0:00:02 > 0:00:05Guyana, South America.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07A land covered in rainforest
0:00:07 > 0:00:09that's unexplored and under threat.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15If we're concerned about species lost,
0:00:15 > 0:00:19we should be concerned about keeping the forests intact.
0:00:19 > 0:00:24For the last three weeks, an international team of scientists and film-makers
0:00:24 > 0:00:28has been cataloguing the animals that hide in this wilderness.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32It's one of the most spectacular places on the planet.
0:00:32 > 0:00:37They're discovering it's one of the world's richest and most pristine rainforests.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41(Fantastic...)
0:00:41 > 0:00:44The diversity must be absolutely incredible.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46It's hard to think that this could disappear.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48It really needs to be preserved.
0:00:48 > 0:00:53Now the team has split up on different missions.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Gordon and George are travelling to the headwaters
0:00:55 > 0:00:58of a remote river where the animals are rumoured to show little fear of man.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Oh, wow!
0:01:00 > 0:01:05They could really mess this area up in a very short space of time, and that's terrifying.
0:01:05 > 0:01:11Justine is in search of one of the planet's strangest animals.
0:01:11 > 0:01:16And the climbing team is attempting the first ascent of a remote mountain.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17I don't like this.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Oh, God!
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Steve Backshall is finding it tough.
0:01:22 > 0:01:29Last night, they camped 115 metres off the ground, suspended in space.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33I'm starting to think whether I really am capable of this,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36whether it really is something I should be trying to do.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Guyana, the size of Great Britain.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09It's one of the few tropical countries where most of the rainforest is still intact.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Just over the border in Venezuela,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18the trees meet an extraordinary range
0:02:18 > 0:02:21of table top mountains.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32The climbing team spent the night perched high on this rock face.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Getting out of bed on the wrong side here
0:02:35 > 0:02:37is not an option.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Hello, mate.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Bit scary.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59This would have to be one of the most glorious places I've ever woken up.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03The view's extraordinary - you can see all the way to Brazil.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06There are wisps of cloud below us, and the light is beautiful.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13The summits of these mountains have been isolated for tens of millions of years.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17They're a lost kingdom of strange animals and plants.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24No-one has ever climbed Mount Upuigma before.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28If they reach the top, they hope to discover new species.
0:03:28 > 0:03:33I hope that we make a lot more progress than we did yesterday - we were very slow yesterday.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38The less time we can spend today, the more time we have on top
0:03:38 > 0:03:40to go finding animals, and that's what we're here for.
0:03:43 > 0:03:44Steve's an accomplished climber,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48but to keep up with his world class team, he's having to raise his game.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56Ivan Calderon is a Venezuelan mountain specialist.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01It's always an adventure climbing.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05You never know what's going on in the next step.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09John Arran is one of Britain's best climbers.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13See you, chaps.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18Filming the attempt is a veteran of over 60 climbing films, Keith Partridge.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21It's not the sort of place to start freaking out, really.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24It's the sort of place a lot of people might freak out,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28but you certainly don't want that to happen, to be honest.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35Ahead of them, a climb the height of Canary Wharf.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Steve's leading the first pitch of the day.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47All this gear, and I'll probably get up ten metres and get scared and come back down again.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49It's going to be a total waste!
0:04:49 > 0:04:51- That's the spirit, Steve!- Yeah.
0:04:51 > 0:04:57It's a risky, responsible job to place the protection wherever physically possible.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04I'm going to get rid of that one out there, and put it in here.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- If you're sure it's a good 'un. - Yeah, it is.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12The metal cams are wedged in the rock to hold the safety rope.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Every step is a step into the unknown.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Steve, what's it look like above?
0:05:21 > 0:05:25It's very difficult to tell, John, but...
0:05:25 > 0:05:28It certainly doesn't look like the kind of thing you'd climb for fun.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35As a climber, Steve wants to be the first to scale this mountain.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40As a naturalist, he wants to find the animals living on its summit.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47No scientists have spent any time on top of Mount Upuigma.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Two did arrive by helicopter,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52but after a few hours, deemed the terrain too dangerous to stay.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00As the climbing becomes more treacherous, John takes the lead.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Steve, just above the belay, on the right,
0:06:04 > 0:06:08there is a loose boulder, a really dangerous, large boulder, right above Ivan.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Whatever you do, don't touch it. Over.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13I've got this great big flake here...
0:06:15 > 0:06:16..which is ready to go.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19It's the size of a fridge freezer.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21If it came off...
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Oh, God, I don't want to think about what would happen if it came off.
0:06:24 > 0:06:31Shattered boulders far below lie silent witness to the unreliable rock face.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35STEVE PANTS
0:06:35 > 0:06:37How the hell am I going to get round that?
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Oh, God...
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Oh, God, that's loose, too.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Oh, shoot.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52STEVE PANTS HEAVILY
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Take in, John!
0:07:00 > 0:07:03(Please don't go, please don't go, please don't go...)
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Oh, Jeez!
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Oh, I can honestly say that's one of the scariest things I've ever done.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21The thing about it, Steve, this is not a good position to be either, so...
0:07:21 > 0:07:22On you come, boyo.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Cameraman Keith is also in a precarious position.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33- Are you on something loose too?- I'm not on anything, that's the thing.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35All right...
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Oh, God!
0:07:53 > 0:07:55(I don't like this...)
0:08:06 > 0:08:11Over the border stretches the vast jungle of Guyana.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14The country wants to keep its forests intact.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18But it's a poor nation, and timber raises much-needed cash.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Team members Gordon Buchanan and George McGavin are heading
0:08:26 > 0:08:30to an area that is today remote, but could soon be opened up for logging.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37Their destination, the headwaters of the remote river Rewa.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44Ahead of them, mile after mile of ferocious rapids.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48Wow...
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Well, that's quite fast.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53It is tough, just getting your head round this concept
0:08:53 > 0:08:58of using the river as a means of getting around.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00And then suddenly, you hit this big barrier,
0:09:00 > 0:09:04and if we want to go on, we've got to do some heavy grafting to get over.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10The wildlife of the upper reaches is protected
0:09:10 > 0:09:12by these treacherous falls.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14The few fishermen that have ventured past
0:09:14 > 0:09:19have returned with stories of animals that show little fear of man.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28This is the point where you work out exactly what you need
0:09:28 > 0:09:29and what you don't need.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34We've got three boats, three engines, all the fuel,
0:09:34 > 0:09:35all the food, all the kit...
0:09:35 > 0:09:38It's a lot of stuff...a lot of stuff.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44They're not the only ones trying to climb the cascades.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50There are literally tens of thousands of small fish here...
0:09:50 > 0:09:54And they're all heading - this is a holding area -
0:09:54 > 0:09:56they're all heading up this tiny crack here,
0:09:56 > 0:10:01it's the only bit on the falls which they can actually leap up...
0:10:01 > 0:10:03I've never seen anything like it.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Well, you wouldn't starve here!
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Wow... Look at that!
0:10:14 > 0:10:17That is just unreal.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Poor things, they're just absolutely pooped.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25George and Gordon are faring little better.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Their boat's being dragged back against the current.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36If it flips, they'll lose their kit.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39The team battle to regain control.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Somehow, they manage to hold on.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58It was very deep there - really deep.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01You'd be amazed at how strong it was.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03You think you're in control,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06then suddenly, the current just takes the boat...
0:11:06 > 0:11:07Pphwoof!
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Yeah, you really have to be careful out there.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15There are three sets of falls.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Every item of kit must be hauled over land.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23The support team consists of an ex-military medic...
0:11:24 > 0:11:26..one cook...
0:11:26 > 0:11:30five boat drivers and a jungle guide.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33Who's got a machete?
0:11:39 > 0:11:43This is exactly similar to what WE have been doing, actually.
0:11:43 > 0:11:49Carrying heavy loads of food and boats up and down the jungle.
0:11:49 > 0:11:50This is very similar.
0:11:50 > 0:11:56Some of the smaller worker ants are hitching a ride.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Because there are small flies, who fly over the swarm here,
0:12:00 > 0:12:05and they actually try to lay their eggs in the heads of the ants
0:12:05 > 0:12:07who are holding a load.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10And so what's involved is this very smart trick
0:12:10 > 0:12:14where the very smaller workers actually sit on the leaf load
0:12:14 > 0:12:18and fend off the flies as they come in, so it's a really smart trick.
0:12:18 > 0:12:23And if you see an ant which has had a fly egg in its head,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26the fly egg hatches and grows inside the head, and eventually,
0:12:26 > 0:12:31the ant's head just falls off - just drops on the ground and rolls away,
0:12:31 > 0:12:32and a fly hatches out of it.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40That's the last of the kit.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44So only three boats now.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49And we're done... in more ways than one.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54It's the hottest part of the day, and the worst job is still to come.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Dehydration and exhaustion are a real danger.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12He's just awesome to watch...
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Like a spider just scampering up the wall.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22John Arran is a legend in the climbing world,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25but even he is finding it tough.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29Looks like one or two hard moves, and then it's done.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31But they could be quite hard.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36That's a bit loose.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Is it within my grade?
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Yeah...
0:13:45 > 0:13:47But not by much.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Steve has climbed some of the world's highest mountains,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52but this first ascent of Mount Upuigma
0:13:52 > 0:13:57is pushing his technical skill and stamina to the limit.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Oh, God... That is the move.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Got no foothold...
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Oh, no!
0:15:19 > 0:15:20You all right, Steve?
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Just came off... Sorry, John.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Can you get on again?
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Ha ha(!)
0:15:34 > 0:15:38It's impossible for him to climb up the rope with his bare hands.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41For the moment, he's well and truly stuck...
0:15:43 > 0:15:45..250 metres up.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49On three...
0:15:53 > 0:15:56One, two...
0:15:56 > 0:15:59They've been dragging kit through the forest for eight hours -
0:15:59 > 0:16:03they've saved the worst until last.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07It's a good one. Here's the top.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Steady, steady, steady...
0:16:16 > 0:16:17Wait, wait, wait, wait...
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Whoa, whoa, whoa.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24At last... They've made it!
0:16:24 > 0:16:25Yay!
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Reaching paradise was never going to be easy.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43Straight away, this river seems rich in wildlife.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Was that what I thought it was?
0:17:02 > 0:17:04- A giant otter. - Yeah, yeah, right there.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Down it comes, lovely.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Look... There they are! Oh, fantastic.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11Look, there's three of them!
0:17:11 > 0:17:16Giant otters make a beeline for the water to check out the strangers.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20So what, we're only two hours on the Rewa,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24- we're already seeing big, classy animals.- Yeah.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Absolutely. This is really unspoilt.
0:17:27 > 0:17:33What a thrill to be...what, 15 feet from a giant otter.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40None of the animals seem concerned about the newcomers.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44Bit forward, bit further forward.
0:17:44 > 0:17:50Capybara! The world's largest rodent,
0:17:50 > 0:17:51in this world of giant animals.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55That is the biggest rodent, it's about the size of a small dog.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57- Big dog!- The size of a big dog.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02- He seems incredibly relaxed, doesn't he?- He's sweet!
0:18:02 > 0:18:04We were very close to him, actually,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07and he seemed pretty unconcerned.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11See, round every corner is a surprise.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Macaws.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19That's the first time I've seen them in full colour in the sun,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23because they're always flying overhead, so all you see is a dark shape.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27If you don't actually see them in the sun, you don't get that fantastic blue and gold.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29They are stunning...
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Really beautiful.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Wingspan about that... about that, Gordon?
0:18:34 > 0:18:36Yeah, yeah. They're big.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39- Big birds.- They're a parrot...
0:18:39 > 0:18:42parrot species, and it's the one that pirates
0:18:42 > 0:18:45most frequently have on their shoulders in cartoons.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50- Arrr, Gordon lad, ha! - They don't speak.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Since George and Gordon visited this area,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58plans have been announced to log some of the trees in the forest.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01The future of the wildlife is now uncertain.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Have you got it, Gordon?
0:19:10 > 0:19:13They could be the last biologists to record the animals
0:19:13 > 0:19:15in the forest's pristine state.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18As they journey deeper, they hope to find
0:19:18 > 0:19:21some of Guyana's most impressive creatures -
0:19:21 > 0:19:26powerful eagles, big cats, giant snakes.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Now I'm in a real quandary.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37Steve is still dangling 250 metres up...
0:19:37 > 0:19:38in thin air.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45The team is preparing to get him back on the rock face.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53He's handed a device to help him climb back up the rope.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55OK, here it comes. Mind your hands as well,
0:19:55 > 0:19:57take your hands away from the blue hook.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Mind your head. Here she comes.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04How does that work?
0:20:04 > 0:20:10Right, what you do is you open...take it off.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Lift the red up a little bit. Pull it like you're prising it apart.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18That's it. Then spin it,
0:20:18 > 0:20:20clip it round the rope.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24- Right, does that work?- It does.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Thank God for you!
0:20:30 > 0:20:32OK...
0:20:32 > 0:20:35As you stand up, pull the down side of the rope upwards.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40That rope, pull it up when you stand up.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43- You'll automatically go through the mini-traction.- Ah, right, got you.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Pull it up around the pulley.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Yeah, that's the baby!
0:20:49 > 0:20:50Thanks, mate.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Steve's troubles aren't over yet.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04The safety rope is the team's lifeline.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08They must avoid it snagging on the sharp rocks.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11The rope's rubbing really, really badly above me.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Ooh!
0:21:16 > 0:21:18That's going to ping.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23I'm sorry, Keith, I might swing into you if that happens.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25No problem. I'm well anchored.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37Steve must make his moves with the utmost care.
0:21:48 > 0:21:49Ahhhh...
0:21:49 > 0:21:51You're clear now, mate.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Everything's cool.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Well done.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00They can't afford another setback.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04The more time they spend climbing, the less time they'll have to explore on top.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15But there's no guarantee they'll even make it.
0:22:18 > 0:22:26270 miles to the south-east, forest gives way to natural grasslands.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Here, jungle wildlife shares space
0:22:32 > 0:22:37with the cattle from a few remote ranches.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Camerawoman Justine Evans is on her mission to find the creatures which live here.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Look at that!
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Beautiful.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51We've got marsh around here. Some of it's quite deep.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54The horses can cross it really easily,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58but for us it's a real pain, wading through all this water all the time.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00It's such a great way to get about.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09She's heading to the shade of the forested islands that pepper the landscape.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Trying to find a way through this so I can get to the top
0:23:25 > 0:23:30to see if I can get a view of some howler monkeys that are supposed to be up here.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Lots of gnawing, signs of gnawing going on here.
0:23:33 > 0:23:39You can see up here... That looks really like monkey damage to me.
0:23:39 > 0:23:40I don't know about howlers.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Maybe something like squirrel monkeys.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44Well, that's a good sign.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Definitely monkeys around here. It looks quite fresh, this, as well.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55After an hour of searching, she discovers the hideout
0:23:55 > 0:24:00of a colony of bats that feed only on blood - vampires.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Hmm!
0:24:06 > 0:24:08They've got their echo-locating...
0:24:08 > 0:24:11They've got their leaf noses and big ears.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16They're vampire bats at the back. Oh... Wow!
0:24:16 > 0:24:18They are the stuff of nightmares, aren't they?
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Vampire bats are perfectly designed to feed on blood.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Razor-sharp teeth pierce the skin,
0:24:27 > 0:24:32and two channels under the tongue help draw it up.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Whoa!
0:24:35 > 0:24:39I don't like the idea of falling asleep out on the savannah
0:24:39 > 0:24:43and having one of those crawling up onto me and licking my blood.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47You can see where they've been defecating down the wall.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50That will all be blood.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Whoa...
0:24:52 > 0:24:55A healthy population of vampire bats signals
0:24:55 > 0:24:58there are plenty of animals to feed on.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08Tonight, Justine will camp out on the grassland.
0:25:08 > 0:25:14Tomorrow at dawn, she starts her search for the savannah's strangest creature - the giant anteater.
0:25:16 > 0:25:17It's going to be a rough night.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24So we've only got one tent that's waterproof, have we?
0:25:29 > 0:25:35The tents have got no outer sheets...no way of holding them down.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38It's all a disaster.
0:25:38 > 0:25:39Everything is in here.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44I don't know what we're gonna do when it pours with rain. We can't all sleep in here.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47We're just gonna have to hide away for a while.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51THUNDER CRACKS
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Another dawn breaks on Mount Upuigma.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13Last night, the climbing team found a cave high on the rock face.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16OK, people. Coffee is ready.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Don't spill it, please... Brilliant.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29John and I have just popped out.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32First of all, we can see what seems like the top,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35but we've just had a hummingbird come and hang
0:26:35 > 0:26:38about a foot in front of my face...
0:26:38 > 0:26:42cos they've never seen people before. They're so inquisitive.
0:26:42 > 0:26:48And now, there's a flock of parakeets who've come to check us out as well.
0:26:48 > 0:26:53And that sound is the swifts... This place is unreal!
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Just swooping right in close to our heads.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03The noise is almost like a kite being powered up.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Shhhooo...
0:27:05 > 0:27:08You can hear them chirping away.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12BIRDS CHIRP AND SING
0:27:12 > 0:27:15I'm getting rather excited here.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20There's also a little bug here, and I have absolutely no idea what it is.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24With such a wealth of wildlife on the cliff face,
0:27:24 > 0:27:28the prospects for the top are richer still.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Animals are pretty smart.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42They don't come out in the rain. Even insects don't come out in the rain.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46We're gonna have to sit and wait it out, unfortunately.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48But we've got so few days here
0:27:48 > 0:27:52that we've lost a day, effectively, just because of the rain.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56In this untouched forest, they had been hoping to find
0:27:56 > 0:28:02Guyana's top predators - anaconda, jaguar and harpy eagle.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Just when I said it couldn't get any worse...
0:28:05 > 0:28:08the porridge is burnt!
0:28:08 > 0:28:13That's not good for a Scotsman, is it, burnt porridge? Mmm...
0:28:13 > 0:28:16The rain's eased off a bit. Yeah, it has.
0:28:16 > 0:28:22That's good. It's a bit annoying, because peak jaguar time is...
0:28:22 > 0:28:28- eight until sort of ten.- And it's now...?- It's now nearly ten.
0:28:28 > 0:28:33Despite the delay, Gordon decides to take his chances.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37Ah, a gasteracantha spider!
0:28:37 > 0:28:43I nearly plonked myself on that. This is a fantastic spider.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47It's got these amazing spines in the abdomen. It's quite hard, actually.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49If you were to sit on that, actually,
0:28:49 > 0:28:51it would be quite painful.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Very heavily armed with spines.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00In search of the elusive jaguar.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06The heavy rains have swollen the river,
0:29:06 > 0:29:11and most animals have retreated into the forest - except one...
0:29:11 > 0:29:13the normally nocturnal pacca.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19It's a fairly large rodent...
0:29:21 > 0:29:25quite commonly found, but not during the day.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27These things could be taken
0:29:27 > 0:29:32by certainly an anaconda round here...jaguar...
0:29:32 > 0:29:35Lots of things eat them.
0:29:36 > 0:29:41They should be spending the days underground, the whole family group,
0:29:41 > 0:29:44and then they come out and about at nighttime,
0:29:44 > 0:29:47but this one's been scared out by something.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50Come on, Mr Pacca.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53Get out of there.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55Because a slippery, muddy bank
0:29:55 > 0:29:58on the side of a river is not a good place...
0:29:58 > 0:30:02for a plump pacca to be.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19Justine has enlisted the help of a local cattle rancher in her search for giant anteaters.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28He thinks there's one roaming this area.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32Shall we go and tie up over there?
0:30:35 > 0:30:36This is interesting.
0:30:36 > 0:30:41You can see where this termite nest has had the top knocked off it,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44and it's definitely an anteater that's done this.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48It looks like a good area. Lots of termite nests here.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Orvin's spotted one.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58But the anteater has sensed them.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02Made too much noise.
0:31:05 > 0:31:06Stuck in a bog!
0:31:08 > 0:31:09And off he goes.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Right.
0:31:19 > 0:31:24Giant anteaters have bad eyesight but a good sense of smell.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27She must approach quietly downwind.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32Fantastic!
0:31:46 > 0:31:50It's just really fascinating to see how it's using this landscape.
0:31:50 > 0:31:55It's just specialised with what this landscape has to offer,
0:31:55 > 0:31:58which is lots of ants and lots of termites.
0:31:58 > 0:31:59It's just perfect for it.
0:31:59 > 0:32:05Giant anteaters have no teeth, but their elongated heads
0:32:05 > 0:32:08hide a 60cm tongue covered in sticky saliva.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12They're just like aliens - just bizarre looking.
0:32:13 > 0:32:18It's feeding on something now. It's got its head right down in the grass.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21It's got its tongue and it's sticking it down the holes,
0:32:21 > 0:32:23All the termites get stuck on the tongue
0:32:23 > 0:32:26and they just lap up as many as they can.
0:32:33 > 0:32:38They're only walking on their three main toes, which are curled under,
0:32:38 > 0:32:41so they only pull the claws out when they're actually digging.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44They're basically walking on their knuckles.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46Which just looks weird!
0:32:46 > 0:32:51They're all together quite strange - real specialists.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56This discovery marks the end of Justine's journey.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58Tomorrow, she must head home.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03It's great to see a giant anteater. First time ever!
0:33:03 > 0:33:07First time I've got a shot. First time I've ever seen one. Brilliant!
0:33:24 > 0:33:27After three days of relentless climbing,
0:33:27 > 0:33:31Steve is just 30 metres from the top, but it's not over yet.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36I'm actually not sure how I'm gonna tackle that.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45Got a foothold there, but that's another that might peel off.
0:33:45 > 0:33:46Oh, God!
0:33:58 > 0:34:00MAN: Well done.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04I think I can see the top!
0:34:16 > 0:34:18The next of it's a nasty bit.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24Oh, dear! That's all gonna come off.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Oh, God!
0:34:31 > 0:34:35He's almost there but, in this final push,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38he's having to cling on to loose soil and roots.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44Go on. Good.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Go on. Excellent.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51Hey-heeeey!
0:34:51 > 0:34:53Nice one, Steve!
0:34:54 > 0:34:56Yes!
0:34:56 > 0:35:00Ah! Oh, fantastic!
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Steve's work as a climber is done.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10Now he must break through the thick wall of vegetation,
0:35:10 > 0:35:14before he can start his search for wildlife on the summit.
0:35:30 > 0:35:35Gordon and George are discovering why it's called a rainforest.
0:35:54 > 0:36:00I'm wet, I'm cold, I'm hungry, and I'm tired.
0:36:00 > 0:36:01Are you in pain anywhere?
0:36:01 > 0:36:03No, I'm not. I'm pain free.
0:36:03 > 0:36:04Well, that's all right.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06At least I've got my health.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09THEY CHUCKLE
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Well, it is a rainforest.
0:36:11 > 0:36:1380 inches of rain a month.
0:36:13 > 0:36:14It could rain like this all day.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17It could easily rain like this for several days.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20My hammock's gonna feel very comfortable tonight.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23You're assuming you'll get into it.
0:36:25 > 0:36:30What I'd give for a nice warm bed and a cup of coffee.
0:36:40 > 0:36:45George is taking the opportunity to catch up on cataloguing his insects.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51Despite the fact that we've had bad luck and we've had a lot of rain
0:36:51 > 0:36:56and a lot of problems, it's still an enormous thrill
0:36:56 > 0:36:58to be in an area for the first time
0:36:58 > 0:37:01which hasn't been collected by anybody.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05So, all of the stuff I collect, it'll be a first for this area.
0:37:12 > 0:37:17On top of Mount Upuigma, Steve is also making new discoveries.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Look at this!
0:37:22 > 0:37:28We've popped out into a moss, bromeliad, fern forest.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31This really is the lost world!
0:37:43 > 0:37:45As the rest of the team searches for animals,
0:37:45 > 0:37:49Steve is exploring a rocky shelf above.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53They're running in tracks.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56You can see there's almost like roads.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00These here are bird prints.
0:38:01 > 0:38:07But these are definitely mammal prints.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10Kind of polecat.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13A medium-sized mustelid perhaps,
0:38:13 > 0:38:15something from the weasel family.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17Which means there are mammals up here.
0:38:18 > 0:38:23If we find them, they're almost certain to be a new species.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29They have just three days to track down the mystery mammal.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36Well done. Who found it?
0:38:36 > 0:38:39It was just lucky. Be careful, he's very jumpy.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41Look at that underside.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43Beautiful colours. Ooh!
0:38:43 > 0:38:46Good catch.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49What are you? I'm gonna have to hold him still like that.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52I think what's particularly special about this frog is
0:38:52 > 0:38:57I've not seen it in any of the guides or any of the textbooks for the frogs of this area.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00What's particularly beautiful, if you look at the underside,
0:39:00 > 0:39:05quite dull on top, but underneath, the belly,
0:39:05 > 0:39:07and the underside of the pads, look at those colours.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10That's really quite dramatic, isn't it?
0:39:10 > 0:39:13Unfortunately, it's very difficult to name a new species
0:39:13 > 0:39:17without taking it back to a museum and running all sorts of tests on it,
0:39:17 > 0:39:20and to do that, we'd have to kill it, which I'm not prepared to do.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24So, I'm gonna put it back where it belongs, in this bromeliad here.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30Unidentified frogs, unknown footprints.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32Who knows what else the mountain holds?
0:39:34 > 0:39:37It's been a frustrating day for George and Gordon.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39But at least the rain has stopped.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43I have to say this is not the sharpest tool in the kit.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45OK, onions done.
0:39:45 > 0:39:46Potatoes?
0:39:48 > 0:39:52I've been fantasising about a slow-roasted lamb shank
0:39:52 > 0:39:55for most of last week.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01Before dinner, George has important work to do.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05After rain, insects come out.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09This is the first ultra-violet trap that anyone's ever set in this area.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22What on earth...? I've never seen that before.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26That thing there is a very strange family of bug.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28It's not much recorded.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30How many things are here? I mean...
0:40:31 > 0:40:34200 species easily.
0:40:34 > 0:40:39I think it'd be safe to say that at least 5%, if not 10% of them...
0:40:41 > 0:40:43..may be undescribed.
0:40:43 > 0:40:44That's the fact of it.
0:40:44 > 0:40:51So if we could save all the forests in hot countries like Guyana,
0:40:51 > 0:40:57then you would immediately save over 50% of all the world's species.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00So that surely is worth doing.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Look at that!
0:41:04 > 0:41:07That is just stonkingly beautiful.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10This pale, ivory-coloured moth.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Yet at the right angle, you see
0:41:12 > 0:41:17these beautiful little golden beads all round the edge there.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19That's just...
0:41:19 > 0:41:21That's incredible.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23This is a monster! I've never seen this.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26Look at the size of this guy! Whoa!
0:41:28 > 0:41:31That is a mole cricket and a half!
0:41:31 > 0:41:35That's an absolute beauty.
0:41:35 > 0:41:41I'm in my element here and it makes all the portaging
0:41:41 > 0:41:42and the sweating...
0:41:43 > 0:41:45It makes it all worthwhile.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49George must get some rest.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53He needs to be up early to search for the giant anaconda.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03On the top of Mount Upuigma,
0:42:03 > 0:42:07the climbers spent the night sheltering under an overhang.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11Now they're preparing for another day searching for animals.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18All this climbing takes quite a toll on your hands.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22You just tend to get nasty, kind of, blisters,
0:42:22 > 0:42:26particularly in the points where the ropes rub through your fingers.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30MAN: Does it hurt?
0:42:30 > 0:42:31Yes.
0:42:33 > 0:42:34It's not too bad.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41Hundreds of swifts are feeding above,
0:42:41 > 0:42:44watched on by their predators, falcons.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57From the second we reached the top of the climb,
0:42:57 > 0:43:00these calls have been in our ears the entire time.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03To begin with, we thought it was a bat falcon, which is quite common.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08But those don't occur at anything like this altitude or in this kind of terrain.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12What does, and what were spotted in 1999 to the east of us,
0:43:12 > 0:43:15is the orange-breasted falcon.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18I think there'll be a lot of ornithologists out there who'll be
0:43:18 > 0:43:21really happy to know that it's alive and well here on Upuigma.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25It looks to me like we've got a pair with a youngster.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29There's all sorts of interactions going on between the three of them.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32Very, very vocal birds.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45As Evan explores the cliff face,
0:43:45 > 0:43:49Steve is hunting for the mystery mammal.
0:43:49 > 0:43:54There's a great little hole down here with loads of paw prints.
0:43:54 > 0:43:56It would make a perfect burrow.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00Let's go inside with the night camera, see what we can see.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04It smells quite strong in here.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09That kind of musty, animal smell.
0:44:09 > 0:44:13It certainly looks like a perfect burrow for a medium-sized mammal.
0:44:13 > 0:44:18I can't see anything. There's loads of prints, but there's no droppings.
0:44:27 > 0:44:31Since first light, George and Gordon have been continuing
0:44:31 > 0:44:34their search for Guyana's top predators.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36One of the boatmen thinks he's seen
0:44:36 > 0:44:39a giant anaconda hidden in the bushes.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42One big one.
0:44:42 > 0:44:43Anaconda?
0:44:45 > 0:44:48- Anaconda?- Yeah. And if he says it's a big one...
0:44:48 > 0:44:50- It'll be big.- It'll be big.
0:45:04 > 0:45:06There's a big one.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09It's a big one indeed.
0:45:09 > 0:45:11- Can we get in there?- Goodness me.
0:45:12 > 0:45:17It's like a car tyre. Yeah, it's like a car tyre on its side.
0:45:17 > 0:45:18A very large car tyre.
0:45:18 > 0:45:22Gordon is just going to sneak onto land
0:45:22 > 0:45:27and try and get a picture of this anaconda on the ground.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30Razor grass.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35Gordon's about eight feet away from it.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38Goodness me, that's a huge snake.
0:45:38 > 0:45:44It's five metres long, its body the size of Gordon's waist.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46Just doing a bit of pruning.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49You can't really get a clear view of it.
0:45:49 > 0:45:54I've seen an anaconda smaller than that eat a whole pig.
0:45:55 > 0:45:59Something the size of me, it could possibly do it.
0:46:01 > 0:46:05Anaconda kill by coiling their body tightly around their prey
0:46:05 > 0:46:08and stopping the blood circulation.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10The victim is swallowed whole.
0:46:13 > 0:46:18If you're scared of snakes, this thing would give you nightmares.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20His tongue's not out.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23If his tongue comes out, that means it can sense us.
0:46:23 > 0:46:24It can actually taste us.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28At the moment, I think it's just fast asleep.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34Oh, my God!
0:46:34 > 0:46:36Now that is... That's big.
0:46:37 > 0:46:43This place really is strangely rich in wildlife.
0:46:43 > 0:46:47I've never seen or heard of anywhere like this place.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49This is a land of giants.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52It's eyes are open. Look.
0:46:53 > 0:46:58It's great to see it and I think we should just leave it alone.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04They head into the forest,
0:47:04 > 0:47:08where they're confronted by a yet another giant.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12This is an enormous tree!
0:47:12 > 0:47:15It's a silk cottonwood.
0:47:15 > 0:47:20Absolutely vast! That's bigger than anything we've seen.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23- Definitely.- Good grief!
0:47:23 > 0:47:28- That is incredible.- Look at the size of those buttress roots. Oh, wow.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31- Look, look, look!- What have you got? What have you got?
0:47:31 > 0:47:36- Oh, my God!- It's one of those... - That is incredible!
0:47:36 > 0:47:39This is a hawk moth, which has been infected by...
0:47:39 > 0:47:41Is it a fungus?
0:47:41 > 0:47:44Exactly. That's grown throughout the whole animal.
0:47:44 > 0:47:48The disease makes them crawl up higher,
0:47:48 > 0:47:53so that when they die and the spores erupt out of the animal,
0:47:53 > 0:47:55it spreads over a further area.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58You have to be very careful what you eat in the jungle,
0:47:58 > 0:48:01because there are things that can make you feel very sick
0:48:01 > 0:48:04or things that will grow inside you
0:48:04 > 0:48:10and erupt out of your back, your stomach, and here's an example.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14Sci-fi films, they try and dream up hideous things,
0:48:14 > 0:48:16but actually, in the real world,
0:48:16 > 0:48:18there are ten times more hideous things
0:48:18 > 0:48:23happening to animals all around us than we could ever imagine.
0:48:23 > 0:48:28I'll be you any money that species of fungus is undescribed.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32I mean... It's a very under-worked group.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36That, to me...is quite unique.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44It's only from the air that you can see the vast scale of this forest.
0:48:44 > 0:48:49Guyana's trees alone lock up 2.7 billion tonnes of carbon,
0:48:49 > 0:48:52vital in the fight against climate change.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55But Guyana is a very poor country
0:48:55 > 0:48:57and needs to earn money from its trees.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59It faces a dilemma.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03To allow logging now or keep the forests intact
0:49:03 > 0:49:07and hope to trade them for carbon credits in the future.
0:49:11 > 0:49:17So far, this forest is untouched, but it may not be for much longer.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27It's the last night on Mount Upuigma
0:49:27 > 0:49:31and after dinner, the climbing team hope to find nocturnal animals.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36They've laid a series of small mammal traps
0:49:36 > 0:49:41and Steve's rigging an ultra-violet light to attract insects.
0:49:44 > 0:49:46Look at these moths!
0:49:46 > 0:49:50Look at the size of this. Whoa!
0:49:52 > 0:49:55Enormous moths all the way down this wall here. Look!
0:49:58 > 0:50:01Look at the size of that!
0:50:01 > 0:50:06These ones here are hawk moths. They're sphingidae.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08Look at the size of that one there!
0:50:08 > 0:50:11For scale, that's the size of my hand.
0:50:11 > 0:50:15And they're all exactly the same species,
0:50:15 > 0:50:17with this distinctive eye spot here
0:50:17 > 0:50:20and that wonderful colouration here in the hind wing.
0:50:20 > 0:50:25Whoa! Something really quite extraordinary's happened here.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28My light trip has actually conned these swifts
0:50:28 > 0:50:29and they've flown into the wall.
0:50:29 > 0:50:33This one here, he's stunned, but alert.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37I think he might head off.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39Come on, fella, please be all right.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46Thank goodness for that.
0:50:46 > 0:50:51Suddenly, there's a noise from within the mammal trap.
0:50:51 > 0:50:53No, no, no, no.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55Come back, come back. Where are you?
0:50:56 > 0:50:59Oh, God, no! Oh, he's in there.
0:50:59 > 0:51:04He's in there. Oh, he's beautiful!
0:51:04 > 0:51:06You're all right. I'm not gonna hurt you.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10Look at the size of the ears and the spread of the whiskers.
0:51:10 > 0:51:14This is definitely a creature that's accustomed to hunting at night.
0:51:16 > 0:51:18That's ever so pretty.
0:51:18 > 0:51:23There have been very, very few species recorded up here.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26New mammals are found so rarely these days,
0:51:26 > 0:51:29but that is an extraordinary find.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31Makes the whole trip worthwhile.
0:51:40 > 0:51:44They could only bring enough supplies for three days.
0:51:44 > 0:51:48Now it's time to go home.
0:51:52 > 0:51:56Last night was definitely in my top ten wildlife moments.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58Everything happened at once.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02First of all the swifts, then these moths everywhere
0:52:02 > 0:52:04and then we found that mouse.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08We've only had three days to do a rapid assessment
0:52:08 > 0:52:10of what lives up here on the top,
0:52:10 > 0:52:13but even so, I think we've had some major successes.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16I'm sure that some of the animals we've found are new to science.
0:52:16 > 0:52:20But even more tantalising are those footprints we found
0:52:20 > 0:52:23of some unknown animal and I just hope that someone gets a chance
0:52:23 > 0:52:26to come back and find out what that is.
0:52:26 > 0:52:31It's one of the big tragedies of my life that I was born now
0:52:31 > 0:52:37when it's so hard to find really wild places that people haven't been to.
0:52:37 > 0:52:39It does your heart good to come somewhere like this
0:52:39 > 0:52:45that is not only totally undiscovered, but is so special.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57Gordon has been pulled away from breakfast.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00One of Guyana's most rarely seen creatures
0:53:00 > 0:53:02is high in the trees right next to camp.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07It's just stopped in this tree right here.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10I have never seen a harpy eagle before.
0:53:10 > 0:53:14I really didn't think we'd see one here.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18It's enormous. What I'd like to try and do is get ashore
0:53:18 > 0:53:22and that way I can get the long lens to its full extent
0:53:22 > 0:53:25and hopefully get a really close shot of it.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28Please don't go anywhere.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30This is just smash-and-grab filming.
0:53:30 > 0:53:35You've got to try and find a position and just get what you can,
0:53:35 > 0:53:41because this bird is gonna fly and we're never gonna see it again.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44OK, make sure everything's running.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48Oh, wow! Look at that.
0:53:50 > 0:53:55You know what? If the jaguar's the most difficult mammal to see,
0:53:55 > 0:54:00the harpy eagle is definitely the most difficult bird to see.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02Beautiful.
0:54:02 > 0:54:07It's easy in this place to say every second day,
0:54:07 > 0:54:11"This is the most amazing thing, the rarest thing that I've seen,"
0:54:11 > 0:54:13but honestly,
0:54:13 > 0:54:18there is more chance of a jaguar doing the fandango through our camp
0:54:18 > 0:54:20than finding a harpy eagle.
0:54:20 > 0:54:21He's got the remains of a monkey.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25You can just see its back legs.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27That's what harpy eagles do.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30They're such huge birds of prey.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33They catch big primates
0:54:33 > 0:54:37and their claws are so powerful, they'll grab a monkey,
0:54:37 > 0:54:40grab it by the body with one claw, grab it by the head...
0:54:40 > 0:54:42Look at those talons.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45They're enormous. Huge.
0:54:45 > 0:54:46That size.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52The harpy is the most powerful eagle in the world
0:54:52 > 0:54:55and stands a metre tall.
0:54:59 > 0:55:04Without a doubt, this is like finding diamonds at the head of this river.
0:55:04 > 0:55:09The further we get away from people, there's more animals
0:55:09 > 0:55:12and the fact that you've got an animal like harpy eagle
0:55:12 > 0:55:15is a good indication that there must be many monkeys here.
0:55:15 > 0:55:21And many monkeys mean you've got a very healthy habitat.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24It's worrying that it's completely unprotected.
0:55:24 > 0:55:28They could really mess this area up in a very short space of time,
0:55:28 > 0:55:30and that's terrifying.
0:55:32 > 0:55:36This is so, so unbelievably rare.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38It is the holy grail.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41OK, it's gonna go. It's gonna go.
0:55:42 > 0:55:47This could be the last moments we have with this bird.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50The harpy eagle is the final discovery for the team.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52They'll soon be heading home.
0:56:01 > 0:56:05The expedition has produced important evidence.
0:56:05 > 0:56:09This is one of the greatest, unspoilt rainforests in the world.
0:56:09 > 0:56:14There are so few places that are pristine and untouched.
0:56:14 > 0:56:19This is one of them and, personally, I think that should never change.
0:56:19 > 0:56:25From the tree tops to its watery depths, they've uncovered new,
0:56:25 > 0:56:28strange and rare creatures.
0:56:28 > 0:56:33They've been burnt, bitten, and had narrow escapes.
0:56:36 > 0:56:41They've catalogued and photographed hundreds of rainforest animals.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46There should be room on this earth
0:56:46 > 0:56:51to keep 6% of the land surface area, a very small area,
0:56:51 > 0:56:52in which resides the majority
0:56:52 > 0:56:55of all the Earth's species of animals and plants.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02Thank you.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05For George, there's one last task.
0:57:05 > 0:57:09Delivering the scientific report to the Guyanese president.
0:57:09 > 0:57:14Here is a very brief report from our trip
0:57:14 > 0:57:16which just outlines what we did.
0:57:16 > 0:57:20Obviously, there'll be more coming out of this in the next few months.
0:57:20 > 0:57:27Every report, they've all recognised the importance of rainforests,
0:57:27 > 0:57:31especially tropical rainforests. In climate change, the contribution
0:57:31 > 0:57:35to the mitigation or the reduction of greenhouse gases.
0:57:35 > 0:57:40What we all find is that this particular area
0:57:40 > 0:57:43is one of the richest, in terms of species,
0:57:43 > 0:57:46probably anywhere on the planet. It's incredibly rich.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50Shortly after the team returned home,
0:57:50 > 0:57:53the President of Guyana made an unprecedented move.
0:57:53 > 0:57:57He approached the British government to offer the intact forest
0:57:57 > 0:58:00as a global resource to help alleviate climate change,
0:58:00 > 0:58:05in return for financial help. No decision has yet been made.
0:58:05 > 0:58:11The world is just beginning to recognise the enormous value of rainforests.
0:58:11 > 0:58:13Not only as home to millions of species,
0:58:13 > 0:58:18but as part of the solution to a global problem.
0:58:43 > 0:58:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:46 > 0:58:49E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk