0:00:12 > 0:00:16In the heart of Brazil lives an animal so elusive
0:00:16 > 0:00:19few have ever seen it in the wild.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25It's an armadillo.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Some kinds of armadillo are no bigger than an orange.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31But this rare one is the size of a pig.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34This is the giant armadillo.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36For the first time,
0:00:36 > 0:00:40one man is shining a light into their mysterious world.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45In some ways, giant armadillos can be considered a ghost species.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48People do not know that they exist.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Now, at last, their lives are being revealed.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Just to be able to see this right now is just amazing.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Nobody gets to see this.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05There's the baby.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08And their most intimate moments shared.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14But these animals have been hiding an even bigger secret.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17One that could be vital to the survival
0:01:17 > 0:01:19of much other wildlife around here.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Can you hear that? There's an animal inside.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28It's a six-banded armadillo, using the giant armadillo burrow.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32These extraordinary animals could well hold the key
0:01:32 > 0:01:35to saving one of the wildest places on earth.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40Welcome to Hotel Armadillo.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58Brazil's Pantanal is a place unlike any other.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Covering more than 140,000 square kilometres,
0:02:03 > 0:02:06this is the largest tropical wetland in the world.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20Unlike the lands around the Amazon, which are covered by high forest,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24the Pantanal consists of vast expanses of flooded grassland...
0:02:28 > 0:02:33..with only here or there a patch of dry savannah or a stretch of trees.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Prone to intense drought and severe floods,
0:02:39 > 0:02:41this is a landscape of extremes.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48A huge diversity of species live here.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00Including the secretive giant armadillo.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Solitary, nocturnal, and extremely rare...
0:03:12 > 0:03:16..it digs huge underground burrows up to six metres deep...
0:03:18 > 0:03:22..and spends three quarters of its life in them, underground.
0:03:25 > 0:03:30Until recently, we knew virtually nothing of their lives in the wild.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46But Arnaud Desbiez, the founder of the Giant Armadillo Project,
0:03:46 > 0:03:47has changed that.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50When I started the Giant Armadillo Project,
0:03:50 > 0:03:55I'd already been working and living in the Pantanal for eight years.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59But during those eight years I had never seen a giant armadillo.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03It was a species I really wanted to see.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Even finding signs of giant armadillos is extremely difficult.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13But gradually, Arnaud started to build up a picture
0:04:13 > 0:04:15of their hidden world.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18We couldn't leave any stone unturned.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24And little by little, yes, we did start finding evidence.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30And it was so exciting when we got our first picture.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34That was an indescribable moment because, there it was.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40'The species we were working so hard to find.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42'We couldn't believe it.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47'It's so hard to believe that this magnificent giant
0:04:47 > 0:04:49'is living right beside us.'
0:04:49 > 0:04:51It's right there.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55But you don't see it.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04It's May, the start of Arnaud's research year.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10But this season's expedition could be different.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14He has used camera traps before,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18but they have only given him brief glimpses of an animal
0:05:18 > 0:05:20in which he's so interested.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Now, Arnaud has newly developed gear that could give him
0:05:24 > 0:05:28more continuous pictures from both above and below ground.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34The team has found the burrow of a female that they've named Tracy,
0:05:34 > 0:05:39in honour of the first giant armadillo researcher, Tracy Carter.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54The new camera rig can record pictures by day and by night.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59It's switched on by the tiniest movements
0:05:59 > 0:06:03and the team are hoping the animals themselves will trigger recordings
0:06:03 > 0:06:06that will reveal new things about themselves.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28There are good reasons why giant armadillos are so rarely seen.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Their senses of smell and hearing are acute.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38And they're exceptionally wary of people, and cameras.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44The locals still consider that these animals are supernatural beings.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Monsters that come up from deep within the earth.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01The cameras are rigged, but will Tracy appear?
0:07:13 > 0:07:16OK, OK, Tracy is coming out.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20Ah.
0:07:22 > 0:07:23It's beautiful.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32Armadillos are one of the most ancient of living mammals
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and first appeared some 50 million years ago.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46The giant species is still found in many parts of South America.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52But there are so few of them that images like these are truly rare.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58It's a major achievement for Arnaud and his team.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05So Tracy's investigating her surroundings.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09Scent is the key sense for giant armadillos.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12So she's sniffing the air around her.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32The burrow is her safety net.
0:08:32 > 0:08:38So if anything goes wrong, if she smells anything out of place...
0:08:39 > 0:08:41..if she has any concern...
0:08:43 > 0:08:45..she can just run back.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Just to be able to see this right now is just amazing.
0:08:54 > 0:08:55Wow.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02Arnaud's research is starting to suggest something quite unexpected.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08He has discovered that the huge holes they dig
0:09:08 > 0:09:11are quickly taken over by other creatures
0:09:11 > 0:09:12living in the neighbourhood.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15So they could be critical to the survival
0:09:15 > 0:09:17of the whole Pantanal ecosystem.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22The giants dig a new burrow about every two days
0:09:22 > 0:09:27and so provide ready-made hotels for dozens of other creatures.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34And now, as Tracy checks out to spend the night feeding,
0:09:34 > 0:09:38a whole army of guests are ready to check in.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45The team has now recorded 77 different species
0:09:45 > 0:09:48visiting Hotel Armadillo.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53Small rodents are almost always the first to turn up.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04It's not only the quality of the accommodation
0:10:04 > 0:10:06that attracts the lodgers.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09The food is good, too.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14For the newly excavated earth is rich with insects and roots.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25Lowland tapirs are too big to get into an armadillo burrow...
0:10:26 > 0:10:30..but that's not a problem for small anteaters called tamanduas.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41They visit them more frequently than any other animal.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48Tamanduas spend most of their time up in the trees,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51but they use giant armadillo burrows as nurseries.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Safe, cool places where they can leave a baby.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03For them, a family room in Hotel Armadillo is perfect accommodation.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24The Giant Armadillo Project is supported by more than 40 zoos
0:11:24 > 0:11:27and aquariums worldwide.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30But it has its base at the Baia das Pedras ranch
0:11:30 > 0:11:32in the heart of the Pantanal.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39Here, Arnaud's team work out how best to track the armadillos
0:11:39 > 0:11:42and log the great range of other animals
0:11:42 > 0:11:44that make use of the hotels they create.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51The project currently has four individual animals
0:11:51 > 0:11:53under surveillance.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Each has been fitted with a tiny transmitter
0:12:03 > 0:12:07that allows Arnaud and the team to find and then track them.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14An individual can have a home range of up to ten square kilometres.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22And in a single year it may excavate more than 150 burrows.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Sometimes old burrows can produce a surprise.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Did you hear that? There's an animal inside.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36It's a six-banded armadillo using the giant armadillo burrow.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39That's why we call armadillos ecosystem engineers.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43So when we say giant armadillos provide homes for other species,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45this is it, look, here he is.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50But it's giant armadillos the team are searching for
0:12:50 > 0:12:54and soon they pick up a signal from a female they've named Isabel.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Isabel is really an armadillo that introduced us
0:13:00 > 0:13:02to the giant armadillo world.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Things that now we take sometimes for granted,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08things we know about giant armadillos, we learned from Isabel.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17Isabel's offspring, Alex, became the first baby giant armadillo
0:13:17 > 0:13:19ever studied scientifically.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23The team followed his story for almost two years.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30Through Alex we learned a lot about giant armadillo parental care.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32So lots of discoveries we made...
0:13:32 > 0:13:34We had no idea that giant armadillos,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36the females were such dedicated mothers.
0:13:37 > 0:13:42But then, when Alex was still less than two-years-old,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44he was killed by a hungry puma.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50So we all felt devastated by Alex's loss.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53So the whole team was very, very sad.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58And on a scientific point of view, for the project it was a huge loss
0:13:58 > 0:14:01because there was lots of data we still wanted to collect.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03There were still lots of questions we had.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10The team are desperately hoping that Isabel will produce another baby
0:14:10 > 0:14:13so that they can continue their research.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19But the battery of Isabel's transmitter is running low.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23So the time they have to study her at close hand is running out.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28She's been tracked to a fresh burrow.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34Once she emerges after dark, she'll be held in a mesh tube...
0:14:36 > 0:14:39..while an alarm signal alerts the waiting team.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51At giant armadillo Tracy's old burrow,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53it's an hour before dawn.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00Deep in the basement suite, the tamanduas are still in residence.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13Upstairs in the lobby, a visitor is passing through.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15It's a Brazilian porcupine.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18A guest never recorded before
0:15:18 > 0:15:22and one that brings the list of different species to 78.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27Another indication of the Pantanal's amazing biodiversity.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50As dawn breaks, the female tamandua heads out to feed.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55Ants and termites make up more than 90% of their diet.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01And an adult needs to consume thousands of them every day.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16But while the mother feeds, the baby is vulnerable.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22A pair of tayras have picked up the scent of the youngster.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Baby tamanduas are sometimes killed
0:16:32 > 0:16:35by these metre-long relatives of the weasel.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44But the tayras have come to Hotel Armadillo for a different reason.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52The open ground and the soft earth makes this an ideal spot for mating.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06The tayras move on, and mother tamandua returns.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15But the infant seems to have been alarmed
0:17:15 > 0:17:18by the scent of these predators and it's behaving aggressively.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24TAMANDUA SNICKERS
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Not the warmest of welcome homes.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43But the powerful defensive display
0:17:43 > 0:17:47has shown that the youngster is able to fend for itself
0:17:47 > 0:17:51and is now ready to leave the safety of Hotel Armadillo.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00ALARM BEEPS
0:18:00 > 0:18:02The alarm is sounding.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Isabel is in the trap.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Once dawn breaks,
0:18:21 > 0:18:25she's transferred to a large box and taken to a clearing.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32The Giant Armadillo Project employs two vets
0:18:32 > 0:18:36who have developed specialist knowledge of this rare creature.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41- WHISPERS:- Camilla just applied the anaesthetic and now we have to wait.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Arnaud has worked out
0:18:48 > 0:18:52that a giant armadillo's gestation period is five months.
0:18:52 > 0:18:57But he has no way of telling whether or not Isabel is expecting a baby.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05However, he takes the chance to check her general health
0:19:05 > 0:19:10and collect samples of her hair and blood and other tissues.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18A giant armadillo can weigh an astonishing 50 kilos.
0:19:21 > 0:19:26The armour-plated skin is made of a combination of horn and bone.
0:19:32 > 0:19:33Flexible and strong,
0:19:33 > 0:19:38it makes an adult giant armadillo almost predator proof.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44HE SPEAKS HIS OWN LANGUAGE
0:19:53 > 0:19:56They are superbly equipped for digging.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03Giant armadillo front claws can be more than 20cm long.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08They give Isabel the ability to rip open termite mounds
0:20:08 > 0:20:11and excavate burrows in really hard ground.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16She is a living bulldozer.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Her back feet are shovel shaped and so efficient that,
0:20:25 > 0:20:27big though she is,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30she can disappear below ground in less than 20 minutes.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Every single part of a giant armadillo is fascinating for Arnaud.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43I'm collecting hair off a giant armadillo.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46They have tiny little hairs between the scales.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53So little is known about giant armadillos
0:20:53 > 0:20:55that every piece of data is precious.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01As the mother of Alex,
0:21:01 > 0:21:06Isabel helped Arnaud to discover a great deal about her secret world.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10I know you're not supposed to have favourites...
0:21:12 > 0:21:14..but we learned so much with her
0:21:14 > 0:21:16and spent so much time with her...
0:21:18 > 0:21:21..she holds a really special place in my heart.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32As the final samples are collected, Isabel starts to recover.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41The armadillos are always released
0:21:41 > 0:21:44into the same burrows where they were caught.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Because this is an animal we've been monitoring already for a while,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53the transmitter's going to stop working soon, she's losing her batteries.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55So we're a little bit sad and a little bit emotional
0:21:55 > 0:21:59because I think this is probably the last time we see her physically
0:21:59 > 0:22:01or get a chance to put our hands on her.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04So it's kind of like saying goodbye to her now.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08She's still a little unsteady from the anaesthetic.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13But she'll have plenty of time to sleep it off
0:22:13 > 0:22:15once she's got back underground.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37Beautiful.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41The team may never see Isabel again.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56But, with luck, the new camera traps will enable them
0:22:56 > 0:22:59to monitor her progress in detail.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03One day she may even be seen with a new baby
0:23:03 > 0:23:06and then the work they started with Alex will continue.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11But that remains a dream for the team,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14one that sometimes seems almost impossible.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20The Pantanal may be rich with wildlife,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23but this place is also home to people.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33The traditional way of cattle ranching here, however,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36gives wildlife plenty of room to thrive.
0:23:41 > 0:23:46Throughout the seasons, cowboys move the herds around the Pantanal
0:23:46 > 0:23:48from pasture to pasture.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54It's a system that has been used here for over 250 years.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06The edges of the pastures are dotted with the termite mounds
0:24:06 > 0:24:10that are crucial food stores for the giant armadillos.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Arnaud is also rigging these with cameras.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44The team are hoping that footage they capture
0:24:44 > 0:24:47will confirm their suspicion that the armadillos
0:24:47 > 0:24:51are providing something more than accommodation in their hotels.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Could it be that they're also in the restaurant business?
0:25:03 > 0:25:05It's 11am.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08The hottest part of the day is approaching.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17Soon, temperatures will reach more than 40 Celsius.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25But deep underground, in the basement of Hotel Armadillo,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29the baby tamandua is enjoying a more tolerable 24 degrees.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35Having been alone now for more than 12 hours, it's very hungry.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44It's not the only animal that needs a meal.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05On the pasture near the burrow,
0:26:05 > 0:26:09a family party of coatis are looking for food.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14These close relatives of the raccoon
0:26:14 > 0:26:18are also occasional visitors to Hotel Armadillo.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30As the sun reaches its highest point,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34they head towards the burrow and the shady forest.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43They're followed closely by a group of peccaries.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Peccaries often follow coatis
0:26:53 > 0:26:57to collect the fruit that the coatis knock from the trees.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07But today the choicest morsels on offer
0:27:07 > 0:27:11are the exposed roots and shoots around the burrow entrance.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Unfortunately, a 30-kilo peccary
0:27:16 > 0:27:20can easily create major structural damage to the hotel.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29A collapsed roof would be a disaster for any resident.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Once they've gone, the baby tamandua makes its move.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56It's now out on its own.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Hotel Armadillo has vacancies.
0:28:09 > 0:28:10Back at the termite mound,
0:28:10 > 0:28:14Arnaud is keen to check the camera trap for visitors.
0:28:19 > 0:28:24Bang on cue, at half past seven, the first visitor.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26It's a big male giant armadillo.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40That's crazy, the strength of these animals is absolutely insane.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45Termite mounds are extremely hard.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50And the giant armadillo is one of the few animals
0:28:50 > 0:28:53able to tear into them like this.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57But once it's collected enough termites
0:28:57 > 0:28:59with its long, sticky tongue, it will move on.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09Their powerful claws open up big holes in the mound.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14Which means other animals can benefit from the efforts
0:29:14 > 0:29:16of the ecosystem's chief digger.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22And here, half an hour after, a giant anteater comes.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33This is fantastic, it's perfect, it just illustrates, you know,
0:29:33 > 0:29:38how both these two giants of the Pantanal feed on the same resources.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02The relationship between giant anteaters and giant armadillos
0:30:02 > 0:30:06has become increasingly interesting to the team.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13Both animals exploit the same food sources,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16so how do these two giants coexist?
0:30:24 > 0:30:29The team are planning to catch and radio tag an anteater
0:30:29 > 0:30:32so that its movements can be plotted alongside that
0:30:32 > 0:30:34of the tagged armadillos.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41But first, you need to catch your animal.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44And that's best done at dusk.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47It's getting a little too dark,
0:30:47 > 0:30:50so we probably have maybe five more minutes of light
0:30:50 > 0:30:52where we can actually see what we're doing
0:30:52 > 0:30:54and after that, we have to call it a day.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04The light has almost gone,
0:31:04 > 0:31:08but vet Danilo has spotted an anteater in the shadows.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33HE PANTS
0:31:38 > 0:31:40One giant anteater successfully in the bag.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44That's quite a run.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58Fitting a radio transmitter on a giant anteater
0:31:58 > 0:32:00is every bit as challenging
0:32:00 > 0:32:04as doing so on an anaesthetised giant armadillo.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10They have just one hour in which to fit the anteater
0:32:10 > 0:32:12with the special collar.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19Once on, it'll give the team a GPS reading every 20 minutes.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28The data will then reveal exactly how this other giant
0:32:28 > 0:32:30fits into the armadillo's world.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47Perhaps this season,
0:32:47 > 0:32:52giant anteaters will appear for the first time at Hotel Armadillo.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00Just 5km away, there's a freshly dug burrow.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07Beneath the surface, giant armadillo Tracy is stirring.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21Soon she'll head off to feed,
0:33:21 > 0:33:25leaving behind more vacant accommodation available
0:33:25 > 0:33:27for use by other animals.
0:33:33 > 0:33:38A single giant armadillo creating 15 new hotels every month
0:33:38 > 0:33:42must have a major effect on the housing market in the Pantanal
0:33:42 > 0:33:45and benefit hundreds of other animals.
0:33:53 > 0:33:58Tracy will be vacating a pristine, luxury establishment,
0:33:58 > 0:34:00with only one previous owner.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08But after the damage done by the peccaries,
0:34:08 > 0:34:13her older burrow now has something of a budget hotel atmosphere.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17But that hasn't reduced its popularity with visitors.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23Over the last three days, the guestbook has recorded agouti...
0:34:25 > 0:34:27..lowland tapir...
0:34:31 > 0:34:32..brocket deer...
0:34:36 > 0:34:38..bare-faced curassow...
0:34:40 > 0:34:45..and the giant's pint-size cousin, the six-banded armadillo.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56It's now an important hiding place for lizards and snakes.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05And they, in turn, attract a specialist hunter.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16Red-legged seriemas eat reptiles.
0:35:19 > 0:35:25And now Hotel Armadillo becomes transformed into Tracy's Diner.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37The total number of different species recorded at burrows
0:35:37 > 0:35:40now stands at 79.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Whether you're a crab-eating fox or an ocelot,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53Hotel Armadillo has something for everyone.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00With such extraordinary numbers of animals
0:36:00 > 0:36:02relying on the giant armadillo,
0:36:02 > 0:36:05it's not surprising that Arnaud and his team
0:36:05 > 0:36:09consider the animal to be an ambassador for biodiversity.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14But astonishingly,
0:36:14 > 0:36:18many of the local people don't even realise that the animals exist.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23So getting the message out there in the community
0:36:23 > 0:36:26is a critical part of the Giant Armadillo Project.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32How can you care about a species you don't even know you have?
0:36:33 > 0:36:39My kids at school have projects on Arctic mammals.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43On the African Savannah.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47Somehow we forget to celebrate
0:36:47 > 0:36:51the amazing animals and plants in our own backyard.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57We're worried about what is going to be left for our children.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01And most importantly, will they care?
0:37:02 > 0:37:04'That's what's really scary.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10'We need to show them the incredible role
0:37:10 > 0:37:13'this species plays in the ecosystem.'
0:37:15 > 0:37:18THEY SPEAK IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE
0:37:18 > 0:37:21'I love seeing the faces of kids
0:37:21 > 0:37:24'when they see their first picture of a giant armadillo.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33'We need these kids to grow up and care.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36'For biodiversity. For nature.'
0:37:39 > 0:37:44And the giant armadillo's future ultimately depends on them caring.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58There's intriguing news from the field.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02While Arnaud was visiting the school,
0:38:02 > 0:38:06project biologist Gabriel has made a remarkable discovery.
0:38:09 > 0:38:15A freshly dug armadillo burrow with the entrance firmly earthed up.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22It was close to the spot where the team released Isabel,
0:38:22 > 0:38:24the female who lost her baby, Alex.
0:38:28 > 0:38:33Hotel Armadillo would only close like this for one sort of guest.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37A baby giant armadillo.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46Gabriel was able to set up cameras but, frustratingly,
0:38:46 > 0:38:50he had to leave the area before he could check the images.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Seeing Isabel with another baby is very important to the project.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58I want to pick up where we left off with Alex.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02There are so many questions we still have.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Arnaud and the team are back in their Pantanal headquarters
0:39:06 > 0:39:08within 24 hours.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12We just arrived last night.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15And we're going to go straight to Isabel's territory.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18And it's almost too good to be true, it's hard to believe,
0:39:18 > 0:39:20so I want to see it with my own eyes.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49The burrow is quickly located.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53And the recording played back.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57It is definitely Isabel.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01But where's the baby?
0:40:02 > 0:40:06OK then, at night at 6pm, she leaves on the 31st
0:40:06 > 0:40:09and nothing has come into the burrow, nothing has happened.
0:40:11 > 0:40:132nd of September.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17This is where it should happen now. She opens the burrow.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25We could not see any image of a baby.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29We both checked together, Daniel and I,
0:40:29 > 0:40:31'we looked at the cameras several times.'
0:40:35 > 0:40:37The images show nothing.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42There was no baby giant armadillo.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49Even more frustratingly, she's moved to a new burrow.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53And with her transmitter now completely dead,
0:40:53 > 0:40:56it's not possible to follow her by radio.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00I think one of the biggest challenges through this project
0:41:00 > 0:41:02is the species itself.
0:41:03 > 0:41:08Giant armadillos occur at such low densities and are so hard to find.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14The secret, I think, is persistence.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19Never giving up and being in this for the long run.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26It may be a lean period for Arnaud and the team,
0:41:26 > 0:41:28but back at Hotel Armadillo,
0:41:28 > 0:41:31business is booming by day and night.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37Since the team first located Tracy in May,
0:41:37 > 0:41:40she's excavated more than 50 new burrows.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56Recent visitors caught on camera include crab-eating fox,
0:41:56 > 0:41:58ocelot,
0:41:58 > 0:42:03and exactly what the team were hoping for, a giant anteater.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10That brings the total guest list to 80 species.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24Baby giant anteaters are now appearing in the Pantanal,
0:42:24 > 0:42:27each clinging tightly to its mother's back.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37They're relatively easy to see,
0:42:37 > 0:42:41making the search for the baby giant armadillo even more frustrating.
0:42:46 > 0:42:51The team have travelled almost 100km in the last few days.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58But they didn't find a telltale closed burrow.
0:43:01 > 0:43:06And, even more worryingly, part of Isabel's territory is in flames.
0:43:09 > 0:43:10CRACKLING
0:43:19 > 0:43:22Fire is a natural part of life in the Pantanal.
0:43:22 > 0:43:23It's used by the ranchers
0:43:23 > 0:43:27to encourage new growth when the rains arrive.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31But with the growing intensity of ranching,
0:43:31 > 0:43:34the frequency of fires has increased.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42And they may now burn out of control...
0:43:44 > 0:43:46..destroying giant armadillo habitat
0:43:46 > 0:43:50and therefore undermining the part the species plays
0:43:50 > 0:43:53in maintaining the wonderful diversity of this place.
0:44:01 > 0:44:05At a local level, and sometimes international level,
0:44:05 > 0:44:09it really feels like biodiversity does not stand a chance.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15And we see this with our own eyes all around us.
0:44:20 > 0:44:26The changes, impacts and cascading effects of our actions
0:44:26 > 0:44:29are becoming bigger and bigger.
0:44:34 > 0:44:38And seeing these vast expanses of cash crops...
0:44:41 > 0:44:44..where you cannot even hear a single bird sing...
0:44:49 > 0:44:51..and you see the number of animals killed on our roads...
0:44:54 > 0:44:56..you sometimes feel like a fool for thinking
0:44:56 > 0:44:58you're going to make a difference.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02You feel powerless.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05It feels impossible.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11I think what keeps us going is that we love what we do.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18I love the life I lead, I love what I do.
0:45:23 > 0:45:28Sheer persistence has led Arnaud to a burrow deep in the forest.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08This is it, this is it. This is what we're looking for.
0:46:10 > 0:46:11HE WHISTLES
0:46:16 > 0:46:19The burrow entrance is firmly earthed up.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22It must be Isabel.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29This is definitely the burrow with the baby.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31What's typical of it is this sand that's on top of the burrow
0:46:31 > 0:46:34and that's because she closes the burrow,
0:46:34 > 0:46:36something she never does unless she's protecting a baby.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39So she left to go forage and she leaves the baby in here.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45Now, it should be a simple case of setting up the remote cameras
0:46:45 > 0:46:49around the sealed burrow to capture pictures of Isabel's return.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54But they'll have to wait until dawn to see the results.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30Yeah, so we're very curious to see...
0:47:30 > 0:47:34We just saw footprints of Isabel going to the burrow,
0:47:34 > 0:47:37so we believe that she's inside.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41And let's just make sure that she hasn't taken the baby out.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44So we're going to go and check it out.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06There, she's coming out.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53She carefully builds a ramp.
0:48:56 > 0:48:58If there was a baby, this is where it would happen, here.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05No, I don't have the baby.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14There's the baby. I have the baby, yeah.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42Oh, this is amazing.
0:49:46 > 0:49:48Wow!
0:50:35 > 0:50:38She's leaving, she's taking the baby out.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41She took him out right here. These are their tracks.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05The team's discovery of Isabel's baby
0:51:05 > 0:51:09confirms that giant armadillos only produce a single infant
0:51:09 > 0:51:12once every three years.
0:51:12 > 0:51:17So each new birth is even more precious than anyone realised.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22Not just for giant armadillos but for the whole ecosystem.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31The more Arnaud and his team discover
0:51:31 > 0:51:33about this extraordinary creature,
0:51:33 > 0:51:36the better they will be able to protect it.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39And the more homes there will be for all the other creatures
0:51:39 > 0:51:42that habitually live in the accommodation
0:51:42 > 0:51:44that the armadillos create.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50And the team's commitment to doing just that remains unwavering.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54The battle to save the giant armadillo...
0:51:55 > 0:51:58..is the battle to save biodiversity.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00It's all the same.
0:52:01 > 0:52:02It's all together.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07We have a pact with giant armadillos
0:52:07 > 0:52:10and we are in this for the long run.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16I really feel that we can make a difference.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19I don't think you could ask for much more than that.
0:52:36 > 0:52:40For Hotel Armadillo's camera assistant, Fergus Gill,
0:52:40 > 0:52:44filming in the Pantanal was a completely new experience.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47It's really a world away from anywhere else I've ever been.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52It's almost like something from Jurassic Park.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55Nearly got you.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57He joined director cameraman Justin Purefoy
0:52:57 > 0:52:59and wildlife cameraman Lindsay McCrae
0:52:59 > 0:53:02to film the elusive giant armadillo
0:53:02 > 0:53:05and the animals that visit their burrows.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08Soon as we put our camera traps out, of course we're going to see
0:53:08 > 0:53:11some of these amazing creatures visiting daily.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18Quite quickly we realised the reality was not so straightforward.
0:53:29 > 0:53:31Our entire first trip,
0:53:31 > 0:53:35we didn't get anything other than rats on our camera traps.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40We set our camera trap and the cameras would fall over.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45We'd set up cameras and they would be knocked over by animals.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55Really, everything we tried came up short.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00That's great, I wonder if we can get it even further down?
0:54:00 > 0:54:04You may have longer arms than me, but that's as far as I could reach.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06I've got tiny, wee short arms. I'm like a T-Rex!
0:54:17 > 0:54:19It's so bright.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25And once again...
0:54:26 > 0:54:29Rats. It could only be rats.
0:54:31 > 0:54:32Oh, no.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38If it was easy, people would have done it by now.
0:54:38 > 0:54:39WHIRRING
0:54:39 > 0:54:41And there was worse to come.
0:54:44 > 0:54:48We were flying our drone down at the wetland one morning and it was going fine,
0:54:48 > 0:54:50we were getting some really nice shots actually,
0:54:50 > 0:54:52probably our best aerials so far.
0:54:52 > 0:54:57Then all of a sudden, we noticed the drone started dropping a little bit.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03It crashed into the water and it's tried to recover itself.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13We were watching it slowly sink into the flood plain.
0:55:19 > 0:55:23We rushed out, got in a boat, and we tried to find it as best we could,
0:55:23 > 0:55:25but it was a needle in a haystack.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34There were caiman, at times, just tens of feet away.
0:55:38 > 0:55:40Not only them, but there's the animals you can't see.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42There are piranhas, there are stingrays.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45You really had to be careful where to place your feet.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51Then suddenly, Arnaud said he felt something.
0:55:55 > 0:55:56Yay!
0:55:59 > 0:56:02By that point, it must have been in the water for five hours.
0:56:03 > 0:56:07We took it back and we dried it out and the footage was there.
0:56:11 > 0:56:12Back at Hotel Armadillo,
0:56:12 > 0:56:17the proprietor and the guests finally started to arrive.
0:56:41 > 0:56:45So we'd been camera trapping an individual call Tracy for a number of days.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47And she seemed like quite a good armadillo
0:56:47 > 0:56:49to try and take another step with.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52And we really just threw everything at it,
0:56:52 > 0:56:55hoping to film a giant armadillo in colour,
0:56:55 > 0:56:57something no-one has ever been able to do before.
0:56:59 > 0:57:01We took a gamble.
0:57:01 > 0:57:06We set up a lighting rig outside a burrow we knew Tracy was in.
0:57:09 > 0:57:13We put Lindsay as close as we dared let him go to the burrow.
0:57:15 > 0:57:19So really, what we want to get, probably for the first time ever,
0:57:19 > 0:57:23a giant armadillo on camera with a cameraman there operating it.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31We had no idea what was going to happen.
0:57:35 > 0:57:39This giant armadillo just emerges from underground.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53Even from where we were, you could see these amazing claws,
0:57:53 > 0:57:56this relic almost of a time of dinosaurs.
0:57:58 > 0:58:00We were able to film them in a way
0:58:00 > 0:58:02that no-one ever has before and it was extraordinary.
0:58:04 > 0:58:06I'll never forget it.