0:00:08 > 0:00:11In the far west of America,
0:00:11 > 0:00:13there's a legendary land.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17The haunt of cowboys...
0:00:18 > 0:00:22..and home to great Native American civilisations...
0:00:24 > 0:00:25RATTLING
0:00:25 > 0:00:29..where the promise of gold drew those seeking their fortune.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Here, over millions of years,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37powerful forces have forged some of
0:00:37 > 0:00:39the most dramatic landscapes on Earth.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46From the continent's hottest deserts and red rock canyons...
0:00:48 > 0:00:51..to towering mountain worlds, cloaked in snow.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59And the most mysterious, magical coastline.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09It takes a special breed with bold ambition and a pioneering spirit...
0:01:11 > 0:01:16..to tame this fabled place and make it home.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24The Wild West.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48Nowhere is a tougher place to live in America's Wild West...
0:01:49 > 0:01:51..than the desert.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Most of the land is bone dry...
0:01:57 > 0:01:59..and fresh water is hard to find.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08To prosper here means evolving in extreme ways.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16You need to profoundly understand this world
0:02:16 > 0:02:19and adapt to every opportunity.
0:02:22 > 0:02:28But, with the Wild West's famed True Grit, there are ways to win through.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36If there's one animal that defines this world, it's the horse.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46First introduced by Spanish explorers in the 16th century and
0:02:46 > 0:02:49later adopted by cowboys and Native Americans.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59Over time, many horses broke free from the reins of man...
0:03:00 > 0:03:02..finding a new home in the wild.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Some chose to settle here, in the Great Basin Desert of Nevada.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22200,000 square miles of wilderness.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31They were given the name Mustang,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33meaning "the animal that strays".
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Today, more than 50,000 Mustang roam the deserts of America.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25This mother, and her four-week-old foal, are part of a ten-strong band,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28always on the move, searching for food and water.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Now, in early spring,
0:04:33 > 0:04:38fresh grass is hard to find and it only provides a little moisture.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Mustang are big, thirsty animals -
0:04:45 > 0:04:48they need to drink 70 litres of water a day.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56So, where to find it
0:04:56 > 0:04:58in this cold, high desert?
0:05:04 > 0:05:09There are springs hidden among these mountains, but they are fickle.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12It's hard to predict when they're flowing and when they're not.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Knowing where to look takes great wisdom and experience.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26The mother with the foal is the leader of this band,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28she takes the herd down ancient trails
0:05:28 > 0:05:31she and her ancestors have long trodden.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38She knows not to climb too high, where cold air freezes the water...
0:05:40 > 0:05:43..or too low, where the water drains quickly into soft soil.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48These are important life lessons for the foal.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02But travelling up to ten miles a day,
0:06:02 > 0:06:07it's really tough for him to keep up on this punishing terrain.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22His mother is torn.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27The herd want her to push on and lead them to water...
0:06:28 > 0:06:31..but her foal also needs her help.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34FOAL WHINNIES
0:06:53 > 0:06:56A mother's instinct is too strong.
0:07:31 > 0:07:32One last try.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Learning the hard way breeds a tough brand.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Relief at last.
0:08:18 > 0:08:19For Mustangs,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21it takes teamwork and tenacity
0:08:21 > 0:08:23to survive in America's deserts.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39The deserts of the Wild West span 600 miles
0:08:39 > 0:08:42and lie between two great mountain ranges...
0:08:43 > 0:08:46..the Rocky Mountains to the east
0:08:46 > 0:08:48and the Sierra Nevada to the west.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Their peaks intercept clouds,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57leaving the land in between parched and inhospitable...
0:09:00 > 0:09:03..with an average of less than ten inches of rain each year.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Across Utah stretch Red Rock Canyon lands,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23the stronghold for cowboys and outlaws.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29The inspiration for westerns.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39In eastern California, the great Mojave Desert,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42the lowest-lying and driest of all America's deserts.
0:09:57 > 0:10:03Here, early American pioneers, like the fabled '49ers, lost their way,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05perishing in the heat,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08giving this place the name Death Valley.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17To the far south in Arizona,
0:10:17 > 0:10:21the Sonoran Desert, studded with giant cacti.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Saguaro cactus stand up to 60 feet tall
0:10:31 > 0:10:33and can live for 200 years.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48These giants play the long game.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52So little rain falls here, they may only grow an inch a year.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Every drop of moisture is stored under thick, spiny skin.
0:11:00 > 0:11:05And their roots fan out 30 feet and more, just beneath the surface.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12They share this brutally hot and dry world with creatures perfectly
0:11:12 > 0:11:15adapted to make this their home.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Reptiles.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Thick scales protect them from the sun and excessive water loss.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37RATTLING
0:11:50 > 0:11:52This is the Gila monster...
0:11:53 > 0:11:55..America's largest lizard.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Two feet long with a venomous bite.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03It spends most of the year underground,
0:12:03 > 0:12:05living off the fat stored in its tail.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Only emerging for a few weeks a year to feed.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18It's after the eggs of ground-nesting birds,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21especially quail - a delicacy.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Gila monsters can eat one third of their body weight in one hit.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Horned lizards get their food and moisture
0:12:53 > 0:12:55from something far smaller...
0:12:57 > 0:12:59..ants.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05They are poor in nutrition and tough to digest.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08To make matters worse,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12the sting from these harvester ants is both toxic and painful.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20So, the lizard catapults the ants to the back of his throat,
0:13:20 > 0:13:21engulfing them in mucus.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Over millennia, these lizards have devised smart strategies
0:13:38 > 0:13:39for desert survival.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Nature can succeed here with extreme adaptation.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06But for people, living in the desert takes generations of learning.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21The first people of the Wild West were Native Americans,
0:14:21 > 0:14:25skilled hunters who knew every kind of animal in the land.
0:14:27 > 0:14:301,500 years ago, some chose to settle here.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36..building elaborate cliff dwellings in this desert canyon in Colorado.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Shaded in the summer
0:14:40 > 0:14:42and warmed by the sun in the winter.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50This is Mesa Verde,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53one of the oldest farming settlements in the Wild West.
0:15:00 > 0:15:025,000 people once lived here...
0:15:04 > 0:15:06..hunting, and later, working the land.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16But this lifestyle wasn't to last.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23In the 13th century, a 25-year drought crippled the place...
0:15:24 > 0:15:26..forcing people to move on.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Some migrated south to Northern Arizona
0:15:34 > 0:15:36to establish a new life,
0:15:36 > 0:15:37which continues today.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Here she talks about very trying times of hardship.
0:15:43 > 0:15:44Among them was famine,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47caused by drought.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Those were periods of our time that...
0:15:51 > 0:15:56..caused people to reassess who they were,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59because the environment was telling them something.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Hopi are descendants of the Hisatsinom, "the ancient ones".
0:16:09 > 0:16:11More than 1,000 years of learning
0:16:11 > 0:16:14has helped them sustain their life and culture.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Here today in the Hopi mesas,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19we live in a place where we have only 12 inches of rainfall a year.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24And yet, we are able to grow corn.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29In the high deserts of Arizona,
0:16:29 > 0:16:33the Hopi's success is nothing short of a miracle.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36And for Leigh Kuwanwisiwma,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40these fields represent a lifetime of dedication.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44I grew up being in the cornfield.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47You grew up learning from your parents,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50your uncles, your grandparents,
0:16:50 > 0:16:51which I did.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00When you grow up in that kind of culture, you know the seasons,
0:17:00 > 0:17:02you know the soil,
0:17:02 > 0:17:06you know the time to plant certain types of seeds.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13We're taught to be very resourceful with water.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19We can see we're in the middle of the valley here.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24During rainstorms, the waters come in
0:17:24 > 0:17:28and flood, so it spreads out over this basin.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32That's how the Hopi farms are maintained
0:17:32 > 0:17:34without any kind of irrigation.
0:17:37 > 0:17:42Over time, we learned how to respect the environment,
0:17:42 > 0:17:46we learned how to produce corn,
0:17:46 > 0:17:51but also our corn became extraordinarily drought resistant.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56So today, we're able to grow corn even in the driest years.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04The Hopi have learned how to live in the desert
0:18:04 > 0:18:07because of wisdom handed down through generations.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14The irony is that there was a time
0:18:14 > 0:18:16when the Wild West wasn't so challenging.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22One million years ago, these deserts were different.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29Huge lakes and vast rivers covered this land.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33As the Earth's climate warmed,
0:18:33 > 0:18:35the water all but disappeared...
0:18:38 > 0:18:41..leaving behind a beautiful, but parched world.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50The power of rain, rivers and wind...
0:18:52 > 0:18:56..has left its legacy throughout Utah's slot canyons.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08The Navajo knew these slots
0:19:08 > 0:19:11as the place where water runs through rocks.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14They called it Tse bighanilini.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Today, the largest permanent watercourse
0:19:28 > 0:19:31running through these canyon lands
0:19:31 > 0:19:34is one mighty river - the Colorado...
0:19:38 > 0:19:41..cutting its way through the heart of the Wild West,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44carrying rain and meltwater from the Rockies.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58Over millennia, this water has eroded layer after layer of rock...
0:19:59 > 0:20:04..exposing nearly 2 billion years of the Earth's history
0:20:04 > 0:20:07and leaving a spectacular legacy -
0:20:07 > 0:20:08The Grand Canyon.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25By the time the Colorado reaches the heart of the desert,
0:20:25 > 0:20:29the water is trapped deep inside the canyon a mile down...
0:20:31 > 0:20:34..virtually unreachable.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47But the real lifeblood of the desert is rain.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52The difficulty is predicting where and when it will fall.
0:20:54 > 0:20:59For a few weeks a year, thanks to changing currents and wind patterns,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01heavy clouds roll in off the Pacific,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03past the Sierra Nevada mountains
0:21:03 > 0:21:07and reach as far inland as Arizona's Sonoran Desert.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10THUNDER RUMBLES
0:21:33 > 0:21:38These rains don't last long, but each drop is a vital catalyst.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55BIRD CALLS
0:21:55 > 0:21:58The desert is magically transformed.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04For the first time in a year, there is colour.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10And the chance for new life.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Gila woodpeckers nest in holes they've drilled
0:22:29 > 0:22:31in the trunks of giant cacti.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Cactus wrens and thrashers
0:22:36 > 0:22:38like to build their nests among as many spines
0:22:38 > 0:22:40as possible to protect their chicks.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48They are all waiting...
0:22:49 > 0:22:54..to cash in on the cactus bee gold rush.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56BUZZING
0:23:08 > 0:23:13For just a few days, thousands of bees emerge from the ground to mate.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Males fight for females, resulting in chaotic mating balls.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Food for everyone.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49But where to start?
0:23:49 > 0:23:51So many to choose from!
0:24:08 > 0:24:11The birds use all sorts of different tactics
0:24:11 > 0:24:13to snare as many bees as they can.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20A long bill certainly helps.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25CHICKS CHIRP
0:24:30 > 0:24:35To succeed in this desert, you must always be ready to seize the moment.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45And why share?
0:24:51 > 0:24:52In a matter of hours,
0:24:52 > 0:24:56thousands of bees are caught to fuel the next generation.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08But the gold rush isn't QUITE over.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Right at the end of the short rains,
0:25:12 > 0:25:14when most other flowers have faded...
0:25:15 > 0:25:18..giant cactuses make their play.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Saguaro cactuses produced creamy,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53white flowers, rich in pungent nectar,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56enticing some surprising pollinators...
0:26:03 > 0:26:06..lesser long-nosed bats.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Their long, narrow snouts and brush-tipped tongues,
0:26:14 > 0:26:15help them probe for nectar.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24They may only visit a flower once in the night and sip for less than a
0:26:24 > 0:26:27second, but it's just enough to pollinate it.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46Nothing lasts long here - within a day, each flower wilts and dies...
0:26:48 > 0:26:50..its job done.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Storing water is one of nature's greatest challenges
0:27:10 > 0:27:12that few have truly mastered.
0:27:17 > 0:27:18All through the spring,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22honeypot ants have been collecting nectar from flowers.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Deep underground in secret chambers,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33they share their treasure.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38But, they have an ulterior motive.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47The nectar collectors feed other ants...
0:27:48 > 0:27:50..until their skin stretches
0:27:50 > 0:27:54and their abdomen swells 20 times its normal size,
0:27:54 > 0:27:59becoming so large they will never be able to leave the ant nest.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05They are prisoners for life.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13When food above the surface begins to run out,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16this living larder will save the entire colony.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Hundreds of these slave ants
0:28:28 > 0:28:31regurgitate their sweet drink into the mouths
0:28:31 > 0:28:32of hungry workers.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43It means these ants can survive here all year,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46even when the desert is at its most unproductive.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55Evolving ingenious strategies to get you through the tough times
0:28:55 > 0:28:57is essential in the Wild West.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Nowhere more so than here,
0:29:04 > 0:29:07in the desert with the highest temperatures on record...
0:29:14 > 0:29:15the Mojave.
0:29:18 > 0:29:23282 feet below sea level - the lowest point in America.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26Welcome to Death Valley.
0:29:33 > 0:29:38In 1848, prospectors discovered the first gold nugget in the Mojave...
0:29:40 > 0:29:42..sparking a rush of fortune seekers.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51Thousands headed west to this brutal land.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03For the first time in history, the desert was bustling with life.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16At its peak,
0:30:16 > 0:30:20the gold town of Rhyolite was home to more than 5,000 people.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37But the boom was a flash in the pan.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43The costs of working in this remote and inhospitable desert
0:30:43 > 0:30:47soon exceeded the wealth being drawn from the earth.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51In less than 20 years, Rhyolite became a ghost town.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57BIRD CALLS
0:31:00 > 0:31:02OWL HOOTS
0:31:09 > 0:31:13For the settlers, desert life was just too demanding.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23But imagine if you had to live here day in, day out?
0:31:32 > 0:31:33Searing heat...
0:31:34 > 0:31:36..virtually no drinkable water
0:31:36 > 0:31:38and precious little food.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46Some animals just take it in their stride.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01Coyotes, hunters at the top of the food chain.
0:32:03 > 0:32:08Only here, in Death Valley, that food chain is desperately short.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12Large mammals are not on the menu.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20Mojave coyotes must adapt to a more modest way of life.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Using their sharp sense of smell and hearing,
0:32:28 > 0:32:30they search out the tiniest of prey.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47Every morsel counts.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15It might mean they're only half the size of coyotes found in richer
0:33:15 > 0:33:20habitats, but they have successfully adapted to this brutal desert world.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32Others in the Mojave prefer to shut out the worst of this world.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38Mojave tortoises conserve energy
0:33:38 > 0:33:41by spending most of the year underground
0:33:41 > 0:33:42in their shaded borrows.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49They emerge for short spells during spring and autumn
0:33:49 > 0:33:52to find food and moisture.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58But this male has other things on his mind...
0:34:07 > 0:34:10He's on the hunt for any females in his territory.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45He may just be in luck.
0:35:02 > 0:35:07Even if he can entice her out of her burrow, he's still got to charm her.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16These things take time.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20Best save his energy for the cool of dusk.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48Despite hours of wooing, he's not got far.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52Time to try a few gentle nibbles.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12She's still not convinced.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22Now for something a bit more... forceful.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Still no joy.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38But after a year underground, he is not going to give up now.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43Luckily, desert tortoises choose to live life in the slow lane.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47So, there's no real urgency.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58Where the Mojave Desert meets the Great Basin Desert,
0:36:58 > 0:37:00lies a strange paradox.
0:37:06 > 0:37:11The remnants of an ancient lake that once covered much of the deserts of
0:37:11 > 0:37:12Utah and Nevada.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17Mono Lake - highly alkaline...
0:37:20 > 0:37:23..twice as salty as the ocean and completely undrinkable.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36Yet, Mono Lake is still tolerated by some strange insects.
0:37:40 > 0:37:41Alkali flies.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48They have the ability to neutralise the toxic water.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56Their fine hairs catch air bubbles, allowing them to walk underwater
0:37:56 > 0:37:58to feed on algae.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12In the warmest months, swarms grow to be a trillion strong.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26When they reach their peak,
0:38:26 > 0:38:29hundreds of thousands of migrating birds arrive
0:38:29 > 0:38:31out of the blue to feed and drink.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Each fly provides the birds with a welcome drop of water.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09It takes skill to pluck a fly from the air.
0:39:09 > 0:39:10Phalaropes are the experts.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19California gulls are rather less refined.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42In just four weeks, the phalaropes double their weight.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48The fly numbers drop when the desert cools again...
0:39:50 > 0:39:53..and the migratory birds move on.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03All that's left is a silent, toxic lake.
0:40:10 > 0:40:11The deserts of the Wild West
0:40:11 > 0:40:16play many tricks on those that try to live here.
0:40:16 > 0:40:17And cruellest of all,
0:40:17 > 0:40:21is that beneath this desert lies one of the largest bodies of underground
0:40:21 > 0:40:22water in America.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27A giant, freshwater aquifer,
0:40:27 > 0:40:29locked in permeable rock,
0:40:29 > 0:40:31under great salt crusts.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41In a few places, fault lines bring this water to the surface.
0:40:49 > 0:40:54A welcome sight, but appearances are deceptive.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02This fresh water is heated by the sun to 44 Celsius.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09And as it soaks up desert minerals,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12it becomes three times saltier than the sea.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16And yet, these little pupfish thrive here,
0:41:16 > 0:41:18stranded in these oxygen-poor pools.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23They've even evolved to stop breathing altogether,
0:41:23 > 0:41:25sometimes for five hours at a time.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33They were once much more widespread,
0:41:33 > 0:41:37but over the last 10,000 years, as America's deserts have got drier
0:41:37 > 0:41:40and drier, they've become ever more isolated.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48They are, perhaps, the ultimate desert survivors.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00Nature has found a unique way to survive,
0:42:00 > 0:42:02even in the most testing places,
0:42:02 > 0:42:05where man has always struggled.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10But the 21st-century is a dawn of a new era.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21With technology on our side,
0:42:21 > 0:42:24we are finally able to harness the power of the desert...
0:42:26 > 0:42:28..harvesting energy from nature.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34We can even transform the hottest, driest,
0:42:34 > 0:42:37most impossible corner of America's deserts...
0:42:45 > 0:42:48..by tapping into Death Valley's underground aquifer...
0:42:50 > 0:42:54..creating perhaps, the strangest wildlife refuge in America...
0:42:57 > 0:43:00..in a place called Furnace Creek.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21A verdant golf course,
0:43:21 > 0:43:24a magnet for all sorts of wildlife.
0:43:39 > 0:43:40BIRD CALLS
0:43:52 > 0:43:54The coyote,
0:43:54 > 0:43:56always the opportunist.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11This coyote is after birds, attracted to the oasis.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17Trouble is, how to get them?
0:44:29 > 0:44:34The reeds offer some camouflage, but it's a long shot.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07There are far better opportunities on the open fairways.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51Being adaptable to change and seizing any opportunity
0:45:51 > 0:45:55is key to success in America's Wild West.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06PUP BARKS
0:46:15 > 0:46:19It has even allowed this coyote to raise her family here.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44In America's Wild West,
0:46:44 > 0:46:47everyone has had to find ingenious ways to win through.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57Passing on knowledge to new generations...
0:46:59 > 0:47:01..waiting patiently...
0:47:02 > 0:47:03..adapting quickly.
0:47:06 > 0:47:07And creating new life.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15In a land forged by ancient water
0:47:15 > 0:47:17and burnt by the sun,
0:47:17 > 0:47:19the hostility of the desert
0:47:19 > 0:47:23is a constant challenge to generation after generation.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33But, at the heart of survival here is something simple.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36Water is life.
0:47:37 > 0:47:39We are of the Earth
0:47:39 > 0:47:44and the Earth sustains us because of water.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54Many have misjudged the power of the desert and failed.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59But if you are prepared to learn its secrets,
0:47:59 > 0:48:05it is possible to gain freedom and a love for this spectacular world.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10I'll farm as long as I can - it's my life and...
0:48:11 > 0:48:15..I'll do it hopefully when I'm still 200 years old.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18It's a good life.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23The driest, hottest deserts in America
0:48:23 > 0:48:26are home to the real pioneers and
0:48:26 > 0:48:29true survivors of the Wild West.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57Death Valley in the Mojave Desert.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00The hottest place on Earth.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06But there is one creature that lives here
0:49:06 > 0:49:08that embodies the challenges of the Wild West -
0:49:11 > 0:49:12..the wily coyote.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19So we set our sights on telling their story and with luck,
0:49:19 > 0:49:21filming them hunting.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25Notorious for fleeing at the first sight of people,
0:49:25 > 0:49:26one thing's for sure -
0:49:26 > 0:49:29coyotes are also camera shy.
0:49:30 > 0:49:32To stand a chance,
0:49:32 > 0:49:35the crew need to find a location in this vast desert
0:49:35 > 0:49:37with plentiful prey for coyotes.
0:49:42 > 0:49:45Field director Will Lawson and cameraman John Benam
0:49:45 > 0:49:47have heard of somewhere that might fit the bill.
0:49:50 > 0:49:51An unexpected place...
0:49:53 > 0:49:55..Furnace Creek golf course.
0:49:58 > 0:50:02This is an oasis in the desert where man has tapped into the underground
0:50:02 > 0:50:03aquifer lying beneath Death Valley.
0:50:09 > 0:50:13The abundance of water here attracts all sorts of animals.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17Perfect food for coyotes.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25It's midsummer, the hottest time of year.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28Hot enough to take your breath away.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38That is unbelievable.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40What?
0:50:40 > 0:50:43- Look, look!- 116!
0:50:43 > 0:50:46Oh, my God!
0:50:49 > 0:50:50In the combination of the heat,
0:50:50 > 0:50:53in the combination of actually filming coyotes in the wild,
0:50:53 > 0:50:57it's a near impossible task and we have to do that in the midst of this
0:50:57 > 0:51:00oven that we're calling Death Valley.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05We're going to have a bit of a challenge here.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13The coyotes living around the golf course
0:51:13 > 0:51:15have become surprisingly relaxed about humans,
0:51:15 > 0:51:19so filming them here gives the crew at least a fighting chance.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27The coyotes are certainly everywhere,
0:51:27 > 0:51:30but John and Will soon find it a struggle to keep track of them.
0:51:33 > 0:51:37Even here, wily coyotes are still living up to their reputation.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40John, come in for Will, can you see them on your side?
0:51:40 > 0:51:42'Yes, you should come back over this side, over.'
0:51:43 > 0:51:46John, I think they're actually moving left now.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50I cannot keep up with her.
0:51:51 > 0:51:55It's amazing how they can duck through little bits of shrubbery
0:51:55 > 0:51:57and disappear.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02They never stop, they never stand still and they are moving in and out
0:52:02 > 0:52:05of thick vegetation on the edge of this golf course all the time,
0:52:05 > 0:52:08out to the palm groves, back onto the golf course, out to the desert,
0:52:08 > 0:52:09back onto the palm groves.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12God, it's really frustrating. They're really elusive.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18John, I've run out of battery.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20'Roger that.'
0:52:20 > 0:52:22Even the golf buggy can't keep up.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27I was just a second behind, every time, trying to keep up with her.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30Very elusive.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35It's coming up to 9 o'clock and it's already broken the 100-degree
0:52:35 > 0:52:39Fahrenheit mark, which is about 38 degrees or something like that.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43Not that the coyotes seem bothered.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54We thought that the heat was going to be a problem,
0:52:54 > 0:52:57but it actually turns out that the wind is even worse.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00We can't hold the camera steady,
0:53:00 > 0:53:02you get dust in your eyes.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04It seems like the coyotes don't want to hang around
0:53:04 > 0:53:06when it's windy as well. So,
0:53:06 > 0:53:08it's been a frustrating day. Really frustrating.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17DUCK QUACKS
0:53:19 > 0:53:22What's also frustrating is that although the crew have seen
0:53:22 > 0:53:23coyotes with food,
0:53:23 > 0:53:27they haven't caught them in the act.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29We've gotten up really early this morning,
0:53:29 > 0:53:33we wanted to try and see if on our last day,
0:53:33 > 0:53:35we could get the coyotes hunting.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41It would be the icing on the cake
0:53:41 > 0:53:43if we managed to get that sort of behaviour.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51This looks promising - heading somewhere with purpose.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07Today's hunt ends in nothing more than date palms.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13It's not exactly the behaviour they were hoping for,
0:54:13 > 0:54:16but it does show how adaptable these coyotes are -
0:54:16 > 0:54:18they'll eat almost anything.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44A few months later, we get a tip-off from the golf course -
0:54:44 > 0:54:46there's been a promising development.
0:54:46 > 0:54:50So Will returns for another go, this time with local wildlife cameraman
0:54:50 > 0:54:51Keith Brust.
0:54:52 > 0:54:54At this time of year,
0:54:54 > 0:54:57they get a lot of migrant birds moving from north to south,
0:54:57 > 0:55:01stopping off on the golf course, taking advantage of the water there.
0:55:02 > 0:55:07We've got reports that the coyotes take advantage of that.
0:55:07 > 0:55:08I'm not ashamed to say
0:55:08 > 0:55:13that many times I've been out-wilied by a coyote.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15They're actually very smart.
0:55:15 > 0:55:19I think I may not be coyote smart enough,
0:55:19 > 0:55:23I'm barely human smart enough, so it's going to be quite a challenge!
0:55:26 > 0:55:29But knowing that waterfowl are now on the coyote's menu,
0:55:29 > 0:55:33the crew can stake out the ponds and adopt a sit-and-wait strategy.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03They are frustratingly close to getting the shot.
0:56:07 > 0:56:08She's stalking.
0:56:08 > 0:56:12I hope she doesn't get one down in the shallow end,
0:56:12 > 0:56:15cos I can't see anything down there.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19Got two coyotes in the frame to start.
0:56:19 > 0:56:21There it is.
0:56:27 > 0:56:30Looks to his left. Oh, he's seen one!
0:56:30 > 0:56:31Oh!
0:56:31 > 0:56:34Oh, he had to make a hard turn and it dove in the water.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37The coot just got away.
0:56:37 > 0:56:38He's soaking wet.
0:56:40 > 0:56:41Ah, he's just dripping.
0:56:41 > 0:56:45He's like, "Ah, so close!"
0:56:55 > 0:56:56Awesome.
0:56:58 > 0:56:59Very exciting.
0:57:05 > 0:57:09We got lots of bits and pieces we needed to tie things together,
0:57:09 > 0:57:13but we still haven't got the shot that completes the hunt.
0:57:13 > 0:57:14It's a bit disappointing.
0:57:30 > 0:57:32At last!
0:57:34 > 0:57:37Got some pretty unique behaviour...
0:57:37 > 0:57:40- High five!- Even here, the crew only saw this behaviour once.
0:57:41 > 0:57:45The coyotes always stayed one step ahead.
0:57:45 > 0:57:47Perhaps that's the secret to their success
0:57:47 > 0:57:50in the deserts of the Wild West.
0:57:58 > 0:58:03Next time - Wild West explores the mountains of America's high country.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07In this unpredictable wilderness,
0:58:07 > 0:58:10the changing seasons control all life.
0:58:13 > 0:58:18To survive in this extreme world takes courage and cunning.
0:58:21 > 0:58:22In the high country,
0:58:22 > 0:58:25the West is still truly wild.