0:00:08 > 0:00:12On the far side of the world is a remote tropical island,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16carved by waterfalls and covered in thick jungle.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19New Guinea.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23At its heart are rugged mountains and deep gorges.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26It's one of the least explored corners of our planet.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32Over nine months, a team of scientists,
0:00:32 > 0:00:37adventurers and filmmakers have been on an expedition into the unknown.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Helped by a local tribe, they've found some of the strangest creatures on Earth.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Look at that.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Oh, wow, wow wow, wow! Jeepers!
0:00:55 > 0:01:00Now, they're leaving base camp and striking out in two directions.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02One team is venturing to an erupting volcano.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Oh! It's being thrown a kilometre into the air.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14The other team will journey deep into an unexplored crater,
0:01:14 > 0:01:18hoping to discover spectacular animals never seen by the outside world.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20What is that?
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Absolutely out of this world.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Good God, look at that.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31And they make a dramatic discovery.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34That is the biggest I have ever seen.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Oh, my word, have a look at this.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05New Guinea,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09the largest and most mountainous tropical island on Earth,
0:02:09 > 0:02:13so impenetrable, large areas remain uncharted.
0:02:26 > 0:02:31At the heart of this vast island is Mount Bosavi, an extinct volcano.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37- Oh!- Climber and naturalist Steve Backshall
0:02:37 > 0:02:41is leading the first-ever expedition deep into its huge crater.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45This is what we do expeditions for, places like this.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Unimaginably beautiful, and totally unexplored.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Very few places in the world left like Mount Bosavi.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59Outside the crater, they've already found new types of frogs,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01lizards and insects.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04But inside, there could be unknown large mammals,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07hidden from the rest of the world.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12These are the walls of the crater rim.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16It's an almost perfect volcanic cone.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20And what we're looking at now is the inside wall.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27It's no wonder everyone's so excited about getting in this place.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30It's absolutely epic.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Discovering new mammals in the crater would put Bosavi on the map
0:03:35 > 0:03:39and hopefully lead to its protection.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Loggers are just south of the mountain and moving closer.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56High on the crater rim, there's a small gap in the trees.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06The local Kasua tribe have agreed to meet Steve here.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10They've given their blessing for the team to enter this,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13their most sacred land.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15INDISTINCT SHOUTING
0:04:15 > 0:04:21The head of the clan that owns Bosavi is bringing up some magic,
0:04:21 > 0:04:23he's singing us into the crater,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25he's opening it for us so that the nature will be
0:04:25 > 0:04:29allowing us in there and not angry with us for going into the crater.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31And we have to walk under the magic stick.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Even the Kasua rarely come here.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Fiercely territorial, this is the first time
0:04:54 > 0:04:57they've guided an expedition into their magical crater.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03It's very steep and very wet.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Have to go very slowly.
0:05:11 > 0:05:12Well done.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16The clouds are just coming up to meet us.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Down there...
0:05:18 > 0:05:21is a genuine lost world.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27Just don't want to take a wrong step here, anywhere.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35They need to find somewhere to build a rough camp.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Only then can they call in the rest of the team.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48Outside the crater, at the foot of Mount Bosavi,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51the old base camp is packed up.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54For now, intrepid bug expert George McGavin
0:05:54 > 0:05:57is venturing off on a side trip.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01We're going.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Very excited about this indeed.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11George will be searching for wildlife on the slopes of a very different volcano.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13One that's erupting.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23It's 700 miles to the east, on the island of New Britain.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Recently it's been quiet, but it could go off at any time.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Mile after mile is choked with ash,
0:06:43 > 0:06:47but George is keen to see what, if anything, can survive here.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57At first, it appears barren.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01It's more hell on Earth than wildlife hotspot.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Basically, it's just...
0:07:03 > 0:07:06just covered in ash, and there isn't anything growing at all.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09It's all dead, and decaying.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11It smells of sulphur.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32George's first discovery
0:07:32 > 0:07:35is perilously close to the crater.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44This is a beautiful bird. It's a brahminy kite.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46The fact that it's flying around here
0:07:46 > 0:07:50means that there has to be enough food for it to eat.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56Although I can't see much for it to eat, but it clearly is hunting.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00If it's not careful it'll be hit by a rock in a minute.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05It seems to be flying very close to the crater there.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08A bird of prey is a promising sign,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12but George must also keep an eye out for flying rocks.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Mount Bosavi was once an active volcano.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26It stopped erupting 200,000 years ago, and rainforest took over.
0:08:26 > 0:08:32Since then it's remained unchanged, untouched and unexplored.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Steve and the team are following a river to the heart of the crater.
0:08:42 > 0:08:43It's slow going,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47but it's the best way to cover ground in a dense jungle.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Not a bad spot.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Good spot.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Shall we try and get a tarp up before this rain starts?
0:09:06 > 0:09:07Yeah, yeah.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Shelter is essential.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13New Guinea is one of the wettest places on Earth.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17It can pour for days on end.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36The Kasua tribe come from the outer slopes of the mountain.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41These old men remember a time before any contact with the outside world,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43when their clan were cannibals.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49HE SPEAKS NATIVE TONGUE
0:09:51 > 0:09:56They said their fathers were great warriors and used to battle with nearby clans quite often,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59but they also have, it seems, very vivid memories
0:09:59 > 0:10:03of them actually killing and eating their enemies.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07The chief here is describing how he remembers them cutting the thighs
0:10:07 > 0:10:11into halves and putting them on stone fires to cook them,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14and it seems that it was not so much a ceremonial thing
0:10:14 > 0:10:17but actually just for the meat, for the protein, for the fact that meat was
0:10:17 > 0:10:21quite scarce around here and to have human meat was as good as anything.
0:10:27 > 0:10:33They no longer eat people, but they are still expert hunters,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35totally at home in this jungle.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39Without the tribe, the expedition would be lost.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49200,000 years ago, Mount Bosavi would have looked like this,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51hostile and desolate.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56But George knows better than anyone where to find signs of life.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03This is definitely where I'd expect to find something.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Oh! Aha!
0:11:06 > 0:11:10Look at that, baby! Look at that.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12A rhinoceros beetle larva.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14It's a whopper. Look at that.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Head's up here, big jaws,
0:11:18 > 0:11:23and they just eat this decaying wood and fibre.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Going to have to put him down somewhere.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30Put him on there while I attack the rest of this.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Ah!
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Ha ha!
0:11:35 > 0:11:37There's the adult.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41So there...
0:11:41 > 0:11:45is what this will become eventually.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Rhinoceros beetle.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Absolutely brilliant.
0:11:49 > 0:11:55Some creatures endure the volcano, others actually seek it out.
0:11:56 > 0:12:02I can see two birds that look like sort of large hens.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05They're megapode birds, and, bizarrely,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08they depend on this active volcano.
0:12:16 > 0:12:22In the Bosavi crater, Steve and the trackers fan out to explore for the first time.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32Steve will climb, crawl and swim the rivers to find out what lives here.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Chief Sigaro and the trackers search the high ground.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44In the valley, Steve stumbles across something remarkable.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Absolutely out of this world.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51It's a rare kind of kangaroo that climbs trees.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53And it's probably never seen people before.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57The fact that this animal is totally unafraid of humans, just wandered
0:12:57 > 0:13:02straight past us, means the wildlife here has never been hunted before -
0:13:02 > 0:13:04it hasn't seen people before.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07I never expected to have a tree kangaroo on our first morning
0:13:07 > 0:13:09that we've been up and running.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14This is a phenomenal start, a phenomenal start.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22It's time to call in wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Gordon's mission is to film any animal the team finds.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34Many of the rainforests that I've been to before are quite flat.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38This is a very, very difficult terrain, and without a doubt
0:13:38 > 0:13:43there'll be species down there that are completely unknown to science.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Finding and filming a large mammal that no-one knew existed
0:13:49 > 0:13:51would be the greatest prize of all.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55But in this rugged terrain, it's a daunting prospect.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Gordon has with him two scientists,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17who will help to identify any mammals the team discovers.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Muse Opiang and Kris Helgen set up their makeshift jungle lab.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34But Gordon has no time to unpack.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37One of the trackers has found another tree kangaroo.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43We've just had a shout from one of the local guys, shouting "toonape"
0:14:43 > 0:14:49which is the tree kangaroo, so I'm hoping to catch up before it goes. As quick as we can. Ah!
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Oh, yeah, he's here.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Oh, goodness me.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02It's a glorious tree kangaroo,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06just literally six, seven metres in front of me.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10For me, these animals are the height of weird.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14They're one of the strangest animals that live in this forest,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17I think because they're recognisable, they're kangaroos,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20but these kangaroos live in the trees.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24It's like a cross between a koala bear and a kangaroo.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Oh, he's very cute.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Really short, stocky build.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42Huge claws. The nails must be about two to three inches long.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Oh, yes, he's eating, oh, lovely.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Now that's a really good sign,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51because animals that feed are relaxed.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59100%, this animal will never have seen a human being before,
0:15:59 > 0:16:04so that's why we're able to stay as close as this, as we are.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Tree kangaroos are incredibly rare.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15Outside the crater, they're heavily hunted and afraid of people.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Inside, they aren't bothered by humans.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27George's volcano could go off at any time,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30but he's too engrossed to care.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35He's hot on the trail of the peculiar megapode bird.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40One of them's just landed really clumsily on that branch
0:16:40 > 0:16:44and thrown up a whole shower of ash.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49It's very hard to get close to these birds, they're very skittish.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01(I reckon if we inch forward to this ridge...)
0:17:12 > 0:17:17(They've landed, they're down. There's two just on the ground
0:17:17 > 0:17:18(over there.)
0:17:21 > 0:17:26Unlike any other bird, megapodes bury their eggs deep in the ash,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28and let the warmth of the volcano incubate them.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46(The megapode egg-laying site is just down there.)
0:17:46 > 0:17:48If George is to find an egg,
0:17:48 > 0:17:53he must wait for them to finish and hope the volcano stays quiet.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Mount Bosavi is extinct now, but the eruption left behind
0:18:07 > 0:18:12this crater four miles wide, enclosed by towering walls.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Steve's still out exploring the river...
0:18:28 > 0:18:30..but it's not just the rocks that are treacherous.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35This plant is making life here absolute hell.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39They're everywhere and they're called a stinging tree.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44On the underside of each leaf are thousands of little hairs
0:18:44 > 0:18:47all filled with poison,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51and the sting, actually, can carry on going for two or three months.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Ow!
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Serves me right!
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Every little stream is investigated.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Any one might hide a surprise.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16Sticking up out of this vine are lots of little twigs,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18except they're not twigs,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21they're leeches, just waiting for something to walk past.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24They're switched on by warmth and also by
0:19:24 > 0:19:28the carbon dioxide you breathe out, and if I just breathe on them...
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Look at that. Instantly feeling around
0:19:36 > 0:19:37for the source of it.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Looking for a blood meal.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42I hate them!
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Steve may hate them,
0:19:44 > 0:19:48but leeches mean there must be lots of warm-blooded animals to feed on.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56It's an encouraging sign for the mammal experts.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01Kris Helgen, from the Smithsonian Museum, is the world authority on
0:20:01 > 0:20:04identifying new mammal species.
0:20:04 > 0:20:09From the river, Steve's brought in a fragment of skull.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13You can see the pre-molar's fallen out and that corresponds to this too.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15When you're studying mammals,
0:20:15 > 0:20:19the dentition, the arrangement of the teeth, the amount of teeth that are there,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23that's one of the most important things in figuring out what something is.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27We're really lucky as mammologists, because if we find a single tooth or a
0:20:27 > 0:20:30single piece of skull, we can often tell exactly which species it is.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34This is a mystery still, but I'd like to find the animal
0:20:34 > 0:20:36that goes along with this skull.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Let's see what we can find in the forest.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42Wow. So I could be holding in my hand the skull of
0:20:42 > 0:20:45a new species of mammal.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Let's see where it takes us.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Gordon and the scientists head out to look for Bosavi's mystery mammal.
0:20:54 > 0:21:00Kris thinks it could be a new type of cuscus, a small bear-like animal.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03There's spines on all these branches.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07To be certain, they'll need to catch one alive.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12It's quite a good flat area here.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16As it's such a big trap, I need to find a big, flat space -
0:21:16 > 0:21:19you don't want any parts of the wire suspended.
0:21:19 > 0:21:20Chuck this up the end.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27Finding any animal, small or large, would be a bonus.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Everyone has their own technique for baiting the traps.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Tell you what, a little bit of peanut butter never hurts as well.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Throw that in the back there.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Smell it for miles.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51At the volcano, George's wait is nearly over.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55Now there should be eggs buried somewhere in the ash.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01(I think the birds have finished laying now, so with any luck,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05(I should find some freshly-scraped ground,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08(which might indicate where the eggs are laid.)
0:22:09 > 0:22:11Once the megapodes leave,
0:22:11 > 0:22:16the volcano will keep the eggs warm until they hatch.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22This looks like exactly where they've been.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26They could be as much as two metres underground.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30I reckon down there is an egg.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39When the chicks hatch out, alone and in the pitch black,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42they claw their way to the surface.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52Well, I'm almost at... as far as I can reach down.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Yes! I think I've got one! Ha ha!
0:23:05 > 0:23:11There is a megapode egg. The size of it!
0:23:11 > 0:23:16The chicks emerge well developed, fending for themselves from day one.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18They never know their parents.
0:23:18 > 0:23:23What a tough start to life in this tough environment.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32That was almost a scrambled egg then!
0:23:33 > 0:23:36He returns the egg to safety,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40but nearby, animal tracks lead him further into the danger zone.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55That's getting a little too close for comfort.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01That's coming halfway down the slope now, easily.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17In the crater, Gordon and Kris are still out searching.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19No, no. It doesn't really go in.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22That broken bit's hollow.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25They're looking for the mystery cuscus,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28the mammal whose skull Steve found earlier.
0:24:28 > 0:24:29Have a look in there.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Oh, crikey!
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- You got somebody?- Yeah. - Somebody's home?
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Something is holed up in an old tree trunk,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47but it's too deep to see what it is.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51- Just sitting there. - Let me have a look in there!
0:24:51 > 0:24:52Have a look.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54God, that's the weirdest thing.
0:24:56 > 0:24:57Oh, wow.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Gordon will have to wait for it to emerge.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05What I want to do is just set up, maybe over there,
0:25:05 > 0:25:09wait for it to get dark and see what happens.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Quite exciting.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15If it is the new type of cuscus,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Gordon doesn't want to miss his chance to film it.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22It's looking pretty good.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Just see what happens once I climb down.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27A small camera pointing into the tree stump
0:25:27 > 0:25:30will warn him if the animal starts to climb up.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36He can then film from a distance without disturbing it.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40The problem with this situation is just the waiting for the animal to come out.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43It will definitely come out, it's just a case of when.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56The long wait begins.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03The volcano is stirring,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06but George can't resist exploring just a little further.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09This is what's making those tracks.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11It's really quite a large crab, and...
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Woo hoo! Ow.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17The eyes are on these little stalks, which flick up and down,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21so that's how it keeps its eyes out of harm's way.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25But that is clearly very at home here on this ash pile.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29I mean, it's a long way from the sea.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Crabs are scavengers.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35They've come to pick over anything killed by the volcano.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42George must beat a hasty retreat.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44His wildlife survey could be over.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46The volcano is kicking off.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01It's throwing out massive amounts of red hot rock,
0:27:01 > 0:27:06and you can hear the bangs as they hit the ground, the great thumps.
0:27:08 > 0:27:09Look at that.
0:27:14 > 0:27:15Oh, this is incredible.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20I mean, it's fantastic to be this close to an active volcano.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24It's throwing out massive amounts of hot rock, red-hot rock.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26It's throwing them a kilometre in the air.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32That is one of the most spectacular sights I think I've ever seen.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39This is an infra-red camera, so it's able to see all the hot stuff,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42which the big cameras can't see.
0:27:44 > 0:27:50When this thing erupts, you can feel the shockwaves hitting you.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55That thing is on top of a chamber of molten rock three
0:27:55 > 0:27:58kilometres wide and three kilometres deep.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02I mean, it's just...terrifying.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05But to be absolutely honest with you,
0:28:05 > 0:28:09I'm actually feeling quite apprehensive, because
0:28:09 > 0:28:12this is a force that...
0:28:12 > 0:28:15just is too immense to even think about.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19You couldn't speed away from this in a hurry. You'd be toast.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Good grief!
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Four hours on, and still no sign of the unknown mammal.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37I don't often feel as if I've got the upper hand on an animal.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39I think in this case I do,
0:28:39 > 0:28:42because I can see the monitor of the camera that's looking straight down.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44So it gives me a bit of warning.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47If he's a bit agitated from me looking down into that tree stump
0:28:47 > 0:28:51earlier on, he might just shoot out and I won't get any shots of him,
0:28:51 > 0:28:53but at least that camera up there,
0:28:53 > 0:28:57I can see the moment he starts to climb up.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01This is really exciting, because other than just two little eyes,
0:29:01 > 0:29:03I just don't know what's in there.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07It's a mammal of some sort, but who knows what it is?
0:29:11 > 0:29:14OK, he's starting to come, he's starting to come.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18Great! Come on, out you come.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23Come on, come on.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32We're evacuating camp, and in a hurry.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37And with very good reason.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41Show me, show me, show me.
0:29:41 > 0:29:42That one?
0:29:45 > 0:29:48That's one of the bombs that came out.
0:29:48 > 0:29:53We thought we were safe here, we were a long way away, and it landed here.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55That would have killed you instantly.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00So I think we should all go now.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08George's mission has come to an abrupt end.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17In the calm of the jungle night, Gordon's patience could be rewarded.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19He's going to come out, he will.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23Come on, come on.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28Here he comes,
0:30:28 > 0:30:29looks like a mole.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34I know it's not a mole, but it's very hard to tell what he is.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37Oh, God, my heart is beating out of my chest, come on!
0:30:37 > 0:30:41Please, please, please... oh, there he is, there he is, there he is!
0:30:41 > 0:30:43You little beauty!
0:30:43 > 0:30:46What is that?
0:30:47 > 0:30:50Gosh.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53I haven't got a clue what he is.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58That's weird.
0:30:58 > 0:30:59That is so weird.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05OK, if he just comes out a bit more, I can get an idea of his body shape,
0:31:05 > 0:31:07but...
0:31:07 > 0:31:08you can see his teeth...
0:31:08 > 0:31:13his eyes are shining like that because of this infrared light
0:31:13 > 0:31:15bouncing straight back at me.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18What a pretty animal.
0:31:19 > 0:31:24OK, out you come, come on, come on, please, just come out.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27Gosh, look at that.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33Oh, gosh, no, I think he's trying to go off -
0:31:33 > 0:31:35he's going to try and grab a limb
0:31:35 > 0:31:37and go off, oh, there.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42There could well be new species living here in the crater,
0:31:42 > 0:31:47and my job is to get shots of them, and let Kris try and identify them.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54Whatever it is, it appears to have no fear of people.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57If unique to the crater,
0:31:57 > 0:32:01it would help prove just how special the jungles of Bosavi are.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33Whilst Gordon is deep in the jungle,
0:32:33 > 0:32:35Steve is on the river.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40No-one knows what may lurk here at night.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45Eughh! Look!
0:32:45 > 0:32:49Whoa! They've been roosting just in the branches above us so as we've
0:32:49 > 0:32:53come across with our torches and lights, it's given them a shock.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57Steve is being mobbed by torrent flycatchers,
0:32:57 > 0:33:00birds found only in New Guinea.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Eughh! It just flew right into my face.
0:33:13 > 0:33:18It may be wet, but no-one imagined there would be ducks in the jungle.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24Now that is something I really didn't expect to see!
0:33:24 > 0:33:29Salvadori's teal - unique to the mountain rivers of New Guinea.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32They almost look like they're just enjoying the rapids!
0:33:38 > 0:33:41That is a glorious looking little tree frog.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48Off he goes.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56Wow! These are actually torrent breeding frogs,
0:33:56 > 0:33:59so they love breeding in fast-flowing water like this.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03Let's see if we can get a glance
0:34:03 > 0:34:06at what makes this frog really special.
0:34:06 > 0:34:11That eyelid is laced through with a network
0:34:11 > 0:34:13of veins...
0:34:13 > 0:34:16and it's absolutely beautiful.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19He's got a face that you just can't help but love,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22and you know that any second, although he's sitting
0:34:22 > 0:34:26comfortably on my finger here, he could, without a single warning,
0:34:26 > 0:34:28just spring away and be gone.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30Come on, go and find yourself a...girlfriend.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40Not the ear!
0:34:51 > 0:34:55Mount Bosavi is so large it generates its own weather.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58For much of the night it's been raining,
0:34:58 > 0:35:01and the sleeping area is flooding.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03There's no respite from the mud.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13And it's tinned spaghetti for breakfast, again.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23Kris and Steve are reviewing Gordon's footage from last night,
0:35:23 > 0:35:26in the hope it's the mystery cuscus they've been looking for.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31Those big beautiful eyes.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33Yeah.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36It's small little ears, they're in the fur.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41- And light belly here.- Light belly.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47I reckon that is our cuscus.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49- You think?- I reckon it is.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51I reckon it is, it's dark.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54So this could be the animal that that skull belongs to.
0:35:54 > 0:35:59This could be the mysterious Bosavi cuscus. This could definitely be.
0:35:59 > 0:36:04Wow. So what we really need now is to actually catch one of these in our traps.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08Then we'll get a feel for the colour, we'll see what it really looks like,
0:36:08 > 0:36:11and if that really is a good match for the animal's teeth
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- that we've been looking at that are so distinctive.- Yeah.
0:36:14 > 0:36:19This could be really exciting now, I think this is our animal.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24It looks like a major new discovery,
0:36:24 > 0:36:27but pictures alone are not scientific proof.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31To get that, they'll need to catch one in the few days that are left.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42Bosavi's forests extend right up to the summit.
0:36:42 > 0:36:47A vertical kilometre above Steve and Gordon, the jungle is much wetter.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54George is joining the team on the mountain.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58His mission... to explore the cloud forest clinging to the summit.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01Being one of the world's leading experts on insects,
0:37:01 > 0:37:04if there's anything unusual, he'll find it.
0:37:04 > 0:37:09This volcano is just like... like an island in the sky.
0:37:09 > 0:37:16I mean, it's 9,000 feet above sea level. Look at that wall!
0:37:16 > 0:37:18God, that is unbelievable.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24But as you can see, the weather's really very cloudy.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27It's amazing how it changes...
0:37:27 > 0:37:30incredibly heavy rain, very dark, and then just a little...
0:37:30 > 0:37:33a little gap in the cloud cover there.
0:37:33 > 0:37:38So it's touch and go whether we'll be able to land there.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46We're gonna make it.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49We're clear to land, we're clear to land.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Oh... yeah, we're here!
0:37:57 > 0:37:58Fantastic.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02This precarious cliff edge
0:38:02 > 0:38:06will be George's camp for the next couple of days.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18A thousand metres below him, they're on the look out for new animals.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21Top of their list - the unknown cuscus.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30They search every hole...
0:38:30 > 0:38:32Every nook and every cranny...
0:38:32 > 0:38:34Mate, this place is leech central.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37..By day...
0:38:38 > 0:38:39..And by night.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41Camera traps are set.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45Leech. Any mammals that come in here they'll try and get on to them,
0:38:45 > 0:38:47including humans.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50A face only a mother could love.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55The team use every piece of kit available.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59Lots of insect noise, some frogs.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Some weird stuff, I don't know what it is.
0:39:02 > 0:39:07It's incredible that a frog this tiny size, I mean it's no bigger
0:39:07 > 0:39:09than the end of my thumb, can make a noise that loud,
0:39:09 > 0:39:13just puffing itself up like a great big balloon and then
0:39:13 > 0:39:15squeezing all the air out.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22But this jungle is so dense and so steep,
0:39:22 > 0:39:24it's hard to find anything.
0:39:27 > 0:39:33On the summit, George is out exploring the peculiar mountain moss forest for the first time.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36He's stepped into another world.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40It's like Lord Of The Rings habitat.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43You'd expect orcs and elves appearing any minute.
0:39:43 > 0:39:49The whole forest is just humid, 100% humidity all the time,
0:39:49 > 0:39:53and this may look like solid ground, but it's not.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57Look, I can go through there and beyond.
0:39:57 > 0:40:02I can put my hand... I can go, probably, I can put my whole arm
0:40:02 > 0:40:07right through up to the hilt and that's just roots and soil and space,
0:40:07 > 0:40:09and that's what we're standing on.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13The whole thing is just a sort of...
0:40:13 > 0:40:16a mirage, almost, of plants and soil,
0:40:16 > 0:40:19but the soil's really interesting because the soil isn't just here,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22it actually occurs up on the plants as well.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24So it's actually aerial soil -
0:40:24 > 0:40:28all of this is just growing on a single thin branch.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31It's a huge carpet...
0:40:31 > 0:40:34of moss and soil.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38It's almost like...
0:40:38 > 0:40:40a different world.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44I haven't seen that one before.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46Absolutely amazing.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50I mean, decay just brings fungi, bacteria, mosses -
0:40:50 > 0:40:54just everything is feeding off what's here.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57And look at that, that is the most exquisite
0:40:57 > 0:41:03tiny fungus growing on a dwarf bamboo, and it is just incredible.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Ooh, look, look!
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Good God, look at that!
0:41:11 > 0:41:13I just saw that there in the ground.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15It's huge!
0:41:15 > 0:41:17This is a flatworm.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21Well, that's exactly the sort of animal you'd expect to find
0:41:21 > 0:41:25in this constantly wet environment.
0:41:25 > 0:41:31Flatworms come in all shapes and sizes... that's the underside...
0:41:31 > 0:41:36but I have never seen a flatworm this big before.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38It's absolutely amazing.
0:41:38 > 0:41:43Tiny little head end, that's the head end there.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47This habitat is incredibly special, because there are animals and plants
0:41:47 > 0:41:52here, orchids and insects and higher animals you won't find anywhere else
0:41:52 > 0:41:57in the world. But also because it occupies a very, very small area and with increased
0:41:57 > 0:42:01global warming, that area will get smaller and smaller and smaller
0:42:01 > 0:42:02and eventually it'll all be gone.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10In the crater, one of the trackers has returned to camp
0:42:10 > 0:42:13with a wild animal, and it's totally trusting.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16Oh, wow!
0:42:18 > 0:42:21Oh, my goodness, he's absolutely beautiful. Come on little fella.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24I think it's our guy.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28I'm going to look in his mouth in a bit and we'll know from his teeth but this looks right on.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31This is a dark-furred cuscus, it's a montane cuscus.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34It's very much like the skull I suspected.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38The skull was similar to a different species called the silky cuscus,
0:42:38 > 0:42:42- and the body is too, you can feel that silky fur. - It's really, really thick.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45I guess this has adapted to living in a mountain environment.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47That's right. He seems to like you.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51He's got a very, very strong, but not actually unpleasant, smell.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53But it does hit you.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57This is the mammal that Gordon filmed emerging from the tree stump.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01I'm calling this the Bosavi cuscus,
0:43:01 > 0:43:05because I really think it has a lot of distinctive features.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08We're gonna find out more as we look closer, but...
0:43:08 > 0:43:11I just... I can't even begin to describe how it feels
0:43:11 > 0:43:14to have an animal in my hands that is this beautiful
0:43:14 > 0:43:19and, in all probability, has never been seen before by science.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23I think what we have is a cuscus that long ago has been
0:43:23 > 0:43:25isolated on this volcano
0:43:25 > 0:43:30and has just not been able to have any contact with any of its relatives and
0:43:30 > 0:43:35has become something here in isolation that is unique to Bosavi.
0:43:35 > 0:43:40He's totally chilled out. He's got no idea quite how important he is.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42- So gorgeous.- Yeah!
0:43:42 > 0:43:44Little guy!
0:43:44 > 0:43:46You're a major scientific discovery.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50How about that?
0:43:50 > 0:43:55I travel the world looking for new species in many different places
0:43:55 > 0:43:58and we find new mammals, it still does happen, but so many of them,
0:43:58 > 0:44:02most of them are things like bats and rodents, and to find something,
0:44:02 > 0:44:07a marsupial, an animal that's this size is really exciting,
0:44:07 > 0:44:10it's a cause for a major celebration.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12Crack open the champagne,
0:44:12 > 0:44:15or crack open the bully beef!
0:44:17 > 0:44:23It's a brand new sub-species of cuscus, and Bosavi is its only home.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27If these jungles are logged, we'll lose animals like this forever.
0:44:32 > 0:44:39Both on the summit and in the crater, the rainforest is undisturbed by humans.
0:44:39 > 0:44:40Animals are remarkably naive.
0:44:43 > 0:44:50Almost incredibly, I'm about six feet away from an ornate fruit-dove.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54You couldn't normally get this close to birds, especially on the nest.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56She's camouflaged to perfection
0:44:56 > 0:44:59against the foliage - green with a little bit of
0:44:59 > 0:45:03blue at the back, this ochre-y head and a white bit underneath.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07She's being very vigilant, she's watching me very carefully
0:45:07 > 0:45:11and turning her head from side to side, very slowly. Amazing.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15Thing about animals here is that they really aren't experienced, they don't
0:45:15 > 0:45:20know what humans are all about yet, which may be a problem for them.
0:45:20 > 0:45:26The history of humans has been that if animals are edible or hazardous,
0:45:26 > 0:45:28they usually end up dead.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38In the depths of the crater, it's raining again.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43It's been a long, hard expedition.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46Exhaustion and illness are setting in.
0:45:48 > 0:45:53There's been an outbreak of intestinal worms in the camp,
0:45:53 > 0:45:55so we're all taking these worming tablets
0:45:55 > 0:46:00which will pretty much kill everything we've got in our guts.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03Makes you feel really run down,
0:46:03 > 0:46:06but this tablet just kills everything.
0:46:08 > 0:46:11Leeches are infesting camp.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18Gordon and Kris take time to see if anything strange
0:46:18 > 0:46:20has been caught on the camera traps.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25Let's have a look.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27OK, that's me... still me.
0:46:31 > 0:46:35Kris is one of the few people in the world who can distinguish
0:46:35 > 0:46:38what's just rare from what's totally new.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44Oh!
0:46:44 > 0:46:48- Is that a tree kangaroo?- It's not a tree kangaroo, but it is a kangaroo.
0:46:48 > 0:46:53So it's a wallaby. Moves along the forest floor here in the crater.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55See what else we've got.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00I've got a good feeling about this one.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06They scan hundreds of images,
0:47:06 > 0:47:09and eventually, they strike gold.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13Wow! Have a look at that.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16- What is that?- That long, naked tail, what do you think that is?
0:47:16 > 0:47:18It just looks like an enormous rat.
0:47:18 > 0:47:22Yes, it's a giant rat, it's a woolly giant rat.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25Jeez, it must be that size without its...
0:47:25 > 0:47:27so that size with its tail?
0:47:27 > 0:47:29- Exactly, almost a metre long. - Seriously?
0:47:29 > 0:47:33And this camera trap proves that an animal like that is here.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35To get conclusive evidence
0:47:35 > 0:47:39whether this is a new species, you need more than a photograph.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41This black and white photograph isn't going to do it.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45We're going to have to see if we can find this animal in the flesh,
0:47:45 > 0:47:46hold it, see what this animal is.
0:47:46 > 0:47:52But just using your experience, this could be a new species?
0:47:52 > 0:47:56There's no question in my mind this is a giant woolly rat,
0:47:56 > 0:47:59and I suspect Bosavi has its own kind.
0:47:59 > 0:48:01Wow, that would be some amazing find.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10No-one imagined just how rich this mountain would turn out to be.
0:48:14 > 0:48:19In the weird moss forest that clings to the rim of the crater,
0:48:19 > 0:48:21George is setting a trap.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27It's carefully positioned, right on the cliff edge.
0:48:43 > 0:48:48Once night falls, a high-powered light bulb will be switched on
0:48:48 > 0:48:50to attract insects to the sheet.
0:48:50 > 0:48:56And that's going to be...hopefully, it's going to be heaving with bugs.
0:49:01 > 0:49:06Down below, the hunt is on for the giant woolly rat.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08Gordon and Steve head off in opposite directions.
0:49:08 > 0:49:12They will search all night if they have to.
0:49:13 > 0:49:18Somewhere out there in the darkness is one of the world's biggest rats.
0:49:32 > 0:49:37At night, the jungle has its own special magic.
0:49:37 > 0:49:43This tree is covered in bracket fungus, and you can see all the
0:49:43 > 0:49:47tiny little spores being discharged,
0:49:47 > 0:49:50it makes it look as if they're actually steaming.
0:49:56 > 0:50:01In the early hours, Kris finds another animal with no fear of humans.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04It looks like a giant hamster,
0:50:04 > 0:50:06but it's a painted ringtail.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09Oh, he's absolutely gorgeous!
0:50:09 > 0:50:12Not a new species, but definitely one of the most beautiful animals
0:50:12 > 0:50:14that lives in this forest.
0:50:14 > 0:50:15Gosh, he really is.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18The fur is just exquisite.
0:50:18 > 0:50:22It is just so dense and so soft.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25You can see at night time this place just comes alive.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28We've done so much walking about this forest finding nothing, and
0:50:28 > 0:50:33you only have to find something like this and it makes it all worthwhile.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35You forget all that misery and all that hardship.
0:50:38 > 0:50:43On the cliff edge, George can hardly believe his eyes.
0:50:45 > 0:50:51I'm just overwhelmed. I never imagined I'd see
0:50:51 > 0:50:52such a diversity of moth.
0:50:52 > 0:50:58I mean, some of these things I've never seen before in my life.
0:50:58 > 0:51:02The variety of moths here is absolutely staggering!
0:51:02 > 0:51:08There's geometrids, hawkmoths, there's fruit piercing moths,
0:51:08 > 0:51:10and it's raining, it's tipping it down!
0:51:10 > 0:51:13This shouldn't be happening,
0:51:13 > 0:51:18and these bulbs only work in a radius of about 200 yards.
0:51:18 > 0:51:24All this has come from a 200 yard radius to this bulb.
0:51:24 > 0:51:29Can you imagine how rich this forest actually is?
0:51:29 > 0:51:32Almost beyond my understanding.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34Look at that.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36I'm absolutely...incredulous.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41My God, look at it!
0:51:41 > 0:51:44Look at that one, that brassy gold colour.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52In the crater, Steve's searching for the giant rat,
0:51:52 > 0:51:55but he's discovered a tarantula.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01Look at that!
0:52:01 > 0:52:06The way he's tilted back there, you can see he's rocked back
0:52:06 > 0:52:08in order to bring those fangs into position so he can
0:52:08 > 0:52:11bring down the entire bodyweight,
0:52:11 > 0:52:15plunging those fangs into whatever it is that's annoying him.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17Come on then.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20Now don't go, don't go.
0:52:20 > 0:52:24I do have to be careful here, I'd be a lot more ambitious
0:52:24 > 0:52:26if I knew what it was
0:52:26 > 0:52:28and if we were in a...
0:52:28 > 0:52:30less remote environment.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35But to get bitten or stung by something
0:52:35 > 0:52:37like this out here...
0:52:39 > 0:52:41..could be really sketchy.
0:52:45 > 0:52:51I have never been anywhere where I've seen the diversity of moths that I'm seeing here.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55If you'd told me, I wouldn't have believed you, but it's here.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57This one!
0:52:57 > 0:53:00That's a different hawkmoth. That's a different one come in now, just now.
0:53:00 > 0:53:05V-shaped wings, very fast flyers, really strong moths.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07Fantastic colouration there.
0:53:07 > 0:53:12Oh, look now, there's a hawkmoth too. Now, I've never seen that one before.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15What percentage of these will be new?
0:53:15 > 0:53:18It could easily be...
0:53:18 > 0:53:21a quarter, it could easily be a quarter of them.
0:53:21 > 0:53:22This is a very interesting moth.
0:53:22 > 0:53:26It's called an arctiid moth and when it's annoyed,
0:53:26 > 0:53:33it produces very horrible-smelling fluid from the thorax.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35There, see that? Look at that!
0:53:35 > 0:53:37That is amazing!
0:53:37 > 0:53:39What a defence.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41And that tastes really foul.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47Yuk, yuk.
0:53:47 > 0:53:52Even if I'd had to walk up here on my hands and knees, it would have been worth it for this.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56This one hour of moth mayhem.
0:53:57 > 0:54:03A haul of unique creatures like this proves Bosavi's forests are priceless.
0:54:05 > 0:54:06Honestly!
0:54:12 > 0:54:15Gordon gets a shout from a tracker.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29Oh, my word, have a look at this!
0:54:34 > 0:54:37Oh, gosh, that is the biggest rat I have ever seen.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39That is a murid rat, a true rat,
0:54:39 > 0:54:42the same family as the rats you find in cities and sewers.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44You've got a big smile on your face.
0:54:44 > 0:54:48The reason I'm smiling is because this is absolutely a new species.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51This is something that doesn't have a scientific name.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54This is one of the largest rats in the world, and here we are,
0:54:54 > 0:54:56holding it.
0:54:56 > 0:55:01I just think it's an amazing creature, found nowhere else
0:55:01 > 0:55:03on the entire planet.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05That is such a huge deal.
0:55:05 > 0:55:10And this animal is so chilled out, look at him, he's just grooming.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13You can tell it's a rat but yet it looks just so different from
0:55:13 > 0:55:15any rat you've ever seen, right?
0:55:15 > 0:55:20Yeah. I had a cat, and the cat was about the same size as this rat.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23Any cat that you buy to catch rats is going to run a mile
0:55:23 > 0:55:24from something like this.
0:55:24 > 0:55:28Mount Bosavi's such a big mountain, it's largely unexplored, it's so
0:55:28 > 0:55:31isolated that truly, some of the things we are finding
0:55:31 > 0:55:34are new species and are spectacular new species.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37Big rats, cuscus, fantastic animals.
0:55:37 > 0:55:41It gave me the heebie-jeebies, the thought of a giant rat and
0:55:41 > 0:55:45I've been going down the holes in hollow trees looking for big things,
0:55:45 > 0:55:48and it's actually kept me awake at night and here he is, he's just...
0:55:48 > 0:55:50oh, he's like a little puppy.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01New species of giant woolly rat!
0:56:01 > 0:56:04- Yeah.- No!
0:56:04 > 0:56:07That's unbelievable. Or are you just making it up?
0:56:07 > 0:56:09No, no, we got it, we got it, yeah.
0:56:09 > 0:56:12God, it was great, so great.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15The biggest rat in the world.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17Was it in a trap or was it...?
0:56:17 > 0:56:21No, just running about the forest, tame as anything.
0:56:21 > 0:56:22That's incredible.
0:56:27 > 0:56:30It's time to pack up and collect George from the summit.
0:56:37 > 0:56:42As I stand here, just about to be whisked away by this helicopter,
0:56:42 > 0:56:45I realise that my grandchildren
0:56:45 > 0:56:50may not ever be able to see this sort of habitat or the animals and plants
0:56:50 > 0:56:53that live here. It could all be gone.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56Now all their findings will be brought together
0:56:56 > 0:56:58and presented to the outside world.
0:56:59 > 0:57:03With the help of a remarkable tribe,
0:57:03 > 0:57:06they've found hundreds of spectacular creatures.
0:57:09 > 0:57:11He is just a parrot in miniature.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16That is absolutely gorgeous!
0:57:16 > 0:57:23They've discovered over 40 new species, from exquisite geckos
0:57:23 > 0:57:25to magical moths
0:57:25 > 0:57:27and bizarre frogs.
0:57:27 > 0:57:31And they've made major scientific discoveries...
0:57:31 > 0:57:34creatures with no fear of people.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37Oh, he's like a little puppy!
0:57:37 > 0:57:40Mammals that no-one knew existed.
0:57:40 > 0:57:45- Wow!- It's so incredibly rare that new species of mammal
0:57:45 > 0:57:47are found around the world these days.
0:57:47 > 0:57:50This has got to be one of the most incredible moments of my life.
0:57:50 > 0:57:54All of this on one amazing mountain.
0:57:55 > 0:58:00The hope is that Mount Bosavi, once a forgotten corner, will now
0:58:00 > 0:58:03become known around the world
0:58:03 > 0:58:07and protected as a unique rainforest of global importance.
0:58:24 > 0:58:27Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:27 > 0:58:31E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk