0:00:33 > 0:00:38One quarter of all the land on Earth is covered by a single,
0:00:38 > 0:00:40remarkable type of plant.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Almost indestructible, it can grow two feet in a day...
0:00:57 > 0:01:01..and be tall enough to hide a giant.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03LOW RUMBLING
0:01:05 > 0:01:10That plant is grass, and the world it creates is truly unique.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28The grass in northern India is the tallest on the planet,
0:01:28 > 0:01:32home to some of the most impressive creatures to tread the Earth.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38GRUNTING
0:01:47 > 0:01:50These are the good times, but in just a few months,
0:01:50 > 0:01:53all this fresh growth will be gone
0:01:53 > 0:01:56and the animals will be forced to move on.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03That is the way things are on grasslands across the planet.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06BIRDS TWEET
0:02:07 > 0:02:12A cycle of abundance, destruction and rebirth
0:02:12 > 0:02:14that affects every creature that lives here.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25LOW RUMBLING
0:02:29 > 0:02:34The largest grassland on Earth, the vast Eurasian Steppe,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37stretches one third of the way around our planet.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47Spring rain has brought fresh grass and, with it, new life.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54A relic from the ice age,
0:02:54 > 0:02:56a baby saiga antelope,
0:02:56 > 0:02:58just three hours old.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04His only company, his twin.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Until they can stand, their mother has left them hidden in the grass.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20They should be safe, as long as they remain quiet.
0:03:23 > 0:03:24HE BLEATS
0:03:26 > 0:03:29For these calves, the clock is already ticking.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35Their herd will soon be moving on, seeking the freshest, new grass.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37BLEATING
0:03:39 > 0:03:40HE BLEATS
0:03:47 > 0:03:49HE BLEATS
0:03:52 > 0:03:56Their lanky legs are a sure sign that they're built for a life
0:03:56 > 0:03:57on the move.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06HE BLEATS
0:04:08 > 0:04:10BLEATING
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Saiga always give birth to twins,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25so their numbers grow rapidly
0:04:25 > 0:04:27just when grass is plentiful.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Their bizarrely shaped nose can detect fresh growth
0:04:35 > 0:04:37from hundreds of miles away.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45BLEATING
0:04:49 > 0:04:53The young twins will now begin the nomadic life they share with
0:04:53 > 0:04:56most animals on the world's open plains.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Grasslands occur where rain is too
0:05:20 > 0:05:23sporadic for forests to exist.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26THUNDER RUMBLES
0:05:26 > 0:05:29WIND WHOOSHES
0:05:33 > 0:05:37The rain that a grassland needs to survive for a year
0:05:37 > 0:05:38might arrive all at once.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47CRASHING AND RUMBLING
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Storms like these can release
0:06:02 > 0:06:0412 inches of rain in 24 hours.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Not much fun if you're out in it.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34Eventually, the Earth can't soak up any more...
0:06:34 > 0:06:35RUMBLING
0:06:35 > 0:06:39..and the grassland undergoes a radical change.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Many plants would drown here, but grasses thrive.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55They grow so fast,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58their leaves quickly rise above the water and into the sunlight.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03BIRDS TWEET
0:07:03 > 0:07:04Here in southern Africa,
0:07:04 > 0:07:09water transforms one of the most remarkable grasslands on Earth.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13The Okavango.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21Every year, 5,000 square miles of grassland are flooded.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33For one pride of lions, this poses a major problem.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39There may be plenty of prey around, but lions struggle
0:07:39 > 0:07:40to run it down in water.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50The pride has three-month-old cubs.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53They've never seen water before.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55CUBS MEOW
0:07:56 > 0:07:59If their mothers don't make a kill soon,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01the cubs might not survive the week.
0:08:11 > 0:08:12But fuelled by the flood,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16the eruption of grass attracts new possible prey.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Buffalo arrive in herds 2,000 strong.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Powerful, aggressive and united,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36they're the most dangerous animal a lion can face.
0:09:01 > 0:09:02HE GRUNTS
0:09:14 > 0:09:16The biggest bulls don't run.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21They're simply too huge to be scared of lions.
0:09:24 > 0:09:29At 900 kilos, he weighs more than all five lionesses combined.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36The pride do have numbers on their side...
0:09:37 > 0:09:40..but one sweep of his horns could be deadly.
0:09:54 > 0:09:55One distracts the bull up front,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58while her sisters attack from behind.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13The cats must somehow topple the buffalo, but with swamp underfoot,
0:10:13 > 0:10:14they can't get any traction.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16LIONS ROAR
0:10:58 > 0:10:59The bull is weakening...
0:11:00 > 0:11:02..but the lions are tiring too.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11It's now a battle of will as much as strength.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18To live, the bull must somehow shake off the lioness.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59The bull is wounded, but thanks to his two-inch-thick hide,
0:11:59 > 0:12:00he will recover.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10For the pride, these are hungry times.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12CUB SQUEAKS
0:12:18 > 0:12:22But ultimately, once the water recedes,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26there will be new life and new food to benefit all.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37In the right conditions,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40grasses have the extraordinary ability to grow from
0:12:40 > 0:12:43first shoots to flower in a matter of only days.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Grasses become the miniature equivalents of fruiting trees.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05And, for creatures living within the grass,
0:13:05 > 0:13:09this is a landscape as vast and towering as any rainforest.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17An excellent place to build a tiny treehouse...
0:13:19 > 0:13:21..for a harvest mouse.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37During summer, European meadowlands are full of food...
0:13:40 > 0:13:42..but only for those that can reach it.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Climbing grass is harder than climbing trees,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07not least because their stems just won't stay still.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18A prehensile tail acts like a fifth limb,
0:14:18 > 0:14:22so she's as agile as a monkey clambering around in a tree.
0:14:25 > 0:14:26STEM 'CREAKS'
0:14:30 > 0:14:34And just as well, for the best food in this tiny forest
0:14:34 > 0:14:36is at the very top of its canopy.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Feeding up here, she's exposed.
0:14:57 > 0:14:58A barn owl.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Not her finest move...
0:15:35 > 0:15:36..but it did the trick.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Harvest mice seldom go all the way down to the ground.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48It's a tangled and dangerous world down here.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07But she can read the pattern of the stems overhead like a map,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09and so find her way home.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19And not a minute too soon.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26There are mouths to feed.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Her babies must fatten up quickly.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46They need to harvest the summer grasses
0:16:46 > 0:16:48while they're still rich with food.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00On the African savanna, too, seasonal grasses
0:17:00 > 0:17:02are filled with life,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04but it won't last long.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Carmine bee-eaters are superb aerial hunters...
0:17:12 > 0:17:15..experts at catching insects in mid-air.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26But they have no way of flushing their prey out of the grass.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36INSECTS HUM AND CLICK
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Once alarmed, most insects stay put.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46The bee-eaters need someone to stir things up a bit.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54A kori bustard.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01It's the world's heaviest flying bird,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04so it should be bulky enough to kick up some insects.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12BUZZING
0:18:12 > 0:18:13Bingo!
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Until someone else comes along...
0:18:19 > 0:18:21..and cramps your style.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Never mind.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Perhaps there are bigger opportunities ahead.
0:18:34 > 0:18:35What about an ostrich?
0:18:38 > 0:18:40The heaviest bird of all.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49This time, there's more than enough transport to go around.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03Soon, almost every ostrich has its own passenger.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14But free riders are only tolerated for so long.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25What the bee-eaters really need is a creature so big,
0:19:25 > 0:19:26it won't even notice them.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30SNORTING
0:19:31 > 0:19:33LOW RUMBLING
0:19:37 > 0:19:42Nothing cuts a swathe through grass like an African bull elephant.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54ELEPHANT GROWLS
0:19:58 > 0:20:03The trick is to fly as close to the front of the giant as possible.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06They only have a split second to grab the prize.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20As more insects are stirred up, the competition intensifies.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24BIRDS CHIRP
0:20:42 > 0:20:46With summer drawing to a close, the race to stock up is on.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56Soon the grass will wither, and this opportunity will have gone.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08As the dry season takes hold,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11food becomes increasingly thin on the ground.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Now, only the most specialised predators on the plains
0:21:17 > 0:21:18can make a living.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29She may be spotted like a cheetah, but this cat is no sprinter.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47Instead, she has extra long legs, which give her a high vantage point.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01But a serval cat's main weapon
0:22:01 > 0:22:03are enormous radar ears.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06RUSTLING
0:22:07 > 0:22:10They help her pinpoint prey hiding in the grass.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22But the prey she seeks are canny.
0:22:26 > 0:22:27Southern vlei rats.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34They know that any sustained movement can give them away.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42So they move in short bursts.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54But even the slightest rustle will give her a clue.
0:23:16 > 0:23:17Warm.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25RUSTLING
0:23:29 > 0:23:30Warmer.
0:23:45 > 0:23:46Missed.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49RUSTLING
0:24:20 > 0:24:21RUSTLING
0:24:23 > 0:24:24RUSTLING
0:24:32 > 0:24:33BIRD TWEETS
0:24:42 > 0:24:44RUSTLING
0:25:00 > 0:25:01SQUEAKING
0:25:05 > 0:25:08In better times, she could catch ten a day.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14But now, with so few rodents around, she will have to go hungry.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19As drought intensifies,
0:25:19 > 0:25:21life gets tougher for all.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32Predators with permanent territories must tough it out,
0:25:32 > 0:25:36while most of their prey disappear over the horizon.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39GRUNTING AND MOOING
0:25:40 > 0:25:44To avoid starvation, many grassland animals follow
0:25:44 > 0:25:45a nomadic way of life.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Over two million wildebeest wander the East African savannas,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53chasing the rains.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09And they are not alone.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17Arriving on the wing, Jackson's widowbirds also seek fresh grass.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Although, it's not just food that they're after.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29This male wants a mate.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36He's grown elaborate breeding plumage for this moment.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40But he needs a stage on which to show it off.
0:26:45 > 0:26:50By carefully selecting grass blades, each trimmed to the correct length,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52he's creating something very special.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09He needs an even surface...
0:27:11 > 0:27:12..and a centrepiece.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17The stage is set.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23His bachelor pad is sufficiently neat and tidy to attract a female.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27The problem is, can she see it?
0:27:27 > 0:27:29BIRDS TWEET
0:27:31 > 0:27:33He has competition.
0:27:33 > 0:27:34TWEETING
0:27:35 > 0:27:37TWEETING
0:27:37 > 0:27:39TWEETING
0:27:42 > 0:27:47It might take more than a little gardening to impress the ladies.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Jumping is the right idea...
0:27:52 > 0:27:55..but he's misjudged the height of the grass.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59TWEETING
0:28:05 > 0:28:07His rival makes it look easy.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09TWEETING
0:28:13 > 0:28:15TWEETING
0:28:19 > 0:28:22TWEETING
0:28:25 > 0:28:27TWEETING
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Time to raise his game.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36TWEETING
0:29:08 > 0:29:10It's not only who jumps the highest,
0:29:10 > 0:29:12but who can keep doing so the longest.
0:29:21 > 0:29:26Unable to go the distance, his rivals drop out one by one.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34Stamina has won him admirers.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38Now he can show off his courtship arena.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51And engage in a little romantic hide-and-seek.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Finally, he's done enough.
0:30:17 > 0:30:22The East African savannas support millions of grazers.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27Each year, they devour millions of tonnes of grass.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33And yet, there's one creature here whose impact is far greater
0:30:33 > 0:30:36than all these animals combined.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44They're found wherever grass grows on the planet.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47Yet their labours go almost entirely unnoticed.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54One of the most remarkable is found here,
0:30:54 > 0:30:58on the grasslands of South America.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02These blades are so tough
0:31:02 > 0:31:06that virtually no large grass eaters can stomach them.
0:31:07 > 0:31:12Yet, they are harvested on an industrial scale...
0:31:15 > 0:31:18..by tiny grass-cutter ants.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28But they themselves can't digest one bit of it.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32So, why bother?
0:31:35 > 0:31:39The answer is underground.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43And it's very ingenious.
0:31:47 > 0:31:53Each blade is cut to length and placed into a garden of fungus.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00The rotting grass feeds the fungus
0:32:00 > 0:32:04and, in turn, the fungus feeds the ants.
0:32:07 > 0:32:12But feeding five million workers requires intensive agriculture.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18Luckily, they are an industrious lot.
0:32:22 > 0:32:28This colony alone will collect over half a tonne of grass every year.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35With billions of ant colonies across the world's grasslands
0:32:35 > 0:32:37all doing exactly the same thing,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40that's a mind-boggling amount of grass.
0:33:08 > 0:33:13It's estimated that over one-third of the grass that grows on Earth
0:33:13 > 0:33:16will be harvested by an insect.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23In northern Australia,
0:33:23 > 0:33:28termites memorialise their industry in sculpture.
0:33:34 > 0:33:39These astonishing mounds are ten feet tall.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42They're always built on a north-south axis
0:33:42 > 0:33:47which is why their builders are called compass termites.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03These castles of clay protect their builders from extremes of heat
0:34:03 > 0:34:08and seasonal floods experienced on many grasslands.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24Termites manage to do what most grass eaters can't -
0:34:24 > 0:34:28break down dead grass and extract the nutrients.
0:34:28 > 0:34:33But they themselves can be food for those that can reach them.
0:34:39 > 0:34:40A two-foot-long tongue...
0:34:42 > 0:34:44..covered in microscopic hooks...
0:34:48 > 0:34:52..followed by claws longer than those of a velociraptor.
0:34:57 > 0:35:02A giant anteater on the plains of South America.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09It can devour 20,000 insects a day.
0:35:14 > 0:35:20Powerful forelegs enable it to rip apart a termite hill with ease.
0:35:30 > 0:35:35And, as the sun bakes the grass, the termites face new danger.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01In minutes, fire turns grassland to ash.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17But the grasses are not dead.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21Their underground stems are unharmed.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Weeks, months may pass
0:36:26 > 0:36:29but, eventually, the rains will return
0:36:29 > 0:36:32and the grass will sprout again.
0:36:38 > 0:36:44Some grasslands must endure not only fire, but ice.
0:36:48 > 0:36:54As winter approaches, the prairies of North America begin to freeze.
0:37:04 > 0:37:05BISON GROWLS
0:37:10 > 0:37:12In summer, bison roamed freely,
0:37:12 > 0:37:16almost continuously cropping the abundant green grass.
0:37:17 > 0:37:23Now that grass is not only withered and frozen, it's about to be buried.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36GRUNTING
0:37:44 > 0:37:5060 million tonnes of snow now blanket this herd's territory.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56Pushing through deep snow is exhausting work
0:37:56 > 0:38:00and the bison are now slowly starving.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10Just keeping warm saps huge amounts of energy.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12GROWLING
0:38:15 > 0:38:20Their thick coats can insulate them down to minus 20 Fahrenheit.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23It's now minus 40.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29The only thing that will keep them alive
0:38:29 > 0:38:32is buried beneath three feet of snow.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40And that's a problem shared with a surprising neighbour.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01The food the fox seeks is also deep beneath the snow.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10GROWLING
0:39:13 > 0:39:15The survival of both creatures
0:39:15 > 0:39:19depends on getting through to the ground.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27For the bison, it will be a matter of brute strength.
0:39:32 > 0:39:37Massive neck muscles enable them to shovel five tonnes of snow a day.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46Their lightweight neighbour needs more precision.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08BISON GROWLS
0:40:13 > 0:40:16The bison have reached their goal.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19A mouthful of withered grass.
0:40:23 > 0:40:28And where the bison have dug, the fox now spots an opportunity.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38Every footstep counts.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43But he mustn't break through...
0:40:43 > 0:40:45yet.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52He listens carefully to pinpoint his target.
0:40:57 > 0:40:58It's moving.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21A vole.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26Small, but 100 times more nutritious
0:41:26 > 0:41:29than a mouthful of dried grass.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38To get through the winter on these prairies,
0:41:38 > 0:41:42sometimes brain beats brawn.
0:41:48 > 0:41:54Ultimately, life on all grasslands depends on the turn of the seasons.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23500 miles further north than any tree can survive,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26grass returns to life.
0:42:35 > 0:42:42Caribou females have journeyed to the far north to calve.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50Over 70,000 caribou babies will be born in the next few days.
0:42:54 > 0:43:00As the calves appear, so too do the leaves of the newly-sprouting grass.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05And the calves must strengthen quickly.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09Within days, they will have to keep up with their parents
0:43:09 > 0:43:11on a never-ending march.
0:43:16 > 0:43:22At one-day-old, they are already faster than an Olympic sprinter.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26They are testing the legs that will carry them thousands of miles.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30Better to learn their limitations now.
0:43:38 > 0:43:40CALF HONKS
0:43:50 > 0:43:54It may look playful, but there's no harder life on the grasslands
0:43:54 > 0:43:57than that facing these infants.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02The caribou mothers now join together,
0:44:02 > 0:44:06each with an infant exactly the same age.
0:44:14 > 0:44:19They're setting off on the greatest overland trek made by any animal.
0:44:42 > 0:44:48But wherever grass eaters travel, predators lie in wait.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56Here they are.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58Arctic wolves.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07They must seize their chance
0:45:07 > 0:45:10while the caribou pass through their territory.
0:45:29 > 0:45:31CARIBOU GRUNTS
0:45:45 > 0:45:50The wolf runs at the herd, trying to flush out the weak or the slow.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02A calf is separated.
0:46:09 > 0:46:14At full tilt, 40-miles-an-hour, the wolf is just faster.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25But the calf has stamina.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56Only a few weeks old
0:46:56 > 0:47:01and this calf's will to survive is remarkable.
0:47:05 > 0:47:07And it needs to be,
0:47:07 > 0:47:10for these young caribou have now started a journey
0:47:10 > 0:47:13that will last a lifetime...
0:47:16 > 0:47:20..forever chasing the seasonal growth of the grass
0:47:20 > 0:47:21on which they depend.
0:47:30 > 0:47:32Like all grassland creatures,
0:47:32 > 0:47:35they are at the mercy of these unpredictable,
0:47:35 > 0:47:38but ultimately bountiful lands.
0:47:44 > 0:47:48Grass can survive some of the harshest conditions on Earth -
0:47:48 > 0:47:52flood, fire, and frost - and still flourish.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06So it is, the grasslands provide a stage
0:48:06 > 0:48:10for the greatest gatherings of wildlife on planet Earth.
0:48:24 > 0:48:28For the grasslands team, no location would prove as challenging
0:48:28 > 0:48:33as that dominated by elephant grass in north-east India.
0:48:33 > 0:48:35The aim, to capture intimate images
0:48:35 > 0:48:38of some of the world's most elusive creatures
0:48:38 > 0:48:41using the latest technology.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50But they will need to be careful.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
0:48:56 > 0:48:59More people are killed by wildlife here in Kaziranga...
0:48:59 > 0:49:00ELEPHANT ROARS
0:49:01 > 0:49:04..than in any other national park on the planet.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08Every time we go into these tunnels,
0:49:08 > 0:49:10we have to take an armed guard
0:49:10 > 0:49:14because there are so many animals in here that are dangerous.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16Tigers are probably the least of our worries.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18But rhinos and buffalo, elephants,
0:49:18 > 0:49:21sloth bear - all of them can injure you
0:49:21 > 0:49:23and we've got to keep up with our armed guard!
0:49:29 > 0:49:31The team have bumped into their first obstacle.
0:49:33 > 0:49:34There's a rhino right there.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40Let's go back, because it's too risky
0:49:40 > 0:49:42going through this heavy grass.
0:49:44 > 0:49:45Let's get in the open.
0:49:47 > 0:49:48Another rhino.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52- Now we have two rhinos. - Let's get in here.
0:49:54 > 0:49:55GUARD SHOUTS
0:49:55 > 0:49:57OK.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00The guard throws a ball of mud to one side of the rhinos,
0:50:00 > 0:50:03moving the animals on without harming them.
0:50:04 > 0:50:06GUARD SHOUTS
0:50:11 > 0:50:13- OK, it's gone.- OK.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15What about the other one?
0:50:15 > 0:50:16Let's go, quick.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23With the rhinos now a safe distance away,
0:50:23 > 0:50:25the crew focus on the best spots
0:50:25 > 0:50:27to position their camera traps.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29I love that tunnel. The effect.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36Over 100 scaffold poles provide the anchor points
0:50:36 > 0:50:39for these secret cameras.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43When an animal triggers an infrared beam,
0:50:43 > 0:50:46the cameras will switch on automatically and start recording.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48If it works,
0:50:48 > 0:50:51the remote-control cameras should capture close-up footage
0:50:51 > 0:50:55without disturbing the animals or putting the crew at risk.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59Basically, that's about as much like grass as we can make it look.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05As night falls, the crew head back to base for safety.
0:51:06 > 0:51:11It's time for the new technology to prove its worth.
0:51:16 > 0:51:21At dawn, the crew have a whodunnit mystery on their hands.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24Oh, wow!
0:51:24 > 0:51:25That's carnage.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28This looks like elephant, we think.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33This is scaffold pole, huh.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35They have bent... Look at that!
0:51:38 > 0:51:41It's a sad day. You win some, you lose some
0:51:41 > 0:51:45and, this time, the animals have outsmarted us.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48And, in fact, check this out!
0:51:48 > 0:51:49Woohoo!
0:51:49 > 0:51:54So, this is our little army of guards, protecting our trigger box.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56Do they bite? These ones?
0:51:56 > 0:51:59Do they bite? Sting?
0:51:59 > 0:52:01Argh! Argh. Ow! Oh.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04These little... BLEEP!
0:52:07 > 0:52:10While Chadden irons out the bugs,
0:52:10 > 0:52:13Sandesh has met some grumpy locals.
0:52:16 > 0:52:20Wild Asian water buffalo have extraordinary senses.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25Mothers will charge if they feel threatened.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31The guard carries a gun in case a warning shot is needed,
0:52:31 > 0:52:33and with good reason.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38More people are killed by buffalo
0:52:38 > 0:52:42than by any other animal in Kaziranga.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49GUARD SHOUTS A WARNING
0:52:49 > 0:52:50That will wake you up in the morning!
0:52:50 > 0:52:55Many of the park staff have cautionary tales about buffalo.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58HE SPEAKS IN HIS LANGUAGE
0:52:59 > 0:53:01The buffalo caught him here.
0:53:01 > 0:53:06Through his throat, and the horn came out through his mouth
0:53:06 > 0:53:09and flung him, before running away.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11It's a miracle that he's still alive.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16If the wildlife is unfriendly to humans...
0:53:17 > 0:53:21..it's proving downright hostile to camera traps.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24Completely ripped-out the scaffold poles.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28They've torn the triggers.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31While Chadden is convinced it's elephants,
0:53:31 > 0:53:34the rest of the crew are not so sure.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37That's huge! It's almost like a human footprint.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40You can see the front paw, the rear paw.
0:53:40 > 0:53:45We are now two weeks in and it's very frustrating.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48I've never actually been anywhere where the animals
0:53:48 > 0:53:51go after your equipment and destroy it, more than here.
0:53:51 > 0:53:56It's time for the team to do some detective work.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00Here is our little security camera.
0:54:00 > 0:54:04If any animals are coming through and vandalising our main cameras,
0:54:04 > 0:54:08we hope that they're being caught on these little things.
0:54:08 > 0:54:10Good.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13As the crew up their spying efforts,
0:54:13 > 0:54:16the guards take them to a promising lead.
0:54:16 > 0:54:21Nothing attracts tigers like a rhino carcass.
0:54:21 > 0:54:22It's very fresh.
0:54:22 > 0:54:26It's like from the morning. And it looks like there's a tiger cub.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29So there should be a tigress with cubs
0:54:29 > 0:54:34coming to feed on this rhino carcass. That's pretty cool.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38Chadden decides to give the camera traps one last chance.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40If there are tigers around,
0:54:40 > 0:54:44they might scare away the mystery vandals.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46Elsewhere in the park,
0:54:46 > 0:54:50the security cameras are turning up some unexpected results.
0:54:50 > 0:54:53The night-time... Yeah. Survived another... Ooh!
0:54:53 > 0:54:56It's a bear!
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Well, that's a very rare sighting.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02- I've never seen a bear in Kaziranga. - Haven't you?- In all my years, never.
0:55:02 > 0:55:06- Oh, his fingernails... - Look at those, look at his claws.
0:55:06 > 0:55:07Right on the lens.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11So, I thought this was elephant damage.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15I never thought we'd see a sloth bear doing that.
0:55:15 > 0:55:16That's amazing.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23A return to the rhino carcass
0:55:23 > 0:55:25and the plot thickens.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28Our transmitter's gone.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30That's what tigers think of camera traps.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33There's a bit over there, pieces.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37The security cameras have caught a new culprit.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39- Oh, my goodness! There they are.- Oh!
0:55:39 > 0:55:41There's the tigress, see that?
0:55:41 > 0:55:44It's a tigress. Oh, it snarled at the camera trap. Look at that!
0:55:44 > 0:55:46Sure don't like camera traps.
0:55:46 > 0:55:47OK.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51With the technology struggling,
0:55:51 > 0:55:55Sandesh decides to put himself on the front line.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58And now we're ready.
0:55:58 > 0:55:59Time to get the tiger.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04He'll have no protection apart from a thin wall of grass
0:56:04 > 0:56:08and must hope he's as well hidden as the local wildlife.
0:56:11 > 0:56:12Over the next five days,
0:56:12 > 0:56:16Sandesh plays the role of human camera trap.
0:56:18 > 0:56:22Eventually, the more hands-on approach pays off.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51Traditional filming methods and a little bit of patience
0:56:51 > 0:56:56have helped reveal the hidden creatures of Kaziranga.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05But it's good to know there are still wild places
0:57:05 > 0:57:08where animals like to keep their secrets.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14EQUIPMENT CREAKS AND THUDS
0:57:14 > 0:57:16I knew it was elephants!
0:57:19 > 0:57:21Next time,
0:57:21 > 0:57:24we venture to the newest habitat on Earth -
0:57:24 > 0:57:27our cities -
0:57:27 > 0:57:30to reveal the extraordinary ways
0:57:30 > 0:57:34that animals survive in this man-made world.