0:00:02 > 0:00:06All around the world, an extraordinary group of people
0:00:06 > 0:00:12are on a mission to save some of our most critically endangered animals.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20We're going to meet those people. And the animals they love.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Good, be fierce. That's what you need to be.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28I'm Martin Hughes-Games, and I trained as a zoologist.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31I've spent the last 30 years making wildlife films.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34You've eaten my microphone again!
0:00:34 > 0:00:36And over that time, I've seen with my own eyes
0:00:36 > 0:00:40the challenges facing our natural world.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45I'm going to take you on a journey around the world, to discover the courage, the commitment,
0:00:45 > 0:00:50the sheer blood, sweat and tears that it takes to drag a species
0:00:50 > 0:00:56back from the edge of extinction, to create nature's miracle babies.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11I'll be meeting five very different animals,
0:01:11 > 0:01:15each facing a struggle for survival, and all in need of human help.
0:01:18 > 0:01:24There's an Australian marsupial who has to be protected from a lethal predator.
0:01:24 > 0:01:2911 little ibis who need to learn a traditional migration route.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36And a baby parrot so precious, it has to be hand-reared.
0:01:36 > 0:01:37Wow!
0:01:37 > 0:01:43And a sifaka who's struggling to make it through the first week of his life.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50Sometimes, drastic measures are needed to save a species,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54and we'll meet the remarkable people, determined to do whatever it takes.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00We start in a country with a unique wildlife - Australia.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05Some of its precious species are on the verge of being lost forever.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15Well, it's 3:15am,
0:02:15 > 0:02:19and I'm on my way to a wildlife park
0:02:19 > 0:02:22and we're going to witness something extraordinary.
0:02:22 > 0:02:28It's something that could only really happen here in Australia.
0:02:28 > 0:02:34In the next few hours, we're going to try to fly a tiny baby wallaby
0:02:34 > 0:02:391,000 kilometres across southern Australia.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Why? How?
0:02:41 > 0:02:43Let's find out.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48I'm out in the bush outside the city of Canberra to meet vet David Shultz.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52He's in charge of an ambitious breeding programme,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56aimed at saving an iconic Australian marsupial.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58She's in this den over here.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00- That's her, OK.- And if you just...
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Oh, hello, she's tiny, she's a lot smaller than I thought!
0:03:07 > 0:03:11- Yeah, six kilos.- Six kilos, I didn't realise she was so little.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13This is a brush-tailed wallaby?
0:03:13 > 0:03:16It's a brush-tailed rock wallaby. Yes.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19And these are frighteningly rare in the wild right now?
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Yes, frighteningly rare.
0:03:21 > 0:03:28We know about 20 animals, but it was down to six that we knew of.
0:03:28 > 0:03:29Six! Right.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Sometimes known as the Australian mountain goat,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37they're incredibly sure-footed.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Their babies, or joeys,
0:03:41 > 0:03:45stay in and around mum's pouch until they're six months old,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49and only when they leave her altogether will mum give birth again.
0:03:56 > 0:04:02So phase one is actually to get the little tiny, tiny little joey out of her pouch, into the incubator.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Out of her pouch. Yup.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09- So this is a very important girl. - Very important girl.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15'But hang on, what's all this about?
0:04:15 > 0:04:19'We're taking a perfectly healthy joey away from a perfectly healthy mum.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21'There's a good reason.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24'They're doing this because of a quirk in wallaby reproduction.'
0:04:27 > 0:04:31A day after they've given birth, they get mated again,
0:04:31 > 0:04:38and that young that results from that, actually is stored at the top of the reproductive tract
0:04:38 > 0:04:44and the moment, either we take the pouch young out, or it grows up
0:04:44 > 0:04:51and jumps out naturally, it activates. And in a month, another birth occurs.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56So it's like a kind of production line, it's a chain that keeps going round and round,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58and that's unique to marsupials.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Only marsupials can do that.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05I'm about to open up the pouch and then put my thumb
0:05:05 > 0:05:08and forefinger onto the teat.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09Wow.
0:05:09 > 0:05:10There we go.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14It's so small. Look at that tiny baby.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16- Looks like a little embryo, David. - It is, it's the...
0:05:16 > 0:05:21It's almost like a little... Look at the tininess of it. Wow.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27But the critical thing is that once you've taken this one out
0:05:27 > 0:05:30she can produce another baby in a month's time.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32OK.
0:05:36 > 0:05:42See how it's just not coming out? I'll just ease the teat out.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44- Look at that.- OK.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49Put...female. Great. Oh, excellent.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Excellent.
0:05:51 > 0:05:52Is that good news?
0:05:52 > 0:05:55You need a female because you can breed from her.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57We've got more males than females.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02If we keep taking the pouch young out,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05hopefully she will keep producing.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08So what are they going to do with this little baby?
0:06:08 > 0:06:13Well, 600 miles away a different and more common species of wallaby
0:06:13 > 0:06:17is ready and waiting to become her surrogate mum.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22Now there is a down side to this - that the surrogate's pouch young
0:06:22 > 0:06:29has to be about the same size and age, therefore, as the donor's,
0:06:29 > 0:06:35but we have to euthanase that one to make way for the brush tail.
0:06:35 > 0:06:40So in other words, the more common species is making way
0:06:40 > 0:06:43- for the critically endangered one. - OK.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46It's always sad to put a healthy animal to sleep
0:06:46 > 0:06:49but these are the hard choices you have to make
0:06:49 > 0:06:53when you're trying to save a seriously endangered animal.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56How are we going to get through security at the airport...
0:06:56 > 0:06:58It's just occurred to me... carrying this?
0:06:58 > 0:07:00They know about us.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02- HE LAUGHS - OK.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05We've got around six hours to get this joey to its new mother.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08But if we get delayed the baby could die.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18So how did these wallabies become so rare in the first place?
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Well, it's down to a creature only too familiar
0:07:20 > 0:07:23to chicken lovers like me -
0:07:23 > 0:07:24the fox.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28150 years ago British settlers brought it over,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31and since then these highly efficient predators have survived
0:07:31 > 0:07:34by eating Australia's small mammals.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38So, because of a European import,
0:07:38 > 0:07:42here we are at Canberra Airport with six hours to get a baby wallaby
0:07:42 > 0:07:46all the way to Adelaide and hopefully a brand-new life
0:07:46 > 0:07:48with a brand-new mum.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52- Good morning.- Good morning.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58What is that?
0:07:58 > 0:08:01That's a very tiny, one-month-old, brush tailed rock wallaby.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05It doesn't have a lot of hair on it at the moment, a bit like me actually.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07- It's tiny. - SHE LAUGHS
0:08:07 > 0:08:12You're cooling it down. Well, welcome aboard to our special passenger.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15- IN-FLIGHT ANNOUNCEMENT: - Ladies and gentlemen,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17we'd just like to inform you that today we are carrying
0:08:17 > 0:08:21an extremely special passenger - a four-week-old rare wallaby.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25The clock is ticking, ahead is an hour's flight and,
0:08:25 > 0:08:30as it's both the baby's and my first time, I'm... Well, I'm worried.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Is she OK, do you think?
0:08:32 > 0:08:33We'll have a look.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37- Is that OK to have a little look? - Yeah, yeah, yeah sure.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41I can't get over how tiny she is.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45David, is there time pressure? Do we have...
0:08:45 > 0:08:48- I guess we can't take too long. - No, no, no, but we like to get them
0:08:48 > 0:08:53- in four to six hours if we can. - Just to be sure.- Yeah.
0:08:53 > 0:09:00At the moment everything's fine. We can have our breakfast in peace.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09What now? Stage two. Off to the zoo?
0:09:09 > 0:09:10As fast as we can.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Fast as we can. Brilliant.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Adelaide Zoo should be just 15 minutes away,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23but it's rush hour.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26How long has it been now, David?
0:09:26 > 0:09:32Three-and-a-half, getting on to... Yeah, three-and-a-half hours.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Three-and-a-half hours, still good.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Yep. Yep, I would think so, but you can have a look if you like.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42We haven't had a look for half an hour, three quarters of an hour.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45What should her temperature be?
0:09:45 > 0:09:50- 26. If it drops down to 25 that's fine.- It's 24.6.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- That's fine.- That's still OK? - Fine, yep.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57Mind you, David, rush hour, we didn't factor that in.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59No, we didn't.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03With such an audacious plan there are bound to be hairy moments,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07and when you're dedicated to saving a species, you've got to take risks.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Come on! Got a joey here, You want one of those lights
0:10:11 > 0:10:14you can just stick on the roof. Woo, woo, woo!
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Half a world away in Southern Germany
0:10:19 > 0:10:22a group of young scientists have an equally risky
0:10:22 > 0:10:27and highly ambitious plan to bring a species back from extinction.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32The Northern Bald Ibis, a large and spectacular bird,
0:10:32 > 0:10:37has been extinct in Europe for more than 400 years.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43But Markus Unsold is determined to turn back the clock
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and bring these stunning birds back home.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Markus has hand reared this group of 11 birds
0:10:50 > 0:10:53since they hatched out a few months ago and they think of him
0:10:53 > 0:10:57as their mum. And, for his part, well, they're his babies.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09I met my first bald ibis 15 years ago.
0:11:10 > 0:11:17They are very curious birds and they are all personalities,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20each bird is different.
0:11:20 > 0:11:21They look funny and...
0:11:23 > 0:11:26I like them, I really like them.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Markus knows the way to his babies' hearts.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35This is the food for the birds, it's a mixture of beef heart,
0:11:35 > 0:11:41chicken, rat, mealworms, crickets and some other stuff.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Mmm, yummy!
0:11:43 > 0:11:46The young birds clearly adore Markus.
0:11:46 > 0:11:47He's very hungry, yeah.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53We have the privilege to stay in contact with the birds
0:11:53 > 0:11:56for the whole day, and it's a very nice job.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01This is Goya, she's the youngest one, but very aggressive.
0:12:01 > 0:12:06If she wants food she fights with every bird
0:12:06 > 0:12:08and I think she's the beautifullest one.
0:12:08 > 0:12:14I had a favourite bird, it was Goya, but now I like them all.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18Markus' project has one massive extra problem -
0:12:18 > 0:12:20these ibis are migratory birds,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24and somehow the team must not only keep all 11 young birds alive
0:12:24 > 0:12:27but also teach them to migrate,
0:12:27 > 0:12:331,400 kilometres right across Europe, from Germany to Tuscany.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38They've come up with a mad but very clever plan.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Their foster mum, Markus, is going to lead them across Europe
0:12:47 > 0:12:48in a microlite.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53I'm excited if the birds will follow
0:12:53 > 0:12:54and I'm very nervous.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00The boys have mapped out a route all the way to Tuscany,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02in a series of shortish hops.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07The first is just six kilometres, but right now, no-one knows
0:13:07 > 0:13:10if the birds will understand what they've got to do
0:13:10 > 0:13:12and follow Markus.
0:13:12 > 0:13:13I'm quite nervous if it works.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18Johannes, part of the ground crew, monitors things from below.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22Whatever way you look at it, this is a high-risk
0:13:22 > 0:13:24and hugely optimistic plan.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47But, after just a few minutes, the birds panic.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Doesn't look that good.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Much as they love Markus, they give in to their nerves,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54and they disappear.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58It's a disaster.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07He's called now
0:14:07 > 0:14:09and he asked us to return to the camp
0:14:09 > 0:14:12to look if the birds return there.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Birdies, come, come!
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Birdies, come, come!
0:14:24 > 0:14:29After an anxious wait, all 11 young Ibis return
0:14:29 > 0:14:31to the familiarity of their camp.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36The worst thing that can happen is that the migration just doesn't happen.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41If Markus can't get the birds to follow them,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44then the whole project will fall flat on its face.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50He'll have to come up with a new plan fast.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Luckily, in Australia, our plan is back on track.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02The traffic's cleared and the baby wallaby is coping well.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05We've arrived at Adelaide Zoo.
0:15:06 > 0:15:07Here we are.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11- Here we are! - Here we go, action stations.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14- Don't drop the kid.- I won't drop it!
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- Hi, you're...- Jen.
0:15:18 > 0:15:19Jen! Hi, Jen.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Martin. Sorry.
0:15:21 > 0:15:22Pleased to meet you.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Little girl, which is good, yes?
0:15:24 > 0:15:25It's fantastic.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29This is it - the last phase,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31so let's hope everything's all right
0:15:31 > 0:15:35and this is where this little one goes into the surrogate, we hope.
0:15:36 > 0:15:37Let's go.
0:15:42 > 0:15:47It's been four and a half hours since this tiny Joey left her real mum.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52The challenge now is to get her to latch onto her foster mum's teat.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54It's the last crucial hurdle.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58So she's just going to get used to this new pouch.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01So to get used to the new pouch, the first thing we do
0:16:01 > 0:16:03is tip her in...
0:16:05 > 0:16:11..and the pouch young is just in contact with one layer of mum.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15And you're doing that cos you don't want to heat it up too quickly?
0:16:15 > 0:16:19Don't want to heat it up quickly, just want to bring it to the boil slowly.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Is it still a little nerve-wracking, this bit?
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Yeah, because you never quite know
0:16:23 > 0:16:27how well the beasty's going to grab hold of it.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34OK, Jen, look at that suckling, right.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40So now we just wait and see if that's worked.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45But what I did like was, the moment
0:16:45 > 0:16:48the lips felt the teat,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50he started to suck.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52That's great.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59So if we listen quietly and hear a fart, we'll know we're in the money.
0:16:59 > 0:17:00GIGGLING
0:17:00 > 0:17:01What yours?
0:17:01 > 0:17:02No, no, no.
0:17:03 > 0:17:08I would have to say that's a fairly contented pouch young.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12So David, as far as we know - success.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14It's been great,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17but what's the ultimate objective of the whole project for you?
0:17:17 > 0:17:22Well, the first thing is that we have to keep the captive population stable.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25We have to make sure there is enough numbers.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Once we've done that, out into the wild they go.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32And is that a realistic possibility?
0:17:32 > 0:17:33- Yeah.- It really is?
0:17:33 > 0:17:35There's no point in keeping 'em in captivity.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37We've actually put 16 out,
0:17:37 > 0:17:42and last April we had our first birth.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Fantastic. So it's started. That final process has started.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47- It has started.- Brilliant.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50David's efforts have hugely accelerated the rate
0:17:50 > 0:17:54these rare and endangered wallabies reproduce.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Instead of there being seven months between births,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59there's now around two months.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04And there are already 16 of these "fostered" rock wallabies
0:18:04 > 0:18:06hopping around in the wild,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08thanks to this ingenious technique
0:18:08 > 0:18:10and hopefully, many more to come.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19In Bavaria, the team trying to teach the young Ibis
0:18:19 > 0:18:24to migrate across Europe are facing disaster.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Markus has abandoned trying to fly the first leg.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29He's going to drive them there instead.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34They are very frightened now.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36Not very happy
0:18:36 > 0:18:40to bring the birds in boxes to the next place.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44I hope that we don't have to do it tomorrow again.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Markus is a bit down but who can blame him?
0:18:49 > 0:18:52If his birds don't learn the route from the air,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56the whole mission to reintroduce them to Europe will fail.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04I feel very sad because the migration's started
0:19:04 > 0:19:10but I'm not sure that we will end it like we planned it.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13They'll try again in the morning
0:19:13 > 0:19:16and Markus hopes that without their familiar camp,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19the birds will be more inclined to follow him.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21It's going to be a sleepless night.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29But next morning the weather is perfect.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32It's looking good for another attempt.
0:19:32 > 0:19:38Ahead is hopefully a seven-kilometre flight to the next overnight stop at a dairy farm.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Everyone's really nervous.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44You know what they say?
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Every journey starts with a single step
0:19:47 > 0:19:52so will Markus' 11 little ibis make the leap of faith and follow him?
0:19:52 > 0:19:55There's only one way to find out.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Super.
0:20:36 > 0:20:37Today is a very good day.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40The birds followed the ultralite from the first moment.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47It's a good feeling today.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52Now the first time they seem to follow in an appropriate way.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Super!
0:21:29 > 0:21:32They started with us and they landed with us,
0:21:32 > 0:21:38so as it should be, but it was just about seven kilometre.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Markus is optimistic again!
0:21:40 > 0:21:42LAUGHTER
0:21:43 > 0:21:47I'm very happy that they have their first real flight.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52I'm a little bit tired because I didn't sleep very well
0:21:52 > 0:21:55but now...it's OK!
0:21:55 > 0:22:00At last the team know the birds will follow the microlite,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03but this was a short seven kilometre hop -
0:22:03 > 0:22:06it's 1,400 kilometres to Tuscany.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11If all 11 of these young birds make it through the 40-day journey,
0:22:11 > 0:22:15it will be an incredible achievement,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19and we'll be following their progress to see if they make it.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23It's an audacious idea to even consider trying
0:22:23 > 0:22:25to bring a migratory species back from extinction.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Markus, I salute you!
0:22:29 > 0:22:31In Queensland, this same spirit
0:22:31 > 0:22:36is helping to save another of Australia's threatened marsupials.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41Called a bilby, it's small, only active at night,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45and is a bit like a cross between a rabbit, and a mouse and a wallaby.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49For the last 22 years, a maverick Aussie biologist
0:22:49 > 0:22:52has devoted his life to saving the bilby.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Peter McCrae is a bit of a character
0:22:55 > 0:22:59and he lives the simple life in outback Queensland.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03I love a place like this that oozes space.
0:23:03 > 0:23:09Yeah, it's almost a spiritual sort of a place,
0:23:09 > 0:23:13a place that brings me more back to being me.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17This place is also perfect bilby habitat -
0:23:17 > 0:23:19full of plants, insects,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22and soft earth for digging burrows.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Bilbies used to be widespread.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Now they're all but extinct in Queensland.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Their population has crashed, and the reason?
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Predators, introduced predators.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Foxes and cats primarily are the big ones, the big nasties.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40Adopting the nocturnal habitats of his beloved bilbies,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Peter patrols the reserve,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45making sure no predators have found their way in,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48and checking for signs that the bilbies are doing OK.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51There! Back! Back to your right a bit.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05It's just great, so good to see.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12The bilby reserve is a dream come true for Peter.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16Eight years ago he joined forces with another bilby enthusiast, Frank Manthey.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21Together, they raised the money needed to create the sanctuary.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25This is it.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28This is the dream of two people
0:24:28 > 0:24:33wanting to save a very long term Australian, a very beautiful animal.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37It's a very large, very expensive,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40predator-proof fence.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43We in Australia have introduced the European red fox,
0:24:43 > 0:24:48and it loved Australia so much that it spread throughout it very quickly.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52People who've got a cat and won't look after it -
0:24:52 > 0:24:56we've now got a 23 million feral cat population throughout Australia,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59destroying our wildlife at the rate of knots.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03These two are known affectionately as the Bilby Brothers.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06While Peter concentrates on the science,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10Frank goes round the country talking about the plight of the bilby,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12and raising money.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14He's even persuaded Australians
0:25:14 > 0:25:17to switch from buying chocolate Easter bunnies,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20to buying chocolate Easter bilbies.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27The bilbies being released into this safe and perfect habitat
0:25:27 > 0:25:29have been raised in Dreamworld Theme Park.
0:25:29 > 0:25:34Tina Niblock is one of the team dedicated to breeding bilbies.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38This is Luke. He's our latest addition.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41He's only just come out of the pouch this week.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Pretty cute, aren't you?
0:25:45 > 0:25:46Yes, you are.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49He's just going to have a little nap.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55That's so cute! You're very cute, Luke.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59We've got a couple in here.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03Two young, healthy females, Summer and Wyara,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06have been selected for release into the Bilby Sanctuary.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11They're in their peak physical condition.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14They're being soft released as well,
0:26:14 > 0:26:18so we're giving them all the chances that they can get,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21so hopefully that's successful for them out in the wild.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Summer and Wyara definitely do have personalities of their own.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Out of all our young that we've bred here,
0:26:28 > 0:26:30they're probably the feistiest,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33and they're the ones that will give you a bit of a nip.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36But that's probably perfect for being released to the wild.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42We'll be following their journey to their new home with Peter McRae
0:26:42 > 0:26:46out in the wilds of the Australian bush.
0:26:50 > 0:26:56Back in Europe, the 11 young ibis are reaching the end
0:26:56 > 0:27:01of their incredible 1,400 kilometre journey from Bavaria to Italy.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12They've survived their 40-day migration,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16and are finally flying across the Tuscan countryside.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Super idea, perfect.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30Although it's the first time these ibis have made the journey,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34the team have already taken a different group on this same route
0:27:34 > 0:27:36and they should be living wild somewhere,
0:27:36 > 0:27:37close around here,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41and the hope is that one day the two groups will meet up to breed,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44and maybe even migrate together.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49From Germany, across Austria,
0:27:49 > 0:27:52and Slovenia and now Italy,
0:27:53 > 0:27:54negotiating mountains and cities,
0:27:54 > 0:27:58Markus and the team hope it's been as memorable journey for the ibis
0:27:58 > 0:28:00as it has been for them.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Because they need to remember it -
0:28:02 > 0:28:06the next time these birds fly this route, they'll be on their own.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Now they arrive with the birds.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29It's a nice feeling, yeah.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Now, on a wing and a prayer,
0:28:32 > 0:28:34it's time to bring the birds safely in to land.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49All the birds are here yes, yes.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14We did it!
0:29:14 > 0:29:16Yeah, the migration finished.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19When I think back on six weeks ago now,
0:29:19 > 0:29:21we didn't expect even to come.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26Hey, Markus!
0:29:29 > 0:29:31And then, out of nowhere,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34last year's ibis have appeared.
0:29:34 > 0:29:39Maybe they heard Markus and came to greet him and the new arrivals.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47It's more than the team could ever have hoped for.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52The work of the foster parents has finished.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56Now these birds are integrated in the wild group.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05The young ibis will spend a couple of years growing up here in Tuscany
0:30:05 > 0:30:09before they attempt to migrate back to Bavaria.
0:30:09 > 0:30:14For now, everyone can celebrate the end of a truly incredible journey.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21I will miss them, but I am glad that they are here now
0:30:21 > 0:30:25and that the migration is over for this year.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30Super. It's too long and it's too hard. I'm getting older.
0:30:30 > 0:30:35Markus and the team have brought a beautiful, charismatic,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38migratory bird back to Europe -
0:30:38 > 0:30:41something I would never have believed possible.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44It is an astonishing achievement.
0:30:44 > 0:30:49So, with the Northern Bald Ibis back in Europe,
0:30:49 > 0:30:52and the Rock Wallabies returning to the Australian bush,
0:30:52 > 0:30:54it seems that the more impossible the task appears,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57the more determined people are to save them.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00Right in the money.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03Coming up, we'll see how this spirit gets two bilbies back to the wild,
0:31:03 > 0:31:09and drives a team trying to save the life of a very sick little lemur.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11But first, a story that proves
0:31:11 > 0:31:13you should never give up on a species,
0:31:13 > 0:31:15no matter how endangered.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20What do you think hatched out of this egg?
0:31:21 > 0:31:25Have a close look. Maybe a chicken? It's a bit small.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29Turtle? No. Well, in fact, it was a bird, an incredibly rare bird,
0:31:29 > 0:31:33so rare that sadly they're extinct in the wild.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37It's a Spix's Macaw, and the team here
0:31:37 > 0:31:39in Loro Parque in Tenerife
0:31:39 > 0:31:44have very high hopes for the little chick that came out of this egg.
0:31:44 > 0:31:49We're on the Island of Tenerife, where the Loro Parque foundation
0:31:49 > 0:31:52is a key player in a worldwide breeding programme
0:31:52 > 0:31:54for the Spix's Macaw.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00This new arrival is a huge source of excitement.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06It's only the fifth Spix's Macaw to hatch here since 2004.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11Its surrogate mum, dad and wet-nurse
0:32:11 > 0:32:14is curator of birds, Matthias Reinschmidt,
0:32:14 > 0:32:17a man completely obsessed with parrots.
0:32:25 > 0:32:30To make absolutely sure it survives Matthias will hand rear it.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33- My fifth baby.- Your fifth baby?
0:32:33 > 0:32:36Yes, I'm really proud to...number five.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38The Brazilian Spix's Macaw
0:32:38 > 0:32:42was hunted to extinction in the wild for the pet trade,
0:32:42 > 0:32:46so now there are just a handful of birds living in captivity
0:32:46 > 0:32:50and it's those captive birds which offer the only hope of getting them back to the wild,
0:32:50 > 0:32:52where they belong.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56I met up with Matthias to find out just how that might happen,
0:32:56 > 0:33:00the level of security here is a big surprise.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03It's like a fortress! Not taking any chances here, Matthias.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07No, we have some important birds we have to care for them.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10These birds are now so rare they're priceless...
0:33:10 > 0:33:13and a prime target for thieves.
0:33:13 > 0:33:18The Spix's Macaw is completely extinct, now, in the wild,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21- there are none at all? - There are none in Brazil,
0:33:21 > 0:33:24the last one disappeared in the year 2000.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27- Quite recently...- 11 years ago.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31So, how many are there now that you know about in captivity?
0:33:31 > 0:33:35- In our breeding programme we have 73 birds.- That's IT?!
0:33:35 > 0:33:38That's in what we have in the breeding programme,
0:33:38 > 0:33:42but perhaps there are some birds in private hands which we don't know.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45So, what do you hope to happen in the future?
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Can you continue to build up the numbers in captivity,
0:33:48 > 0:33:49is that the plan?
0:33:49 > 0:33:51Yes, that's really the plan,
0:33:51 > 0:33:53to build up to have a higher number of Spix's Macaw
0:33:53 > 0:33:57and then we start to, we want to start to release them,
0:33:57 > 0:33:59to bring them back into the wild, in the nature.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03Matthias, they're quite noisy aren't they? Do they recognise you?
0:34:03 > 0:34:05I believe they recognise me
0:34:05 > 0:34:07because I hand reared them from the first day on
0:34:07 > 0:34:10and they know me and if I come they always shouting
0:34:10 > 0:34:13and saying, "Hello, Pappy!" HE LAUGHS
0:34:14 > 0:34:17Matthias is actually a serial father,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20he's hand reared several hundred parrots
0:34:20 > 0:34:25and a peep inside the nursery shows just how many babies round here think he's the daddy!
0:34:29 > 0:34:32No father likes to admit to having favourites,
0:34:32 > 0:34:35but this rather demanding Spix's Macaw
0:34:35 > 0:34:39is taking nearly all of Matthias' love and attention...
0:34:39 > 0:34:44but then it is one of the rarest birds on the planet.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46This is a special mixture for young parrots.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49We have all the minerals, vitamins
0:34:49 > 0:34:54and all that you need to grow up as a parrot.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56When he started to grow on the first day
0:34:56 > 0:35:00we have feed until ten times a day, nearly every two hours.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05Matthias has put his life on hold to raise this hugely important chick -
0:35:05 > 0:35:07if he gets it right
0:35:07 > 0:35:10it'll become a vital member of the breeding programme.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13Matthias will face a particularly tough challenge
0:35:13 > 0:35:15in the next few weeks.
0:35:15 > 0:35:20I'll be watching to see how he copes with this needy little bundle.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22The problems facing macaws in the wild
0:35:22 > 0:35:27weren't addressed until it was too late and they became extinct,
0:35:27 > 0:35:31but in Australia one of their cutest marsupials, the bilby,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34has been saved from extinction just in the nick of time.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37Ready to go out into the wild, aren't you, honey?
0:35:37 > 0:35:39At Dreamland Theme Park,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42keeper Tina Niblock is preparing Wyara and Summer
0:35:42 > 0:35:44for their long trip to freedom.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48It's approximately a 12 hour drive inland,
0:35:48 > 0:35:50so straight into the bushland.
0:35:51 > 0:35:56Tina's travelling with fellow bilby keeper Al Mucci.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58It's a very early start.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01- Morning, Al.- Hey, morning. How are the girls this morning?
0:36:01 > 0:36:04Yeah, good, wide awake...for now.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Excited about the long drive?
0:36:06 > 0:36:08- Yeah, they've got a long trip ahead.- They do.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19It's 1,000 kilometres from Brisbane to Currawinya Park
0:36:19 > 0:36:21and the Bilby Reserve.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29Before they leave town they have to pick up a VIP,
0:36:29 > 0:36:32a man who made this whole project possible.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35One of the legendary Bilby Brothers, Frank Manthey.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39- I'm all ready, how about our girls? - Yeah they're definitely ready.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42Frank's devoted eight years of his life to the bilby.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44It's very close to his heart.
0:36:45 > 0:36:50It is just such a wonderful animal and that's what's hooked me in.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53When I first saw my one in the wild I just thought,
0:36:53 > 0:36:56"Wow, we really need a decent kick in the pants
0:36:56 > 0:37:00"if we were to lose something as beautiful as this."
0:37:00 > 0:37:03It was a personal tragedy that changed Frank from office worker
0:37:03 > 0:37:06into passionate bilby conservationist.
0:37:06 > 0:37:13In 1996 I lost my wife of nearly 40 years and the bilby was my rescue.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15It gave me a goal.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19It gave me something that I could feel useful doing.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23It's getting late, so Frank is planning ahead.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27It'll be too late to release the bilbies tonight,
0:37:27 > 0:37:30so the bilbies are going to really live it up
0:37:30 > 0:37:33and stay at the hotel with us tonight.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39They're going to share a room with Al and myself
0:37:39 > 0:37:44and I happen to snore a bit and they scratch a fair bit
0:37:44 > 0:37:47and so Al's in for a fairly interesting night tonight!
0:37:51 > 0:37:56After a long drive, a warm welcome awaits them at the Outback Hotel.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00All right, we made it, we made it!
0:38:00 > 0:38:05- One more day to go, we meet Peter McRae! - FRANK LAUGHS
0:38:05 > 0:38:08- Hey, have you got a bilby? - I've got a couple of bilbies.
0:38:08 > 0:38:09Oh, isn't that lovely!
0:38:09 > 0:38:11Yes, they've had a big day.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14- Oh, much more well behaved than ours!- Well, is it a bilby, eh?
0:38:14 > 0:38:18More well behaved than ours, yeah. I don't know how you go.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24Tina's keen to get the two bilbies settled into their accommodation,
0:38:24 > 0:38:28but bilbies are nocturnal, so they're just waking up!
0:38:30 > 0:38:32Hey, do you want some water?
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Just putting some food out for the bilbies
0:38:36 > 0:38:39cos I'm sure they are pretty hungry.
0:38:44 > 0:38:45Room service.
0:38:45 > 0:38:50They're going to have a great night, stretch their legs, keep Frank up,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53or he might keep them up all night with his snoring!
0:38:53 > 0:38:55Lots of new smells,
0:38:55 > 0:38:58lots of new places to run around and have a great time.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02It wouldn't matter if I never got any sleep,
0:39:02 > 0:39:08it's knowing the satisfaction that what you started out to achieve...
0:39:10 > 0:39:12..really is working...
0:39:12 > 0:39:18and for me tonight to know that she's going to be free forever
0:39:18 > 0:39:22is a pretty magic feeling.
0:39:22 > 0:39:23Isn't it?
0:39:23 > 0:39:26I hope Frank is able to get at least SOME sleep,
0:39:26 > 0:39:30he and the bilbies have an exciting day ahead of them tomorrow.
0:39:30 > 0:39:34Frank's hoping to see these little marsupials get their very first taste of freedom.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36What's all this nonsense?
0:39:37 > 0:39:41Half a world away, at Loro Parque on the Island of Tenerife,
0:39:41 > 0:39:44getting back to the wild would be the ultimate dream
0:39:44 > 0:39:47for the incredibly rare Spix's Macaw chick.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50It's still demanding the undivided attention of Matthias,
0:39:50 > 0:39:52its surrogate mum.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56Spix's Macaws are extinct in the wild
0:39:56 > 0:40:00and this baby brings the total number known to exist in captivity
0:40:00 > 0:40:02to just 73.
0:40:02 > 0:40:07So it's no wonder Matthias has been working so hard to raise this little bird.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10It's two months old now and as demanding as ever!
0:40:10 > 0:40:13Yes, I have to feel like a father
0:40:13 > 0:40:17because from day one on we feed him every day.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20I feed him between eight o'clock in the morning
0:40:20 > 0:40:23until seven o'clock in the evening here,
0:40:23 > 0:40:28but then in the night I also have to feed him, so he's always with me.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30We are really proud of him.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33Matthias' macaw still hasn't been given a name
0:40:33 > 0:40:35and that's not because he can't think of one,
0:40:35 > 0:40:38but because he doesn't know what sex it is.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40He always refers to the baby as, "He,"
0:40:40 > 0:40:42but as Matthias desperately wants a boy,
0:40:42 > 0:40:45this is, perhaps, just wishful thinking.
0:40:46 > 0:40:52So, Matthias, why do you SPECIFICALLY need a boy?
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Because in the breeding programme we have more females
0:40:55 > 0:41:00and especially here, we bred since 2004 five Spix's Macaws,
0:41:00 > 0:41:02but four of them are females
0:41:02 > 0:41:05and now we hope that the number five is a male.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09Matthias faces a special problem here,
0:41:09 > 0:41:13parrots and macaws pair for life so they can't swap the males around
0:41:13 > 0:41:16and there's a lot of single ladies round here looking for Mr Right.
0:41:18 > 0:41:23If his baby turns out to be a boy Matthias will be a happy man,
0:41:23 > 0:41:28but unfortunately, you can't tell what sex the babies are just by looking at them.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31Matthias has called in one of the zoo's vets
0:41:31 > 0:41:34to take a feather sample
0:41:34 > 0:41:36and when this is analysed he'll have his answer.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39I suggest to take them here, because here are the freshly ones.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41Yep, OK.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45- Fix him a little bit, because... - Fix him and use the leg.- That's it.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47- 'It didn't even flinch.' - It's like a hair.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51If he is a female we name him Jara
0:41:51 > 0:41:55and if he is a male we will name him Jaro.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58So it depends Jara or Jaro!
0:42:06 > 0:42:11You go to the laboratory and tell us as soon as you have the result.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15Please, that we have a male.
0:42:15 > 0:42:21If it's a male, we drink champagne, if it's a female, we drink water!
0:42:21 > 0:42:23So will there be the sound of a popping cork,
0:42:23 > 0:42:25or just a dripping tap?
0:42:25 > 0:42:28It's going to be an anxious wait.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33Looking after rare and endangered animals
0:42:33 > 0:42:35is an emotionally demanding job,
0:42:35 > 0:42:37especially when you run into difficulties.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39In the United States of America,
0:42:39 > 0:42:43the Duke Lemur Center breeds some very rare lemurs.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48North Carolina is home to a thriving family of 25 sifakas.
0:42:50 > 0:42:55And the reason they're here is to act as an insurance population
0:42:55 > 0:43:00in case the endangered wild sifakas in Madagascar ever become extinct.
0:43:04 > 0:43:09Antonia is one of the lemur mums and if you look carefully,
0:43:09 > 0:43:13you can just see the face of her tiny new baby Rupert peeping out.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19Antonia was born here and is part the world's most successful
0:43:19 > 0:43:22breeding group of captive sifakas.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24OK, he's way more alert today.
0:43:24 > 0:43:28Vet Cathy Williams looks after the lemurs.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30She has her work cut out with the babies.
0:43:30 > 0:43:34In the wild, newborns like Rupert would only have a 50/50 chance
0:43:34 > 0:43:37of survival. The odds are much better than that here,
0:43:37 > 0:43:40but little Rupert is really starting to worry Cathy.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43He was not bright eyed, he didn't look up at all.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46OK, let me just get a look at his mouth.
0:43:46 > 0:43:49Oh, good boy yeah.
0:43:49 > 0:43:54Baby sifaks, they have a very high mortality rate,
0:43:54 > 0:43:56so we try and improve on that as much as we can in captivity,
0:43:56 > 0:44:00but if they don't nurse well they can actually get quite ill
0:44:00 > 0:44:03very quickly and die before we have very much time to intervene.
0:44:03 > 0:44:07They don't show that they're sick until they're very, very sick.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10So we weigh the animals frequently.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12Rupert's been poorly since he was born,
0:44:12 > 0:44:17he's barely put on any weight, so they're keeping a close eye on him.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20Looking at the baby, making sure that he's strong,
0:44:20 > 0:44:21that he's vigorous.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23I want to get a bit of blood...
0:44:23 > 0:44:26Cathy suspects Rupert's got an infection,
0:44:26 > 0:44:28so she's doing a blood test to find out.
0:44:28 > 0:44:32And if we can get our in-house chemistry... OK, fabulous.
0:44:32 > 0:44:37It's not hard to get blood on an adult sifaka - it's a little bit of a challenge on a baby.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39Poor Antonia, Rupert's mum -
0:44:39 > 0:44:42she looks just as worried about her baby as Cathy.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48His ordeal over, Rupert gets a much-needed cuddle.
0:44:48 > 0:44:53Hard to hold these guys and not love them. I have to say.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59He's obviously keen to go back to mum and snuggle into some fur.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02I don't really think that's where we need you, darling.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05It's going to be an anxious wait for the results of the test,
0:45:05 > 0:45:10and Cathy can only hope she's able to save this precious little baby.
0:45:10 > 0:45:15In Australia the waiting is over, as bilbies Wyara and Summer
0:45:15 > 0:45:19are just hours away from going back to the wild.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23So, how did they get on sharing a room with Frank?
0:45:23 > 0:45:26Maybe we should ask Frank that question.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28They kept me awake all night.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31I think I should keep them awake today,
0:45:31 > 0:45:34but I just love them so much, I couldn't do it.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42In you go. Oh, my goodness.
0:45:45 > 0:45:49It's time to complete the bilbies' journey to freedom,
0:45:49 > 0:45:51with a short drive to the reserve.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56A huge fence indicates journey's end.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58It's a very special fence.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02It's fully predator proof and once we go through those gates,
0:46:02 > 0:46:06the little bilbies that we're going to put inside there
0:46:06 > 0:46:08will be in bilby heaven.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13Right-oh, fellas, here we are, the bilby motel.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17- How the hell are you?- Good! - You been behaving yourself?
0:46:17 > 0:46:19Peter McRae has been waiting since dawn.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23- Long drive, but we made it. - How are you?- Good, how are you?
0:46:23 > 0:46:25- I'm good.- Good to see you again.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29Each new release is a momentous occasion for the team.
0:46:29 > 0:46:30They travelled all right?
0:46:30 > 0:46:34They sure did. They slept the whole way.
0:46:34 > 0:46:35Excellent.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37Conserving their energies.
0:46:37 > 0:46:38Little squiz...
0:46:40 > 0:46:42Hello!
0:46:42 > 0:46:44One's asleep.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47That's the one that kept me awake all night!
0:46:47 > 0:46:49So we'll follow you, Pete.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53This is the soft release pen.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56The bilbies start life in the wild in a small enclosure
0:46:56 > 0:46:59where they have food and water. When they're ready to go it alone,
0:46:59 > 0:47:02they simply dig their way out into the main reserve.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04It's called a soft release,
0:47:04 > 0:47:06and it offers the best possible chance of survival.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08They look excited, Pete.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10They do, don't they? Their ears are right up.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13Yeah, they're going to be busy.
0:47:15 > 0:47:18Pete, how about you have Summer...
0:47:18 > 0:47:22Oh, look - she's a bit scared. Your beautiful handiwork on her tail.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26- I'll take Wyara. - This is Summer.
0:47:28 > 0:47:33- You right?- Mm-hm. - First dreamworld. Girls.
0:47:35 > 0:47:38Oooh, smell that, things to eat already!
0:47:38 > 0:47:40APPLAUSE
0:47:42 > 0:47:43Whoo-hoo!
0:47:43 > 0:47:45They're beautiful.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49- Well done, team.- Thank you.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53What a wonderful sight. Proudest man on earth.
0:47:55 > 0:47:56And the soppiest.
0:47:57 > 0:48:01All right - come on, everybody - celebration drink.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03This doesn't happen every day.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06Personally, I think they deserve more than a drink.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10The ingenuity and determination of some special people like Peter
0:48:10 > 0:48:16and Frank is all that stands between many of our most threatened species and extinction.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20Back in Tenerife,
0:48:20 > 0:48:25Matthias Reinschmidt is another one of those special people.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27He's determined to reverse
0:48:27 > 0:48:30the Spix's Macaw's extinction in the wild.
0:48:30 > 0:48:35After several days waiting, the results of the sex test are back.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38Remember, Matthias desperately needs a boy,
0:48:38 > 0:48:40as these birds mate for life
0:48:40 > 0:48:43and he's got lots of single females looking for a partner.
0:48:43 > 0:48:47Well, that baby Spix's Macaw turned out to be a...girl.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51Which was not really what the team were hoping for,
0:48:51 > 0:48:57but remember there are only 73 of these Spix's Macaws left on Earth.
0:48:57 > 0:48:58- MACAW CAWS - Hello!
0:48:58 > 0:49:01So she's an incredibly valuable addition
0:49:01 > 0:49:03to the slowly-growing captive flock.
0:49:03 > 0:49:07But now the job is to try and wean her off her dependence
0:49:07 > 0:49:12on her human carers and get her back into thinking, "I'm a Spix's Macaw".
0:49:13 > 0:49:16Hello. Would you like that? Would you?
0:49:16 > 0:49:19Until more boys come along, this young,
0:49:19 > 0:49:23possibly slightly spoilt macaw will join one of Matthias' all-girl groups
0:49:23 > 0:49:26but she'll have to learn her place in the pecking order.
0:49:29 > 0:49:33Matthias has named his little girl Jara, and despite
0:49:33 > 0:49:36the disappointment, he loves her just as much as always.
0:49:36 > 0:49:41But it looks like his habit of calling her a 'he' may take a while to break...
0:49:41 > 0:49:43So, now he is hungry, yeah. Baby.
0:49:43 > 0:49:47What Jara needs is a friend to take her under her wing,
0:49:47 > 0:49:50and Matthias knows just the girl for the job.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54Come, come, come, oh, she is, she's really fit.
0:49:54 > 0:49:56Ah! Really quick.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01Come. I have her, good.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09Very good.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12OK, and...good.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18Yeah, very good, come on.
0:50:20 > 0:50:24So he is now today 69 days old
0:50:24 > 0:50:26and that's exactly the time
0:50:26 > 0:50:30when he leave normally the nest and that's the reason why
0:50:30 > 0:50:35we move him today from the brooder in the cage.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39It's time for Jara to start her macaw training.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42Let's hope she doesn't get in too much of a flap,
0:50:42 > 0:50:45after all this is a bird who's never seen another Spix's's macaw
0:50:45 > 0:50:47or even sat on a perch before.
0:50:51 > 0:50:53Huh? Look, this is a Spix's Macaw.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57This is your new teacher now.
0:50:57 > 0:51:02Now, it's the first time in your life that you have direct contact
0:51:02 > 0:51:05to someone from your family.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10I will sit her on the same level.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13I close the...
0:51:13 > 0:51:17The first lesson is to teach Jara the rules of parrot politics.
0:51:21 > 0:51:22It's now the third chick
0:51:22 > 0:51:26which is coming in her cage to be socialised from her.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33It seems that spoilt little Jara is getting too familiar,
0:51:33 > 0:51:36time to put her in her place.
0:51:36 > 0:51:37Ooh!
0:51:37 > 0:51:40She's unhurt, but she's learnt a valuable first lesson
0:51:40 > 0:51:43about her place in the pecking order.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46And as soon as she is eating alone,
0:51:46 > 0:51:49we can move both in the big flying cage
0:51:49 > 0:51:53to let the young one also fly and to train this,
0:51:53 > 0:51:57but the two birds will be together for the next months, half year minimum.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00She is teacher and she has to do her job.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09Matthias' role as mum is over.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13But will Jara be able to overcome her identity crisis
0:52:13 > 0:52:16and do what should come naturally?
0:52:16 > 0:52:18Find out in a moment.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27Back in the US at the Duke Lemur Centre,
0:52:27 > 0:52:29Rupert's blood tests are back from the laboratory,
0:52:29 > 0:52:33at last vet Cathy has some answers.
0:52:33 > 0:52:38His lab work came back and the white blood cell count's quite high,
0:52:38 > 0:52:42the neutrophil count is quite high, and those two pieces of information
0:52:42 > 0:52:47go along with either pretty marked infection or severe inflammation.
0:52:47 > 0:52:52Since his white blood cell count is so high...
0:52:52 > 0:52:57he is going to get started on this tasty little concoction I have here.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00OK, sweetheart, it's not momma,
0:53:00 > 0:53:04but it's exactly what you need right now.
0:53:06 > 0:53:10Yum. How's that? So he's quite sprightly today.
0:53:10 > 0:53:15Well, I'm hoping that with this course of antibiotics
0:53:15 > 0:53:18that he'll be able to maintain weight gain on his own,
0:53:18 > 0:53:24that as we watch the weight and what happens on a day-to-day basis
0:53:24 > 0:53:25that he'll continue to gain.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28He should be gaining about five grams per day.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32- OK, so let's put him back on mom and we'll see him again tomorrow.- OK.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34Every day we're going to be pals.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37Rupert gets to stay with mum while he fights his infection,
0:53:37 > 0:53:41and at his age being with her is the best possible place for him.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44But there comes a time in every young animal's life
0:53:44 > 0:53:46when they have to break away from mum.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50'I'm back in Tenerife to find out if Jara,
0:53:50 > 0:53:52'the incredibly rare Spix's Macaw,
0:53:52 > 0:53:54'has managed to become independent
0:53:54 > 0:53:57'of her surrogate human mum Matthias.'
0:53:57 > 0:54:02So, Matthias, this is Jara, we've been introduced obviously.
0:54:02 > 0:54:03What an honour.
0:54:03 > 0:54:04How is she doing?
0:54:04 > 0:54:09She is perfect, she is now about nine months old
0:54:09 > 0:54:12and she hatched perfectly and we raised her up
0:54:12 > 0:54:15without any problems and now you see it's a perfect bird.
0:54:15 > 0:54:19She looks fantastic, so what will the future hold for her now?
0:54:19 > 0:54:21What will she do next?
0:54:21 > 0:54:25So we will keep her here, sure, some years, four or five years.
0:54:25 > 0:54:30In these years we have to find a male for her to pair her up
0:54:30 > 0:54:33to make a new... Oop!
0:54:33 > 0:54:36- She is hungry, huh? You want something?- Look at that!
0:54:36 > 0:54:41So you will find a male from somewhere else in the world
0:54:41 > 0:54:44- and hopefully pair them together. - Exactly.
0:54:44 > 0:54:48You can see here three females and if we will get a new male,
0:54:48 > 0:54:53we bring this male in this cage and he can select the females.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56- Oh, right, lucky him.- It's always the best method to make new pairs,
0:54:56 > 0:55:03not to select the birds, to let them select, then it's really love.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05So, she will become a very important part
0:55:05 > 0:55:08of the Spix's Macaw breeding programme now
0:55:08 > 0:55:12and you will hope... What sort of numbers do you have to get to
0:55:12 > 0:55:16before you can even consider maybe returning them to the wild?
0:55:16 > 0:55:19So, every single bird in the programme is really important.
0:55:19 > 0:55:26This is number 73 now and we hope to get 100 or more birds.
0:55:26 > 0:55:29The most important thing is to breed as much as possible
0:55:29 > 0:55:31and if we reach more or less the 100,
0:55:31 > 0:55:34we can think about the releasing project.
0:55:34 > 0:55:35Right, that's not many,
0:55:35 > 0:55:38but you would really start to think about back to the wild
0:55:38 > 0:55:40with a hundred Spix's Macaws.
0:55:40 > 0:55:44So you're getting there and she is a crucial part of that process.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47You're absolutely gorgeous.
0:55:47 > 0:55:52So, Matthias, what is your dream for these macaws?
0:55:52 > 0:55:56So, my dream is to release them, to bring them back to Brazil,
0:55:56 > 0:56:00to give this wonderful species back to the nature
0:56:00 > 0:56:02for the further generations.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04My son, I have a two-year-old son,
0:56:04 > 0:56:09and I'd like to have the possibility to show him this wonderful species,
0:56:09 > 0:56:12not only in captivity, also in the nature.
0:56:12 > 0:56:17And we as humans destroyed the species in the nature
0:56:17 > 0:56:21- and we have to bring them back. - Fantastic, I think you might.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23I hope so.
0:56:23 > 0:56:29Oh, sorry. You're gorgeous, and also quite greedy...which is good.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33'The highly-organized and well-funded project here at Loro Parque
0:56:33 > 0:56:35'gives hope for the future for these birds.'
0:56:38 > 0:56:42And it's hope that's been keeping the team looking after Rupert,
0:56:42 > 0:56:45the Sifaka, going over the last two weeks, so how is he?
0:56:45 > 0:56:47Oh! Hi, big boy.
0:56:48 > 0:56:50Wow, what a difference, and I didn't...
0:56:51 > 0:56:54I thought he was reasonably spunky last time, OK.
0:56:56 > 0:56:58Hey, big boy, how much do you weigh now?
0:56:58 > 0:57:01Do you want to hold onto this little creature?
0:57:01 > 0:57:04Oh, my gosh, he just looks bigger, doesn't he?
0:57:04 > 0:57:07He really just looks like he's so much bigger than last time.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10That's fabulous.
0:57:10 > 0:57:13He is spunky, he's alert, he's...
0:57:15 > 0:57:18..doing... He just looks wonderful, he just looks wonderful.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28With mum looking after him, and a whole team of humans
0:57:28 > 0:57:33firmly on his side, Rupert is going from strength to strength.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36In the wild he would never have survived,
0:57:36 > 0:57:38but here the future looks bright.
0:57:40 > 0:57:44Rupert will probably never make it back to the wild himself,
0:57:44 > 0:57:47but the hope is his descendants will
0:57:47 > 0:57:50and then all the hard work of the Duke Lemur Centre
0:57:50 > 0:57:52will have been worth it.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55As we wake up to the crisis facing our wildlife,
0:57:55 > 0:57:59the work of teams like these around the world
0:57:59 > 0:58:01offers hope for the future.
0:58:01 > 0:58:07Getting animals back to the wild has to be the ultimate ambition.
0:58:12 > 0:58:13And in these tough times
0:58:13 > 0:58:16that sometimes seems nothing more than a distant dream,
0:58:16 > 0:58:21yet the success of these breeding programmes proves we must...
0:58:21 > 0:58:24Never give up. Never lose hope.
0:58:27 > 0:58:30Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:30 > 0:58:34E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk