0:00:21 > 0:00:26Meet Brutus, the leader of the Kyambura Chimps.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34His community is plagued by nightmare teenagers,
0:00:36 > 0:00:38naughty kids,
0:00:40 > 0:00:42squabbling adults
0:00:43 > 0:00:45and serious rivalry.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53But that's pretty normal for chimps.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Brutus has a problem that's much more serious.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04These chimps live in a deep and ancient forested gorge
0:01:04 > 0:01:07that cuts through the plains of Africa's Rift Valley.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14The Kyambura gorge may be a lush oasis,
0:01:14 > 0:01:18but it's also their prison.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Brutus and the chimps are trapped.
0:01:22 > 0:01:29As the pressures of isolation take hold, can they stick together or will they self destruct?
0:01:39 > 0:01:43The Kyambura chimps have been marooned in a five-mile gorge in a
0:01:43 > 0:01:47corner of South West Uganda for nearly 15 years.
0:01:49 > 0:01:55Their narrow strip of forest used to continue along the river like a corridor, to a much larger forest.
0:01:55 > 0:02:01But in recent times the human population here has exploded.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06Crops now cover the land, and the trees have all but vanished.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12For Brutus and his community living in the gorge,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16their link to the chimps in the other forest has been severed.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21These chimps may as well be on a desert island.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30But they've got to carry on and do their best to function as normal.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Easier said than done.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Here in the gorge there are just five breeding females,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48a couple of grannies
0:02:48 > 0:02:51and 11 kids.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00They are led by a motley crew of males -
0:03:00 > 0:03:02one old man,
0:03:03 > 0:03:05a couple of scraggly teenagers
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and only two prime adults.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17It's not up to the usual standard of a male chimp defence force.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23As the alpha male, Brutus presides over the whole group.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28He's the most powerful chimp in the gorge.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31It's his job to keep control.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38But how will he lead such a ragtag band in these reduced circumstances?
0:03:47 > 0:03:51The forested gorge is a reasonably safe place for the chimps.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55The trees provide an escape from predators.
0:03:59 > 0:04:05But Brutus and his team are about to leave their sanctuary and set off on a high-risk mission.
0:04:08 > 0:04:14Just the males together climb out of the gorge and into the danger zone.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Savannah.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Predators stalk the open grasslands.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33It's a habitat made for fast runners, not tree climbers like the chimps.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47This might seem foolish, but something drives them on.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00On high alert, they creep forward.
0:05:06 > 0:05:12A nervous band of just three big males and two teenage boys.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14It's not much of a war party.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22For the youngsters with their pale faces, it's seriously scary.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29But still they follow the leaders without question.
0:05:32 > 0:05:38But Brutus and his crew aren't on a mission to escape the gorge.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42They've been lured out by a more immediate temptation.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47The most delicious, juicy, ripe figs.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Safe off the ground, the chimps can relax.
0:05:59 > 0:06:05The figs are a rich source of calcium and vitamins, and a worthy reward for their bravery.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Male chimps never leave their families,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20so these boys will stay together until they die.
0:06:26 > 0:06:32They might be a second-rate crew, but they are the core of the Kyambura chimps society.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38They have to stick together, work together and be a good team.
0:06:56 > 0:07:01After eating until they could burst, the boys indulge in a little grooming.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07It's an important ritual that cements the bonds between them.
0:07:09 > 0:07:15Brutus gets all the attention, as befits his role as the alpha male.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19All the boys like an opportunity to suck up to the boss.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Apart from one.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Hatari is a little younger than Brutus.
0:07:26 > 0:07:32At 21 he's approaching his prime and has his eye on Brutus's crown.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37His craving for power is so strong Brutus will need to watch his back.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50Hatari decides it's time to go, and swings down first.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54It's a bold and defiant gesture
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Brutus should always be the first to move.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05He ought to put Hatari in his place,
0:08:05 > 0:08:11but out in the savannah they need to concentrate on predators, not politics.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13There could be a lion around.
0:08:15 > 0:08:21Having a troublemaker in the ranks is the last thing Brutus needs in this claustrophobic situation.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Back in the gorge the mothers are safe.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54They have young babies to mind and teach.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01While there's no chance of escape, every breeding female is extremely precious -
0:09:01 > 0:09:06to lose even one would have drastic consequences.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12For now, they're all doing well and there has been a recent baby boom.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25But a strange twist of fate will make the chimps' future in the gorge even harder.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33None of the new babies are girls.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40The community desperately needs more, but chimps are very slow breeders and
0:09:40 > 0:09:44on average each mother produces just one baby in five years.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51Because four of the five mothers have babies under two years old,
0:09:51 > 0:09:53they won't be conceiving anytime soon.
0:09:55 > 0:10:01That leaves only two females that could get pregnant in the near future.
0:10:01 > 0:10:08One is Emiti, she has two boys already, one six, the other three.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13If she can breed that fast again, and produce a girl,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17it will make a massive difference to the survival of the group.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22There's a lot of hope resting on her shoulders.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31But she's not carrying it alone.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Sharing her burden is Pamba.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Pamba is a teenager and her body is preparing to breed.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45She too might get pregnant soon -
0:10:45 > 0:10:48another hope for a baby girl.
0:10:48 > 0:10:55The only problem is that Pamba's hormones are driving her to leave the gorge.
0:10:55 > 0:11:01Female chimps tend to leave their families when they become sexually active.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03They do it to avoid inbreeding.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10But if Pamba did stay, to have another breeding female around
0:11:10 > 0:11:13would be much better for the gorge community.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20The deadly savannah stands between her and a new life.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26But if only she knew how close the other chimps were.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34Within seven miles of the Kyambura gorge there are two distinct forests,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38both containing healthy populations of chimps.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42both could be walked to within a morning.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45But the route to one is cut off by farmland
0:11:45 > 0:11:49and the route to the other by lion country.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Salvation is so near, yet so far.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59The chimps can't know how close it is
0:11:59 > 0:12:02otherwise surely they'd run the gauntlet.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12What they desperately need is for a new forest corridor to be planted,
0:12:12 > 0:12:18a corridor that would not only let Pamba out, it would also let other migrating females in,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21bringing with them much needed fresh blood.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24But a corridor would have to be planted by people,
0:12:24 > 0:12:31and even if they were to start now, it will take at least 20 years for the trees to flourish.
0:12:31 > 0:12:37The Kyambura chimps will have to stay strong if they are to survive that long.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44So, despite her raging hormones, Pamba has nowhere to go,
0:12:44 > 0:12:49and applies herself instead to babysitting one of the toddlers.
0:12:49 > 0:12:54It's a teenage female chimp's favourite pastime.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59She uses a stick to fish for honey. The toddler is fascinated.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02More of a hindrance than a help.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05He'll learn by watching.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10It gives the mother a break and the experience is great for Pamba.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15If she bears a healthy daughter in the gorge soon, it could be
0:13:15 > 0:13:21just enough to help the Kyambura chimps survive until rescue comes,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24if it ever does.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03The boys have returned from their fig expedition, and once safely back
0:14:03 > 0:14:08in the gorge, Brutus, the leader, needs to reassert his authority.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11SQUEALING, HOOTING
0:14:28 > 0:14:33At 26 years old, he's in his prime.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Strong, confident and in control.
0:14:39 > 0:14:44His displays leave the others in no doubt as to who's in charge.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00But Brutus can't keep control through violence alone.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Every alpha male chimp needs a side-kick.
0:15:08 > 0:15:15Unfortunately for Brutus, in the confines of the gorge, he's only got one choice.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Hatari is the only other prime male in the group, so even though he is
0:15:30 > 0:15:34the chimp most likely to stab Brutus in the back,
0:15:34 > 0:15:38the two have to have some kind of relationship.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51A bit of grooming eases the tension between them.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53But it won't last.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01Looking ahead, it's hard to imagine how the testosterone-driven males
0:16:01 > 0:16:04will cope when the old females die and aren't replaced.
0:16:07 > 0:16:13While there's no corridor to bring new females in, and no sign of baby girls,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17chances of a happy future are slim.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22The oldest females are in their 30s and 40s.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25It's possible they still remember the other chimps from the big forest.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Chimps are intelligent,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34but is it possible for them to share memories from the past?
0:16:39 > 0:16:44If not, when the grannies die, that knowledge will die with them,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47leaving the youngsters without a clue.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50They will think they are the only chimps in the world.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Maji is the boldest teenager in the group.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59He's young but he's already one of Brutus's sidekicks.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05On the cusp of adulthood, he loves following the big males.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12But he'll also jump at the chance to hang out with his young friends.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31Being carefree is all very well, but because there's a huge shortage
0:18:31 > 0:18:36of males in the gorge, Maji will have to grow up fast.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39He'll have to be ready to take on a role in Brutus's team.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Today the boys have a taste for blood.
0:18:58 > 0:19:04Trapped alongside the chimps are black-and-white colobus.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07The Kyambura chimps love to eat them.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16This is where the males' teamwork is essential.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Brutus and Hatari have to work together.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27Colobus monkeys are fast and clever - success is not guaranteed.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Teenage Maji is keen to join in.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47If he wants to help, he'd better be up to the job.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51The quarry is in their sights.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08And the chase is on.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11WHOOPING
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Baby monkeys are the target
0:20:35 > 0:20:40but a male colobus will fight to the death for his family.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45Getting past the protective dads is no easy task.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Brutus pushes the monkeys into position,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51straight towards a waiting Hatari.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56They'll be no match for his strength and aggression.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25The colobus can go no further. They're cornered.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Hatari's trying to get to them, but teenage Maji keeps getting in the way.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Hatari prepares for the final charge
0:21:39 > 0:21:41but Maji blocks his path.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52The hunt is over.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54It's been a disaster.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Brutus's disappointment is intense.
0:21:58 > 0:22:03The chimps have wasted a lot of energy, and it's all Maji's fault.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10If the Kyambura chimps can't function as a good team for a simple hunt,
0:22:10 > 0:22:14it doesn't bode well for their future.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Hatari, however, hasn't come away empty handed.
0:22:21 > 0:22:27In the confusion he did manage to catch a baby.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29He slips off to eat it alone.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38By sneaking off and not sharing the spoils,
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Hatari is showing his true colours.
0:22:51 > 0:22:57Chimps don't need meat to survive, but they love the taste as much as they love the thrill of the hunt.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Because hunting for monkeys requires so much energy,
0:23:03 > 0:23:07the chimps only do it when times are good and fruits are abundant.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Right now in the high season, the gorge is a lush paradise.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22Their gorge is five miles long and full of ancient unlogged forest.
0:23:25 > 0:23:26It might be their prison
0:23:26 > 0:23:31but at the right time of year it must seem like being trapped in heaven.
0:23:33 > 0:23:38A good, rich habitat like this can improve the breeding rate for female chimps.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41And Emiti is showing signs of coming into season.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48A female chimp in oestrus causes excitement in the group.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00This mother has a record for fast breeding.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05If she can do it again, there's every hope this time for a girl.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Female chimps will mate with any number of males,
0:24:11 > 0:24:16even the youngsters, and Hatari isn't going to miss his chance.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32She might have just conceived.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36With any luck, there's a little girl on the way already.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Brutus and his team are on foot patrol.
0:24:58 > 0:25:03They regularly march the length of the gorge, checking on the progress of fruiting trees.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Keeping everyone fed is a full-time business.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25The ancient forest here in the gorge is planted by the chimps,
0:25:25 > 0:25:27who disperse seeds as they feed.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34They are essential to the eco-system.
0:25:37 > 0:25:42The very health of the forest depends on their existence.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02They can march eight miles a day looking for food.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Brutus and the males always go ahead.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09It's their decision-making that leads the community.
0:26:24 > 0:26:30While the boys are on the march, they're also looking out for hostile parties of male chimps.
0:26:30 > 0:26:37After all, a patch of forest as lush as this would normally need defending from invaders.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44The irony is that Brutus and the others don't realise there's no chance of finding trespassers here.
0:26:46 > 0:26:51As the savannah that traps them in also keeps warring chimps out.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00Brutus might be wasting his time, but today he hasn't wasted his energy.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04A lucky find produces some honeycomb.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08With his attention caught up in the sticky sweetness,
0:27:08 > 0:27:10he takes his eye off his real enemy.
0:27:16 > 0:27:22The older Hatari gets, the closer he is to challenging Brutus for his alpha status.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27But until he's ready he has to be satisfied with dominating the females,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30especially when Brutus isn't looking.
0:27:32 > 0:27:39He has spotted little Pamba, the teenage female who is approaching maturity.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46Hatari has her cornered, and she's very frightened.
0:28:19 > 0:28:24Even though she isn't yet at peak fertility, Hatari could still force her to mate,
0:28:24 > 0:28:28and that could involve a beating.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44PAMBA SCREECHES
0:28:44 > 0:28:50Her terrified screams alert Brutus, who recognizes the challenge to his power.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56He won't stand for this sort of behaviour.
0:28:57 > 0:29:02At the sound of Brutus approaching, Hatari slinks off.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06He is still too much of a coward to challenge Brutus directly.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09But it's only a matter of time.
0:29:32 > 0:29:38Unless the Kyamburas are rescued soon, it doesn't matter who's in charge here.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42Neither Brutus's experience nor Hatari's strength
0:29:42 > 0:29:45can lead the community to safety across the savannah.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50Only humans can stop the gorge falling silent
0:29:50 > 0:29:54and at the moment there's no sign of any assistance.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00Driven by her instinct to leave the group and go in search of other males,
0:30:00 > 0:30:05teenage Pamba has climbed to the edge of the gorge.
0:30:07 > 0:30:13She has two choices - make a bid for freedom and risk her life,
0:30:13 > 0:30:17or stay with her community and face an uncertain future.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23Maji the teenage male has followed her.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27He's wondering what she's up to.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35What can Pamba be thinking?
0:30:36 > 0:30:39Does she understand her options?
0:30:39 > 0:30:44Whatever she's thinking, she can't sit there all day.
0:30:47 > 0:30:52Maji climbs down, and Pamba is decided.
0:30:58 > 0:31:04Her urge to leave overrides her fear of what lies beyond, and she takes her first
0:31:04 > 0:31:08tentative steps into the outside world.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14She's brave. She's risking her life.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17If she makes it, she'll be saved.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22And she's gone.
0:31:41 > 0:31:47On the cusp of adulthood, Maji has been independent from his mother for some time.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51He's full of enthusiasm for life
0:31:51 > 0:31:55but he still lacks the skills to make a useful contribution to the team.
0:31:58 > 0:32:03In the dense undergrowth of the gorge a baby bushbuck is frozen still.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09Maji spots it, he creeps in
0:32:09 > 0:32:16and the fawn's instinct to keep still is its undoing.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19Maji reaches into the bushes.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28He makes his first kill.
0:32:30 > 0:32:35Whether he meant to kill it or not, the community would relish this meat.
0:32:35 > 0:32:40But Maji seems confused. He doesn't know what to do with the body.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44If only Brutus were here to show him.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48But Brutus doesn't know what's happened.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51SCREECHING
0:32:52 > 0:32:56He's calling his family ready to move on.
0:32:58 > 0:33:04Realising he's been left behind, Maji leaves the dead bushbuck to rot and rushes to catch up.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12The teenager still has a lot to learn.
0:33:12 > 0:33:17Until he grows up, he's little use to Brutus and his family.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26The sun sets early on the Equator.
0:33:29 > 0:33:35If she's still out there, Pamba will struggle to find a safe place to sleep.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38How will she survive the night alone?
0:33:41 > 0:33:46At night the gorge is no longer a place of sanctuary.
0:33:50 > 0:33:55Maji and his family build nests high in the trees for safety.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00They have to be off the ground before it's dark,
0:34:01 > 0:34:04as the gorge never sleeps.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Herds of elephants come in to drink.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46Hyenas patrol the pathways, looking for prey.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06None of these creatures would be fun to run into.
0:35:18 > 0:35:23Pamba had better be off the ground if she wants to see another dawn.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45Brutus and his boys once again make their way out into the savannah.
0:35:47 > 0:35:52Their instinct for patrolling their borders has drawn them out to the very edge of their territory.
0:35:55 > 0:36:02Despite never having met a strange male, Brutus still insists on making the effort.
0:36:02 > 0:36:08Perhaps he thinks one day someone is bound to come, and if they do, Brutus will be ready.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13But protecting their community from imaginary marauders
0:36:13 > 0:36:17is a risky business, when it means entering lion country.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23Chimps are one of the most intelligent animals on the planet,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26but if they knew how fast the clock was ticking, surely they'd be trying
0:36:26 > 0:36:30to escape instead of looking for non-existent enemies.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34But they carry on regardless.
0:36:43 > 0:36:48For as far as the eye can see, there is never another chimp in sight.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59But that doesn't mean the area is void of life.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05Their furthest boundary goes right by the human villages.
0:37:06 > 0:37:11Human beings can be as dangerous to chimps as lions.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16Brutus is really pushing his luck here.
0:37:16 > 0:37:21But he continues with his motley crew on their patrol through the tall grasses.
0:37:32 > 0:37:37Occasionally standing up on two legs to give themselves a better view.
0:37:56 > 0:38:02There are some theories of evolution that claim our ancient chimp-like ancestors
0:38:02 > 0:38:07found themselves in isolated patches of forest surrounded by seas of savannah.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11And it was adapting to this new and different habitat
0:38:11 > 0:38:15that caused them too to stand on two legs.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18The start of a journey to becoming human.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Could the Kyambura chimps' adventures in the savannah
0:38:26 > 0:38:31be an echo of what happened millions of years ago to our own prehistoric relatives?
0:38:35 > 0:38:38Today it's not just the boys that have ventured out.
0:38:38 > 0:38:44Even the mothers and babies have made it over the top in search of precious figs.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53Perhaps the longer the chimps spend in the border between forest and savannah,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56the more they will begin to adjust to the environment.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04Could this be evolution in action?
0:39:10 > 0:39:15If they can adapt to a savannah lifestyle, perhaps their future looks brighter than expected.
0:39:18 > 0:39:23But predators like lions are not the only dangers in the grasslands.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33Far out in the savannah a spark ignites the grasses.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42The plains burn year after year in the dry season
0:39:42 > 0:39:45and the flames can be ferocious.
0:40:02 > 0:40:07If the chimps didn't have the refuge of the gorge, they could be burnt to death out here.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13They'll never become savannah creatures.
0:40:20 > 0:40:27With no escape from their prison in sight, Brutus and the chimps are facing another 20 years inside.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33If they're to survive it, their luck needs to turn.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43Safe inside the gorge, Emiti relaxes with her toddler.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48It's been a while since she last came into season,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51which is a good sign she might now be pregnant,
0:40:51 > 0:40:53and with teenage Pamba gone,
0:40:53 > 0:40:57all hope for a baby girl now rests on Emiti's shoulders.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14THUNDER ROLLS
0:41:21 > 0:41:24Rain comes in from the hills
0:41:24 > 0:41:27and electricity fills the air.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31It's contagious.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34CHIMPS SCREECH
0:42:14 > 0:42:17The wet season is finally here.
0:42:17 > 0:42:22The river swells and the gorge once again becomes a place of abundance.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24And just as well.
0:42:24 > 0:42:30Emiti is definitely eating for two and needs all the nutrition she can get.
0:42:32 > 0:42:37The new wet season means the chimps are once again full of energy -
0:42:37 > 0:42:40bad news for the local colobus.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44The hunting season has started.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49Maji spots an opportunity.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52This time he doesn't waste it.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54He initiates his first hunt.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02The male colobus try to frighten him off.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10He's not much bigger than they are,
0:43:10 > 0:43:14but he bravely carries on, and calls out for the rest of the team.
0:43:43 > 0:43:48Reinforcements arrive. Brutus and Hatari are here to finish the job.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01The whole family joins in.
0:44:34 > 0:44:38The catch is a good one.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41There's more than enough meat to go round.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44A hunt like this really brings the community together.
0:44:48 > 0:44:52But no-one shares with Hatari.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56His bad behaviour has come back to haunt him.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58If he really wants a crack at the title
0:44:58 > 0:45:01he'll have to make friends, not enemies
0:45:01 > 0:45:03something he's yet to learn.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10Teenage Maji enjoys the tail.
0:45:10 > 0:45:16He showed real signs of growing up in the hunt, but he still can't resist playing with his food.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21And there's another young chimp enjoying the spoils here
0:45:21 > 0:45:24that hasn't been seen for some time.
0:45:24 > 0:45:26It's a teenage female.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29There's only one chimp it could be.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32Little Pamba.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35She's alive.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39Her escape across the savannah has failed.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42What she's been through we'll never know.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46But at least she's safe
0:45:46 > 0:45:50and her return is great news for the community.
0:45:51 > 0:45:56For chimps this desperate for babies, every female is of great importance.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02She's returned just in time for a share of the meat.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16Heavily pregnant Emiti is the only one who's not here now.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20Hopefully, she's taken herself off to give birth.
0:46:31 > 0:46:36After their feast the Kyambura community is content.
0:46:39 > 0:46:44Brutus shows his softer side and the family relaxes together.
0:46:44 > 0:46:50Pamba and Maji play. They show no signs of straying today.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53Perhaps Pamba's urge to leave is passing.
0:46:57 > 0:47:02Brutus has held his throne for another year, and kept his motley crew of males busy.
0:47:05 > 0:47:09But Hatari gets stronger by the day.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12The showdown between the two will happen soon.
0:47:13 > 0:47:18But at least for the moment there's peace among the males.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25And there is one other small sign of hope.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28Emiti has returned and, sure enough,
0:47:28 > 0:47:33there's a tiny baby clinging to her fur.
0:47:35 > 0:47:40Barely a week old, it's helpless and can have no idea about
0:47:40 > 0:47:42the claustrophobic world it's been born into.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46Emiti has done it,
0:47:46 > 0:47:49she's produced a daughter.
0:47:51 > 0:47:53The little girl brings new hope.
0:47:53 > 0:47:57She will make all the difference to the Kyambura chimps.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04They've survived the year,
0:48:04 > 0:48:07and in the gorge that's the best they can do,
0:48:07 > 0:48:12take each day as it comes, and resist extinction
0:48:12 > 0:48:15until salvation comes to find them.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40The Kyambura chimps' story is a sad one,
0:48:40 > 0:48:42but it's not unique.
0:48:43 > 0:48:48They're lucky, as they're protected by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
0:48:49 > 0:48:53But as forests everywhere decrease in size, some chimps are finding
0:48:53 > 0:48:57themselves in direct conflict with their human neighbours.
0:48:59 > 0:49:05150 miles north of Kyambura, chimps are running so short of habitat
0:49:05 > 0:49:09they're forced to raid human crops, and get trapped in snares.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27It takes a dart and an anaesthetic to get them off.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31It's dangerous.
0:49:35 > 0:49:41The forest environment is far from ideal for complex clinical procedures.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45But they have to do it,
0:49:45 > 0:49:48otherwise the chimp will die.
0:49:56 > 0:50:00The chimps that get saved like this are the lucky ones.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03Many others are never found.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07Good job, guys, good job.
0:50:10 > 0:50:16Peter Apell from the Jane Goodall Institute is working at the sharp end of chimp conservation.
0:50:18 > 0:50:23He's fed up with pulling snares off chimps, so he has a vested interest
0:50:23 > 0:50:27in reducing the conflict between chimps and humans.
0:50:31 > 0:50:36You see that? The thing about this snare is that the harder you pull,
0:50:36 > 0:50:38the tighter it gets.
0:50:38 > 0:50:44Eventually, what the trapped chimpanzee will try to do is try to break this branch.
0:50:44 > 0:50:48You see how tough that is? It is really, really strong.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51But eventually, after days of trying, they'll succeed,
0:50:51 > 0:50:54and then they'll move around the forest with a piece
0:50:54 > 0:51:01of that branch tied on to this snare, that is around their wrist, and unless that chimpanzee is saved,
0:51:01 > 0:51:03they could die.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10Peter is tired of patching up injured chimps,
0:51:10 > 0:51:12so he's begun a programme that addresses the cause,
0:51:12 > 0:51:16not just the symptoms, of the plight of chimpanzees.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19Right now we're on the edge of Bugoma Forest Reserve,
0:51:19 > 0:51:23which is one of the last remaining chimpanzee habitats in Uganda.
0:51:23 > 0:51:29Just north of Bugoma Central Forest reserve is Wambaya Central Forest Reserve.
0:51:29 > 0:51:37Several years ago these two forests were connected by riverine forests and chimpanzees used to move freely
0:51:37 > 0:51:41between the two forests, allowing for the possibility of exchange of genes.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47For chimpanzees, connectivity is very important
0:51:47 > 0:51:50for the chimpanzee population to survive.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53What we've realised over the last five years,
0:51:53 > 0:51:57there has been continuous and consistent destruction
0:51:57 > 0:52:02of this corridor by communities in order to sustain their livelihoods,
0:52:02 > 0:52:04in order to sustain their wellbeing.
0:52:06 > 0:52:08The forest has been totally cut down
0:52:08 > 0:52:13and what that has resulted in, more and more siltation of the river bed,
0:52:13 > 0:52:19and that has drastically reduced on the quality and the quantity of water within these rivers.
0:52:28 > 0:52:32Households which would fetch water right next to their home,
0:52:32 > 0:52:36now have to travel several kilometres on a daily basis.
0:52:47 > 0:52:51The villagers are at risk of disease by drinking from the filthy water.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21But there is no alternative.
0:53:23 > 0:53:28Because the forests are being destroyed, the rivers are being spoilt.
0:53:30 > 0:53:36Ten years ago, this river, which is only just about one metre in width,
0:53:36 > 0:53:42was about 20 metres in width, extending from this end of the bank to the other end of the bank.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46And from talking with people who have been here over the last ten years,
0:53:46 > 0:53:50they said the river used to be at least one metre deep.
0:53:50 > 0:53:55If we can restore the forest then this river can recover
0:53:55 > 0:54:00and will provide a vital water source for this community.
0:54:02 > 0:54:09So here in Hoima district, both humans and chimps are depending on forest recovery.
0:54:13 > 0:54:20We are planting approximately 230,000 tree seedlings in this nursery.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25Trees are a very important part of this community.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29The community uses trees as a source of fuel,
0:54:29 > 0:54:32and as a source of wood for construction.
0:54:32 > 0:54:38So by running this project we will be addressing two main needs.
0:54:38 > 0:54:45One, conservation needs, by re-establishing the corridor, and livelihood needs for this community.
0:54:47 > 0:54:51The community owns this project.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54The land on which the nursery is being established was donated
0:54:54 > 0:54:56by the community and, as you can see,
0:54:56 > 0:55:02the community is involved on a daily basis. All this is done voluntarily.
0:55:04 > 0:55:10The reason that the community is volunteering their time, volunteering their land towards
0:55:10 > 0:55:17the establishment of this nursery is because they realise that they are the beneficiaries.
0:55:17 > 0:55:23These trees will be given back to the community to establish their own wood lots
0:55:23 > 0:55:25and to help re-establish the corridor
0:55:25 > 0:55:30through replanting the degraded parts of the riverine forest.
0:55:30 > 0:55:36It's a mammoth task and trees like this will take up to 30 years to mature.
0:55:36 > 0:55:41But, for the chimps in this part of Uganda, at least the work has now started.
0:55:41 > 0:55:46If we get it right here then we shall have a template that
0:55:46 > 0:55:51we can replicate to reconnect several fragmented populations around Uganda,
0:55:51 > 0:55:56like the chimps in the Kyambura Gorge, that are in desperate need for reconnection.
0:56:03 > 0:56:07With projects like this one starting up, there is some hope for the Kyamburas' future
0:56:07 > 0:56:14but they'll need to survive for at least 20 years before they get their own corridor.
0:56:21 > 0:56:25Luckily for them, they're under the protection of the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34Monitored daily, they're visited by tourists,
0:56:34 > 0:56:38who are excited to catch a glimpse of these great apes.
0:56:43 > 0:56:48They bring welcome revenue, which is a big boost to the local economy.
0:56:58 > 0:57:03The Kyambura chimps are hanging on in their bizarre savannah and forest existence.
0:57:06 > 0:57:10The next 20 years will decide the fate of these chimps.
0:57:13 > 0:57:18Let's hope their closest cousins get a move on, and rescue them,
0:57:18 > 0:57:22before the Kyambura chimps are lost for ever.
0:57:29 > 0:57:33Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:35 > 0:57:39E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk