,
0:54:20 > 0:54:25waiting to pick off tired bees as they return from foraging.
0:54:28 > 0:54:32He caught one mid-air, that's extraordinary!
0:54:35 > 0:54:40That is an incredible act of predation.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42Once they catch a bee,
0:54:42 > 0:54:45they use their powerful jaws to rip their heads off.
0:54:45 > 0:54:50The hornets then fly the headless bee bodies back to their nests
0:54:50 > 0:54:52to feed to their young.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56European bees have no effective defence to this,
0:54:56 > 0:55:00so just a few Asian hornets can polish off hundreds of them
0:55:00 > 0:55:01in a few hours.
0:55:01 > 0:55:07It could be the last straw for bee populations already in crisis.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11And with honeybees worth billions of pounds to the European economy,
0:55:11 > 0:55:16this invasion of foreign hornets is coming at a great cost,
0:55:16 > 0:55:18and their next stop could be the UK.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27The Asian hornet is every bee's nightmare
0:55:27 > 0:55:31and the fact that it would only take a single fertilised queen
0:55:31 > 0:55:35to create such a devastating effect in the UK
0:55:35 > 0:55:40is a chilling example of how even the smallest of stowaways
0:55:40 > 0:55:44can have a massive impact on the delicate balance of nature.
0:55:48 > 0:55:52On my journey, I've met some truly unexpected animals
0:55:52 > 0:55:56and been amazed at how nature is responding to the ways
0:55:56 > 0:55:59we humans are changing the world.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02It's been really fascinating to see how,
0:56:02 > 0:56:04when you take an animal out of its natural home
0:56:04 > 0:56:06and place it somewhere different,
0:56:06 > 0:56:09it behaves differently, it's almost a different animal.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13Escape artists like Colombia's amorous hippos...
0:56:15 > 0:56:18..and Germany's light-fingered raccoons
0:56:18 > 0:56:22show how animals are adapting their natural skills
0:56:22 > 0:56:26to thrive in completely new places.
0:56:26 > 0:56:31Our towns and cities are taking things one step further.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34They're actually physically changing the animals
0:56:34 > 0:56:37that are turning up on our doorsteps.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39The coywolves in New York and the bears
0:56:39 > 0:56:42are showing that we're not just reshaping the planet,
0:56:42 > 0:56:46but also the animals on it, we're fast-tracking evolution.
0:56:47 > 0:56:48And whilst there's no doubt
0:56:48 > 0:56:52our actions come at huge cost for many creatures,
0:56:52 > 0:56:57it's been incredible to see how some animals have found refuge
0:56:57 > 0:56:59in the most unexpected human situations.
0:57:01 > 0:57:06I've been genuinely surprised and actually quite heartened
0:57:06 > 0:57:09by animals' extraordinary ability
0:57:09 > 0:57:11to adapt to this new world.
0:57:13 > 0:57:17Nowadays, animals are more and more likely to crop up
0:57:17 > 0:57:19unexpectedly in our human world,
0:57:19 > 0:57:25heralding a new and curiously unnatural history.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29HOWLING