0:00:25 > 0:00:28In a remote corner of Zululand in South Africa...
0:00:29 > 0:00:31..an extraordinary mission is underway.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41It has been eight years in the planning.
0:00:43 > 0:00:44It is ambitious...
0:00:45 > 0:00:47..and it is risky.
0:00:49 > 0:00:55This rhino is about to do something rhinos were never designed to do.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39KwaZulu-Natal is on the Eastern shores of South Africa.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42and is perhaps better known as Zululand.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49This ancient region of rolling hills and rivers
0:01:49 > 0:01:52was the hunting ground of the Zulu kings.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02Once famed for its tribal battles, iMfolozi National Park
0:02:02 > 0:02:05is now best known for being the oldest reserve in Africa.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16It is also a stronghold for the rhinoceros.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29These extraordinary ancient beasts have roamed our earth
0:02:29 > 0:02:31for 50 million years.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36But today, it's their horn that could be their downfall.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43The rhinos use it to fight and defend themselves.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55These are white rhino. They're grazers with a wide, flat mouth
0:02:55 > 0:02:58to crop grass close to the ground.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04But there is another rhino here, too.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Far more secretive...
0:03:07 > 0:03:09..and extremely rare.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15The Black Rhino has a distinctive hooked lip
0:03:15 > 0:03:17to pull branches into its mouth.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23This is a rhino with attitude.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Especially if they're taken by surprise.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51There is one man who dares to walk amongst the black rhino.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08They hide away deep in the reserve,
0:04:08 > 0:04:09and have to be tracked on foot.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19Bom Ndwanwe is a Zulu who has been getting to know these rhino
0:04:19 > 0:04:23for 27 years, and he will play a vital role
0:04:23 > 0:04:26in the preparation for a bold new project.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31He monitors the black rhino population,
0:04:31 > 0:04:36and records details of every male, female, and calf he sees.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46To bring the rhinos out of the bushes,
0:04:46 > 0:04:50Bom has a trick that appeals to their inquisitive nature.
0:04:56 > 0:05:02Rhinos are short-sighted, but their sense of smell is superb.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Large, trumpet-shaped ears swivel
0:05:04 > 0:05:07to locate direction of suspicious sounds.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Bom's bright hat lures the rhino in to take a closer look.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Bom's job is to identify which animals
0:06:33 > 0:06:37might be suitable to become "flying rhinos".
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Every Black Rhino is given a pattern of notches on its ears,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42which corresponds to a number.
0:06:42 > 0:06:47It's easier than giving them names when there are hundreds to follow.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50But, of course, Bom has his favourites.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Many of the rhino here are like familiar friends to Bom,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12but soon he will have to say goodbye to some.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20He is sharing his lifetime of knowledge and experience
0:08:20 > 0:08:24with Jed Bird. Their mission is to save the rhino from extinction.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31How we find these rhino, mainly, the best way is like now, early morning.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34The sun has just come up, so they're going to be almost
0:08:34 > 0:08:39glowing in this light, so we just get onto a high point, like we are here.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Bom and I'll just scan and try and see.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45There's usually a race between us to see who can find the first rhino!
0:08:57 > 0:09:00THEY SPEAK ZULU
0:09:04 > 0:09:07'In 2009 we started working together, and it's been great.'
0:09:07 > 0:09:09I really have enjoyed working with him.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12I'll go as far as saying there's no-one in this park
0:09:12 > 0:09:15that understands black rhino as much as Bom does.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22With Bom's help, Jed is in the final stages of preparation
0:09:22 > 0:09:24for a bold project...
0:09:26 > 0:09:29..to take a small group of black rhino from here,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33to try and start a new population in a secret location.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Our black rhino removal process,
0:09:40 > 0:09:42a lot of people think it's a short-term thing -
0:09:42 > 0:09:44we just get up in the air, find an animal and take it.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46I mean, this started in March,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50we started ear-marking animals that were suitable for removal
0:09:50 > 0:09:53based on their age, sex, the area they lived in,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55cow-calf combinations, things like that.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58They need a mother and calf for the relocation.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01We've come over this little ridge, and they're literally right here.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03They're just under that next tree.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08So what we'll do now is let her relax a bit,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10and we'll go to those trees over there.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13Get into those trees, and we can view safely from that distance.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20To identify them, they must get a closer look.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23But, suddenly they find themselves surrounded.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26There's another rhino right here!
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Let's stay near this tree.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Just over this ridge is that little grey patch.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41That's the back of another black rhino we've almost bumped right into.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Bom works his black rhino magic,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52whilst Jed stays behind a gully for safety.
0:10:54 > 0:10:55Here she comes.
0:11:25 > 0:11:31They know this female well. Bom calls her "Mama Gogo,"
0:11:31 > 0:11:34meaning grandmother, but she's far too old for the relocation.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39The sores on her side are caused by a parasitic worm infection.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42It looks worse than it is - it doesn't really bother them.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20She, um... Keep an eye on her.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24She knows more or less what we're about.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27At that distance, she would have seen Bom clearly.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30She's just coming to have a look, no real aggression.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32Luckily, we've got this drainage line here,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34so we can afford to be this close.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36So it's a nice sighting.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53It's still the one animal that makes me shake properly.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56So it's nice getting this close and getting a proper look at them.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03It's just days now till the relocation operation will begin.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08It's a campaign in a war they can't afford to lose.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12NEWSREADERS: 'South Africa faces a staggering increase
0:13:12 > 0:13:14'in rhino poaching.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16'More than 300 rhino have been poached...'
0:13:16 > 0:13:19In South Africa, wildlife experts say the poaching of rhinos
0:13:19 > 0:13:21is increasing at an unprecedented rate.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23'The slaughter of rhino continues
0:13:23 > 0:13:26'on a scale that's left conservationists speechless.'
0:13:26 > 0:13:28'Rhino poaching has escalated,'
0:13:28 > 0:13:32with at least 443 killed in the country this year.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38All of this to take the rhino's horn.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Demand comes from the Far East,
0:13:40 > 0:13:45as some believe it to have medicinal healing properties.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48There is no scientific evidence to support this.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Lawrence Munro is one of the head rangers
0:14:05 > 0:14:08and in charge of the anti-poaching team in iMfolozi.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12He has seen rhinos through many crises over the years,
0:14:12 > 0:14:14but this time it's different.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16THEY SPEAK ZULU
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Did you start east of here?
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Yeah, we went down...
0:14:21 > 0:14:23'South Africa has always experienced rhino poaching.'
0:14:23 > 0:14:28However, from the beginning of 2008, it's as if somewhere in the world
0:14:28 > 0:14:30a tap was opened and the floodgates opened
0:14:30 > 0:14:34and we have experienced a rising tempo in rhino poaching
0:14:34 > 0:14:37such as which we've never faced before, ever,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41in our history of this game reserve, which is well over 100 years now.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50Last year, more than 600 rhinos were killed across South Africa.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Some have predicted there will be no rhinos left in the wild
0:15:01 > 0:15:03in less than 15 years.
0:15:10 > 0:15:11It's a story that speaks for itself.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14These are all skulls of rhinos that have been picked up
0:15:14 > 0:15:15in the field from crime scenes.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18These rhinos have been shot and poached for their horns,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22you can see the row in front of me, particularly.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24The horns have all been hacked off with an axe,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27quite savagely right down to the base,
0:15:27 > 0:15:28where they actually start to expose
0:15:28 > 0:15:31the roots of the teeth and the top jaw.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34This is often done with much haste,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37the animal is not necessarily always dead when it happens,
0:15:37 > 0:15:38and we find that, on our crime scenes,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41these rhinos have actually haemorrhaged to death.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43They haven't died from gunshots, they've actually bled to death,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46because their horns are hacked off while they're alive.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59If we can allow something like an icon like a rhino to disappear,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03then I feel that we might be heading in to dangerous ground
0:16:03 > 0:16:05in terms of the justification of our wild areas,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07and to me that's what it's all about.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11If we can save this guy, then we can save our wild areas.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22This pristine Zulu wilderness has a dark side.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26It may look like paradise,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29but it's a war zone hiding an invisible enemy.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38The rhinos are under attack.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48It's a vast area. The guys are working round the clock.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51It's dangerous. We've had armed confrontations with poachers,
0:16:51 > 0:16:52we've killed some of them,
0:16:52 > 0:16:56some of our rangers have lost their lives, and still it continues.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19A carcass has been spotted from the air,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22but it's three days old, and the poachers are long gone.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28They've picked up a carcass of a white rhino
0:17:28 > 0:17:33that obviously has been poached. The horns have been cut off.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36So we're going to set up a crime scene and see what we can find there.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40We've lost quite a few rhino in the last two weeks.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44This particular area is seeming to be quite a hotspot at the moment.
0:17:47 > 0:17:52A team of police, wildlife investigators, rangers and a vet
0:17:52 > 0:17:55must be present when a poached rhino is found.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59The area is swept for clues.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20MACHINE BEEPS
0:18:22 > 0:18:24They need to find a murder weapon.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Now they have found a bullet, it is officially a crime scene.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40Is it a .306?
0:18:40 > 0:18:42I think it's a .30.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44You can have a look.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50The park's vet, Dave Cooper, takes care of these rhinos in life.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55But these days, much of his time is taken up determining how they died.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00'It's a fatal shot. The animal wouldn't have survived long.'
0:19:00 > 0:19:04These guys know what they are doing. They've got some background.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06they know about hunting, weapons, calibres.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14'We've had a report of another two elsewhere,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17'and the two that they have found are old carcasses.
0:19:17 > 0:19:18'They found these carcasses
0:19:18 > 0:19:20'in response to shots that they heard last night,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23'but it's not related to last night's event.'
0:19:23 > 0:19:26You can just see it's happening, different areas,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29different people, different weapons.
0:19:29 > 0:19:30Yeah, it's...
0:19:30 > 0:19:33You're not going to win a war like this. It's impossible.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42It's probably 2% of this animal that they've taken, as a whole,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45so you waste this beautiful creature just to take its horns.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49It's just... You know, it doesn't...
0:19:49 > 0:19:51I still struggle to wrap my head around it.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03Sights like these are becoming far too frequent,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05and they don't get any easier.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08It's a mixture of sadness and anger.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Anger at the fact they've killed another animal
0:20:10 > 0:20:12and we were not able to stop them,
0:20:12 > 0:20:16sadness at the fact that an animal has gone down to human greed
0:20:16 > 0:20:20and it has gone down in the most savage and inhumane way possible.
0:20:22 > 0:20:27It's a reminder of how vital the relocation programme is.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Creating new populations elsewhere spreads the risk -
0:20:31 > 0:20:34an insurance policy against extinction.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37There's some nice cow-and-calf combination here.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40This basin, this big, grey area, you know.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43I think this year it's going to be five males, five females.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45One of them needs to be a big bull, OK?
0:20:45 > 0:20:48C442 has got a male calf.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Yeah. Yeah, four-year-old male calf.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Using Bom's data from the field, they choose a group of black rhinos
0:20:56 > 0:20:59for their new breeding population.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01It might seem a desperate attempt,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05but relocating rhinos has been tried before, and worked.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11In the 1960s, it was the white rhino
0:21:11 > 0:21:13that was on the brink of extinction.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17There were only a few hundred left,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20and most of them confined to iMfolozi.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24ARCHIVE: 'A sight as old as Africa itself,
0:21:24 > 0:21:28'and as the old Africa vanishes, this scene may vanish, too.'
0:21:28 > 0:21:31'The white, or squared-lipped rhino, a remnant of prehistory,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33'is threatened with extinction.'
0:21:33 > 0:21:35'The iMfolozi game reserve in South Africa
0:21:35 > 0:21:37'is perhaps their last stronghold.'
0:21:39 > 0:21:43The crisis was spotted just in time by Ian Player,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45who was head warden at the time.
0:21:46 > 0:21:52I realised something had to be done about the rhino in early 1960.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Well, you can imagine, I was about 30 years old
0:21:55 > 0:22:00and here I am, responsible for a serious...
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Well, it was the end of the rhino.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06'Drug immobilisation presents opportunities to study and preserve
0:22:06 > 0:22:09'the precious wildlife which remains.'
0:22:09 > 0:22:13With a few brave and dedicated men, he launched Operation Rhino
0:22:13 > 0:22:16to save the last remaining animals.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20'Now it's over to Ian Player to catch that rhino.'
0:22:20 > 0:22:22It was pioneering stuff.
0:22:22 > 0:22:27Darting and sedating rhino was experimental AND dangerous.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30'To be accurate, the heavy dart must be fired at close range,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32'25 yards at most.'
0:22:42 > 0:22:46When we first began, I had to crawl with this capture gun,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48which was powered by a soda siphon
0:22:48 > 0:22:52and had to crawl on my hands and knees towards the rhino,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55and then from that we progressed to getting on to a vehicle.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00That was beginning of another major step,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02and from then on we darted from the vehicle,
0:23:02 > 0:23:04but there were some very hairy rides!
0:23:10 > 0:23:12'Perfect shot!'
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Despite only basic technology,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17they moved 300 rhino to start breeding groups
0:23:17 > 0:23:20in zoos overseas and in parks throughout Africa.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25They ended up saving the white rhino from extinction.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30One of the most famous conservation success stories in Africa.
0:23:30 > 0:23:31'You'd better hold on, fellas!'
0:23:31 > 0:23:36'Lesson number one, to catch a rhino, have rope on hand and plenty of it!'
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Those were the wild days, the way they did rhino capture back then.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42I would love to have lived in that era, really,
0:23:42 > 0:23:46cos the amount those guys learnt on a daily basis,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48on how these animals react to drugs, you know,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51how you can manipulate them, how you can catch them,
0:23:51 > 0:23:52was just phenomenal.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55The general process is pretty much the same,
0:23:55 > 0:23:59you know, go out, find a rhino, immobilize it and put it in a box.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02We've just become slightly more effective and quicker at it.
0:24:06 > 0:24:11Ian Player's legacy was the inspiration for Jed and Bom's work,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14and proof that it really can make a difference.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42'So the first one moves on to a new destiny'.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Although the white rhino is now doing well in iMfolozi,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00they must keep an eye on them,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04as no rhinos are safe in this poaching crisis.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10We've found these three white rhino in this wallow here.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14The white rhino have been hit harder in the park than black rhino,
0:25:14 > 0:25:15for various reasons,
0:25:15 > 0:25:19mainly because there's more white rhino than black rhino.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22They are a lot easier to approach, as you can see here,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25white rhino are slightly less vigilant than black rhino.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41They are a much more peaceful and laid-back rhino,
0:25:41 > 0:25:45and a gentle wallow keeps them cool in the midday sun.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00And Bom can't resist a bit of rhino banter.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05BOM CALLS TO RHINO
0:26:12 > 0:26:14He's coming now.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16He's really in two minds, though.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22He's had enough of us sweet-talking him.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31In two minds, he wants to go, he wants to...
0:26:31 > 0:26:32Ah, he goes.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45I think let's leave him.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58There are now about 18,000 white rhino in Africa,
0:26:58 > 0:27:00though it still faces a war against poachers.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06But the black rhino has reached crisis point.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14In the last six years, their numbers have declined by 70%,
0:27:14 > 0:27:15due to poaching.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24Today, less than 5,000 black rhino remain in Africa.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27If nothing is done, they will die out.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39Their plan to move the females, males and calves
0:27:39 > 0:27:41they have selected begins tomorrow.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Bom knows that saying goodbye to some of his rhinos
0:27:52 > 0:27:55will give their species a better chance of survival.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22The cooler South African winter is almost over.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26The capture team assemble to move Bom's black rhinos.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34'It's the highlight of the year.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37'It's nice that it's the end of the year and end of our season,'
0:28:37 > 0:28:40because we do a lot of good conservation work during the year,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43but the black rhino range expansion project,
0:28:43 > 0:28:45just working with these animals is, to me,
0:28:45 > 0:28:49the cherry on the top of it all, and it really feels like...
0:28:49 > 0:28:51like really good, big-picture conservation work.
0:28:54 > 0:28:59They need to catch and move 13 black rhino in just five days.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02The first on the list is a large male bull.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09He lives in a territory that is accessible by vehicle,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12so they decide to capture him first, before the airlift team arrive.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16It's a waiting game,
0:29:16 > 0:29:20whilst the small chopper scans the area to locate him.
0:29:43 > 0:29:44They've darted this animal.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50This black rhino, and we need to get there as quickly as possible now
0:29:50 > 0:29:52before this animal gets in to a bad area.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58Once that drug starts taking effect, they run, it's like a habit.
0:29:58 > 0:30:03They find the thickest, worst patch of bush they can get into.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07So...just need to make sure we get there as quickly as possible
0:30:07 > 0:30:10to try and stop that animal getting in to a compromising position.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23Jed depends on the helicopter team to guide him in by radio
0:30:23 > 0:30:24to where the rhino has fallen.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Black rhinos are aggressive,
0:30:30 > 0:30:33and this is risky for both the rhino and the team.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35We can't get in to really assess the animal,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38so quite critical, trying to get its nose clear and everything like that.
0:30:40 > 0:30:41Looks like its breathing's looking good.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48Manoeuvring a very large, feisty black rhino
0:30:48 > 0:30:50into a small box isn't easy.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54Just lining him up correctly with the box,
0:30:54 > 0:30:56and it's critical that he goes into the box.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58If he misses the box, we're in trouble.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01So we're just lining him up nicely so we can guide him in.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10We've just given him a partial antidote now,
0:31:10 > 0:31:13and we'll give it about two minutes to kick in properly,
0:31:13 > 0:31:16and then what happens after that, hopefully, is he's going to get
0:31:16 > 0:31:20up in a controlled, quiet manner, and get in the box,
0:31:20 > 0:31:22but it doesn't mean it's going to happen like that.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24They can get up like jack-in-the-boxes,
0:31:24 > 0:31:26and things can go wrong.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29They can miss the box, and this is quite a tense period.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Staff will tense themselves up, ready to counteract anything
0:31:33 > 0:31:36that might happen if the animal does go to the side.
0:31:36 > 0:31:37It's one ton of meanness.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55Compare that to the white rhino.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58That's why we get a little nervous at this point.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00But it went, actually, very well.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04This one went well, but there's another 12 to go.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09The next black rhinos present more of a challenge.
0:32:10 > 0:32:15They live here, deep in the remote wilderness area of iMfolozi reserve.
0:32:18 > 0:32:23It has no roads, no tracks, only rhino paths.
0:32:26 > 0:32:27We hear the term "wilderness",
0:32:27 > 0:32:30and think, "Surely the whole park is wilderness." It's not.
0:32:30 > 0:32:35Wilderness is, in here in particular, 30,000 hectares, is a piece of bush
0:32:35 > 0:32:37that has always been like that,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40there's been very little human disturbance
0:32:40 > 0:32:43within that 30,000 hectares
0:32:43 > 0:32:45The only way in is either on foot or on horseback.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47That is the only way.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50There's no roads or anything, or any other means of getting in there.
0:32:50 > 0:32:51And because we can't drive in there,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54the best way to get those rhino out is by air.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03This project took eight years to plan,
0:33:03 > 0:33:07and was masterminded by Dr Jacques Flamand,
0:33:07 > 0:33:10a vet who has worked with Zululand rhinos all his life.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16The use of the airlift helicopter was ideal way of getting them out
0:33:16 > 0:33:19without impacting on the area.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23It was very exciting and, of course, once we had done it,
0:33:23 > 0:33:24we were hooked, as it were.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26HE LAUGHS
0:33:28 > 0:33:31As soon as the first black rhino is darted,
0:33:31 > 0:33:35the second, larger Huey helicopter flies Jed and the field capture team
0:33:35 > 0:33:36in to the wilderness.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47They must prepare the rhino for the flight of his life.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47Their 40-mile flight takes 20 minutes in the air.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50It's the longest they can hang a rhino upside-down.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54Any more and the anaesthetic will start to wear off
0:35:54 > 0:35:55and the rhino will wake up.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02This waiting is always nervous times,
0:36:02 > 0:36:04because this is the period that we're out of control.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06We don't know what's happening to that rhino,
0:36:06 > 0:36:10and we'll only know once the rhino's literally on the ground here.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20We've got a southeasterly wind.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23'A light breeze or a steady wind?'
0:36:23 > 0:36:24Light breeze, light breeze.
0:36:24 > 0:36:25'OK'.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42I think I can hear those big... I can hear it.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44ROTORS WHIRR FAINTLY
0:36:44 > 0:36:45I can hear it coming!
0:37:05 > 0:37:08The helicopter pilot needs supreme control
0:37:08 > 0:37:12to lower his precious cargo gently into the arms of the ground team.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35Their new home is a secret location.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38He arrives oblivious to his extraordinary journey!
0:37:39 > 0:37:42Now the team work quickly, before he wakes up.
0:37:54 > 0:37:59They fit a radio transmitter inside his horn, so he can be tracked.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11It doesn't hurt the rhino and will protect him.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19It's important that when the rhino finally wakes up,
0:38:19 > 0:38:21he is completely alone.
0:38:21 > 0:38:22Let's go.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32'We move all the people, vehicles, everything out of there,
0:38:32 > 0:38:34'and then we give it the full reversal,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37'the full antagonist to the drug that we've used to knock it down,
0:38:37 > 0:38:39'and we move off.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42'That animal then literally comes round,'
0:38:42 > 0:38:47and there's no smell of people or vehicles or anything to charge.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51We've seen them, they just stand up on their feet,
0:38:51 > 0:38:53they stand there for a couple of minutes, look around,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56take in the environment and usually just walk off.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05It's a wonderful sight for Jacques and his team.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10This is the culmination of eight long years of preparation.
0:39:11 > 0:39:16This landscape used to have black rhinos a century ago,
0:39:16 > 0:39:18and now they have returned.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23For the future of rhinos...
0:39:23 > 0:39:25You know, it's completely in our hands,
0:39:25 > 0:39:27and I wouldn't like my generation
0:39:27 > 0:39:30to be the cause of their disappearance.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33It's a wonderful animal, and it would be nice for our children
0:39:33 > 0:39:36and grandchildren to be able to see them.
0:39:36 > 0:39:37In their natural habitat.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53It's been a successful start to the operation.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58Tomorrow brings even greater challenges,
0:39:58 > 0:40:02as they will be catching black rhino from a wilderness area
0:40:02 > 0:40:03much further away.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28The reserve may appear tranquil.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32But there are constant reminders of why the relocation is needed.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47NEWSREADER: 'Last week, seven rhino carcasses were discovered
0:40:47 > 0:40:50'in Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park.'
0:40:50 > 0:40:5447 rhino have been poached in the province's state reserves this year.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06In one horrific incident in the park,
0:41:06 > 0:41:10an entire family of rhino are slaughtered by poachers.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21I've never, ever seen that kind of brutality at a scene.
0:41:21 > 0:41:22I mean, you can see what happened,
0:41:22 > 0:41:24they would have found a group of animals,
0:41:24 > 0:41:27shot, probably, the adult female first, really,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30because it was probably being a nuisance.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34The second animal was an adult female with the calf.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38These poachers had shot the mother, taken her horns off,
0:41:38 > 0:41:40and obviously, the calf's too small.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43They would have chased it away, probably thrown stones at it and...
0:41:43 > 0:41:46luckily, they didn't kill it. But, had we not found it,
0:41:46 > 0:41:49it would have died anyway, they'd left it for dead.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57Then the third animal was another adult female that had been shot,
0:41:57 > 0:42:01horns removed. When we were doing the postmortem,
0:42:01 > 0:42:03she had a perfectly-formed foetus inside her
0:42:03 > 0:42:07that was maybe two, three months away from being born,
0:42:07 > 0:42:08perfect little male rhino.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20This calf's bond with her mother is so strong
0:42:20 > 0:42:23she has remained by her dead body for several days now.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29They dart her so she can be moved to safety.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35What really stood out and was sad for me
0:42:35 > 0:42:37is that little calf was starving,
0:42:37 > 0:42:40and you could see where it actually tried to dig
0:42:40 > 0:42:43and get under the mother to get to her teats.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05That kind of brutality
0:43:05 > 0:43:09and that complete lack of compassion for any living thing, I just...
0:43:09 > 0:43:11I fail to understand it.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19The rescued orphan is taken back to headquarters,
0:43:19 > 0:43:22where Jed and the team will take good care of her.
0:43:42 > 0:43:46The new orphan has been given some goats for company
0:43:46 > 0:43:47and is causing havoc.
0:44:07 > 0:44:09Traumatised by her experience,
0:44:09 > 0:44:13the first 24 hours in their care is crucial.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17Jed is trying desperately to get her to take milk.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21It was very difficult, initially, to get her to feed.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23We use just a little spray bottle with milk
0:44:23 > 0:44:26and you just continuously spray her on her mouth.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36And then, I think it was five, six, seven hours later,
0:44:36 > 0:44:39she eventually tasted a bit of that milk
0:44:39 > 0:44:42and then slowly figured out, you know, made the connection,
0:44:42 > 0:44:44which was lucky for her,
0:44:44 > 0:44:47cos she wouldn't have lasted much longer without feeding.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07Focused on the urgency of their task, the airlifts continue.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11They are now searching even deeper into the wilderness area.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16They use Bom's ear-notch ident records
0:45:16 > 0:45:18to look for specific animals they want to catch.
0:45:20 > 0:45:25Their target is to catch and relocate three rhino each day.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28First, is an eight-year-old male bull.
0:45:29 > 0:45:34He has charged into thick bush and gone down awkwardly.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38It's typical black rhino behaviour.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48What are you doing? Wait, wait, wait, wait.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03There really is only one way to get a rhino out of here.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Was in a very difficult wilderness area,
0:46:06 > 0:46:09so when we pulled it through the branches of a tree
0:46:09 > 0:46:11and up it went, it was just beautiful.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18After four days, they have relocated seven
0:46:18 > 0:46:22and they have another six to go.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26Jacques checks the age of each rhino by feeling the wear on its teeth.
0:46:35 > 0:46:39One after another, they are airlifted out of the bush
0:46:39 > 0:46:43and then loaded into crates to finish their journey by road.
0:46:47 > 0:46:51They are well on their way to capturing the perfect compliment
0:46:51 > 0:46:56of males and females that will make up a new breeding population.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05They are flown for 15 minutes, out of the wilderness,
0:47:05 > 0:47:08to waiting vehicles, to complete their journey by truck.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14Their new home is just too far to fly them all the way -
0:47:14 > 0:47:17there are limits to how long a rhino can be left dangling.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20We wouldn't do it on a conscious animal at all.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22So the animals are sleeping.
0:47:22 > 0:47:27Of course, that limits the time we have to hang it upside down,
0:47:27 > 0:47:29because after half an hour, three-quarters of an hour,
0:47:29 > 0:47:31the animal is starting to wake up,
0:47:31 > 0:47:34so we wouldn't do it for an extended period,
0:47:34 > 0:47:37we do it for ten minutes, up to 20 minutes,
0:47:37 > 0:47:39we've done it without any ill effects.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51Yesterday, we got three animals, today we need another four.
0:47:51 > 0:47:53That's the maximum we can move at a time.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56They'll come in form of two cow-calf combinations.
0:47:56 > 0:47:57The chopper's out at the moment,
0:47:57 > 0:47:59they've been flying for about half an hour,
0:47:59 > 0:48:02looking for one of those cow-calf combinations.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05So we're just all standing by here, waiting for that radio call.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11So far, they have gone for single animals.
0:48:11 > 0:48:16Now, they are dealing with two at a time, a mother and a baby.
0:48:21 > 0:48:25This female has been chosen because her calf is 18 months
0:48:25 > 0:48:27and old enough to be airlifted.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32They must be darted together
0:48:32 > 0:48:36if they are to maintain the bond between mother and calf.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03Once the darts are in, they scramble to reach them.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14They blindfold them and plug their ears
0:49:14 > 0:49:16to dull their senses during the flight.
0:49:49 > 0:49:50The mother flies first.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53She must not be separated from her calf for long.
0:50:11 > 0:50:16A visitor has arrived to witness mother and baby fly in,
0:50:16 > 0:50:20and Bom has joined him to see the flight for the very first time.
0:50:21 > 0:50:26Ian Player might have been the first to move rhino in this reserve,
0:50:26 > 0:50:28but he's never seen anything like this before.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41What a sight.
0:51:04 > 0:51:08I had to stop myself from weeping when I saw that, I must say.
0:51:08 > 0:51:10I mean it... That's an incredible sight,
0:51:10 > 0:51:13that's human ingenuity at its best.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26It's also a first for Bom.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49THEY SPEAK IN ZULU
0:51:55 > 0:51:57Go well, go well.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10Most amazing, you feel the hair on them.
0:52:21 > 0:52:23With Mum delivered safely,
0:52:23 > 0:52:26the helicopter returns to collect her calf,
0:52:26 > 0:52:30and the final flight of the rhino is made.
0:52:35 > 0:52:39It's a great thing to watch. It really is, and at the end of the day,
0:52:39 > 0:52:40the outcome is rhino conservation,
0:52:40 > 0:52:43particularly black rhino conservation, which is...
0:52:43 > 0:52:45It's feel-good stuff.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50Their new home is a secret location somewhere in Zululand.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54It's a three-hour road trip away and they must get there before sunset.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13Getting their precious cargo out of the crates
0:53:13 > 0:53:16can be the trickiest part of the operation.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24It's time to release the mother and calf.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26OK. All right, we'll do it.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32She's still a bit...
0:53:32 > 0:53:33Mum goes first.
0:53:36 > 0:53:40The only way to get a rhino out of the crate is to walk her out.
0:54:06 > 0:54:10She is sedated so she can be reunited with her calf.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40And it's turning out to be the most dangerous part of the operation.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05Dave suddenly realises he has met the mother before.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08I know this animal. We used to call her Snotty, because she hung around
0:55:08 > 0:55:11the bomas near the trails camp, and the trails guys would sleep
0:55:11 > 0:55:16in their tents and listen to this sniffling beast around their tents.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19So it's amazing, it's like...a reunion.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24Now it's time to give them space,
0:55:24 > 0:55:28whilst the entire area is cleared of trucks and people.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30They can only watch from a distance.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48They make sure the calf wakes up first
0:55:48 > 0:55:50so he can remain with his mother.
0:56:38 > 0:56:43This is the start of a whole new life for this mother and calf
0:56:43 > 0:56:46in a wild and secret part of Zululand
0:56:46 > 0:56:50that has not seen black rhinos for over 100 years.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06Moving those animals, watching them get up in their new home,
0:57:06 > 0:57:09knowing it's going to be a new founder population,
0:57:09 > 0:57:11it's a great feeling and, yeah,
0:57:11 > 0:57:14it really is the highlight of the year for me.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18Back in iMfolozi, there is one person who might miss them.
0:57:26 > 0:57:31Luckily, Bom still has enough black rhino to keep him on his toes.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd