0:00:04 > 0:00:11Only one creature has carved a life for itself in every habitat on Earth.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15That creature is us.
0:00:17 > 0:00:24All over the world we still use our ingenuity to survive in the wild places,
0:00:24 > 0:00:29far from the city lights, face to face with raw nature.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33This is the Human Planet.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Grass is a remarkable plant.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53It supports a great abundance of life.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58Wheat, rice, barley and corn,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01they're all grasses and they feed us.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08And the grasslands feed the animals that feed our world too.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Our lives on the grasslands have transformed the planet,
0:01:15 > 0:01:17from the prairies of America
0:01:17 > 0:01:20to the rice terraces of China.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25But it's not been easy.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29It's taken every last ounce of human courage and ingenuity
0:01:29 > 0:01:33to become masters of the grasslands.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14Dawn on the savannah in southern Kenya.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20It's the moment Rakita and his mates have been waiting for.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26The wildebeest migration has arrived.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34Here, lush grasses support the largest herds of animals in the world.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38A bounty of opportunity for these Dorobo hunters.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45But there's fierce competition for all this meat on the hoof
0:02:45 > 0:02:49from some of the world's most efficient killers.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22So how do mere humans, without fangs or claws,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26who can't outrun a wildebeest, get a meal around here?
0:03:29 > 0:03:33Rakita uses brains and teamwork.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41His plan is to let the lions kill the wildebeest,
0:03:41 > 0:03:45then he'll steal their dinner from right under their noses.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50His two friends are essential.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Lions aren't easily intimidated.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02First, Rakita must find the tracks of a lion pride on the hunt.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06(WHISPERING)
0:04:07 > 0:04:11At 65, he's a veteran hunter and takes the lead.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19They must watch their backs - this is man-eater territory.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23(THEY WHISPER)
0:04:40 > 0:04:45All the signs point to a fresh kill nearby.
0:05:06 > 0:05:12Rakita's been attacked by lions before. He knows this could end badly.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45They're up against 15 hungry lions, but, if they act as one,
0:05:45 > 0:05:50they might just intimidate the lions and push them off their kill.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02They make their move. Self-confidence is everything.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12This is the ultimate face-off.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23Suddenly, the lions back off.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Rakita has just minutes before the lions realise it's a bluff.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59In a matter of seconds, he butchers the haunch of the wildebeest,
0:06:59 > 0:07:01and they beat a hasty retreat.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30This is a scene which has played out throughout human existence,
0:07:30 > 0:07:35hunters using brains, not brawn, to outwit their mighty competitors.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Getting another animal to do the killing for you is clever,
0:08:24 > 0:08:29but making the kill yourself is an even bigger challenge.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36At the other end of Africa, on the edge of the Kalahari Desert,
0:08:36 > 0:08:42lies a much drier grassland, supporting far fewer animals.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46There's no free lunch here.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Kun and Nao are Ju/'hoansi bushmen.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Kun is a master hunter,
0:08:55 > 0:09:00one of a handful of Ju/'hoansi who still have the skills to hunt big game.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05So Kun is teaching his apprentice to keep this precious knowledge alive.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16The hunt begins by kindling fire.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32They burn the grass from around the only waterhole for many kilometres.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39They know the animals will ultimately come to drink here
0:09:39 > 0:09:43and when they do, they'll have nowhere to hide.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51Their bows and dart arrows are too small to kill outright,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54so they refine their weapons.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01Kun, the master, knows exactly where to find poison.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Within this hardened sand shell is a beetle grub.
0:10:08 > 0:10:15If just one drop of beetle juice gets into the tiniest cut, it will kill him.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18He anoints his arrows with great care.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28But their prey are wily too, so they build a grass hide.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31This is an ambush.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Kun wants his apprentice to get his first kudu.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45(WHISPERS)
0:10:50 > 0:10:53The antelope's acute hearing and sharp eyes
0:10:53 > 0:10:57mean he must learn to move silently and without being seen.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04But Nao has been spotted.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09The moment is lost.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11(WHISPERS)
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Two days later, the bushmen are still in their hide,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32hoping that the kudus' thirst will overcome their fear.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35But they stay away.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42Then even the master is caught unprepared.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45It's a leopard.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Suddenly the hunters risk becoming the hunted.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59A leopard's jaws have the power to crush a human skull.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28They're praying the leopard hasn't seen them.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Nao lies low in the shadows.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44This time they've managed to remain undetected.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56It's day six in the hide
0:12:56 > 0:12:59and the apprentice is no closer to getting a meal.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03A new group of kudu come in.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10They've got one chance.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Both men raise their bows.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Bull's-eye! An arrow has hit home and the kudu scatter.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38The injured kudu will run for many kilometres
0:13:38 > 0:13:43with the poison arrow in its flank, as the toxins slowly take effect.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47The pursuit begins.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51First, they must find the arrow shaft.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56It will show them which tracks to follow and also who made the hit.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19From here on, it's all about tracking.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24The ground is criss-crossed with hoof prints.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27The wrong decision will mean a wild-goose chase.
0:14:58 > 0:14:59While tracking,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03the hunters look at the landscape through the eyes of their prey.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20After ten hours, they finally catch up with the kudu.
0:15:28 > 0:15:34The poison has weakened it. She's exhausted, near death.
0:15:39 > 0:15:44Nao aims a spear to the heart to deliver a swift end.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15After seven days, Nao has finally killed his first kudu.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22Now there is one more person in the world who can do this.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26The meat they'll carry home will feed their whole village.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29And every part of the animal will be put to use.
0:16:32 > 0:16:39This burnt landscape looks dead, but grass is incredibly resilient.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43With the first drops of rain, it regenerates.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48And where these rains become floods,
0:16:48 > 0:16:52grass grows to keep pace with the rising waters.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57Around the world,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00many grasslands undergo such extreme seasonal changes,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03bringing new opportunities,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06but also lurking dangers.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16In Cambodia, the grasslands around Tonle Sap lake are flooding...
0:17:17 > 0:17:21...and for a few short weeks there are rich pickings to be had.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27It's Vaana's big chance to make a killing.
0:17:29 > 0:17:35He's here to hunt an unexpected, hidden and potentially fatal wild prey.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Vaana's hunting skill lies in recognising
0:18:03 > 0:18:08the difference between an easy meal and a deadly catch.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18But it's not fish he's after.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20It's snakes.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29There are many millions of them in this flooded grassland.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Most are edible water snakes but some are venomous.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39If he pulls up a cobra, its bite could kill him.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43It's a game of Russian roulette.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52Even his five-year-old son has to be a snake expert.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56Knowing which is which means survival here.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00The snakes gather in these huge numbers
0:19:00 > 0:19:04to hunt the fish which spawn in the submerged grass.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17It's no time to be squeamish.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22Every escapee sees Vaana's profits slither away.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37Vaana's whole family must get to grips with snakes.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47For the kids, they are welcome new toys.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Vaana's catch is destined for the biggest snake market in the world.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34Over 6 million snakes change hands in a matter of weeks.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01His payment for a week's snake wrangling...
0:21:01 > 0:21:0460p.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22But survival in the grasslands isn't all about hunting.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31In East Africa, the Masai have learnt how to collaborate with a wild bird
0:21:31 > 0:21:36to get a sweet treat they can only get if they work together.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39(WHISTLING)
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Leitato is whistling to attract a honey guide.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49It's a bird that is aptly named.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58The honey guide answers their whistles
0:21:58 > 0:22:02with a call it only uses to talk to humans.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17She starts a game of Follow My Leader...
0:22:22 > 0:22:26...since only she can smell the food they're after.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35When she's close to the prize, she changes her call,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38letting them know they're getting hotter.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57The boys have hit the jackpot - a beehive. The bird's job is done.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15Now they have to fulfil their part of the bargain - getting the honey out.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25It's hidden deep in the tree protected by hundreds of angry African bees.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33They use smoke to calm them.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41But it doesn't make the stings any less painful.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58The boys know they have to pay their guide.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Honeycomb with added grubs.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21It's the perfect partnership, but, as every Masai boy knows,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24if you don't give the honey guide its reward,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27next time it will lead you to a lion's den!
0:24:33 > 0:24:37So we've learnt how to find food in the wild grasslands,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41either on our own, or with a bit of help from others.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47But our mastery of the grasslands took a huge leap forward
0:24:47 > 0:24:50when we learnt how to exploit the grass itself.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58Wheat, maize and rice all started life as wild grasses,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01which we've bred into crops.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10This has enabled us to feed millions of people every year,
0:25:10 > 0:25:14and so we've settled down and built homes beside our fields.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21But this man-made abundance is irresistible
0:25:21 > 0:25:24to many animals we now call pests.
0:25:30 > 0:25:37On the African plains these cereal killers come in plague proportions.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Isiah lives in Tanzania.
0:25:45 > 0:25:51His rice harvest is just days away, but he knows an aerial attack is imminent.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05He must be vigilant, ever alert to the sound he dreads.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11The noise comes first...
0:26:11 > 0:26:13(BIRDS TWEETING)
0:26:16 > 0:26:19...then the advance party...
0:26:23 > 0:26:26...followed by the swarm.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30They are quelea.
0:26:30 > 0:26:35They come in their millions and people call them locust birds.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52They are the most numerous bird species on Earth,
0:26:52 > 0:26:54ravenous for grain.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02(IMITATES BIRD CALL)
0:27:03 > 0:27:08Isiah and his neighbours must try to prevent the quelea from settling,
0:27:08 > 0:27:12otherwise the flock will strip their crop in an hour.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21It's not a battle he can win, it's about limiting his losses.
0:27:26 > 0:27:32As the seeds ripen, these migrant flocks never stand still.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35But they do have an Achilles heel.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39In order to breed, the quelea must stop,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42weaving thousands of nests in tight colonies.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48This is the farmers' chance to strike back.
0:27:56 > 0:28:02While most of the flock is away feeding, a deadly trap is laid.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19The birds return as dusk falls.
0:28:55 > 0:29:00So far, we're one step ahead in the arms race with the pests.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04And our ability to manipulate the grasslands
0:29:04 > 0:29:07has gone from strength to strength.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13We have supersized these man-made grasslands...
0:29:15 > 0:29:18...sculpting mountains, felling forests
0:29:18 > 0:29:21and redesigning the very surface of our planet.
0:29:24 > 0:29:29Seven grasses feed almost seven billion people.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34They supply three-quarters of our carbohydrates,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37bread and pasta, noodles and porridge.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48These artificial great plains are making wild grasslands
0:29:48 > 0:29:51amongst the most endangered habitats on Earth.
0:29:55 > 0:30:00Yet it was on the wild grasslands, which support vast grazing herds,
0:30:00 > 0:30:04that we achieved perhaps our greatest triumph...
0:30:04 > 0:30:07to subjugate these animals to our needs.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12Controlling a plant is one thing,
0:30:12 > 0:30:15but dominating a creature with its own free will
0:30:15 > 0:30:18requires a far higher level of manipulation.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26The Mongolian steppe is the biggest grassland on Earth.
0:30:27 > 0:30:32There are more horses running wild here than anywhere else in the world.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39The Mongols' ability to tame horses
0:30:39 > 0:30:43has made these nomads masters of the steppe.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47and, in a family of horsemen, Ulaana is the best.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54He's got riding in his blood.
0:30:54 > 0:30:59His ancestor Genghis Khan used horse power to build an empire
0:30:59 > 0:31:04but today, Ulaana's family face a different challenge.
0:31:10 > 0:31:15They must use their horses' speed and stamina to capture wild mares.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26Driving the wild herd back to the ger camp is only the beginning of a day
0:31:26 > 0:31:30that will test Ulaana's agility and strength to the limit.
0:31:36 > 0:31:42Ultimately he's after the mare's milk, but it's not that straightforward.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56These wild mares don't give up their milk easily.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58They have to be tricked into it.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02His success will depend on total partnership with his horse.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26First, Ulaana lassoes the foals, so the mares will stay close.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30But even the foals are feisty.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38Ulaana leans behind his horse,
0:32:38 > 0:32:42using its strength and weight to resist the pull of the foal.
0:32:47 > 0:32:52He must balance at a gallop, using only his knees.
0:33:06 > 0:33:07Once he's caught a foal,
0:33:07 > 0:33:12his cousin Tungaa must get a halter on before it escapes.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17It is the first time they have felt the touch of a human hand.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24Once they're tethered, Ulaana can move on to the mares.
0:33:26 > 0:33:31This is the real battle - mares are five times his weight.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00With Ulaana at full stretch, everyone lends a hand.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39After two exhausting hours, the men begin to get the upper hand.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53Haltered and hobbled, this mare is finally subdued.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00Then they're left to calm down with their foals.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06Only with the foal suckling will the mare let down her milk
0:35:06 > 0:35:11and then Tungaa has a brief chance to draw some off for the family.
0:35:18 > 0:35:23But Mongolians prefer their milk with a twist.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30Their innovation has been to ferment this sugary milk into airag,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33a slightly alcoholic yoghurt.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44The yoghurt bacteria turns the milk
0:35:44 > 0:35:47into their most nutritious summer food.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25Without harming their animals,
0:36:25 > 0:36:29Ulaana's family can live off them year after year,
0:36:29 > 0:36:31turning the goodness of grass into yoghurt
0:36:31 > 0:36:37but, having bound their lives to the grazing herds, they are nomads,
0:36:37 > 0:36:41following the herds on their perpetual search for fresh pastures.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22In other cultures, we have taken this mastery a step further,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25taming and breeding the wild herds,
0:37:25 > 0:37:28making them docile and easy to handle.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33In the African savannah, herders keep their cattle close.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35They are owned now
0:37:35 > 0:37:41and, like property owners everywhere, men will fight to protect them.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46In the grasslands of southern Ethiopia,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49the Suri take this protection to extremes.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55Here, rival tribes even fight battles over cattle.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59So Suri herders must become warriors.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09Shahuri will stop at nothing to defend his herd.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30For the Suri, cattle are currency.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34Too valuable to kill, they care for them intimately.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45Every year Shahuri must undergo a ritual trial of courage
0:38:45 > 0:38:49to prove he's got what it takes to be a cattle warrior.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57He gets strength for the combat ahead directly from his cows
0:38:57 > 0:38:59by drinking their blood.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02It may look brutal, but it doesn't kill them.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11This rich blood gives Shahuri essential protein and iron,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14and his prize animal will recover quickly.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27The vicious ritual of donga
0:39:27 > 0:39:31will make or break Shahuri's reputation as a cowboy.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35It's the day of judgment.
0:39:35 > 0:39:40The rival Suri clans arrive, psyched up and ready for donga.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42(SINGING)
0:39:48 > 0:39:51It lasts a day.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54You pick an opponent from the neighbouring village for a duel.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58The more victories you win, the greater your courage.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05Shahuri walks to the ring.
0:40:05 > 0:40:10Even taking part in this ritual takes serious guts.
0:40:10 > 0:40:15He has no armour. His only defence is a lucky sunhat.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23Shahuri watches and waits.
0:40:43 > 0:40:48The donga sticks are two metres long. They can cause serious injury.
0:40:48 > 0:40:53To win, you must thrash your opponent until surrender.
0:41:02 > 0:41:07Finally, Shahuri is ready for battle.
0:41:26 > 0:41:32It's a victory, but not emphatic. To prove himself, he fights again.
0:41:38 > 0:41:44Suddenly his opponent backs down. Shahuri is the champion.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59Lifted high, his clan celebrate his victory.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11His cattle have their protector.
0:42:11 > 0:42:16Shahuri has proved he can be a cowboy, Ethiopian style.
0:42:23 > 0:42:29But in the Australian outback, they've reinvented the cowboy big time.
0:42:29 > 0:42:35Here, supersized ranches across the country hold 30 million cattle.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39This is the total mastery of man over beast,
0:42:39 > 0:42:42our ultimate ingenuity in the grasslands.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51Round-up used to take a month. Not any more.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06Ben Tapp is a muster pilot,
0:43:06 > 0:43:12and he must bring in 2,000 of his best cattle in just five days to get paid.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16He'll need all his flying skills,
0:43:16 > 0:43:22his ability to read the cattle, and his mate Rankin, if he's to succeed.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
0:43:30 > 0:43:32BEN: If you can understand the cattle,
0:43:32 > 0:43:35you can already anticipate what they're going to do.
0:43:35 > 0:43:36Like a good cattleman,
0:43:36 > 0:43:41you can identify every single beast, and every single beast is different.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44His cattle are out there somewhere.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48Scouting by air allows Ben to home in on them fast.
0:43:53 > 0:43:58It appears there's about six or seven of them along the line.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00When they find a group of cows,
0:44:00 > 0:44:05they drop down to the "death zone" to flush them out.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07Clipping any tree will be fatal.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17Don't put too much pressure on them. They're fairly hot now.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20Just stick with that mob there. Keep them going that way.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26You stick with them. Oh, here's this mob here.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30There are always some trouble-makers.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59We've got another...probably 150 coming in.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06The choppers work together, pushing the growing herd,
0:45:06 > 0:45:09but they've got 50 kilometres and billabongs to cross
0:45:09 > 0:45:12before they get to the ranch.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21Ben's cattle really don't like swimming.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28Anywhere here, where they're ready to cross, we'll just let them go.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38Oh, look out, look out!
0:45:38 > 0:45:43Every year, about ten muster pilots crash and burn.
0:45:45 > 0:45:47Just steady up there.
0:45:47 > 0:45:52- - They just work along... - - Yeah.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56From eight kilometres out, the ground crew joins the drive.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59I think we'll target a little bit southward.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01Come around. Everyone's here, right?
0:46:01 > 0:46:04But Ben's still calling the shots.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07Oh, the motorbike follows. Come on!
0:46:11 > 0:46:14Come on, motorbike! Motorbike follow, come on!
0:46:15 > 0:46:19Hurry up! They're going to go that way!
0:46:22 > 0:46:26Keep them going the way they are heading there now.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34(BEN CHUCKLES)
0:46:38 > 0:46:43Now, we don't need to wait for the wildebeest migration,
0:46:43 > 0:46:45we create our own.
0:46:50 > 0:46:54Grasslands have allowed us to dominate the planet.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58They are the landscape of phenomenal human achievement.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04They underpin our present global existence.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10These cattle, native to India, raised in Australia,
0:47:10 > 0:47:15will soon be shipped out to feed the international appetite for beef.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17And over the season...
0:47:17 > 0:47:20they'll make Ben a millionaire.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24- - Are you making much out of it? - - Yeah.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27About 1.3 million bucks.
0:47:27 > 0:47:29That's worth getting out of bed for!
0:47:29 > 0:47:32- - Yeah. - - (CHUCKLES)
0:47:36 > 0:47:40Our ingenuity and teamwork, intelligence and courage
0:47:40 > 0:47:44have all been refined in the grasslands.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51And this uniquely human combination of skills
0:47:51 > 0:47:54has enabled us to conquer the world.
0:47:59 > 0:48:01Without the grasslands,
0:48:01 > 0:48:05planet Earth would never have become the Human Planet.
0:48:14 > 0:48:19Trying to steal food from the jaws of the most powerful predator in Africa
0:48:19 > 0:48:20may seem to us like lunacy,
0:48:20 > 0:48:24but this extraordinary and dangerous feat
0:48:24 > 0:48:27has been practised in Kenya for thousands of years.
0:48:32 > 0:48:37But it has never been filmed before, and may never be filmed again.
0:48:44 > 0:48:49The Dorobo are an ancient tribe who live in the grasslands of East Africa.
0:48:49 > 0:48:53Conservation laws now stop many of their traditional practices
0:48:53 > 0:48:56and so threaten their whole way of life.
0:49:00 > 0:49:05To record this unique sequence, the Grasslands team needed a man
0:49:05 > 0:49:09who understands both lions and the Dorobo people who live here.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13Jackson Looseyia, the crew's guide,
0:49:13 > 0:49:16has a deep understanding of this way of life,
0:49:16 > 0:49:20having grown up nearby in the Masai Mara.
0:49:21 > 0:49:25When I was asked by the BBC if they are able to document this story,
0:49:25 > 0:49:29I said, yeah, because it's something that I've practised myself.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32I've chased lions from food when I was growing up.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34I knew this lifestyle.
0:49:34 > 0:49:35It's possible,
0:49:35 > 0:49:38it's just a matter of if the BBC are able
0:49:38 > 0:49:41to capture this before it is gone.
0:49:43 > 0:49:47It won't be easy, as the lions here aren't used to cars,
0:49:47 > 0:49:49so they're difficult to approach.
0:49:49 > 0:49:54They mainly hunt at night when it's too dangerous to get close on foot.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00So the challenge is to find a lion kill at dawn,
0:50:00 > 0:50:02to enable the Dorobo
0:50:02 > 0:50:07and big cat cameraman Warren Samuels to do their jobs.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09We've got to wait for the lion to make the kill
0:50:09 > 0:50:12and it's got to be at a time when we can still come out early morning
0:50:12 > 0:50:15and still have enough light to film them on the kill.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19We're hoping for a lot of luck.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23At first light, Jackson joins the Dorobo,
0:50:23 > 0:50:25in the hope of tracking down a fresh lion kill.
0:50:25 > 0:50:29You can see this is a footprint of a lion, a very big lion,
0:50:29 > 0:50:33and you can see there's a footprint of a wildebeest.
0:50:33 > 0:50:37Look here, you see, this is a very, very big pride,
0:50:37 > 0:50:39looking at the number of footprints,
0:50:39 > 0:50:43and the number of places that they like to drink.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47Because lions often hunt just before dawn,
0:50:47 > 0:50:50the team have to follow them both day and night.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
0:50:54 > 0:50:57(QUIETLY) In Africa, night is everything.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00It's terrifying, it's scary. But it's so much alive.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11Do you see them? There are the lions, we've found them, listen.
0:51:11 > 0:51:17Sharing the night shift with Jackson is Human Planet researcher, Jane Atkins.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20JANE: We just came across lionesses with their eight cubs
0:51:20 > 0:51:22quite local to where the Dorobo guys live.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24But the down side of that
0:51:24 > 0:51:26is that when the Dorobo do come across a kill,
0:51:26 > 0:51:29if it's in this area with this pride,
0:51:29 > 0:51:33these lionesses are going to be a lot more aggressive and protective.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41JACKSON: The struggle to try and keep up with this pride at night
0:51:41 > 0:51:45is because they cross in places that a vehicle would not be able to cross.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48Once you lose them, you know, they do stuff behind your back.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51So you are having to be on the go the whole time.
0:51:53 > 0:51:59After following the lions all night, they still haven't seen a kill.
0:51:59 > 0:52:04Warren, on the day shift, discovers there's a very good reason why.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08Ideally, the situation we wanted here was big herds of wildebeest,
0:52:08 > 0:52:10we wanted to get lions making kills,
0:52:10 > 0:52:12but the rains have come a little early,
0:52:12 > 0:52:14so most of the animals are up on the plains.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17All we've got now are small groups of five or six wildebeest.
0:52:17 > 0:52:21So we're really hoping that one of those groups of lions gets lucky
0:52:21 > 0:52:23and that they manage to kill one of them.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26OVER RADIO: No more groups of wildebeest. Just that one group you can see.
0:52:26 > 0:52:30Four more days pass and no lion kills have been seen.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34Finally, they get a shred of luck.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37We've got a big herd of wildebeest
0:52:37 > 0:52:41going through the horizon heading to the crossings again.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44We may have a chance again of a kill.
0:52:48 > 0:52:52The crew head off on the heels of the Dorobo.
0:52:52 > 0:52:57But after hours of tracking, again there's no sign of a kill.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03Jane and the night shift take over.
0:53:07 > 0:53:12We've just come across the lionesses and the male and all their cubs
0:53:12 > 0:53:15on a kill, and we are about...
0:53:15 > 0:53:19five metres away.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22The adult male is sitting now on a wildebeest kill.
0:53:25 > 0:53:30We are not going to be able to film this because, by the time it gets light,
0:53:30 > 0:53:33they'll have finished it.
0:53:33 > 0:53:38But it's absolutely amazing to be able to see it so close.
0:53:39 > 0:53:44The vehicle is now surrounded by 23 hungry lions.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47(SNARLING)
0:53:56 > 0:53:58JANE: Oh, God!
0:54:02 > 0:54:04(LAUGHS) My God!
0:54:06 > 0:54:10We've just had a lion chewing at our back tyre,
0:54:10 > 0:54:13and I absolutely kacked myself!
0:54:27 > 0:54:28Look at them!
0:54:28 > 0:54:31Not the Dorobo. They say they do it all the time.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34I don't know how they do it, I mean...
0:54:34 > 0:54:36(SQUEALING)
0:54:36 > 0:54:38...it's terrifying.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48By dawn, the lions have finished the kill.
0:54:48 > 0:54:55At the shift change, the power of the lion's bite is revealed.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57Look at that, it's amazing!
0:54:57 > 0:55:02Quite an adrenaline-filled night, really.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06It's eight in the morning, I've just finished my night shift,
0:55:06 > 0:55:08and although we found lions on a kill,
0:55:08 > 0:55:12by the time Warren came out and it was light enough for him to film,
0:55:12 > 0:55:16the carcass was pretty much ripped apart.
0:55:17 > 0:55:19You know, we've only got a few more days left.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25At last they get the news everyone's been waiting for.
0:55:25 > 0:55:29The pride they've been following has made a fresh kill.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32It's light enough to film, and the Dorobo are ready.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47We are just trying to find a position where we can get a clear view.
0:55:47 > 0:55:49There's too much brush in the way.
0:55:50 > 0:55:54The crew are still worried about the Dorobos' safety.
0:56:52 > 0:56:55JACKSON: I didn't believe that we would get this shot.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58I thought the lions would attack these guys
0:56:58 > 0:57:00especially when they had their cubs.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03But all of a sudden, when the big male got up and ran,
0:57:03 > 0:57:08I was relieved, because I thought he would be the one which will attack us,
0:57:08 > 0:57:13but I'm really, really chuffed. Great stuff! Ay-ay-ah!
0:57:17 > 0:57:21The special connection I've got with the Dorobo is the lifestyle.
0:57:21 > 0:57:26It's pretty sad to know that it's about to disappear.
0:57:26 > 0:57:32The time that I've spent with these guys, I think it's too short.
0:57:32 > 0:57:37I've realised how much I have lost and how much I have learnt so far
0:57:37 > 0:57:41since I have been with them in the last two weeks.
0:57:42 > 0:57:47I would be very happy if this has been captured for my kids
0:57:47 > 0:57:50and the rest of the generations of the Dorobo kids,
0:57:50 > 0:57:53and be proud that our ancestors, our fathers, our elders
0:57:53 > 0:57:57did practise this scary, scary experience.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59(GROWLING)