A Dangerous World Wild Brazil

Brazil - the beating heart of South America.

Vast landscapes carved by the irresistible forces of nature.

More animals live here than in any other nation on Earth.

This is the story of three of them.

As the seasons change, animal families face extreme challenges.

THUNDER

Immense floods.

Brutal drought.

Surviving and raising young.

Through the good times and the bad.

SCREECHING

This is an intimate journey to the heart of a spectacular country.

At the equinox, Brazil's climate pauses briefly

between harsh, seasonal extremes.

For the youngsters, this is the time to take their first steps

in this extraordinary and often dangerous world.

SQUAWKING

This is the newest member of a family of tufted capuchins.

For him, so far, life has been easy.

His devoted mother has carried him around everywhere

since the day he was born.

But times change and soon he must gain some independence.

QUIET SCREECHES

And it won't be easy, because this family of capuchins

live in one of Brazil's most extreme landscapes.

These are the sheer cliffs of Piaui in the north east of Brazil.

Food is hard to come by here.

No wonder this little baby clings on so tightly.

This really isn't the safest place to search for breakfast.

At this time of year, it's about their only option.

But this fast food is no easy meal.

These lizards are a precious source of both food and water.

But catching one with a baby on your back is almost impossible.

Someone else has beaten them to it.

The lizard is out of reach in a crack.

There's no meal for this mother, but this baby can watch and learn.

These capuchins are possibly the world's cleverest monkeys.

There's nothing they like more than a problem to solve.

This particular problem requires finding and shaping

just the right tool to force this lizard out of hiding.

And if at first you don't succeed, it's back to the tool box.

These monkeys use more tools than almost any other animal.

And a lizard is no match for such determined intelligence.

Success brings a tasty meal for one,

while the baby's mother goes hungry again.

And if she starves,

then HE starves.

For both their sakes,

this little monkey must start his journey to independence.

But letting go won't be easy for either of them...

..and it's going to be risky in these unforgiving canyons.

The ancient rivers that carved the monkeys' spectacular home

have long since dried up.

But elsewhere in Brazil,

water is still shaping entire landscapes.

In the west of the country, they give rise to one of the wonders

of the natural world.

The Pantanal.

This is the largest and richest freshwater wetland on the planet.

The Pantanal is home to one

of Brazil's noisiest families.

LOUD SQUEALS

Giant otters.

Their holt is a hole in the riverbank.

An experienced mother stands guard

whilst one of her adolescent sons plays outside.

He's almost 2m long

and, for some reason, still living at home.

In fact, young giant otters often stick around,

but this mother has 12 of them living under her roof.

LOUD SQUEALS

And she's just added three tiny new members to her family.

They're tucked away in the darkest, safest, corner of the holt.

But it won't be long before they'll have to start learning about life

in the outside world.

SQUEALS

With so many mouths to feed,

the family's top priority is keeping hold of their territory.

For giant otters, that means

scent-marking in the family latrine.

GURGLING AND SQUEALING

The father takes this job very seriously

and getting it right takes time.

With so many in the queue,

things tend to get a little unruly at times.

But there's a very good reason why this mother

needs such a large family.

Her new babies are growing up in one of the most dangerous

neighbourhoods in Brazil.

LOUD SQUEALS

At first glance, it's an aquatic paradise.

These waters teem with hundreds of species of fish.

But the Pantanal also has the highest density of predators

on the planet.

There are an estimated 10 million caiman alone.

But these rivers are famous for Brazil's most elusive

and dangerous predator.

The jaguar.

The most powerful of all the big cats.

A simple family fishing trip here

is something of a dangerous sport.

Jaguars will spend hours stalking their prey.

GROWLS

This is why giant otters live in such a large family.

Over the next few days,

the baby otters will be taken out for their very first swim.

Keeping them safe on this river

is going to test the whole family to its limits.

The equinox is passed.

A new season is coming.

The landscape waits for change.

These are the Vazantes.

A unique blend of grasslands and pools, surrounded by woodland.

It is here that Brazil's extreme seasons have the greatest impact.

The landscape will soon change completely.

Young animals don't have long to adapt.

This is a baby coati.

These woodlands are his playground.

Coati mothers time their births for the onset of the monsoon rains.

A time of plenty.

While they wait, they keep all their babies safely together

in a giant forest creche, where they can keep an eye on them.

But these toddlers are a naturally inquisitive bunch.

Luckily, these woods keep them safe from predators,

but, at the moment, there's not much to eat here.

The only place for a decent meal is in the grassland.

At this time of year the Vazantes are home to a mix of land

and water animals found nowhere else in the world.

Southern lapwings lay their eggs on the drier ground...

..while anacondas seek out pools of flooded grassland.

For the coatis, these pools are the perfect snack bar.

They'll eat almost anything they can sniff out,

just like their cousins, the racoons.

But dining out in the open like this

can be a dangerous way to get a meal.

It's certainly no place for a baby coati.

So while most of the grown-ups are out foraging,

all the babies are kept safely in the woods.

The only food on offer here right now is mother's milk.

And any young coati too busy exploring may miss out altogether.

It won't be long before these babies need more than milk.

After a long day in the exposed grasslands, the adults head back

to the safety of the woods.

It's a chance to find out what the grown-ups have been eating -

a sure sign that they're ready for weaning.

Soon their parents will take these little ones

out into the open for the very first time.

But stray too far from mum

and their first day in the grassland could be their last.

Soon, Brazil's seasons will change.

A change driven by a huge force of nature.

A vast river.

But not the Amazon.

This is a river in the sky.

It starts in the Amazonian rainforest -

the largest expanse of tropical trees on the planet.

Every day these trees release up to 20,000 billion litres

of water vapour.

This water vapour streams down the entire country.

It's known as the Rio Voador.

Literally a "flying river".

A river in the sky.

When this sky river flows, it brings deluge.

When the sky river stops, there will be drought.

It affects almost every living creature in this vast country.

The jaguar cubs here will need to make the most of everything

these huge changes bring.

But for some, the sky river will bring precious little.

It only rains a few days a year in the canyons of Piaui.

Even so, our capuchin was born so that when it does rain,

he'll be old enough to take full advantage of it.

It's harder than ever for her to feed and hunt.

And if she doesn't eat, there's no milk for him.

She tries every trick she knows...

..but without much luck.

He needs to leave his mother's back

at least long enough for her to feed.

One of the males has discovered a bees' nest

right up at the top of the canyon.

At this time of year,

finding honey is an incredible stroke of luck.

But getting up there is another matter,

especially with a baby on your back.

The time has now come for this baby to let go.

He gets his first baby-sitter - one of his older sisters,

and he's not happy.

SQUEALS

But his mother simply can't afford to miss out on this feast.

The climb is about as tough as it gets...

..a challenge for even the nimblest monkeys.

CAPUCHINS SQUEAL

She makes it to the top - and the honey.

But far below in the canyon,

the inexperienced baby-sitter has made a reckless decision.

She's attempting the climb carrying her baby brother.

These bees may be stingless,

but that doesn't make this feast any less dangerous.

This energy boost couldn't have come at a better time.

But her baby is in serious trouble.

His baby-sitter has realised her mistake

and now abandons him altogether.

Far above, his mother has no idea.

Like humans, capuchin babies are almost completely helpless.

CAPUCHIN WHISTLES

CAPUCHIN WHISTLES

It seems a long time before his mother realises what's happening.

Reunited.

Safe.

But that wasn't a great start to independence.

He really does need to pick up some survival skills, and soon.

This part of Brazil is so dry

because the sky river hardly flows here.

But as the seasons change, other areas will be utterly transformed.

The rivers of the Pantanal will be inundated by a colossal flood.

These floods may be some months away but, for the giant otters,

the preparations start now.

It's an occasion that involves the whole family.

One of the newborns is being taken for its first swim.

GURGLING AND SQUEALING

Survival here requires strong swimming skills.

They have to start early.

Older brothers and sisters keep watch for predators

while one of them stays behind to guard the other little kits

at the holt.

Something has spooked the baby-sitter.

Like most predators,

this jaguar will be looking for a vulnerable victim.

A baby otter or a preoccupied adult

would do nicely.

Swimming lesson over, the family head for home,

and they're in for a shock.

LOUD SQUEAL

LOUD SQUEALS AND GROWLS

They react with a show of strength.

She knows she's been beaten.

But she'll be back.

Their home is no longer safe. They grab the babies and flee.

Giant otters usually dig several holts along the river

in case of emergency.

Only when all the babies are safely inside

will the family be able to relax.

Swimming lessons will resume as soon as it's safe.

The monsoon floods will soon be here.

By then, the kits must be ready.

For now, the Pantanal waits for the sky river to bring the rains.

With the equinox passed, the sun's light grows stronger

over the north of Brazil - the Amazon rainforest.

The trees produce more and more water vapour.

This is the engine that will start the sky river

and ultimately bring the monsoon rains.

This Brazilian monsoon will bring plenty of opportunities

and babies must be old enough to take advantage of it.

That often means that their first formative weeks are tough.

This is now the most dangerous time of their young lives.

All our coati babies have known is the safety of the trees.

But until the monsoon rains arrive, there's nothing to eat here.

If they want to get a meal,

they will have to follow their parents out into the grassland.

The wide open world of the Vazante

must seem both exciting and daunting.

Their mother has got her work cut out

keeping track of so many at once.

Get separated from the family and you could get snatched

by one of the predators that stalk these plains.

Every little coati has just one golden rule to remember -

don't lose sight of mum's tail.

The babies are not just discovering a new place,

they're here to learn about foraging from the grown-ups.

But for some, there are just too many distractions.

All around them are extraordinary creatures.

Each little Coati must learn which creatures are safe

and which are dangerous.

Southern lapwings are good to have around.

They follow the coatis to pick up small bugs

the family disturbs as they forage.

In return, they keep an eye out for predators.

Armadillos can usually be ignored.

So can giant anteaters.

But a savanna hawk...

..is a different matter.

CHIRPING

With so many babies in the creche,

the mother is unsure that everyone's made it home.

COATI SQUEAKS

Her instincts are right.

One of them hasn't.

SQUEAKING

Mum's tail is nowhere to be seen.

SQUEAKING

Brazil's grasslands are not always this forgiving.

But he's learned a valuable lesson.

Over much of Brazil, animals are waiting for the rain.

These canyons were once part of a rainforest.

But then the sky river changed its path,

leaving rainforest trees clinging on in the ravines.

If this baby capuchin is to survive here, he must become independent.

The last time he tried was nearly a disaster.

This time, his mother isn't going anywhere.

Slowly but surely, his confidence grows.

He needs to learn what to eat by following mum's example.

Leaves are OK, but the roots are the best part.

Now he's getting the hang of it.

But he needs to learn more than just where to find food.

His mother hasn't spotted the danger.

Fortunately, the little monkey's instincts kick in.

Capuchins have different calls for different threats.

CAPUCHIN CALL

The rest of the troop instantly recognise this one

and all come together.

KNOCKING ON TREES

CAPUCHIN WHISTLES

They try to scare the snake away by making as much noise as possible.

Even the baby is determined to help.

But his mother has spotted something.

This yellow rat snake isn't after monkeys.

It's after a Brazilian rodent called a punare.

Capuchins are incredibly curious...

..and even the baby can't resist taking a closer look.

But there's a fine line between curiosity

and foolhardiness.

With hundreds of backward facing teeth,

there's no way the snake is giving up his prize.

But that wasn't the only punare.

All fear forgotten, the little baby scrambles to join in.

CAPUCHINS SQUEAL

But punares aren't easy to catch.

Once again, it's the experienced male who takes the lead.

The group finally get a decent meal.

Just as importantly, our baby monkey

has passed his first test in surviving on his own.

He's also witnessed just how resourceful his family needs to be

to survive here.

All of our babies have taken their first tentative steps

towards independence.

Along the way they have got lost, been abandoned and had close calls

with predators.

Now their world is about to change.

At last, the sky river

is beginning to flow.

LOUD SQUEALS

Very soon, the monsoon rains will transform much of the land.

All of our youngsters must learn fast

and fend for themselves...

..in Wild Brazil.

To gain a truly intimate view into the lives of our animal families,

the Wild Brazil team filmed for over a year,

using all the tricks of the trade.

Of all the animals, it was the giant otter and tufted capuchin families

that would allow the team closest to their private lives

to film some of the series' most remarkable moments.

Following capuchin monkeys in the canyon lands

of Serra da Capivara National Park was a big commitment.

Cameraman Ted Giffords spent a year getting to know

one particular monkey family.

To truly understand the monkeys' world, Ted enlisted the help

of primatologist Camila Coelho and guide George Reinaldo.

For Ted to have any chance of being accepted by the monkeys,

he first had to learn how to keep up with them.

There's very few places they're going to move to because they have to live within the gullies.

If you imagine my fingers, there's these constant gullies parallel to one another,

and if they live in this one, they can only move to one of the ones adjacent.

We'll eventually find them in one of these adjacent gullies, unless they're still on the move.

You cannot keep up because they ping from tree to tree.

Thousands of miles away in the heart of the Pantanal,

the giant otter team faced a different challenge.

They needed a family with newborn kits.

But at first, cameraman Barrie Britton

and Pantanal guide Mauricio Copetti couldn't find any otters at all.

We're basically just covering large stretches of river,

just trying to find something, and it's getting a bit frustrating

because we've got this fantastic light, fantastic habitat

but we just haven't got the otters at the moment.

Remote cameras were a vital tool to find where the otters were visiting.

Even so, after three months, there were still no baby otters.

Back in the canyon lands

and Ted and George were now keeping up with the capuchins

and starting to predict their movements.

See they're pouring back down the hill. Isn't that sweet?

The group had begun to accept Ted

and the bolder ones were taking a keen interest in his gear.

The monkeys were so comfortable with the camera team,

they were now able to film their most intimate moments.

Ow!

Ted could now follow the group so closely

that he was in just the right place when the capuchins found a hunting rat snake

and a dominant male revealed just how daring capuchins can be.

Normally they wouldn't go near the snake,

but faced with the prospect of a rat meal,

they were tugging it in its mouth.

It's the most extraordinary thing I've ever seen.

The chances of them actually pulling the rat out were pretty slim,

but the fact they even tried it is astonishing.

The guys are incredibly efficient at surviving in their environment.

They know where an opportunity is and they grab it -

quite literally grab it.

Ted's months of persistence had paid off.

As a wildlife cameraman, I've seen a lot of extraordinary events

that stop me in my tracks, but I think it's fair to say

it's surpassed anything I ever believed would happen.

Back in the Pantanal, at last, the camera traps had picked up

a giant otter family that appeared to have newborn kits.

Look, see? Digging his way in.

In order not to disturb the family, Barrie set up a hide.

He'd need to stake out the holt to have any chance of getting a glimpse

of the babies.

After a week, Barrie's careful approach paid off.

At last, he was getting unique insights

into the otters' family life.

Then, one morning, Barrie was able to film the remarkable moment

when this tiny otter was introduced to the water

for the very first time.

It was just what Barrie had hoped for.

But he was about to witness something even rarer.

Suddenly there was this...

there was this orange creature that emerged from the forest.

It was a jaguar.

It was my first ever view of a jaguar.

And she walked right out and not only was she very close,

just across the river, but she also went right down and sat

exactly in the middle of the otters' latrine area.

The primary concern is trying to film

and you become very caught up in what you need to do

to get the shots.

In hindsight, maybe the fact that there was this huge predator

just a stone's throw across the river

was something I should have been more concerned about.

LOUD SQUEALS

To see these two great animals interact with one another,

particularly at a holt where we knew there were babies there

and so there was a genuine threat.

That was really a very rare moment

and something we were very lucky to witness.

Brazil's animal families had allowed Barrie and Ted

a truly privileged view into their lives.

They continued to follow these animals as their worlds changed

with the seasons.

They were there to witness first-hand

the extraordinary struggles

and triumphs each animal family has to live through

in Wild Brazil.